Pipette unitizer and shipper
AssigneeWaldorf Corporation
InventorAlan J. Linder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A package for unitizing and shipping pipette tips is provided and includes a paperboard tray received on the side panels of an outer shipping enclosure, which panels support the tray over a cavity into which the pipette tips extend. The tray includes two spaced, substantially parallel panels, each having an array of holes; the arrays are aligned. One of the parallel panels is preferably joined to the tray along perforated, cut fold lines, whereby that panel easily may be broken away from the tray when the tray is placed on a pipette support block. The invention also encompasses flat blanks, one for the tray and one for the shipping enclosure, for forming into the package.
Claims20
A container for holding a plurality of elongated objects upright in a predetermined array pattern, comprising:
- an upper array holding panel having a plurality of openings therethrough in a predetermined array pattern;
- a lower array holding panel lying beneath, substantially parallel to and spaced from said upper array holding panel, said lower array holding panel having a plurality of openings therethrough that substantially match in vertical alignment and in array pattern the plurality of openings in the upper array holding panel;
- and
- collapsible spacing means connected between said upper and lower array holding panels for holding said panels in aligned, spaced relation until frangible connections in said spacing means are fractured by compressive force exerted on the upper and lower array holding panels causing them to move toward each other.
A container for holding a plurality of elongated objects upright in a predetermined array pattern, comprising:
- a pair of substantially parallel, opposed end guide panels;
- an upper array holding panel connected to and extending between and being perpendicular to said end guide panels and having a plurality of openings therethrough in a predetermined array pattern;
- a lower array holding panel extending between and perpendicular to said end guide panels and lying beneath and parallel to the upper array holding panel, said lower array holding panel having a plurality of openings therethrough that substantially match in vertical alignment and in array pattern the plurality of openings in the upper array holding panel, said lower array holding panel being connected to said upper array holding panel by collapsible spacing means for holding said panels in aligned, spaced relation until said spacing means are fractured by a compressive force exerted on said upper and lower array holding panels, causing them to move toward each other.
A flat blank for forming a tray for holding a plurality of elongated objects comprising:
- a first generally rectangular array holding panel having a plurality of openings therethrough in a predetermined pattern and two pairs of opposed perimeter edges;
- a pair of side panels attached to one of the pairs of opposed perimeter edges of said first array holding panel;
- a pair of end guide flaps attached to the other pair of opposed perimeter edges of said first array holding panel;
- a second generally rectangular array holding panel having two pairs of opposed perimeter edges and a plurality of openings therethrough in a predetermined pattern, said second array holding panel being detachably attached to one of said side panels along one of the perimeter edges of said second array holding panel, said second array holding panel being substantially equal in surface area and outline to said first array holding panel;
- a glue flap detachably attached to said second array holding panel at the perimeter edge of said second array holding panel opposite the perimeter edge attached to one of said side panels;
- and
- two pairs of end tabs, each said pair of end tabs comprising extensions of one of said side panels and being foldably connected to one of said sidewalls at fold lines substantially collinear with those perimeter edges of the first array holding panel at which the end flaps are attached.
A two-part container for holding a plurality of elongated objects upright in a predetermined array pattern comprising:
- a first container part comprising
- an upper array holding panel having a plurality of openings therethrough in a predetermined array pattern;
- a lower array holding panel lying beneath and spaced from said upper array holding panel, said lower array holding panel having a plurality of openings therethrough that substantially match in vertical alignment and in array pattern the plurality of openings in the upper array holding panel;
- and
- spacing means connected between said upper and lower array holding panels for holding said panels in aligned, spaced relation until frangible connections in said spacing means are fractured by a compressive force exerted on said upper and lower array holding panels causing them to move toward each other;
- and
- a second container part comprising an open-topped box having a base panel and a pair of substantially parallel support flaps extending substantially vertically upward from said base panel, for engaging said first container part and supporting it above said base panel with said upper array holding panel lying substantially parallel to said base panel and spaced therefrom to define a cavity between said base panel and said first container part into which the elongated objects may extend.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.