Produce packaging system having produce containers with arched bottom and raised feet to enable under container ventilation
AssigneeSambrailo Packaging, Inc.
InventorsAnthony Cadiente, Mark Sambrailo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A produce packaging container having an arched bottom surface and raised feet is described herein. The containers each can include upper ventilation slots and lower ventilation channels. The lower ventilation channels are formed by arching the bottoms of the baskets to form cooling flow channels that direct cool air under the bottoms of the containers. Raised supports enable bi-directional cooling airflow to pass underneath the baskets in at least two transverse directions. Bi-directional airflow is also achieved in the upper portion of the baskets through the ventilation slots.
Claims13
A produce container comprising:
- a basket body with a bottom portion having a base and wherein the basket body comprises a pair of sidewalls and a pair of endwalls such that the base, sidewalls, and endwalls are integrally connected;
- a lid for covering the basket body;
- a plurality of ventilation slots formed in the container to facilitate a flow of cooling air through the container when the lid is closed;
- a bottom portion of the pair of endwalls have a substantially straight contour;
- a first ventilation channel is formed in the bottom portion of the basket body by forming a curved bottom portion and curved bottom portions of the sidewalls that together define an arched ventilation channel that passes under the container to facilitate a flow of cooling air underneath the container along the length of the channel in a first direction;
- and
- a plurality of supports formed at the bottom portion of the basket body to elevate the container above a resting surface forming a space thereunder to facilitate flow of cooling air underneath the container in a second direction such that the flow in the first direction and the flow in the second direction are transversely oriented with respect to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.