US 9,809,366 B2 · Stackable trays for jugs, stacked arrangements and stacking methods

Abstract

Stackable trays for jugs, stacked arrangements and stacking methods are disclosed. A tray has a first surface to support a bottom of one or more jugs, and could include jug receiving cells. A collar could extend downwardly from a second surface opposite the first surface and have at least one notch sized to receive a portion of a handle of a respective jug located beneath each jug receiving cell. Load transfer to the handles of the jugs below the second surface could be provided by load transfer structures, such as the collars in one embodiment, which extend from the second surface to engage the jugs. A stacked arrangement includes multiple layers of jugs with a respective stackable tray between adjacent layers of the multiple layers. The trays could thus be used in stacking or otherwise arranging jugs in multiple layers.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims21

Dependent claims

A stackable tray comprising:

a first surface to support a bottom of one or more jugs;
a plurality of load transfer structures extending from a second surface opposite the first surface, to engage a plurality of jugs arranged below the second surface and transfer at least a portion of a load on the first surface to handles of the plurality of jugs, wherein each load transfer structure of the plurality of load transfer structures has a shape comprising:
a first recess to receive an upper portion of a jug of the plurality of jugs;
and at least two channels, wherein, each of the at least two channels extends from the first recess outward along the load transfer structure to a periphery of the load transfer structure, and wherein the at least two channels are configured to engage a handle of the jug in a respective one of different orientations of the jug and to transfer the portion of the load on the first surface to the handle of the jug;
and
walls extending from the first surface, wherein the walls define a plurality of jug receiving cells to receive bottom portions of a second plurality of jugs, each jug receiving cell corresponding to a respective load transfer structure of the plurality of load transfer structures and comprising a second recess having a shape complementary to the shape of the respective load transfer structure, and wherein, in each jug receiving cell, the first surface comprises a first surface portion that forms a seat and a second surface portion that forms a center portion, the first and second surface portions being substantially co-planar and discontinuous.

3 more elements

A stacked arrangement comprising:

a stackable tray comprising:
a first surface to support a bottom of one or more jugs;
a plurality of load transfer structures extending from a second surface opposite the first surface, to engage a plurality of jugs arranged below the second surface and transfer at least a portion of a load on the first surface to handles of the plurality of jugs, wherein each load transfer structure of the plurality of load transfer structures has a shape comprising:
a first recess to receive an upper portion of a jug of the plurality of jugs;
and at least two channels, wherein each of the at least two channels extends from the first recess outward along the load transfer structure to a periphery of the load transfer structure, and wherein the at least two channels are configured to engage a handle of the jug in more than one orientation of the jug and to transfer the portion of the load on the first surface to the handle of the jug;
and
walls extending from the first surface, wherein the walls define a plurality of jug receiving cells to receive bottom portions of a second plurality of jugs, each jug receiving cell corresponding to a respective load transfer structure of the plurality of load transfer structures and comprising a second recess having a shape complementary to the shape of the respective load transfer structure, and wherein, in each jug receiving cell, the first surface comprises a first surface portion that forms a seat and a second surface portion that forms a center portion, the first and second surface portions being substantially co-planar and discontinuous;
one or more jugs on the first surface;
a plurality of jugs below the second surface.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description11,389 words

Summary1,970 words

#Embodiments of the invention relate to stackable trays for jugs typically containing liquids, such as milk, juice or water, and to stacked arrangements and stacking methods using such trays.

#Beverages such as milk, juice and water, and/or other liquids, may be sold in jugs which are typically made of plastic. Jugs are typically filled with such beverages, for example, at a production location and then placed into crates and/or onto shelving units for shipping to a retail or wholesale location.

#Crates for holding jugs may be made of plastic and are generally square or rectangular in shape. When such crates are stacked, one crate sits on the upper edges of the side walls of the crate below. Thus, each side wall supports a load from the crate(s) stacked above.

Brief description of the drawings15 figures

#In the following figures, dimensions of components are chosen for convenience and clarity only and are not necessarily shown to scale. Embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tray for jugs according to a first embodiment;

#FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the tray of FIG. 1;

Detailed description9,130 words

#Various embodiments illustrate trays for stacking, transporting, and displaying jugs. As used herein, the term “milk jugs” refers to jugs, typically made of plastic, that hold milk. Though the following description makes frequent reference to “milk jugs” in connection with one or more embodiments, it should be appreciated that embodiments could also or instead be used in association with stacking jugs or other suitable vessels containing other beverages, such as juice, water, and/or other liquids.

#FIGS. 1 to 8 illustrate features of a stackable tray for jugs according to one embodiment. It should be appreciated that the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 is intended solely for illustrative purposes, and that the present invention is in no way limited to the particular example embodiment explicitly shown in the drawings and described herein.

#Referring to FIG. 1, the example tray 100 has a top side or surface to support a bottom of one or more jugs. In the example shown, the tray 100 comprises jug receiving cells 102 which are contoured for receiving the base of a jug so that the jug may rest upright as shown for the jug 300 in FIG. 5. The jugs could be custom jugs or standardized jugs. The jugs could be large, multi-serving beverage containers, for example 500 mL, 1 L, 2 L or 4 L plastic milk jugs. The base of the jug 300 could have any cross-sectional shape e.g. square, round, oval etc., and the cells 102 could then have the corresponding or complementary shape, e.g. square, round, oval etc. so each cell 102 and the base of the jug 300 correspond. Tray 100 can be configured and dimensioned differently to accommodate different shaped jugs 300 and/or a different number of jugs 300 than shown.

Facts

Application

14/136,802Filed 20 Dec 2013 · us provisional application

Priority

11 Jan 2013

Published

US 2014/0197064 A117 Jul 2014

Granted

7 Nov 2017

Term ends

14 Jan 2034

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 25 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification10 codes

B65D 71/70
Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural…:…
B65B 5/068
Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles: in trays
B65B 21/02
Packaging or unpacking of bottles: in or from preformed containers, e.g. crates
B65D 1/36
Trays or like shallow containers: with moulded compartments or partitions

Family

Application61/751,377Us provisional application · filed 11 Jan 2013

Application61/787,960Us provisional application · filed 15 Mar 2013

Application61/892,630Us provisional application · filed 18 Oct 2013

US 2014/0197064 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Jul 2014

US 9,809,366 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

11 Jan 2013Priority claimedParent application 61/751,377
20 Dec 2013Application filedUS 14/136,802
3 Mar 2014Assigned to Parmalat Canada Inc.assignment of assignor's interest
17 Jul 2014PublishedUS 2014/0197064 A1
7 Nov 2017GrantedUS 9,809,366 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
14 Jan 2034Term endsEstimated, includes 25 days of adjustment

Stackable trays for jugs, stacked arrangements and stacking methods

Life of this patent

Stackable trays for jugs, stacked arrangements and stacking methods

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims21

Description11,389 words

Drawings

Classification10 codes

Life of this patent

Description11,389 words