WO2007128043A1

WO2007128043A1 - Stackable display crates

Info

Publication number: WO2007128043A1
Application number: PCT/AU2007/000573
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Leahy
Original assignee: Checkmate International Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-02
Filing date: 2007-05-02
Publication date: 2007-11-15

Abstract

A stackable and nestable display container (100) having a base (101) and at least four sides (102, 103, 104, 105) of which at least one (102) has one or more openings sufficient to visually identify product (200) through the opening(s), and a configuration of co-operable flute (118, 119, 120, 121) and rib structures (123, 124, 129, 130) on two or more sides of the container for nesting the container (100A) with respective similar containers (100B) above and below, wherein said container is thus nestable with said at least one side of the three containers not facing in the same direction but stackable with respective similar containers above and below with said at least one side of the three containers facing the same way.

Description

STACKABLE DISPLAY CRATES

Field of the invention

This invention relates to the supply system and involves packing, distribution, storage and merchandising of products. The invention relates particularly, though not exclusively, to a container system adaptable to pack, transport and merchandise products in retail stores. The container may be a crate, tray, cardboard carton or the like and is typically open-topped, but for convenience the following description often uses the term "crate" to refer to containers of the kind of interest.

Background of the Invention

Typically products are delivered to retail stores in crates, trays or cardboard boxes. They provide an effective means by which to transport large quantities of product and protect the product from damage while in transit. In the store the packaging is opened, product placed on a trolley, which is pushed to the aisle and elsewhere and the product placed on the retail shelf. Packaging is usually destroyed or recycled.

By way of example, though not exclusively, milk is brought to stores in crates. Typically, milk is packed into crates that stack on top of each other, but do not nest into each other when emptied. These crates have a base and four closed sides. Crates are stacked onto pallets for delivery to distribution centres or delivered direct to stores. At the retail store the pallets are stored in a cool room. Crates are taken to the dairy case aisle, milk packs are lifted one at a time out of the crate and packed onto the dairy case shelf. As milk is sold the dated stock is pulled forward and fresh milk loaded at the rear of the shelf. The empty crates are returned to the pallet and again stacked on top of each other. The pallets are collected and returned to the factory where the crates are cleaned. Processing, distributing and merchandising milk in this manner is a labour intensive process and crates that do not nest take up considerable space in retail stores. It would be more desirable if the supply system involved a packaging and transport system that delivered the milk to retail stores in shelf ready crates in which the milk could be merchandised directly from the crate.

One improvement in this direction was to open one side of the current milk crate. On arrival at the store, four crates are placed onto a dolly and stacked three to four crates high, with the open side facing outward on two adjacent sides of the dolly. The dolly is placed behind a cool room door or into an open bus stop style dairy case. The dolly is rotated when milk is sold out from one side of the dolly. This system reduces labour, however, the current crate is too heavy to lift and continues to occupy valuable space in the store because it does not nest.

More recently some retailers have replaced crates on dollies with milk rear-loaded into gravity-fed shelves in milk racks or gravity fed shelves in mobile trolleys. The shelves having dividers to separate the milk into rows and a base slip surface to reduce the coefficient of friction to gravity feed the milk. These systems provide a superior milk presentation, for better product identification and selection and improved milk rotation. However, this system requires each milk pack to be manually loaded into the rack or trolley, which is very labour intensive.

Typically, current crates that nest have elongated tapered flutes in which the narrower, enclosed bottom of the identical flute of an above crate slides into the wider, open top of the identical flute of a below crate. Therefore, crates nest when the exact same sides are adjacent. However, current crates are stacked by rotating the crate 180°. This requires the opposing sides of the crate to line up. When crates are filled the label must always face out through the open face of the crate. However, when the crate is rotated to stack, the label or open face is facing the opposite direction in every second crate. This makes current nestable and stackable crates inadequate for filling, transport and merchandising in retail stores.

The issue cannot be easily addressed by reversing every second crate at a filling plant because the retailer receives its crates from a variety of sources and this cannot work with a mix of filling practices: this approach to the issue could only work if the entire supply chain adopted the change of practice. In any event, a practice of reversing every second crate is unlikely to be attractive to supply plant operators.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention in a first aspect to at least partly address one or more of these and other problems associated with the prior art.

Description of the Invention

A first inventive concept resides in a recognition that filling, transport and merchandising are advantageously improved if the identical same side of above stacked crates can be made to line up in the same direction when crates are stacked.

Accordingly, the invention provides, in a first aspect, a stackable and nestable display container having a base and at least four sides of which at least one has one or more openings sufficient to visually identify product through the opening(s), and a configuration of co-operable flute and rib structures on two or more sides of the container for nesting the container with respective similar containers above and below, wherein said container is thus nestable with said at least one side of the three containers not facing in the same direction but stackable with respective similar containers above and below with said at least one side of the three containers facing the same way.

Preferably, said configuration comprises respective complementary pairs of rib structures and flutes in different sides of the container, respectively extending longitudinally from an upper peripheral edge of the container and a lower peripheral edge of the container part way along the respective side.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a stackable and nestable display container having a configuration of co-operable flute and rib structures on two or more sides of the container for nesting the container with respective similar containers above and below, wherein said configuration comprises respective complementary pairs of rib structures and flutes in different sides of the container, respectively extending longitudinally from an upper peripheral edge of the container and a lower peripheral edge of the container part way along the respective side. Said rib structures and flutes preferably extend to about half way between said upper and lower peripheral edges of the container.

Advantageously, the rib structures and flutes are tapered in their longitudinally extending direction.

Typically, said complementary pairs of rib structures and flutes are in opposite side walls the container.

In each of said opposite side walls, there may be two rib structures and two ribs.

Advantageously, the flutes extend from said upper peripheral edge and open to the interior of the container, and the ribs extend from said lower peripheral edge and lie at the outside of the respective side walls.

Preferably, the container further includes respective recess seats in said upper peripheral edge of the container, which seats are configured to locate and seat respective ends of said ribs at said lower peripheral edge of a similar container above, in a stack of two containers.

One or more of said rib structures may comprise an array of projecting webs.

Crates according to an embodiment of the invention can be oriented on the production line such that the product is filled in the crate with the label always facing out through the open face. When crates are manually or automatically stacked on dollies the open faces of the crates and the label would always face outward in the same direction.

In the store it is common for store staff to alter the order of the crate to conform to a store planogram. Now it would be possible to place crates according to an embodiment of the invention in any order on the dolly and guarantee that all open sides and labels will always face outward in the same direction. The dolly can then be pushed up to a cool room door or into an open dairy case to give customers access to purchase product through all the open faces of the crates. Now when the crates are emptied, the crates can be rotated, for example by 180°, to nest the crates. Preferably, said at least one face, typically a front face, is also open adequately to remove product from the crate.

Both the front and rear faces could be open. Indeed, where the container has four sides, all four sides may be partially open: said flute and rib structures may be truncated or divided to accommodate such a configuration.

Preferably, the base has an open grid structure for easy cleaning. Additionally or alternatively, the base may have dividers and/or fine ribs to reduce the co-efficient of friction for gravity feeding.

The container may be a crate or a tray.

Conveniently, said at least one side includes a cross-piece intermediate said upper and lower peripheral edges of the container for restraining product in the container.

This cross-piece or horizontal member may be about one third up the vertical height of the open front face and /or open rear face, with the space below remaining as open in structure as possible such that:

a) the label of the milk or other product can be seen from outside the crate

b) the product/s do not fall out in transit

c) the milk or other product can be easily removed from the crate by shoppers

Preferably, the open front face and closed rear face and/or open rear face and the two spaced apart sides are wider at the top than at the bottom.

Preferably, the top of the container remains open for easy filling.

Preferably, the crate, tray or carton is moulded or otherwise formed as one piece, but it may be assembled from several sections. Description of Drawings

Preferred embodiments of a display crate incorporating the principal features of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a display crate according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the display crate of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the display crate of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the display crate of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the display crate of Figure 1 ;

Figure 6 is a bottom perspective view of the display crate of Figure 1 ;

Figure 7 is a front perspective view of two nested display crates and a non nested display crate according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a front perspective view of two stacked display crates according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 shows front perspective views, from opposite sides, of a display crate according to a second embodiment of the present inventions filled with milk cartons;

Figure 10 shows perspective front views of the display crates of Figure 9, including three stacked crates;

Figure 11 is a rear perspective view of three stacked display crates according to the second embodiment of the invention; and Figure 12 is a rear perspective view of the three display crates of Figure 11 in a nested position.

Description of Embodiments

Figures 1 to 6 illustrate a display crate (100) according to an embodiment of the invention. The display crate has an open grid base member 101 , for easy cleaning. The display crate has an open front face 102 on the base member 101 , and a closed rear face 103 and two spaced apart side walls or members 104 and 105. The width at the top of the spaced apart side members 104 and 105 is wider than at the bottom, and the width at the top of the open front face 102 and closed rear face 103 is wider than the bottom of the open front face 102 and closed rear face 103.

The open front face 102 is dissected by a horizontal member or cross-piece 106 with a vertical support 107 to contain product in the crate.

On the top rim 108 on spaced apart side member 105 are two widely spaced horizontal recesses 109 and 110 with an inward vertical protrusion 111 and 112. On the adjacent rim 113 of spaced apart side member 104 are two narrowly spaced horizontal recesses 114 and 115 also with inward vertical protrusions 116 and 117. Recesses 109, 110, 114, 115 are at the inside edges of rims 108, 113.

On the spaced apart side member 105, and positioned between the horizontal recesses 109 and 110, are two tapered, narrowly spaced, outwardly extending vertical flutes 118 and 119 extending half way down the side of the spaced apart side member 105 and on the adjacent spaced apart side member 104 are two widely spaced tapered, outwardly extending vertical flutes 120 and 121 , also extending half-way down the crate. Flutes 118, 119, 120, 121 open to the interior of the crate.

The four sides of the display crate can have one, two or more horizontal strengthening ribs 122.

Figure 5 also illustrates a display crate with two narrowly spaced bottom vertical members or rib structures 123 and 124 on the outside of side wall 104, each comprising a pair of tapered vertical ribs 125 dissected by one, two or more horizontal webs 126 with a base horizontal protrusion 127 and 128 closing the space between ribs 125. The adjacent spaced apart side member 105 has two widely spaced bottom vertical members or rib structures 129 and 130 similarly comprising tapered vertical ribs 131 dissected by one, two or more horizontal webs 132 with a base horizontal protrusion 133 and 134 closing the space between the ribs. Rib structures 123, 124, 129, 130 extend about half way up the respective sides of the crate from its bottom face.

Figure 7 illustrates display crates in the nested position in which crate (100A) nests into crate (100B)₁ when (100A) is rotated 180° bottom vertical members 123 and 124 with base horizontal protrusions 127 and 128 on spaced apart side wall 104 engage the vertical flutes 118 and 119 on spaced apart side member 105. Also, bottom vertical members 129 and 130 with base horizontal protrusion 133 and 134 on spaced apart side member 105 engage the vertical flutes 120 and 121 on spaced apart side member 104. As can be seen, if nested crates (100A) and (100B) were rotated 180° they could nest in crate (100C). In the nested position, crate 100A extends about half way into crate 100B.

Figure 8 illustrates display crates in the stacked position in which crate (100A) stacks adjacently on crate (100B), when bottom vertical members 123 and 124 with base horizontal protrusions 127 and 128 on spaced apart side member 104 stack on horizontal recess 114 and 115 and inward protrusions 116 and 117 also on spaced apart side member 104. On spaced apart side member 105 bottom vertical member 129 and 130 with base horizontal protrusion 133 and 134 stack on horizontal recess 109 and 110 with vertical protrusion 111 and 112, permitting the open faces to always align in the same direction.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 9 to 12, with Figures 9 and 10 showing the crates filled with milk cartons 200. As seen in Figure 10, when stacked, the milk cartons are accessible through the open front face 102. In this embodiment, the rear face 103 is also open to allow access. Arrows 210 indicate the front of the crates. The rear and front faces each comprise just an upper rim and a lower planar panel 106 that acts to retain product in the crate. As shown in Figure 11 , the crates 100 stack when facing the same direction. The bottom vertical members 129 and 130 with base horizontal protrusions 133 and 134 on side 105 have downwardly projecting protrusions 212 that lock into recesses 109, 110 in the top rim 108 of the spaced apart side member 105. On side member 104, the recesses 114, 115 extend inwardly from the vertical flutes 120, 121. On the opposite side member 105, the recesses 109, 110 extend outwardly from the vertical flutes 118, 119. This ensures that when the crates are stacked, the open front faces 102 are facing in the same direction.

As shown in Figure 12, when alternate crates are rotated 180° the bottom vertical members or rib structures 129 and 130 on side wall 105 engage the vertical flutes 120 and 121 on the side member 104. Bottom vertical members or rib structures 123 and 124 on side member 104 engage the vertical flutes 118 and 119 on side member 105. The crates can thereby nest with the upper crate approximately half contained in the lower crate.

With the arrangement of the invention, crates travelling in line on a conveyor at a loading site such as a milk processing plant can be filled with product all facing in the same direction. The filled crates can be stacked and transported in the same orientation all the way to the supermarket refrigerator or showcase, where products are all viewed in the same orientation and are recoverable by customers through the front of the crates. Every second crate can subsequently be rotated through 180° about a vertical axis to permit nesting of the crates for return to the plant.

Claims

1. A stackable and nestable display container having a base and at least four sides of which at least one has one or more openings sufficient to visually identify product through the opening(s), and a configuration of co-operable flute and rib structures on two or more sides of the container for nesting the container with respective similar containers above and below, wherein said container is thus nestable with said at least one side of the three containers not facing in the same direction but stackable with respective similar containers above and below with said at least one side of the three containers facing the same way.

2. A display container according to claim 1 , wherein said configuration comprises respective complementary pairs of rib structures and flutes in different sides of the container, respectively extending longitudinally from an upper peripheral edge of the container and a lower peripheral edge of the container part way along the respective side.

3. A stackable and nestable display container having a configuration of co-operable flute and rib structures on two or more sides of the container for nesting the container with respective similar containers above and below, wherein said configuration comprises respective complementary pairs of rib structures and flutes in different sides of the container, respectively extending longitudinally from an upper peripheral edge of the container and a lower peripheral edge of the container part way along the respective side.

4. A display container according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said rib structures and flutes extend to about half way between said upper and lower peripheral edges of the container.

5. A display container according to claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the rib structures and flutes are tapered in their longitudinally extending direction.

6. A display container according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein said complementary pairs of rib structures and flutes are in opposite side walls the container.

7. A display container according to claim 6, wherein, in each of said opposite side walls, there may be two rib structures and two flutes.

8. A display container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flutes extend from said upper peripheral edge and open to the interior of the container, and the rib structures extend from said lower peripheral edge and lie at the outside of the respective side walls.

9. A display container according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the container further includes respective recess seats in said upper peripheral edge of the container, which seats are configured to locate and seat respective ends of said rib structures at said lower peripheral edge of a similar container above, in a stack of two containers.

10. A display container according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein one or more of said rib structures comprise an array of projecting webs.

11.A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein crates can be oriented on the production line such that the product is filled in the crate with the label always facing out through an open face.

12. A display container according to claim 11 , wherein, when crates are manually or automatically stacked on dollies, the open faces of the crates and the label would always face outward in the same direction.

13. A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said one or more openings is open adequately to remove product from the crate.

14. A display container according to claim 13, wherein both the front and rear faces are open.

15. A display container according to claim 14, wherein the container has four sides and all four sides are partially open.

16. A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base has an open grid structure for easy cleaning.

17. A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base has dividers and/or fine ribs to reduce the co-efficient of friction for gravity feeding.

18. A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is a crate.

19. A display container according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the container is a tray.

20. A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one side includes a cross-piece intermediate said upper and lower peripheral edges of the container for restraining product in the container.

21. A display container according to claim 20, wherein the cross-piece is about one third up the vertical height of the at least one side, with the space below remaining as open in structure as possible such that:

a) the label of the milk or other product can be seen from outside the crate;

b) the product/s do not fall out in transit; and

c) the milk or other product can be easily removed from the crate by shoppers;

22.A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the four sides are wider at the top than at the bottom.

23. A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the top of the container remains open for easy filling.

24.A display container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container is moulded or otherwise formed as one piece.