Plastic reinforced produce container

Claim 2

In a generally rectangular container with rigid rectangular, reinforcing end frames at opposite ends thereof, the container having rectangular bottom, side and end walls, and lids which are hinged to the upper edges of said side walls, said rectangular end frames comprising integral, coplanar, upper, lower and side flanges parallel with the end walls of the container and lying thereadjacent, and rectangular integral upper, lower and side flanges, integral with and projecting perpendicularly from said coplanar flanges from the outer margins thereof, whereby to provide reinforcing caps receiving therein the corresponding end walls of the container and end portions of said bottom walls, with the perpendicular side flanges thereof lying closely adjacent said side walls of said container; said upper and lower perpendicular flanges having horizontal upwardly facing and downwardly facing surface areas, respectively, integral elevated spacer means extending vertically upward from generally outer end portions of said upper perpendicular flanges and having thereon horizontal stacking surfaces spaced above said upwardly facing flange surface areas of said upper perpendicular flanges by at least the thickness of a lid, said upwardly facing surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges lying longitudinally inward of said spacer means, the downwardly facing horizontal surface portions on the lower perpendicular flanges, directly below said spacer means, also comprising stacking surfaces, said stacking surfaces being located above and below the lids and bottom walls, respectively, of the container for stacking engagement of a plurality of the containers, rigid end frame directly to rigid end frame, at said stacking surfaces when the lids are closed, said lids having end edges which, in regions laterally opposite said elevated spacer means, are located laterally inwardly thereof, the upwardly facing surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges being at substantially the level of the underside of the hinged lids when said lids are closed, and said lids having tabs which project laterally and overlie said upwardly facing surface area on said upper perpendicular flanges at a level below said stacking surfaces on said spacer means when the lids are closed.

Claim 3

In a generally rectangular container with rigid rectangular, reinforcing end frames at opposite ends thereof, the container having rectangular bottom, side and end walls, and lids which are hinged to the upper edges of said side walls, said rectangular end frames comprising integral, coplanar, upper, lower and side flanges parallel with the end walls of the container and lying thereadjacent, and rectangular integral upper, lower and side flanges, integral with and projecting perpendicularly from said coplanar flanges from the outer margins thereof, whereby to provide reinforcing caps receiving therein the corresponding end walls of the container and end portions of said bottom walls, with the perpendicular side flanges thereof lying closely adjacent said side walls of said container; said upper and lower perpendicular flanges having horizontal upwardly facing and downwardly facing surface areas, respectively, integral elevated spacer means extending vertically upward from generally outer end portions of said upper perpendicular flanges and having thereon horizontal stacking surfaces spaced above said upwardly facing flange surface areas of said upper perpendicular flanges by at least the thickness of a lid, said upwardly facing surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges lying longitudinally inward of said spacer means, the downwardly facing horizontal surface portions on the lower perpendicular flanges, directly below said spacer means, also comprising stacking surfaces, said stacking surfaces being located above and below the lids and bottom walls, respectively, of the container for stacking engagement of a plurality of the containers, rigid end frame directly to rigid end frame, at said stacking surfaces when the lids are closed, said lids having end edges which, in regions laterally opposite said elevated spacer means, are located laterally inwardly thereof, the upwardly facing surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges being at substantially the level of the underside of the hinged lids when said lids are closed, and said lids having tabs which project laterally and overlie said upwardly facing surface area on said upper perpendicular flanges at a level below said stacking surfaces on said spacer means when the lids are closed.

Claim 4

In a generally rectangular container with rigid rectangular, reinforcing end frames at opposite ends thereof, the container having rectangular bottom, side and end walls, and lids which are hinged to the upper edges of said side walls, said rectangular end frames comprising integral, coplanar, upper, lower and side flanges parallel with the end walls of the container and lying thereadjacent, and rectangular integral upper, lower and side flanges, integral with and projecting perpendicularly from said coplanar flanges from the outer margins thereof, whereby to provide reinforcing caps receiving therein the corresponding end walls of the container and end portions of said bottom walls, with the perpendicular side flanges thereof lying closely adjacent said side walls of said container; said upper and lower perpendicular flanges having horizontal upwardly facing and downwardly facing surface areas, respectively, integral elevated spacer means extending vertically upward from generally outer end portions of said upper perpendicular flanges and having thereon horizontal stacking surfaces spaced above said upwardly facing flange surface areas of said upper perpendicular flanges by at least the thickness of a lid, said upwardly facing surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges lying longitudinally inward of said spacer means, the downwardly facing horizontal surface portions on the lower perpendicular flanges, directly below said spacer means, also comprising stacking surfaces, said stacking surfaces being located above and below the lids and bottom walls, respectively, of the container for stacking engagement of a plurality of the containers, rigid end frame directly to rigid end frame, at said stacking surfaces when the lids are closed, said lids having end edges which, in regions laterally opposite said elevated spacer means, are located laterally inwardly thereof, the upwardly facing surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges being at substantially the level of the underside of the hinged lids when said lids are closed, and said lids having tabs which project laterally and overlie said upwardly facing surface area on said upper perpendicular flanges at a level below said stacking surfaces on said spacer means when the lids are closed.

Claim 5

The container according to claim 1, wherein: the hinged longitudinal edges of the lids terminate short of the upper perpendicular flanges and have end edges which extend from the points of termination past said spacer means along lines between and generally adjacent to said upper perpendicular flanges at opposite ends of the container, said laterally projecting tabs being located laterally beyond said end edges.

Claim 6

The subject matter of claim 1, wherein: the end edges of the lids and said spacer means are cooperatively constructed with non-overlapping areas so that said spacer means and the lids do not interfere to prevent closure of the lids, and whereby also all portions of the lids are excluded from intervention between the stacking surfaces on said elevated spacer means and the stacking surfaces on the lower perpendicular flanges of a similar container stacked immediately above.

Claim 7

The subject matter of claim 1, including also: two hooks mounted on the upper perpendicular flange of each end frame, said hooks facing toward one another, and said laterally projecting tabs having edge shoulders facing generally in the direction of the hinge line of the corresponding lid and being engageable in the throats of said hooks.

Claim 8

The subject matter of claim 4, wherein: the perpendicular distance from the side wall generally along each end edge of the lid to said tab edge shoulders is less than the distance from said side wall to the forward extremity of the hook, and wherein the local region of the side wall adjoining the end edge of the lid is flexurable undeR manually applied stress to enable said tabs to be forced into positions in which their shoulders clear the extremities of the hooks, so as to enter into the throats of the hooks, said local side wall region, upon release of such stress, acting by resilient return flexure, to pull said edge of said laterally projecting lid portion into the throat of the hook.

Claim 9

The subject matter of claim 4, wherein: said throats of said hooks taper inwardly and downwardly and lead to portions of said horizontal upwardly facing flange area on said upper perpendicular flange.

Claim 10

The subject matter of claim 4, including tapered surfaces on the ends of said hooks, over said throats, to facilitate movement of said lid tabs downward and into said throats.

Claim 11

The subject matter of claim 4, wherein said hooks are integrally formed on the proximate ends of said spacer means.

Claim 12

The subject matter of claim 1, wherein: corner portions of the hinged lids, including said tabs, are scored across with crease lines which are on the undersides thereof when the lids are folded out and downward, and slits in the side walls of the container into which said tabs are receivable when the lids are bent outwardly and down alongside the side walls of the container.

Claim 13

The subject matter of claim 9 wherein said slots are substantially vertical and are located adjacent to said side perpendicular flanges of the end frames.

Claim 14

In a paperboard container with rigid rectangular, reinforcing plastic end frames at opposite ends thereof, the container having rectangular bottom, side and end walls, and lids which are hinged to the upper edges of said side walls, said rectangular end frames comprising integral, coplanar, upper, lower and side flanges parallel with the end walls of the container and lying thereadjacent, and rectangular integral upper, lower and side flanges, integral with and projecting perpendicularly from said coplanar flanges from the other margins thereof, whereby to provide reinforcing caps adapted to receive therein the corresponding end walls of the container and end portions of said bottom walls, with the perpendicular side flanges thereof lying closely adjacent said side walls of said container: horizontal upwardly facing and downwardly facing flange surface areas formed on the exterior sides of said upper and lower perpendicular flanges, elevated spacer means extending vertically upward from generally outer end portions of said upper perpendicular flanges and having thereon horizontal stacking surfaces spaced above said upwardly facing flange surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges by at least the thickness of a lid, said upwardly facing flange surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges lying longitudinally inward of said spacer means, the downwardly facing horizontal surface on the lower perpendicular flanges also comprising a stacking surface, said lids having end edges which, in regions laterally opposite said elevated spacer means, are located laterally inwardly thereof, the upwardly facing flange surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges being at substantially the level of the underside of the hinged lids when said lids are closed, said lids having, in outer end regions thereof out of lateral alignment with said spacer means, tabs which project laterally and overlie said upwardly facing surface area on said upper perpendicular flanges at a level below said stacking surfaces on said spacer means when the lids are closed, and two hooks mounted on the upper perpendicular flange of each end frame, said hooks facing toward one another, and said laterally projecting tabs having shoulders facing generally in the direction of the hinge line of the corresponding lid and being engageable in the throats of said hooks.

Claim 15

In a paperboard container with rigid rectangular, reinforcing plastic end frames at opposite ends thereof, the container having rectangular bottom, side and end walls, and lids which are hinged to the upper edges of said side walls, said rectangular end frames comprising integral, coplanar, upper, lower and side flanges parallel with the end walls of the container and lying thereadjacent, and rectangular integral upper, lower and side flanges, integral with and projecting perpendicularly from said coplanar flanges from the other margins thereof, whereby to provide reinforcing caps adapted to receive therein the corresponding end walls of the container and end portions of said bottom walls, with the perpendicular side flanges thereof lying closely adjacent said side walls of said container: horizontal upwardly facing and downwardly facing flange surface areas formed on the exterior sides of said upper and lower perpendicular flanges, elevated spacer means extending vertically upward from generally outer end portions of said upper perpendicular flanges and having thereon horizontal stacking surfaces spaced above said upwardly facing flange surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges by at least the thickness of a lid, said upwardly facing flange surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges lying longitudinally inward of said spacer means, the downwardly facing horizontal surface on the lower perpendicular flanges also comprising a stacking surface, said lids having end edges which, in regions laterally opposite said elevated spacer means, are located laterally inwardly thereof, the upwardly facing flange surface areas on said upper perpendicular flanges being at substantially the level of the underside of the hinged lids when said lids are closed, said lids having, in outer end regions thereof out of lateral alignment with said spacer means, tabs which project laterally and overlie said upwardly facing surface area on said upper perpendicular flanges at a level below said stacking surfaces on said spacer means when the lids are closed, and two hooks mounted on the upper perpendicular flange of each end frame, said hooks facing toward one another, and said laterally projecting tabs having shoulders facing generally in the direction of the hinge line of the corresponding lid and being engageable in the throats of said hooks.

Claim 16

The subject matter of claim 11, wherein: the perpendicular distance from the side wall generally along each end edge of the lid to said tab shoulders is less than the distancE from said side wall to the forward extremity of the hook, and wherein the local region of the side wall adjoining the end edge of the lid is flexurable under manually applied stress to enable said tabs to be forced into positions in which their shoulders clear the extremities of the hooks, so as to enter into the throats of the hooks, said local side wall region, upon release of such stress, acting by resilient return flexure, to pull said edge of said laterally projecting lid portion into the throat of the hook.

Claim 17

The subject matter of claim 11, wherein: said throats of said hooks taper inwardly and downwardly and lead to portions of said horizontal upwardly facing flange area on said upper perpendicular flange.

Claim 18

The subject matter of claim 11, including tapered surfaces on the ends of said hooks, over said throats, to facilitate movement of said lid tabs downward and into said throats.

Claim 19

The subject matter of claim 11, wherein: corner portions of the hinged lids, including said tabs, are scored across with crease lines which are on the undersides thereof when the lids are folded out and downward, and slits in the side walls of the container into which said tabs are receivable when the lids are bent outwardly and down alongside the side walls of the container.