Asparagus shipping container assembly and method of packing asparagus for transport

Abstract

An asparagus shipping container assembly and method of packing asparagus. The asparagus shipping container includes a body, preferably coated by a fluid impervious material, and a movably mounted access segment selectively disposable between opened and closed positions. The access segment, when moved to the open position defines an access opening in the body that is disposed, dimensioned and configured to facilitate both visual and physical access to the interior of the body as well as a laterally directed, rapid and space saving positioning of the asparagus therethrough into the interior of the body, while reducing the possibility of physical damage being done as with vertically directed placement and removal of the products through an open top of a conventional container. A closure assembly may then be disposed atop the body to maintain the access segment in its closed orientation for easy transport and if desired, passage through a spray wash. Once the filled asparagus container has arrived at an un-packing location, the closure assembly may be removed to permit easy movement of the access segment into its open position, and thereby to allow facilitated access to the asparagus contained inside the container.

1 . An asparagus shipping container comprising: 
 a body having a hollow interior with an open end and including a sidewall assembly disposed in at least partially surrounding relation to said hollow interior,    said sidewall assembly including a plurality of sidewalls,    said body further including a base connected to said sidewall assembly and disposed in covering relation to one end of said hollow interior,    an access segment connected to and at least partially defining one of said plurality of sidewalls, said access segment pivotally connected to said body and structured to be disposable in an opened position and a closed position,    an access opening formed in said sidewall and disposed in communicating relation between an interior and exterior of said body,    said access opening dimensioned and configured to facilitate lateral passage of an asparagus bunch therethrough while the asparagus bunch is maintained in a substantially vertical orientation, and    a cover assembly disposable in overlying relation to said open end and in retaining relation to said access segment when said access segment is in said closed position.    
   
   
       2 . An asparagus shipping container assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said access segment includes a pair of oppositely disposed peripheral edges, said peripheral edges extending in converging relation to one another from a free end of said access segment towards said base.  
   
   
       3 . An asparagus shipping container assembly as recited in  claim 2  wherein said access segment is pivotally connected to said body adjacent a periphery of said base.  
   
   
       4 . An asparagus shipping container assembly as recited in  claim 1  wherein said body and said cover assembly include a substantially fluid impervious outer surface coating.  
   
   
       5 . An asparagus shipping container assembly as recited in  claim 4  wherein said body comprises a plurality of apertures defined therein and structured to permit fluid flow therethrough into and out of said hollow interior.  
   
   
       6 . An asparagus shipping container assembly as recited in  claim 5  wherein said cover assembly comprises a plurality of apertures defined therein and structured to permit fluid flow therethrough into said hollow interior.  
   
   
       7 . An asparagus shipping container assembly as recited in  claim 6  wherein said fluid impervious coating and said plurality of apertures in said body and said cover assembly are cooperatively structured to facilitate washing of asparagus within said hollow interior without associated damage to said body.  
   
   
       8 . An asparagus shipping container assembly comprising: 
 a body having a hollow interior and including a sidewall assembly disposed in at least partially surrounding relation to said hollow interior,    said sidewall assembly including a plurality of sidewalls,    said body further including a base connected to said sidewall assembly and disposed in covering relation to one end of said hollow interior,    an access segment at least partially defining and pivotally connected to at least one of said sidewalls, said access segment structured to be disposable between an opened position and a closed position,    an access opening in said one sidewall in communicating relation with said hollow interior and an exterior of said body at least when said access segment is in said opened position,    said access opening dimensioned and configured to facilitate lateral positioning there through of an asparagus bunch, while in a substantially vertical orientation, into and out of said hollow interior,    a cover assembly structured to maintain said access segment in said closed position,    said body and said cover assembly comprising a substantially fluid impervious material exterior coating, and    said body and said cover assembly including a plurality of apertures defined therein and structured to permit fluid flow therethrough into and out of said hollow interior.    
   
   
       9 . An asparagus shipping container assembly as recited in  claim 8  wherein said access segment is disposed outwardly from said one sidewall when in said opened position and in substantially coplanar relation to said one sidewall when in said closed position.  
   
   
       10 . A method of loading and unloading one or more asparagus bunches into and out of a container, the method comprising: 
 uncovering an access opening in a sidewall of the container by pivotally disposing a sidewall access segment outwardly from the sidewall into an opened position,    dimensioning and configuring the access opening to facilitate lateral placement of the one or more asparagus bunches into the container,    maintaining a vertical orientation of each of the asparagus bunches when passing through the access opening and within the container,    covering the access opening by pivotally positioning the access segment inwardly towards the container into a closed position, and    retaining said access segment in said closed position.    
   
   
       11 . A method as recited in  claim 10  comprising positioning a cover assembly in overlying relation to an open end of the container and in retaining relation to the access segment when the access segment is in the closed position.  
   
   
       12 . A method as recited in  claim 10  comprising unloading the one or more asparagus bunches from the container by uncovering the access opening by disposing the access segment in the opened position; laterally passing the one or more asparagus bunches through the access opening while maintaining individual ones of the one or more asparagus bunches in a substantially vertical orientation.  
   
   
       13 . A method as recited in  claim 10  comprising defining the closed position of the access segment as being disposed in covering relation to the access opening and substantially retaining relation to the contents of the container.  
   
   
       14 . A method as recited in  claim 13  comprising further defining the closed position of the access segment as being substantially coplanar with a corresponding sidewall of the container.