Stackable plant carrying system

Abstract

Stackable plant trays may be sized with inside dimensions which are the same as conventional flats, but with sides that are substantially taller, thereby permitting plants to be protected when multiple trays of the present invention are stacked together. The sides of the trays may be formed in a lattice or mesh pattern, thereby allowing air and light to freely move through the tray, even with a second tray stacked on top thereof. The present invention provides an improvement over conventional plant trays, which may have sides that are just tall enough to hold the plant pots in place and would not allow for the stacking of one on top of the other.

1 . A carrying tray comprising:
 a base;   a plurality of side walls attached to the base and extending above the items to be carried in the tray;   at least one of the side walls includes a configuration that allows air circulation inside the tray;   at least one of the side walls includes a hand hold; and   at least one of the side walls includes a nesting and locking component.   
   
   
       2 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein the items to be carried include plants. 
   
   
       3 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein each side wall has a mesh or a lattice configuration. 
   
   
       4 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein each side wall extends from about 6 to about 12 inches from a base of the tray. 
   
   
       5 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein the nesting and locking component includes a protrusion in at least a portion of an extended side portion extending from an upper edge of the tray. 
   
   
       6 . The carrying tray according to  claim 5 , wherein the nesting and locking component includes a channel in at least a portion of the side walls of the tray, wherein when a first tray is stacked on top of a second tray, the protrusion fits into the channel. 
   
   
       7 . The carrying tray according to  claim 6 , wherein the protrusion and the channel are placed symmetrically on each side of the tray. 
   
   
       8 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein the nesting and locking component includes an upper edge protrusion in at least a portion of an upper edge of the tray. 
   
   
       9 . The carrying tray according to  claim 8 , wherein the nesting and locking component includes a base channel in at least a portion of a base of the tray, wherein when a first tray is stacked on top of a second tray, the upper edge protrusion fits into the base channel. 
   
   
       10 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein the nesting and locking component includes an extended side portion extending from at least a portion of an upper edge of the tray, wherein when a first tray is stacked on top of a second tray, the extended side portion prevents the first tray from sliding off the second tray. 
   
   
       11 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , further comprising reinforcing hard points for transferring a weight load through the tray to a base of the tray. 
   
   
       12 . The carrying tray according to  claim 11 , wherein the reinforcing hard points are located along each corner and the sides of the tray. 
   
   
       13 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of side walls may have a first side wall height or a second, reduced side wall height. 
   
   
       14 . The carrying tray according to  claim 13 , further comprising a flexible member extending across at least one of the plurality of side walls, the flexible member permitting the at least one of the plurality of side walls to be folded to the second, reduced side wall height. 
   
   
       15 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of side walls may be moved from a disassembled state to an assembled state, the disassembled state being where the plurality of side walls are substantially parallel to the base of the tray and the assembled state being where each of the plurality of side walls are orthogonal to the base and to each adjacent one of the side walls. 
   
   
       16 . The carrying tray according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one tab on one of the plurality of side walls; and   at least one tab receiver on a second, adjacent one of the plurality of side walls, wherein   the tabs fit into the tab receivers to hold each of the plurality of side walls with each adjacent one of the side walls.   
   
   
       17 . A stackable plant tray comprising:
 a plurality of side walls that extend above the plants carried in the tray;   at least one of the side walls and the base of the tray includes a configuration that allows air circulation inside the tray;   reinforcing hard points for transferring a weight load through the tray to the base of the tray; and   at least one of the side walls includes a nesting and locking component.   
   
   
       18 . The stackable plant tray according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the side walls includes a hand hold. 
   
   
       19 . The stackable plant tray according to  claim 13 , wherein the nesting and locking component includes a protrusion in at least one of a) a portion of an extended side portion extending from an upper edge of the tray, and b) an upper edge of the tray. 
   
   
       20 . The stackable plant tray according to  claim 15 , wherein the nesting and locking component includes a channel in at least one of a) a portion of the side walls of the tray, and b) a portion of a base of the tray, wherein when a first tray is stacked on top of a second tray, the protrusion fits into the channel. 
   
   
       21 . A stackable plant tray comprising:
 a base; and   a plurality of side walls attached to the base and extending above the items to be carried in the tray, wherein   at least one of the side walls includes a nesting and locking component; and   at least one of the plurality of side walls may be changed between a first side wall height or a second, reduced side wall height.   
   
   
       22 . The stackable plant tray according to  claim 21 , further comprising a flexible member extending across at least one of the plurality of side walls, the flexible member dividing the at least one of the plurality of side walls into an upper side wall portion and a lower side wall portion and permitting the upper side wall portion to be folded over the lower side wall portion to provide the second, reduced side wall height. 
   
   
       23 . The stackable plant tray according to  claim 22 , further comprising a first hand hold formed in the upper side wall portion and a second hand hold formed in the lower side wall portion, wherein the first hand hold aligns with the second hand hold when the upper side wall portion is folded over the lower side wall portion. 
   
   
       24 . The stackable plant tray according to  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of side walls may be moved from a disassembled state to an assembled state, the disassembled state being where the plurality of side walls are substantially parallel to the base of the tray and the assembled state being where each of the plurality of side walls are orthogonal to the base and to each adjacent one of the side walls. 
   
   
       25 . The stackable plant tray according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 at least one tab on one of the plurality of side walls; and   at least one tab receiver on a second, adjacent one of the plurality of side walls, wherein   the tabs fit into the tab receivers to hold each of the plurality of side walls with each adjacent one of the side walls.