Container With Ventilation Chamber

Abstract

A container ( 1 ) which includes a base ( 16 ), a pair of opposed end walls ( 2 ) and a pair of opposed sidewalls ( 5 ) into which an insert ( 9 ) also having a pair of opposed end walls ( 11 ) and a pair of opposed sidewalls ( 12 ) is located and secured in position by tabs ( 14 ) protruding from the lower edges of the said pair of opposed sidewalls ( 12 ). A set of tabs ( 10 ) protruding from the upper edges of the end walls ( 11 ) and sidewalls. ( 12 ) The lower tabs are engaged in rectangular precut slots ( 8 ) in the base ( 16 ) of the container. ( 1 ) The upper tabs( 10 ) are held in position by tabs( 4 ) which are bent at right angles to the end and side walls ( 2 & 5 ) respectively and which have precut rectangular slots( 7 ) which engage the lugs protruding from the pair of end walls ( 2 ) and side walls ( 5 ) of the insert. ( 9 ) The engagement of the lugs ( 14 ) and ( 10 ) position the insert ( 9 ) thus creating a gap between the side walls ( 2 & 5 ) and the sidewalls ( 11 & 12 ) of the insert. ( 9 ) This gap forms a chamber ( 15 ) around the insert ( 9 ) though which air can freely circulate around the product contained within the inner walls of the insert ( 9 )

1 . A container for maintaining better ventilation of produce throughout the storage, ripening and shipment. 
     
     
         2 . A container of  claim 1  which includes a base, a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed sidewalls. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1  having a series of tabs protruding from the upper edge of the opposing end and side walls and being bent inward at right angles to the plurality of opposing side and end walls and having rectangular slots cut into the face of the lugs. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1  having a corrugated insert that's height is equal to the height of the vertically oriented side walls and end walls of  claim 2  and also having a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed sidewalls whose flute direction is vertically orientated thus adding structural strength to the container of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . The insert of  claim 4  which is located and secured in a predetermined position at the base by lugs protruding from the lower edge of the opposing end and, or side walls. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1  having rectangular slots cut into the base into which the lugs protruding from the lower edge of the insert of  claim 5  engage. 
     
     
         7 . The insert of  claim 4  which is secured in a predetermined position at the top edge by lugs protruding from the upper edge of the opposing and end and side walls and secured in position by the tabs of  claim 3 . 
     
     
         8 . A chamber that is formed between the inner face of the outer container of  claim 1  and the outer face of the insert of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 1  having a series of apertures cut into the plurality of side, end walls and base thereby allowing cooled air to enter through the side-walls, end-walls, the base and the top of the of container so as to flood the chamber that encompasses the entire perimeter of the product contained therein 
     
     
         10 . In an alternative embodiment the container in  claim 1  having extended opposing end and side walls that are bent along 2 pairs of score lines so as to form a U shape that has a predetermined dimension between the 2 score lines and extended leg of the U having a length equal to the height of the walls of the container of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The container of the embodiment in  claim 10  having lugs protruding from the upper edge of the extended walls. 
     
     
         12 . The lugs of  claim 11  are engaged into the slots in  claim 7  after being folded into a U shape. 
     
     
         13 . The inner faces of the U now form a chamber that is an integral part of the container in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . The top of the U of  claim 10  has a series of apertures cut to allow a passage between the top of the U and the apertures cut into the base of container in  claim 2 . 
     
     
         15 . Yet another embodiment related to the insert of  claim 4  whereas the upper edge of the opposing and side walls having a series of peaks and valleys. 
     
     
         16 . The peaks of the insert of  claim 15  indent the base of the container directly above thus creating a friction lock between the lower and upper containers in a palletized load. 
     
     
         17 . The insert of  claim 4  can either be produced from heavy weight corrugated paperboard of a single layer or double layer configuration thereby being able to add top to bottom compression strength independently of the container of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         18 . A device for locking together containers that abut each other by means of straddling and engaging a pair of adjacent lugs of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         19 . The chamber of  claim 8  can be filled with insulating or cooling material such as refrigerant gel packs.
 The above claims may apply to other box styles such as Bliss and conventional four side trays.