Novel packaging system for produce

Abstract

A packaging system for strawberries includes a box having a tray and two short sidewalls and two long sidewalls extending from the tray to form a cavity. The two short sidewalls have a plurality of slots that open up to the cavity. Containers are disposed within the cavity. Each container has a top lid, a base portion, and a hinged spine connecting the top lid to the base portion. The top lid and the base portion include a plurality of recessed vents, and the top lid and the base portion are configured to be removably attached to one another by a coupling mechanism, in which the top lid and the base portion form windows to allow air therethough while removably attached. The recessed vents of and the windows are configured to align with the slots in the two short sidewalls of the box to improve a precooling process of strawberries.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A packaging system for strawberries, comprising:
 a box having a tray and two short sidewalls and two long sidewalls extending from a perimeter of the tray to form a cavity, the two short sidewalls having a plurality of slots that open up to the cavity;   a plurality of containers configured to be disposed within the cavity, each container having a top lid, a base portion, and a hinged spine connecting the top lid to the base portion, the top lid includes a plurality of recessed vents, the base portion includes a plurality of recessed vents, the top lid and the base portion are configured to be removably attached to one another by a coupling mechanism, in which the top lid and the base portion form windows to allow air therethough while removably attached; and   the recessed vents of the base portion and the top lid and the windows are configured to align with the plurality of slots in the two short sidewalls of the box to improve a precooling process of strawberries.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the base portion includes a bottom, four beveled edges extending therefrom, and two short sidewalls and two long sidewalls extending from the beveled edges to form a compartment in the base portion to place strawberries therein. 
     
     
         3 . The packaging system according to  claim 2 , wherein the bottom includes a raised bed. 
     
     
         4 . The packaging system according to  claim 2 , wherein the recessed vents are disposed on the beveled edges of the base portion. 
     
     
         5 . The packaging system according to  claim 2 , wherein the beveled edges of the base portion include two short beveled edges and two long beveled edges. 
     
     
         6 . The packaging system according to  claim 5 , wherein the short beveled edges of the base portion include two to four recessed vents and the long beveled edges include six to ten recessed vents. 
     
     
         7 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the top lid includes a cover and four beveled edges extending therefrom. 
     
     
         8 . The packaging system according to  claim 7 , wherein the beveled edges of the top lid includes two short beveled edges and two long beveled edges. 
     
     
         9 . The packaging system according to  claim 8 , wherein the short beveled edges of the top lid includes two to four recessed vents and the long beveled edges include six to ten recessed vents. 
     
     
         10 . The packaging system according to  claim 7 , wherein the cover is rectangular in shape and has a vent hole disposed at each corner of the cover. 
     
     
         11 . The packaging system according to  claim 7 , wherein the cover includes a protrusion at each corner of the cover configured to align with an outer perimeter of the raised bed of the base portion of a second container. 
     
     
         12 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling mechanism is button locks. 
     
     
         13 . The packaging system according to  claim 12 , wherein male button locks are disposed on an interior surface of the top lid and female button locks configured to correspond with the male button locks are disposed on an upper surface of the base portion. 
     
     
         14 . The packaging system according to  claim 13 , wherein the upper surface of the base portion further includes a plurality of edge support bars configured to be placed into contact with the interior surface of the top lid when the top lid is removably attached to the bottom portion forming the windows between the top lid and the base portion. 
     
     
         15 . The packaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein one of the edge support bars is centrally disposed on three of the side walls of the base portion. 
     
     
         16 . The packaging system according to  claim 15 , wherein two additional edge support bars are disposed on opposite ends of the spine. 
     
     
         17 . The packaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the box includes a first layer of four adjacent containers and a second layer of four adjacent containers stacked thereon. 
     
     
         18 . The packaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of slots disposed on the short side walls of the box are disposed in three rows, an upper row includes two slots separated by a tab, the upper row configured to align with the windows and vents of the second layer of containers, a middle row includes two slots, the middle row configured to align with the windows and/or vents of the first and second layer of containers, and a lower row includes two slots, the lower row configured to align with the vents of the first layer of containers. 
     
     
         19 . The packaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein the packaging system includes a plurality of the boxes stacked on one another. 
     
     
         20 . The packaging system according to  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of boxes stacked on one another includes a first layer of four adjacent containers and a second layer of four adjacent containers stacked thereon.