Produce trays and related methods

Abstract

A produce tray assembly includes a plurality of produce trays and a box. Each produce tray includes a plurality of bases, a plurality of inner and outer sidewalls, a lip, and a handle. The sidewalls extending from the bases. The sidewalls define cavities sized and configured to receive produce. The lip extends from the outer sidewalls. The lip includes a planar surface. The box is configured to hold a first amount of produce trays in response to the of produce trays being oriented in a horizontal position where the planar surface extends horizontally. The box is configured to hold a second amount of produce trays in response to the produce trays being oriented in a vertical position where the planar surface extends vertically. The second amount of the produce trays is greater than the first amount of produce trays.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A produce tray assembly comprising:
 (a) a plurality of produce trays, each produce tray comprising:
 a plurality of bases, 
 (ii) a plurality of inner and outer sidewalls extending from the bases, wherein the inner and outer sidewalls define cavities sized and configured to receive produce, and 
 (iii) a lip extending from the outer sidewalls, wherein the lip includes a planar surface, and 
 (iv) a handle extending outwardly from the lip; and 
   (b) a box configured to hold a first amount of produce trays in response to the of produce trays being oriented in a horizontal position where the planar surface extends horizontally, wherein the box is configured to hold a second amount of produce trays in response to the produce trays being oriented in a vertical position where the planar surface extends vertically, wherein the second amount of the produce trays is greater than the first amount of produce trays.   
     
     
         2 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the box is configured to hold seven produce trays in the vertical position, wherein the handle extends upwardly in the vertical position. 
     
     
         3 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the planar surface extends outwardly from the outer sidewalls. 
     
     
         4 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base defines a lower most surface of the produce tray in the horizontal position, wherein the planar surface defines an upper most surface of the produce tray in the horizontal position. 
     
     
         5 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one post extending from the inner sidewalls in a direction away from the base. 
     
     
         6 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the post includes a planar surface, wherein the planar surface of the post is coplanar with the planar surface of the lip. 
     
     
         7 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the planar surface of the post and the planar surface of the lip collectively define an upper most surface of the produce tray in the horizontal position. 
     
     
         8 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a post positioned at the convergence of four adjacent inner sidewalls. 
     
     
         9 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cavities include at least first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth cavities that are arranged in an array. 
     
     
         10 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first cavity is formed by a first base of the bases and four inner sidewalls extending from the first base. 
     
     
         11 . A produce tray comprising:
 (a) a plurality of bases;   (b) a plurality of inner and outer sidewalls extending from the bases, wherein the inner and outer sidewalls define cavities sized and configured to receive produce;   (c) a lip extending from the outer sidewalls, wherein the lip includes a planar surface;   (d) a handle extending outwardly from the lip; and   (e) at least one post extending from the inner sidewalls in a direction away from the base, wherein the post includes a planar surface, wherein the planar surface of the post is coplanar with the planar surface of the lip, wherein the planar surface of the post and the planar surface of the lip collectively define an upper most surface of the produce tray.   
     
     
         12 . The produce tray assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first cavity is sized and configured to retain at least one of an apple, a peach, a nectarine, a plum, an orange, a tomato, a grapefruit, or an avocado. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a produce tray, the produce tray comprising:
 (a) a plurality of bases,   (b) a plurality of inner and outer sidewalls extending from the bases, wherein the inner and outer sidewalls define cavities sized and configured to receive produce,   (c) a lip extending from the outer sidewalls, wherein the lip includes an upper planar surface, and   (d) a handle extending outwardly from the lip, wherein the handle is configured to transition between an extended position and a folded position,   
       the method comprising:
 (a) inserting the produce within cavities of the produce tray; 
 (b) applying a film to the planar surface of the lip of the produce tray to seal the produce within the produce tray; 
 (c) folding a handle of the produce tray from the extended position to the folded position; and 
 (d) cutting the film while the handle is folded down in the folded position. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the position the handle in the extended position is generally perpendicular to the position of the handle in the folded position. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the produce tray includes at least one post extending from the inner sidewalls, wherein the post includes a planar surface, wherein applying the film further comprises applying the film to the planar surface of the lip and to the planar surface of the post to seal the produce within the produce tray of the produce tray assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising inserting the produce tray into a box with the handle in the folded position. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising inserting a second produce tray in a horizontal position on top of the produce tray into the box. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising manually grabbing the handle to remove the produce tray from the box after the handle springs back to the extended position from the folded position as the film is vertically oriented. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , prior to inserting the produce within the cavities of the produce tray, the method further comprises denesting the produce tray from a stack of produce trays that are nested together. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising thermoforming the produce tray from a polymeric material prior to inserting the produce within the cavities of the produce tray.