Method and apparatus for storing and displaying fruit

Abstract

A method and apparatus for storing and displaying articles as fruit and the like utilizes a display package that includes a diaphragm member for holding the contents of the package and a pneumatic expander that moves the contents contained in the diaphragm member and the diaphragm member itself toward the top of the display package as the contents are removed or to the bottom of the package as contents are added.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. An article storage, shipping and display apparatus comprising: an upwardly open container structure having a plurality of sidewalls and a base portion;   a liner member positioned within said container structure between the sidewalls thereof and adapted to receive articles for display at the top of said container, said liner member comprising a flexible diaphragm, said diaphragm being resiliently deformable to receive articles and contain same within the confines of said sidewalls and said base; and   an expander member positioned within said container structure between said diaphragm member and said base portion of said container structure, said expander member being adapted for connection to a source of fluid pressure and being expandable under the influence of fluid pressure to move said diaphragm member and the articles contained therein toward the top of the container as the articles are removed therefrom.   
     
     
       2. The article display apparatus of claim 1 and further including valve means on said expander member to allow filling therewith and removing therefrom a pneumatic substance. 
     
     
       3. The display package of claim 2 wherein said pneumatic substance is air. 
     
     
       4. The display package of claim 1 wherein said expander member is a hollow bladder-like structure with collapsible walls. 
     
     
       5. The display package of claim 1 wherein said diaphragm member is anchored along its upwardmost peripheral portion to the sidewalls of said display apparatus so that skewing of the diaphragm in the container does not occur as the diaphragm member is moved by said expander member. 
     
     
       6. The display package of claim 1 is particularly applied to containing and displaying fruit. 
     
     
       7. A method of storing and displaying articles in a retail outlet comprising: providing an upwardly open container structure having a plurality of sidewalls and a base portion; providing therein a liner member positioned within the container structure between the sidewalls thereof and adapted to receive articles for display at the top of the container, said liner member comprising a flexible diaphragm, said diaphragm being resiliently deformable to receive the articles and contain same within the confines of the sidewalls and the base; positioning an expander member within the container structure between said diaphragm member and said base portion of the container structure, said expander member being adapted for connection to a source of fluid pressure and being expandable under the influence of fluid pressure to move the diaphragm member and the articles contained therein toward the top of the container; and expanding said expander member as articles are removed from said container so that said diaphragm member and said articles are displaced toward the top of the container to replace the articles removed from the top of the container. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 wherein said expander member is expanded by filling same with air. 
     
     
       9. In an article conveyor having inlet and outlet ends; means for depositing articles on said conveyor at said inlet end and means for receiving articles at said outlet end; the improvement in said depositing means comprising; an upwardly open container structure for holding articles to be deposited on the conveyor; said container having a plurality of sidewalls and a base portion;   a liner member positioned within said container structure between the sidewalls thereof and adapted to receive articles for display at the top of said container, said liner member comprising a flexible diaphragm, said diaphragm being resiliently deformable to receive articles and contain same within the confines of said sidewalls and said base; and   an expander member positioned within said container structure between said diaphragm member and said base portion of said container structure, said expander member being adapted for connection to a source of fluid pressure and being expandable under the influence of fluid pressure to move said diaphragm member and the articles contained therein toward the top of the container to urge the articles onto the conveyor.   
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said receiving means includes: a second upwardly open container structure including a plurality of sidewalls and a base portion;   a second liner member positioned within said second container structure between the sidewalls thereof adapted to receive articles from the conveyor, said second liner member comprising a flexible diaphragm, said diaphragm being resiliently deformable to receive articles and contain same within the confines of said sidewalls and said base;   a second expander member positioned within said second container structure between said second diaphragm member and said base portion of said second container structure, said second expander member being capable of moving the diaphragm member and the articles contained therein toward the bottom of the container as articles are received therein.   
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said second expander member includes means thereon to allow filling therewith and removing therefrom a pneumatic substance. .Iadd. 12. An article storage, shipping and display apparatus comprising: an upwardly open container structure having a plurality of sidewalls and a base portion;   a liner member positioned within said container structure between the sidewalls thereof and adapted to receive articles for display at the top of said container, said liner member comprising a flexible diaphragm, said diaphragm being adapted to receive articles and contain same within the confines of said sidewalls and said base; and   diaphragm displacing means within said container structure between said diaphragm and said base portion of said container structure, said displacing means being adapted for connection to a source of fluid and under the influence of fluid being capable of displacing said diaphragm within said container to move said diaphragm and the articles contained therein toward the top of the container as the articles are removed therefrom. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. The article display apparatus of claim 12 which includes valve means for controlling the filling and removal of fluid within said diaphragm displacing means. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. An article storage, shipping and display apparatus comprising:   an upwardly open container structure having a plurality of sidewalls and a base portion;   a liner member positioned within said container structure between the sidewalls thereof and adapted to receive articles for display at the top of said container, said liner member comprising a flexible diaphragm, said diaphragm being adapted to receive articles and contain same within the confines of said sidewalls and said base; and   diaphragm displacing means positioned within said container structure between said diaphragm and said base portion of said container structure, said displacing means including a fluid beneath said diaphragm within the space between the diaphragm and the base portion of said container structure, and means for containing said fluid within said space; said fluid being connected to a fluid source for causing said fluid to displace said diaphragm and said articles within said container to move said diaphragm and the articles contained therein toward the top of the container as the articles are removed therefrom. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. The article display apparatus of claim 14 which includes valve means for controlling the extent of the displacement of said diaphragm and articles within said container.