US3393858A - Rectangular collapsible carton for the shipment of bananas - Google Patents

Description

H. HEEL July 23, 1968 RECTANGULAR COLLAPSIBLE CARTON FOR THE SHIPMENT OF BANANAS Filed May 2, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 HEEL INVENTOR FIGS HEINZ H. HEEL July 23, 1968 RECTANGULAR COLLAPSIBLE CARTON FOR THE SHIPMENT OF BANANAS Filed May 2, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG? FIG. 21

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INVENTOR E \N?. H EEL H. HEEL July 23, 1968 RECTANGULAR COLLAPSIBLE CARTON FOR THE SHIPMENT OF BANANAS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 2, 1967 FIGS FIG. ,25cl

INVENTOR HEIN Z HEEL July 23, 1968 H. HEEL 3,393,858

RECTANGULAR COLLAPSIBLE CARTON FOR THE SHIPMENT OF BANANAS Filed May 2, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HEINZ HEEL United States Patent RECTANGULAR COLLAPSIBLE CARTON FOR THE SHIPMENT OF BANANAS Heinz Heel, Hamburg, Germany, assignor to F. Laeisz, Hamburg, Germany Filed May 2, 1967, Ser. No. 635,416

Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 8, 1966, L 43,176, L 54,757 19 Claims. (Cl. 22923) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible carton for transporting and ripening of fruit, and particularly bananas, having in both its cover portion and its bottom portion a plurality of profiles formed within all sides of the carton for spacing the carton with respect to adjacent cartons to permit adequate ventilation to reach the contents stored within the carton. The carton also includes openings formed within its sides to permit ventilation to reach the contents of the carton from the top, bottom, and sides during shipment and storage.

This invention relates to an improved collapsible rectangular carton for transporting and ripening bananas.

When bananas were first transported in ships and ripened in ctrtons, it was not possible to pack the cartons in a compact manner in the holds of ships since channels had to be left free in order to guarantee a good ventilation, and thus a quick cooling down of the packed fruit. These channels between cartons cause a considerable waste in space, time and increase-the risk of the cartons shifting in place. Eventually spacing laths were packed between the cartons in order to eliminate to some extent the above-described drawbacks. These laths provided sufficient cooling for the freshly packed fruit, but at the expense of a considerable and costly waste of space. Moreover, this method of shipment created additional work and loss of time in loading and unloading the ship since the laths must be manually set in place and later removed. 1

Because of these considerable disadvantages, the transport cartons were eventually packed in a compact manner and there were at first no substantial difiiculties. In the course of development, however, bananas are now shipped in cartons under riper conditions so that the use of space in the cartons has been considerably increased. With compact packing, an air cushion on the pressure side in the holds of the ships can be observed. This air cushion is found mainly in ships with horizontal aeration so that during cooling, temperatures fall below prescribed temperatures to chill or undercool the fruit and thus cause spoilage. The bananas stored on the ventilation side are cooled down too slowly and have a tendency to turn or begin to ripen.

Up to now, two types of cartons were used for transporting and storing bananas. In one type, the carton is closed so that the contents should be cooled only during transport. In the other type, openings are provided on the side walls of the cartons, so that the contents may be cooled and ventilated. One type of conventional carton for transporting bananas has openings for both ventilation and breathing, but these openings are made substantially ineffectual because of the close packing.

The present invention can be used on both types of banana cartons since cooling is considerably improved, even when the filled cartons are packed very tightly. According to the invention a full use of the space capacity is obtained even when bananas are loaded with a very high degree of ripeness since suflicient cooling and internal ventilation are obtained between the packed cartons in spite of very tight packing.

The present invention provides improved collapsible rectangular cartons, with air openings if required, for transporting and ripening bananas and have the characteristic feature that at least one lower or upper side, one transverse side and one longitudinal side of the exterior walls of the carton, or both transverse sides, or only one transverse side out of the carton base sides have protruding profiles arranged continuously and/ or discontinuously as spacers.

In one particular embodiment of the invention the profiles are provided on all outer sides of the carton. The profiles consist of pieces incorporated in, or applied to, either the cardboard web or the collapsible carton. The profile pieces applied to the carton may also consist of one or more cardboard discs which are clipped or glued on the carton,

The profiles on the outer side of the carton which may be continuous or arranged at intervals, may be triangular, square or rounded in shape. It is also possible to provide profiles which have other geometrical shapes. The profiles are arranged as spacers, so that when the cartons are stacked, air channels, required for cooling, are formed between the stacked cartons. If the profiles are arranged in a totally or partially interrupted manner, it is preferable to arrange these profiles on the outer side of the carton as half spheres, half ellipses, lenticular halves, or as cylinders. These profiles consist of cardboard discs applied to each other and were obtained when the air holes were punched.

In a preferred embodiment, the profiles on the outer sides of the carton which touch each other when stacked are arranged in an offset manner so that the profiles of one carton touch as much as possible that part of the wall of the next carton which has no profiles.

In one particular embodiment the profiles may be completely or partially utilized as holding noses so that when stacked they engage complementary recesses of the other side of the carton, and so that, in spite of this arrangement, the required air channels can be maintained between the stacked cartons.

If the profiles are arranged discontinuously, they may also be constructed in other geometrical shapes as spacer noses or :holding noses. It is essential in every case that the discontinuous profiles function as spacers to form sufficient air channels. The profiles arranged in a continuous and/ or discontinuous manner are incorporated in the preferred embodiment into the cardboard material of the banana carton consisting of a cardboard or cardboard-like material, preferably corrugated cardboard. It is also possible with great advantage to glue on, clip on, or fasten in any other manner, the continuous and/ or discontinuous profiles on conventional banana cartons. In this case the profiles need not necessarily consist of cardboard since any other inexpensive material suitable for forming the profiles can be utilized if it can be attached easily to the carton and can serve as a spacer when the filled banana cartons are stacked.

Since the new profiles act as spacers for forming ventilation channels when the filled banana cartons are stacked, it is desirable with some varieties of bananas, depending on their botanical type, for the bottom of the collapsible carton to have additional breathing openings. This will provide the best temperature and air conditions for the bananas during shipment for both types of cartons. It

'- recommended that strip inserts of wire or sheet metal be incorporated in the cardboard web and/ or in the material forming the profiles. The ribs of the carton walls and/ or the profiles may also be strengthened by impregnating them with an inert and fast hardening solution of synthetic epoxy resin. The ribs or profiles may also be strengthened during manufacturing by reinforcing them with a plastic material.

It is therefore an object according to the present invention to provide a carton for shipping and storing bananas which is collapsible and provides good ventilation for the fruit stored within.

It is another object according to the present invention to provide a collapsible carton for the shipment of bananas which is sufficiently strong to withstand the stresses and shock of transportation while protecting and ventilating its contents.

It is a further object according to the present invention to provide an improved banana shipping carton which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, and reliable in use.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which disclose the embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only, and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, as to which reference should be made in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a rectangular collapsible carton according to the invention prepared for filling with bananas and having ventilation openings along its sides;

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a wedge profile in the carton such as may be utilized on the bottom of the carton of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the carton utilizing rounded profiles;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the profiles of the carton shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the improved banana carton, having discontinuous profiles such as spherical or elliptical halves;

FIG. 6 shows the bottom of the carton of FIG. 5 illustrating an arrangement of the semispherical spacers in the carton wall;

FIG. 7 shows a particular advantage which is obtained when the new cartons are stacked after being filled;

FIG. 8 shows a closed banana transport carton according to the invention provided with hemispherical or lenticular profiles;

FIG. 9 shows a corrugated cardboard cutting for the base of the carton prior to assembly;

FIG. 10 shows the corrugated cardboard cutting for the cover of the carton prior to assembly;

FIG. 11 shows an insert designed for fitting into the lower carton;

FIG. 12 shows a banana transport carton with numerous ventilating openings between its profiles;

FIG. 13 shows the corrugated cardboard cutting for the base of the carton of FIG. 12 prior to assembly;

FIG. 14 shows the corrugated cardboard cutting for the cover of the carton of FIG. 12 prior to assembly;

FIG. 15 is an illustration of an insert designed for fitting into the base of the carton of FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the spacing between the top of one carton and the bottom of another stacked one above the other;

FIG. 17 illustrates another embodiment of the carton according to the invention utilizing six disk-shaped profiles on a longitudinal side;

FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 show other embodiments of cartons utilizing three disk-shaped profiles on a longitudinal side;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the disk-shaped profile secured to the carton; and

FIG. 21 illustrates a further embodiment of the carton utilizing disk-shaped profiles.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an embodiment of a rectangular collapsible carton having ventilation openings 6 along longitudinal side 4, and openings 7 located on the face of transverse side 3. The bottom side 1, as well as longitudinal side 4 and transverse sides 3, include wedge-shaped profiles 5 on the exterior of the carton walls which project outwardly from the plane of the walls so as to serve as spacers when the cartons are stacked for shipment. Profiles 5 are integrally formed within the body of the carton and are pressed outwardly as shown in detail in FIG. 2, within the corrugated material comprising the carton. Profiles 5 in this embodiment have a V-shapcd cross-section projecting outwardly to make contact, and serve as spacers to neighboring cartons.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the carton having ventilation holes 6 and 7 along the longitudinal and transverse sides and including a plurality of longitudinally-spaced rounded profiles 5 integrally formed within all of the sides.

FIG. 4 illustrates in detail a view of one of the sides showing profiles 5 as semi-circular ridges which project outwardly from the plane of the corrugated side wall.

FIG. 5 discloses a still further embodiment of the carton according to the invention including ventilation holes 6 and 7 along the side walls, and having a plurality of dimple-shaped profiles integrally formed within the side walls. The dimples, as shown in detail in FIG. 6, are hemispherically-shaped projections pressed outwardly in the corrugated material forming the side wall of the carton. The top wall surface of all of the above-described cartons also includes one or more rectangular slots 28 disposed in its center portion.

FIG. 7 illustrates the pattern formed by the flow of ventilating air across and through the cartons according to the invention when stacked properly for shipment. As shown by the arrows, the air travels uniformly from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side of the hold of a ship. Because of the close stacking of the cartons, there is no appreciable loss of space between the cartons in the transport vehicle. The ventilation areas between cartons allow a sufficient amount of air to reach all of the cartons so that there is no danger of undcrcooling or drying out the fruit while it is under shipment.

Referring to FIG. 8 there is shown another embodiment of the carton according to the invention wherein the sides of the closed carton include lenticular profiles which project outwardly therefrom to form ventilating spaces between cartons. The carton according to the invention is comprised of an upper and lower section constructed from corrugated carton cuttings as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and an insert as shown in FIG. 11, that serves as a spacer within the carton to protect the fruit.

The cutting shown in FIG. 10 consists of rectangular transverse sides 3a, 3b and longitudinal sides 4a, 4b and upper sides 2a2d, defined by corresponding folded edges 8 to 15. Folded edge 18 defines fold tab 16. All parts of the cutting of FIG. 10 forming the external sides 26, 2d, 3a, 4a, 3b and 4b or the carton contain lenticular-shaped profiles 5. The cutting of FIG. 10 is bent around folded edges 8, 9, 10 and 11 until parts 16, 3a, 4a, 3b and 4b are at right angles to each other. Fold tab 16 is then fastened to the formed rectangle on longitudinal side 4b at the position shown in dotted lines. Vertical parts 2a and 2b are then folded down to a horizontal plane. Upper sides 20 and 2d are bent to the horizontal plane. Overlapping parts 2a at the bottom, above 2c, and 2d, and 2b at the bottom, above 20 and 2d, are fastened by glue or metal clamps. In a similar manner, the cutting shown in FIG. 9 for the lower carton is folded to form the said lower carton. Outer sides and-1d are also provided with profiles 5. e

' The cutting for the insert shown in FIG. 11 is'bent at right angles along folded edges 26 and 27 and -is'the'n pressed into the lower carton, so that part-'25 forms asecbot-tom over parts 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d and wall 25b engages wall 4", and wall 25a engages wall 4. After the lower carton has been made from the cutting ofFIG. 9*and'the insert of FIG. 11 has been pressed therein, the upper part made from the'cutting of FIG; 10 can be slipped overthe lower. carton so as to be ready to be filled with bananas. FIG. 12 shows'another embodiment of a banana transport carton according to the invention with a plurality of'ventilating openings 7a and 7b, 26 and 28a, 28b, and having'a plurality of profiles 5 projecting along its sides.

Upper sides 2a and- 2b do not in'this embodiment extend to the center of the cartonand thus form an upper rectangular opening 280 defined by the edges of sides.2a', 2a, 2b and 2b. On transverse sides 3a, 3b, larger air openings 7a, 7b are provided and serve-simultaneously as carrying handles. 1 p I FIG. 13 shows the cutting for the lower carton. FIG. 14 shows the cutting for the upper carton and FIG. 15 illustrates the insert for the lower carton. The insert cutting includes aside from the large air holes 6, numerous small perforations 29 as additional air holes. In the cuttings of FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 from which the carton of FIG. 12 is constructed, lenticular profiles 5 on transverse sides 3a and 3b, longitudinal sides 4a and 4b, upper sides 2a and 2b, and lower sides 10 and 1b are offset sufliciently so that when the cartons are stacked, the profiles of the adjacent cartons do not engage. This permits a particularly rigid stacking to be obtained and provides sutficient ventilating channels for the cooling air to circulate.

FIG. 16 shOWs the engagement of profile pieces 5 on the lower side and upper side of two cartons when stacked above each other. Since the profiles are offset they do not substantially touch each other when the cartons are stacked.

FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 show another preferable embodiment of the improved banana transport carton. In this case profile pieces 5, of disk-shaped material are fastened on the outer side of the carton. In the embodiment of FIG. 17, sides 2a and 2b each contain three round diskshaped profiles 5. The transverse sides have four similar round disk-shaped profiles. Air holes also serve as carrying handles in the transverse sides.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show a similar embodiment wherein transverse sides 3a and 3b and longitudinal sides 4a, 4b each include only three disk-shaped profiles 5.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating how diskshaped profiles 5 are constructed. Three corrugated disks are stacked one upon the other and fastened to the exterior wall of the carton by means of a clip 30.

An embodiment of particular economic interest results if the waste obtained from punching air holes 6 into the carton web is collected and applied as profiles 5 as shown in FIGS. 1719. In this case about one to four small disks stacked one on top of the other to construct profile pieces 5. For cartons which have no special air holes, the cardboard disks must be specially made.

It is sufficient to provide on upper sides 2a, 2b, lower sides It: and 1b, at each corner, and on both sides of the center, a round profile piece 5 consisting of one to four joined round disks of the punching waste. On the two longitudinal sides 40, 4b, three profile pieces are used in that form as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.

FIG. 21 shows a further preferable embodiment of the invention. Profile pieces 5 are arranged on upper side 2a, 2b and lowed side 1a, and 1b, with three pieces each, while the longitudinal sides 4a, 4b have two profiles 5 each of which are arranged in the center between the outer side of the carton and air hole 6 as a disk-shaped round card. Transverse sides 3a, 3b, each have only two round disk-shaped profiles 5, approximately halfway between the outer edge of the carton and the large air opening 7a and 7b respectively.

Profiles 5 may be secured to carton walls 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b withsimple clamps 30, with fastening clamps provided with profile heads, or simply by glueing. If the round disk-shaped profiles 5 consist of disks of corrugated cardboard obtained from the punching waste when air holes 6 were made, or were specially made for usewith closed cartons, profiles 5 are preferably fastened on the outer side of the carton walls in such a manner that the profile pieces touch each other when stacked, so that the ventilating channels formed correspond to the double heights of a profile piece 5.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that many other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

I. A carton for transporting and ripening fruit comprising:

a collapsible cover portion having a pair of transverse sides, a pair of longitudinal sides, and a top side,

a collapsible bottom portion for engagement with said cover portion having a bottom side and adjoining lower walls,

profile means disposed on all sides of said cover and bottom portions, said profile means projecting outwardly from the planes of said sides.

2. The carton as recited in claim 1, wherein said profile means is integrally formed within the sides of said carton.

3. The carton as recited in claim 2, wherein said profile means include a triangular cross-section spaced intermittently on said sides.

4. The carton as recited in claim 2, wherein said profile means include a square cross-section spaced longitudinally along said sides.

5. The carton as recited in claim 2, wherein said profile means include a rounded cross-section spaced longitudinally along said sides.

6. The carton as recited in claim 2, wherein said profile means include a hemispherical cross-section spaced intermittently on said sides.

7. The carton as recited in claim 2, wherein said profile means include an elliptical cross-section spaced intermittently on said sides.

8. The carton as recited in claim 2, wherein said profile means include a lenticular cross-section spaced intermittently on said sides.

9. The carton as recited in claim 2, wherein said profile means comprise cylindrically-shaped cardboard disks secured to said sides.

10. The carton as recited in claim 1, wherein said bottom side nicludes ventilation openings.

11. The carton as recited in claim 1, wherein said upper portion is integrally formed from a single piece to include the transverse sides, the longitudinal sides and the top, said lower portion is integrally formed from a single piece to include the bottom and adjoining lateral sides, said carton additionally comprising an insert piece for insertion into said bottom portion, said insert piece being sufficiently wide to contact at least two of said lateral sides.

12. The carton as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the transverse sides of said upper portion include ventilation openings of sufiicient size to serve as carrying handles, said longitudinal sides include ventilation openings, said upper sides forming the top thereof define a rectangular ventilation opening along their edges,

said lower sides, forming the bottom of said lower carton, define at their center a rectangular ventilation opening,

said adjoining lateral sides include ventilation openings in alignment with said transverse side ventilation openings when said upper carton portion is mounted thereover, and

said insert piece includes a plurality of ventilation openings and perforations.

13. The carton as recited in claim 12, wherein said profile means comprise a plurality of circular disks constructed from the punchings of the ventilation openings of said side walls, and secured to the side walls of said carton.

14. The carton as recited in claim 13, wherein said circular disks are secured to said side walls in an ofiset manner so as not to contact one another when said cartons are stacked both vertically and laterally.

15. The carton as recited in claim 11, wherein said profile means comprise holding pieces positioned on said side walls to engage complementary recesses on adjacent cartons, said holding pieces maintaining predetermined spacing between adjacent cartons to provide ventilation channels therein.

16. The carton as recited in claim 11, wherein said profile means additionally comprise clamp means for securing said profile means to said side walls.

17. The carton as recited in claim 16, wherein said clamp means comprise at least one wire clip inserted through said profile means and secured to said side walls. I 18. The carton as recited in claim 11, wherein each of the sides forming the top of the upper portion include three disk-shaped profiles, said longitudinal sides include six disk-shaped profiles, said transverse sides each include four disk-shaped profiles, and wherein said ventilation holes included in said transverse side are sufficiently large to be utilized as handles for carrying the carton.

19. The carton as recited in claim 18, wherein said disk-shaped profiles are secured to said side walls in corresponding alignment with the profiles of said adjacent cartons so that the ventilation channels formed therebetween are twice the height of said profile means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,917,506 7/1933 Deline 229-6 2,328,689 9/1943 Shofer 229 16 2,721,689 10/1955 Nye 229 10 3,297,191 1/1967 Eastman 220 97 X DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Eicaminer.

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