US2678543A - Refrigerating shipping container - Google Patents

Description

May 18, 1954 H. N. LAPETINA REFRIGERATING SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Nov. l, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I l 1 1 l l l a. @4% T Y. Nic m mp I In .M

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ATTCI RN EYS H. N. LAPETINA REFRIGERATING SHIPPING CONTAINER May 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. l, 1951 Y l l f I Y www o o o ogm. a B7 T 4 z o o NZ |15 i| .||1| w Il o o o N e l, lw! ifi o 0 I v, Z 1 a /4 3 c l G .u 3 o 0 O f O W n /l\ o e ,m lll ill |l IIIII Il Il 0 e o W a.. ,1 o o a 71.1 2 o U e VLr :fn n: :5., 3 O 3 O O O O HUH f 7 Z Il I O O O O O Z x w -`2 1:1: i -I 1--I n I. ,n O 8 O O O 6 0 G O C 0 O O ,J 0 F: e l O O V O mv x /l\\ b Mw f 7 o o NV O O m o IIIIHHUIIIF l I l l I l l l l I l l |I- I o o o o o\ 7 Il I| w ATTE RN EYS Patented May 18, 1954 4f UNITED sTATss eATENT oFFIcE Herbert N. Lapetina, Norfoik, va. Application November 1, 1951, Serial No. 254,335

l This invention relates to packaging cartons and containers particularly adapted for shipping produce, and in particular a container having means for providing circulation through produots therein and also areas at the ends divided off from the interior of the container and pro-` viding compartments for ice and the like.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means `for obtaining circulation through ship ping cartons and containers whereby cool air from ice or Dry Ice positioned in an end of the container is circulated through the interior thereof.

Various types of cartons and containers have been provided for packaging produce such as `fruitsvegetables, owers, and frozen juices, ice cream, fresh shrimp, iish, chicken, turkeys, heef, pork and the like, however, damp air without circulation damages many types of produce and where the products are frozen they are diicult to pack in and remove from cars, trucks and the like. With this thought in mind this invention conm templates a corrugated paper box like carton having transversely disposed spacing trays at the ends and having a longitudinally positioned perforated. tube extended through the center.

Ihe object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forming a shipping carton whereby circulation is provided through products in the carton. i

Another object of the invention is to provide `a shipping carton having Ventilating means therein that is readily adapted for carrying diiferent types of produce.

A further object of the invention is to provide `a` shipping carton having Ventilating means therein which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the invention embodies an elongated carton substantially rectangular shaped in cross section having closed upper and lower ends with an elongated perforated tube extended therethrough and with transversely disposed partitions spaced from the ends.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the container showing an ice holding tray in the upper end.

Figure 2 is a detail illustrating a perforated tube adapted to be extended through the center of a carton.

Figure 3 is a blank showing a perforated sheet 1 Claim. (Cl. (i2-91.5)

2 of material from which the tube shown in Fig. 2 is formed.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan through the carton taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing one of the trays of the container before the anges at the edges and tube holding tabs at the center are folded to operative position.

Figure 6 is a side elevational View of the container showing an inner liner such as is used for frozen produce such as vegetables, fruits, ice cream and the like.

Figure '7 is a sectional plan through the container shown in Fig. 6 showing perforaticns in the trays and circulating channels in the corners.

Figure 8 is a plan View showing a blank from which the trays are formed, being similar to that shown `in Fig. 5, and illustrating a modification wherein the trays are formed with perforations and the corners are cut on diagonal lines.

Figure 9 is a detail showing one end of a blank from which the liner of the carton is formed, illustrating the diagonally disposed corners and with parts broken away.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the ventilated refrigerating container of this invention includes a box like casing having side walls itl and il, end walls i2 and i3, end naps Alltand l5, secured by adhesive strips or tapes It` and Il, respectively, a perforated centrally .positioned tube I8, an upper tray l5, spaced from one end of the casing, and a similar tray 20 spaced from the opposite end of the casing.

In the design shown in Fig. 1 the trays i9 and V2!) are formed with dat pieces of material with anges 2l at the edges and tabs 22 at the center and, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the tabs 22 extend downwardly providing a center opening 23 in which the end of the tube I8 is positioned.

The flanges 2| are positioned against the inner surfaces of the walls lil, Il, I2, and I3 and with the flanges positioned as shown in Fig. l they provide spacing elements spacing the flat base sections of the partitions or trays from the ends oi the container.

The anges 2l of the horizontally disposed trays may be short as shown in. the lower end of the container, illustrated in Fig. 1, or long as shown in the upper end of the container, and it will be understood that trays with flanges of the same length may be provided in both ends oi' the container or any suitable arrangement of the trays may be used as may be required for the different produce or products carried in the containers.

In this design the center tube I8 is formed from a ilat sheet of material 24 with perforations 25 provided inthe sheet and tube.

In the design illustrated in Fig. 6 a container 25 similar to the container shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a continuous lining 21 and the lining is formed with diagonally disposed sections 28 at the corners providing open channels 29 to facilitate circulation through the container.

` As shown in Fig. 7 the ends of the sheet of material forming the lining 21 are positioned in one of the diagonally disposed corners whereby end flanges 3Q and 3i are joined by an adhesive K strip 32. Y

The liner 2l is formed-from the blank.33,illus trated in Fig. 9 andthe sections of the blank forming the diagonally positioned corners .aref

provided with V-shaped notches Srl in the ends to provide corninunication between the areas in the channels 29 and interior of the container. The ends Se and si are also provided with ldiagonally positioned corners 35 for the saine purpose.

For this use the carton is provided with trays 55 having franges 37 on the edges and tabs 38 at the center, similar to the trays i9 and 20, and as shown in the drawing the trays .'36 are yprovided with periorations 39 to facilitate circulation between the` end compartments beyond the trays and the intermediate -part of the carton or container. The trays 36 are also provided with diagonally disposed corners :t to correspond with the sections 28.

The container illustrated in Fig. 6 is also provided with a centrally disposed perforated tube llll corresponding to thetube I8 and with the perforaticns A6?. of thetube coacting with the perforations v39 of the trays orpans circulation is provided throughout the interior of the container. By this means cold air from ice positioned in the upper end of the container circulates downwardly through produce -in thecontainer `and the warmer air throughout the produce passes upwardly through the channels 29 formed inthe corners.

It will Valso be understood -that for use for a certain product, such as wet commodities vincluding sea food and particularly fresh shrimp and sh and also for use for shipping chickens, turkeys, beef, pork and other similar products it is desired, to coat the inner surface of the -container with a lining of paraffin and all products of this type should be Yfrozen before they areiplaced in the container.

It will also be understood that for use with some products and particularly frozen commodiparallel end walls formed from flaps Yhingedly `connected 'to the ends of the side walls, means for securing theiaps in place, a continuous liner arranged in said casing and positioned contiguous to the inner surface of said side walls, said liner being provided with diagonally disposed sections at its corners providing open channels forV the circulation therethrough of air, the ends of thev liner abutting each otherin one of thediagonally disposed sectionsy thereof, means securing the abutting ends of the liner together, the ends vof the diagonally disposed sections being provided with notches, an upper tray having flanges onfits edges positioned in the casing in spaced parallel relation withthe end walls, the flanges of said tray being arranged contiguous'to the inner ysurface of said liner and extending between -saidtray and the upper wallya second tray -arranged spaced parallel relation with-and below said vfirst tray, said second tray having flanges arranged contiguous to the inner'surface of said liner and extending between said second tray and the'lowerrnoaJ end wall, said trays having-the same :area as the inside cross sectional area of said' liner, said trays being provided with centrally :positioned registering openings Aand with vperforations, a tube extending from the upper end Wall to the lowerend wall through said openings and beingrprovided with perforations throughout Vits length, 'tabs extending outwardly from said trays and surrounding said tube, the area between Vsaid nrst tray and the upper end wall providing a storage chamber for refrigerant, said notches =.and perforations in said tube providing `communication between the refrigerant and all parts ofthe container. Y

References Cited in the le of .this patent

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