Special receptacle or package – For a plant – flower – or tree
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-10-02
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For a plant, flower, or tree
C229S120370
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296119
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to shipping containers. More specifically, the invention relates to an expendable shipping container for shipping and storing live goods, e.g., nursery plants, shrubs and the like.
2. Prior Art
Live plants are commonly grown at nurseries and then shipped to remote destinations for sale. Current methods employed by the industry for shipping plants are cumbersome and expensive. The plants are either simply placed on the floor of an appropriate vehicle, such as a truck or trailer or other transportation media, referred to as “floor-loading”, for shipment to remote destinations, or are placed in trays that are stored in re-usable metal racks placed in the vehicle.
Floor-loading of plants is time consuming, costly, and labor intensive. Moreover, this method does not utilize the height of a truck or trailer, and frequently results in damage to the plants. Also, less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments via common carriers are not feasible with this method.
The use of trays stored in re-usable metal racks enables the height of a truck or trailer to be better utilized, but this method is expensive, requiring large up-front equipment costs and substantial shipping charges for handling and returning empty metal racks to the nurseries. Moreover, the size and/or variety of sizes of plants which may be shipped via this method is severely limited by the size and shape of the racks.
Currently, there is no satisfactory expendable means of shipping goods in the nursery/plant industry, nor are there any acceptable conventional methods for less-than-truckload shipments of live nursery plants, nor is there any means available in the industry for permitting handling of the plants with hi-lo or pallet jacks, or for efficient containerized shipping of a variety of different size plants, or for shipping plants in convenient, economical, stackable, expendable containers.
Accordingly, there is need for a satisfactory expendable means of shipping goods in the nursery/plant industry, and for an economical and convenient means for less-than-truckload shipments of live nursery plants, and for permitting handling of the plants with hi-lo or pallet jacks, and for containerized shipping of a variety of different size plants, and for shipping plants in convenient, economical, stackable, expendable containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a satisfactory, low cost, expendable means of shipping goods in the nursery/plant industry. It eliminates the necessity of floor-loading plants, and provides an economical and convenient means for less-than-truckload shipments.
In accordance with the invention, a container is constructed to hold at least one live plant for convenient handling. The containers may be stacked on top of one another, and may be palletized for easy handling with suitable equipment, e.g., a hi-lo or pallet jack. Less-than-truckload shipments of plants can be conveniently and economically made using the container of the invention, and the container can be discarded after use. Depending upon the specific application, the container can be made moisture-proof.
The container is preferably made of corrugated paperboard, although it could be made of other suitable materials, such as plastic, and can be produced in various combinations of different size components which can be set up to accommodate different size plants. It is lightweight, and yet when set up has sufficient strength to be stacked to the full height of a trailer or truck, or higher in other transporting vehicles or in warehouses. The components may be shipped and stored in a compact flat condition, and may be quickly and easily set up when ready for use. Further, the container can be suitably treated to make it moisture resistant to withstand conditions encountered in the shipment and storage of live plants.
More particularly, the container of the invention comprises a shallow tray and at least one partition means resting on its side on the tray. The partition means includes a transverse wall extending across the tray, and walls or panels extending at least partially around the perimeter of the tray to at least partially enclose plants sitting in the tray. Apertures may be formed through the panels of the partition means for circulation of air around the plants.
In a preferred construction, two substantially identical partition members are arranged back-to-back in substantial mirror image relationship to one another in the tray to form the perimeter and transverse walls. In one embodiment, the transverse wall extends along the middle of the tray parallel to its length, and in another embodiment, the transverse wall extends along the middle of the tray parallel to its width.
A second tray may be inverted and placed on top of the partition means to form a cover or lid, and multiple containers, each including at least a bottom tray and a partition means, may be stacked on top of one another, with the partition means providing support for superposed containers.
In an alternative embodiment, an insert with a plurality of spaced openings therein may be placed in the tray to receive individual plants to hold them in spaced relationship to one another.
In another alternative, an insert may be placed inside the side walls in conjunction with layer pads to accommodate many layers of shorter plants within taller side walls.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1767629 (1930-06-01), Walter
patent: 2934251 (1960-04-01), Kramer
patent: 3087666 (1963-04-01), Kitchell
patent: 3185379 (1965-05-01), Kohlhaas
patent: 3348667 (1967-10-01), Beeby
patent: 3863829 (1975-02-01), Merrill
patent: 4391371 (1983-07-01), Sieffert
patent: 5141149 (1992-08-01), Fulton
patent: 5699958 (1997-12-01), Kohler
Bui Luan K.
International Paper Company
Lambert Dennis H.
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