EP4634065A1 - Plateau en plastique ayant des broches flexibles pour maintenir des billes dans une matrice - Google Patents

Plateau en plastique ayant des broches flexibles pour maintenir des billes dans une matrice

Info

Publication number
EP4634065A1
EP4634065A1 EP23904663.4A EP23904663A EP4634065A1 EP 4634065 A1 EP4634065 A1 EP 4634065A1 EP 23904663 A EP23904663 A EP 23904663A EP 4634065 A1 EP4634065 A1 EP 4634065A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tray
bead
prongs
side walls
holder
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP23904663.4A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP4634065A4 (fr
Inventor
Ryan J. Roessler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP4634065A1 publication Critical patent/EP4634065A1/fr
Publication of EP4634065A4 publication Critical patent/EP4634065A4/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D1/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material or by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
    • B65D1/34—Trays or like shallow containers
    • B65D1/36—Trays or like shallow containers with moulded compartments or partitions
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
    • B65D21/02—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together
    • B65D21/0209—Containers specially shaped, or provided with fittings or attachments, to facilitate nesting, stacking, or joining together stackable or joined together one-upon-the-other in the upright or upside-down position
    • B65D21/0212—Containers presenting local stacking elements protruding from the upper or lower edge of a side wall, e.g. handles, lugs, ribs, grooves
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D71/00—Bundles of articles held together by packaging elements for convenience of storage or transport, e.g. portable segregating carrier for plural receptacles such as beer cans or pop bottles; Bales of material
    • B65D71/70—Trays provided with projections or recesses in order to assemble multiple articles, e.g. intermediate elements for stacking

Definitions

  • the present invention is generally directed to a tray having a plurality of pockets or holders for securely receiving objects such as beads, the holders include flexible prongs for holding or locking the objects in place and a bottom depression for facilitating removal of the bead.
  • a number of trays have been used to store or display candy and other small objects. Such trays can be set up to have a plurality of pockets for receiving the objects. The pockets are open and typically allow for easy placement or removal of the object.
  • the present invention provides a tray with a matrix of holders for securely maintaining objects in the tray and providing for easy removal of the objects.
  • the present invention is generally directed to a plastic tray having flexible prongs for holding beads or other objects in a matrix of holders on the tray and a bottom wall with a depression to facilitate removal of the bead.
  • the tray is preferably formed from a thin plastic film that is vacuum formed on a mold.
  • a tray for securely holding beads comprises a support surface having an outer perimeter.
  • the perimeter can include a side wall or border structure surrounding the tray.
  • a plurality of bead holders are on the support surface within the outer perimeter.
  • Each of the plurality of bead holders has a plurality of side walls extending upward above the support surface and a plurality of prongs that extend upward above the side walls to hold the beads in place.
  • the tray of can be formed from a film of plastic.
  • Each of the prongs can include a stem portion and a top portion.
  • the top portion of each prong can extend radially outward beyond an outer surface of the stem portion (i.e., essentially providing a hook for capturing objects in the holder).
  • the top portion of each prong can be flattened (to form the prong into a nail like shape).
  • Each prong is preferably sufficiently flexible to bend outward during insertion of a bead to accommodate a large mid-portion of the bead, and sufficiently rigid (or have sufficient memory) to return to an original shape after the bead is inserted.
  • the prongs also flex and return to their original shape when a bead is removed from the bead holder.
  • the plurality of bead holders can be arranged in an array or matrix on the support surface.
  • the array can include a plurality of rows wherein adjacent rows are staggered from each other, however, other arrangements can be utilized.
  • Each bead holder includes a plurality of side walls extending upward from a bottom wall to form a cell or pocket.
  • the number of side wall can be six side walls, however fewer or more side walls can be implemented as necessary or desired (e.g., depending on the shape of the object intended to be held in the tray).
  • the bottom wall of each bead holder can also include a downwardly extending depression.
  • the depression can be circular having an upwardly concave surface and a downwardly convex surface.
  • each bead holder can include a plurality of prongs.
  • the number of prongs can be six, however again, fewer or more can be implemented as needed or desired.
  • the prongs can be placed, for example, at each comer between adjacent side walls.
  • a tray for securely holding beads includes a support surface having an outer perimeter.
  • a first holder is provided on the support surface for holding a first bead.
  • the first holder includes a plurality of side walls extending upward above the support surface and a plurality of prongs that extend upward above the side walls.
  • the tray can include a plurality of additional holders, each additional holder having a plurality of side walls extending upward above the support surface and a plurality of prongs that extend upward above the side walls.
  • Each of the prongs can include a flattened top portion or some other shaped projection.
  • Each holder can include a bottom having a depression extending downward.
  • the trays of the present invention can be formed from a thin film of plastic.
  • the plastic film can be vacuumed formed on a mold having side wall projections and pins for forming the prongs.
  • the present invention provides a tray having a plurality of pockets or holders for receiving beads.
  • the beads can be a variety of materials, such as plastic or glass (in some instances, the beads can be formed from sugar and other related ingredients, such as jelly beans or other candy or food related products). Moreover, the beads can be any small item having appropriate dimensions to allow the prongs to hold the item in the holders of the tray.
  • the tray and pockets include a plurality of prongs or posts around each pocket that can flex outward when a bead is placed in the pocket.
  • the bead can be formed such that it has a large diameter at one end or the middle of the bead (i.e., a larger middle or lower portion if not circular) so that the prongs or posts can snap back over the larger portion of the bead to keep it relatively locked in place until removed.
  • the beads can be removed by pushing on the bottom of the tray to force the prongs or posts to flex outward again and release the bead.
  • a depression in the bottom wall of each pocket can facilitate removal.
  • the structure of the prongs and depression allow the pocket holders to easily catch and release objects on the tray.
  • the tray including the prongs/posts, side walls, bottom and pockets can be made from a plastic having a degree of flexibility, or from some other similar or suitable material.
  • the prongs can include disks or other similar structures at a top end to help secure the bead in place.
  • a hot plate can be used to contact the top of the prongs in a concurrent or subsequent forming step to create the flattened tops (or other similar structure) on the prongs.
  • the tray can be utilized, for example, as an art project where the colors of the beads can be chosen to form a design or picture.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plastic tray having flexible prongs or posts for holding beads or other similar objects in a matrix of bead holders;
  • FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the plastic tray of FIG. 1 having flexible prongs or posts for holding beads in the matrix;
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the tray of FIG. 1 showing a bead being inserted into a bead holder of the matrix, with the prongs or posts flexing outward to accommodate the bead;
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the tray of FIG. 3 showing the bead in its resting position in a bead holder of the matrix, with the prongs or posts retaining the bead from falling out of the matrix;
  • FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tray of FIGS. 3 and 4 showing the bead being removed from the bead holder of the matrix by application of finger pressure to the underside or bottom of the bead holder of the matrix, with the prongs or posts flexing outward again to allow the bead to be dislodged from the bead holder;
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another plastic tray having flexible prongs or posts for holding beads in a matrix
  • FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a comer of the tray of FIG. 6;
  • FIG. 8 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the tray of FIG. 6;
  • FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 6 showing a bead being removed from one bead holder of a matrix having adjacent beads in adjacent bead holders; and,
  • FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a bead being removed from an otherwise empty tray in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
  • Figures 1-5 show a tray 10 having a matrix of bead holders or pockets 12 in accordance with the present invention.
  • the bead holders 12 of the matrix can be set up in a plurality of rows 14 that substantially fill the upper surface of a bottom wall 16 of the tray 10.
  • the rows 14 can be slightly offset, or staggered, from adjacent rows. Other arrangements or patterns of the bead holders 12 can also be implemented.
  • Each of the bead holders 12 is shaped and sized to hold a single bead 18 (see e.g., Figures 3-5).
  • the bead 18 preferably has an ovoid or egg shape with a center or lower portion having an outer perimeter greater than that of an upper portion of the bead 18. This shape allows the bead holder 12 to securely embrace or grip the bead 18 as explained herein.
  • Each of the bead holders 12 is formed to include a plurality of thin side walls 20 that extend upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall 16 of the tray to form an open container or pocket.
  • each of the bead holders 12 has six side walls 20 forming a hexagonal shape (this shape facilitates the “staggering” of the rows 14 of the matrix).
  • each side wall 20 includes an arcuate upper edge sloping downward in a middle portion of each side wall 20. While six side walls 20 are shown, fewer or more side walls 12 can be utilized or implemented as desired or needed.
  • Each of the bead holders 12 also include a plurality of prongs 22 that extend upward above the height of the side walls 20.
  • each bead holder has six prongs (located at the comers between adjacent side walls 20).
  • each of the remaining prongs 22 will effectively be part of multiple pockets or bead holders 12.
  • the prongs 12 are generally cylindrical (although they could have other similar or suitable shapes) with a flattened top portion 24 that extends radially outward from the stem of each prong 22.
  • the prongs 22 are formed to have a sufficient rigidity to maintain a bead 18 in the bead holder 12, but are flexible enough to move during insertion or removal of the bead 18 as needed.
  • FIG. 6-10 Other examples of the tray 10’ are provided in Figures 6-10.
  • the bottom wall 16 in each bead holder 12 can be provided with a downwardly extending depression 28.
  • the depression 28 can be circular and positioned in the middle of the bottom wall of each bead holder 12.
  • the depression 28 can facilitate insertion and/or removal of the bead 18 from the bead holder 12.
  • the removal process is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 which shows a hand 26 pushing upward on the circular depression 28 to force the bead 18 upward out of the grasp of the prongs 22.
  • the outward flexing of the prongs 22 is apparent.
  • the depression 28 goes from an upwardly concave (i.e., downwardly convex) configuration to an upwardly convex (i.e., downwardly concave) configuration.
  • the tray 10’ can include an outer side wall 30 about the perimeter of the tray 10’.
  • the outer wall 30 is double walled and surrounds the matrix of bead holders 12. Additionally, a variety of other structures can also be utilized for the outer perimeter of the tray.
  • the prongs in the tray along with the depression in the bottom wall, enable the bead holders in the tray to easily catch and release the beads.
  • the flattened top portions of the prongs act as top hooks to hold the bead or other object in the bead holder, and the bubble (e.g., circular depression) underneath facilitates popping the bead out of the bead holder.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un plateau en plastique ayant des broches flexibles pour maintenir des billes dans une matrice. La matrice comprend des rangées de porte-billes définies par une pluralité de parois latérales. Les broches s'étendent vers le haut à partir de chaque coin formé entre des parois latérales adjacentes. Les parois inférieures dans chaque porte-billes peuvent comprendre une dépression flexible qui facilite le retrait de chaque bille.
EP23904663.4A 2022-12-16 2023-12-15 Plateau en plastique ayant des broches flexibles pour maintenir des billes dans une matrice Pending EP4634065A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US202263433139P 2022-12-16 2022-12-16
PCT/US2023/084252 WO2024130099A1 (fr) 2022-12-16 2023-12-15 Plateau en plastique ayant des broches flexibles pour maintenir des billes dans une matrice

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4634065A1 true EP4634065A1 (fr) 2025-10-22
EP4634065A4 EP4634065A4 (fr) 2026-04-22

Family

ID=91486083

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP23904663.4A Pending EP4634065A4 (fr) 2022-12-16 2023-12-15 Plateau en plastique ayant des broches flexibles pour maintenir des billes dans une matrice

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP4634065A4 (fr)
WO (1) WO2024130099A1 (fr)

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6053335A (en) * 1998-02-19 2000-04-25 Rutter; Margaret C. Expandable egg supporting device
US6048504A (en) * 1998-09-01 2000-04-11 Riley Medical, Inc. Pin mat for sterilization trays
EP1507711A1 (fr) * 2002-05-25 2005-02-23 Rehrig Pacific Company Porte-boites
EP3122177B1 (fr) * 2014-03-26 2019-01-30 Zoetis Services LLC Ensemble de support pour oeufs, dispositif et procédé associés
JP6047797B1 (ja) * 2016-02-29 2016-12-21 株式会社エポック社 装飾ビーズ玩具及びビーズ玩具セット
US20190021360A1 (en) * 2017-07-20 2019-01-24 Ryan J. Roessler Paint by candy mosaic and kit

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2024130099A1 (fr) 2024-06-20
EP4634065A4 (fr) 2026-04-22

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5899353A (en) Ice cream cone cake holder
US4962855A (en) System for loading thin-walled plastic flower pots onto a loading tray
US3795360A (en) Cover for basket-type container and combination thereof
US5713619A (en) Beverage cup carrier
US5860560A (en) Horizontal loading container
EP0910114A2 (fr) Emballage pour livraison de plaquette semi-conductrice
US20070007291A1 (en) Container for carrying and transporting cupcakes and other pastry items
EP1469945A2 (fr) Recipient pour pointes de pipettes
US20120012500A1 (en) Cup and bowl carrier
US20070284505A1 (en) Silicone baking pan
US20100059580A1 (en) Pastry shipping container
US20040050859A1 (en) Elevating dispenser for canister
US4291805A (en) Ice cream cone tray
US20050279747A1 (en) Cupcake holder
US3877599A (en) Egg tray
US5996802A (en) Carrier for ice cream cones and the like
EP4634065A1 (fr) Plateau en plastique ayant des broches flexibles pour maintenir des billes dans une matrice
US4821901A (en) Filler flat construction
US3958711A (en) Egg tray
US20040134919A1 (en) Multi-piece vessel
US20080072769A1 (en) Pan with drop-in baking wells
WO2019050917A1 (fr) Récipient ayant des éléments de retenue de contenu
US20050284307A1 (en) Bundt cake container
US5558222A (en) Tray for poultry trusses
NZ241534A (en) Nestable carrying tray for supporting containers of various sizes.

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION HAS BEEN MADE

PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION WAS MADE

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20250714

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC ME MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

DAV Request for validation of the european patent (deleted)
DAX Request for extension of the european patent (deleted)
A4 Supplementary search report drawn up and despatched

Effective date: 20260325

RIC1 Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant

Ipc: B65D 1/34 20060101AFI20260319BHEP

Ipc: B65D 21/02 20060101ALI20260319BHEP