Standard footprint egg carton for holding up to jumbo size eggs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340349-B2
Application number	US-201113219174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2011
Priority date	Aug 26, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

Plastic egg cartons having mating cell and lid posts for improved egg protection, and able to accommodate up to jumbo size eggs in a standard footprint. The carton has a base tray and hinged lid, the tray including a plurality of cells for receiving individual eggs, and the tray having a plurality of cell posts each formed at an intersection of four adjacent cells as an extension of the sidewalls of the four adjacent cells. Preferable, each cell post has four generally planar ramp surfaces, one disposed respectively on each of the four sidewall extensions. The lid has a plurality of lid posts for mating with the cell posts when the lid is in a closed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plastic egg carton comprising:
a tray and a lid hingedly connected to the tray for pivoting between open and closed positions, the tray and the lid having respective peripheral edges that mate with each other in the closed position, the egg carton having in the closed position a length, a width and a height;
the tray having a plurality of cells for receiving individual eggs, the cells being arranged successively adjacent each other along the length and width of the carton in a matrix of cells;
each cell having a bottom and a flexible outwardly curved sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom to form a corresponding one of the cells;
the lid having a plurality of ovoid shaped contoured portions, axially aligned with the height of the carton in the closed position, that mate with axially align the eggs in the cells of the tray;
the tray having a plurality of cell posts extending above the peripheral edge of the tray, each cell post having a central axis aligned with the height of the carton and being formed at an intersection of four adjacent cells as a central dome and an extension of the sidewalls of the four adjacent cells, each cell post having four generally planar ramp surfaces, each planar ramp surface being disposed between the outwardly curved sidewalls of two adjacent cells and on a different one of the four sidewall extensions at an angle to the axis of the cell post to provide resistance to compressive forces in the axial direction; and
the lid having a plurality of lid posts, each lid post being axially aligned with a complimentary cell post and comprising a central crown and four fingers extending downwardly toward the tray, each finger having a complimentary planar ramp surface adapted to engage one of the four ramp surfaces of the complimentary cell post when the tray and lid are in the closed position and axial compressive forces are present to resist distortion of the cell and lid posts such that the crown and dome need not engage, while the flexible cell sidewalls yield and flex to protectively hold eggs in the cells.

2. The egg carton of claim 1 wherein each lid post has four contoured surfaces, one between each pair of adjacent fingers, for mating with eggs received within the four adjacent cells when the lid is in the closed position.

3. The egg carton of claim 1 wherein the cell post planar ramp surfaces are disposed at an angle of from about 20 to about 45 degrees relative to the axis of the cell post.

4. The egg carton of claim 3 wherein the planar ramp surface angle is from about 30 to about 45 degrees.

5. The egg carton of claim 4 wherein the planar ramp surface angle is from about 35 to about 45 degrees.

6. The egg carton of claim 3 , wherein each lid post has four contoured surfaces, one between each pair of adjacent fingers, for mating with eggs received within the four adjacent cells when the lid is in the closed position.

7. The egg carton of claim 6 wherein the lid includes a connecting wall between each pair of adjacent lid posts, the connecting wall including a pair of partial ovoid shaped depressions for mating with eggs received in the adjacent cells.

8. The egg carton of claim 1 wherein:
the carton has a 2×6 matrix of cells and has a maximum width of each sidewall and sidewall extension of between about 0.283 and about 0.343 inches.

9. The egg carton of claim 8 , wherein the planar ramp surfaces of the cell post are disposed at an angle of from about 20 to about 45 degrees relative to the axis of the cell post.

10. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein:
the carton has a 3×6 matrix of cells and has a maximum width of each sidewall and sidewall extension of between about 0.105 and about 0.145 inches.

11. The egg carton of claim 10 , wherein the planar ramp surfaces of the cell post are disposed at an angle of from about 20 to about 45 degrees relative to the axis of the cell post.

12. A full case container holding 30 of the egg cartons of claim 1 .

13. A half case container holding 15 of the egg cartons of claim 1 .

14. A container holding 24 of the egg cartons of claim 1 .

15. The egg carton of claim 1 , configured to hold up to jumbo size eggs of between about 2.50 and about 2.75 ounces in either an oriented or an unoriented direction in the cell with respect to the axial direction.

16. The egg carton of claim 15 , wherein the carton has a 2×6 matrix of cells and has a maximum width of each sidewall and sidewall extension of between about 0.283 and about 0.343 inches.

17. The egg carton of claim 15 , wherein the cell post planar ramp surfaces are disposed at an angle of from about 20 to about 45 degrees relative to the axis of the cell post.

18. The egg carton of claim 17 , wherein the carton has a 2×6 matrix of cells and the carton has:
a) a length of between about 11.62 and about 11.75 inches,
b) a width of between about 3.95 and about 4.00 inches, and
c) a height of between about 2.62 and about 2.75 inches.

19. The egg carton of claim 18 , wherein the cells are configured to hold eggs in either an oriented or unoriented direction in the cell with respect to the axial direction.

20. The egg carton of claim 17 , wherein the carton has a 3×6 matrix of cells and the carton has:
a) a length of between about 11.62 and about 11.75 inches,
b) a width of between about 5.95 and about 6.00 inches, and
c) a height of between about 2.62 and about 2.75 inches.

21. The egg carton of claim 20 , wherein the cells are configured to hold eggs in either an oriented or unoriented direction in the cell with respect to the axial direction.

22. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the tray and lid have a lid flap and locking nubs and apertures for locking the tray and lid in the closed position.

23. The egg carton of claim 1 , wherein the cells are configured to hold eggs in either an oriented or unoriented direction in the cell with respect to the axial direction.

24. A stack of egg cartons comprising a plurality of the egg cartons of claim 4 .

25. The stack of claim 24 , further comprising a container holding the stack.

26. The stack of claim 25 , wherein the container holds a full case or half case of egg cartons.

Assignees

• Ramirez Richard L
• Bergeron Mark A
• Lichtle Roger P
• Tekni Plex Inc

Inventors

• Ramirez Richard L
• Bergeron Mark A
• Lichtle Roger P

Classifications

• B65D85/32 Primary

  for eggs · CPC title

• B65B35/50

  Stacking one article, or group of articles, upon another before packaging · CPC title