Container having padded dunnage supports and L-shaped tracks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409706-B2
Application number	US-201514709989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2015
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A container ( 10 a ) comprising a metal frame ( 164 ) for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse has a base ( 166 ) and opposed sides, L-shaped tracks ( 60 ), and a plurality of padded dunnage supports ( 94 ) extending between the tracks ( 60 ). One type of padded dunnage support ( 94 ) comprises end members ( 98 ) and a tubular middle member ( 102 ), the end members ( 98 ) being movable along the tracks ( 60 ). The padded dunnage supports ( 94 ) support dunnage ( 136 ), such as pouches ( 138 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container for holding product therein during shipment, the container comprising:
a base and two opposed sides;
at least one non-linear track secured to each side of the container;
a plurality of padded dunnage supports extending between opposed tracks and being movable along the tracks; and
dunnage supported by the padded dunnage supports.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the non-linear tracks is generally L-shaped.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein each of the non-linear tracks is generally L-shaped.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein each of the padded dunnage supports comprises a padded sleeve at least partially surrounding a middle member.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the padded dunnage supports comprises a foam sleeve around a middle member.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the non-linear tracks has an inhibitor to maintain the padded dunnage supports in positions extending between generally horizontal portions of the non-linear tracks.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein each of the padded dunnage supports comprises two end members joined by a middle tubular member.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein the dunnage comprises pouches.

9. The container of claim 1 wherein the base and opposed sides are made of plastic.

10. A container for holding product therein during shipment, the container comprising:
a base and opposed sides;
a non-linear track secured to each of the opposed sides;
a plurality of padded dunnage supports extending between opposed tracks and being movable along corresponding tracks, each of the padded dunnage supports comprising an outer padding layer; and
pouches supported by the padded dunnage supports.

11. The container of claim 10 wherein each of the padded dunnage supports comprises a pair of end members and a middle member extending between the end members.

12. The container of claim 10 wherein the padding layer is foam.

13. The container of claim 10 wherein each non-linear track is generally L-shaped.

14. The container of claim 10 wherein at least one of the non-linear tracks has an inhibitor to maintain the padded support members in positions extending between generally horizontal portions of the non-linear tracks.

15. A container for holding product therein during shipment, the container comprising:
base and opposed sides;
non-linear tracks supported by each side of the container;
a plurality of padded dunnage supports movable along the tracks, each of the padded dunnage supports including a cushioning cylinder; and
pouches supported by the padded dunnage supports.

16. The container of claim 15 wherein each of the non-linear tracks is generally L-shaped.

17. The container of claim 15 wherein at least one of the non-linear tracks has an inhibitor to aid in maintaining the padded dunnage supports in positions extending between generally horizontally oriented portions of the non-linear tracks.

18. The container of claim 15 wherein the cushioning cylinder is made of foam.

19. The container of claim 15 wherein each of the padded dunnage supports comprises end members movable along corresponding tracks and a middle member extending between the end members, the middle member being at least partially surrounded by the cushioning cylinder.

20. The container of claim 15 wherein each of the padded dunnage supports comprises a foam cylinder at least partially surrounding a middle member.

Assignees

• Bradford Co

Inventors

• Sanger Matthew S

Classifications

• B65D88/546 Primary

  Devices for loading or unloading and forming part of the container, e.g. rollers, conveyors (loading or unloading vehicles B65G67/20) · CPC title

• B65D81/07

  using resilient suspension means {(B65D81/051 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D25/005

  Side walls formed with an aperture or a movable portion arranged to allow removal or insertion of contents (B65D5/16, B65D7/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2585/6882

  vehicle parts · CPC title

• B65D81/02 Primary

  specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage {(containers of polygonal cross-section provided with internal protecting elements for contents B65D5/50; devices to locate articles in containers B65D25/10)} · CPC title