Container having dunnage components moveable along guides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9540125-B2
Application number	US-201313956469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse has a base and opposite sides. The container has multiple levels of dunnage components, the dunnage components of at least one level being movable between open and closed positions to enable an operator to load and unload products more easily. The dunnage components of at least one level may have openings through which pass guides supported at least partially by the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container for holding products therein during shipment, the container comprising:
a base, a front, a rear and two opposed sides;
upper and lower levels of dunnage for holding products during storage and shipment, the upper level of dunnage comprising two dunnage components, at least one of the dunnage components being movable between a first position and a second position, the dunnage components being closer together when said at least one of the dunnage components is in the first position, movement of the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage towards each other being limited by stationary supports operatively coupled to the front and rear of the container and stationary guides, each of the stationary guides extending only between one of the stationary supports and one of the sides of the container such that each dunnage component may move only between one of the container sides and aligned stationary supports, each of the stationary guides extending through one of the dunnage components.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the lower level of dunnage is stationary.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the dunnage components is made at least partially of foam.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the dunnage components comprises multiple pieces.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein each of the guides is a rail.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein at least one of the dunnage components has a specific geometry for a particular product.

7. A container for holding products therein during shipment, the container comprising:
a base, a front, a rear and at least two opposed sides;
stationary supports operatively coupled to the front and rear of the container;
multiple levels of dunnage for holding products during storage and shipment, a bottom level of dunnage being stationary and an upper level of dunnage comprising a pair of dunnage components, at least one of the dunnage components being movable between a first position and a second position, the dunnage components being further apart when each movable dunnage component is in the second position for insertion and removal of parts from the bottom level of dunnage through an opening between the dunnage components; and
stationary guides supported by the stationary supports, each of the stationary guides extending only between one of the stationary supports and one of the sides of the container for directing each movable dunnage component of the upper level of dunnage to a desired position to facilitate removal or insertion of products into and out of the bottom level of dunnage, wherein movement of the dunnage components towards each other is limited by the stationary supports and the stationary guides.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein each of the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage has at least one opening through the dunnage component through which one of the stationary guides passes such that the upper dunnage component may be guided to a desired position.

9. The container of claim 7 wherein the bottom level of dunnage is secured to the container.

10. The container of claim 7 wherein at least one of the dunnage components includes a piece of foam.

11. The container of claim 7 wherein the container has four guides.

12. The container of claim 7 wherein each of the dunnage components has notches for retaining products.

13. The container of claim 7 wherein multiple stationary guides extend through at least one of the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage.

14. The container of claim 7 wherein the container has two levels of dunnage.

15. A container for holding products therein during shipment, the container comprising:
a base, a front wall, a rear wall and opposed side walls;
stationary supports operatively coupled to the rear wall of the container;
stationary supports operatively coupled to the front wall of the container;
a stationary guide extending only between each of the stationary supports and one of the side walls of the container;
a lower level of dunnage; and
an upper level of dunnage comprising two dunnage components wherein at least one of the dunnage components is movable between first and second positions between the stationary supports and one of the side walls, the dunnage components being further apart from each other when at least one of the dunnage components is in the second position to facilitate removal and insertion of products into and out of the lower level of dunnage, wherein movement of the dunnage components towards each other is limited by the stationary supports and the stationary guides.

16. The container of claim 15 wherein each of the dunnage components includes a piece of foam.

17. The container of claim 15 wherein each of the dunnage components has notches for retaining products.

18. The container of claim 15 wherein the container has two levels of dunnage.

19. The container of claim 15 wherein the lower level of dunnage comprises two foam dunnage components.

20. A container for holding products therein during shipment, the container comprising:
a base, a front, a rear and opposed sides;
spaced stationary supports operatively coupled to the front and rear of the container;
a stationary guide extending only between each of the stationary supports and one of the sides of the container;
a lower level of dunnage; and
an upper level of dunnage comprising multiple dunnage components located above the lower level of dunnage, at least one of the dunnage components being movable only between one of the container sides and aligned stationary supports, wherein movement of the dunnage components towards each other is limited by the stationary supports and the stationary guides.

21. The container of claim 20 wherein one of the stationary guides passes through each of the movable dunnage components.

22. The container of claim 20 wherein each of the dunnage components has notches for retaining products.

23. The container of claim 20 wherein the container has two levels of dunnage.

24. The container of claim 20 wherein the lower level of dunnage comprises multiple dunnage components.

25. The container of claim 20 wherein the lower level of dunnage comprises two spaced components.

Assignees

• Bradford Co

Inventors

• Bradford Judson A
• Bublitz Timothy A
• Dobrinski Brian T
• Sanger Matthew S

Classifications

• B65D2519/00815

  on the pallet · CPC title

• B65D2519/00338

  contact surface having a discrete foot-like shape · CPC title

• B65D2519/00273

  made of more than one piece · CPC title

• B65D2519/00174

  Plastic · CPC title

• B65D2519/00034

  Plastic · CPC title