Variably stackable sterilization tray system
View Patent ↗A tray system composed of a vertical stack of trays especially adapted to contain, and protect surgical instruments being carried from a sterilizer to an operating site. The trays may have various heights and be arranged in any order in the stack. Each tray includes a plurality of latches, each latch having an arm swingably mounted to the tray and terminated by a projection spaced a selected distance D 1 above the tray rim or top when the latch is swung to its latching position. Each tray also includes a corresponding plurality of latching surfaces located under the latches on that tray. The distance D 2 between the seating surfaces and latching surfaces of each tray corresponds substantially to the distance D 1 of that tray. This enables the latch arms of each tray to be latched to the latching surfaces of an overlying tray in the stack or to a cover so as to form a closed compact transportable package. Different latch embodiments for securing the trays together are also disclosed.
1. A tray system comprising a plurality of trays including at least one underlying tray and at least one overlying tray, said trays having substantially the same cross-sectional dimensions and the same or different heights, each tray having
a bottom wall;
a plurality of wall segments extending up from the bottom wall, each wall segment having an upper end;
one or more seating surfaces at or adjacent to the bottom wall of the tray, said seating surfaces defining a seating surface plane;
a plurality of latching surfaces, said latching surfaces defining a latching surface plane spaced a selected distance above the seating surface plane, and
a plurality of latches, each latch having
an arm with one end swingably mounted to one of the plurality of wall segments above one of the plurality of latching surfaces, and
a projection on said arm spaced from said one end, said arm being swingable between a latching position wherein the associated projection is spaced above the upper end of the corresponding wall segment a distance substantially equal to said selected distance so that when the trays are arranged in any order in a stack, the seating surface(s) of the overlying tray(s) rest on the wall segment upper ends of the underlying tray(s) and the arms of the latches on the underlying tray(s) may be swung to their latching positions, whereby the projections on those arms engage the latching surfaces of the overlying tray(s) thereby securing together all of the trays in the stack to form a single compact transportable package.
2. The tray system defined in claim 1 wherein each tray has a perimeter wall extending up from said bottom wall and includes said wall segments.
3. The tray system defined in claim 1 wherein said adjacent trays have interfitting portions which maintain the plurality of trays in vertical alignment in the stack.
4. The tray system defined in claim 3 wherein the interfitting portions comprise
downward projections adjacent to the seating surfaces of each overlying tray in the stack, and
the upper ends of the wall segments of each underlying tray in the stack.
5. The tray system defined in claim 3 wherein the interfitting portions comprise
depending keys extending from the bottom wall of each tray in the stack, and
vertical keyholes at the upper ends of the wall segments of each tray in the stack and which are positioned to receive the keys of the overlying tray in the stack.
6. The tray system defined in claim 1 and further including a cover, said cover member including
a top wall;
means for positioning said cover relative to the wall segments of an uppermost tray in the stack, so that the cover covers said uppermost tray, and
a plurality of coplanar cover latching surfaces formed in said cover at locations spaced around the top wall thereof so that when the cover is seated on the wall segments of the uppermost tray in the stack, the cover latching surfaces are located directly above the latches on said uppermost tray whereby when the arms of those latches are swung to their latching positions, the projections on those arms engage the cover latching surfaces thereby securing the cover to the uppermost tray in the stack.
7. The tray system defined in claim 6 wherein said cover also includes a plurality of handles mounted to the cover to facilitate carrying said package.
8. The tray system defined in claim 1 wherein each latch includes a stop for stopping the swinging motion of the latch arm away from the corresponding wall segment to establish the unlatching position of the latch arm.
9. The tray system defined in claim 1 wherein each latch also includes a lock for releasably locking the arm of each latch in its latching position.
10. The system defined in claim 9 wherein said lock includes
a window in said arm, said window having an edge, and
a flexible resilient keeper mounted to said base, said keeper having a portion which projects through said window and engages said edge when the arm is in its latching position.
11. The system defined in claim 9 wherein said lock includes
one or more barbs extending out from the perimeter wall at said latch;
one or more openings in said arm which receive said one or more barbs when said arm is in said latching position, and
one or more sliders mounted to said arm and being adapted to interfit with said one or more barbs when the arm is in said latching position.
12. A sterilizer tray for a tray system comprising
a bottom wall;
a plurality of wall segments extending up from the bottom wall said wall segments having upper ends which define a rim plane;
one or more seating surfaces at or adjacent to the bottom wall of the tray, said seating surface(s) defining a seating surface plane spaced parallel to the rim plane;
a plurality of latching surfaces formed in said wall segments, said latching surfaces defining a latching surface plane spaced at a selected distance from seating surface plane, and
a plurality of latches, each latch including
an arm having one end swingably mounted to one of the plurality of wall segments above one of the plurality of latching surfaces, and
a projection on said arm spaced from said one end, said arm being swingable between a latching position wherein the projection on that arm is spaced above the rim plane a distance that substantially corresponds to said selected distance and an unlatching position wherein the projection on that arm is spaced below said rim plane.
13. The tray defined in claim 12 wherein each latch also includes a lock for releasably locking the arm of each latch in its latching position.
14. The tray defined in claim 13 wherein said lock includes
a window in said arm, said window having an edge, and
a flexible resilient keeper mounted to said bases said keeper having a portion which projects through said window and engages said edge when the arm is in its latching position.
15. The tray defined in claim 13 wherein said lock includes
one or more barbs extending out from the perimeter wall at said latch;
one or more openings in said arm which receive said one or more barbs when said arm is in said latching position, and
one or more sliders mounted to said arm and being adapted to interfit with said one or more barbs when the arm is in said latching position.
16. The tray defined in claim 15 wherein the lock also includes a spring for biasing said one or more sliders into locking engagement with said one or more barbs.
17. The tray defined in claim 12 and further including first tray portions at the upper ends of the wall segments and second tray portions at the bottom wall which may interfit with matching portions at similar overlying and underlying trays to maintain all of the trays in vertical alignment in a stack.