Granted Patent B2

US 8,381,909 · App. 12/408,599 · Granted Feb 26, 2013

Abstract

Claims (110)

1. A tray system comprising:

a plurality of trays, wherein the trays comprise various, generally increasing widths and lengths, and may be alternatively arranged in a stacked configuration, in which a tray with a larger width and length is stacked on a tray with a smaller width and length, or in a nested configuration, in which a tray with a smaller width and length is nested within a tray with a larger width and length, each of the trays further comprising:

a width and a length;

a first wall, a second wall disposed opposite the first wall, a third wall and a fourth wall disposed opposite the third wall;

a floor engaged to each of the walls;

a foot extending from the floor, wherein the foot creates a groove on the floor;

a top securing structure engaged to at least one of the walls;

a bottom positioning structure engaged to at least one of the walls; and

at least one latch movable between an unlocked and a locked position and disposed on at least one of the trays, the at least one latch comprising:

a spring biasing the at least one latch to the locked position;

a locking component formed on one end of the latch, wherein the locking component is selectively engageable to one of the top securing structures;

wherein a gap is formed between the at least one latch and the one of the top securing structures when the plurality of trays are resting in the stacked configuration, and wherein the at least one latch directly engages the one of the top securing structures when the plurality of trays are in the stacked configuration and being lifted; and

a plurality of latches, wherein all but one of the trays comprises at least one latch.

2. A tray system comprising:

a plurality of trays, wherein the trays comprise various, generally increasing widths and lengths, and may be alternatively arranged in a stacked configuration, in which a tray with a larger width and length is stacked on a tray with a smaller width and length, or in a nested configuration, in which a tray with a smaller width and length is nested within a tray with a larger width and length, each of the trays further comprising:

a width and a length;

a first wall, a second wall disposed opposite the first wall, a third wall and a fourth wall disposed opposite the third wall;

a floor engaged to each of the walls;

a foot extending from the floor, wherein the foot creates a groove on the floor;

a top securing structure engaged to at least one of the walls;

a bottom positioning structure engaged to at least one of the walls; and

at least one latch movable between an unlocked and a locked position and disposed on at least one of the trays, the at least one latch comprising:

a spring biasing the at least one latch to the locked position;

a locking component formed on one end of the latch, wherein the locking component is selectively engageable to one of the top securing structures;

wherein a gap is formed between the at least one latch and the one of the top securing structures when the plurality of trays are resting in the stacked configuration, and wherein the at least one latch directly engages the one of the top securing structures when the plurality of trays are in the stacked configuration and being lifted;

a plurality of latches, wherein all but one of the trays comprises at least one latch; and

a plurality of handles, wherein each tray comprises at least one handle, and the latches are disposed proximate to the handles.

3. A tray system comprising:

a first tray comprising:

a first width and a first length;

a first wall, a second wall disposed opposite the first wall, a third wall and a fourth wall disposed opposite the third wall;

a first floor engaged to each of the walls;

a first foot extending from the first floor, wherein the first foot creates a first groove on the first floor;

a first top securing structure engaged to the tops of the walls of the first tray;

a first bottom positioning structure engaged to the bottoms of the walls of the first tray;

a first handle located on the first wall;

a second handle located on the second wall;

a first latch movable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the first handle; and

a second latch movable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the second handle;

a second tray comprising:

a second width, shorter than the first width, and a second length, shorter than that first length;

a fifth wall, a sixth wall disposed opposite the fifth wall, a seventh wall and an eighth wall disposed opposite the seventh wall;

a second floor engaged to each of the walls of the second tray;

a second foot extending from the second floor, wherein the second foot creates a second groove on the second floor;

a second top securing structure engaged to the tops of the walls of the second tray;

a second bottom positioning structure engaged to the bottoms of the walls of the second tray;

a third handle located on the fifth wall;

a fourth handle located on the sixth wall;

a third latch moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the third handle; and

a fourth latch movable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the fourth handle;

a third tray comprising:

a third width, shorter than the second width, and a third length, shorter than that second length;

a ninth wall, a tenth wall disposed opposite the ninth wall, an eleventh wall and a twelfth wall disposed opposite the eleventh wall;

a third floor engaged to each of the walls of the third tray;

a third foot extending from the third floor, wherein the third foot creates a third groove on the third floor;

a third top securing structure engaged to the tops of the walls of the third tray;

a third bottom positioning structure engaged to the bottoms of the walls of the third tray;

a fifth handle located on the ninth wall; and

a sixth handle located on the tenth wall; and

a lid removably secured to the first top securing structure;

wherein the first, second and third trays may be alternatively arranged in a stacked configuration, in which the first tray is stacked upon the second tray which is then stacked upon the third tray, or a nested configuration, in which the third tray is nested within the second tray which is then nested within the first tray; and

wherein the first and the second latches are selectively engageable to the second top securing structure when the trays are in the stacked configuration, and the third and fourth latches are selectively engageable to the third top securing structure when the trays are in the stacked configuration; and

wherein a gap is formed between each of the latches and their respective top securing structures when the trays are resting in the stacked configuration, and wherein each of the latches are engaged to their respective top securing structures when the trays are in the stacked configuration and lifted.

4. The tray system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the top securing structures extend from their respective trays at a 45 degree angle.

5. The tray system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the third foot engages the second groove, and the second foot engages the first groove when the trays are in the nested configuration.

6. The tray system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the first, the second and the third top securing structures are coplanar when the trays are in the nested configuration.

7. The tray system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the first bottom positioning structure engages the second top securing structure and the second bottom positioning structure engages the third top securing structure when the trays are in the stacked configuration.

8. The tray system as set forth in claim 3 , further comprising a lid groove formed on the lid, wherein the lid groove may engage any of the first foot, the second foot or the third foot.

9. The tray system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the first and the second latches are integrally formed with the first tray.

10. The tray system as set forth in claim 3 , further comprising a first spring engaged to the first latch, a second spring engaged to the second latch, a third spring engaged to the third latch and a fourth spring engaged to the fourth latch, wherein each spring biases its respective latch to the locked position.

11. The tray system as set forth in claim 10 , wherein each spring is integrally formed from its respective latch.

12. A tray system comprising:

a first tray comprising:

a first width and a first length;

a first wall, a second wall disposed opposite the first wall, a third wall and a fourth wall disposed opposite the third wall;

a first floor engaged to each of the. walls;

a first foot extending from the first floor, wherein the first foot creates a first groove on the first floor;

a first top securing structure engaged to the tops of the walls of the first tray;

a first bottom positioning structure engaged to the bottoms of the walls of the first tray;

a first handle located on the first wall;

a second handle located on the second wall;

a first latch movable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the first handle; and

a second latch movable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the second handle;

a second tray comprising:

a second width, shorter than the first width, and a second length, shorter than that first length;

a fifth wall, a sixth wall disposed opposite the fifth wall, a seventh wall and an eighth wall disposed opposite the seventh wall;

a second floor engaged to each of the walls of the second tray;

a second foot extending from the second floor, wherein the second foot creates a second groove on the second floor;

a second top securing structure engaged to the tops of the walls of the second tray;

a second bottom positioning structure engaged to the bottoms of the walls of the second tray;

a third handle located on the fifth wall;

a fourth handle located on the sixth wall; and

a lid removably secured to the first top securing structure;

wherein the first and second trays may be alternatively arranged in a stacked configuration, in which the first tray is stacked upon the second tray, or a nested configuration, in which the second tray is nested within the first tray;

wherein the first and the second latches selectively secure the first tray to the second tray.

13. The tray system as set forth in claim 12 , further comprising:

a third tray comprising:

a third width, shorter than the first width and longer than the second width, and a third length, shorter than that first length and longer than the second length;

a ninth wall, a tenth wall disposed opposite the ninth wall, an eleventh wall and a twelfth wall disposed opposite the eleventh wall;

a third floor engaged to each of the walls of the third tray;

a third foot extending from the third floor, wherein the third foot creates a third groove on the third floor;

a third top securing structure engaged to the tops of the walls of the third tray;

a third bottom positioning structure engaged to the bottoms of the walls of the third tray;

a fifth handle located on the ninth wall;

a sixth handle located on the tenth wall;

a third latch moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the third handle; and

a fourth latch moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position and located proximate to the fourth handle;

wherein the first, second and third trays may be alternatively arranged in a stacked configuration, in which the first tray is stacked upon the third tray which is then stacked upon the second tray, or a nested configuration, in which the second tray is nested within the third tray which is then nested within the first tray;

wherein the first and the second latches are selectively engageable to the third top securing structure when the trays are in the stacked configuration, and the third and fourth latches are selectively engageable to the second top securing structure when the trays are in the stacked configuration; and

wherein a gap is formed between each of the latches and their respective top securing structures when the trays are resting in the stacked configuration, and wherein each of the latches are engaged to their respective top securing structures when the trays are in the stacked configuration and lifted.

Assignments (11)