The invention concerns a container for transporting and storing of shocksensitive goods, which features a base in which there is an opening surrounded by an upright element in two parts, a lower part and a dome-shaped upper part, both of which feature ridges and grooves and the upper part is thinner than the lower part.

A similar container is described in the Dutch patent NL 1015900.

Such containers can be used for many goods and are mainly used for transporting and storing fragile fruits.

Packaging solutions for fruits such as tomatoes, apples, peaches, etc. using separate containers already exist. If transported like this, the fruits will not damage each other.

Damage due to contact with the lower part of a container can however occur especially if the fruit is ripe or fragile.

The container described in Dutch patent NL 1015900 comprises an upper part. This upper part can be folded back into the lower part by a piece of fruit to serve as a kind of hammock.

The lower part features ridges and grooves. This can cause a harmonica effect to occur in the lower part, increasing the diameter of the lower part.

The upper part also features ridges and grooves. This can also cause a harmonica effect to occur in the upper part. The ridges in the upper part also help to cushion the fruit lying in the hammock. Although the already patented container generally works well, the inventor noted that damage may still be caused to the products, especially to ripe or fragile fruit, in certain circumstances. One objective of the invention is to provide an improved container to the one described above.

To this end, the container according to the invention is characterized in that the interior circumference of the upper part, measured along the bases of the grooves, is in the shape of a bell.

A bell shape is round at the top and has an inflection point between its top and its base where its shape transitions from convex to concave, with the lower part of the bell shape flaring out near the transition from the upper part to the lower part.

The inventor noted that the harmonica effect of the lower part is sometimes insufficient and/or that the cushioning effect of the upper part sometimes fails to act as required.

By making the grooves at the lower end of the upper part bell-shaped, the grooves reinforce the harmonica effect of the lower part. This improves the expansion of this section, reducing the pressure on the fruit and the probability of damage.

Preferably, the depth of the grooves formed in the upper part first increases in the upper part, from the transition between the lower part and the upper part, and it then decreases.

This improves the cushioning effect of the upper part, the 'hammock part'. It decreases the probability of damage, for example to fragile fruit.

Preferably, the height of the lower part is greater for the ridges than for the grooves. This provides a smoother transition from the upper to the lower part if the upper part acts as a hammock. It decreases the probability of damage, for example to fragile fruit.

An embodiment of the container shows a stepped element at the transition between the lower part and the upper part, which is larger for the grooves than for the ridges. Preferably, the stepped element is virtually absent for the ridges. These and further aspects of the invention are described below and illustrated by means of the drawing:

The figures contained in the drawing show the following:

Fig. 1 shows a known container

Figures 2 and 3 show the harmonica effect in the lower part

Figure 4 shows the ridges and grooves in the lower part

Figure 5 shows a base with a number of lower parts on it

Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 7 shows a detail of an embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 8 shows a detail of another example of a container according to the invention.

Figure 9 shows a container according to the invention of figure 8.

Figure 10 shows another detail of an embodiment of a container according to the invention.

Figure 11 shows a detail of an embodiment of a container according to the invention.

The figures are not drawn to scale; as a rule, like numerals denote like elements.

Figure 1 shows a front view of a container known from NL 1015900. The container 1 features a base 2 and an upright element that extends around an opening in the base. The upright element features a lower part 3 and an upper part 4 that transition into each other. The lower part 3 has ridges 6 and grooves 7. The ridges 6 are preferably wider than the grooves 7.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the harmonica effect in the lower part 3. When placing fruit 8 in the container, the upper part 4 is folded back into the lower part 3. The upper part 4 then acts as a hammock for the fruit. The ridges and grooves of the lower part enable the lower part to expand, enabling the distance Al between the fruits to be decreased to a distance A2.

Figure 4 shows a lower part 3 on a base 2. The ridges 6 and the grooves 7 show a depth D. The circumference of the lower part 3 can be increased by a harmonica effect which slightly flattens the ridges and grooves. This decreases the distance D and increases the interior circumference of the lower part 3. Figure 5 shows a view from above of a base with a number of lower parts 3 on it. A hexagonal packing is used in this example.

Figure 6 shows a container according to the invention. The upper part is in the shape of a bell, measured along the interior circumference of the groove 7. The upper part is in the shape of a bell near the transition 5 from the lower part 3 to the upper part 4. The upper part flares out slightly near the transition in part 5a.

When the upper part 4 is folded back into lower part 3, the folded back part 5a of the upper part 4 ensures an improved harmonica effect in the lower part 3. The result is that the harmonica effect occurs in the lower part 3 with relatively less force on the fruit and that this force is distributed more effectively. This reduces the risk of the ridges or grooves leaving indentations in the soft fruit.

Figure 7 shows a detail of a container according to the invention.

The depth D of the grooves 7 first increases, when viewed from the transition 5, and then decreases. For example, the depth D at the transition is 4 mm, it increases to 5 mm at 30% of the height of the upper part 4 and it then decreases to 2 mm at 60% of the height of upper part 4. The increase in depth is preferably between 0.5 and 3 mm. The upper part 4 is folded back into the lower part 3. The ridges 6 provide a cushioning effect. The increase in the depth of the grooves yields an improved cushioning effect. This supports the fragile fruit more effectively, decreasing the probability of damage.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment of a container according to the invention. Figure

8 shows that the height H of the lower part 3 for the ridges 6 is higher than for the grooves 7. The difference H in height is preferably between 2 and 8 mm. The upper part is folded over into the lower part 3. The difference in height H softens the edge because the ridges are folded around the edge of the fold, forming cushions on the folded edge. This decreases the probability of damage. Note that having the ridges 6 extend further than the grooves 7

(indicated in figure 8 by height FT) has a positive effect if a bell shape is formed within the mould of the grooves 7.

A similar effect, albeit to a lesser extent, also occurs if the mould of the upper part is a state-of-the-art mould. The ridges then also form cushions for the fruit. This means that the characteristic of applying the difference in height or, put otherwise, having the ridges continue, an example of which is shown in figure 8, also has a positive effect on a container according to the state of the art.

Figure 9 shows a view of a container with a mould as shown in figure 8. Figure 10 shows another embodiment of a container according to the invention. The container has a stepped element Wg at the transition from lower part 3 to upper part 4.

Stepped element Wg forms a folded edge, when upper part 4 is folded into lower part 3. A folded edge also features in the state of the art. The state of the art describes the upper part as being slightly smaller than the lower part, so that a folded edge is created. The embodiment shown in figure 10 is different in that the stepped element Wg in the grooves 6 is larger than the stepped element for Wr in the ridges. The stepped element is absent from the ridges in figure 10. Wg>Wr in this embodiment, for example Wg is between 1 and 5 mm and Wg is between 0 and 3 mm. This will make the edge less hard where it rests against the fruit.

Preferably, the stepped element Wr is virtually absent for the ridges. The casts can be composed of two casts, one for the lower part and one for the upper part. If so, construction inaccuracies may still cause a very small stepped element to occur, even if none should be there. Therefore, "virtually absent" should not be interpreted as infinitely small, but as smaller than one tenth to some tenths of a mm.

Note that applying a difference in the stepped element for the ridges 6 compared to those for the grooves 7 has a positive effect if the interior mould of the grooves is in the shape of a bell. A similar effect, albeit to a lesser extent, also occurs if the mould of the upper part is a state-of-the-art mould. The ridges then also form cushions for the fruit. The characteristic of applying stepped elements and of these stepped elements featuring differences such that the stepped element for the grooves is greater than the stepped element for the ridges, an example of which is shown in figure 10, therefore also has a positive effect on a container according to the state of the art.

Figure 11 shows a view from above of a detail of a further embodiment of the container according to the invention. Here, views of the grooves and the ridges are shown from above and below. The grooves are preferably narrower than the ridges. From transition 5, the width of the grooves 6 preferably decreases faster than the width of the ridges. The ratio of ridge width to groove width increases when viewed from the transition between the lower part and the upper part.

The ridges then cover an ever-larger part of the total circumference of the upper part.

This has a positive effect. The resilience is increased.

Note that the increase in the ratio of ridge width to groove width has a positive effect if the interior mould of the grooves is in the shape of a bell. A similar effect, albeit to a lesser extent, also occurs if the mould of the upper part is a state-of-the-art mould. Therefore, the characteristic of the increase in the ratio of ridge width to groove width, an example of which is shown in figure 11, also has a positive effect for a container according to the state of the art.

Clearly, the invention makes many variations possible and the invention is not limited to the examples described above.