Certain types of products, such as grapes, other types of produce or flowers, require cooling or ventilation prior to shipping or during shipping of the product. For example, grapes may be harvested at relatively high temperatures of 20 °-30 ° Celsius. However they would suffer considerable loss of quality or deterioration if shipped at that temperature. Consequently, the grapes may be cooled prior to shipment or during shipment to maintain the grapes in good condition until they reach the consumer.

For example, grapes are frequently shipped in containers typically made of plastic, wood or corrugated paperboard. The latter material is highly desirable from the point of view of recycling the containers. When the grapes reach the destination point, corrugated containers can be flattened and sent back to a recycling depot for repulping. However, in the past, corrugated paperboard containers have permitted less than optimal cooling rates. This may cause a significant bottleneck at the vineyards or packing houses where the grapes must be cooled after harvesting before shipment.

For example, one method of cooling the grapes is to stack the containers adjacent each other in a room. Cooling air is drawn through the stack of containers containing grapes by large cooling fans. The stacked containers must remain in place until the grapes are cooled to a particular temperature. Grapes often are harvested rapidly when conditions are right. However additional containers of grapes cannot be cooled or subsequently shipped until the containers containing grapes already in the cooling room reach the desired temperature.

It has been recognized in the prior art that the cooling of grapes or other products can be facilitated by placing openings in the containers so as to promote circulation of the

cooling air about the product. For example, United States Patent No. 4,770,339 to Weimer discloses a ventilated, stackable grape box. The sides and ends of the container have openings to facilitate venting.

United States Patent. 5,593,087 to Ross et al. discloses a container having an open top and stacking projections near the corners at the top which engage corresponding recesses in the bottoms of similar containers when stacked. Similar stacking tabs and recesses are employed in United States Patent No. 5,002,224 to Muise.

A one-piece grape box is disclosed in United States Patent No. 5,370, 303 to Fry.

Other ventilated shipping containers are disclosed in United States Patent Nos. 4,709,852 to Stoll, 5,458,283 to Southwell et al., 5,690,275 to Bose et al., 5,947,292 to Chelfi, 5,890,590 to Blomfield et al. and 5,860,590.

However, while some prior art containers have a plurality of openings for ventilation, they do not ensure sufficient flow of air when the containers are stacked. For example, the containers may be stacked in an arrangement where adjacent rows have the containers arranged at right angles to each other. This is often done so that the containers fit on standard pallets required for shipment by truck or ship. When this occurs, the containers of the second row may block openings in the containers of the first row, which is the row closest to the source of ventilating air. The result is an inadequate flow of cooling air through the containers which considerably slows the cooling rate.

Our earlier Canadian Patent Application Number 2,300,228 and United States Patent Application Number 09/634,711 disclose an invention entitled CONTAINER WITH LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAYS. The containers disclosed have longitudinal passageways or tunnels in the side walls. In one embodiment the container has two openings in each side of the container. One of these openings aligns with an opening in the end of an adjacent container while the other opening aligns with the longitudinal passageways in the sides of two adjacent containers. However, for some purposes even

better cooling or ventilation is required. In addition there is a need for containers having other dimensions or proportions than disclosed in our earlier patent applications.

Accordingly, it is an obj ect of the invention to provide an improved container for produce or the like with better ventilation than prior art containers.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved corrugated paperboard container which can satisfactorily replace wooden containers used for grapes or other produce.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved corrugated paperboard container which is rugged and rigid in construction and economical to produce and sell.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved container for produce or the like which can be assembled by machine, or manually without machines, on the site where the container is to be filled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided, according to one aspect of the invention, a ventilated container, having a rectangular bottom panel and first, second, third and fourth upright panels connected to the bottom panel and extending outwardly therefrom. The first and second upright panels are parallel to each other. The third and fourth upright panels are parallel to each other and are perpendicular to the first and second upright panels. The first and second upright panels are connected to the third and fourth upright panels at four corners of the container. The first and second upright panels have longitudinal passageways extending therethrough from the third upright panel to the fourth upright panel to permit air to pass from the third upright panel to the fourth upright panel. The passageways are rectangular in section.

There is provided, according to another aspect of the invention, a ventilated container having opposite ends and opposite sides. The ends and the sides have dimensions in the proportion X: Y, where X and Y are integers greater than 2. The container includes a rectangular bottom panel and first, second, third and fourth upright panels. The upright panels are connected to the bottom panel and extend outwardly therefrom. Each of the panels has opposite ends, the first and second upright panels are parallel to each other and the third and fourth upright panels are parallel to each other and are perpendicular to the first and second upright panels. Each of the first and second upright panels has a first longitudinal passageway extending therethrough from the third upright panel to the fourth upright panel. Each of the panels has at least two first apertures extending therethrough which are spaced-apart from the ends of the panels and from each other. The third and fourth panels have second apertures at opposite ends thereof which align with the longitudinal passageways extending through the first and second panels. All of the apertures are spaced apart such that, when a plurality of containers are arranged in the first row and a second row adjacent to the first row, the first row being arranged with the first and second panels of adjacent containers adjacent to each other and the second row being arranged with the third and fourth panels of adjacent containers being adjacent to each other, and with corresponding first or second panels thereof being adjacent to the fourth panels of the containers of the first row, the corresponding first or second panels of the containers of the second row have apertures aligned with the apertures and the passageways of the containers of the first row. Air passing through the containers of the first row can enter the containers of the second row.

Preferably the apertures are spaced apart from each other a common distance. The number of first apertures in the ends and the sides of the container being in the proportion (X-1) : (Y-1).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a container according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an end view thereof, partly broken away; Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank of corrugated paperboard for forming one of the containers of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of the container of Fig. 1 and 2, the sides and ends thereof being partly broken away; Figure 5 is a top plan view of five containers according to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, shown stacked together as typically loaded on a pallet; Figure 6 is a side elevation of five containers according to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, showing the alignment of ventilation openings when the long sides of two containers are aligned with the shorter ends of three containers; Figure 7 is an isometric view often containers according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing containers according to a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 of one blank for one container of the embodiment of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the embodiment of Figure 7; and Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 9 showing a container according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings and first to Figure 1-Figure 4, these show a container 22. The container has a rectangular bottom panel 24, a first upright panel 30, a second upright panel 32, a third upright panel 26 and a fourth upright panel 28. In this example panels 30 and 32 are first and second side panels respectively while panels 26 and 28 are first and second end panels respectively. The upright panels in this example are perpendicular to the bottom panel but they may extend at a different angle in other embodiments. The first and second side panels 30 and 32 are connected to the first and second end panels 26 and 28 at corners 29,31,33 and 35 of the container as shown in Figure 4. The container 22 is open-topped though the invention is applicable as well to containers with tops. In this context,"rectangular", with reference to the bottom, also includes square bottoms.

Each side panel of this embodiment has a longitudinal passageway extending therethrough. Side panel 30 has a passageway 36, while side panel 32 has a passageway 38 as seen in Figure 4. The passageways extend from the first end panel 26 to the second end panel 28 to permit air to pass from the first end panel to the second end panel through each side of the container. In this example each side panel has a passageway although in alternative embodiments only a single side panel may have a passageway. The passageways in this embodiment are rectangular as seen for passageway 38 in Figure 2.

However the passageways could be alternative shapes in other embodiments.

As shown best in Figure 2 for panel 32, each of the side panels 30 and 32 includes an inner wall 48 and an outer wall 50. These are spaced-apart to form the passageways 36 and 38. Each of the side panels has an upper edge 52. The inner wall 48 and the outer wall 50 are spaced-apart adjacent the upper edge. There is a connecting wall 54 which connects the inner wall 48 and the outer wall 50 adjacent to the upper edge. This connecting wall forms the third side of the passageways 36 and 38. The bottom panel 24 forms the fourth side of the passageways 36 and 38.

As seen best in Figure 1, each of the side walls has a five first apertures 60,61,62,63 and 65 extending through both the inner wall and the outer wall thereof. In alternative embodiments there may be fewer or more such apertures. Similarly each ofthe end panels has three first apertures 67,68 and 69 as seen for end panel 26.

As shown best in Figures 2, each end panel has a second aperture 40 which is aligned with passageway 36 of side panel 32 and a corresponding aperture aligned with the passageway 3 8. In this manner, the passageways communicate outwardly through the end panels. Likewise each side panel has second apertures 41.

Each side of the container has a pair of upward projections 86 and 88, shown in Figures 1 and 4, which are generally rectangular in shape with rounded corners. There are similar shaped recesses 90 and 92 on each side below the projections 86 and 88. These mating projections and recesses assist is locking the containers together when they are stacked one upon the other.

Figure 5 shows a plurality of containers 22 which are arranged in two rows 96 and 98.

The three containers of row 96 are arranged with sides 30 and 32 of the containers adjacent to each other and with their ends 28 facing outwardly. The second row 98, located behind the first row 96, is arranged with ends 26 and 28 of its two containers 22.1 and 22.2 adjacent to each other and with sides 30 thereof adjacent to the second ends 26 of the containers of the first row.

Ends 28 of the containers of row 96 face the source of ventilating air, typically a cooling fan. This air enters each of the containers 22 in row 96 through the opening 67,68 and 69 in end panels 28 as indicated by arrows 110,111 and 113. However, more significantly, cooling air enters passageways 36 and 38 of the sides 30 and 32 through apertures 40 in each of the end panels 26 as shown in Figure 2. This is illustrated by arrows 114 and 116 in Figure 5. The cooling air passes through the passageways towards the second ends 26 of the containers of row 96 as illustrated by arrows 120 and 122 in Figure 5.

As may be seen in Figure 5, each of the side walls of row 98 has some apertures 60,61, 62,63 and 65 positioned so that each of these apertures aligns with apertures 40 in the end walls of row 96 and accordingly with the passageways 36 and 38 in the side walls of the containers of row 96. Container 22.1 has aperture 61 aligned with the apertures 40 in side walls 30 and 32 of two of the containers 22.4 and 22.5 of row 96. Container 22.2 has aperture 63 aligned with apertures 40 in side walls 30 and 32 of two of the containers 22.3 and 22.4 of row 96. Thus air passing through the passageways 36 and 38 in the side walls 30 and 32 of these containers can pass through the apertures 61 and 63 as indicated by arrows 120 and 122 in Figure 5.

The ventilating air entering the passageways 36 and 38 of the containers of row 96 is permitted to enter the containers of the row 98 through the apertures 60,61,62,63 and 65 as indicated by arrows 130 in Figure 5. Air exits the containers of row 98 as illustrated by arrows 131.

Figure 3 shows a corrugated paperboard blank 132 for forming each container 22. Each blank has a rectangular bottom panel 134 which forms the bottom 24 of the container as shown in Figure 4. There are end panels 136 and 138 which are connected to opposite ends of the bottom panel along parallel fold lines 140 and 142. In this example the fold lines are formed by spaced-apart slits in the layers of paper of the corrugated paperboard forming blank 132.

There are side panels 148 and 150 connected to opposite sides of the bottom panel along parallel fold lines 152 and 154. Each of the side panels has a first section 160, as shown for panel 148, defined by fold line 152 and another fold line 162. A second section 161 is defined by fold line 164 and another fold line 165. A third section 163 is defined by the fold line 165 and outer edge 167 of the blank. It may be seen that the first and second sections of each side panel are spaced-apart by a connecting section 170 located between sections 160 and 161. When the blank is folded along the fold lines 152,162,164 and 165, the first section 160 forms outer wall 50 and sections 161 and 163 are adjacent each other and form inner wall 48 of the side panels of the container as shown in Figure 2.

Each of the side panels, for example side panel 150 of Figure 3, has a pair of first end flaps 180 and 182 at opposite ends of the first section 160. These are defined by fold lines 184 and 186 which are parallel to the fold lines 140 and 142 of the end panels.

These flaps have openings 188 and 190 which align with the openings or cutouts 181 and 185 of the end panels on one side of the container when the container is formed and with openings 183 and 187 on the opposite side. Each third section 163 has similar flaps 189 and 191 with similar apertures 193 and 195 which align with the apertures in the end panels in the same way.

The first section of each side panel has five openings or cutouts 196 which are spaced apart longitudinally along this section of the panel in this example. The second section has five aligned openings 200 and the third section has five aligned openings 202. These form openings 60,61,62,63 and 65 in the side panels when the container is folded along the fold lines to form the container as shown in Figure 1.

Each first section has a pair of rectangular C-shaped cuts 303 and 305 while the third section has aligned rectangular tabs 307 and 309. These together form the projections 86 and 88 shown in Figure 1 when the container is formed.

A pair of rectangular C-shaped cutouts 315 and 317 are formed along each fold line 162 and appear on the outside of the panel when the container is formed as shown for cut out 315 in Figure 1. Another pair of rectangular C-shaped cutouts 319 and 321 are cut along each fold line 164. These fit within aligned apertures 323 and 325 along each fold line 154 in the bottom panel when the container is formed.

Apertures 327 and 329 along each fold line 165 and correspondingly positioned apertures 331 and 333 form the recesses 90 and 92, shown in Figure 1, when the container is formed.

There is a central zigzag-like cut out 340 along each fold line 165 which, when the container is formed, projects as a tab through central slot 342 in the bottom panel adjacent fold line 152.

End panel 136 has the three apertures or cutouts 181,182 and 183, while panel 138 has the two apertures 185 and 187 disclosed above and a central aperture 203, the apertures being spaced apart longitudinally along the panels. Each panel has a pair of end flaps 205 and 207 which have elongated apertures 209 and 211 respectively. These flaps are folded along fold lines 213 and 215 respectively and are inserted between sections 160 and 163 of the side panels when the container is assembled. Elongated apertures 209 and 211 align with apertures 40 in the end panels shown in Figure 2 and apertures 41 in the side panels as well as with apertures 60 and 65 in the side panels, shown in Figure 1.

Each end panel has an outer flap 400 delineated by fold line 402. The flap has hook-like projections 404 and 406 on opposite ends thereof. Each of the outer flaps extends over a portion of top 401 of the container as seen in Figure 1. The projections fit within the cutouts 315 and 317 as shown for projection 406 and cutout 317.

The embodiment described above is 60 cm x 40 cm in terms of length and width. Other embodiments have different dimensions and variations of construction. For example, Figure 7 shows an assembly 500 of containers 502 which are 40 cm x 30 cm. Figure 9 is a plan view of blank 5 03 used to form these containers. Figure 10 illustrates air passing through the assembly of containers 500. Two views of similar containers 501 are shown in Figure 8. It may be seen that these containers have three first apertures 510 and two second apertures 512 on each side and two first apertures 514 and two second apertures 516 on each end.

Each of the embodiments described above has its dimensions proportioned in the manner of X: Y, where X and Y are integers > 2. For example, the sides and ends of the embodiment of Figure 1-Figure 6 are in the proportions 60: 40 or 6: 4. The embodiment of Figure 7-Figure 10 has the proportions 40: 30 or 4: 3. The number of first apertures

through each panel (the apertures between the ends) in each case is X-1 and Y-1 for the sides and ends respectively. The first example above has five first apertures in the sides and three in the ends. The second example has three apertures in the sides and two in the ends In addition each panel has two second apertures at the ends of the panel, namely apertures 40 and 41 for the embodiment of Figure 1.

It will be understood by someone skilled in the art that many of the details described above are by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is to be interpreted with reference to the following claims.