US2496731A - Fresh produce package cooled by ice - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 7, i950 A. LONGO 49633K EEESE PRODUCE PACKAGE cooLED BY 10E Filed June 8,1946

IN VEN TOR. /f f//o/g/ @nga A TTRNEYS Patented Feb. 7, 195() UNITED. STATE FRESIPRODUCE PAClGEj GOOLED-BY- 'Anthony'. Longo,v Cranston,l R. I., assignor to M.'Longo ia-'Sons Inc., a vcorporation of Rhode 'Island Y Appucatieimnne s, 1946; seria1-No.-675,a9a

' 3'Claims. 1

This invention relates to the merchandising of fresh produce and in particular to leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, and salad vegetables and their combinations.

Heretoiore, it has been difficult to keep such produce in a fresh crisp state during the marketing interim.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved package for vegetables for keeping such Vegetables cool and crisp for the normal elapsed time between picking and delivery to the consumer.

Another object of this invention is to utilize a self-contained refrigerating package so that the same does not require special attention on the part of the market man or vendor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a refrigerating package using ice in which the melted ice will not wet the contents of the package or leak from the package.

Another object of this invention is to provide a package with a safety .factor so that should the ice which is used for cooling become melted and this liquid water escape from the container in Which it is packed, it will not leak from the package.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of my improved package with the carton aps open, revealing the contents;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view approximately centrally of Fig. i with the aps closed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a unit vegetable package;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the ice-containing waterproof tray.

The refrigerating unit in my improved package consists of a waterproof plastic bag adapted to hold a quantity of ice cubes hermetically sealed therein so as to retain the water resulting from the melting of said ice cubes. This unit is of substantially the same size as the unit which contains the fresh produce and these units are packed into a carton with the fresh produce packages around the outer wall and the refrigerating unit in the center with possibly an additional produce package also located in the center to utilize the space which may be afforded. SufIicient absorbent material is provided beneath the plastic bag in which the ice is located so that should this plastic bag leak, the water will be (Crea- 86) 2 held in the absorbent material and will not soften the cardboard carton which forms the outer casing for the entire package. Also, a Waterproof tray is provided in which the plastic bag of ice rests and in which the absorbent material is located to also assist in maintaining the water in case of accident from leaking onto the carton or out of the carton.

With reference more particularly to the drawings, a carton designated I comprises a bottom wall Il, end walls I2, and side walls I3 while the cover is provided by flaps It hinged to each of the walls I3 and flaps I5 hinged to each of the walls I2. From this it will be observed that the carton is generally rectangular in shape and usually formed of a cardboard material.

Within the carton or container IB, I have provided a plurality of bags IB of leafy vegetables which are packed in the container or carton II) around the outer end and side walls I2 and I3, leaving a space II within this arrangement of bags in which I locate an open dish shown in perspective in Fig. 4 and designated I8, which may be of some waterproof material. It has a bottom wall I9 and surrounding flaring Walls 20 and 2 I. Within this dish I provide soft absorbent cellulosic material 22 in an abundant quantity andY within a plastic bag which may be similar to the bags for the fresh produce and which I designate 23 I provide ice cubes 24 to form the refrigerating unit. This refrigerating unit or bag 23 will be sealed with air therein, and as it will not need to be sufficiently large to take up the entire space I1, I may locate another bag I6 in a horizontal instead of vertical position in the package and within the plurality of bags I6 surrounding it such as shown in Fig. 2.

In this way, should the bag 23 be accidentally punctured, Water would be absorbed largely by the absorbent material 22 and would be kept from running out of the package or onto the bottom wall I2 thereof which is of cardboard by reason of the Water proof dish like container I8 which holds this absorbent material. The flaps :of the cover may be closed and by reason of the bags, the absorbent material and the walls of the carton, a refrigerating unit is provided in which the ice will last a substantial length of time and it is found that the ice will last sufficiently so that a bag of ice as indicated herein will keep the package cold from the length of time the produce is picked to the time it is delivered to the consumer. Itis, of course, apparent that larger bags of ice may be utilized if necessary, in which case the additional bag I6' as shown in Fig. 2 will be omitted.

Iclaim:

1. A fresh produce package comprising a container having a peripheral wall, a plurality of individual bags of produce arranged along the inner surface of said Wall, and a sealed bag of waterproof material containing ice and located within said plurality of bags and housed in there" by, a Waterproof open dish within which said bag of ice rests, said dish resting on the bottom wall of said container and an additional bag of produce 5 l resting on said sealed bag of ice.

2. A fresh produce package as set forth in fr. 15.

claim 1 wherein said container is a cardboard carton having self-sustaining stii Walls.

3. A fresh produce package as set forth inmg claim 1 wherein said bag of ice rests upon a mass), l* of water absorbent material in a quantity sufcient to retain water resulting from the melting of said ice.

ANTHONY LONGO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le oi this patent: 4

UNITED' STATES PATENTS ANumber Name Date 1,018,812 Dujardin Feb. 27, 1912 1,713,682 Walter May 21, 1929 1,828,179 Gallagher Oct. 20, 1931 2,048,021 Warren et a1. July 21, 1936 2,216,365 Fernandez Oct. 1, 1940 2,385,866 Kuehner Oct. 2, 1945 2,393,245 Hadsell Jan. 22, 1946 2,413,129 Wilson Dec. 24, 1946

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