JP7807792B2 - tray - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology for trays that can be stacked one on top of the other.

Patent Document 1 describes a tray that includes a plate portion and legs that extend downward from the plate portion. Openings are formed above the legs, and by inserting the tips of the legs of the upper tray into the openings in the legs of the lower tray, the trays can be stacked one on top of the other.

Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 7-040452

When pulling out the upper tray of stacked trays, the outer edge of the tray may sag downward. In this case, the outer periphery of the legs of the upper tray may interfere with the inner periphery of the legs of the lower tray into which the legs are inserted, making it difficult to pull out the upper tray from the lower tray.

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a tray that allows the upper tray to be easily pulled out relative to the lower tray when the trays are stacked one on top of the other.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention relates to a tray including a plate portion having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, the four sides of which are a pair of first sides and a pair of second sides extending in a direction intersecting the first sides, and hollow legs extending downward from the plate portion and having openings at the top. The trays can be stacked one above the other by inserting the tips of the legs into the openings of the legs of another tray positioned below the tray. The legs have a bottom leg wall, an outer leg wall extending upward from the bottom leg wall and facing in a direction from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery, and an inner leg wall extending upward from the bottom leg wall on the opposite side to the outer leg wall. The inner leg wall extends upward from the bottom leg wall at a steeper slope than the outer leg wall. The tray is provided with a first bulge extending upward from the outer wall of the leg and bulging from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery of the tray, and a holding portion at the center of the plate portion that can be held by a transfer device, the leg extending downward on the outer periphery side of the holding portion on the plate portion, and the holding portion having an upper holding wall with an upward facing surface, a lower holding wall located below the upper holding wall, and a holding side wall extending from the lower holding wall toward the upper holding wall, the holding side wall having, on a pair of first sides, a first holding side wall and a second holding side wall formed at a position different from the first holding side wall in the extension direction of the first side, and the first holding side wall extends from the lower holding wall toward the upper holding wall at a greater slope than the second holding side wall.

In the above configuration, trays can be stacked vertically by inserting the tips of the legs of one tray into the openings of the legs of another tray located below the first tray. When the upper and lower trays are stacked vertically, a first gap is formed between the outer leg walls of the upper tray and the first bulge of the lower tray, and a second gap is formed between the inner leg walls of the upper tray and the inner leg walls of the lower tray. Therefore, even if the outer peripheral edge of the upper tray sags downward when pulling the upper tray upward from the lower tray, the first gap between the outer leg walls of the stacked trays and the second gap between the inner leg walls alleviate contact between the stacked trays. This allows the upper tray to be easily pulled out from the lower tray. Furthermore, when the upper tray is stacked on the lower tray, a gap is formed between the first wall of the upper tray and the first wall of the lower tray due to the difference in slope between the first and second support side walls of the support portion. This makes it easier to pull out the upper tray upward relative to the lower tray when the upper tray is pulled out upward while the holding section is held by the transfer device.

The invention of claim 2 relates to a tray including a plate portion having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, with four sides consisting of a pair of first sides and a pair of second sides extending in a direction intersecting the first sides, and hollow legs extending downward from the plate portion and having openings at their upper ends. The trays can be stacked one above the other by inserting the tips of the legs into the openings of the legs of another tray positioned below the tray. The legs have a bottom leg wall, an outer leg wall extending upward from the bottom leg wall and facing in a direction from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery, and an inner leg wall extending upward from the bottom leg wall on the opposite side to the outer leg wall. The inner leg wall extends upward from the bottom leg wall at a steeper slope than the outer leg wall. The tray includes a first bulge extending upward from the outer leg wall and bulging from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery of the tray, and side walls extending upward from the plate portion along the extension directions of the four sides of the plate portion. The legs have leg side walls extending between the outer leg wall and the inner leg wall, and are located above the four corners of the plate portion. The legs located at the four corners include curved portions that curve and connect the outer leg wall, the leg side wall, and at least one of the side walls, and the curved portions extend upward from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery of the tray at the same gradient as the outer leg wall. In this configuration, when an upper tray is stacked on a lower tray, the curved portions of the trays abut against each other, limiting the insertion depth of the legs of the upper tray into the leg openings of the lower tray. This makes it easier for gaps to form at the outer leg walls and the inner leg walls between the stacked trays. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the legs of the upper tray from fitting too far into the openings for the legs of the lower tray, making it even easier to pull out the trays.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the tray of the first or second aspect , the outer leg walls further include a lower outer wall extending upward from the bottom leg wall and a second bulge extending between the lower outer wall and the first bulge in the same direction as the first bulge. The first bulge bulges outward from the second bulge in a direction from the center of the plate toward the outer periphery of the tray. With this configuration, when the trays are stacked one above the other, a third gap is formed between the lower outer wall of the upper tray and the second bulge of the lower tray, thereby reducing the contact area between the outer leg walls of the upper and lower trays. This reduces the contact between the outer leg walls when the upper tray is pulled upward, making it easier to pull out the trays.

The invention of claim 4 is the tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the legs extend horizontally and have a leg middle wall located above the leg bottom wall and below the first bulge, and the leg inner wall extends between the leg bottom wall and the leg middle wall. In this configuration, because the leg middle wall is located below the bulge, the insertion distance of the tips of the legs of the upper tray into the lower tray is reduced. This makes it easier to pull out the upper tray upward.

The invention of claim 5 is the tray of claim 1 , wherein the upper holding wall has a locking hole formed therein that penetrates the upper holding wall in the vertical direction and can be locked by a transfer device. If the portion of the upper holding wall that connects to the first holding side wall in the direction of extension of the first edge is defined as the inclined-side upper wall portion, the locking hole is formed in at least the inclined-side upper wall portion. With this configuration, when the upper tray and the lower tray are stacked, the locking hole formed in the inclined-side upper wall portion communicates with the gap formed between the first holding side wall of the upper tray and the first holding side wall of the lower tray. This allows air to flow into the gap between the trays through the locking hole when the upper tray is pulled upward from the lower tray, making it even easier to pull out the trays.

The invention of claim 6 is a tray described in any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein when the trays are stacked one on top of the other, a first gap is formed between the first bulge of the lower tray and the outer wall of the leg of the upper tray, and a second gap is formed between the inner wall of the leg of the lower tray and the inner wall of the leg of the upper tray.

This invention provides trays that can be stacked one on top of the other during storage, minimizing the need for additional storage space, and that allow the upper tray to be easily pulled upward from the lower tray when in use.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray as seen from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray as seen from below. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 7. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating trays in a nested state. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the displacement of the legs when the upper tray is pulled out from the lower tray. FIG.

(First embodiment) An embodiment of a tray of the present invention will be described using the drawings. The tray of this embodiment is used to store or transport items. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tray from above. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tray from below.

When storing trays 100, the tips of the legs 20 can be inserted into the openings in the legs of another tray located below it, allowing them to be stacked one on top of the other. When in use, the upper tray of the stack is pulled out and used. Hereinafter, the state in which multiple trays are stacked one on top of the other is also referred to as the "nesting state."

The tray 100 comprises a plate portion 10, legs 20, a first bulge portion 40, a holding portion 50, a first side wall 60, a second side wall 61, and a curved portion 70. The tray 100 is formed by molding a resin such as polypropylene.

The plate portion 10 is a generally rectangular portion in a plan view and has a mounting surface 13, a back surface 14, and an insertion portion 15. The plate portion 10 has four sides: a pair of first sides 11 that are long sides, and a pair of second sides 12 that are short sides that extend in a direction intersecting the first sides 11. The mounting surface 13 is the surface that faces upward when the tray 100 is in use, and is the surface on which an item is placed. The back surface 14 is the surface that faces downward when the tray 100 is in use, and is also the surface that faces opposite the mounting surface 13.

In the following, the direction in which the first side 11 of the plate portion 10 extends will be referred to as the first direction D1, and the direction in which the second side 12 extends will be referred to as the second direction D2. The direction in which the mounting surface 13 and back surface 14 of the plate portion 10 face will be referred to as the height direction D3.

The plate portion 10 is formed with multiple insertion sections 15. The insertion sections 15 are recesses that open on the placement surface 13 side and into which part of an item placed on the placement surface 13 is inserted. The multiple insertion sections 15 are formed on the plate portion 10 closer to the outer periphery of the tray than the center of the placement surface 13 where the holding section 50 is located. In this embodiment, the insertion sections 15 extend in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, respectively, and have an L-shaped opening in a plan view. The shape of the insertion sections 15 is not limited to this, and they can be formed in any shape suitable for part of an item placed on the placement surface 13, such as an oval, square, triangle, or rod shape.

A mating protrusion 16 extending downward from the plate portion 10 is provided on the back surface 14 side of the plate portion 10. The mating protrusion 16 is a portion for holding the tray 100 on the deck surface of the pallet, and more specifically, is a portion that is inserted into an opening formed in the deck surface of the pallet. In this embodiment, the mating protrusion 16 extends downward from the holding portion 50 on the back surface 14 side of the plate portion 10.

A first side wall 60 and a second side wall 61 extend upward from the edge of the first side 11 and the edge of the second side 12 of the plate portion 10. The first side wall 60 and the second side wall 61 are connected by curved portions 70 located above the four corners of the plate portion 10. The shape of the curved portions 70 will be described later. In the tray 100, the outer periphery of the tray 100 is formed by the upper ends of the first side wall 60, the second side wall 61, and the curved portions 70. Note that the first and second side walls 60, 61 do not have to extend continuously in the first and second directions D1, D2, respectively, and may be partially discontinuous.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the first bulge 40 is a portion extending upward from the leg 20 (more specifically, the leg outer wall 22, described below). The first bulge 40 is a portion that bulges out more than the leg 20 in the first direction D1, from the center of the plate 10 toward the outer periphery of the tray 100. Specifically, the portion 40A of the first bulge 40 that connects to the leg 20 extends upward at a greater gradient than the leg outer wall 22, described below, of the leg 20. Note that in this embodiment, the "gradient" is defined by the angle that opens outward or inward from the height direction D3, with the height direction D3 as the reference (i.e., 0 degrees). As a result, the leg 20 has a shape that narrows from the outer periphery of the tray 100 relative to the first bulge 40 toward the center of the plate 10. Note that "from the outer periphery of the tray 100 toward the center of the plate portion 10" refers to the direction in the first direction D1 from the upper end of the second side wall 61 that forms the outer periphery of the tray 100 toward the center of the plate portion 10, when the leg portion 20 extends downward on the second side 12 side of the plate portion 10.

In this embodiment, the first bulge 40 extends along the second direction D2, thereby forming part of the second side wall 61. In other words, in this embodiment, the portion of the second side wall 61 from which the leg 20 extends is the first bulge 40. Alternatively, the first bulge 40 may not form part of the second side wall 61. In this case, the first bulge 40 extends discontinuously relative to the second side wall 61 in the second direction D2.

The legs 20 are portions that support the plate 10. In this embodiment, the tray 100 has six legs 20 that extend downward from the rear surface 14 of the plate 10. Each leg 20 extends downward from the second side 12, which is the shorter side, on the rear surface 14 of the plate 10. The legs 20 are positioned side by side along the second direction D2 in which the second side 12 extends.

As shown in Figure 3, the leg portion 20 includes a leg bottom wall 21, a leg outer wall 22, a leg inner wall 23, and a leg middle wall 24. The legs 20 are hollow, with an opening 25 on the upper side, formed by the interconnection of the walls 21, 22, 23, and 24.

The leg outer wall 22 is a portion that extends upward from the leg bottom wall 21 in the first direction, facing from the center of the plate portion 10 toward the outer periphery of the tray 100. Specifically, the leg outer wall 22 is inclined in the first direction D1 from the center of the plate portion 10 toward the outer periphery of the tray as it extends upward. The leg outer wall 22 has a lower outer wall 31 and a second bulge portion 32. In this embodiment, the slope of the leg outer wall 22 is the same angle as the slope of the first side wall 60 and the second side wall 61.

The lower outer wall 31 is a portion that extends upward from the leg bottom wall 21. The second bulge portion 32 extends between the lower outer wall 31 and the first bulge portion 40 and bulges outward in the first direction D1 beyond the lower outer wall 31. Specifically, the portion 32A of the second bulge portion 32 that connects to the lower outer wall 31 extends upward at a greater gradient than the lower outer wall 31. As a result, the lower outer wall 31 has a shape that tapers from the outer periphery of the tray 100 toward the center of the plate portion 10 relative to the second bulge portion 32. The leg outer wall 22 has a shape that tapers in the first direction D1 from the outer periphery of the tray 100 toward the center of the plate portion 10 as it moves from top to bottom, in the order of the second bulge portion 32 and the lower outer wall 31.

The leg inner wall 23 is a portion that extends upward from the leg bottom wall 21 on the opposite side of the leg outer wall 22 in the first direction D1. As the leg inner wall 23 extends upward, it becomes increasingly inclined in the first direction D1 from the outer periphery of the tray 100 toward the center of the plate portion 10. Specifically, the leg inner wall 23 extends upward from the leg bottom wall 21 at a greater inclination than the leg outer wall 22.

The leg middle wall 24 is a portion that extends horizontally from the upper end of the leg inner wall 23. The leg middle wall 24 is located above the leg bottom wall 21 and below the first bulge 40. More specifically, the leg middle wall 24 is located above the leg bottom wall 21 and below the second bulge 32.

The leg outer wall 22, the leg inner wall 23, and the leg middle wall 24 are connected by the leg side wall 27. The leg side wall 27 is a portion that curves and extends in the first direction D1 between the leg inner wall 23, the leg middle wall 24, and the leg outer wall 22.

In the leg 20 configured as described above, the leg outer wall 22 and leg inner wall 23 extend upward from each end of the leg bottom wall 21 in the first direction D1, forming a hollow shape with an opening 25 on the upper side. Furthermore, the leg inner wall 23 and the lower outer wall 31 of the leg outer wall 22 form an insertion space 26 into which the tip of the leg 20 of the tray 100 can be inserted in the nested state.

The holding portion 50 is the portion that is held by the transfer device when the upper tray 100 is pulled out from the nested trays. Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the holding portion 50 among the nested trays. As shown in Figure 4, the holding portion 50 has an upper holding wall 51 with an upward-facing surface, a lower holding wall 52 located below the upper holding wall 51, and a holding side wall 53 that extends from the lower holding wall 52 toward the upper holding wall 51 in the height direction D3.

The holding unit 50 has two upper holding walls 51. The upper holding walls 51 are aligned in the first direction D1 and connected in the first direction D1 by a connecting portion 59. The connecting portion 59 is located below the upper holding walls 51 and above the lower holding wall 52 in the height direction D3. Each upper holding wall 51 has a locking hole 56 formed therein that penetrates the upper holding wall 51 and can be locked when the transfer device holds the holding unit 50. The shape of the locking hole 56 will be described later.

The retaining sidewall 53 has a first retaining sidewall 54 and a second retaining sidewall 55. In the retaining portion 50, the first retaining sidewall 54 and the second retaining sidewall 55 are formed at different positions in the first direction D1. In this embodiment, the two first retaining sidewalls 54 are located on either side of the connecting portion 59 in the first direction D1. In addition, the two second retaining sidewalls 55 are located outward of the first retaining sidewalls 54 in the first direction D1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the holding portion 50 in the nested state, taken along the line A-A in Figure 4. The holding portion 50 has a pair of first holding side walls 54 with surfaces facing outward in the second direction D2. Each first holding side wall 54 extends upward from the lower holding wall 52 in the height direction D3, and also extends in the second direction D2 from the upper end of the first side wall 60, which is the outer periphery of the tray 100, toward the center of the plate portion 10.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the holding portion 50 in a nested state, taken along the line B-B in Figure 4. The holding portion 50 has a pair of second holding side walls 55 with surfaces facing outward in the second direction D2. Each second holding side wall 55 extends upward from the lower holding wall 52 in the height direction D3, and also extends in the second direction D2 from the upper end of the first side wall 60, which is the outer periphery of the tray 100, toward the center of the plate portion 10.

The first retaining side wall 54 extends from the lower retaining wall 52 toward the upper retaining wall 51 at a greater gradient than the second retaining side wall 55. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the first retaining side wall 54 bulges outward in the second direction D2 more than the second retaining side wall 55, and the position of the surface facing the second direction D2 is different from that of the second retaining side wall 55.

The positional relationship between the first retaining side wall 54 and the second retaining side wall 55 in the retaining side wall 53 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the second retaining side wall 55 may bulge outward in the second direction D2 more than the first retaining side wall 54. Furthermore, the two second retaining side walls 55 may be located on either side of the connecting portion 59 in the first direction D1, and the two first retaining side walls 54 may be located outward in the first direction D1 more than the second retaining side walls 55.

The portion of the upper retaining wall 51 that connects to the first retaining side wall 54 is referred to as the first upper wall portion 57, and the portion that connects to the second retaining side wall 55 is referred to as the second upper wall portion 58. The upper retaining wall 51 is formed with a generally rectangular locking hole 56 that extends in both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The open end of the locking hole 56 in the first direction D1 on the connecting portion 59 side (i.e., the center side of the plate portion 10) extends to the first upper wall portion 57, and the opposite open end in the first direction D1 extends to the second upper wall portion 58. In this embodiment, the first upper wall portion 57 is an example of an inclined-side upper wall portion.

In nested trays, the holding portion 50 of the upper tray 100 and the holding portion 50 of the lower tray 100 are stacked vertically. Here, the first holding sidewall 54 of the holding portion 50 has a greater slope than the second holding sidewall 55. As shown in FIG. 5, the difference in slope between the first holding sidewall 54 and the second holding sidewall 55 creates a gap T4 between the first holding sidewalls 54. Furthermore, the locking hole 56 penetrates the first upper wall portion 57 of the upper holding wall 51, so the locking hole 56 communicates with the gap T4 formed between the first holding sidewalls 54. While FIG. 6 shows no gap between the second holding sidewalls 55 of the upper tray 100 and the lower tray 100, a slight gap may be formed.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the curved portion 70 in a nested tray. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows CC in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows DD in Figure 8.

The curved portions 70 are portions that connect the first side wall 60 and the second side wall 61 above the four corners of the plate portion 10. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the upwardly extending portions of the curved portions 70 extend horizontally from the center of the plate portion 10 toward the outer periphery of the tray 100 at the same gradient as the leg outer walls 22.

Next, we will explain the trays in a nested state. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the trays in a nested state. In the nested trays, the upper tray 100 will be referred to as the "upper tray 100A," and the lower tray 100 will be referred to as the "lower tray 100B." Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the trays in a nested state, showing the upper tray 100A being pulled upward relative to the lower tray 100B, as indicated by the outline arrow.

The upper tray 100A is nested by inserting the legs 20 of the lower tray 100B into the insertion spaces 26 of the legs 20 with the tips facing the support surface 13 of the lower tray 100B. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, a first gap T1 is formed between the first bulge 40 of the lower tray 100B and the second bulge 32 of the upper tray 100A on the leg outer wall 22 side. Furthermore, because the slope of the leg inner wall 23 is greater than the slope of the leg outer wall 22, a second gap T2 is formed between the leg inner walls 23 of the trays 100A and 100B on the leg inner wall 23 side.

Furthermore, in nested trays, a third gap T3 is formed between the lower outer wall 31 of the upper tray 100A and the second bulge 32 of the lower tray 100B on the leg outer wall 22 side. These first to third gaps T1 to T3 reduce the contact area between the legs of the upper tray 100A and the lower tray 100B.

On the leg inner wall 23 side, the leg middle wall 24 is formed at a position lower than the first bulge 40, so the insertion depth of the tip of the leg 20 of the upper tray 100A into the lower tray 100B is reduced, thereby reducing the contact area of the leg inner wall 23.

Furthermore, when the trays are nested, the curved portions 70 of the trays 100A and 100B interfere with each other. In this embodiment, the slope of the curved portions 70 is the same as the slope of the leg outer walls 22, the first side walls 60, and the second side walls 61. Therefore, when the trays are nested, the first side walls 60, the second side walls 61, and the curved portions 70 abut against each other, restricting further insertion (press-fitting) of the leg portions 20 of the upper tray 100A into the insertion space 26 of the lower tray 100B. This makes it easier to pull out the upper tray 100A from the lower tray 100B.

Next, as shown in Figure 11, when the upper tray 100A is pulled upward from the lower tray 100B in a nested state, the transfer device's locking claws are inserted into the locking holes 56 of the holding section 50, and the transfer device is caused to adsorb the mounting surface 13 of the plate section 10. At this time, as shown in Figure 5, in the holding section 50 of each tray 100A, B, air flows from the locking holes 56 into the gap T4 formed between the first holding side walls 54 of each tray 100A, B, reducing the tight contact between the upper tray 100A and the lower tray 100B.

The upper tray 100A is pulled upward by the transfer device. At this time, the outer peripheral edge of the upper tray 100A in the first direction D1 may sag downward. Due to the sagging of the plate portion 10, the outer wall 22 side of the tip of the leg portion 20 of the upper tray 100A moves away from the outer wall 22 of the leg of the lower tray 100B, and the inner wall 23 side moves closer to the inner wall 23 of the leg of the lower tray 100B. In Figure 11, the direction of deformation at the tip of the leg portion 20 of the upper tray 100A is indicated by an inked arrow.

In this embodiment, even if the orientation of the tips of the legs 20 of the upper tray 100A is deformed, the first to third gaps T1 to T3 reduce contact between the inner leg walls 23 of the trays 100A and 100B. This makes it easier to pull out the upper tray 100A from the lower tray 100B using the transfer device.

The above-described embodiment can achieve the following effects.
In the nested trays, a first gap T1 is formed between the leg outer wall 22 and the first bulge 40 between the trays 100A and 100B, and a second gap T2 is formed between the leg inner wall 23 between the trays 100A and 100B. Therefore, even if the outer peripheral edge of the upper tray 100A sags downward when the upper tray 100A is pulled upward from the lower tray 100B, the contact between the trays is alleviated, and the upper tray 100A can be easily pulled out from the lower tray 100B.

When the trays are nested, a third gap T3 is formed between the lower outer wall 31 of the upper tray 100A and the second bulge 32 of the lower tray 100B. This reduces the contact between the outer leg walls 22, making it even easier to pull out the upper tray 100A upward.

The leg middle walls 24 of each tray 100A, B limit the amount of insertion of the legs 20 into the lower tray 100B, reducing the contact area between the trays. This makes it easier to pull out the trays when pulling the upper tray 100A upward.

In the holding portion 50 of each tray 100A, B, a gap T4 is formed between the first holding sidewall 54 and the second holding sidewall 55 due to the difference in slope between the first holding sidewall 54 and the second holding sidewall 55. This makes it easier to pull the upper tray 100A upward relative to the lower tray 100B when pulling the upper tray 100A upward while the holding portion 50 is held by the transfer device.

The locking holes 56 formed in the holders 50 communicate with the gap T4 formed between the first holding side walls 54 of each tray 100A, B. This allows air to flow through the locking holes 56 into the gap T4 between the holders 50 when the upper tray 100A is pulled upward from the lower tray 100B, making it even easier to pull out the upper tray 100A.

The curved portions 70 of the trays 100A and 100B come into contact with each other, limiting the amount by which the legs 20 of the upper tray 100A can be inserted into the lower tray 100B. This makes it easier to form the first to third gaps T1 to T3 when the trays are nested. It also prevents the legs 20 of the upper tray 100A from fitting too closely into the legs 20 of the lower tray 100B. This makes it even easier to pull out the upper tray 100A.

(Other embodiments) The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various forms without departing from the spirit thereof, for example, the following modifications are also possible.
In the above-described embodiment, the leg outer wall 22 has the second bulge 32. Alternatively, the leg outer wall 22 may not have the second bulge 32 and may extend from the lower outer wall 31 to the first bulge 40 without bulging. Alternatively, the leg outer wall 22 may have a third bulge extending from the second bulge 32 toward the first bulge 40. This can further reduce contact between the leg outer walls 22 of the upper tray 100A and the lower tray 100B in the nested trays, making it easier to pull out the upper tray 100A upward.

In the above-described embodiment, the upper holding wall 51 of the holding unit 50 was formed with a locking hole 56. However, the holding unit 50 may not necessarily have a locking hole 56 as long as it is configured to be able to be held by a transfer device.

In the above-described embodiment, the leg portions 20 extend downward from the edge of the second side 12 of the plate portion 10, away from the four corners. However, this is not limiting; one of the legs 20 may extend downward from one of the four corners of the plate portion 10. In this case, of the legs 20 located at the four corners of the plate portion 10, the leg side walls 27 extending in the first direction D1 may have a configuration similar to the leg outer walls 22. Furthermore, a first bulge 40 extending in the first direction D1 may be formed above the leg side walls 27.

When one of the legs 20 extends downward from one of the four corners of the board 10, the curved portion 70 may be a portion connecting the leg outer wall 22 and the leg side wall 27. In other words, the corner portion of the leg 20 connecting the leg outer wall 22 and the leg side wall 27 may be the curved portion 70.

In the above-described embodiment, the tray 100 had six legs 20. Alternatively, the tray 100 may have at least four legs. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the first side 11 was longer than the second side 12, and the multiple legs 20 extended from the edge of the second side 12, which was located farthest from the holder 50 and was more likely to deform when transferred by the transfer device. However, this is not limiting, and the multiple legs 20 do not have to extend from the edge of the plate portion 10 on the second side 12 side, but may instead extend from the edge on the first side 11 side.

In the above-described embodiment, the tray 100 includes a curved portion 70. Alternatively, the tray 100 does not need to include a curved portion 70. Furthermore, even if the tray 100 includes a curved portion 70, the slope of the curved portion 70 may be greater than the slope of the leg outer wall 22.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Plate part, 20... Leg part, 21... Leg bottom wall, 22... Leg outer wall, 23... Leg inner wall, 24... Leg middle wall, 25... Opening, 31... Lower outer wall, 32... Second swelling part, 40... First swelling part, 50... Holding part, 51... Holding upper wall, 53... Holding side wall, 56... Locking hole, 70... Curved part

Claims (6)

A tray comprising: a plate portion having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, the four sides of which are a pair of first sides and a pair of second sides extending in a direction intersecting the first sides; and hollow legs extending downward from the plate portion and having an opening at the top,
The trays can be stacked one on top of the other by inserting the tips of the legs into the openings of the legs of another tray located below the tray,
The leg portion is
A bottom wall of the leg;
a leg outer wall extending upward from the leg bottom wall and facing in a direction from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery;
an inner leg wall extending upward from the bottom leg wall on the opposite side to the outer leg wall;
the inner leg wall extends upward from the bottom leg wall at a greater slope than the outer leg wall;
a first bulge extending upward from the outer wall of the leg portion and bulging in a direction from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery of the tray ;
a holding portion that can be held by a transfer device is provided at the center of the plate portion;
the leg portion extends downward on the outer circumferential side of the plate portion relative to the holding portion,
The holding portion is
a retaining top wall having an upwardly facing surface;
a lower holding wall located below the upper holding wall;
a retaining side wall extending from the lower retaining wall toward the upper retaining wall,
the holding side walls include a first holding side wall on the pair of first sides, and a second holding side wall formed at a position different from the first holding side wall in the extending direction of the first sides,
The first retaining sidewall extends from the lower retaining wall toward the upper retaining wall at a greater slope than the second retaining sidewall.
Tray. A tray comprising: a plate portion having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, the four sides of which are a pair of first sides and a pair of second sides extending in a direction intersecting the first sides; and hollow legs extending downward from the plate portion and having an opening at the top,
The trays can be stacked one on top of the other by inserting the tips of the legs into the openings of the legs of another tray located below the tray,
The leg portion is
A bottom wall of the leg;
a leg outer wall extending upward from the leg bottom wall and facing in a direction from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery;
an inner leg wall extending upward from the bottom leg wall on the opposite side to the outer leg wall;
the inner leg wall extends upward from the bottom leg wall at a greater slope than the outer leg wall;
a first bulge extending upward from the outer wall of the leg portion and bulging in a direction from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery of the tray ;
side walls extending upward from the plate portion along directions in which the four sides of the plate portion extend,
the leg has a leg sidewall extending between the outer leg wall and the inner leg wall;
The legs are positioned above the four corners of the plate portion and include curved portions that curve and connect at least one of the leg outer wall and the leg side wall, and the side walls,
The curved portion extends from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery of the tray in the horizontal direction at the same gradient as the outer wall of the leg portion as it extends upward.
Tray. The leg outer wall further comprises:
a lower outer wall extending upward from the leg bottom wall;
a second bulging portion extending between the lower outer wall and the first bulging portion and bulging in the same direction as the first bulging portion,
The tray according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the first bulging portion bulges outward more than the second bulging portion in a direction from the center of the plate portion toward the outer periphery of the tray. the leg portion has a leg portion middle wall extending horizontally and positioned above the leg portion bottom wall and below the first bulge portion;
The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the leg inner wall extends from the leg bottom wall to the leg middle wall. The upper holding wall has a locking hole formed therein that penetrates the upper holding wall in the vertical direction and that can be locked by the transfer device,
The tray according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the upper retaining wall that connects to the first retaining side wall in the direction in which the first edge extends is defined as an inclined upper wall portion, and the engagement hole is formed at least in the inclined upper wall portion . The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, when the trays are stacked one on top of the other, a first gap is formed between the first bulge of the lower tray and the outer wall of the leg of the upper tray, and a second gap is formed between the inner wall of the leg of the lower tray and the inner wall of the leg of the upper tray.