NZ521445A - Fumigatable trays - Google Patents

Abstract

A stackable and/or fumigatable tray (lidded or unlidded) wherein at least one wall of at least one pair of walls has a hinge and/or tear openable vent (7) whereby access for the purpose of fumigation is enhanced.

Description

521445 InteHectual Property Office of NZ 11 NOV 2003 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 521445/522880/523886 Date: 17 September 2002/28 November 2002/29 January 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FUMIG AT ABLE TRAYS We, CARTER HOLT HARVEY LIMITED, a company duly incorporated under the laws of New Zealand of 640 Great South Road, Manukau City, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to stackable and/or fiimigatable trays.

Trays (preferably formed from one or more blanks of a sheet material and preferably at least partially lidded) are frequently used for the carriage of a respiring produce (for example, kiwifruit) in stacks on a pallet where both venting and some maintenance of the environment of the produce is to be maintained. For example, in the case of fresh kiwifruit (notwithstanding that it may be transported in a chilled environment and/or be subject to a controlled atmosphere) there is a preferment to provide a micro climate for the produce, yet with the prospect of some gas interchange overtime, by encompassing one or more layers of the produce (preferably carried on a thermoformed grading tray within the lidded tray or otherwise) with a full or partial enclosure of a suitable polymer film (e.g. such as that polythene film frequently referred to in the fruit packing industry here in New Zealand as a "polyliner").

The purpose of the polyliner is to maintain a micro climate for the produce so that it better presents at the end of any journey or storage period. This is particularly so where transportation may be, for example, to a distant market, such as Japan.

In providing such packs with vents to allow gas interchange whilst at the same time seeking to maintain the micro climate, some measure of infestation is possible by pests.

In Japan, for example, a significant volume of cargoes of such produce are subjected to a fumigation requirement.

With existing packs the stacking on a pallet (slip sheeted or otherwise) presents the possibility that gas inter exchange vents, if sufficiently large, can be used for ensuring there is a prospect of a fumigation of the produce itself by withdrawing at least partially through such a vent some of the polyliner wrapping the produce. Where however there is a pallet stacking of trays (mutually stacked indexing or otherwise relying on protuberant members/openings or scallops) columns of trays that are interposed between the other columns of trays are frequently not able to be cleared for proper fumigation by a simple pulling in part of a polyliner through a vent opening.

In such circumstances, such as where there are six columns of stack trays on a rectangular pallet, the two columns centrally of the others, does not have the prospect of the same vented walls being used for polyliner partial pull-out. Currently destacking of these columns, with consequential damage to the trays and the produce, for fumigation purposes, and thereafter restacking, is the preferred option.

The present invention is directed to a stackable tray and related uses, packs, stacks, pallet loads, methods of fumigation, methods of transportation, marketable commodities etc. which will at least go at least some way to addressing the abovementioned problem or at least providing the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly in one aspect the present invention consists in a stackable and/or fumigatable tray (lidded or otherwise - but preferably lidded) wherein at least one wall of at least one pair of walls has a hinge and/or tear openable vent whereby access for the purpose of fumigation is enhanced.

Preferably the hinged and/or tear openable vent [as a flap or otherwise (whether in part defined perforately or by scoring or otherwise)] tears from adjacent the base.

Preferably any hinging is above the vent.

As used herein the term "hinged and/or tear openable vent" contemplates a tear open but not tear off definition of a vent, a tear open and tear off definition of a vent, and any combination of the two. By "tear off' is meant a region of the material of the tray that can be completely removed and not be left as a flap. However such flap forms wholly or in part are an important aspect of the invention.

Any such tear off and/or tear open flap can be on one or both ends and any such tear off or tear open flap can be torn upwards and/or downwards or in any other direction and, if a flap, preferably can flap upwards and/or downwards and/or even from a side thereof.

In some form of the present invention there can be such a vent centrally or substantially centrally of a wall but preferably adjacent the base thereof.

In some forms of the present invention the vent can be in one or both walls of at least one pair of opposed walls.

Preferably a port or other venting feature is provided in at least one or both of the other walls, such vents and ports collectively enabling one or more access opening to enable better fumigation, e.g. whether by means of pulling and/or moving any produce or product surrounding polyliner wrap or not.

In another aspect the invention consists in a paperboard container (e.g. of corrugated paperboard laminate) capable of being stacked (preferably stack indexed) wherein at least one wall surrounding the at least substantially rectangular base includes a pull open vent that tears away and/or hinges from the wall thereby to better enable fumigation of the contents (if any) thereof whilst still stacked.

Preferably such a said vent is in at last one end wall.

Preferably such a vent is defined by a flap of a blank part from which the container has been formed.

Preferably the flap is not of a blank that reinforces the end wall from the inside.

Preferably said flap is capable of being pulled e.g. by a cut or cuts, a cut out or cut outs, perforation(s) and/or score(s)) upwardly and outwardly about a hinge spaced upwardly from the level of the base of the container.

Preferably said container includes at least one other vent, opening or port in at least one wall of another wall set, (e.g. the side walls) thereby ensuring that there is a better enablement of fumigation via one or other of the kinds of access for fumigation (i.e. whether the flapped or pull open vent or the other kind referred to).

Preferably the container is a stack indexable container formed from at least three blanks, the pull open vent flap being of a body blank reinforced by end wall reinforcement panels defined by the other two blanks.

Preferably the arrangement is substantially as hereinafter described.

In some forms of the present invention (e.g. whether with one or more stack indexing upstands each receivable in a scallop or opening of a like container or not) preferably the pull open vent is centrally positioned.

Preferably said pull open vent or flap is substantially as hereinafter described irrespective of its positioning.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a component or components of such a container and to related assemblies and stacks of such assemblies.

Accordingly in a further aspect the present invention consists in a stackable and/or fumigatable tray (lidded or otherwise - but preferably lidded) wherein each or one (preferably each) wall of one opposed pair of walls thereof, or the transition thereof from the base or to any lid, has at least one open or openable vent, and wherein at least one wall of the other opposed pair of walls has a structure whereby part of a panel can be removed wholly or in part as a tear off or tear clear to define or reveal a port, and wherein an open or openable vent or the port, whichever is accessible and is chosen, can be used to remove from or adjust within the tray, when stacked or otherwise, any removable or adjustable flexible liner thereby to better enable fumigation of the content of the tray.

Preferably said tray is at least partially lidded.

Preferably said tray has been formed from one or more blanks.

Preferably said tray has a rectangular base or substantially rectangular base (e.g. as in New Zealand Registered Designs 26626 and 25604.

Preferably the one opposed pair of walls having at least one open or openable vent are the pair of longer walls.

Preferably it is from each of the longer walls that a lidding flap hinges.

Preferably the other opposed pair of walls has a greater stack load bearing capacity irrespective of whether or not they include any stack indexing characteristic.

In some forms of the present invention, where the tray is erected from a single piece blank, preferably the bulk of the stack load of each tray is borne by each end wall and/or a corner therewith.

In some forms of the present invention where the tray is of a kind typified by, for example, the DEFOR™ product of this company (see for example, New Zealand Patent Specification No. 270912 and New Zealand Registered Design No.26626) the loading is supported in a stack form by corner columns that lends support to proximate regions of each end and side wall and preferably the stack indexing is from the longer side walls, trays of that kind tending not to have an integral lidding feature.

Similarly, PLB™ type trays of this company (such as disclosed in New Zealand Patent Specification No.237169 or New Zealand Registered Design No.25604 and 25605) has end wall reinforcement. The PLB™ tray preferably has lidding hinging from each of the longer non indexing walls.

Still other forms exist with either end wall or side wall stack indexing (usually of an upwardly protuberant member or members) that is or are receivable in an opening (openings) and/or a scalloping (scallopings) into a peripheral portion of the base (and possibly wall) of the same and thus a like tray with which it is to be stack indexed.

In a preferred form of the present invention a multiple component blank form (just as in a PLB™ type construction) is utilised and in this respect a preferred form is apparent from the accompanying drawings.

Preferably the open or openable vents are breathing vents for the produce and therefore require, after formation of the container, no deliberate removal of any part of the material of the tray by a user.

Preferably the port to be defined or revealed in at least one of the other walls is one that requires at least one thickness of the sheet material from which at least one part of (preferably) a multi component tray has been formed. With other forms of the present invention however, the same characteristic can be bestowed upon a single or reduced number of blank containing containers.

In the preferred form of the present invention the end walls are indexing walls and include upwardly directed indexing projections or at least one such upwardly directed indexing feature and a corresponding opening in the base to accommodate the same.

Preferably to accommodate the projections in a like container preferably there is some scalloping of at least one end wall reinforcement panel.

Preferably however there is no substantial removal of the outer panel over any such scalloping although preferably there is a perforate weakening thereof which, in the case of multiple stack indexing projections at each end, can be positioned to coincide with one of the indexing openings so that such scalloping on an inner material reinforcing the end wall does not affect the overall stack indexing reliant upon the remaining (preferably three) projection into opening indexing that is still possible. In this arrangement preferably there is asymmetry in the scalloping of one of the end wall reinforcing panels such that one scallop provides a better indexing fit than the other.

In a preferred form of the present invention the part of a panel to be removed wholly or in part as a tear off or a tear clear is a part having a small opening or other facility to allow insertion of a digit or the like to facilitate the tear off or tear clear.

Preferably the revealing of the port is a tear-up from adjacent the base thereby allowing it to remain hinged, if desired, for reinsertion subsequent to push back through the opening of any of the polyliner.

Preferably the part of a panel to be removed is substantially as hereinafter described.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a tray substantially as previously defined taking into account the description hereinafter and any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a tray formed from at least one blank of a paperboard laminate, said paperboard blank having been perforated so as to define a tear out opening on a least one wall thereof which will sometimes be visible in some stack indexing conditions on a pallet thereby to allow without destacking removal in part of a polyliner or the equivalent to better enable fumigation of the contents.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a stack indexable tray formed from one or more blanks of a paperboard or paperboard laminate material wherein in a reinforced wall to facilitate stack indexing there is internally of an outer panel of such wall a scalloping and/or an opening in the reinforcement material(s) and (but not necessarily co-extensive therewith) there is a tear out or tear clear panel region in the outer panel (preferably at least in part perforately defined) which allows the tear out or tear clear thereof to facilitate fumigation and/or pull out of a polyliner for fumigation purposes.

Preferably such a tray or container has any one or more characteristics hereinafter described.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a blank or blanks of a tray in accordance with any aspect of the present invention irrespective of whether or not it or they are substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings or irrespective of whether or not the openable or definable port is of a kind substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a pallet of stacks of trays in accordance with any aspect of the present invention, at least some (and preferably a majority of the trays) presenting externally of the pallet load one or more open or openable vents for breathing and/or fumigation purposes with the remaining columns presenting (at least primarily) only walls of pallets having part of a panel removable wholly in part as a tear off or tear clear to define or reveal a port.

Preferably said port to be defined or revealed is over an opening of a reinforcement internal panel of the wall.

Preferably such walls with the tear out or tear off panel are those with a stack indexing capability.

Preferably the stack indexing capability involves upwardly directed projections and openings and/or clean outs or scallops into which such projections can be indexed, the internal panel (at least at the ported wall assembly) being asymmetric with respect to the scallops or clean outs with that to be internally of the port to be defined or revealed being larger than that to serve a stack indexing purpose.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a marketable commodity or a pack, said commodity or pack comprising a tray of any of the forms hereinbefore defined, a plastics micro climate defining or the equivalent film disposed therein and within at least in part the confines of the plastics film (whether supported by a grading tray or not) produce.

As used herein the term "produce" includes within its scope respiring vegetables and/or fruit. It can however mean any item(s) of commerce where fumigation is a requirement or there is a likely need for gas exchange during storage and/or transportation and/or thereafter (especially where there is a need to modify the positioning or exposure of the produce within the still stacked container and where there is a need to fumigate at least in part the contents of the tray).

As used herein "film" can include a foil of metal or metallised plastics film.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of pallet stacking produce, said method comprising creating packs wherein a tray in accordance with the present invention where the produce (supported or unsupported) is at least partially enclosed interiorly of the tray with a film, stacking such packs so as to provide multiple columns thereof on a pallet or pallet supported surface, at least some of the columns presenting an open or openable vent of one wall whilst in respect of at least one (and preferably two other) column(s) the part of a panel of each tray to be removable wholly or in part as a tear off or tear clear to define or reveal a port is accessible.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a method of fumigating a palleted load as aforesaid, said method comprising at least in part pulling the film through the open or openable vents of trays in some column stacks whilst doing a similar act in respect of trays of other stacks but via the ports after at least in part tearing out or tearing clear the part of the panel, and thereafter fumigating the still palleted load.

As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" and "or".

As used herein the term "comprising" irrespective of whether or not associated with the word "including" means "consists in or includes".

As used herein the term "(s)" following a noun means the singular and plural forms of that noun.

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a traditional standard single layer tray stack with those two columns "A" of six columns sandwiched by two exterior columns "B" having their ends only accessible whilst the columns remain stacked on the pallet as shown notwithstanding the fact that the four columns "B" with the other walls apparent can have open or openable vents accessible for the purpose of fumigation after some modification of the polyliner internally thereof, Figure 2 shows a preferred container in accordance with the present invention in its three part blank form, the central component being a wrap around base, sidewall and lid defining body having flaps also to define the exterior panels of two ends walls whilst the other two components (which can be the same [if both as shown lowermost] pr different as shown) after folding of a bridged region can define end wall reinforcements, such end wall reinforcement having an asymmetry in the bottom scalloping thereof to better facilitate the revealing of a port by the in part at least tear out feature of the end wall exterior panel, the wrap around body member itself being as hereinafter described in more detail, Figure 3 is a preferred tray (preferably single layer but not necessarily so) in accordance with the present invention showing an end wall with the perforate potentially tear out port whilst the other opposed pair of walls include in at least the sidewall (and preferably in part of the lidding flaps) a venting opening or openings, Figure 4 is a view of the end wall shown nearest in Figure 3 showing the asymmetry resulting from the end wall reinforcement member with its bridge formed indexing projections and the corresponding scallop over an opening in the base for indexing purposes on the right whilst that on the left has been enlarged so as not to serve an indexing function but to better reveal the port, Figure 5A shows an enlargement of the part of the panel perforately defined and which preferably includes an opening to assist the tear out or tear up, and Figure 5B shows one tear away option which leaves a flap, yet nonetheless allows some extraction, in part, of a polyliner out of the opening to better render the still stacked and still lidded tray better able to allow proper fumigation of its contents, Figure 6 is a plan view diagrammatically showing a tray in accordance with the present invention but drawn without the lid flaps so as to reveal a conventional situation best lending itself for pull out in part through a side wall provided open vent of the polyliner, the polyliner having been inserted in the tray under the produce and back there over so as to provide a double thickness overlay centrally under the undrawn lidding flaps, Figure 7 shows an alternative to Figure 6 where the wraparound is from the other direction, i.e. is longitudinally of the produce in the tray rather than laterally thereof as in Figure 6, Figure 8 is a more preferred form of body blank to that depicted in Figure 2, the body blank showing the fumigation ports centrally positioned in an end wall panel, Figure 9 shows one of the two end piece reinforcement blanks (equivalent to those depicted with the body blank in Figure 2) but adapted for association with the centrally positioned fumigation ports of the body blank of Figure 8, and Figure 10 shows an assembled container made from blanks of the kind depicted in Figures 8 and 9, said tray as erected having recessed side walls with vents at the top of each recessed region and having the fumigation ports centrally positioned at each end which is reinforced internally by a complementary reinforcement panel as in Figure 9. . _ InteHectual Property Office of NZ 1 h NOV 2003 In the preferred form of the present invention there is a main carcass blank 1 and two slightly different end wall reinforcement components 2 and 2A although both can be of the form of component 2.

The blank components 1, 2 and 2 A preferably are of a corrugated medium such as a corrugated paperboard in single or double cushion interposed between (e.g. kraft) paper.

Shown in Figure 2 is the substantially rectangular base 2 with exterior panel flaps 3 beyond a hinged transition which includes indexing openings 4. It can be seen that the perforate regions 5 and the opening 6 reveals the tear out component 7.

Hinging from the other peripheries of the base 2 are side wall flaps 8 and hinging therefrom lidding flap sequences 9 A and 9B. Extending from each end of the side wall flaps are extensions 10.

As can be seen open vents 11 are provided in each side wall 8 and preferably the transition therefrom to the lid 9.

Each end wall reinforcement member has a panel 12 which is the full width of the span between the side walls 8 and a lesser panel (but of similar depth) 13. The panel 13 is scalloped at 14 and more so at 15. Connecting the panels 12 and 13 are bridges 16 which when folded on the axis "AA" will provide the indexing projections 17 shown in Figure 3 which pass through openings 18 of the lid components 9.

In the erected container (preferably adhesively fixed together with any suitable adhesive (hot melt or otherwise)) a panel 13 lies against and is affixed to an inside face of an end wall panel 3 whilst the flaps 10 are affixed also against the end wall panel 3. Both the panel 13 and both flaps 10 at each end wall is overlaid by a panel 12 which wholly or in part is affixed thereto.

It can be seen therefore that the scallops 14, 14A, 15 and 15A provide clearance for stack indexing whilst allowing the flap 7 to be uplifted or otherwise hinged or indeed fully torn out to allow alignment as in Figure 5B of the scallops from whence it is possible by partial pullout of the polyliner (whether top overlapping in one or other "intellectual property~ office of n.z 14 JUN 20(K RECEIVED of the conditions shown in Figures 6 and 7) to facilitate fumigation in a fumigating environment and thereafter restuffing back into the tray (if desired) of the polyliner.

Hence without destacking (as in Figure 1) trays of columns "B" via the vents 11 and tray of columns "A" via the ports can have polyliner adjustments.

Intellectual Property Office of NZ 1 k NOV 2003 RECEIVED

Claims (45)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A stackable and/or fumigatable tray (lidded or unlidded) wherein at least one wall of at least one pair of walls has a hinge and/or tear openable vent whereby access for the purpose of fumigation is enhanced.

2. A tray of claim 1 wherein the hinged and/or tear openable vent [as a flap or otherwise (whether in part defined perforately or by scoring or otherwise)] tears from adjacent the base.

3. A tray of claim 2 wherein the vent is hinged any hinging is above the vent.

4. A tray of any one of the preceding claims wherein the vent is centrally or substantially centrally of a wall but preferably adjacent the base thereof.

5. A tray of any one of the preceding claims wherein a said vent is in both walls of at least one pair of opposed walls.

6. A tray of any one of the preceding claims wherein said at least one vent enables sufficient access to enable better fumigation.

7. A tray of claim 6 wherein said access allows pulling and/or moving of any produce or product surrounding polyliner wrap.

8. A paperboard container (e.g. of corrugated paperboard laminate) capable of being stacked wherein at least one wall surrounding the at least substantially rectangular base includes a pull open vent that tears away and/or hinges from the wall thereby to better enable fumigation of the contents (if any) thereof whilst still stacked.

9. A container of claim 8 wherein such a said vent is in at last one end wall.

10. A container of claim 8 or 9 wherein said vent is defined by a flap of a blank part from which the container has been formed.

11. A container of claim 10 wherein the flap is not in a panel that reinforces the end wall from the inside.

12. A container of any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein said flap is capable of being pulled e.g. by a cut or cuts, a cut out or cut outs, perforation(s) and/or score(s)) Intellectual Property Office of NZ 1 4 NOV 2003 RECEIVED upwardly and outwardly about a hinge spaced upwardly from the level of the base of the container.

13. A container of any one of claims 8 to 12 which includes at least one other vent, opening or port in at least one wall of another wall set, thereby ensuring that there is a better enablement of fumigation.

14. A container of any one of claims 8 to 13 which is a stack indexable container formed from at least three blanks, the pull open vent flap being of a body blank reinforced by end wall reinforcement panels defined by the other two blanks.

15. A container of any one of claims 8 to 14 the pull open vent is centrally positioned.

16. A container of any one of claims 8 to 15 wherein said pull open vent or flap is substantially as hereinafter described irrespective of its positioning and/or form.

17. A blank or blanks of a container of any one of claims 8 to 16.

18. A stackable and/or fumigatable tray (lidded or unlidded) wherein at least or one wall of one opposed pair of walls thereof, or the transition thereof from the base or to any lid, has at least one open or openable vent, and wherein at least one wall of the other opposed pair of walls has a structure whereby part of a panel can be removed wholly or in part as a tear off or tear clear to define or reveal a port, and wherein an open or openable vent(s) or the port(s), whichever is accessible and is chosen, can be used to remove from within the tray and/or to adjust within the tray, when stacked or otherwise, any removable and/or adjustable flexible liner thereby to better enable fumigation of the content of the tray.

19. A tray of claim 18 that is at least partially lidded.

20. A tray of claim 18 or 19 wherein said tray has been formed from one or more blanks.

21. A tray of any one of claims 18 to 20 that has a rectangular or substantially rectangular base.

22. A tray of claim 21 wherein one opposed pair of walls having at least one open or openable vent are the pair of longer walls.

23. A tray of claim 21 or 22 wherein each of the longer walls has a lidding flap hinged therefrom.

24. A tray any one of claims 18 to 23 wherein the other opposed pair of walls has a greater stack load bearing capacity than said one opposed pair of walls.

25. A tray of any one of claims 18 to 24 wherein there is a stack indexing feature provided in an opposed pair of walls and, optionally, the base.

26. A tray of claim 25 wherein the tray is rectangular and the end walls are indexing walls and include upwardly directed indexing projections or at least one such upwardly directed indexing feature and a corresponding opening in the base to accommodate the same.

27. A tray of claim 26 wherein each end has a reinforcement panel and to accommodate the projections in a like container there is some scalloping of at least one end wall reinforcement panel.

28. A tray of claim 27 wherein there is no substantial removal of an outer panel over any such scalloping of the scalloped reinforcement panel although there is a perforate weakening thereof.

29. A tray of claim 28 wherein there is asymmetry in the scalloping of one of the end wall reinforcing panel.

30. A tray of claim 28 or 29 where the part of a panel to be removed wholly or in part as a tear off or a tear clear is a part having a small opening or other facility to allow insertion of a digit or the like to facilitate the tear off or tear clear.

31. A tray of any one of claims 18 to 30 the port has a tear-up from adjacent the base thereby allowing it to remain hinged, if desired, for reinsertion. InteHectual Property Office of NZ 1 NOV 2003

32. A tray of any one of claims 18 to 31 the part of a panel to be removed is substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

33. A tray substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings with the exception of Figure 1.

34. A tray formed from at least one blank of a paperboard laminate, said paperboard blank having been perforated so as to define a tear out opening on a least one wall thereof which will sometimes be visible in some stack indexing conditions on a pallet thereby to allow without destacking removal in part of a polyliner or the equivalent to better enable fumigation of the contents.

35. A stack indexable tray formed from one or more blanks of a paperboard or paperboard laminate material wherein in a reinforced wall to facilitate stack indexing there is internally of an outer panel of such wall a scalloping and/or an opening in the reinforcement material(s) and (but not necessarily co-extensive therewith) there is a tear out or tear clear panel region in the outer panel which allows the tear out or tear clear thereof to facilitate fumigation and/or pull out of a polyliner for fumigation purposes.

36. A blank or blanks of a tray or container of any one of claims 1 to 16, or 18 to 35, irrespective of whether or not it or they are substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings or irrespective of whether or not the openable or definable vent is of a kind substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

37. A pallet of stacks of trays or containers in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 16, or 18 to 35, at least some presenting externally of the pallet load one or more open or openable vents for breathing and/or fumigation purposes with the remaining columns presenting (at least primarily) only walls of pallets having part of a panel removable wholly in part as a tear off or tear clear to define or reveal a port.

38. A pallet assembly of claim 37 said port to be defined or revealed is over an opening of a reinforcement internal panel of the wall of trays or containers. -18-

39. A pallet assembly of claim 38 such walls with the tear out or tear off panel are those with a stack indexing capability.

40. A pallet assembly of any one of claims 37 to 39 wherein the stack indexing capability involves upwardly directed projections and openings and/or clean outs or scallops into which such projections can be indexed, the internal panel (at least at the ported wall assembly) being asymmetric with respect to the scallops or clean outs with that to be internally of the port to be defined or revealed being larger than that to serve a stack indexing purpose.

41. A marketable commodity or a pack, said commodity or pack comprising a tray or container of any of the forms as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, or 18 to 35, a plastics micro climate defining or the equivalent film disposed therein and, within at least in part the confines of the plastics film (whether supported by a grading tray or not), produce.

42. A commodity or pack of claim 41 wherein the produce is respiring vegetables and/or fruit.

43. A method of pallet stacking produce, said method comprising or including creating packs wherein a tray or container of any one of claims 1 to 16, or 18 to 35, where produce (supported or unsupported) is at least partially enclosed interiorly of the tray with a film, stacking such packs so as to provide multiple columns thereof on a pallet or pallet supported surface, at least some of the columns presenting an open or openable vent of one wall whilst in respect of at least one other column the part of a panel of each tray to be removable wholly or in part as a tear off or tear clear (e.g. a flap) to define or reveal a port is accessible.

44. A method of fumigating a palleted load of a commodity or pack of claim 41 to 42, said method comprising or including at least in part pulling the film through the open or openable vents of trays in some column stacks whilst doing a similar act in respect of trays of other stacks but via the ports after at least in part tearing out or tearing clear the part of the panel, and thereafter fumigating j33£^titt«rfieS8S3g^ WTELpjw qf N z 11, JUN 200i BECEWED.

45. A method of transporting a fumigatable assemblage of produce packs when performed substantially as herein described with reference to the tray formed as depicted in any one or more of the accompanying drawings with the exception of Figure 1.