Importance

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Abstract

A modular loose egg cooling, storage, and transport system for use in the egg industry to safely transport eggs and to facilitate rapid cooling of eggs to be stored. The modular egg system includes first and second vertical members adapted to mate with each other in a criss-cross configuration and to mate in a sandwich structure with deck boards. The assembled modular egg system comprises four of these criss-cross support structures sandwiched between five deck boards to form a shift-resistant unit with the lowermost deck board fastened to any plastic foot assembly to serve as a pallet. The deck board includes a plurality of depressions designed to accept the footprint of any commercial egg tray and thereby lock stacks of these egg trays in place within the modular egg system. All components of the system define apertures therethrough to encourage airflow over and around the stacks of egg-containing trays placed on the deck boards. Using such a modular egg system, stacks of loose eggs may be cooled rapidly and evenly for storage and may be transported without requiring use of special egg trays, plastic wrapping, or corner safety guards. The modular egg system also comprises such positive location features that it may be mechanically assembled and disassembled, and the egg-containing trays may be mechanically loaded and unloaded therefrom.

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First Claim