Tray for holding a food product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10232973-B2
Application number	US-201514933324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A tray for holding a food product. The tray includes a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the tray. The plurality of panels includes a bottom panel, a side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and an end panel foldably connected to the bottom panel. The tray includes a rim structure having a rim panel foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels and a support panel foldably connected to the rim panel. The tray further includes a gusset panel foldably connected to the side panel. The gusset panel and the end panel are at least partially overlapping one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray for holding a food product, the tray comprising:
a plurality of panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the tray, the plurality of panels comprises a bottom panel, a side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and an end panel foldably connected to the bottom panel;
a rim structure comprising a rim panel foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels at a first lateral fold line, a support panel foldably connected to the rim panel at a second lateral fold line, and an attachment flap foldably connected to the support panel at a third lateral fold line and having a free edge, a first longitudinal distance is defined from the second lateral fold line to the third lateral fold line, and a second longitudinal distance is defined from the third lateral fold line to the free edge of the attachment flap, the first longitudinal distance is approximately equal to the second longitudinal distance; and
a gusset panel foldably connected to the side panel, the gusset panel and the end panel at least partially overlapping one another.

2. The tray of claim 1 , wherein the rim panel extends generally parallel to the bottom panel, and the support panel extends obliquely with respect to the rim panel and the side panel.

3. The tray of claim 1 , wherein the attachment flap at least partially overlaps the side panel.

4. The tray of claim 3 , wherein the rim panel extends generally parallel to the bottom panel, and the support panel extends obliquely from the attachment flap to the rim panel.

5. The tray of claim 1 , wherein the side panel is a first side panel, the rim structure is a first rim structure and is foldably connected to the first side panel, and the tray further comprises a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel and a second rim structure foldably connected to the second side panel.

6. The tray of claim 5 , wherein the rim panel, the support panel, and the attachment flap of the first rim structure are a first rim panel, a second rim panel, and a first attachment flap, respectively, and the second rim structure comprises a second rim panel foldably connected to the second side panel, a second support panel foldably connected to the second rim panel, and a second attachment flap foldably connected to the second support panel.

7. The tray of claim 6 , wherein the first rim panel and the second rim panel extend generally parallel to the bottom panel, and the first support panel and the second support panel extend obliquely from the respective first rim panel and second rim panel toward the respective first side panel and second side panel.

8. The tray of claim 6 , wherein the first attachment flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the first side panel, and the second attachment flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the second side panel.

9. The tray of claim 6 , wherein the end panel comprises a first end panel, the plurality of panels further comprises a second end panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and the tray further comprises:
a first reinforcement flap foldably connected to the first end panel and at least partially overlapping the first end panel; and
a second reinforcement flap foldably connected to the second end panel and at least partially overlapping the second end panel.

10. The tray of claim 9 , wherein the first side panel, the second side panel, the first end panel and the second end panel are sloped so that one or more trays may be stacked together in an at least partially nested relationship.

11. The tray of claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcement flap foldably connected to the end panel, the reinforcement flap at least partially overlapping the end panel.

12. The tray of claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with an exterior surface of the end panel.

13. The tray of claim 11 , wherein the side panel is a first side panel, the gusset panel is a first gusset panel, the plurality of panels further comprises a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, the tray further comprises a second gusset panel foldably connected to the second side panel, the first gusset panel and the second gusset panel are at least partially in face-to-face contact with the end panel, and the reinforcement flap is at least partially in face-to-face contact with the first gusset panel and the second gusset panel.

14. The tray of claim 11 , wherein the reinforcement flap is foldably connected to the end panel along a longitudinal fold line, and the end panel comprises an edge extending from an end of the longitudinal fold line toward the bottom panel.

15. The tray of claim 14 , wherein the edge of the end panel is oblique with respect to the longitudinal fold line.

16. The tray of claim 14 , wherein the edge of the end panel is a first edge, the end panel comprises a second edge extending from the first edge to the bottom panel.

17. The tray of claim 1 , wherein the rim panel extends obliquely upwardly from the first lateral fold line.

18. A blank for forming a tray for holding a food product, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels comprising a bottom panel, a side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel, and an end panel foldably connected to the bottom panel;
a gusset panel foldably connected to the side panel; and
rim features for forming a rim structure when the blank is formed into the tray, the rim features comprise a rim panel foldably connected to at least one panel of the plurality of panels at a first lateral fold line, a support panel foldably connected to the rim panel at a second lateral fold line, and an attachment flap foldably connected to the support panel at a third lateral fold line and having a free edge, a first longitudinal distance is defined from the second lateral fold line to the third lateral fold line, and a second longitudinal distance is defined from the third lateral fold line to the free edge of the attachment flap, the first longitudinal distance is approximately equal to the second longitudinal distance.

19. The blank of claim 18 , wherein the rim panel is configured to extend generally parallel to the bottom panel, and the support panel is configured to extend obliquely with respect to the rim panel and the side panel when the blank is formed into the tray.

20. The blank of claim 18 , wherein the attachment flap is configured to at least partially overlap the side panel when the blank is formed into the tray.

21. The blank of claim 20 , wherein the rim panel is configured to extend generally parallel to the bottom panel, and the support panel is configured to extend obliquely from the attachment flap to the rim panel when the blank is formed into the tray.

22. The blank of claim 18 , wherein the side panel is a first side panel, the rim features are first rim features and are foldably connected to the first side panel, and the blank further comprises a second side panel foldably connected to the bottom panel and second rim features foldably connected to the second side panel.

23. The blank of claim 22 , wherein the rim panel, the support panel, and the attachment flap of the first rim features are a first rim panel, a first support panel, and a first attachment flap, respectively, and the second rim features comprise a second rim panel foldably connected to the second side panel, a second support panel foldably connected to the second

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Burke Bradley J

Classifications

• B65D5/244

  and the gussets folds connected to the outside of the container body (B65D5/247, B65D5/248 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D5/241 Primary

  and the gussets folds connected to the inside of the container body (B65D5/247 and B65D5/248 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D5/2047

  trapezoidal, e.g. to form a body with diverging side walls (B65D5/2033 takes precedence) · CPC title