Leak resistant tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10577145-B2
Application number	US-201815891833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2018
Priority date	Feb 8, 2018
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

A leak resistant tray and a method of forming the tray from a blank. The blank comprises a bottom panel, first and second side panels, and first and second end portions connected to peripheral edges of the bottom panel. Each end portion includes inner end panel structure having a lower end panel and an upper end panel. Each end portion further includes first and second intermediate panels connected to the first and second side panels, first and second outer end panels connected to respective first and second intermediate panels, and first and second triangular gusset panels, each gusset panel connected between one of the intermediate panels and the lower end panel. First and second gusset trough panels are connected to a respective one of the gusset panels and to a lower edge of one of the outer end panels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blank for making a leak resistant tray comprising:
a bottom panel having a plurality of peripheral edges;
first and second side panels connected to the bottom panel at opposing lateral peripheral edges and defining lower edges of the tray;
first and second end portions located at opposing longitudinal ends of the blank, each end portion including:
inner end panel structure connected to a longitudinal peripheral edge of the bottom panel, the inner end panel structure including a lower end panel and an upper end panel;
first and second intermediate panels, each intermediate panel connected to a respective one of the first and second side panels and having an edge defining a lower edge of the tray;
first and second outer end panels, each outer end panel connected to a respective one of the first and second intermediate panels and having an edge defining a lower edge of the tray, wherein an edge of each intermediate panel and an edge of a respective adjacent outer end panel is collinear with a lateral peripheral edge of the bottom panel;
first and second triangular gusset panels, each gusset panel connected between one of the intermediate panels and the lower end panel; and
first and second gusset trough panels, each gusset trough panel connected to one of the gusset panels and to the lower edge of one of the outer end panels.

2. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the lower end panel is a trapezoidal shape.

3. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal dimension of the lower end panel, extending in a direction from the bottom panel to the upper end panel, is generally equal to a longitudinal dimension of the intermediate panels.

4. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first and second gusset trough panels each include an edge adjacent to a lateral edge the upper end panel and separated from the lateral edge of the upper end panel by a slit.

5. The blank as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the slit extends from a connection between the lower end panel and the upper end panel.

6. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the blank is formed of a corrugated cardboard material including an interior defined by elongated flutes, and a direction of elongation of the flutes extends in a lateral direction parallel to the longitudinal peripheral edges of the bottom panel.

7. The blank as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the lower end panel connects to a longitudinal peripheral edge of the bottom panel at a location defining a lower edge of the tray.

8. A tray formed from a blank including a bottom panel having a plurality of peripheral edges, first and second side panels connected to the bottom panel at opposing lateral peripheral edges and folded upward relative to the bottom panel, first and second end portions located at opposing longitudinal ends of the blank, each end portion including:
inner end panel structure connected to a longitudinal peripheral edge of the bottom panel, the inner end panel structure including a lower end panel;
first and second intermediate panels, each intermediate panel connected to a respective one of the first and second side panels and extending upward from the bottom panel;
first and second outer end panels, each outer end panel connected to a respective one of the first and second intermediate panels and extending generally perpendicular to the side panels;
first and second triangular gusset panels, each gusset panel connected between one of the intermediate panels and the lower end panel and extending downward from the lower end panel; and
first and second gusset trough panels, each gusset trough panel connected to one of the gusset panels and to the lower edge of one of the outer end panels and folded upward to overlapping relationship with a respective outer end panel.

9. The tray as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the gusset panels are each located in overlapping relationship with a respective intermediate panel.

10. The tray as set forth in claim 9 , wherein an edge of the first and second outer end panels connected to respective ones of the gusset trough panels defines a lower edge of the tray.

11. The tray as set forth in claim 10 , wherein an edge of the intermediate panels connected to the gusset panels defines a lower edge of the tray.

12. The tray as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the first outer end panel is located in overlapping relationship with the second outer end panel.

13. The tray as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the inner end panel structure further includes an upper end panel connected to the lower end panel, and the first and second outer end panels are located in overlapping relationship with the upper end panel to define a tray end wall generally perpendicular to the bottom panel.

14. The tray as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the lower end panel extends upward and outward from the bottom panel to the tray end wall.

15. The tray as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the side panels, intermediate panels and tray end walls define an octagonal wall structure for the tray.

16. The tray as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the blank is formed of a corrugated cardboard material including an interior defined by elongated flutes, and a direction of elongation of the flutes in the side panels, the intermediate panels and the outer end panels extends in a vertical direction generally perpendicular to the bottom panel.

Assignees

• Int Paper Co

Inventors

• Bevier Alex Dean

Classifications

• B65D5/241 Primary

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

• B65D5/40 Primary

  specially constructed to contain liquids · CPC title