Flat pack tray with curve on set-up and blank for forming the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11643244-B2
Application number	US-201816957205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2018
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

A tray formed from a blank of sheet material includes a bottom panel, a top panel, first and second side panels, and a locking band connected to the bottom panel at opposite upper and lower edges thereof. The locking band extends across the top panel and holds an underlying portion of the top panel in face-contacting relationship with the bottom panel. The tray is configured to transition from a first, substantially flat configuration into a second, erect configuration in which the top panel defines a concave surface configured to hold in place a rounded item. The tray is configured to be transitioned from the first configuration to the second configuration by sliding the top panel relative to the bottom panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tray formed from a blank of sheet material, the tray comprising:
a bottom panel forming a bottom wall of the tray;
a top panel forming a top wall of the tray;
first and second side panels forming first and second side walls of the tray and extending between said top and bottom panels on opposite sides thereof;
a locking band connected to said bottom panel at opposite edges thereof, said locking band extending across said top panel from one free edge to an opposite free edge thereof and disposed in at least partial face-contacting relationship with said top panel; wherein said tray is configured to transition from a first configuration in which said tray is substantially flat into a second or erect configuration in which said top panel defines a concave surface configured to receive a rounded item; wherein said tray is configured to be transitioned from said first configuration to said second configuration by sliding said top panel relative to said bottom panel.

2. The tray according to claim 1 , wherein the locking band overlies a generally central portion of the top panel when the tray is in the second configuration.

3. The tray according to claim 1 wherein said top panel has a first width and said bottom panel has a second width, and wherein said first width is smaller than said second width.

4. The tray according to claim 1 , wherein at least one finger cutout is formed in said top panel.

5. The tray according to claim 4 , wherein said at least one finger cutout comprises a first finger cutout formed along a first side edge of said top panel and a second finger cutout formed along a second opposite side edge of said top panel.

6. The tray according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of strengthening creases are formed in the first and second side panels.

7. The tray according to claim 1 , wherein the top panel comprises a top center panel hingedly connected to a first top side panel and a second top side panel.

8. The tray according to claim 7 , wherein said locking band comprises first and second locking tabs configured to be received within respective first and second locking apertures formed in the top panel so as to resist collapsing of the tray when the tray is in the second configuration.

9. The tray according to claim 1 wherein the top panel is disposed in face-contacting relationship with at least one of the first and second side panels when the tray is in the first configuration.

10. The tray according to claim 1 , wherein said locking band is formed from overlapping first and second locking arm flaps, wherein said first locking arm flap is hingedly connected one of the opposite edges of said bottom panel, and wherein said second locking arm flap is hingedly connected to the other of the opposite edges of said bottom panel.

11. A tray formed from a blank of sheet material, the tray comprising:
a bottom panel forming a bottom wall of the tray;
a top panel forming a top wall of the tray;
first and second side panels forming first and second side walls of the tray and extending between said top and bottom panels on opposite sides thereof;
a locking band connected to said bottom panel at opposite upper and lower edges thereof, said locking band extending across said top panel and holding an underlying portion of said top panel in face-contacting relationship with said bottom panel;
wherein said tray is configured to transition from a first configuration in which said tray is substantially flat into a second or erect configuration in which said top panel defines a concave surface configured to hold in place a rounded item;
wherein said tray is configured to be transitioned from said configuration to said second configuration by sliding said top pane relative to said bottom panel,
wherein said locking band is formed from overlapping first and second locking arm flaps,
wherein said first locking arm flap is hingedly connected to the upper edge of said bottom panel, and
wherein said second locking arm flap is hingedly connected to the lower edge of said bottom panel.

12. A blank of sheet material for forming a tray, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels hingedly connected in series, the plurality of panels comprising a top panel configured to form a top wall in a set-up tray, a first side panel configured to form a first side wall in the set-up tray, a bottom panel configured to form a bottom wall in the set-up tray, and a second side panel configured to form a second side wall in the set-up tray;
a first locking arm flap hingedly connected to the bottom panel along an upper edge thereof and a second locking arm flap hingedly connected to the bottom panel along a lower edge thereof;
wherein the first and second locking arm flaps are configured to be secured together to form a locking band in the set-up tray, the locking band extending across said top panel and holding an underlying portion of said top panel in face-contacting relationship with said bottom panel.

13. The blank according to claim 12 , wherein said plurality of panels comprises a glue flap panel configured to be secured in face-contacting relationship to the second side panel in the set-up tray.

14. The blank according to claim 12 , wherein said top panel has a first width and said bottom panel has a second width, and wherein said first width is smaller than said second width.

15. The blank according to claim 12 , wherein at least one finger cutout is formed in said top panel.

16. The blank according to claim 15 , wherein said at least one finger cutout comprises a first finger cutout formed along a first side edge of said top panel and a second finger cutout formed along a second opposite side edge of said top panel.

17. The blank according to claim 12 , wherein a plurality of strengthening creases are formed in the first and second side panels.

18. The blank according to claim 12 , wherein the top panel comprises a top center panel hingedly connected to a first top side panel and a second top side panel.

19. The blank according to claim 12 , wherein said locking band comprises first and second locking tabs configured to be received within respective first and second locking apertures formed in the top panel so as to resist collapsing of the set-up tray.

20. The blank according to claim 12 , wherein the first and second locking arm flaps are configured to be overlapping with each other to form said locking band which is configured to extend across said top panel from one free edge of the top panel that corresponds to the upper edge of the bottom panel to an opposite free edge of the top panel that corresponds to the lower edge of the bottom panel in the set-up tray, and wherein said locking band is configured to be disposed in at least partial face-contacting relationship with said top panel in the set-up tray.

Assignees

• Westrock Shared Services Llc

Inventors

• Valencia John
• Bleakney Abagail L

Classifications

• B31B50/734

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• A47G23/0241

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• B31B50/624

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• A47B73/00 Primary

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• B65D5/5035

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