Blank for forming a container tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801984-B2
Application number	US-202117380723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2021
Priority date	Jul 20, 2020
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A blank for forming a tray, wherein the blank includes a first panel extending along a lateral axis configured to form an outer side of an erected tray and a second panel extending along the lateral axis coupled to the first panel by a fold line, the second panel being configured to form an inner side of the erected tray. Each of the first and second panels includes a base section, a first lateral section foldably coupled to the base section, a first end section foldably coupled to the first lateral section, a second lateral section foldably coupled to the base section, and a second end section foldably coupled to the second lateral section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blank for forming a tray that, upon being formed as an erected tray, is configured to hold a plurality of articles within its formed side walls, the blank comprising:
an outer panel extending along a lateral axis configured to form an outer side of an the erected tray;
an inner panel extending along the lateral axis coupled to the outer panel by a fold line, the inner panel being configured to form an inner side of the erected tray;
wherein each of the outer and inner panels comprises:
a base section;
a first lateral section foldably coupled to the base section;
a first end section coupled to the first lateral section;
a second lateral section foldably coupled to the base section; and
a second end section coupled to the second lateral section,

wherein each of the first and second lateral sections of the outer panel are configured to form the outer side of the side walls of the erected tray, respectively, and each of the first and second lateral sections of the inner panel are configured to form the inner side of the side walls of the erected tray, respectively,
wherein each of the first and second lateral sections of the outer panel comprise a first integer number of openings and each of the first and second lateral sections of the inner panel comprise a second integer number of openings, the first integer number of openings in each of the first and second lateral sections of the outer panel being equal to the second integer number of openings of each of the first and second lateral sections of the inner panel,
wherein the openings of each of the first and second lateral sections of the outer panel and the openings of each of the first and second lateral sections of the inner panel are arranged to form windows in the side walls that provide access to an upper portion of respective articles held in the erected tray.

2. The blank of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second end sections comprises a cutout formed therein configured to form a handle with the first end section and the second end section of the inner panel in an at least partial face-contacting relationship.

3. The blank of claim 1 , wherein a sum of the first integer number of openings and the second integer number of openings is equivalent to a maximum number of articles that the tray is formed to hold.

4. The blank of claim 3 , wherein each of the openings within the first and second lateral sections comprises a quadrilateral shape configured to retain a portion of a respective article to be held in the erected tray.

5. The blank of claim 1 , wherein the base section of the inner panel comprises a plurality of base cutouts formed therein, each of the plurality of base cutouts configured to receive a portion of a respective article to be held in the erected tray.

6. The blank of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of base cutouts formed in the base section of the outer panel, wherein each of the plurality of base cutouts of the outer panel are configured to receive a portion of a respective article to be held in the erected tray.

7. The blank of claim 6 , wherein the base cutouts of the outer panel are of a different shape than the base cutouts of the inner panel and are configured to retain differing portions of the respective article.

8. The blank of claim 1 , wherein the outer panel and the inner panel have at least one of: (i) different lengths measured along the lateral axis, and (ii) different widths measured orthogonally to the lateral axis.

9. The blank of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the outer and inner panels comprises at least one adhesive strip configured to adhere the outer panel to the inner panel.

10. The blank of claim 1 , wherein the outer panel and the inner panel are folded into face-contacting relationship across the first fold line to form a palletizable blank.

11. A blank for forming a tray, the blank comprising:
a first panel extending along a lateral axis configured to form an outer side of an erected tray;
a second panel extending along the lateral axis coupled to the first panel by a fold line, the second panel being configured to form an inner side of the erected tray;
wherein each of the first and second panels comprises:
a base section;
a first lateral section foldably coupled to the base section;
a first end section coupled to the first lateral section;
a second lateral section foldably coupled to the base section; and
a second end section coupled to the second lateral section,

wherein the second panel comprises a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments foldably coupled to the base section and to one of the lateral sections, the plurality of segments being configured to form a plurality of article retainers when erected.

12. The blank of claim 11 , wherein each of the segments comprises at least one fold line bisecting each of the segments configured to form a kink in the article retainers.

13. The blank of claim 11 , wherein adjacent segments are separated laterally or transversely or both laterally and transversely by at least a portion of the base section of the first panel.

14. The blank of claim 11 , wherein each of the segments comprises at least one side having a recess formed therein, the recess configured to receive a side wall of an article having a complementary shape to the recess.

15. The blank of claim 11 , wherein the first panel comprises at least one cutout at least partially overlapping with at least one of the segments along a medial axis, the at least one cutout of the first panel configured to provide access to the segment from the outer side of at least a partially erected tray.

16. A tray comprising:
a first outer side wall;
a bottom outer wall hingedly attached to the first outer side wall;
a second outer side wall hingedly attached to the bottom outer wall;
a first inner side wall hingedly attached to the first outer side wall;
a second inner side wall hingedly attached to the second outer side wall; and
a bottom inner wall hingedly attached to each of the first inner side wall and the second inner side wall,
wherein each of the first outer side wall, the second outer side wall, the first inner side wall, and the second inner side wall comprises at least one opening formed therein, each opening configured to receive a portion of an article to be held in the tray, and
wherein the bottom inner wall comprises at least two article receptacles formed at least partially therein, each of the at least two article receptables configured to receive a bottom portion of a respective article to be held in the tray.

17. The tray of claim 16 , further comprising a handle portion comprising a portion of the first outer wall and a portion of the second outer wall.

18. The tray of claim 16 , wherein the bottom outer wall comprises a plurality of base cutouts formed therein, wherein each of the plurality of base cutouts is configured to receive a lower portion of a respective article to be held in the tray.

19. The tray of claim 16 , wherein each of the inner side walls comprises at least one window formed therein configured to receive a portion of a top of an article.

20. The tray of claim 16 , wherein a sum of the at least one opening formed in the first outer side wall and the at least one opening formed in the second outer side wall is equal to a maximum number of articles that can be held in the tray, which is also equal to a sum of the at least one opening formed in the first inner side wall and the at least one openin

Assignees

• Westrock Shared Services Llc

Inventors

• Valencia John

Classifications

• B65D71/0051 Primary

  with additional locating elements for the articles · CPC title

• B65D71/0022

  formed by folding or erecting one blank, and provided with vertical partitions · CPC title

• B65D2571/0045

  for hands · CPC title

• B65D2571/00271

  extending from at least a side wall · CPC title

• B65D2571/00283

  Openings in at least a side wall · CPC title