Container With Denesting Features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025033826-A1
Application number	US-202418782363-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 24, 2024
Priority date	Jul 25, 2023
Publication date	Jan 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tray for holding one or more products includes a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the tray, the plurality of panels including at least one end panel, at least one bottom panel, and at least one side panel, a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels, a sidewall including the at least one side panel, a bottom wall comprising the at least one bottom panel, at least one end wall including the at least one end panel, and denesting features including a denesting shoulder extending from the sidewall and positioned for engaging a lower tray in a stack of trays to form a denesting gap between stacked trays.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A tray for holding one or more products, the tray comprising:
a plurality of panels extending at least partially around an interior of the tray, the plurality of panels comprising at least one end panel, at least one bottom panel, and at least one side panel; a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels; a sidewall comprising the at least one side panel; a bottom wall comprising the at least one bottom panel; at least one end wall comprising the at least one end panel; and denesting features comprising a denesting shoulder extending from the sidewall and positioned for engaging a lower tray in a stack of trays to form a denesting gap between stacked trays.

2 . The tray of claim 1 , wherein the denesting shoulder is at least partially defined by an engagement edge intersecting an oblique edge.

3 . The tray of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises at least one reinforcing flap foldably connected to the at least one side panel, the denesting shoulder at least partially defined by a free edge of the at least one reinforcing flap.

4 . The tray of claim 3 , wherein the at least one reinforcing flap is positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact with the at least one side panel.

5 . The tray of claim 3 , wherein the at least one side panel is a first side panel and the plurality of panels further comprises a second side panel, the at least one reinforcing flap is a first reinforcing flap and the plurality of end flaps further comprises a second reinforcing flap foldably connected to the second side panel and positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact therewith.

6 . The tray of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises at least one side end flap foldably connected to the at least one side panel and attached to the at least one end panel, the denesting shoulder at least partially defined by a free edge of the at least one side end flap.

7 . The tray of claim 6 , wherein the denesting shoulder extends away from each of the sidewall and the at least one end wall.

8 . The tray of claim 3 , wherein the at least one side panel is a first side panel and the plurality of panels further comprises a second side panel, the at least one reinforcing flap is a first reinforcing flap and the plurality of end flaps further comprises a second reinforcing flap foldably connected to the second side panel and positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact therewith.

9 . The tray of claim 2 , wherein the at least one side panel at least partially defines the denesting shoulder.

10 . The tray of claim 2 , wherein the tray further comprises divider features comprising at least one divider extending upwardly from the bottom wall and at least partially separating the interior of the tray into a plurality of receiving spaces.

11 . The tray of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of panels comprises at least one divider panel foldably connected to the at least one bottom panel, the at least one divider comprising the at least one divider panel.

12 . The tray of claim 11 , wherein the at least one divider panel comprises a first divider section foldably connected to a second divider section, the first divider section and the second divider section obliquely arranged relative to the second divider section to form the at least one divider.

13 . The tray of claim 12 , further comprising at least one foot feature extending from each of the sidewall and the bottom wall for supporting the tray in a display configuration.

14 . The tray of claim 12 , wherein the at least one bottom panel is a first bottom panel foldably connected to the at least one divider panel, and the plurality of panels comprises a second bottom panel foldably connected to the at least one divider panel, the bottom wall comprising the first bottom panel and the second bottom panel.

15 . The tray of claim 12 , wherein the at least one divider panel is a first divider panel and the plurality of panels comprises a second divider panel, the at least one divider is a first divider, and the divider features further comprise a second divider comprising the second divider panel.

16 . The tray of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises at least one reinforcing flap foldably connected to the at least one side panel, the denesting shoulder at least partially defined by a free edge of the at least one reinforcing flap.

17 . The tray of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises at least one side end flap foldably connected to the at least one side panel and attached to the at least one end panel, the denesting shoulder at least partially defined by a free edge of the at least one side end flap.

18 . The tray of claim 12 , wherein the at least one side panel at least partially defines the denesting shoulder.

19 . A blank for forming a tray for holding one or more products, the blank comprising:
a plurality of panels extending for at least partially around an interior of the tray formed from the blank, the plurality of panels comprising at least one end panel, at least one bottom panel, and at least one side panel, the at least one end panel for at least partially forming at least one end wall of the tray formed from the blank, the at least one bottom panel for at least partially forming a bottom wall of the tray formed from the blank, the at least one side panel for at least partially forming a sidewall of the tray formed from the blank; a plurality of end flaps foldably connected to a respective panel of the plurality of panels; denesting features comprising a denesting shoulder for extending from the sidewall of the tray formed from the blank for being positioned for engaging a lower tray in a stack of containers to form a denesting gap between stacked containers.

20 . The blank of claim 19 , wherein the denesting shoulder is at least partially defined by an engagement edge intersecting an oblique edge.

21 . The blank of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises at least one reinforcing flap foldably connected to the at least one side panel, the denesting shoulder at least partially defined by a free edge of the at least one reinforcing flap.

22 . The blank of claim 21 , wherein the at least one side panel is a first side panel and the plurality of panels further comprises a second side panel, the at least one reinforcing flap is a first reinforcing flap and the plurality of end flaps further comprises a second reinforcing flap foldably connected to the second side panel and for being positioned in at least partial face-to-face contact therewith when the tray is formed from the blank.

23 . The blank of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of end flaps comprises at least one side end flap foldably connected to the at least one side panel and for being attached to the at least one end panel when the tray is formed from the blank, the denesting shoulder at least partially defined by a free edge of the at least one side end flap.

24 . The blank of claim 23 , wherein the denesting shoulder is for being positioned extending away from each of the sidewall and the at least one end wall when the tray is formed from the blank.

25 . The blank of claim 21 , wherein the at least one side panel is a first side panel and the plurality of panels further comprises a second side panel, the at least one reinforcing fla

Assignees

• Graphic Packaging Int Llc

Inventors

• Sloat Jeffrey T
• Kastanek Raymond S
• Walsh Joseph C
• Strand Scott Thomas
• Woodward Mark
• Gungner Greg

Classifications

• B65D5/42

  Details of containers or of foldable or erectable container blanks · CPC title

• B65D5/48022

  formed by two parallel panels located in the base of a tray being folded up towards each other · CPC title

• B65D5/2047

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

• B65D5/001 Primary

  stackable · CPC title

• B65D5/48016

  formed by folding extensions hinged to the upper or lower edges of a tubular body (B65D5/48008 takes precedence) · CPC title