AU723491B2 - Stackable tray - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: ESPAC PACKAGING GMBH Emil Bruusgaard CALLINAN LAWRIE, 278 High Street, Kew, 3101, Victoria, Australia "STACKABLE TRAY" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- -2- STACKABLE TRAY The invention provides an open tray of the type known as an open box and has an inter-stacking feature enabling the stacking of the trays when one is placed on top of another.

This type of tray has been developed for use with products which are packed loosely and more specifically fresh fruits and vegetables.

Trays which are used for storing and transporting fresh goods and that are made from a sheet which is made from a die-cut sheet usually of corrugated board, are known in the market. These containers have a certain design to allow stacking of one upon the other and that, amongst other things, must allow for ample spaces between them for sufficient circulation for the conservation of the packaged products.

The smaller sides of these trays or opposite ends of the container usually have an area which act as a support for the stacked trays. Normally, trays of this kind have supports which are formed by a tab which extends from the end walls of the container but is usually not sufficiently resistant to ensure the safe support of containers in a stacked pallet and particularly not those which are located in the lower section of a pile of containers.

*9*9 This and other important problems are to be efficiently solved with the 20 open tray which is the subject of this invention.

*99*e An important aspect of the invention is that it provides a container that has been specifically conceived to securely and efficiently contain perishable products such as fruits and vegetables.

Another important aspect of the container is the creation of a support made by the formation of the container's end walls whereby the trays receive resistance to vertical compression during the movement of pallets and storage in warehouse.

A further aspect provided by the open container invention is the existence of a support formed by the container's end walls and which is extended by the larger side walls of the container.

Another aspect of the invention is the creation of a container for perishable goods with a design carefully studied for various applications which 23/06/00,td8505.spe, 2 can be assembled and formed by use of adhesive or interlocking tabs and slots. The assembly ran be realized mechanically eliminating the need for labor and assuring a quality container which can be produced economically on a large scale.

A characteristic of the open tray, subject of this invention, is the use of the dual thickness walls of the tray which are made to resist great amounts of vertical compression.

Another important characteristic of the invented container is the extension of the laterals of the side walls in the form of return panels and flaps, which in the formation, join the side walls and end walls to produce a thickness of three walls providing tremendous resistance both vertically and laterally.

A further characteristic of the extension of the laterals of the container is the formation of a ridge on the upper edge of the container allowing for the support of other containers when stacking or placing the containers in storage.

Other details of the invention with regards to its characteristics, benefits and economy will be explained in the following description.

According to the present invention there is provided a stackable open 20 tray made from a blank of foldable material, the blank having a base panel, oopposed first and second pairs of side wall panels hinged to the base panel by fold lines, the side wall panels of each of the first pair having return panels hinged to opposed edges by fold lines perpendicular to the fold lines which hinge the side wall panels of the first pair to the base panel, each said return S25 panel has a flap extending outwardly therefrom and hinged thereto by a fold line parallel to the fold line which hinges the side wall panels of the first pair to the base panel, a respective outer panel hinged to each said side wall panel

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of each said first pair about a fold line parallel to the fold line connecting the o• o: associated said side wall panel to the base panel, each said outer panel being of a length substantially the same as the length of the associated said side wall panel, wherein each said outer panel is folded against its associated side all panel of each of said first pair to form a dual thickness wall, and each 23106/00,td8505.spe, 3 said return panel is folded against one of the interior or exterior of an adjacent one of said second pair of side wall panels and each said flap is folded against the other of an adjacent one of said second pair of side wall panels to strengthen the corners of said tray.

In order to allow for understanding of the invention, a drawing has been attached to the description in a schematic way for the sole purpose of providing an example for the following explanation of the invention. In the drawing:- Figure 1 shows the blank of the preformed tray which is made from a sheet of die cut corrugated board. The shape of the formed tray is derived through scored and creased lines which when folded form the bottom or base, the long sides, the end walls, the outer panels, the return panels and the flaps of the container; and Figure 2 is a fragmented view showing in perspective the parts of the container which consist of the bottom or base, the long sides, the end walls, the corners, and the method of interstacking, which was designed to stabilize the containers stacked on -top of one another.

In the description of the container number 1 is used to indicate the blank of die cut corrugated board used to form the tray.

20 The number 2 marks the section of the tray which is the bottom or base while the number 3 marks the long side walls and the number 4 marks end walls. The number 5 marks a large flap or outer panel which extends into the interior of the tray on each of the end walls 4 forming a border 6 on the

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upper edge of the container.

S 25 Upon folding the end wall flap or outer panel 5 along the double fold line 6 a ridge is formed which makes ample seating 7 which is prolonged at the corners to extend to the extremes of the long sides of the container o• joining completely the corners of the tray. This ample ridge of the tray forms a robust seating 7, 7a on which trays will be stacked one on top of the other.

It should be noted that in Fig. 1, the return panels 8 and flaps 9 are attached by the double fold lines 10 forming a double flap with the return <anan els 8 being attached to their respective end walls 4 and the flaps 9 being 23/06/00,td8505.spe,4 separated by cuts 11 from the outer panels 5 of the end walls. Upon assembling the container, each return panel 8 will be folded over forming the corners of the tray attaching themselves to the exterior of the side walls 3 of the container, optionally by use of adhesive.

Upon folding the return panels 8 onto their respective corners of the tray, the flaps 9 which are separate from the outer panels 5 will be elevated as seen in Fig. 2 until they are folded towards the interior of the corners of container as shown by line 12, and attached to the long side of the tray through the use of adhesive. This finalizes the assembly of the container.

According to the drawing of the assembled tray as just described, there exists six crests 13 strategically placed and emerging from the ridge on the upper edge of the container 7, 7a. These crests are located to coincide with the corresponding slots 14 cut into the bottom or base of an equivalent container which will rest one on top of the other.

Because the invention described is to contain perishable goods, the bottom or base of the tray and the end and side walls may also contain slots for ventilation. In accordance with this, the opposite side walls generally have a height less than that of the end walls so that when stacking one container S on another, there exists enough space between two trays to allow for ample 20 ventilation of packaged perishable goods.

In the realization of the invented container it has been foreseen that the dual thickness walls 4 and 5 with a widened ridge upper edge 7 and 7a will effectively support an equivalent container placed on top of it.

S" The invention may be put into practice realizing the same layout on the 25 long side 3 of the container in which case the ventilation spaces would be formed on the end wall of the containers when stacked one on top of the other instead of the long sides 3 of the container.

0 0: Having suitably described the nature of the tray and the method of oooo putting it into practical application so that it can be produced industrially, we would like to clarify that the container described is not limited strictly to the details set out, since variations may be introduced provided that the nature of the improved container which has been described is not altered.

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Claims (7)

1. A stackable open tray made from a blank of foldable material, the blank having a base panel, opposed first and second pairs of side wall panels hinged to the base panel by fold lines, the side wall panels of each of the first pair having return panels hinged to opposed edges by fold lines perpendicular to the fold lines which hinge the side wall panels of the first pair to the base panel, each said return panel has a flap extending outwardly therefrom and hinged thereto by a fold line parallel to the fold line which hinges the side wall panels of the first pair to the base panel, a respective outer panel hinged to each said side wall panel of each said first pair about a fold line parallel to the fold line connecting the associated said side wall panel to the base panel, each said outer panel being of a length substantially the same as the length of the associated said side wall panel, wherein each said outer panel is folded against its associated side wall panel of each of said first pair to form a dual thickness wall, and each said return panel is folded against one of the interior or exterior of an adjacent one of said second pair of side wall panels and each said flap is folded against the other of an adjacent one of said second pair of So side wall panels to strengthen the corners of said tray.

The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first pair of opposed too* 20 side wall panels are of a greater length then said second pair of opposed side 6 wall panels. *.i

3. The tray as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fold line which hinges each said outer panel to each of said first side wall panels further includes an additional fold line parallel to the existing fold line forming %0 25 a double fold line.

4. The tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein S:the fold line which hinges each flap to each respective return panel further includes an additional fold line parallel to the existing fold line forming a double fold line.

5. The tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the incorporation of the double fold lines forms a ridge on the upper edge of Ih the tray which extends along the full length of each of the first side wall 23106/00,td8505.spe,6 -7- panels and onto the ends of each of the second side wall panels forming a seat, allowing for the stacking of further trays.

6. The tray as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein when assembled said tray is held together by use of adhesive or interlocking tabs and slots.

7. A stackable open tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED this 22nd day of June, 2000. ESPAC PACKAGING GMBH By their Patent Attorneys: CALLINAN LAWRIE S** *S* *S 0 0S** *o S •oqel oao ooo 23/06/00,td8505.spe,7