Abstract:
An article-transport tray includes a floor, two side walls, and two end walls which cooperate to form an interior regions sized to contain bags of food or other articles. A partial cover is coupled to the side walls and is arranged to overlie the floor. The cover provides a top opening into the interior region formed in the tray.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/452,880, filed Mar. 7, 2003, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to trays, and particularly to stackable trays made of paperboard. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a sturdy tray made of a corrugated material and configured to contain food or other items.  
           [0003]    Various kinds of cartons or containers are used to pack packaged beef for delivery from a beef-packaging site to a retail store. Such containers are often plastic crates configured to be stacked on top of one another on a pallet to facilitate transport of the packaged beef or other packed items. These crates must be emptied at their destination and then shipped back to a beef-packaging site to be cleaned and then packed for reuse. Costs associated with return shipping and cleaning can be significant.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0004]    An article-transport tray is adapted to transport food or other articles from one site to another. The tray includes a floor, two side walls, a right end closure coupled to the floor and side walls, and a left end closure coupled to the floor and side walls. These tray portions cooperate to form an interior article-receiving region above the floor.  
           [0005]    Lower and upper tray-alignment guides are included in the right and left end closures. These guides are configured to mate with overlying and underlying trays to establish an aligned stack of trays.  
           [0006]    In illustrative embodiments, the lower tray-alignment guide includes an inclined right tray-locator flange appended to one end of the floor and an inclined left tray-locator flange appended to an opposite end of the floor. The inclined right and left tray-locator flanges are arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and diverge in a direction extending away from the floor.  
           [0007]    The upper tray-alignment guide includes an inclined right tray-locator rim arranged to lie above and in spaced-apart parallel relation to the inclined right tray-locator flange. The upper tray-alignment guide also includes an inclined left tray-locator rim arranged to lie above and in spaced-apart parallel relation to the inclined left tray-locator flange.  
           [0008]    In use, each of the right and left tray-locator flanges provided near the floor of the tray face downwardly and mate and nest with upwardly facing right and left tray-locator rims provided in an underlying tray. Also, each of the right and left tray-locator rims provided above the floor of the tray face upwardly and mate and nest with downwardly facing right and left tray-locator flanges in an overlying tray. Such mating and nesting among trays helps to maintain stacked trays in an aligned position relative to one another.  
           [0009]    Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected article-transport tray in accordance with the present disclosure showing a floor, two side walls appended to the floor, two end walls formed to include hand-receiving slots, an inclined left tray-locator rim coupled to an upper portion of the left end wall and arranged to extend from one side wall to the other side wall, an underlying inclined left rim-engaging tray-locator flange arranged to interconnect the floor and a lower portion of the left end wall and to extend from one side wall to the other side wall under the inclined left tray-locator rim, and a tray opening sized to receive a deformable bag filled with individually wrapped meat packages or other suitable items;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank of corrugated material used to form the tray of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 2 being folded to erect the end walls and side walls of the tray of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing further folding of portions of the left and right cover strips included in the blank of corrugated material and appended, respectively, to the inclined left and right tray-locator rims to produce tray support means for supporting another tray on top of the tray shown in FIG. 4 in the manner shown, for example, in FIG. 9;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken “generally” along line  5 - 5  showing folding of portions of the right cover strip to establish the position of the inclined right tray-locator rim relative to the right end wall but before the right cover strip is folded fully to assume the position shown in FIG. 4;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing completed folding of the right cover strip to assume the position shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the near right corner of the tray of FIG. 1 showing portions of the inclined right tray-locator rim and the underlying inclined right tray-locator flange; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing several trays of the type shown in FIG. 1 stacked on top of one another so that the two separated, downwardly facing, inclined tray-locator flanges associated with one tray mate with and nest against the two separated, upwardly facing, inclined tray-locator rims associated with an underlying tray. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]    An article-transport tray  10  is provided, as shown in FIG. 1, for carrying various items. Tray  10  is well-suited for carrying a deformable bag  12  containing, for example, ten to fifteen pounds of packaged fresh or frozen beef. Bag  12  can be deformed easily as suggested in FIG. 1 to fit through an opening  11  into an interior region  14  provided in tray  10  to assume a “stored” position therein as shown, for example, in FIG. 9. Trays  10  are configured to be stacked on top of one another as also shown in FIG. 9 to facilitate transport of filled trays  10  from, for example, a. meat-packaging plant to a grocery store.  
         [0021]    Tray  10  includes, at one end, an inclined tray-locator rim  20  and a left cover strip  16  including a horizontal tray-support platform  18  appended to inclined left tray-locator rim  20  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Tray  10  also includes, at an opposite end, an inclined right tray-locator rim  26  and a right cover strip  22  including a horizontal tray-support platform  24  appended to inclined right tray-locator rim  26 .  
         [0022]    As suggested in FIG. 1, inclined left and right tray-locator rims  20 ,  26  are arranged to diverge in a direction  25  extending away from floor  14  and face upwardly in direction  25  to promote “nesting” engagement with a tray similar to tray  10  placed on top of tray  10  as suggested in FIG. 9. Inclined left and right tray-locator rims  20 ,  26  cooperate to form an upper tray-alignment guide  102  and with left and right horizontal tray-support platforms  18 ,  24  cooperate to mate with an underside of an overlying tray  10 ′″ as suggested, for example, in FIG. 9 so that an aligned stack of nested trays can be created easily for storage or transit.  
         [0023]    Each of horizontal tray-support platforms  18 ,  24  illustratively includes a concave, curved edge  13  as shown in FIG. 1. Tray-support platforms  18 ,  24  are positioned to lie in spaced-apart relation to one another as shown in FIG. 1 to provide a top opening  11  into interior region  14  of tray  10 . Deformable bag  12  or other articles (not shown) can be placed in or removed from interior region  14  through that top opening  11 .  
         [0024]    Tray  10  also includes inclined rim-engaging left and right tray-locator flanges  28 ,  30  located at opposite ends of tray  10  and arranged to face downwardly as shown, for example, in FIG. 1. As suggested, for example, in FIG. 1, inclined left and right tray-locator flanges  28 ,  30  are arranged to diverge in direction  25  and cooperate to form a lower tray-alignment guide  101 .  
         [0025]    Each of these downwardly facing tray-locator flanges  28 ,  30  is sized and shaped to rest on one of the inclined left and right tray-locator rims  20 ,  26  provided on an underlying tray  10 ′ when trays  10 ,  10 ′ are stacked on top of one another to promote “nesting” engagement with a tray similar to tray  10  placed below tray  10  as suggested in FIG. 9. Thus, tray-locator flanges  28 ,  30  associated with a first tray  10  and tray-locator rims  20 ,  26  associated with an underlying tray  10 ′ cooperate to provide means for aligning and/or retaining the first tray  10  in an aligned, stacked position above the underlying tray  10 ′ when the first tray  10  is placed on the tray-support platforms  18 ,  24  of the underlying tray  10 ′ as shown in FIG. 9 to provide a stack of aligned nested trays suitable for storage or for transport from one location to another.  
         [0026]    Tray  10  is made from a blank  32  of corrugated material, as shown in FIG. 2, including a floor  34 , left and right tray-locator flanges  28 ,  30  appended to floor  34 , a first side wall  36 , a second side wall  38 , a left end strip  40  appended to left tray-locator flange  28 , and a right end strip  42  appended to right tray-locator flange  30 . Blank  32  also includes left cover strip  16 , left tray-locator rim  20  appended to left cover strip  16  and to left end strip  40 , right cover strip  22 , and right tray-locator rim  26  appended to right cover strip  22  and to right end strip  42 . The corrugation of blank  32  is positioned to run in longitudinal direction  31  as shown in insert A in FIG. 2.  
         [0027]    Left end strip  40  includes a left end wall  44 , a first end wall anchor flap  46  coupled to one end of left end wall  44  along a fold line  47 , and a second end wall anchor flap  48  coupled to another end of left end wall  44  along a fold line  49  as shown in FIG. 2. Left end wall  44  is formed to include a hand-receiving slot  45  as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3.  
         [0028]    Right end strip  42  includes a right end wall  50 , a first end wall anchor flap  52  coupled to one end of right end wall  50  along a fold line  53 , and a second end wall anchor flap  54  coupled to another end of right end wall  50  along a fold line  55  as also shown in FIG. 2. Right end wall  50  is formed to include a hand-receiving slot  51  as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2.  
         [0029]    Referring now to FIG. 2, left end wall  44  is coupled to left tray-locator rim  20  along fold line  21  and to left tray-locator flange  28  along fold line  29 . Likewise, right end wall  50  is coupled to right tray-locator rim  26  along fold line  27  and to right tray-locator flange  30  along fold line  31 . Left ray-locator flange  28  is coupled to floor  34  along fold line  33  and right tray-locator flange  30  is coupled to floor  34  along fold line  35  as shown, for example, in FIG. 2.  
         [0030]    First end wall anchor flap  46  of left end strip  40  includes a rectangle-shaped “outboard” portion  60  and a parallelogram-shaped “inboard” portion  62  as shown in FIG. 2. It is within the scope of this disclosure to vary the shapes of portions  60 ,  62  and other similar portions disclosed herein. Outboard portion  60  is sized to mate with an interior surface  136  of first side wall  36  as suggested in FIG. 1. Inboard portion  62  includes an upper inclined edge  63  (see FIG. 12) for underlying and supporting one end  223  (see FIG. 2) of inclined left tray-locator rim  20  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3. Inboard portion  62  also includes a lower inclined edge  64  (see FIG. 2) for engaging one end  22  (see FIG. 2) of inclined left tray-locator flange  28  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIG. 1.  
         [0031]    Second end wall anchor flap  48  of left end strip  40  includes a rectangle-shaped outboard portion  70  and a parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  72  as shown in FIG. 2. Outboard portion  70  is sized to mate with an interior surface  138  of second side wall  38  as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3. Inboard portion  72  includes an upper inclined edge  73  (see FIG. 2) for underlying and supporting another end  221  (see FIG. 2) of inclined left tray-locator rim  20  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3. Inboard portion  72  also includes a lower inclined edge  74  (see FIG. 2) for engaging another end  225  (see FIG. 2) of inclined left tray-locator flange  28  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIG. 1.  
         [0032]    First end wall anchor flap  52  of right end strip  42  includes a rectangle-shaped outboard portion  80  and a parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  82  as shown in FIG. 2. Outboard portion  80  is sized to mate with an interior surface  136  of first side wall  36  as suggested in FIG. 1. Inboard portion  82  includes an upper inclined edge  84  (see FIG. 2) for underlying and supporting one end  235  (see FIG. 2) of inclined right tray-locator  26  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3. Inboard parallelogram portion  82  also includes a lower inclined edge  83  (see FIG. 2) for engaging one end  229  (see FIG. 2) of inclined right tray-locator flange  30  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIG. 1.  
         [0033]    Second end wall anchor flap  54  of right end strip  42  includes a rectangle-shaped outboard portion  90  and a parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  92  as shown in FIG. 2. Outboard portion  90  is sized to mate with an interior surface  138  of second side wall  38  as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3. Inboard portion  92  includes an upper inclined edge  94  (see FIG. 2) for underlying and supporting another end  237  (see FIG. 2) of inclined right tray-locator rim  26  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3. Inboard portion  92  also includes a lower inclined edge  93  (see FIG. 2) for engaging another end  231  (see FIG. 2) of inclined right tray-locator flange  28  when tray  10  is erected as suggested in FIG. 1.  
         [0034]    As shown best in FIG. 2, left cover strip  16  further includes a first platform anchor flap  110  coupled to one end of left tray-support platform  18  along a fold line  111  and as second platform anchor flap  112  coupled to another end of left tray support platform  18  along a fold line  113 . Likewise, right cover strip  22  further includes a first platform anchor flap  114  coupled to one end of right tray-support platform  24  along a fold line  115  and a second platform anchor flap  116  coupled to another end of right tray-support platform  24  along a fold line  117 . The first platform anchor flaps  110 ,  114  are mated and fixed (using any suitable means) to an exterior surface  236  of first side wall  36  while the second platform anchor flaps  112 ,  116  are mated and fixed (using any suitable means) to an exterior surface  238  (see FIG. 7) of second side wall  38  as suggested in FIGS. 1, 4,  7 , and  8  to establish a rigid and sturdy tray  10 .  
         [0035]    A lower tray-alignment guide  101  is associated with floor  34  as suggested in FIG. 1 and adapted to mate and nest with an underlying tray to establish an aligned stack of trays. An upper tray-alignment guide  102  is located above lower tray alignment guide  101  as suggested in FIG. 1. Upper tray-alignment guide  102  is adapted to mate and nest with an overlying tray to establish an aligned stack of trays. Lower and upper tray-alignment guides  101 , 102  cooperate to define a “tray aligner” for use in the manner suggested in FIG. 9.  
         [0036]    Lower tray-alignment guide  101  includes an inclined right tray-locator flange  30  arranged to interconnect the first end of floor  34  and the lower boundary of right end strip  42  and an inclined left tray-locator flange  28  arranged to interconnect the second end of floor  34  and the lower boundary of left end strip  40 . Inclined right and left tray-locator flanges  30 ,  28  are arranged to diverge in direction  25  extending away from floor  34  and toward the lower boundaries of right and left end straps  42 ,  40  as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3.  
         [0037]    Upper tray-alignment guide  102  includes an inclined right tray-locator rim  26  appended to right end wall  50  along a fold line  27  and a right cover strip  22  appended to inclined right tray-locator rim  26  and to first and second side walls  36 ,  38  to cause inclined right tray-locator rim  26  and right end wall  50  to define an acute included angle  103  therebetween, as suggested in FIG. 6. A similar acute included angle is formed between left end wall  44  and inclined left tray-locator rim  20  as suggested in FIG. 1. Inclined right tray-locator rim  26  is located above and in spaced-apart parallel relation to inclined right tray-locator flange  30 . An obtuse included angle  104  is defined between right tray-locator rim  26  and tray-support platform  24  as suggested in FIG. 6.  
         [0038]    Upper tray-alignment guide  102  further includes an inclined left tray-locator rim  20  appended to left end wall  44  included in left end strip  40  and arranged to extend between first and second side walls  36 ,  38 . Inclined left tray-locator rim  20  is appended to tray-support platform  18  to define an obtuse included angle  105  (see FIG. 9) therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment, angles  104  and  105  are substantially equivalent.  
         [0039]    Inclined right and left tray-locator rims  26 ,  20  are arranged to diverge in direction  25  extending away from floor  34 . Inclined right tray-locator rim and flange  26 ,  30  are arranged to lie in spaced-apart parallel relation to one another, as suggested in FIG. 1. Inclined left tray-locator rim and flange  20 ,  28  are also arranged to lie in spaced-apart parallel relation to one another.  
         [0040]    First end wall anchor flap  52  of right end strip  40  includes a lower inclined edge  83  mating with inclined right tray-locator flange  30 . Second end wall anchor flap  54  of right end strip  42  includes a lower inclined edge  93  mating with inclined right tray-locator flange  30 .  
         [0041]    First end wall anchor flap  52  includes an outboard portion  80  coupled to first side wall  36  and an inboard portion  82  coupled to right end wall  50  along a fold line  53  therebetween and arranged to interconnect right end wall  50  and outboard portion  80 . Inboard portion  82  includes lowered inclined edge  83  of first end wall anchor flap  52 . First side wall  36  includes an interior surface  136  facing toward second side wall  38 . First side wall  36  includes a first lower inclined edge  230  mating with inclined right tray-locator flange  30  as suggested in FIG. 8. Similarly, a first lower inclined edge  233  of second wall  38  mates with inclined right tray-locator flange  30 . The same is true in the illustrated embodiment at the opposite end wherein second lower inclined edges (not shown) of first and second walls  36 ,  38  mate with inclined left tray-locator flange  28 . The first lower inclined edges of first and second wall anchor flaps  46 ,  48  are arranged to lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to one another.  
         [0042]    Floor  34  has a width dimension  201  extending between first and second side walls  36 ,  38 . Right tray-locator flange  30  has a width dimension  202  that is about equal to the width dimension  201  of floor  34 . Right end wall  50  has a width dimension  203  extending between first and second end wall anchor flaps  52 ,  54 . Width dimension  203  is less than width dimensions  201  and  202  in the illustrated embodiment.  
         [0043]    First end wall anchor flap  52  is angled with respect to right end wall  50  to mate with inclined right tray-locator flange  30  to define a first outboard ledge  229  mating with first side wall  36 . First side wall  36  includes a lower inclined edge  230  mating with first outboard ledge  229  defined on inclined right tray-locator flange  30 .  
         [0044]    Second end wall anchor flap  54  is angled with respect to right end wall  50  to mate with inclined right tray-locator flange  30  to define a second outboard ledge  231  suggested in FIGS. 1 and 3 mating with second side wall  38 . Second side wall  38  includes a lower inclined edge  233  mating with second outboard ledge  231  defined on inclined right tray-locator flange  30 . Similar outboard ledges  225 ,  227  are provided on inclined left tray-locator flange  28  as suggested in FIG. 2 and these ledges are arranged to mate with lower inclined edges of first and second side walls  36 ,  38 .  
         [0045]    First end wall anchor flap  52  includes a first parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  82  appended to right end wall  50  along a fold line  53  therebetween and first outboard portion  80  appended to first parallelogram-shaped inboard portion includes a lower inclined edge  83  mating with inclined right tray-locator flange  30  and an upper inclined edge  84 . Horizontal tray-support platform  24  overlies first outboard portion  80  and inclined right tray-locator rim  26  interconnects right end wall  50  and horizontal tray-support platform  24  and mates with upper inclined edge  84  of first parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  82 .  
         [0046]    Second end wall anchor flap  54  includes a second parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  92  appended to right end wall  50  along a fold line  55  therebetween and a second outboard portion  90  appended to second parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  92  and coupled to inner surface  138  of second side wall  38 . Second parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  92  includes a lower inclined edge  93  mating with inclined right tray-locator flange  30  and an upper inclined edge  94 . Horizontal tray-support platform  24  overlies second outboard portion  90 . Inclined right tray-locator rim  26  mates with upper inclined edge  94  of second parallelogram-shaped inboard portion  92  to lie in substantially spaced-apart parallel relation to inclined right-tray locator flange  30 .  
         [0047]    Inclined right tray-locator flange  30  cooperates with floor  34  to define a first obtuse included angle  106  therebetween as suggested in FIG. 5. Left tray-locator flange  28  cooperates with floor  34  to define a second obtuse included angle  107  therebetween as suggested in FIG. 1. First and second obtuse included angles  106 ,  107  are substantially equivalent to one another. Upper tray-alignment guide  102  is located above floor  34  and adapted to mate and nest with an overlying tray to establish an aligned stack of trays. Upper tray-alignment guide  102  includes an inclined right tray-locator rim  26  located above and in spaced-apart parallel relation to inclined right tray-locator flange  30  and an inclined left tray-locator rim  20  located above and in spaced-apart parallel relation to inclined left tray-locator flange  28 .