Abstract:
A tray has a bottom panel, side and end panels and top shoulders at opposed ends of the tray. The tray is covered by a separate sleeve that extends across the top of the tray and down opposed sides and across the bottom of the tray. The trays may be stacked with an upper tray resting on the shoulders of the lower tray. The sleeve is a sleeve for the stack of trays with the side panels of the sleeve sized for different numbers of trays in the stack. There may be frictional tabs in the side panels of the tray or trays which have frictional engagement with the side panels of the sleeve.

Description:
[0001]    This is directed to a container which may be stacked and which has a separate sleeve for one or multiple containers. 
         [0002]    People often order more than one pizza when ordering take-out. Each of the pizzas are placed in a separate box having a cover. The packaging for these pizzas costs more. 
         [0003]    In the present invention it is proposed to provide one cover for multiple pizzas. This reduces the amount of material required to ship the pizzas and the amount of material going to be discarded. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of one embodiment of a blank for a pizza container. 
           [0005]      FIGS. 2-6  are isometric views showing the formation of the container from the blank of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0006]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the pizza container assembled from the blank of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a blank for a sleeve for a stack of three pizza containers. 
           [0008]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of a formed sleeve. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 10 and 11  are isometric views of the assembly of a stack of three pizza containers with a sleeve. 
           [0010]      FIG. 12  is an isometric view of the formed package. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    While stacks of three containers is shown it should be understood that the sleeves can be sized to fit one or a stack of any number of containers. 
         [0012]    Throughout the application the term “attachment line” is used to denote score lines, reverse score lines and slit and score lines. 
         [0013]    In  FIG. 1 , the blank  30  is divided by transverse parallel attachment lines  32 ,  34 ,  36  and  38  into a shoulder panel  40 , a front panel  42 , a bottom panel  44 ′ a back panel  46  and a shoulder panel  48 . A pair of parallel longitudinal attachment lines  50  and  52  attach a pair of side flaps  54  and  56  to shoulder panel  40 . A pair of parallel longitudinal attachment lines  58  and  60  attach a pair of side panels  62  and  64  to bottom panel  44 . A pair of parallel longitudinal attachment lines  66  and  68  attach a pair of side flaps  70  and  72  to shoulder panel  48 . A pair of transverse parallel attachment lines  74  and  76  attach front and back flaps  78  and  80  to the front and back sides of side panel  62 . A pair of transverse parallel attachment lines  82  and  84  attach front and back flaps  86  and  88  to the front and back sides of side panel  64 . 
         [0014]    The front and back flaps are separated from adjacent flaps and panels by cut lines or slots. A pair of transverse cut lines or slots  90  and  92  separate, respectively, side flap  54  from front flap  78  and side flap  56  from front flap  86 . A pair of parallel longitudinal cut lines or slots  94  and  96  separate, respectively, front panel  42  from front flap  78  and front panel  42  from front flap  86 . A pair of parallel longitudinal cut lines or slots  98  and  100  separate, respectively, back panel  46  from back flap  80  and back panel  46  from back flap  88 . A pair of transverse cut lines or slots  102  and  104  separate, respectively, side flap  70  from back flap  80  and side flap  72  from back flap  88 . 
         [0015]    The attachment lines  50 ,  58  and  66  and the cut lines or slots  94  and  98  are substantially in alignment. The attachment lines  50  and  66  will be offset slightly outwardly of attachment line  58  to allow the flaps  54  and  70  to be on the outside of panel  62  in the formed container. The cut lines or slots  94  and  98  should be placed to allow the flaps  78  and  80  to be on the inner face of the front panel  42  and the back panel  46 , respectively, in the formed container. 
         [0016]    Similarly, the attachment lines  52 ,  60  and  68  and the cut lines or slots  96  and  100  are substantially in alignment. The attachment lines  52  and  68  are offset slightly outwardly of attachment line  60  to allow the flaps  56  and  72  to be on the outside of panel  64  in the formed container. The cut lines or slots  96  and  100  are placed to allow the flaps  86  and  88  to be on the inner face of the front panel  42  and the back panel  46 , respectively, in the formed container. 
         [0017]    The transverse attachment lines  74  and  82  are in substantial alignment with attachment line  34 . The transverse attachment lines  74  and  82  are offset slightly inwardly of the attachment line  34  to allow the flaps  78  and  86  to be inside the front panel  42  in the formed container. The transverse attachment lines  76  and  84  are in substantial alignment with attachment line  36 . The attachment lines  76  and  84  are offset slightly inwardly of the attachment line  34  to allow the flaps  78  and  86  to be inside the front panel  42  in the formed container. 
         [0018]    There are friction tabs formed along the bottom of the container. These are formed by cut lines  106  and  108  located along the longitudinal attachment lines  58  and  60  and centrally of the side panels  62  and  64 . The cut lines  106  and  108  are slightly offset from the attachment lines  58  and  60  and have ends that intersect the attachment lines  58  and  60  to form friction tabs  110  and  112  which bear against the sleeve when the tray is inserted into the sleeve. 
         [0019]    Consequently the term “in alignment” means the attachment lines and cut lines or slots will be in alignment or slightly offset depending of the placement of the panels, flaps and tabs in the formed container. 
         [0020]    There are pairs of locking tabs formed in the side flaps attached to the shoulder panels and in the side panels. These are used to form the container and hold it in its erected form. 
         [0021]    One pair of locking tabs is locking tab  114  formed in side flap  54  and locking tab  120  formed toward the front of side panel  62 . Locking tab  114  is formed by cut lines  116  around three sides of the locking tab  114  and by attachment line  118  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  114 . Locking tab  120  is formed by cut lines  122  around three sides of the locking tab  120  and attachment line  124  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  120 . 
         [0022]    Another pair of locking tabs is locking tab  126  formed in side flap  56  and locking tab  132  formed toward the front of side panel  64 . Locking tab  126  is formed by cut lines  128  around three sides of the locking tab  126  and by attachment line  130  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  126 . Locking tab  132  is formed by cut lines  134  around three sides of the locking tab  132  and attachment line  136  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  132 . 
         [0023]    Another pair of locking tabs is locking tab  138  formed in side flap  70  and locking tab  144  formed toward the back of side panel  62 . Locking tab  138  is formed by cut lines  140  around three sides of the locking tab  138  and by attachment line  142  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  138 . Second back locking tab  144  is formed by cut lines  146  around three sides of the locking tab  144  and attachment line  148  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  144 . 
         [0024]    Another pair of locking tabs is locking tab  150  formed in side flap  72  and locking tab  156  formed toward the back of side panel  64 . Locking tab  150  is formed by cut lines  152  around three sides of the locking tab  150  and by attachment line  154  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  150 . Locking tab  156  is formed by cut lines  158  around three sides of the locking tab  156  and attachment line  160  forming the fourth side of the locking tab  156 . 
         [0025]    In each of the pairs of locking tabs, the attachment lines are shown as facing each other. This is one embodiment. In the formed container, the locking tabs are congruent and the attachment lines of each pair are contiguous. Both attachment lines in the blank can be on facing sides as shown, or both can be on the top or bottom of the tab, or they can be opposed to each other. One tab in each tab pair is needed to lock the sides in place. An aperture can be used in place of the other tab in each locking tab pair. 
         [0026]    The formation of the container is shown in  FIGS. 2-7 . The side panels  62  and  64  and their associated flaps  78 ,  80 ,  86  and  88  are bent upwardly around attachment lines  58  and  60 . The flaps  78  and  86  are bent inwardly around their attachment lines  74  and  82 . Front panel  42  and its attached shoulder panel and flaps  40 ,  54  and  56  are bent upwardly around attachment line  34  until the front panel  42  rests against the front sides of side panels  62  and  64 . The shoulder panel  40  and its attached flaps  54  and  56  are bent downwardly around attachment line  32  until the shoulder panel rests on the upper edges of the side panels  62  and  64 . Side flaps  54  and  56  are bent downwardly around attachment lines  50  and  52  until the flaps are against side panels  62  and  64 . The locking tab  114  is now aligned with locking tab  120  with the attachment line  118  substantially contiguous with attachment line  124 . The locking tab  126  is now aligned with locking tab  132  with the attachment line  130  substantially contiguous with attachment line  136 . The pair of locking tabs  114  and  120  and the pair of locking tabs  126  and  132  are pushed into the container to lock the front panel  42 , shoulder panel  40 , side flaps  54  and  56 , and side panels  62  and  64  in place. 
         [0027]    The product is placed within the container. The flaps  80  and  88  are bent inwardly around their attachment lines  76  and  84 . The back panel  46  and its associated shoulder panel  48  and flaps  70  and  72  are bent upwardly around attachment line  36  until the back panel rests against the back sides of side panels  62  and  64 . The shoulder panel  48  and its associated flaps  70  and  72  are bent downwardly around attachment line  38  until the shoulder panel  48  rests on the top edges of side panels  63  and  64 . The flaps  70  and  72  are bent downwardly around attachment lines  66  and  68  until the flaps are against the sides of side panels  62  and  64 . The locking tab  138  is now aligned with locking tab  144  with the attachment line  142  substantially contiguous with attachment line  148 . The locking tab  150  is now aligned with locking tab  156  with the attachment line  154  substantially contiguous with attachment line  160 . The pair of locking tabs  138  and  144  and the pair of locking tabs  150  and  156  are pushed into the container to lock the back panel  46 , shoulder panel  40 , side flaps  70  and  72 , and side panels  62  and  64  in place. The formed container  162  is shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 8  shows a blank  186  for the sleeve  206 . The blank  186  is divided by transverse sleeve attachment lines  188 ,  190 ,  192  and  194  into a sleeve side panel  196 , a sleeve bottom panel  198 , a sleeve side panel  200 , a sleeve top panel  202  and a sleeve glue panel  204 . To form the sleeve  206 , the glue panel  204  is glued to the outer edge of the sleeve side panel  196  as shown in  FIG. 9 .  FIGS. 10 and 11  show the formation of a stack of containers with the sleeve. The three containers  162 ,  162   a  and  162   b  are filled and placed in the sleeve. In a stack of containers each of the upper containers in the stack rest on the shoulder panels of the container below it. A stack of three containers is shown but sleeves can be sized for any number of containers. A sleeve can even be used for one container. The only difference between sleeves is the height of the side walls which are sized to fit over the single container or the stack of containers. The friction tabs  110  and  112  bear against the side panels of the sleeve to hold the trays in the sleeve during transport. 
         [0029]    The package is described as being used for pizzas but may be used for other products. 
         [0030]    The package may be made with corrugated board, containerboard or fiberboard, or combinations of these. 
         [0031]    It will be understood that other changes can be made to the trays and sleeve without departing from the spirit of the invention.