Patent Abstract:
A tray for holding individual serving packets which is formed by folding a one piece paperboard blank. The blank is cut and scored to provide horizontal edge strips, downwardly angled end strips, a central product supporting strip extending between the end strips and stiffening members connected along fold lines to both the edge strips and the end strips.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention relates to paperboard trays and more particularly to such trays which are formed from one piece blanks and retain their shape without gluing or interlocking any of their component parts. 
     Most paperboard tray constructions require the gluing or interlocking of component parts in order for the tray to retain its shape. The gluing or interlocking operation requires extra steps in the formation of the tray. In addition, the glued or interlocked sections comprise two or more layers of paperboard which represent an increased paperboard requirement. Frequently the paperboard requirement is further increased because the glued or interlocked components require that the blank be irregular in shape so as to require waste strips between adjacent blanks. 
     Gluing or interlocking operations and the paperboard requirements for such constructions add significantly to the cost of manufacturing paperboard trays. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive tray formed from a one piece paperboard blank without the gluing or interlocking of elements. 
     It is another object to provide such a tray from a paperboard blank which generates no paperboard waste. 
     The objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a tray produced by folding a rectangular one piece paperboard blank which is cut and scored to provide horizontal edge strips, downwardly angled end strips, a central product supporting strip extending between the end strips, and stiffening members connected along fold lines to both the edge strips and the end strips. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cut and scored paperboard blank before folding; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tray formed by folding the blank of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the tray of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the tray of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 on FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 on FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the tray in use. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a paperboard blank 10 and a tray 11 formed from the blank which are in accordance with the present invention. 
     The paperboard blank 10, as shown in FIG. 1, is rectangular in shape having ends 12 and edges 14. A first pair of parallel fold lines 15, each having segments 15A, 15B and 15C, extend across the blanks from edge to edge. A second pair of parallel fold lines 16 extend between the fold lines 15 perpendicular thereto defining strips 17. A first set of cut lines 19 parallel to the second fold lines 16 and positioned inwardly thereof extend past the first fold lines 15 to form a central strip 20. A third pair of fold lines 21 extend between the ends of the cut lines 19. A cut line 22 extends from each end of each cut line 19 toward the adjacent edge 14 in line with the fold lines 21. A fourth fold line 24, extends from the outer end of each cut line 22 to the end of the adjacent second fold line 16 at an angle of about 45 degrees to the line 16. 
     End strips 25 are defined at each end of the blank 10 by the fold lines 21, the cut lines 22, the fold lines 24, and the fold line segment 15A outwardly of lines 16. The fold line segments 15A together with the fold lines 21 and 24 are scored to allow the end strips 25 to be folded downwardly to form downwardly facing oblique angles between the strips 25 and the strips 17 as shown in FIG. 4. 
     The fold line segments 15B and 15C lying inwardly of the lines 16 are scored to fold in the opposite direction to form generally upwardly facing oblique angles. The fold line segments 15C divide the central strip 20 into end support portions 26 and a floor portion 27. The fold lines 21 are scored to permit the end portions 26 (as best shown in FIG. 6) to fold downwardly with respect to the strip 25 along the fold lines 21, and upwardly with respect to the floor portion 27 along the fold line segment 15C. 
     A pair of stiffening wall members 29 are defined by the cut lines 19, 22 and by the fold lines 16, 24. The stiffening wall members 29 are divided by the fold line segments 15B into central sections 30 and end sections 31. The fold lines 16 are scored to permit the central sections 30 to fold downwardly with respect to the strips 17. The scoring along fold lines 24 allow the end sections 31 to fold downwardly with respect to the strips 25 while the scoring along the line segments 15B allows the end sections 31 to fold upwardly and inwardly with respect to the central sections 30. 
     The blank 10 is preferably cut from a sheet of paperboard by a die which simultaneously cuts and scores the blank. The blank is then preferably subjected to a pre-break operation to facilitate the forming of the tray. In the pre-break operation, reciprocating forming members produce a slight bend in the desired direction along each of fold lines. The blanks are still in an essentially flat condition so that a number of them can be included within the carton in which the product packets are shipped. 
     To complete the formation of a tray, the pre-broken blank is held between the thumb and fingers of one hand, the thumb engaging one end 12 and the fingers engaging the opposite end 12. The thumb and fingers are moved toward each other causing the blank to fold in the proper direction along each of the fold lines, into the shape shown in FIGS. 2 through 7. 
     After the tray 11 is formed, the stiffening wall members 29 tend to hold the tray in its assembled condition. The formed tray is loaded with packets P which are shown in phantom lines in FIG. 7. 
     Preferably, the packets P are made of a relatively stiff material, for example, paper, so that they have a degree of rigidity. They can contain individual servings of commonly used edible products such as sugar, sugar substitutes, salt substitutes, or the like. The packets are placed in the tray on edge upon the floor portion 27 of the central strip 20. The ends of the packets engage the central sections 30 of the stiffening wall members 29 to add further rigidity to the tray. The loaded tray is then placed in use on a counter or table, for example, in a cafeteria. 
     It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides a simple and inexpensive tray formed from a one piece blank without gluing or interlocking of elements and without generating paperboard waste.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1