Abstract:
Disclosed is a paperboard tray that includes a bottom panel; a plurality of side panels, each side panel attached to an edge of the bottom panel; a plurality of outer panels, each outer panel attached to an outer edge of one of the side panels; and a plurality of corner gussets that connect a pair of adjacent side panels of the plurality of side panels. A first subset of the plurality of corner gussets is adhered to a first of the plurality of side panels and a first of the plurality of outer panels is adhered to the first subset of the plurality of corner gussets. A second subset of the plurality of corner gussets is adhered to a second of the plurality of side panels and a second of the plurality of outer panels is adhered to the second subset of the plurality of corner gussets.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/019,792, filed on Jul. 1, 2014, entitled “WEBBED CORNER REVERSE FOLDED PAPERBOARD TRAY,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to folded paperboard trays. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Webbed cornered leak resistant trays constructed from a cut, scored, and folded blank are convenient for storing and transporting food, for example, but not limited to, the transportation and storage of food with liquid properties. Some known trays are constructed of expanded polystyrene which, when shipped to the customer, require a lot of shipping space since the trays do not have a knocked down flat construction but instead are of a molded shape. It is desirable to have a leak resistant tray that can be shipped flat and formed at the customer&#39;s location to decrease shipping space (and thus costs) required for transporting the leak resistant tray to the customer. For example, but without limitation, a webbed corner folded leak resistant tray may contain fresh meat or other food or non-food products. The tray may then be shrink wrapped for storage or transportation of the food item. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this application, and any or all drawings or figures. 
         [0005]    Disclosed is a webbed corner folded leak resistant tray formed from a single blank that is capable of being folded and glued on standard machinery. The flat carton blank of foldable material may have two pairs of opposing side panels hingedly connected by gussets as well as two opposing pairs of outer panels. The tray may be folded and sealed so that no cut or exposed edges are in contact with the product contained inside the tray. In some embodiments, the blank may be made of a paper stock having a one or two side clear or pigmented polymer such as polyethylene or polypropylene extrusion coating, with an internal sized water-resistant fiber cellulose paper between the two polymer layers. In other embodiments, the blank may be made of a two-sided low-density polyethylene (“LDPE”) coated carton (such a milk carton), a two-sided LDPE coated cup stock, or a two-sided LDPE coated canister grade of paperboard, or any other suitable material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a unitary blank of a foldable material that may be folded and glued to form a paperboard tray. 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are perspective views of a paperboard tray partially erected from the blank of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective top view of the erected paperboard tray of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of the erected paperboard tray of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the erected paperboard tray of  FIG. 2  including a food article in the tray receptacle and shrink wrapped. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described. 
         [0012]    Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention,  FIG. 1  illustrates a single blank of foldable material. The foldable material may be paper-based material such as paperboard, although other materials may be used if desired. In embodiments using paperboard, the paperboard may be formed from virgin or recycled material, and may be single-ply or laminated paperboard. In some embodiments, the foldable material can be a foldable material having a pigmented or clear polyethylene layer or other water-resistant polymer application, or can be an internal high sized water-resistant milk carton stock, two-sided LDPE coated cup stock, or two-sided LDPE coated canister grades of paperboard, though other suitable foldable materials may be used. The foldable material can be coated to aid in reducing the absorption of liquids by the foldable material. In some embodiments, the foldable material can be coated with a polyethylene extrusion or alternative extrudable biodegradable, compostable polymers such as polylactic acid (“PLA”) or water based high holdout polymer emulsions, though other suitable coatings may be used. 
         [0013]    As illustrated, blank  1  includes a bottom panel  2  that is generally rectangular in shape, though it may be any other suitable shape and have any desired dimensions. For example, the bottom panel  2  may be circular, triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, etc. (with the appropriate shape and number of side panels based on the shape of the bottom panel  2 ). Blank  1  includes side panels  4 ,  6 ,  8 ,  10  that are foldably connected to the respective edges of bottom panel  2  at fold lines  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18 , respectively. Side panels  4  and  6  are hingedly connected to one another via foldable gusset  20 . Similarly, side panels  6  and  8  are hingedly connected to one another via foldable gusset  22 , while side panels  8  and  10  are hingedly connected to one another via foldable gusset  24 , and side panels  10  and  4  are hingedly connected to one another via foldable gusset  26 . Outer panels  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34  are foldably connected to the respective side panels  4 ,  6 ,  8 ,  10  at fold lines  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , respectively. Outer panel  34  includes a tab  36  foldably connected to a left edge of outer panel  34  at fold line  72 . Outer panel  34  also includes a tab  38  foldably connected to a right edge of outer panel  34  at fold line  74 . Similarly, outer panel  30  includes a tab  40  foldably connected to a left edge of outer panel  30  at fold line  70 . Outer panel  30  also include a tab  42  foldably connected to a right edge of outer panel  30  at fold line  68 . 
         [0014]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the bottom panel  2  includes two long edges (fold lines  14  and  18 ) and two short edges (fold lines  12  and  16 ). 
         [0015]    Each gusset  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  includes a diagonal center fold line  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50 , respectively. In addition, each gusset  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  includes two outer fold lines  52  and  54 ;  56  and  58 ;  60  and  62 ;  64  and  66 , respectively. As explained in more detail below, each gusset may be folded and glued against an adjacent side panel when the blank is erected. 
         [0016]    The blank  1  shown in  FIG. 1  may be erected into a leak resistance tray. When opposing side panels  4 ,  8  and  6 ,  10  are folded substantially upright about their respective fold lines at angle of approximately 65-90 degrees with respect to the bottom panel  2 , a tray receptacle or receiving area is formed. With the side panels  4 ,  6  folded substantially upright about respective fold lines  12 ,  14 , gusset  20  is folded along fold lines  52 ,  54 ,  44  such that gusset  20  is folded against the outer surface of side panel  6 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , gusset  20  is folded into a triangular shape such that fold line  44  is the inner-most edge of the resultant folded gusset  20 . Gusset  20  is maintained in this position by applying adhesive between the exterior of side panel  6  and the interior surface of gusset  20  where gusset  20  is folded back against side panel  6 . Similarly, gusset  22  is folded and maintained in place against side panel  6  via fold lines  56 ,  58 ,  46  such that fold line  46  is the inner-most edge of the triangular resultant shape of gusset  22  (see  FIG. 2A ). Gusset  24  is folded and adhered in place against side panel  10  via fold lines  60 ,  62 ,  48 ; and finally gusset  26  is folded and adhered in place against side panel  10  via fold lines  64 ,  66 ,  50 . The adherence of gussets  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  against opposing side panels  6 ,  10  may be completed by standard folding and gluing machines if desired. In other embodiments, gussets  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  could be folded and secured against the other adjacent side panel (i.e., side panels  4  and  8 ). 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 2B , with the side panels  4 ,  6 ,  8 ,  10  and gussets  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  folded and glued in place, outer panels  30 ,  34  may be folded downwards against the outer surface of the side panels from which they respectively extend. In particular, outer panel  30  is folded down and glued against the outer surface of side panel  6  and folded gussets  20 ,  22  with tabs  40 ,  42  extending outwards. Tab  42  is folded along fold line  68  and adhered in place against the outer surface of side panel  4 . Tab  40  is folded along fold line  70  and adhered in place against the outer surface of side panel  8 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , once outer panel  30  is folded and attached to side panel  6 , fold line  82  is disposed as the upper edge of the tray. Similarly, outer panel  34  is folded down and adhered against the outer surface of side panel  10  and folded gussets  24 ,  26  with tabs  36 ,  38  extending outwards. Tab  36  is folded along fold line  72  and adhered in place against the outer surface of side panel  8 . Tab  38  is folded along fold line  74  and adhered in place against the outer surface of side panel  4 . 
         [0018]    After outer panels  30  and  34  (and their respective tabs  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 ) are adhered in position, outer panel  28  is folded against the outer surface of side panel  4  and against tabs  38 ,  42  and adhered in place. Outer panel  32  is folded against the outer surface of side panel  8  and against tabs  36 ,  40  and adhered in place. In some embodiments, outer panels  28 ,  32  may each include an embossing that creates an indentation that receives the tabs  38 ,  42 ,  36 ,  40 , respectively. In some embodiments, outer panels  28 ,  32  may include tabs instead of the tabs  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42 , in which case the gussets  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  may be folded against side panels  8 ,  10 . The folding and gluing described above can be done by a standard folding and gluing machine if desired. 
         [0019]    The blank  1  may be cut from a larger sheet or roll of material coated as described above such that the outer perimeter of the blank  1  (i.e., the cut edges) are the only portion of the blank  1  that is not coated. When the blank  1  is erected in the manner described above, the exposed cut edges of the foldable material, which lack a coating along the cut edge, are positioned on the outer surface of the tray. The exposed cut edges positioned on the outer surface of the tray, away from the receiving area of the tray, prevent contact between the exposed or cut edges and any liquid or food present in the receiving area of the tray. In other words, any liquid or food present within the receiving area of the tray only contacts the coated surfaces of the foldable material. This prevents the absorption of the liquid by the foldable material, which could weaken the tray or cause the liquid to leak out of the tray. By preventing contact between the cut edges of the foldable material and the liquid, food, or other product within the tray, the foldable material may not absorb a liquid within the receiving area of the tray. The layering of the outer panels  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34  against the outer surface of the side panels  4 ,  6 ,  8 ,  10  also provides additional structural support to the tray, as do tabs  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42  and gussets  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  at each respective corner. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , each side panel of the fully erected tray spanning between the corners includes two full layers of material. For example, the front panel (as seen in  FIG. 3 ) includes outer panel  30  as the outer surface and side panel  6  disposed interior to the outer panel  30  such that fold line  82  forms the upper edge of the front panel. Similarly, the rear panel (as seen in  FIG. 3 ) includes side panel  10  as the inner-most layer and outer panel  34  as the outer surface such that fold line  86  forms the upper edge of the rear panel. The left and right panels (as seen in  FIG. 3 ) include side panels  8  and  4  as the inner-most layers, respectively, and outer panels  32  and  28  as the outer surfaces, respectively, such that fold lines  84  and  80  form the upper edges of the left and right panels, respectively. 
         [0021]    Moreover, based on the folding arrangement described above, each corner includes additional layers of material. For example, foldable gussets  20  and  22 , when folded in place as shown in  FIG. 2A , each provide two additional layers of material between side panel  6  and outer panel  30 . These additional layers of material form an approximately triangular shape. Thus, for each of these triangular areas (shown in hidden lines in  FIG. 2B ), there is four layers of material. In addition, tabs  36 ,  38 ,  40 ,  42  also provide additional layers of material. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2B , tab  40  provides one additional layer of material between outer panel  32  and side panel  8 . Tabs  36 ,  38 ,  42  similarly provide additional layers of material.  FIG. 4  shows a detail view of the fully erected corner where tab  40  is folded about fold line  70  and attached to side panel  8  and outer panel  32  is folded about fold line  84  and attached to tab  40 . 
         [0022]    Embodiments of the invention are shown in the erected stage from various views in  FIGS. 3-5 . After introduction of the food or other product  100  in the receiving area of the tray, shrink wrap  3  or other suitable cover material  3  can be wrapped around the tray to secure the food  100  within the tray for storage or transport (see  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0023]    Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.