Patent ID: 7857160

Claim:
A tray for case-ready meat products comprising: a base defining a bottom portion of said tray; a plurality of sidewalls extending upward a distance from said base, said sidewalls each having an inner surface, an outer surface, and an upper edge, at least one of said sidewalls having a lengthwise portion thereof that is bowed inwardly toward an interior of said tray; a plurality of corners extending upward from said base, wherein each of said corners is disposed between, and integrally connected to, two of said sidewalls; a flange integrally connected to, and extending outward from, said upper edge of said sidewalls, said flange having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer edge, said outer edge being substantially linear between said corners and defining a maximum outer dimension of said tray, wherein the distance across said upper surface of said flange between said inner surface of said sidewalls and said outer edge of said flange defines a width of said flange, said width varying along a length of at least one of said sidewalls; and a plurality of substantially vertical ribs formed in at least a portion of at least one of said sidewalls and spaced apart therealong, said ribs extending a distance inwardly from said inner surface of said sidewalls, said distance defining a thickness of said ribs, wherein said thickness of said ribs varies along a length of said at least one sidewall.