Shipping and display tray

Abstract

A tray ( 10, 40 , or 50 ) for shipping, displaying and vending containers of product has side walls ( 12, 13 or 12′, 13′ ), end walls ( 16, 17 or 16′, 17′ ), an open top, and a bottom wall ( 11 ). The sidewalls have an open center portion ( 15 ) through which product (P) held in the tray is easily visible and accessible for removal from the tray. The end walls have first and second laminated end wall panels ( 21 and 22, 23 , or 57, 58 and 70, 71 ), and in one embodiment the sidewalls have laminated sidewall flaps ( 59, 60 and 62, 63 ), forming double-wall constructions. A full-height reinforcing divider ( 18, 19 or 18″, 19″ ) extends vertically along an inner surface of each end wall substantially midway of the width thereof to reinforce the tray and prevent it from telescoping into another tray when they are stacked. The dividers at opposite ends of the tray are spaced from one another, defining a large opening between them through which product may be removed through the front from the back of the tray without having to lift the product, whereby product can be removed from the back of the tray through the front when multiple trays are stacked on top of one another.

1 . A tray for shipping, displaying and vending containers of product, said tray having height, width and length dimensions, and comprising opposite upstanding side walls, opposite upstanding end walls, an open top, and a bottom wall having opposite side edges and opposite end edges, wherein: 
 each said side wall has relatively narrow end portions adjacent each end wall, and an open center portion extending over most of the length of the side wall, through which product held in the tray is easily visible and accessible for removal from the tray;    each said end wall includes a first end wall panel connected to a respective end edge of the bottom wall and extending over the full height and width of the tray end wall, and a second end wall panel is secured against an inner surface of each said first end wall panel and coterminous therewith, forming a double-wall laminated end wall construction; and    a divider extends vertically along an inner surface of each said second end wall panel substantially midway of the width thereof and extending the full height of the end wall, said dividers reinforcing the tray and preventing telescoping of trays into one another when they are stacked, and said dividers at opposite ends of the tray being spaced from one another and defining a large opening between them through which product may be removed through the front from the back of the tray without having to lift the product, whereby product can be removed from the back of the tray through the front when multiple trays are stacked on top of one another.    
   
   
       2 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 inner end edges of the dividers are tapered, whereby a top edge of the dividers is narrower than a bottom edge.    
   
   
       3 . A tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the dividers each have a width in the longitudinal direction of the tray that is approximately the same as the width of a product container placed in the tray, and the space defined between the dividers at opposite ends of the tray is larger than the width of a product container.    
   
   
       4 . A tray as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the dividers each have a width in the longitudinal direction of the tray that is approximately the same as the width of a product container placed in the tray, and the space defined between the dividers at opposite ends of the tray is larger than the width of a product container.    
   
   
       5 . A tray as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein: 
 a plurality of product containers are placed in the tray, said containers having a thickness dimension related to the length and width dimensions of the tray such that a row of three containers are accommodated on each side of the tray, on opposite sides of the divider panels.    
   
   
       6 . A tray as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the containers have a height substantially equal to the height of the tray, whereby when a plurality of trays loaded with containers are stacked on top of one another the containers carry at least part of the load of an upper tray or trays.    
   
   
       7 . A tray as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the divider panels contact the bottom wall of an upper tray and help support the upper tray.    
   
   
       8 . A paperboard tray for shipping, displaying and vending containers of product, said tray folded from a single unitary blank of folded paperboard, and having height, width and length dimensions, said tray comprising: 
 opposite upstanding side walls, opposite upstanding end walls, an open top, and a bottom wall having opposite side edges and opposite end edges;    each said side wall being foldably connected to a respective opposite side edge of the bottom wall, and having relatively narrow opposite end portions of substantially the same height as the tray, and a center portion extending over most of the length of the side wall, each said center portion having a height that is substantially less than the height of the tray and defining an opening in each side wall through which containers of product are visible and accessible for retrieval of the containers through the opening without having to lift the containers upwardly through the open top of the tray;    each said end wall including an end flap foldably connected to each side wall end portion, and an end wall panel foldably connected to each end edge of the bottom wall, said end flaps each extending over approximately one half the width of the respective end wall and having an inner edge contiguous with an inner edge of an opposed end flap, said end wall panels each extending over the full width of the end wall and being disposed outwardly of said end flaps and adhesively attached thereto, said end flaps and end wall panels each having a height substantially equal to the height of the tray; and    an in-turned reinforcing divider panel foldably joined to the inner edge of each end flap, said divider panels extending perpendicular to the end walls and lying along a longitudinal centerline of the tray and having inner end edges, adjacent divider panels being adhesively secured together, and the inner end edges of the divider panels at one end of the tray being spaced from the inner end edges of the divider panels at the opposite end of the tray, defining a large central opening through which product containers are visible and accessible from either side of the tray.    
   
   
       9 . A paperboard tray as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the divider panels have a bottom edge lying contiguous to the tray bottom and a top edge coterminous with the open top of the tray; and    the inner end edges of the divider panels are tapered, whereby the top edge of the divider panels is narrower than the bottom edge.    
   
   
       10 . A paperboard container as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the divider panels each have a width in the longitudinal direction of the tray that is approximately the same as the width of a container of product placed in the tray, and the large central opening defined between confronting inner end edges of the divider panels at opposite ends of the tray is larger than the width of a container.    
   
   
       11 . A paperboard container as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the divider panels each have a width in the longitudinal direction of the tray that is approximately the same as the width of a container of product placed in the tray, and the large central opening defined between confronting inner end edges of the divider panels at opposite ends of the tray is larger than the width of a container.    
   
   
       12 . A paperboard container as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein: 
 a plurality of containers are placed in the tray, said containers having a thickness dimension related to the length and width dimensions of the tray such that a row of three containers are accommodated on each side of the tray, on opposite sides of the divider panels.    
   
   
       13 . A paperboard container as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the containers have a height substantially equal to the height of the tray, whereby when a plurality of trays loaded with containers are stacked on top of one another the containers carry at least part of the load of an upper tray or trays.    
   
   
       14 . A paperboard container as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the divider panels contact the bottom wall of an upper tray and help support the upper tray.    
   
   
       15 . A tray for shipping, displaying and vending containers of product, said tray having height, width and length dimensions, and opposite upstanding side walls, opposite upstanding end walls, an open top, and a bottom wall having opposite side edges and opposite end edges, wherein: 
 each said side wall comprises an upstanding sidewall flange on opposite side edges of the bottom wall, and first in-turned sidewall flaps on opposite side edges of each end wall, said sidewall flange and sidewall flaps on each side of the tray defining an opening extending over most of the length and height of the side wall, through which containers of product held in the tray are easily visible and accessible for removal from the tray;    each said end wall includes a first end wall panel connected to a respective end edge of the bottom wall and extending over the full height and width of the tray end wall, and a second end wall panel secured against an inner surface of each said first end wall panel and coterminous in width and height therewith, forming a double-wall laminated end wall construction; and    a divider extends vertically along an inner surface of each said second end wall panel substantially midway of the width thereof and extending the full height of the end wall, said dividers reinforcing the tray and preventing telescoping of trays into one another when they are stacked, and said dividers at opposite ends of the tray being spaced from one another and defining a large opening between them through which product containers may be removed through the front from the back of the tray without having to lift the product containers, whereby product containers can be removed from the back of the tray through the front when multiple trays are stacked on top of one another.    
   
   
       16 . A tray as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said tray comprises three separate pieces adhesively connected together to form said tray, including a bottom portion and two reinforcing divider inserts.    
   
   
       17 . A tray as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said bottom portion is made from a single unitary blank of paperboard folded to form said bottom wall, said sidewall flanges, said first end wall panels, and said first in-turned sidewall flaps, said first sidewall flaps being adhesively secured to an inner surface of respective said sidewall flanges; and    said reinforcing divider inserts are each made from a single unitary blank of paperboard folded, respectively, to form said second end wall panel, said second in-turned sidewall flaps on opposite side edges of each said second end wall panel, and said divider in the center of said second end wall panel, said second end wall panel being adhesively secured to an inner surface of a respective said first end wall panel, and said second sidewall flaps being adhesively secured to an inner surface of respective first sidewall flaps.    
   
   
       18 . A single unitary blank for making a tray having a bottom wall, opposite sidewalls, an open top, and a divider extending inwardly from each end of the tray along a centerline of the tray, said blank comprising: 
 a central bottom panel having opposite side edges and opposite end edges, opposite end wall panels foldably joined to opposite end edges of the bottom panel, opposite sidewall panels foldably joined to opposite side edges of the bottom panel, opposite end wall flaps foldably joined to opposite ends of each said sidewall panel, and a divider panel flap foldably joined to each said end wall flap, each said sidewall panel having a cut-out area formed therein.    
   
   
       19 . A blank for forming a bottom portion of a tray made from a plurality of separate pieces of material, wherein said bottom portion has a bottom wall, opposite upstanding sidewall flanges, opposite end wall panels, and an open top, said blank comprising: 
 a central bottom panel having opposite side edges and opposite end edges, a sidewall flange foldably joined to each of the opposite side edges of the bottom panel, an end wall panel foldably joined to each of the opposite end edges of the bottom panel, and a sidewall flap foldably joined to an outer side edge of each of the end wall panels.    
   
   
       20 . A blank for forming the reinforcing divider insert of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said blank is substantially rectangular, and first fold lines adjacent outer end edges of the blank define said sidewall flaps; second fold lines parallel to and spaced from the first fold lines delineate with the first fold lines end wall panels each having a width approximately one-half the width of a tray in which the insert is used and together form the insert end wall; and a third fold line at the center of the blank that with the second fold lines delineates a pair of divider panels that are folded together and adhesively secured to form the divider in a completed tray.