Display Package with Extending Trays

Abstract

A display package having a housing containing a plurality of slidably engaged trays that are selectively extended from or retracted into the housing by a linkage assembly comprising a rotatable drive wheel, and a plurality of drive arms each rotatably connected to the drive wheel and to an associated tray through an elongated guide slot in a divider adjacent to each drive arm, the elongated guide slot being generally parallel to the direction in which extension or retraction of the associated tray is desired, with the length of the elongated guide slot limiting the rotation of the drive wheel.

1 . A display package comprising a housing having a plurality of openings and a plurality of trays that are slidably engaged in the openings and are selectively extended from or retracted into the housing at the same time by a linkage assembly comprising a drive wheel, and a plurality of drive arms each rotatably connected to the drive wheel and to an associated tray through an elongated guide slot in a divider disposed adjacent to the drive arm, the elongated guide slot being disposed parallel to the direction in which extension or retraction of the associated tray is desired. 
   
   
       2 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the trays slide outwardly from the housing in different directions in substantially parallel horizontal planes. 
   
   
       3 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the trays slide outwardly from the housing in different directions in substantially the same horizontal plane. 
   
   
       4 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the housing, trays and linkage assembly are made from materials selected from the group consisting of paperboard and plastic sheet materials. 
   
   
       5 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the housing, trays and linkage assembly are all manually assembled. 
   
   
       6 . The package of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the trays comprises a compartment having a cover. 
   
   
       7 . The package of  claim 1  wherein each drive arm comprises two ends with oppositely extending, transverse cylindrical projections. 
   
   
       8 . The package of  claim 7  wherein one projection frictionally engages a cooperatively shaped aperture in the drive wheel. 
   
   
       9 . The package of  claim 7  wherein one projection extends through an elongated guide slot and frictionally engages an aperture in a tab attached to the associated tray. 
   
   
       10 . The package of  claim 7  wherein one projection extends through an elongated guide slot and frictionally engages an aperture in the associated tray. 
   
   
       11 . A product display package comprising a housing having a plurality of slidably engaged trays linked together so that sliding movement of one tray outwardly from the housing in a first direction causes one or more other trays to slide outwardly from the housing in one or more other directions, and so that movement of one extended tray back into the housing causes simultaneous retraction of one or more other extended trays into the housing, a plurality of the trays being linked together by a linkage assembly disposed between them inside the housing, the linkage assembly comprising a rotatably mounted drive wheel having a range of travel limited by the length of an elongated guide slot in a divider disposed inside the housing. 
   
   
       12 . The package of  claim 11  wherein the trays slide outwardly from the housing in different directions in substantially parallel horizontal planes. 
   
   
       13 . The package of  claim 11  wherein the trays slide outwardly from the housing in different directions in substantially the same horizontal plane. 
   
   
       14 . The package of  claim 11  wherein the housing, trays and linkage assembly are made from materials selected from the group consisting of paperboard and plastic sheet materials. 
   
   
       15 . The package of  claim 11  wherein the housing, trays and linkage assembly are all manually assembled. 
   
   
       16 . The package of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the trays comprises a compartment having a cover. 
   
   
       17 . The package of  claim 1  wherein the linkage assembly comprises a plurality of drive arms, each drive arm comprising two ends with oppositely extending transverse projections. 
   
   
       18 . The package of  claim 17  wherein one projection frictionally engages a cooperatively shaped aperture in the drive wheel. 
   
   
       19 . The package of  claim 17  wherein one projection extends through the elongated guide slot and frictionally engages an aperture in a tab attached to an associated tray. 
   
   
       20 . The package of  claim 17  wherein one projection extends through an elongated guide slot and frictionally engages an aperture in an associated tray. 
   
   
       21 . A product display package comprising a housing, most preferably in the form of a sleeve; a divider defining substantially parallel, vertically spaced upper and lower receptacles inside the housing; upper and lower trays that are slidably engaged inside the upper and lower receptacles, respectively; and a linkage assembly disposed between the upper and lower trays, the linkage assembly producing simultaneous movement of both trays whenever either tray is moved outwardly from, or back into, the housing,
 the linkage assembly comprising a drive wheel that is rotatable for a predetermined distance in either rotational direction, two drive arms disposed on opposite sides of the drive wheel, each drive arm having one end rotatably connected to the drive wheel and another end comprising a projection aligned with and projecting through a guide slot disposed between the drive wheel and one of the upper and lower trays, the projection also being rotatably connected to a tray tab attached in fixed relation to said tray.   
   
   
       22 . The package of  claim 21  wherein the trays slide outwardly from the housing in different directions in substantially parallel horizontal planes. 
   
   
       23 . The package of  claim 21  wherein the housing, trays and linkage assembly are made from materials selected from the group consisting of paperboard and plastic sheet materials. 
   
   
       24 . The package of  claim 21  wherein the housing, trays and linkage assembly are all manually assembled. 
   
   
       25 . The package of  claim 21  wherein at least one of the trays comprises a compartment having a cover. 
   
   
       26 . A product display package comprising a housing having a plurality of receptacles lying in substantially the same horizontal plane but facing in different directions; a plurality of trays, with one tray being slidably engageable with each receptacle in the same horizontal plane; and a linkage assembly producing simultaneous movement of all trays whenever any tray is moved outwardly from, or back into, the housing, whereby manual movement of any tray outwardly from the housing simultaneously causes the other trays to extend outwardly from the housing in different directions, and manual movement of any tray back into the housing causes the other trays to retract back into the housing simultaneously. 
   
   
       27 . A product display package comprising a housing; a divider defining at least three substantially parallel receptacles inside the housing, with at least two of the receptacles lying in the same horizontal plane and at least one of the receptacles being vertically spaced apart from, but substantially parallel to, at least one other receptacle; a plurality of trays, with one tray being slidably engageable inside each receptacle; and a linkage assembly producing simultaneous movement of a plurality of the trays whenever another tray is moved outwardly from, or back into, the housing. 
   
   
       28 . A product display package comprising a housing; a divider defining at least three substantially parallel receptacles lying in different horizontal planes inside the housing; a plurality of trays, with one tray being slidably engageable inside each receptacle; and a linkage assembly producing simultaneous movement of a plurality of the trays whenever another tray is moved outwardly from, or back into, the housing. 
   
   
       29 . A linkage assembly for use in a product display package, the assembly comprising at least one rotatably mounted drive wheel; at least one divider substantially parallel to and facing a surface of the drive wheel, the divider comprising at least one elongated guide slot; at least two drive arms, each drive arm disposed between a surface of a drive wheel and a divider, and having one end rotatably connected to the drive wheel and a second end having a projection extending transversely through, and rotatable within, an elongated guide slot. 
   
   
       30 . The linkage assembly of  claim 21  wherein the projection extending through the elongated slot rotatably engages a tray tab disposed on a side of the divider that is opposite to the drive arm.