Stackable and indexable packing tray

Abstract

A stackable, open-topped shipping and/or display container for shipping and displaying products having indexable projections for stacking a plurality of such containers, the indexable projections formed from cutouts within the indexing side wall flaps.

1 . A stackable tray formed from a blank, comprising
 a bottom wall;   opposite side walls and opposite end walls positioned to define an interior space;   the side walls comprise an inner side wall panel and an outer side wall panel; and a flap is foldably joined along a pair of spaced fold lines to opposite ends of at least each outer side wall panel, said flaps being secured relative to a respective one of said end walls and defining diagonal corners both inside and outside the tray;   indexing tabs projecting upwardly from an upper edge of at least one of the side walls wherein each of the indexing tabs is formed from a cut out portion in the blank in either one of the inner or outer side wall panels whereby when erected, the indexing tabs are above a transition between the inner and outer side wall panels;   wherein, openings are formed in the bottom wall for receiving the indexing tabs when the trays are stacked on top of one another.   
   
   
       2 . The stackable tray of  claim 1  wherein each of the indexing tabs is formed from a cut out portion in the blank in one of the inner or outer side wall panels from a fold line between and forming a transition from the inner and outer side wall panels into said opposing side wall panel. 
   
   
       3 . The stackable tray of  claim 2  wherein, said indexing tab cut-out portion spans from the transition fold between the outer and inner side wall panels into said inner sidewall panel, whereby the stacking tab is contiguous with said outer side wall panel. 
   
   
       4 . The stackable tray of  claim 2  wherein, said indexing tab cut-out portion spans from the transition fold between the inner and inner side wall panels into said outer sidewall panel, whereby the stacking tab is contiguous with said inner side wall panel. 
   
   
       5 . The stackable tray of  claim 2 , wherein each of the indexing tabs is formed from a cut-out portion of the blank spanning from the outer side panel into the inner side panel and through said fold line between the respective panels. 
   
   
       6 . The stackable tray of  claim 2 , wherein the cut-out indexing tabs further comprise a horizontal fold bisecting each tab into ascending and descending portions, whereby upon assembly of the tray, the ascending portions rise above the transition between the inner and outer panels and the descending portion fold down about the fold and into a gap formed in the inner sidewall by the cut-out and the descending portion is attached to an inner surface of the outer side wall. 
   
   
       7 . The stackable tray of  claim 6  wherein the cut out indexing tabs are formed from a generally trapezoidal shaped cut. 
   
   
       8 . The stackable tray of  claim 2 , wherein the cut-out indexing tabs further comprise a horizontal fold bisecting each tab into ascending and descending portions and said descending portion has a plurality of locking portions, whereby upon assembly of the tray, the ascending portions rise above the transition between the inner and outer panels and the descending portion fold down about the fold and into a gap formed in the inner sidewall by the cut-out whereby the locking tabs of the descending portion are inserted into the gap and frictionally retained between the inner surfaces of the outer and inner side walls. 
   
   
       9 . The stackable tray of  claim 1  further comprising a lid extending from at least one of said end walls, said lid being foldable relative to said one or more end walls so as to be moveable between an open position and a closed position, wherein said lid at least partially covers said interior space when in said closed position. 
   
   
       10 . The stackable tray of  claim 1  wherein the indexing tabs project upwardly from an upper edge of at least one of the side walls and end walls and wherein each of the indexing tabs is flanked on either side of the side walls (i) by a hinging transition which involves said at least second fold line between a said first side wall flap and a second wall flap, and (ii) further from each hinging transition and the indexing tabs, there is upwardly exposed by a side wall flaps cut edge for each sidewall formed by the blank, such cut edges being transverse to the flute run direction and being above the level of the hinging transition. 
   
   
       11 . A container formed from a blank, the container comprising:
 a base portion have a plurality of openings;   non-indexing wall flaps extending from two opposing sides of the base;   first and second opposing indexing wall flaps extending from two sides of the base adjacent from said non-indexing wall flaps and connected to said base by a fold line;   third and forth indexing wall flaps attached to the first and second respective indexing wall flaps by a fold line forming a wall flap sequence;   extension flaps foldably joined along a pair of spaced fold lines to opposite ends of at least one pair of said first and second and said third and fourth indexing wall flaps, said flaps being secured relative to a respective one of said end walls and defining diagonal corners both inside and outside the tray; and   above a transition between each associated first and third and second and fourth indexing wall flaps of a wall flap sequence, at least one indexing projection is defined from a cutout portion in the blank within each of an opposing first and second or third and fourth indexing flap pair,   wherein, the openings receive the indexing projections of another container when the containers are stacked on top of one another.   
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the openings on bottom of the container further comprising bendable, locking tongues.