Expandable Retail Shelf Tray
AssigneeSonoco Development, Inc.
InventorKevin Saladyga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A product shipping and display tray made from a unitary blank is provided. The tray comprises one and preferably two expandable side panel assemblies to take up additional shelf space if desired. Each side panel assembly comprises an intermediate side panel extending forward from a rear panel, an inner side panel in flat, abutting relationship to the inner facing surface of the intermediate side panel, and an outer side panel rotatably attached to the inner side panel along a front vertical edge. Each outer side panel is moveable between a first position in which the outer side panel is in a flat, abutting relationship to the intermediate side panel and a second position in which the outer side panel is rotated outwardly away from the intermediate side panel.
Claims16
A laterally expandable tray made from a unitary blank, the tray comprising:
- a bottom panel extending laterally from one side edge to an opposite side edge and rearwardly from a front fold line to a rear fold line;
- a front panel assembly hingedly attached to the bottom panel along the front fold line 16 and extending upwardly from the bottom panel;
- a rear panel assembly hingedly attached to the bottom panel along a rear fold line and extending upwardly from the bottom panel;
- and
- at least one side panel assembly, the side panel assembly comprising an intermediate side panel interposed between an inner side panel and an outer side panel, the intermediate side panel attached orthogonally to the rear panel assembly along a side fold line, the inner side panel attached to the intermediate side panel along a fold line, the outer side panel hingedly attached to the inner side panel along a rotational fold line;
- wherein
- the outer side panel is moveable between a first, unexpanded position in which the outer side panel is in a flat, abutting relationship with the intermediate side panel and a second, expanded position in which the outer side panel is connected to the inner side panel along the rotational fold line but rotated outwardly away from the inner side panel and the intermediate side panel to define an angle of rotation (β) with the intermediate side panel.
A blank for making a laterally expandable tray, the blank comprising:
- a bottom panel extending laterally from a side cut line to an opposite side cut line and rearwardly from a front fold line to a rear fold line;
- an outer front panel connected to the bottom panel along the front fold line;
- an inner front panel connected to the outer front panel along a double fold line;
- an outer rear panel connected to the bottom panel along the rear fold line, the outer rear panel extending laterally from a side fold line to an opposite side fold line;
- an inner rear panel connected to the outer rear panel along a rear double fold line, the inner rear panel extending laterally from a side cut line to an opposite side cut line;
- two intermediate side panels, each intermediate side panel connected to an outer rear panel by a fold line;
- two inner side panels, each inner side panel connected to an intermediate side panel along a fold line;
- two outer side panels, each outer side panel connected to an inner side panel along a fold line;
- and
- two top panels, each top panel connected to an outer side panel along a fold line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.