Tray for supporting containers and a blank for making the same

A tray formed from a blank of sheet material, the tray comprising:

• a bottom wall;
• a pair of opposing end walls connected to the bottom wall;
• a pair of opposing side walls connected to the bottom wall;
• a first divider structure extending from the bottom wall and a first side wall of the pair of side walls, the first divider structure comprising a first upper panel and a first inner panel connected at a first fold line, a first engagement edge is defined along a side edge of the first upper panel;
• and
• a second divider structure extending from the bottom wall and the first side wall, the second divider structure comprising a second upper panel and a second inner panel connected at a second fold line, a second engagement edge is defined along a side edge of the second upper panel, wherein the first engagement edge is configured to cooperate with the second engagement edge to secure a product,
• wherein at least one of the first divider structure and the second divider structure is configured to space a product a distance from the first side wall.

A method for forming a tray from a blank of sheet material, the blank of sheet material including

• a bottom panel,
• a pair of opposing end panels connected to the bottom panel,
• a pair of opposing side panels connected to the bottom panel,
• a first divider panel assembly defined within the bottom panel and a first side panel of the pair of side panels,
• a second divider panel assembly defined within the bottom panel and the first side panel, and
• a third divider panel assembly including a third upper panel defined within a first end panel of the pair of end panels and a third inner panel defined within the bottom panel,
• the first divider panel assembly including a first upper panel defined within the first side panel and a first inner panel defined within the bottom panel,
• the second divider panel assembly including a second upper panel defined within the first side panel and a second inner panel defined within the bottom panel,
• the method comprising:
• rotating the pair of side panels toward the bottom panel to form a pair of opposing side walls;
• rotating the first upper panel with respect to the first side panel and the first inner panel with respect to the bottom panel to form a first divider structure such that a first engagement edge is defined along the side edge of the first upper panel;
• rotating the second upper panel with respect to the first side panel and the second inner panel with respect to the bottom panel to form a second divider structure such that a second engagement edge is defined along a side edge of the second upper panel, wherein the first engagement edge is configured to cooperate with the second engagement edge to secure a product;
• rotating the pair of end panels toward the bottom panel to form a pair of opposing end walls;
• and
• rotating the third upper panel with respect to the first end panel and the third inner panel with respect to the bottom panel to form a third divider structure, wherein a third engagement edge is defined along a side edge of the third upper panel, and the third engagement edge is configured to cooperate with the first divider structure to secure a product.