US 9,428,298 B2Granted

Dividerless palletized packaging system with interlocking tray and corner posts

AssigneesSonoco Development, Inc., Frito-Lay North America, Inc.

InventorsGlen Bersamin, Valentine Tomaszewski, John G. Olmsted, Jr., Daniel Lee Mathews, Sunitha Ann Nair

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Abstract

A modular packaging system for shipping and displaying palletized products is provided. The packaging system comprises a plurality of vertically stacked trays for holding the products and corner posts extending between vertically adjacent trays for spacing and supporting the trays. The corner posts and trays are locked together in a number of ways to strengthen and stabilize the system. The system is strong enough not only to support the weight of the products on the trays and withstand the vibration and impact forces that can occur during shipping, but to withstand the weight of one or more units stacked on top.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A unitary folded blank for making a corner post, the folded blank comprising:

an outer half and an inner half foldably connected to each other along a bottom fold line;
the outer half comprising two substantially L-shaped outer panels foldably connected along an outer edge fold line, each L-shaped outer panel comprising an outer leg member adjacent the outer edge fold line and an outer foot member extending outwardly from the outer leg member away from the outer edge fold line and terminating at a free distal edge, and an outer reinforcing panel having an outer angled free edge extending between the outer leg member and the outer foot member, the outer leg member, outer foot member and outer reinforcing panel forming one contiguous, unitary structure lacking any fold or score lines;
and
the inner half comprising two substantially L-shaped inner panels foldably connected along an inner edge fold line, the inner edge fold line being co-linear with the outer edge fold line, each L-shaped inner panel comprising an inner side panel adjacent the inner edge fold line, a narrow leg member hingedly attached to the inner side panel along a vertical fold line, an inner foot member extending outwardly from the narrow leg member and terminating at a free distal edge, and an inner reinforcing panel having an inner angled free edge extending between the narrow leg member and the inner foot member, the narrow leg member, inner reinforcing panel and inner foot member forming one contiguous substantially L-shaped structure lacking any fold or score lines.

1 more element

A packaging system for shipping and displaying products, the packaging system comprising:

a tray made from a first folded blank and having a bottom panel for supporting the products and having a perimeter, and two opposing side walls and two opposing end walls extending upward from the perimeter;
and
a corner post made from a second folded blank having an outer half and an inner half foldably connected along a bottom fold line, the corner post comprising a four-sided, substantially rectilinear tubular portion comprising two inner side panels formed from the inner half and hingedly connected along an inner edge fold line and two leg members formed from the outer half and hingedly connected along an outer edge fold line, and a foot member extending laterally outward from each leg member and forming a corner therewith;
wherein
one foot member is at least partially encapsulated within a side wall and the other foot member is at least partially encapsulated within an end wall.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.