Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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IMPROVED SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CARTON
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a stackable tray package. More
specifically,
the invention relates to a tray for retail sale which may be filled, wrapped
and stacked without
the need for inserts or dividers to provide additional necessary support for a
compression
load. The invention also relates to a method of making the same.
Description of Related Art
Millions of dollars are spent each year in packaging products for
transportation from
manufacturers to retail outlets. Rather than require these products to be
packaged and
ultimately removed from boxes and pallets, and individually placed on shelves
in a store
front, it has long been desirable to ship products in large quantities in
relatively large
containers such as pallets and sell them directly from such containers to
consumers. Retail
outlets, including member-only warehouse stores, provide the buying public,
including
private individuals and businesses, price savings by selling goods directly
from pallets.
These types of retail outlets reduce their costs by eliminating substantial
amounts of labor and
shipping materials. Warehouse stores often prefer to deal with suppliers who
ship their goods
on pallets. Goods are often sold in relatively bigger packages providing
increased cost
savings.
Some goods, such as individual bags of snack products, are bundled together in
a
product tray and enclosed with transparent shrink-wrapped plastic such that
the individual
goods may be viewed from the tray's top. These trays do not easily survive
undamaged
while being shipped alone on pallets to retail establishments. Consequently,
manufacturers
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are required to use substantial extra labor and shipping materials to get
these trays to market.
Specifically, these trays require significant manual labor as trays are boxed
at a
manufacturing facility before being stacked onto pallets, secured with stretch
wrap, and
shipped. Once at a retail establishment, additional manual labor is required
to remove
individual trays from boxes before displaying and selling them.
With reference to Figure 1, a typical prior art product tray as viewed from
above is
comprised of a single blank folded into a tray having a bottom panel 102,
short sides 108, and
long sides 116. The long sides have flaps 106 which are bent at a single
crease 110, form
ninety degree corners, and are secured to the short sides 108 of the tray. The
flaps 106 may
be secured to the short sides 108 by clue, staples or other means.
During shipment on pallets, these trays experience horizontal forces which
cause one
tray to move relative to another. If a single tray moves sufficiently relative
to the others in a
stacked column, its rigid sides no longer remain aligned with those of the
other trays. The
shrink-wrapped plastic alone must then support any downward forces. The weight
of one or
more trays is frequently sufficient to cause a puncture in the shrink-wrapped
plastic stretched
over the top of a misaligned tray, especially where the cargo of a product
tray cannot bear a
compressive load.
Figure 5 illustrates a typical stack failure with two trays 502, 504 formed
using a
prior art design. With reference to Figure 5, such shrink-wrapped plastic
ruptures when
downward forces exerted by a lower corner 506 of a misaligned top product tray
504
overcomes the resistive shrink-wrapped plastic of a bottom product tray 502.
The ruptured
shrink-wrapped plastic makes a supporting bottom product tray 502 unsuitable
for sale. As
one bottom product tray 502 fails, other stacked trays within a column above
the bottom
product tray 502 are likely to shift and cause the shrink-wrapped plastic on
other trays to
rupture. For example, a misaligned upper corner 508 no longer can provide
vertical support
for trays above it because the walls must be carefully aligned according to
trays made with
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prior art designs. Horizontal shifts result in compression failure when one
tray 504 moves
just a mere fraction of an inch or centimeter (the thickness of tray walls)
relative to a lower
product tray 502. Such tray failures are especially frequent for products such
as bags of
snack products which cannot provide any support for a compression load.
A variety of shipping and display cartons and trays have been invented to try
to
eliminate the need for manual labor associated with stacking and shipping
these trays for
eventual sale from pallets. For example, plants, gift baskets, lamps, bags of
chips, buckets of
cut flowers, and stuffed animals are not easily amenable to sale from pallets.
Since these
items do not easily support a compressive load, they generally are not
amenable to stacking.
Several patents disclose improved cartons, crates and trays which provide
improved means
for bundling, shipping, and selling such products from pallets or other types
of displays.
For example, U.S. Patent 2,152,079 issued to Mott on March 28, 1939 discloses
a
combination shipping and display carton. After shipping, a perforated section
of the package
may be removed for display and sale of individual packaged units within the
carton. Even
though this invention provides a means to stack bundles of individual units,
this invention
requires substantial manual labor to modify each package to allow for sale of
individual units
contained within each package.
U.S. Patent 3,315,875 issued to Praetorius on April 25, 1967 discloses a
similar
concept in that a side panel may be removed exposing individual units for
sale. Likewise,
U.S. Patent 4,000,811 issued to Hardison et al., and 5,826,728 to Sheffer
disclose a
convertible carton which provides protection for its contents during shipping,
and which
subsequently may be transformed into an aesthetically pleasing display carton.
These
inventions may solve alignment and shipping problems, but also require
substantial manual
labor prior to final display and sale of goods even though such packages may
be stacked and
shipped on pallets. Further, these solutions require additional packaging.
These types of
packages are also not designed for individual sale but merely display other
products for
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individual sale.
U.S. Patent 5,052,615 issued to Ott et al. on October 1, 1991 discloses a
stackable
carton or tray for a single layer of tomatoes. This invention requires
separate reinforcing
members inserted into tray corners so as to bear the load of other trays.
Also, these trays are
not formed from a single folded cardboard blank.
U.S. Patent 6,712,214 issued to Wintermute et al. on March 30, 2004 discloses
a
stackable display tray which is similarly formed from a blank and multiple
inserts. Portions
of the blank are folded up to create sides and reinforced corners for a multi-
sided tray or
shell. Angular panels are positioned inside the tray to provide increased
stability and support.
The invention requires separately inserted side panels.
U.S. Patent 6,270,007 and U.S. Patent 6,488,200 issued to Jensen, Jr., and
International Patent Application PCT/US01/26610 disclose an improved crate for
stacking
and shipping plants. They disclose a crate system of cardboard or similar
material consisting
of a bottom cap, crate walls, and a top cap. The bottom and top caps are the
same size and
shape, and are interchangeable. Goods inside the crate are protected from
compressive loads,
and the crates can be stacked several crates deep on a pallet. This invention
requires several
pieces of cardboard or other packaging material to form a crate. Further, this
invention does
not necessarily bundle several smaller pieces of merchandise together for sale
as a unit or
package. Such crate is not meant to be sold as part of the product packaging.
It would be
more ideal to have a shipping container with just a bottom and support walls
thus eliminating
the need for a top piece or lid for each container.
U.S. Patent Application 10/792,976 filed on March 4, 2004 discloses a food
transport
tray which may be folded from a single blank and which has side locator
flanges and
receiving platforms over the sides and corner regions of the container. Such
container has
increased strength and improved features for improved stackability. However,
this invention
requires that the sides and corresponding corners are folded at substantially
right angles to
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form a tray. Further, such tray is not designed for use with a shrink-wrapped
plastic
covering.
Published International Patent Application PCT/US02/19025 discloses a
stackable
display container which may be formed from a single blank, shipped flat and
assembled
without adhesive. Such container has stacking shoulders and reinforced
corners. This
invention requires that the corners are folded at substantially right angles
to form a container.
Also, the container requires manual assembly, usually at the point of sale.
Such containers
are for displaying other containers and products for individual sale, and are
not shrink-
wrapped in plastic for sale as one unit.
None of these inventions solves the problems associated with frequent
punctures of
shrink-wrapped plastic over a tray. Consequently, a need exists for a carton
or tray that is
easily stackable, that remains stacked in columns during shipping, yet resists
or prevents
punctures to unsupported shrink-wrapped plastic covering each tray. A need
exists for a tray
which more successfully resists misalignment when exposed to horizontal forces
during
shipment. A need exists for a tray which may be stacked in columns and shipped
on pallets,
which allows the contents of the carton or tray to be seen, and which requires
little or no
additional manual labor to be sold from pallets. A need exists for a tray
which does not need
to be first packaged in boxes before being loaded onto pallets, and
subsequently unloaded
from these boxes before being ready for retail sale. The present invention
fills these and
other needs as detailed more fully below.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Product trays shrink-wrapped with plastic may be stacked, shipped and sold on
pallets
due to an improved design made from a single blank of cardboard, corrugate, or
other
package material. Such improved product trays resist horizontal shifting and
prevent vertical
stack failures when exposed to horizontal forces during shipping. Each
improved product
tray supports a comparable compressive load while being composed of less
material and/or
less expensive material as compared with prior art designs. Such improved
product trays
may be stacked, shipped, and sold on pallets at retail warehouse stores, club
stores, and other
outlets without substantial additional packaging and without the additional
labor normally
required for packing and unpacking such trays.
The invention accordingly comprises the features described more fully below,
and the
scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. Further objects of the
present
invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The novel features characteristic of the invention are set forth in the
appended claims.
The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further
objectives and
advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following
detailed description
of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings,
wherein:
Figures 1 shows an overhead view of a prior art design for a retail product
tray
wherein each side flap is bent at a ninety degree angle and forms a sharp
corner;
Figure 2 shows an overhead view of one embodiment of the present invention of
a
product tray wherein each side flap is scored and bent at two locations near
each corner of a
traditional prior art design thus forming an octagonal tray;
Figure 3 shows an overhead view of a flat tray blank having scores, along
which are
folded sides, and flaps for forming a tray according to one embodiment of the
present
invention;
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of two trays stacked squarely one above
another,
each tray formed according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4A shows a close up view of one corner of a tray according to the
present
invention; and,
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a column failure wherein an upper product
tray
made according to a prior art design ruptures the shrink-wrapped plastic of a
lower product
tray, and wherein other trays in the column above such failure become
susceptible to similar
misalignment and failure, and thus may similarly become unsuitable for retail
sale.
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Reference Numerals
102 Bottom panel
104 offset gap
106 side flap
108 short side
110 flap bend or crease
112 side crease
1161ong side
202 overhang of short side
204 short side horizontal support distance
206 long side horizontal support distance
402 stacked, bottom container
404 stacked, top container
5021ower prior art tray
504 upper prior art tray
5061ower corner of misaligned upper tray
508 upper corner of misaligned upper tray
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
While the invention is described below with respect to a preferred embodiment,
other
embodiments are possible. The concepts disclosed herein apply equally to other
stackable
product trays, including any container with substantially vertical sides and
an open top. The
invention is described below with reference to the accompanying figures.
Figure 2 shows an overhead view of a product tray according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention. This product tray has substantially the same
volume as a
traditional prior art tray such as a prior art tray shown in Figure 1. With
reference to Figure
2, the long sides 116 or sidewalls, and short sides 108 or endwalls, are both
folded at ninety
degrees to form a generally rectangular tray. The long sides 116 and short
sides 108 are
folded along side crease lines 112 made by a forming machine. In one
embodiment, side
crease lines 112 are fully or partially perforated, but may be just creased.
Folding the sides
108, 116 at an angle less than or greater than ninety degrees, forming a
trapezoidal tray as
seen from a frontal view, provides improved stackability but reduces the
compressive
strength of the tray and wastes interior tray space. Having such a trapezoidal
shape as seen
from a frontal view would provide more protection to a shrink-wrapped plastic
covering, but
would not provide equivalent compressive resistance to a vertical compressive
load.
The product tray in Figure 2 is formed from a single cardboard blank of
roughly the
same size used in prior art designs. Thus, less re-tooling of the tray-forming
machinery is
required to produce an improved product tray. The flaps 106 of the long sides
116 or
sidewalls have flap creases 110, which may or may not be perforated, and, in a
preferred
embodiment, form a corner in two bends of approximately forty-five degrees
each. Other
bends or creases 110 of different angles may be formed. For example, a first
bend of thirty
degrees followed by a bend of sixty degrees is possible.
The angles of the two or more bends determine the size of a short side
horizontal
support distance 204 and a long side horizontal support distance 206. In the
case of two
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creases 110, each bent at forty-five degrees, the short side and long side
support distances
204, 206 are equal. In other cases, the short side and long side support
distances 204, 206
may be unequal. These support distances 204, 206 may be chosen to conform to
the
requirements of a given situation. The two or more flap creases 110 may give
the tray more
of an octagonal or multi-sided shape as opposed to a generally rectangular
shape of prior art
designs. With two or more bends, the length of each long side flap 106 may be
longer than
the height of the mating short side 108 or endwalls for convenience in
attaching each flap 106
to a short side 108.
With reference to Figure 2, the long side flaps 106 may be attached to the
short sides
108 or endwalls with adhesive. Adhesive is preferentially applied by part of a
machine which
forms tray blanks into trays. In other instances, adhesive may be manually
applied. The side
flaps 106 may be attached by other means such as staples.
The location of each flap bend 110 is chosen so as to minimally reduce the
useable
volume of the tray while still providing substantial protection from stack
failure. Various
locations of the side creases or bends 110 may be selected based on a number
of factors
including, but not limited to, the material composition of the tray blank, the
weight and size
of the tray cargo, and the ability of the tray cargo to support a compression
load. Other
numbers of flap creases 110 greater than two may used in each flap.
Alternatively, flaps 106
may be bent into a circular shape, a regular shape, or irregular shape,
without forming a
crease and may still provide the benefits of the present invention.
A gripping edge 202 is formed on each end of each short side 108 from the
presence
of multiple creases 110. A hole or punch out may be additionally formed on or
near this area
for additional gripping by a finger or hand. The gripping edge 202 makes a
convenient
gripping place on the tray for consumers. In one instance, after purchasing a
tray, a consumer
punches through the shrink-wrapped plastic stretched over the area between a
flap 106 and
the gripping edge 202 for easier gripping and carrying of the tray.
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Figure 3 shows an overhead view of a flat tray blank according to the present
invention. The most common material used for shipping/display cartons is
corrugated
cardboard. This material is strong, lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and
recyclable.
Improved product trays may be made of corrugated cardboard or any other
material. In one
test, trays made according to the invention, and made from a cost neutral
corrugated
paperboard material, increased the compression strength of each tray by 74% as
compared to
prior art designs. In the same test, distribution-related damage to trays was
reduced by a
factor of 6. Trays of this design may be stacked on pallets, secured with
shrink wrap, and
shipped from factory to retail outlet without the need for dividers or
additional support
material. Further, trays of this design do not need to be placed inside boxes
before stacking
them onto pallets. Trays of this design do not require the manual labor
associated with
unpacking the trays from boxes before displaying them on a pallet or store
shelf. Without the
need for such protective boxes, these trays also do not require the labor of
loading and
unloading the boxes, thus trays of this design provide substantial savings on
labor and
material costs.
With reference to Figure 3, each long side 116 or sidewall has two flaps 106.
Each
flap has two or more flap creases 110. The location and spacing of creases 110
should be
chosen so as to provide for a sufficient length of flap 106 to attach to a
short side 108 or
endwall to form an enclosed tray while providing the benefits described
herein. In one
embodiment of the improved tray, the flaps 106 are longer than the height of
the short side
118 or endwall. However, any length of flap 106 is possible. The flaps 106 are
preferably
cut with an offset gap 104 so as to ensure proper folding of each tray blank
in a tray folding
machine. One alternative to an offset gap 104 is a single cut to
simultaneously form an
endwa11108 and a flap 106. The bottom of each offset gap 104 is rounded so as
to
discourage tearing of a tray along a side crease 112. The corners of the short
sides 108 and
flaps 106 also may be rounded for increased operability during folding and
formation of each
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tray. The rounding also may be more aesthetically pleasing, helps avoid
misalignment of
stacked trays, and reduces the amount of damage to shrink-wrapped plastic over
each tray.
The tray blanks may be formed in the same machinery as prior art designs with
appropriate
modification to form the additional flap creases 110 and other differing
features.
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of two trays, made according to the current
invention, stacked squarely one above another. Several trays stacked one above
another are
referred to as a colunm of trays. With reference to Figure 4, during shipment
on a pallet (not
shown) a top tray 404 may experience horizontal forces and may shift
horizontally relative to
a bottom tray 402. Horizontal movement may be in either a transverse or
longitudinal
direction. When a top tray 404 shifts, its sides 108, 116 may not align
vertically with those of
a bottom tray 402. If a top tray 404 shifts far enough, the vertical forces
exerted downward
on a bottom tray 402 can only be resisted by the shrink-wrapped plastic (not
shown) stretched
across the top of a bottom tray 402.
With the design of the present invention, a top tray 404 would have to shift
either a
short side horizontal support distance 204 or a long side horizontal support
distance 206. In
one embodiment, a long side 116 is approximately 19 inches (48 cm) in length,
a short side
108 is approximately 15 inches (38 cm) in length, and both a short side
horizontal support
distance 204 and a long side horizontal support distance 206 are approximately
1.5 inches
(3.8 cm) in length. For this embodiment, these distances were determined to be
satisfactory
to resist typical horizontal shifting forces associated with transportation of
snack products
such as, but not limited to, bags of potato chips. Other sizes and proportions
may be used
according to the present invention for other products and for prevailing
conditions. Such
sizes and proportions may be designed to accommodate the weight of the tray
cargo and the
compression load on each tray. Optimal sizes of a short side horizontal
support distance 204
and a long side horizontal support distance 206 may be determined by
experimentation given
the prevailing circumstances and requirements for any given product tray.
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Figure 4A shows a close-up overhead view of one corner of a tray formed
according
to the present invention. With reference to Figure 4A, the wavy lines in the
tray material are
the inner layer of paper material typical of corrugated paperboard. Trays made
of other
materials may not appear identical to the embodiment shown in Figure 4A. In
Figure 4A, a
flap 106 is creased in two locations with bends of approximately forty-five
degrees each. The
extra bend at each corner provides extra stability when trays are stacked one
on top of
another. By having at least one extra additional bend at each corner, there is
substantially
more strength in the tray to support a compression load.
Specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed. However, one of
ordinary
skill in the art will recognize that one can modify the dimensions and
particulars of the
carton, as well as the specific design of the crease lines, without straying
from the inventive
concept.
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