Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The present invention relates to an improved tray
construction and, in particular, to an improved packaging and
displaying tray and holder.
Numerous tray constructions have been disclosed in
the prior art. In particular, a number of design patents have
been previously ac~uired for sewing trays and holders of various
kinds, including United States Design Patent Nos. D202,580;
D214,363; D218,514; D219,263; D234,654; and D235,498. Further,
the prior art also includes article containers such as those
disclosed in United States Patent Nos. 2,175,753; 3,127,225;
and 3,872,996.
None of the prior art patents referred to above pro-
vide an improved tray construction for holding bars of soap,
vials, or similar products therein, the tray portion employing
projecting means on the side walls of the container for retain-
ing the product or products in position in the tray, while pro-
viding a holder which can be subsequently used by a purchaser
as a holder for the products purchased. For example, the tray
can be used as a conventional soap dish in the case of bars of
soap sold in the improved tray.
According to the present invention, there is provided
an improved tray construction comprising a tray portion, the tray
portion having a bottom wall, a first pair of opposed spaced-apart
rigid walls extending away from the bottom wall, and a second
pair of spaced-apart walls, at least one of the second pair of
spaced-apart walls having inwardly directed projecting means
situated thereon, Adjacent ends of the first pair of rigid walls
and an adjacent side of the bottom wall are interconnected by
a continuous parallel outer side surface, the first and second
pair of walls and the bottom wall defining a product receiving
compartment means, a lower surface of the projecting means adapted
to retain at least one solid product contained in this product
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receiving compartment means of the tray, and at least one of
the second pair of spaced-apart walls being pivotally secured
to the container, the at least one pivotally secured wall
adapted to be pivoted between an open position for receiving at
least one solid product in the product receiving compartment
means of the tray and a closed position in which the at least
one projecting means retains the at least one solid product
within the receiving compartment means of the tray.
In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment
of the present invention:-
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment ofthe improved tray construction according to the present
invention;
FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the
embodiment of Figure 1, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1,
with the pivotable wall being in a somewhat more closed position
than is shown in Figure l;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the
embodiment of Figure 1, taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1,
illustrating a bar of soap contained in the holder portion of
the tray portion, and with the pivotable wall being shown in a
somewhat more closed position than is shown in Figure l;
FIGURE 4 is an enlarged plan view of the locking means
for the pivotable wall, taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2,
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment of
the tray portion according to Figure 1, showing the tray portion
being inserted into a plastic sleeve,
FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the improved
tray, taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5; and
FIGURE 7 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion
of the tray showing engagement of a bar of soap in the holder by
projecting means situated on the pivotable side wall of the tray.
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As best seen in Figure 1, the improved tray is indicated
generally by reference numeral 10, the tray being of vacuum
formed construction and made preferably from polystyrene, or a
similar material. The tray includes a pair of end walls 12
ancl 14 and an intermediate wall 16 situated midway therebetween.
Each end wall includes an outer surface 18 and an inner surface
20 spaced inwardly from the outer surface so as to form an open
space therebetween, upper edges of the inner and outer surfaces
being interconnected by top surfaces 22. The intermediate wall
is formed from spaced-apart outer surfaces 24,defining an open
space therebetween, and a top surface 26, the top surface 26
and the top surfaces 22 lying in a common plane. The inner and
outer surfaces 18 and 20 of the end walls 12 and 14 and the
outer surfaces 24 of the intermediate wall 16 are parallel to
each other and extend at right angles to the common plane includ-
ing the top surfaces 22 and 26. Further, the inner and outer
surfaces of the end walls 12 and 14 and the outer surfaces of
the intermediate wall 16 include longitudinal grooves 56 therein
which extend the height of the respective walls, the grooves
0 56 being slight depressions of convex donfiguration in plan view.
Lower edges of the inner surfaces 20 of the end walls
12 and 14 merge into respective bottom wall sections 28, each
bottom wall section, in turn, meeting a lower edge of a respec-
tive outer surface 24 of the intermediate wall 16. Each bottom
wall section 28 and the adjacent surfaces of the end wall and
intermediate wall define a respective product receiving compart-
ment of the tray. The bottom wall sections 28 are contoured to
the shape of the product or products received in the compart-
ment. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7,
the bottom walls are contoured to the configuration of bars of
soap which are received therein in the manner shown in Figures
3 and 7. However, the configuration of the bottom walls can
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include a plurality of partitions so as to receive a plurality
of vials or similar items to be contained in the tray.
Ends of the inner and outer surfaces of the end walls
12 and 14 and ends of the outer surfaces 24 of the intermediate
wall 16 merge into longitudinally extending, continuous side
surfaces 30 and 32, with upper edges of the side surfaces 30
and 32 intermediate the inner surfaces 20 of the end walls and
the outer surfaces 24 of the intermediate wall defining upper
edges 34 of the bottom wall sections 28. A lower edge of each
of the side surfaces 30 and 32 have a lower edge of a respective
side wall 36 and 38 pivotalIy attached thereto. The pivotally
secured side walls 36 and 38 are pivotable between an open
position as shown with respect to side walls 36 in Figures 1 to
3, and a closed position, as shown with respect to side walls
38 in these Figures. Locking means are provided in order to
retain the side walls 36 and 38 in their closed positions.
In particular, each pivotally secured side wall 36 and 38 has
inwardly directed engaging means 40 situated adjacent an upper
edge thereof, each of the engaging means adapted to releasably
engage cooperating receiving means 42 located in the side sur-
faces of the adjacent end wall or intermediate wall of the tray.
The engaging means 40 comprises a portion of the
pivotally secured side wall which extends inwardly from the
side wall and part way along the height of the side wall from
the upper edge thereof. As best seen in Figure 4, the engaging
means is integral with the side wall and includes a pair of
diverging wall sections 44, outer ends of the diverging wall
sections merging into converging wall sections 46, with outer
ends of the converging wall sections 46 terminating in an end
flat wall portion 48. The cooperating receiving means 42 in the
side surface of the end wall or intermediate wall comprises a
depression situated in the side surface, the depression being
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in alignment with the engaging means and of a configuration so
as to releasably retain the engaging means 40 therein. Accord-
ingly, the receiving means 42 includes a mouth portion 50
formed by a pair of spaced-apart corners where side walls 52
of the receiving means,which diverge away from the mouth portion
50, meet the side surface. Inner ends of the diverging side
walls 52 merge into an inner wall portion 54. Outer surfaces
of the converging walls 46 of the engaging means 40 provide
camming surfaces which slide over the projections or corners
at the mouth portion 50 of the receiving means, the converging
walls 46 being urged inwardly by the projections or corners as the
engaging means snap into engagement with the receiving means.
Further, the divergi~ng wall sections 44 of the engaging means
engage the outer portions of the diverging side walls 52 of
the receiving ~eans for releasably retaining engaging means 40
in contact with the receiving means 42.
Each of the pivotally secured side walls 36 and 38
include projecting means 60, there being two projecting means
on each side wall, each projecting means being in alignment
with a respective portion of the bottom wall situated between
the end walls and the intermediate wall. Each projecting means
60 includes a top surface 62, an inner surface 64, a lower sur-
face 66 extending outwardly from the inner surface 64 and merging
with the side wall, and a pair of end surfaces 68. The lower
surface 66 is contoured to the configuration of the product,
such as a bar of soap S contained in the holder. As best seen
in phantom in Figure 7, the lower surface 66 of the projecting
means 60 lies closely adjacent the upper surface of the soap S
contained in the tray when the pivotable wall 36 is in the closed
position. In this manner, the projecting means 60 prevent
movement of the product such as the bar of soap within the tray
when the pivotally secured side walls are in their closed posit-
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ions, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.
The tray 10 also includes reinforcing ribs 70 adjacentthe ends of the inner surfaces 20 of the end walls 12 and 14
and adjacent the ends of the outer surfaces 24 of the inter-
mediate wall 16. Lower edges of the reinforcing ribs 70 are
integral with the upper edges 34 of the bottom wall sections 28
and thereby add r,igidity to the surfaces of the interme~iate
and end walls.
When utilizing the improved tray as a packaging for
soap or the like, the same may be wrapped in a clear plastic
wrapping or may be inserted in a plastic sleeve, such as shown
in Figure 5. In the latter case, the product to be contained
in the tray is first placed in the holding sections of
the tray, the pivotally secured side walls are then snapped
into their closed positions, and the tray 10 is then slid into
one of the open ends of the plastic sleeve 72, as indicated by
arrow 74 in Figure 5. To facilitate the insertion of the pro-
ducts in the tray, one or both of the pivotally secured side
walls 36 and 38 is placed in the open position, such as shown
in Figure 1.
After purchase by the consumer, the tray is removed
from the plastic sleeve 72 or plastic wrapping. As a result of
its construction, the improved tray 10 can be utilized as a
holder for the product contained therein, such as a soap dish
in the case of soap contained in the tray. In such an instance,
at least one of the pivotally secured side walls is left in its
open position, or is removed from the lower edge of the tray,
as desired by the user. In such a case, the tray can function
as an efficient soap holder, thereby avoiding the necessity of
providing a separate soap holder, an advantage when, for example,
camping, where a conventional soap holder would not be readily
available.
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,. .
As a further advantage, the improved tray can be used
by the purchaser, if desired, to store the product purchased in
the tray, the rigidity of the tray being such as to withstand
crushing loads of the magnitude likely to be encountered in a
suitcase, a drawer, or the like.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention des-
cribed above includes two product receiving compartments, it
is within the scope of the present invention to have only one
product receiving compartment, thus omitting the intermediate
wall in the construction of the tray. Further, the tray can
be made of single wall pl~stic or from pulp rather than
polystyrene.
