US3073504A

US3073504A - Self-locking tray

Info

Publication number: US3073504A
Application number: US108625A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph L Greene; Clarence C Willwerth
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Glass Co
Current assignee: OI Glass Inc
Priority date: 1961-05-08
Filing date: 1961-05-08
Publication date: 1963-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-15

Description

Jan. 15, 1963 R. L. GREENE ETAL 3,07

SELF-LOCKING TRAY Filed y a, 1961 INVENTORS RALPH L. aka-M! 4 BY CLAPENCEC. w/u wmm J. E TE/GLAND 4 w. A. SCHA/dH ATTQRNEY:

Patented Jan. 15, 1963 3,073,504 SELF-LOCKING TRAY Ralph L. Greene and Clarence C. Willwerth, Jacksonville, Fla., assignors to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 8, 1961, Ser. No. 108,625 6 Claims. (Cl. 22934) This invention relates generally to containers and more particularly to a self-locking tray.

Self-locking trays find utility in many applications, such as in the packaging of fruit or as tote boxes in retail stores. They are especially useful where a container must be erected in field or on the job where no auxiliary fastening means, such as tape or staples, are available. It is also desirable that the trays be capable of being knocked down and reassembled.

Accordingly, it is an object of our invention to provide a sturdy, economical self-locking tray.

Another object of our invention is to provide a selflocking tray which may be easily and quickly assembled, knocked down, and reassembled.

The specific nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the annexed sheets of drawings on which, by way of example only, the preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank used to form the tray of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray partly assembled; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tray assembled.

Referring to FIG. 1, the blank 10, which is used to form the container of our invention, is preferably formed of a foldable sheet-like material that is relatively resilient, such as corrugated paperboard or the like.

The blank 10 comprises a bottom panel 11 which has foldably secured thereto along score lines 12 two pairs of

opposed side walls

13 and 15, and 14 and 16, respectively. Each of the side walls has foldably secured thereto along score lines 17 outer panels 18. Each of the outer panels '18 has formed therein a pair of generally U-shaped notches 19. The notches 19 are formed in the outer free edges of the outer panels 18 and are adjacent, but spaced from, the marginal edges of the outer panels, to thereby define tabs 20.

End flaps 21 are foldably secured along score lines 22 to the marginal edges of an opposed pair of

side walls

14 and 16. A pair of parallel slits 23 are formed in the blank 10. The slits 23 extend across and are transverse to the score lines 22. The slits 23 define bands 24 which are twice as long as the tabs 20 are wide and which are foldably attached, at either end, to their respective side panels and end flaps.

In assembly, the side walls are folded normal to the bottom panel 11. The end flaps are folded normal to their associated side Wall and parallel to their respective adjacent side walls. The bands 24 are then snapped outwardly to extend away from the flaps and Walls to which they are foldably attached. The outer panels are inwardly folded to lie parallel with their associated side walls, with the tabs 20 extending within the opening formed by the bands 24. The bands are then snapped inwardly to lock the outer panels 18 in place. The side panels remain erect because the end panels 21 are trapped between the side walls and the outer panels. When the blank 10 is formed of corrugated paperboard or the like, the bands 24 are sufliciently resilient to snap into and out of place to permit the tray to be easily assembled and disassembled.

Various pedestrian modifications may be used to adapt the tray of our invention to specialized uses. For example, the side walls may be outwardly or inwardly sloped if desired. Also, the outer panels 18 can be slit through their midsections to retain a conventional divider.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be modified through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is not, therefore, the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel, two pairs of opposed upstanding side walls foldably secured to said bottom panel, two pairs of end flaps foldably secured along first score lines to the marginal edges of one of said pairs of opposed side walls, said end flaps being folded normal to their associated side wall to lie parallel to the adjacent side wall, each of said side Walls having an outer flap foldably attached to its outer free edge, said outer flaps being reversely folded to lie parallel with their respective side walls, depending tabs formed on said reversely folded outer flaps along the marginal edges thereof, and a pair of parallel slits extending transversely across said first score lines, to thereby define bands having their ends foldably attached to said side walls and end flaps, said bands being arranged to receive said tabs and lock said outer flaps in place.

2. The tray as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said bands is sufliciently long to receive a pair of tabs.

3. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel, two pairs of opposed upstanding side walls foldably secured to said bottom panel, four end flaps, each of said end flaps being foldably secured along first score lines to the marginal edge of one of said side walls, said end flaps being folded normal to their associated side wall to lie parallel to the adjacent side wall, outer flaps foldably attached to the outer free edges of each of said side walls, said outer flaps being reversely folded to lie in face-to-face contact with said end flaps, depending tabs formed on said outer panels along the marginal edges thereof, and a pair of parallel slits extending transversely across said first score lines, to thereby define bands having their ends foldably attached to said side walls and end flaps, said bands being arranged to receive said tabs and lock said outer flaps in place.

4. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel, two pairs of opposed upstanding side walls foldably secured to the marginal edges of said bottom panel, en-d flaps foldably secured along first score lines to the marginal edges of said side walls, said end flaps folded normal to their attached side wall to lie parallel to the adjacent side Wall, each of said side walls having a pair of tabs foldably attached thereto, said tabs being reversely folded to lie parallel to their attached side wall and depend downwardly, and a pair of parallel slits extending transversely across said first score lines, to thereby define bands having their end foldably attached to said side walls and end flaps, said bands being adapted to receive said tabs.

5. A tray as defined in claim 4, wherein said tray is formed of a foldable, relatively resilient sheet-like material.

6. A self-locking tray comprising, a bottom panel having a polygonal configuration, side wall panels foldably connected to the edges of said bottom panel, said side wall panels folded into upstanding relationship and arranged to define a continuous side wall for said tray, a plurality of end flaps, one of said end flaps being disposed at the juncture of each pair of adjacent side wall panels, said end flaps being parallel to one of an adjacent pair of side wall panels and foldably connected to the side edge of the other of said adjacent pair of side wall panels, bands formed by a pair of slits extending across the foldable connection of said end flaps to their respective side wall panel, and tabs foldably attached to said one of an adjacent pair of side wall panels, said tabs extending through said slits to lie between said bands and end References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Beyer Aug. 23, 1927 Huye Dec. 10, 1946

Claims

1. A SELF-LOCKING TRAY COMPRISING, A BOTTOM PANEL, TWO PAIRS OF OPPOSED UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS FOLDABLY SECURED TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL, TWO PAIRS OF END FLAPS FOLDABLY SECURED ALONG FIRST SCORE LINES TO THE MARGINAL EDGES OF ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF OPPOSED SIDE WALLS, SAID END FLAPS BEING FOLDED NORMAL TO THEIR ASSOCIATED SIDE WALL TO LIE PARALLEL TO THE ADJACENT SIDE WALL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING AN OUTER FLAP FOLDABLY ATTACHED TO ITS OUTER FREE EDGE, SAID OUTER FLAPS BEING REVERSELY FOLDED TO LIE PARALLEL WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE WALLS, DEPENDING TABS FORMED ON SAID REVERSELY FOLDED OUTER FLAPS ALONG THE MARGINAL