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A tray, as described herein, includes one or more ribs that increase the stacking or compressive strength of the tray and advantageously direct vertical compressive stacking forces to the relatively stronger portions of the tray. Specifically, the ribs direct the compressive stacking forces from the

A tray, as described herein, includes one or more ribs that increase the stacking or compressive strength of the tray and advantageously direct vertical compressive stacking forces to the relatively stronger portions of the tray. Specifically, the ribs direct the compressive stacking forces from the intermediate portions of the sidewall downward and outward toward the adjacent corners. The ribs can have an at least partially curvilinear shape between the intermediate portion of the sidewall and the adjacent corner thereof, such as having an intermediate generally bell-shaped region such that a vertex of the concave region is higher on the sidewall than where its legs intersect the corners of the tray. In another or alternative form, the tray can include one or more gripping portions that facilitate a user holding onto the tray.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A thin walled tray for a foodstuff strengthened for supporting compressive loads when stacked, the tray comprising: a bottom wall having four corners;a sidewall extending about and upstanding from the bottom wall, the sidewall having an upper periphery, four corners and sidewall segments extendin

1. A thin walled tray for a foodstuff strengthened for supporting compressive loads when stacked, the tray comprising: a bottom wall having four corners;a sidewall extending about and upstanding from the bottom wall, the sidewall having an upper periphery, four corners and sidewall segments extending between adjacent pairs of the corners, each of the sidewall segments having at least one continuous, protruding rib configured to redirect vertical compressive forces from an intermediate portion of the sidewall segment to the adjacent corners, the rib having a vertex portion in the intermediate portion of the sidewall and inclined portions extending therefrom at a downward inclination toward the bottom wall and the respective adjacent corner; anddepressions in opposing sidewall segments creating inwardly curved recessed portions of the opposing sidewall segments with respect to adjacent portions thereof that extend from the sidewall segments to the bottom wall so that the bottom wall has a waisted configuration wherein the smallest width of the bottom wall at the waisted configuration between the two opposite depressions is less than the width of the bottom wall between adjacent portions thereof, the depressions being located within the intermediate portion of the sidewall and generally aligned with the vertex portion of the rib so that the vertex portion of the rib is aligned over and overhangs the recessed portions of the opposing sidewall segments. 2. The tray of claim 1, wherein the depressions have a curved end on the opposing sidewall segments, the corresponding rib has a bell-shaped configuration, and the curved end of the depression on the sidewall segment is at least partially complementary to the bell-shaped configuration of the corresponding rib. 3. The tray of claim 1, wherein the inclined portions of the rib are curvilinear. 4. The tray of claim 3, wherein the vertex portion is closer to the upper periphery of the sidewall than the bottom wall. 5. The tray of claim 4, wherein the rib extends substantially parallel to the bottom wall adjacent each of the corners to redirect vertical compressing forces along the inclined portions of the rib. 6. The tray of claim 1, wherein the rib of each of the sidewall segments intersects adjacent ribs of adjacent sidewall segments to offset compressive forces from the adjacent ribs. 7. The tray of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the ribs are provided on each sidewall segment. 8. The tray of claim 7, wherein each of the ribs on each of the sidewall segments are closer spaced at a midpoint of each sidewall segment as compared to adjacent corners. 9. The tray of claim 1, wherein the rib has a bell-shaped configuration. 10. The tray of claim 9, wherein a plurality of ribs are provided on each sidewall segment, and each of the ribs has the bell-shaped configuration. 11. The tray of claim 8, wherein the vertex portions of the plurality of ribs are positioned within an upper sixty percent of the respective sidewall segment. 12. The tray of claim 1, wherein the depressions are in all four sidewall segments so that the bottom wall has a waisted configuration in two directions. 13. The tray of claim 1, wherein lateral portions of the opposing sidewall segments above the rib thereof are generally planar and lateral portions of the opposing sidewall segments including the depressions are generally curvilinear. 14. A thin walled tray for a foodstuff strengthened for supporting compressive loads when stacked, the tray comprising: a bottom wall portion having side edges and end edges;a sidewall portion upstanding from the side and end edges of the bottom wall portions so that the sidewall includes side and end wall portions connected at sidewall corners with a continuous upper periphery, each of the side and end wall portions including at least one protruding rib extending thereacross, the rib having a bell-shaped configuration with a generally centrally located upper vertex and legs extending downwardly therefrom to intersect adjacent sidewall corners at a height of the sidewall lower than the upper vertex; anddepressions in the side wall portions creating inwardly curved recessed portions of the side wall portions with respect to adjacent portions thereof that extend from the side wall portions to the bottom wall portion so that the bottom wall portion has a waisted configuration wherein the smallest width of the bottom wall at the waisted configuration between the two opposite depressions is less than the width of the bottom wall between adjacent portions thereof, the depressions being generally aligned with the generally centrally located upper vertex of the rib so that the upper vertex portion of the rib is aligned over and overhangs the recessed portions of the side wall portions. 15. The tray of claim 14, wherein each of the side and end wall portions include three or more of the outwardly protruding ribs in a stacked configuration extending thereacross, each of the ribs having the bell-shaped configuration. 16. The tray of claim 15, wherein the vertices of the ribs are located in the upper sixty percent of each of the sidewall side and end wall portions. 17. The tray of claim 15, wherein a distance between the vertex and the height that the legs intersect the adjacent sidewall corners of each rib decreases with rib proximity to the upper periphery of the sidewall portion. 18. The tray of claim 14, wherein the rib continuously extends around the sidewall portion. 19. The tray of claim 14, further comprising depressions in the end wall portions creating recessed portions of the end wall portions with respect to adjacent portions thereof and extending from the end wall portions onto the bottom wall portion so that the bottom wall portion has a waisted configuration in two directions, the depressions being generally aligned with the generally centrally located upper vertex of the rib so that the upper vertex portion of the rib is aligned over the recessed portions of the end wall portions. 20. The tray of claim 14, wherein the depressions have a curved end on each side wall portion that is at least partially complementary to the bell-shaped configuration of the corresponding rib.