초록

A tray and corner post type packaging system for shipping and displaying palletized products is provided. The packaging system is made from three folded and glued blanks and includes four corner posts and a central support.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A shelf tray comprising: a bottom defining one or more bottom slots, the bottom having a substantially rectangular periphery comprising two opposing side edges, two opposing end edges and four corners;four corner posts extending upwardly from the four corners of the bottom, each corner post havin

1. A shelf tray comprising: a bottom defining one or more bottom slots, the bottom having a substantially rectangular periphery comprising two opposing side edges, two opposing end edges and four corners;four corner posts extending upwardly from the four corners of the bottom, each corner post having a top edge and a height;two side walls, each side wall extending upward from a side edge;two end walls, each end wall extending upward from an end edge and laterally from one side wall to another side wall; andtwo center supports extending upwardly from the bottom, each center support having a top edge and a height equal to the height of the corner posts, each center support further having locator tabs extending upwardly from the top edge and configured to fit into bottom slots of a second shelf tray positioned on top of the shelf tray whereinthe shelf tray comprises three separate blanks consisting of a tray blank and two insert blanks;the bottom, end walls and side walls are formed from the tray blank;each center support is formed from part of one of the insert blanks; andeach corner post comprises an inner half formed from part of one of the insert blanks and an outer half formed from part of the tray blank. 2. The shelf tray of claim 1 wherein each corner post has locator tabs extending upwardly from the top edge of the corner post. 3. The shelf tray of claim 1 wherein each center support comprises a bottom panel in flat abutting relationship with the bottom, a main panel foldably attached to the bottom panel and extending vertically upwardly from the bottom panel, and wing panels foldably attached to the main panel by parallel opposing fold lines. 4. The shelf tray of claim 3 wherein each end wall comprises an outer end panel and an inner end panel foldably attached to each other by a double fold line, the outer end panel being foldably attached to the tray bottom panel along an end fold line. 5. The shelf tray of claim 4 further comprising an end wall panel elongated portion foldably attached to the bottom panel and captured between the end wall outer end panel and the end wall inner end panel. 6. The shelf tray of claim 1 wherein the outer half of each corner post is attached to the bottom and a comprises a first outer corner post member foldably attached to a second outer corner post member along an outer corner. 7. A shelf tray comprising: a tray member blank comprising a bottom having a substantially rectangular periphery comprising two opposing side edges, two opposing end edges and four corners, two side walls, each side wall extending upward from a side edge, two end walls, each end wall extending upward from an end edge and laterally from one side wall to an opposing side wall, a first outer corner post member foldably attached to the bottom along an end edge and a second outer corner post member foldably attached to the first outer corner post member in an orthogonal configuration along an outer corner edge; andtwo insert blanks adhered to the tray blank, each insert blank comprising a bottom panel adjacent the bottom, a center support extending upwardly from the bottom panel, an end wall panel elongated portion foldably attached to the bottom panel and in flat abutting relationship with the end wall, and two corner post inner halves attached to the end wall panel elongated portion and adhered to the first outer corner post member and the second outer corner post member whereinthe shelf tray comprises four corner posts; andthe two corner post inner halves of each insert blank form parts of two separate corner posts. 8. The shelf tray of claim 7 wherein each center support comprises a main panel foldably attached to the bottom panel and two wing panels foldably attached to the main panel by parallel opposing fold lines; and wherein the main panel and the two wing panels of each center support are located a distance from the periphery of the tray. 9. The shelf tray of claim 7 wherein each end wall comprises an outer end panel foldably attached to the tray bottom panel along an end edge and an inner end panel foldably attached to the outer end panel along a double fold line. 10. The shelf tray of claim 9 wherein each end wall panel elongated portion is captured between the end wall outer end panel and the end wall inner end panel. 11. The shelf tray of claim 7 wherein each inner half comprises a first L-shaped inner corner post member attached to the end wall panel elongated portion and adhered to the first outer corner post member, a first I-shaped inner corner post member foldably attached to the first L-shaped inner corner post member along a vertical fold line, a second L-shaped inner corner post member adhered to the second outer corner post member, and a second I-shaped inner corner post member foldably attached to the second L-shaped inner corner post member along a vertical fold line, the second I-shaped inner corner post member foldably attached to the first I-shaped inner corner post member along an inner edge. 12. The shelf tray of claim 7 wherein each bottom defines one or more bottom slots and each center support further comprises tabs extending upwardly from the center support and configured to fit within the bottom slots of a second shelf tray positioned on top of the shelf tray. 13. A method of making a shelf tray comprising the steps of: providing a tray member blank comprising a bottom having a substantially rectangular periphery comprising two opposing side edges, two opposing end edges and four corners, two side walls, each side wall extending from a side edge, two end walls, each end wall extending from an end edge and from one side wall to an opposing side wall, a first outer corner post member foldably attached to the bottom and a second outer corner post member foldably attached to the first outer corner post member along an outer corner edge;providing two insert blanks, each insert blank comprising a bottom panel, a center support extending from the bottom panel, an end wall panel elongated portion foldably attached to the bottom panel, and two corner post inner halves attached to the end wall panel elongated portion;positioning each insert blank onto the tray blank so that each first L-shaped inner corner post member is aligned with and adhered to a corresponding first outer corner post member and each second L-shaped inner corner post member is aligned with and adhered to a corresponding second outer corner post member to create a substantially flat, unfolded structure;folding the flat, unfolded structure inwardly along the two opposing end edges and along the four outer corner edges;allowing the first I-shaped inner corner post member and the second I-shaped inner corner post member to extend inwardly away from the outer first outer corner post member and the second outer corner post member along fold line until the first I-shaped inner corner post member, the second I-shaped inner corner post member, the first outer corner post member and the second outer corner post member form a substantially rectilinear, tubular portion of a corner post;folding each inner end panel inwardly along the double end fold line until the inner end panel is in facing, abutting relationship with a corresponding outer end panel and each insert blank is captured therebetween;folding each center support main panel upwardly along fold line; andfolding each center support wing panel inwardly along fold line to achieve a fully assembly shelf tray.