Stacking drawer package

• US 8,393,470 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Paper Company
• Original Assignee: International Paper Company
• Inventors: Philips, Nicholas A
• Primary Examiner(s): Pickett, J. Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Raven
• Application Number:
  US12/140,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20090308785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 206/512, 206/527, 206/476, 206/525, 206/464, 206/474, 229/147, 229/164, 229/174, 229/178, 229/103
• US Class Current: 206/512
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/003 having ledges formed by extensions of the side walls B65D5/0045 and B65D5/0065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/685 having an inwardly or upwardly extending tab on the lid side wall cooperating with a tab on, or an opening in, the container side wall

Abstract

A tray has a bottom panel, side and end panels and top shoulders at opposed ends of the tray. A separate cover extends across the top and down opposed sides of the tray. The cover has attachment tabs that extend into attachment slots in the tray. The trays may be stacked with an upper tray resting on the shoulders of the lower tray. The cover is a cover for the stack of trays with the side panels of the cover sized for different numbers of trays in the stack. One embodiment has stacking tabs extending above the tray. The cover has cut-outs to accommodate the stacking tabs.

Claims

1. A container, comprising:

a bottom wall having opposite end edges and opposite side edges;

a side wall foldably joined to each of said side edges and extending upwardly therefrom, said side walls having top and bottom edges and opposite ends;

a flap on each end of each said side wall, said flaps being folded inwardly perpendicular to the respective associated side wall to lie parallel to a respective adjacent end edge of said bottom wall;

cut outs (120, 132, 144, 156) in each said side wall adjacent but spaced from each end thereof and spaced from said top and bottom edges thereof;

an end wall foldably joined to each end edge of said bottom wall and extending upwardly therefrom to lie against an outer surface of said flaps on said side walls, each said end wall having an upper edge;

a shoulder panel foldably joined to said upper edge of each said end wall and extending inwardly therefrom in spaced parallel relationship over said bottom wall;

a side flap foldably connected to each end of each said shoulder panel, said side flaps being folded downwardly to lie against an outer surface of respective adjacent ends of said side walls in overlying relationship to said cut outs in said side walls;

a locking tab (114, 126, 138, 150) formed in each said side flap spaced from adjacent edges of respective said side flaps, said locking tabs being inserted through said cut outs to lock said side flaps and thus said shoulder panels, end walls and side walls in operative folded relationship;

a cut (106, 108) in each said side wall at its bottom edge forms a slot (110, 112) immediately above an upper surface of said bottom wall to receive respective cover attachment flaps (174, 182);

a separate cover (164) is applied to said container, said cover comprising a cover top panel lying on top of said shoulder panels in parallel spaced relationship to said container bottom wall, and cover side panels depending from opposite side edges of said cover top panel to overlie a respective said side wall; and

the cover attachment flap on a bottom edge of each said cover side panel is folded inwardly and extends through a respective said slot at the bottom edge of each said side wall to hold said cover in place.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of said containers are stacked on top of one another with the bottom wall of an upper container resting on the shoulder panels of a lower container; and

said cover top panel overlies the uppermost container in said stack, and said side panels have a length to extend to the bottom of the lowermost container in said stack, said cover attachment flaps being inserted in the slots in the lowermost container to hold the stack of containers and the cover in place.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a cut adjacent and parallel to the folded connection between said shoulder panels and said side flaps forms a stacking tab on an upper edge of each said side flap, a said stacking tab projecting upwardly beyond said shoulder panels at each corner of said container; and

a cut out is in a bottom edge of each side flap in position to be in registry with and receive a stacking tab on a subjacent container when the containers are stacked on top of one another.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

a separate cover is applied to said container, said cover comprising a cover top panel lying on top of said shoulder panels in parallel spaced relationship to said container bottom wall, and cover side panels foldably connected to opposite side edges of said cover top panel and depending therefrom to overlie a respective said side wall;

a cover attachment flap on a bottom edge of each said cover side panel is folded inwardly and extends through a respective said slot at the bottom edge of each said side wall to hold said cover in place; and

cuts in opposite edges of said cover in closely spaced parallel relationship to the folded connection between said cover top panel and said cover side panels form slits for receiving said stacking tabs.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

a plurality of said containers are stacked on top of one another with the bottom wall of an upper container resting on the shoulder panels of a lower container; and

said cover top panel overlies the uppermost container in said stack, and said side panels have a length to extend to the bottom of the lowermost container in said stack, said cover attachment flaps being inserted in the slots in the lowermost container to hold the stack of containers and the cover in place.

6. In combination, a plurality of containers stacked on top of one another, and a single separate cover applied over said stack of containers, wherein:

said containers each comprise a bottom wall having opposite side edges and opposite end edges, side walls extending upwardly from said side edges, end walls extending upwardly from said end edges, and shoulder panels extending in parallel spaced relationship to said bottom wall from upper edges of said end walls; and

said cover comprises a top panel overlying the uppermost container in said stack, and side panels extending from opposite side edges said top panel to the bottom of the lowermost container in said stack in overlying relationship to said container side walls;

a slot is formed in each container side wall at its bottom edge;

a cover attachment flap on a bottom edge of each said cover side panel is folded inwardly and inserted through a respective said slot at the bottom edge of each said side wall to hold said cover in place;

a stacking tab projects upwardly from each corner of each said container; and

said cover top panel has cut outs to receive the stacking tabs of the uppermost container in said stack of containers.