GB2369769A

GB2369769A - Fold-flat tray

Info

Publication number: GB2369769A
Application number: GB0029912A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Farish
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-12-07
Filing date: 2000-12-07
Publication date: 2002-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2020-12-07
Also published as: GB2369769B; GB0029912D0

Abstract

A fold flat tray (1) having a base (2), a pair of side walls (3,4) extending along opposite sides of the base (2), a connecting member (5A,5B) connecting the side walls (3,4) together to form a box section, and at least one flap (7) positionable such that the or each flap (7) extends between the connecting member (5A,5B) and the base (2) to maintain the tray (1) in an erect state in which the connecting member (5A,5B) is spaced from the base (2). The tray is formed by folding and glueing a cardboard blank, and may be collapsed flat when the flaps (7) are disengaged from slots (10) in the base (2) and folded up into the plane of the connecting members (5A,5B). One, as shown, or both connecting members (5A,5B) may be formed with apertures (6) through which containers of drink may protrude. The side walls (3,4) may have apertures (20) for the thumbs of persons carrying the tray. The tray may have a cover (15, Figure 3) permitting stacking of the covered trays. Instead of the flaps extending from the connecting members, they may be parts of and extend from the base.

Description

A Tray

Description The present invention relates to a fold flat or collapsible tray primarily of the disposable cardboard type for carrying and supporting drinks and/or food whilst minimising the risk of spillage.

Fold flat cardboard trays incorporating a space to locate a bag containing food items and a separate aperture to support one or more cups are known and are often found in fast food outlets to assist customers carry their meal. They are particularly useful when food is bought to take away, as the tray supports the food and drink whilst the customer drives home or can be used to contain the meal and support a beverage whilst it is consumed in the car or on the move.

A requirement of fold flat trays is that they have sufficient rigidity and strength when assembled. They must also be economical with the amount and kind of materials from which they are made so that they are cheap to produce and, because they are generally only used once or twice before being thrown away, they need to be constructed from environmentally friendly materials. They must also be easy to assemble by the consumer and must fold flat for storage and transportation.

Furthermore, it is desirable to be able to apply print to the tray for sponsorship and advertising purposes. None of the trays currently available meet all these requirements. Furthermore, once assembled, known trays are difficult to fold flat again meaning that the majority of people throw them away instead of keeping them for re-use at a future date.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tray which overcomes or substantially alleviates the problems with a conventional tray.

According to the present invention, there is provided a fold flat tray having a base, a pair of side walls extending along opposite sides of the base, a connecting member connecting the side walls together to form a box section, and at least one flap positionable such that the or each flap extends between the connecting member and

the base to maintain the tray in an erect state in which the connecting member is spaced from the base.

In one embodiment, the or each flap depends from the connecting member and is engageable with the base to maintain the tray in an erect state.

Preferably, the or each flap includes a tongue and the base includes a slot, the tongue being engageable in the slot to maintain the tray in an erect state.

The tongue may conveniently protrude through the slot to provide the base of the tray with additional grip on the surface on which it is placed.

Preferably, the or each flap is foldable relative to the connecting member into a second position in which it is substantially co-planar with the connecting member, thereby enabling the connecting member and the or each flap to fold flat against the base.

In a second embodiment, the or each flap depends from the base and is engageable with the connecting member to maintain the tray in an erect state.

Preferably, the or each flap includes a tongue and the connecting member includes a slot, the tongue being engageable in the slot to maintain the tray in an erect state.

Preferably, wherein the or each flap is foldable relative to the base into a second position in which it is substantially co-planar with the base, thereby enabling the connecting member to fold flat against the base.

The connecting member advantageously includes at least one aperture therein, the arrangement being such that items placed on the base protrude through the aperture and are supported by the connecting member.

In one embodiment, the connecting member has the same dimensions as the base.

In a preferred embodiment, at least two spaced connecting members connect the side walls together to form a box section.

Conveniently, at least one aperture is formed in at least one connecting member.

Preferably, two parallel spaced connecting members connect the side walls together, and a flap depends from the two closest edges of each connecting member.

A portion of one or both side walls between the connecting members is conveniently removed to leave a scalloped edge for easier access to items placed on the tray.

A preferred embodiment of the tray includes a cover having a main wall and a pair of flaps depending from the main wall to locate the cover on the tray with the main wall parallel to but spaced from the connecting members.

The free ends of the flaps depending from the main wall preferably extend between the connecting members, each flap being parallel to and in contact with a side walls and resting on the base.

At least one slot is conveniently cut into the main wall of the cover to receive the part of the tongue that protrudes through the slot in the base of a second tray positioned on top of the cover.

In a preferred embodiment, an aperture is provided in one or both side walls to enable a person carrying the tray to insert a thumb therethrough and steady items placed on the base.

The tray of the present invention is ideally made from cardboard. Preferably, the cardboard has an inner and outer layer separated by a corrugated core.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the tray incorporating two cup holders ; Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the tray incorporating four cup holders ; Figure 3 illustrates the tray of Figure 1 with a cover removed from the tray; Figure 4 illustrates the four cup holder of Figure 2 with two cups positioned thereon and with a cover in position on the tray; Figure 5 illustrates the four cup holder of Figure 4 without cups thereon; Figure 6 illustrates the flat"blank"sheet from which the tray of Figure 1 is formed; and Figure 7 illustrates the flat"blank"sheet from which the tray of Figure 2 is formed.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a tray 1 according to the invention comprising a flat planar base panel 2 having side walls 3,4 upstanding from opposite sides of the base panel 2. A connecting member 5 having a first part 5A and a second part 5B extends between the free ends of the side walls 3,4 parallel to and spaced from the base panel 2 by the height of the side walls 3,4. The base panel 2, the side walls 3,4 and the connecting members SA, 5B together form a box section having open ends 9.

The connecting member 5A is wider than the connecting member 5B and has two apertures 6 formed therein for insertion of a cup. The connecting member 5A provides support for a cup resting on the base panel 2.

The space between the connecting members 5A, 5B, provides an area of the base 2 on which food, or a bag containing food, may be placed on the base 2. The food is contained on the base 2 by the side walls 3,4, the connecting members 5A, 5B and a pair of flaps 7, the function of which will now be explained in more detail.

The flaps 7 are integral with the connecting members 5A, 5B and extend between each connecting member 5A, 5B and the base 2. The free end of each flap 7 has a tongue 8 thereon (see Figures 6 and 7) which engages in a corresponding slot 10 in the base panel 2 to retain the flaps 7 in position and hold the tray 1 in a rigid erect state, as shown in Figure 1. For reasons explained in more detail below, the tongues 8 may protrude through the slots 10. When the tray 1 is to be collapsed, the base

panel 2 is pressed downwardly in the direction of arrow X so that the tongues 8 are freed from the slots 10 and the flap 7 can be folded relative to the connecting member 5A, 5B to which it is attached, along a fold line 11 into a position in which it is substantially co-planar with the connecting member 5A, 5B. The tray 1 can then be folded flat or collapsed by applying a force in the direction of arrow Y in Figure 1 so that the side walls 3,4 fold relative to the base panel 2 along crease lines 12, and the connecting members 5A, 5B fold relative to the side walls 3,4 along crease lines 13,14, so that the connecting members are positioned against the base 2.

It will be noted that the fold line 11 bisects the apertures 6 and a portion 13 of the connecting member 5A over hangs the flap 7. Arcuate cut-out sections 19 are provided in the flap 7 in the region surrounding the overhanging portion 13 to enable the flap 7 to fold relative to the connecting member 5A. The advantage of this feature is that the flap 7 extends beneath the aperture 6 so that the side of a cup having a diameter similar to that of the aperture 6 is contacted by the side of the flap 7 and provides additional support therefor.

A cut-out 20 is formed in each side wall 3, 4 to enable a person carrying the tray to . fin insert a thumb therein and steady a cup placed on the base panel 2 through an aperture 6.

An alternative embodiment of the tray 1 is illustrated in Figure 2 and is identical to the embodiment of Figure 1, except that the connecting members 5A, 5B are identical and each have a pair of apertures 6 therein to support two cups each.

Figure 3 shows a tray which is identical to the tray shown in Figure 1 but has an optional cover 15. The cover 15 has a main panel 16 which is situated parallel to the connecting member 5A, 5B when the cover 15 is in position on the tray 1, and a pair of flaps 17 which depend downwardly from the main panel 16 to space it from the tray 1 and enable the cover 15 to be fitted whilst items are placed on the tray 1.

Figures 4 and 5 show a modified version of the cover 15 in position on the four cup holder tray 1 illustrated in Figure 2 which incorporates side walls 22 from which the

flaps 17 extend. The flaps 17 locate between the connecting members 5A, 5B and against the inner facing surfaces of the side walls 3, 4. Two cups A are shown in Figure 4 to illustrate that the flaps 17 space the main panel 16 away from the tray 1 so that items can be placed on the tray and the cover 15 placed over them but out of contact therewith.

The main panel 16 of the cover 15 has a pair of slots 21 formed therein to receive the tongues 8 of the flaps 7 protruding through the base panel 2 of a second tray (not shown) positioned on top of the cover 15 of a first tray in a stacked relationship. This prevents the upper tray 1 from slipping off the lower tray 1. The tongues 8 protruding through the base panel 2 also provide the tray 1 with additional grip when the tray 1 is placed on, for example, a car seat.

The tray 1 of the embodiment of the invention is manufactured from cardboard having an inner and outer layer made from virgin pulp and a recycled corrugated or fluted core. This provides it with sufficient rigidity and strength without the use of an excessive amount of material.

The tray 1 is manufactured from a single sheet of cardboard. A flat"blank"cut or stamped to the required shape of the tray 1 shown in Figure 1 is illustrated in Figure 6, and a"blank"of the tray shown in Figure 2 is illustrated in Figure 7. The fold lines 11,12, 13,14 are shown in Figures 5 and 6 and a glue flap 18 along the length of one side wall 3 which, when the tray is folded along fold lines 12,13, 14 is located against and glued to the base panel 2 to form the box section or sleeve. Once glued, the tray 1 can be erected and collapsed into its fold flat state as described above and without the need for detaching the glue flap 18 from the base panel 2. It will be appreciated that the tray 1 of the present invention is very easy to manufacture as only one flap 18 needs to be glued to form the tray 1 which can be erected and collapsed as necessary without any re-gluing.

Claims

Claims 1. A fold flat tray having a base, a pair of side walls extending along opposite sides of the base, a connecting member connecting the side walls together to form a box section, and at least one flap positionable such that the or each flap extends between the connecting member and the base to maintain the tray in an erect state in which the connecting member is spaced from the base.
2. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the or each flap depends from the connecting member and is engageable with the base to maintain the tray in an erect state.
3. A tray according to claim 2, wherein the or each flap includes a tongue and the base includes a slot, the tongue being engageable in the slot to maintain the tray in an erect state.
4. A tray according to claim 3, wherein the tongue protrudes through the slot.
5. A tray according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the or each flap is foldable relative to the connecting member into a second position in which it is substantially co-planar with the connecting member, thereby enabling the connecting member and the or each flap to fold flat against the base.
6. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the or each flap depends from the base and is engageable with the connecting member to maintain the tray in an erect state.
7. A tray according to claim 6, wherein the or each flap includes a tongue and the connecting member includes a slot, the tongue being engageable in the slot to maintain the tray in an erect state.
8. A tray according to claim 7, wherein the tongue protrudes through the slot in the connecting member.
9. A tray according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the or each flap is foldable relative to the base into a second position in which it is substantially co-planar with the base, thereby enabling the connecting member to fold flat against the base.
10. A tray according to any preceding claim, wherein the connecting member comprises at least one aperture therein, the arrangement being such that items placed on the base protrude through the aperture and are supported by the connecting member.
11. A tray according to claim 10, wherein the connecting member has the same dimensions as the base.
12. A tray according to claim 10, wherein at least two spaced connecting members connect the side walls together to form a box section.
13. A tray according to claim 12, wherein the at least one aperture is formed in at least one connecting member.
14. A tray according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein two parallel spaced connecting members connect the side walls together, and a flap depends from the two closest edges of each connecting member.
15. A tray according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein a portion of one or both side walls between the connecting members is removed.
16. A tray according to any of claims 12 to 15, including a cover having a main wall and a pair of flaps depending from the main wall to attach the cover to the tray with the main wall parallel to but spaced from the connecting members.
17. A tray according to claim 16, wherein the free ends of the flaps depending from the main wall extend between the connecting members, each flap being parallel to and in contact with a side walls and resting on the base.
18. A tray according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein at least one slot is cut into the main wall of the cover to receive the part of the tongue that protrudes through the slot in the base of a second tray positioned on top of the cover.
19. A tray according to any preceding claim, wherein an aperture is provided in one or both side walls to enable a person carrying the tray to insert a thumb therethrough and steady items placed on the base.
20. A tray according to any preceding claim, made from cardboard.
21. A tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

21. A tray according to claim 20, wherein the cardboard has an inner and outer layer separated by a corrugated core.

22. A tray substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

Claims

1. A fold flat tray having a base, a pair of side walls extending along opposite sides of the base, a connecting member connecting the side walls together to form a box section, and at least one flap positionable such that the or each flap extends between the connecting member and the base to maintain the tray in an erect state in which the connecting member is spaced from the base, wherein an aperture is provided in one or both side walls to enable a person carrying the tray to insert a thumb therethrough and steady items placed on the base.

2. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the or each flap depends from the connecting member and is engageable with the base to maintain the tray in an erect state.

3. A tray according to claim 2, wherein the or each flap includes a tongue and the base includes a slot, the tongue being engageable in the slot to maintain the tray in an erect state.

4. A tray according to claim 3, wherein the tongue protrudes through the slot.

5. A tray according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the or each flap is foldable relative to the connecting member into a second position in which it is substantially co-planar with the connecting member, thereby enabling the connecting member and the or each flap to fold flat against the base.

6. A tray according to claim 1, wherein the or each flap depends from the base and is engageable with the connecting member to maintain the tray in an erect state.

7. A tray according to claim 6, wherein the or each flap includes a tongue and the connecting member includes a slot, the tongue being engageable in the slot to maintain the tray in an erect state.

8. A tray according to claim 7, wherein the tongue protrudes through the slot the connecting member.

9. A tray according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the or each flap is foldable relative to the base into a second position in which it is substantially co-planar with the base, thereby enabling the connecting member to fold flat against the base.

10. A tray according to any preceding claim, wherein the connecting member comprises at least one aperture therein, the arrangement being such that items placed on the base protrude through the aperture and are supported by the connecting member.

11. A tray according to claim 10, wherein the connecting member has the same dimensions as the base.

12. A tray according to claim 10, wherein at least two spaced connecting members connect the side walls together to form a box section.

13. A tray according to claim 12, wherein the at least one aperture is formed in at least one connecting member.

14. A tray according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein two parallel spaced connecting members connect die side walls together, and a flap depends from the two closest edges of each connecting member.

15. A tray according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein a portion of one or both side walls between the connecting members is removed.

16. A tray according to any of claims 12 to 15, including a cover having a main wall and a pair of flaps depending from the main wall to attach the cover to the tray with the main wall parallel to but spaced from the connecting members.

17. A tray according to claim 16, wherein the free ends of the flaps depending from the main wall extend between the connecting members, each flap being parallel to and in contact with a side walls and resting on the base.

18. A tray according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein at least one slot is cut into the main wall of the cover to receive the part of the tongue that protrudes through the slot in the base of a second tray positioned on top of the cover.

19. A tray according to any preceding claim, made from cardboard.

20. A tray according to claim 19, wherein the cardboard has an inner and outer layer separated by a corrugated core.