GB2451425A

GB2451425A - Inter-engaging stacking trays

Info

Publication number: GB2451425A
Application number: GB0714166A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Howard Dudley Malcolm
Original assignee: AVALON GROUP Ltd
Current assignee: AVALON GROUP Ltd
Priority date: 2007-07-20
Filing date: 2007-07-20
Publication date: 2009-02-04
Also published as: GB0714166D0

Abstract

A packaging and display unit 12 for a plurality of identical or similar articles 13 of merchandise comprises base 14 and top 16 trays that are spaced apart by the articles 13. The base tray 14 has a plurality of discrete wells each shaped to complement the base part 15 of an article 13. The top tray 16 has a plurality of separate recesses shaped to complement the upper part 17 of the article 13. The units 12 are stackable by virtue of inter-engaging elements formed on the trays 14, 16. A first engagement element 25 is defined on the base tray 14 and a second 33 is defined on the top tray 16. The first engagement element 25 on the underside of a base tray 14 inter-engages with the second engagement element 33 on the top tray 16 of an underlying tier in the stack. In a second invention an intermediate tray 53 is provided in the unit and has a lower surface that engages with the tops 17 of the articles 13 in an underlying tier and the upper surface that defines said wells. The units 12 are stable and robust both individually and in their stacked form thus allowing them to be handled and transported from the production line to the display shelf or floor at the point of sale without the need for additional packaging.

Description

I

PACKAGING AND DISPLAY UNIT FOR ARTICLES

The present invention relates to a packaging and display unit for supporting, transporting and displaying merchandise in the form of a plurality of articles, such as containers, in a predetermined configuration. The invention provides for such a unit that is stackable with other units, or which comprises stacked tiers of articles, on a transportation pallet so as to reduce storage requirements.

Many products are packaged on a production line in such a manner that a plurality of identical articles (e.g. bottles) is supported in a bottom tray having a base and upstanding side walls. A similar tray is inverted and placed on top of the assembled articles so as to form a unit. The bottom and top trays are then bound together to hold the package together. Typically the binding might be in the form of a heat shrink plastic film or one or more straps or bands that are wrapped around the unit. This unit is then placed on a pallet with other such units in a stacked configuration for storage in a warehouse and for transportation purposes. When the units are delivered to the retail outlets (such as supermarkets, convenience stores or the like) they are taken from the pallet, the wrapping and top tray is removed and the articles can either be taken out of the bottom tray and stacked on the outlet's display shelves or they may be displayed in-situ in the bottom tray.

The main problem associated with such packaging is that in order for the stacked units to be conveyed or handled reliably and safely on the production line, in storage or in transportation, additional packaging material such as the shrink wrap plastics sheeting, straps andlor the top trays have to be used to render the units stable.

These packaging materials then have to be removed in order to display the items at the retail outlets or, alternatively customers have to be put to the trouble of removing them.

Various packaging arrangements have been proposed but they are still generally either unstable or suffer from excess packaging that has to be removed and/or discarded at the point of sale.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the aforesaid, and other, disadvantages. It is also an object of the present invention to provide for a packaging unit that lends itself well to handling, storing, transportation and display of merchandise in the form of a multiple articles.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging and display unit for a plurality of articles of merchandise, the unit comprising a base tray with a plurality of wells each shaped to complement the base part of an article and a top tray having a plurality of recesses shaped to complement the upper part of the article, the base tray having a first surface in which said wells are defined and an opposed second surface having first engagement elements defined thereon, the top tray having a first surface in which said recesses are defined and an opposed second surface with second engagement elements, the first and second engagement elements being configured to inter-engage when the base tray of a second unit is stacked on top of a top tray of a first unit.

The wells may be spaced apart by any means other than a dividing partition.

One example is a wall that defines said first surface of said base tray. The recesses in the top tray may be similarly spaced apart.

The base and top trays may have substantially the same footprint.

The wells may be integrally formed with the wall that defines the first surface of the base tray. The wells may each comprise a base wall and a side wall, the side wall having at least one rib projecting into the interior of the well. The first engagement elements may be defined in a wall between adjacent wells.

The first and second engaging elements may inter-engage in any suitable manner, one example is a friction fit engagement. An end of at least one of the first and second engaging elements may be received in a depression in the end of the other engaging element in a friction fit engagement. The first engaging element may be in the form of a cylindrical projection and the second engaging element may be in the form of a cylindrical projection, the second engaging element having a depression at the end of the projection for inter-engagement with the end of the first engaging element. The second engaging elements may be defined in elongate ribs on the top tray.

The trays may be moulded from plastics material. A base wall of the wells of the base tray may be substantially planar.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging and display unit, as defined above, combined with a plurality of articles of merchandise, each article having a base portion supported in a well and a top portion that is received in a recess of the top tray.

The top tray of a given unit is preferably not connected to the base tray of the same unit. The base of the article may be a friction fit with the side wall of the well.

In one embodiment of the invention the top tray and the base tray are spaced apart such that the body of the articles supported in the unit can be viewed.

Each well may be designed to receive a single article.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaging and display unit for a plurality of articles of merchandise arranged in tiers, the unit comprising a base tray with a plurality of wells each shaped at least in part to receive a base portion of an article, a top tray having a plurality of recesses each shaped to receive an upper part of the article, and at least one intermediate tray separating tiers of articles, wherein the intermediate tray comprises a first surface facing the top tray and defining a plurality of wells each shaped at least in part to receive at least part of the base portion of an article and an underlying second surface facing the base tray and defining a plurality of recesses each shaped to complement the upper part of the article.

The, or each, intermediate tray may be formed from a single sheet of material that defines said wells and said recesses. The recesses in the second surface may be each defined by at least one wall that defines a projection that extends from the first surface of the intermediate tray. The projections may be defined in the wells defined in the first surface.

The wells may each comprise a first portion into which the projection extends and a second portion that supports the base portion of the article.

There may be provided a ledge between the first and second portions of the well for supporting the base portion of the article. At least one locating projection upstanding from the first surface of the intermediate tray may be provided adjacent to said ledge. The first portion of the well may be defined by at least one wall that extends around said recess on the second surface.

At least one support member may be provided, the support member extending between adjacent trays in the unit, the support member being releasably connected to the periphery of each of the adjacent trays. This may provided additional rigidity to the unit. The, or each, support member may be elongate and may have a longitudinal axis that extends in the direction between the adjacent trays and has at least one portion that projects inwards from the periphery of the trays.

The support member may comprise a middle portion flanked by a pair of portions that project inwards from the periphery of the trays such that, in use, they extend into respective clearances between adjacent articles on a given tray. The support member may have at least one connecting element at each end for engagement with a corresponding connecting element on the periphery of each of the adjacent trays. The support member may comprise a main body and at least one connecting portion hinged thereto at each end, said connecting portions defining said connecting elements.

The connecting portions of the support member may be hingedly movable between a first released position and a second position where the connecting elements are connectable with the corresponding connecting elements on the trays.

The connecting portions may be folded over a part of the edge of a respective tray when in said second position.

A pallet may be provided on which said base tray is supported and at least one locating feature may be provided on the pallet for connection to a complementary feature on the base tray.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a schematic representation of a pallet stacked with packaging and display units in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a base of a first embodiment of one of the units shown partially filled with merchandise; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of a packaging and display unit in accordance with the present invention, the unit being partially filled with merchandise; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the unit of figure 3 with part of a second unit stacked on top; Figure 5 is a perspective view from above of a second embodiment of the present invention showing a packaging and display unit filled with two tiers of articles; Figure 6 is a perspective view from below of the unit of figure 5; Figure 7 is a perspective view from above of the unit of figures 5 and 6 with a third tier of articles; Figure 8 is a perspective view from one side of the unit of figure 7, shown disposed on a pallet; Figure 9 is a perspective view from the underside of the unit and pallet of figure 8; Figure 10 is a perspective view from above of the pallet of figures 8 and 9; and Figure 11 is a perspective view of a support member of the units of figures 5 to 10, shown in a first condition; Figure 12 is a perspective view of the support member of figure 11 shown in a second condition; and Figure 13 is a scrap plan view of a corner part of an intermediate tray of the unit of figures 5 to 9.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a merchandise storage and display system 10 supported on a transportation pallet 11. The system comprises a plurality of stacked packaging and display units 12 each supporting, in this instance, a plurality of liquid containers 13 (shown in figures 2 to 4) in a predetermined array.

In the embodiment shown in figure 1, three tiers of four units 12 are arranged in a stacked configuration. The units are generally of rectangular box-shape configuration to allow for ease of stacking. Only the front two units 12 of each tier are visible in the drawings with the other two being hidden behind. Each unit 12 comprises a base tray 14 that supports the bases 15 of the containers and a top tray 16 that engages with the top part 17 of each container 13. Both of the trays 14, 16 are generally rectangular in plan view and are of the same size in outline such that they occupy the same footprint. The trays are manufactured by thermo-forming of a recycled plastics material (such as for example PET) of a thickness that provides substantial rigidity.

The base tray 14 has an upper surface 18 in which is defined a plurality of spaced apart wells 19 for receipt of the container bases 15. In the embodiment depicted there are three rows of five wells 19, each well corresponding in shape to the outside profile of the base 15 of each container 13. Each well 19 has a planar base wall 20 and a continuous side wall 21 formed with a plurality of shallow strengthening ribs 22 that project into the well interior. The containers 13 are a snug fit with the side walls 21 of the wells 19 such that they are supported in a stable upnght orientation. The periphery of the base tray 14 has a depending skirt 23 for extra rigidity. Interspersed between the wells 19 are four connector posts 25 that depend from the wall that defines the upper surface 18. Each post 25 is a hollow frusto-cone integrally formed with the wall and extends to a depth similar to that of the wells 19.

The top tray 16 of the unit 12 is designed to locate over the top part 17 of each article of merchandise. In the embodiment shown the containers 13 each have a neck 26 and a cap 27, and the top tray 16 has a plurality of recesses 28 designed to fit over the container caps 27. There are thus fifteen such recesses 28, arranged in three rows of five, that are aligned above the wells 19 when the base and top trays 14, 16 are disposed one above the other. In between each row of recesses 28 in the top tray an upstanding elongate rib 30 extends over the major part of the tray length. The rib 30 has side walls 31, a top wall 32 and is interrupted by two generally cylindrical pillars 33 spaced apart along the length of the rib 30. The height of the pillars 33 is greater than that of the ribs 30 such that they project from the top wall 32 of the ribs 30. An upper surface 34 of the pillars 33 has a circular depression 35 that is designed to engage in a friction fit with an end of the posts 25 defined on the base tray 14 of the next tier. The pillars 33 in the two ribs 30 are offset from one another along the length of the tray, as are the posts 25 in the base tray 14.

In (lie space between each recess 28 in the top tray 16 there is a generally rectangular or square formation 36 that projects in the opposite direction to the wall defining the recess 28. These formations 36 afford extra rigidity to the tray 28, extra stability to the assembled unit 12 and assist in locating the recesses 28 over the container caps 27. For further rigidity and strength a peripheral depending rib 37 is formed in the surface of the tray.

On the production line, the filled containers 13 are conveyed to a packaging station where they are placed in the wells 19 of the base tray 14 by automated pick and place machinery (not shown). A top tray 16 is then placed over the caps 27 of the containers 13 such that they are received in the recesses 28, thereby forming a stable unit 12 or "brick". The packaged units 12 comprising base and top trays 14, 16 and containers 13 are conveyed by conveyor belts or the like to a palleting station where they are placed on pallets 11 as shown in figure 1 for onward transportation and/or storage. The units 12 are stacked by aligning the bottom of the posts 25 on a base tray 14 of a unit with the depressions 35 in the pillars 33 of the top tray 16 of an underlying unit 12 and pressing them into engagement. The arrangement is sufficiently stable and rigid that the units 12 can be handled and transported without concerns over damage to the containers 13. For example, the units 12 are suitable for transportation on an inclined conveyor to a warehouse area where they are stacked on pallets 11. After transportation and/or storage the stacked units 12 can be lifted from the pallets 11 and placed directly into a merchandising display area (not shown) such as a floor or shelf. To allow access to the containers the top tray 16 is simply removed from the top unit 12 in the stack by the customer or retailer. The base and top trays 14, 16 can be returned to the manufacturer or packager for reuse. From the foregoing it will be understood that the packaging of the containers and the subsequent handling of the packaged units 12 can be fully automated and the units can pass from the factory to the retailer and the display without the need to interfere with or removed any packaging.

It is to be understood that the design of the wells and the recesses in the base and top trays can take any suitable form to complement the shape of the containers or articles.

An alternative embodiment of a merchandise storage and display system is shown in figures 5 to 13. In figures 5 and 6 the system is shown as having two tiers 50, 51 of articles that are supported in a single unit having base, top and intermediate trays 52, 53, 54. In this embodiment the trays are not configured to stack with each other and the articles are again liquid containers 55. The base tray 52 is constructed from a thermoformed plastics sheet and has an upper surface 56 on which is defined a plurality of spaced apart wells 57 for receipt of the container bases. In the embodiment depicted the first tier of containers 50 comprises seven rows of thirteen wells. Each well 57 has a shape designed to accommodate the outside profile of the base of each container 55 in a snug fit but which does not conform to the profile of the base all the way around. In more detail, all of the wells 57 in a given row have a common planar base wall 58 that is surrounded by a continuous side wall 59 that extends along the row on each side. The wells 57 are thus open to each other in the direction along the length of the row. The side wall 59 has an undulating profile in the direction along the row and conforms in shape to part of the base of each container 55. The containers 55 are a snug fit with the side walls 59 of the wells such that they are supported in a stable upright orientation. In an alternative configuration (not shown) the base wall may be common to all rows and simple formations upstanding from the top surface of the base tray serve to divide the tray into separate wells.

The intermediate tray 53, again thermoformed from a single sheet of plastics material, has an upper surface 60 that is configured in generally the same form as the upper surface of the base tray 52 and supports a second tier 51 of containers 55 arranged in an identical array as those of the first tier. The main difference compared with the base tray 52 is that wells 61 are of a different configuration. In particular, the base walls 62 of the wells 61 are not planar but are raised so as to conform generally to the top of the containers 55 of the underlying tier 50, as can be seen most clearly in figure 13. Each container 55 of the second tier 51 does not therefore rest with its base at the bottom of each well 61 but is supported by a ledge 63 at the periphery of the well 61. Each well 61 has an interior defined in the upper surface 60 of the intermediate tray 53 and an exterior that depends from the lower surface 64. The well 61 is defined a wall that has a first portion 65 that is designed to support the base of the container in the second tier 51 and a second portion 66 that depends from the bottom of the first portion 65 and is configured to receive the top of an underlying container 55 in the first tier 50. The second portion 66 of the well 61 depends downwardly over the sides of the top portion of the container 55 and defines a recess 67 (represented in dotted line figure 13) in which the top portion is received. In the embodiment shown the containers 55 each have a neck and a cap, and the recess is designed to fit over the container caps. This serves to ensure that the containers of the first tier 50 are rigidly supported by the base and intermediate trays 52, 53. As best seen in figure 13, the base portions of the containers at the edge of the tray 53 are supported by a side wall 68 of the well 61 above the ledge 63, but in-board of the edge the base of the containers is supported between projections 69 formed on the upper surface around the ledge 63 of the well 61.

A top tray 54 of the unit is designed to locate over the top part of each article of merchandise and has a plurality of recesses 70 defined in its lower surface 71, one recess for each container that, in use, is vertically aligned with the corresponding well 61 defined in the intermediate tray 53. The top tray 54 is, as with the other trays, formed from a single sheet of thin-walled plastics material and therefore the walls of the recesses 70 defined in the lower surface 71 have an obverse side 70a that projects on the upper surface 72 of the tray.

This particular unit design is considered more suitable for manual loading as opposed to automated loading but again provides for easy transportation, storage and display. The unit is self-supporting and can be position on a floor or shelf of a retail unit and lends itself to a self-service system. Once the unit is in position the top tray 54 is simply removed to expose the upper tier 51 and when that is empty the intermediate tray 53 can be removed to reveal the lower tier 50.

The embodiment of figures 7 to 9 show a unit with three tiers 50, 51, 80 of containers 55 with a base tray 52, first and second intermediate trays 53a, 53b and a top tray 54. It will be appreciated that a unit of this kind can have any desired number of tiers, each additional tier requiring the use of a further intermediate tray. in figures 8 and 9, the unit is shown supported on a pallet 81 for transportation purposes. The pallet 81, shown in more detail in figure 10, has substantially the same general footprint as the trays 52, 53a, 53b and 54 and may be manufactured from the same material and thermoforming process as the trays. It comprises three legs 82 formed from elongate rectangular depressions 83 in the upper surface 84 of the pallet 81. In the embodiment shown the legs 82 extend across the width of the pallet 81 but in an alternative embodiment it is to be understood that they may extend in the other direction along its length. The legs 82 are separated by clearances 85 that are designed for receipt of the forks of a forked lift truck or similar mobile handler. The upper surface 84 of the pallet may have one or more protruding locating pegs or other formation (one example shown at 86) for locating with the underside of the base tray.

In the embodiments of figures 5 to 9, the trays of the unit are interconnected at the sides by support members 90 in order to provide additional rigidity and support.

An exemplary embodiment of a support member 90 is depicted in figures II and 12 and comprises a generally elongate member that is thermoformed from the same plastics material as the trays. It is has a thin-walled construction, having been formed from a single sheet, and defines a main body 91 designed to extend between the trays and which is flanked at each end by flaps 92 for connecting to the trays. The main body 91 is defined by a wall that has a first surface 94 intended for facing the containers 55 in the unit, the surface 94 being arcuately formed to define a central section 95 that is curved in a concave sense and which is flanked on each side by integrally formed convex portions 96. The central section 95 is designed to face a side wall of a container 55 whereas the convex portions 96 are designed to extend into a clearance on each side defined between adjacent containers 55. The flaps 92 are each connected to the main body 91 by an integral hinge 97 such that they can be moved between a first position as shown in figure 11 where they extend away from the main body 91 and a second position where they are hinged inwardly towards the main body 91. Each flap 92 has a pair of spaced lobes 98 that each defines a connecting element 99 in the form of an integrally formed circular indentation.

In use the support member 90 is presented to the side of a unit at a chosen tier 50, 51, 80 and a selected location between trays 52, 53, 53a, 53b, 54 such that its body 91 extends in a substantially vertical direction. The convex portions 96 face the unit and extend into clearances between adjacent containers 55 and the flaps 92 are in the I' first position as depicted in figure 11. The flaps 92 are then moved from the first position to the second position (shown in figure 12) such that they fold around the peripheral edge of the respective trays 52, 53, 53a, 53b, 54 and the connecting elements 99 engage in complementary sockets 100 defined on an upper surface of each tray. The embodiment of figure 5 and 6 shows three such support members 90 fixed in place on one side of the unit, whereas the embodiment of figures 7-9 shows five support members 90 on one side. It is to be understood that sockets are provided on all of the trays at predetermined locations for connection with the support members 90. These may be provided at any convenient location on one or more sides of the unit and the number and arrangement of the support members that are used may vary depending on the circumstances. It will also be understood that the interconnecting formations 99, 100 defined on the support members and the tray edges can take any

suitable form.

The provision of the support members affords extra rigidity and stability to the unit and prevents the inadvertent separation of the top and base trays from the unit. It is to be understood that the support members may be used with the unit configuration of figures 1 to4.

All of the trays, the pallet and the support members are preferably formed from the same recycled or recyclable plastics material such as, for example, PET or recycled PET (R-PET). When the trays are removed one-by-one over a period of time at the point of sale they can be collected, along with any support members, and dispensed at a convenient location for future recycling.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described design may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the display stand may have elements that are designed to interlock with the posts provided on the underside of the base tray.

Moreover the trays, pallet and support members may be manufactured from any suitable material using any suitable manufacturing method. Furthermore, the shapes of the wells and recess etc. can take any suitable form to accommodate the particular shape of the article of merchandise being displayed, packaged or transported.

Claims

1. A packaging and display unit for a plurality of articles of merchandise, the unit comprising a base tray with a plurality of wells each shaped to receive at least part of the base port of an article and a top tray having a plurality of recesses shaped to complement the upper part of the article, the base tray having a first surface in which said wells are defined and an opposed second surface having at least one first engagement element defined thereon, the top tray having a first surface in which said recesses are defined and an opposed second surface with at least one second engagement element, the first and second engagement elements being configured to inter-engage when the base tray of a second unit is stacked on top of a top tray of a first unit.

2. A packaging and display unit according to claim 1, wherein the wells are spaced apart.

3. A packaging and display unit according to claim 2, wherein the wells are spaced apart by a wall that defines said first surface of said base tray.

4. A packaging and display unit according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the recesses are spaced apart.

5. A packaging and display unit according to claim 4, wherein the recesses are spaced apart by a wall that defines said first surface of said top tray.

6. A packaging and display unit according to any one of claims I to 5, wherein base and top trays have substantially the same footprint.

7. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the wells are integrally formed with the wall that defines the first surface of the base tray.

8. A packaging and display unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the wells each comprise a base wall and a side wall, the side wall having at least one rib projecting into the interior of the well.

9. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the, or each, first engagement element is defined in a wall between adjacent wells.

10. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the, or each, first and second engaging elements inter-engage in a friction fit.

11. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim wherein an end the, or each, first and second engaging elements is received in a depression in the end of the other engaging element.

12. A packaging and display unit according to claim 11, where the first engaging element is in the form of a cylindrical projection and the second engaging element is in the form of a cylindrical projection, the second engaging element having a depression at the end of the projection for inter-engagement with the end of the first engaging element.

13. A packaging and display unit according to claim 12, wherein the second engaging element is defined in elongate ribs on the top tray.

14. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim wherein this is a plurality of first engaging elements and a plurality of second engaging elements.

15. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the trays are moulded from plastics material.

16. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim wherein a base wall of the wells is substantially planar.

17. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim, combined with a plurality of articles of merchandise, each article having a base portion supported in a well and a top portion that is received in a recess of the top tray.

18. A packaging and display unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the top tray of a given unit is not connected to the base tray of said unit.

19. A packaging and display unit according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the base of the article is a friction fit with the side wall of the well.

20. A packaging and display unit according to claim 17, 18 or 19, wherein the top tray and the base tray ate spaced apart such that the body of the articles supported in the unit can be viewed.

21. A packaging and display unit according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein each well is designed to receive a single article.

22. A packaging and display unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A packaging and display unit for a plurality of articles of merchandise arranged in tiers, the unit comprising a base tray with a plurality of wells each shaped at least in part to receive a base portion of an article, a top tray having a plurality of recesses each shaped to receive an upper part of the article, and at least one intermediate tray separating tiers of articles, wherein the intermediate tray comprises a first surface facing the top tray and defining a plurality of wells each shaped at least in part to receive at least part of the base portion of an article and an underlying second surface facing the base tray and defining a plurality of recesses each shaped to complement the upper part of the article.

24. A packaging and display unit according to claim 23, wherein the intermediate tray is formed from a single sheet of material.

25. A packaging and display unit according to claim 23 or 34, wherein the recesses in the second surface are each defined by at least one wall that defines a projection that extends from the first surface of the intermediate tray.

26. A packaging and display unit according to figure 25, wherein the projections extend into the wells defined in the first surface.

27. A packaging and display unit according to claim 26, wherein the wells each comprise a first portion into which the projection extends and a second portion that supports the base portion of the article.

28. A packaging and display unit according to claim 27, wherein there is provided a ledge between the first and second portions of the well for supporting the base portion of the article.

29. A packaging and display unit according to claim 28, wherein there is provided at least one locating projection upstanding from the first surface of the intermediate tray, adjacent to said ledge.

30. A packaging and display unit according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the first portion of the well is defined by at least one wall that extends around said recess on the second surface.

31. A packaging and display unit according to any one of claims 23 to 30, wherein there is provided at least one support member that extends between adjacent trays in the unit, the support member being releasably connected to the periphery of each of the adjacent trays.

32. A packaging and display unit according to claim 31, wherein the, or each, support member is elongate and has a longitudinal axis that extends in the direction between the adjacent trays and has at least one portion that projects inwards from the periphery of the trays.

33. A packaging and display unit according to claim 32, wherein the support member comprises a middle portion flanked by a pair of portions that project inwards from the periphery of the trays such that, in use, they extend into respective clearances between adjacent articles on a given tray.

34. A packaging and display unit according to any one of claims 31 to 33 wherein the support member has at least one connecting element at each end for engagement with a corresponding connecting element on the periphery of each of the adjacent trays.

35. A packaging and display unit according to claims 34, wherein the support member comprises a main body and at least one connecting portion hinged thereto at each end, said connecting portions defining said connecting elements.

36. A packaging and display unit according to claim 35, wherein the connecting portions are hingedly movable between a first released position and a second position where the connecting elements are connectable with the corresponding connecting elements on the trays.

37. A packaging and display unit according to claim 36, wherein the connecting portions are folded over a part of the edge of a respective tray when in said second position.

38. A packaging and display unit further comprising a pallet on which said base tray is supported.

39. A packaging and display unit according to claim 38, wherein there is provided at least one locating feature on the pallet for connection to a complementary feature on the base tray.

40. A packaging and display unit according to any one of claims 23 to 39, wherein there are more than two tiers of articles, pairs of adjacent tiers each being separated by a respective intermediate tray.

41. A packaging and display unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 5 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.