US3009623A - Service tray - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 21, 1961 Original Filed April 13, 1959 F. A. WENZEL SERVICE TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. FkEoEe/az A. IMF/v25;

rZlZnk-M$m A r Toe/vs?) Unite .11? tates atent 3,009,623 SERVICE TRAY Frederick A. Wenzel, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to St. Regis Pa er Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Original application Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,179. Divided and this application Sept. 20, 1960, S81. No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to improvements in a service tray of the type used for carrying food and beverages from a roadside stand, or the like, to a patron in an automobile, etc.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 806.179, filed April 13, 1959.

Such cartons must be made very inexpensively and are intended to be discarded after a single instance of use. Accordingly, it is conventional to make such trays out of paperboard. However, even in a paperboard tray, it is desirable that the tray be sufliciently sturdy to withstand pressures tending to deform it and to provide in the tray several compartments variously adapted to receive and support beverage containers, receptacles for food items such as sandwiches, French fried potatoes, etc. Thus the preferred form of the tray will assume a three-dimensional configuration having pockets for the reception of containers for beverages and food items, etc.

To avoid having to store and ship the trays in their relatively bulky three-dimensional form, the trays are adapted to be shipped to the food dispensing establishment in collapsed form and in such condition that they may be readily erected into their three-dimensional form for rapid handling by food dispensing personnel.

It is the object of the present invention to provide paperboard trays which may be readily erected from collapsed form and which, when erected, will assume an adequately rigid configuration for the proper support of containers for beverage and food items for the period required for such items to be consumed, whereafter the tray may be discarded.

This application discloses two different embodiments of trays embodying the present invention in which the collapsed tray is prepared for service simply by erecting it along score lines and folding inwardly compartmentforming flaps which come into bracing relationship with wall panels of the tray, thus to hold the tray in erected position. The foregoing steps are very simple and may be readily performed without damage to the tray and will maintain the tray in a three-dimensional form until the tray has served its purpose.

In one form of the invention, the folded flaps interlock into apertures or notches formed in the corners between side and bottom panels for the tray. In another form of the invention the flaps interlock with and straddie a central partition which separates various storage compartments. In both instances the flaps brace the carton laterally and interlock with a wall member which is transverse to the bottom of the tray.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray of FIG. 1 in the course of shifting the tray from collapsed to erected position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

3,009,623 Patented Nov. 21, 1961 FIG. 4 is a developed plan of the blank from which the tray of FIG. 1 is fabricated.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified tray embodying the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the tray of FIG. 5 during the course of shifting it from collapsed to erected position.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross section taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary developed plan of the blank from which the tray of FIG. 5 is fabricated.

The tray shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 is made from the paperboard blank shown in FIG. 4 and which com prises a central top panel 10 foldably connected on score lines 14 to side wall panels 11 which, in turn, are fold ably connected on score lines 13 to bottom wall panels 12. Score lines 14 .are completely out through at 15 between the transverse score lines 17 which define fold lines for the bracing flaps 18. The top panel 10 is cut out at 16 to provide beverage container receiving apertures of conventional outline.

The bracing flaps 18 are further defined by cut lines 22 which intersect the cut lines 15. Note that cut lines 15 and 22 deviate obliquely at 19, 26 to form in each flap 18 a pair of corner tongue portions 23 which are offset or project obliquely from the otherwise rectangular outline of the flaps 18.

The space 24 between cut lines 22 is waste. Waste is also removed from the blank at the intersection of the panels 11, 12 to form notches or openings 26 which span across the score lines 13. Note that cut lines 27 which partially define the notches 26 are substantially aligned with the score lines 17 upon which the bracing flaps 18 will ultimately fold.

As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the blank is readily folded on the score lines 13, 14, to form a tube in which the bottom panels 12 overlap slightly to form a glue lap 21.

The tube will ordinarily be shipped and stored in collapsed form. To prepare the blank for use as a service tray, it is erected through its semi-open condition shown in FIG. 2 to its f-ully open position shown in FIG. '1 in which top and bottom panels 1t 12 come into parallel spaced relation. In the course of this movement, the

flaps 18 are folded about score lines 17 from the position thereof shown in FIG. 2 in which the flaps are substantially co-planar with the top panel it) to a position shown in FIG. 1 in which the flaps 18 are substantially at right angles to the top panel 10 to span between the spaced top and bottom panels.

When thus positioned, the projecting or offset tongues 23 at the corners of the flaps 18 come into alignment with the cut lines 27 on side panels 11 of the tray. Because of their projection, both laterally beyond side panel 11 and downwardly beyond bottom panel 12, the tongues 23 will snap into the notches 26 and behind the edge of the side and bottom panels defined by the out line 27,

Thus the flaps 18 are releasably interlocked from springing resiliently back to their position shown in FIG. 2. Moreover, the edge margins 30 of the flaps, will abut the portion of the wall panels 11 intervening between the notches 26 and the score line 14 to brace the tray laterally against collapse. The wall panels 11 brace the tray longitudinally and the infolded flaps l8 brace the tray laterally. Such lateral rocking of the tray as may occur will not release the tongues 23 from interlocked position because the tongues overlap the cut or notched margins of both the side and bottom panels.

In FIGS. 5 through 8, I show a somewhat larger tray having four beverage compartments instead of the two beverage compartments shown in the embodiment of the invention in FIGS. 1 through 4. Because of the greater lateral extent of the tray of FIGS. 5 through 8, I have adopted a somewhat different specific structure which provides a somewhat more rigid bracing arrangement than in the narrower tray of FIGS. 1 through 4.

The blank for this embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 8. There is a relative central top panel 33 having beverage container receiving waste apertures 34 of generally conventional shape. The central top panel 33 is connected on score lines 35 to side wall panels 36, which are, in turn, connected on score lines 37 to the bottom wall panels 38, which, when folded, will overlap to provide the glue lap 39 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

In this embodiment of the invention an additional or intermediate wall panel 42 is provided at the end of one of the bottom panels 38 and this wall panel 42 is notched out centrally at 43. The otherwise free marginal portions of notched wall panel 42 are further provided with glue lap flaps 44 which connect with the undersurface of the top panel 33, as best shown in FIG. 5.

As in the previously described embodiment of the invention, top panel 33 is provided with transverse score lines 45 which define hinges upon which the bracing flaps 46 will pivot. Note that the cut lines 47 in the partition panel 42 substantially align with the score lines 45' in the top panel.

Flaps 46 are further defined by cut lines 48, 49 and a waste space 50 between the cut lines 48. I also slit the flaps 46 along the cut lines 53 and oblique cut lines 54 which diverge from the end of slit 53 to provide notches 55 which help guide the slit 53 into frictional interlocking engagement with an obliquely offset strut portion 56 of the partition walls 42. Struts 56 are left in the partition portions 42 between cut lines 57 which are obliquely related to cut lines 47 aforesaid.

The blank of FIG. 8 is first formed into a collapsed tube adapted for convenient transport and storage. The tray may be readily erected through its FIG. 6 to its FIG. 5 position and the flaps 46 pivoted inwardly and downwardly about score lines 45 to the position thereof shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 in which the end margins 58 thereof abut the side panels 36 of the tray.

In the course of swinging the flaps 46 between their positions respectively shown in FIGS. 6 and 5, the slits 53 releasably and frictionally interlock with the offset strut portions 56 of the partition wall panels 42. Flap portions at opposite sides of the slit 53 straddle the strut. The resilient interlock thus effected will preclude release of the flaps 46 unless they are forcibly disengaged from the struts 56.

Not only do the struts 56 provide an interlock with the flaps, but the margins of the flaps 46 along the out line 53 laterally abut strut 56 to further brace the tray against collapse.

Partitions 42 intervene between beverage container pockets defined by openings 34 and further help to brace the tray longitudinally.

The tray of FIGS. 5 through 8 is inherently somewhat sturdier than the tray of FIGS. 1 through 4, because it is not necessary to notch the side or bottom walls thereof as is the case in the tray shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. Accordingly, the tray of FIGS. 5 through 8 is better adapted for use in the larger sizes which are subject to greater loads and increased rocking stresses. In both tray embodiments, however, the bracing flaps laterally abut vertical wall panels and the flaps interlock with vertical wall panels.

I claim:

1. A blank for a compartmented service tray of the character described and comprising a plurality of adjacent panels connected on score lines, a central one of said panels comprising a top for the tray, panels connected to said top panel constituting side walls of the tray and endmost panels connected to the panels last mentioned and together comprising a bottom panel for the tray, said side and bottom panels being provided with apertures which span across the score lines connecting said panels, said top panel being provided with substantially rectangular outline flaps connected thereto on transverse score lines, said flaps having corner togues projecting obliquely beyond the flap outline at the free corners thereof, said transverse score lines being substantially aligned with side margins of said bottom and side wall panels about said apertures whereby to provide interlocking edges in the bottom and side wall panels against which respective tongues abut in the erected panel.

2. A compartmented service tray adapted to be readily erected from collapsed condition, said tray having top and bottom panels spaced apart when the tray is erected and wall panels transverse to said top and bottom panels when the tray is erected, said top panel having flaps transverse to said wall panels and connected to said top panel on score lines on which said flaps fold to span between the top and bottom panel, said flaps having portions in endwise abutment with said wall panels to brace the erected tray laterally, said wall panels comprising two side walls, each intersecting the bottom panel at a corner, said corners having apertures spanning thereacross substantially in line with the flap when it is in its bracing position, said flap having obliquely projecting tongue portions, each projecting beyond the plane of a side wall panel and downwardly beyond the plane of the bottom panel of the erected tray to interlock both with a side wall and the bottom panel thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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