Patent application title:

STACKING TRAY

Publication number:

US20250270000A1

Publication date:
Application number:

19/065,230

Filed date:

2025-02-27

Smart Summary: A stacking tray is designed to hold items securely while being easy to assemble. It has a bottom panel and an end panel that extends from one side of the bottom. The end panel includes parts that help create a strong corner pillar for stacking. There are also flaps that lock the corners in place and keep the tray stable. This design allows the tray to be set up quickly and hold items safely. 🚀 TL;DR

Abstract:

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a blank for forming a container includes a bottom panel and an end panel extending outwardly from a first edge of the bottom panel. The end panel includes a stacking pillar panel extending laterally from a first edge of the bottom panel, an end roll over panel extending laterally from a horizontal edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to roll over the stacking pillar panel such that a liner panel of the end roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel in a set-up container, a corner roll over panel extending laterally from a first vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to roll over itself onto the stacking pillar panel to form a corner stacking pillar, a locking flap extending a laterally from a second vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to lock the corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container, and a retaining flap extending from an inner edge of the corner roll over panel configured to retain the corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container.

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Classification:

B65D5/0025 »  CPC main

Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper stackable the container being formed by folding up portions connected to a central panel having integral corner posts the corner posts being formed as a prolongation of a doubled-over extension of the side walls

B65D5/00 IPC

Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper

B65D5/22 »  CPC further

Rigid or semi-rigid containers of polygonal cross-section, e.g. boxes, cartons or trays, formed by folding or erecting one or more blanks made of paper by folding-up portions connected to a central panel from all sides to form a container body, e.g. of tray-like form held erect by extensions of one or more sides being doubled-over to enclose extensions of adjacent sides

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a display tray, and specifically to a display tray having improved visibility and stacking abilities.

BACKGROUND

Pallet displays in Club Stores are beneficial since a large amount of product can be merchandised in one location without having to be re-stocked often. Many of these designs incorporate a full depth “X” or similar divider insert that separates the tray into quadrants and spans the corners, providing critical stacking support for the multiple tray layers, that is locked into a low-profile base tray. However, the “X” dividers tend to obstruct the customer's view of the product, particularly when the primary customer facing side of the display has been emptied and product in the other quadrants are difficult to see or cannot be seen by the customer because the insert blocks the view. These trays are hard to or impossible to rotate in order to show what product is located in the other quadrants. Further, the dividers cannot be removed without affecting the integrity of the tray stack.

There is still a need in the art for improved display trays having improved stacking abilities and visibility to each corner of the tray from multiple vantage points. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need.

SUMMARY

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a blank for forming a container includes a bottom panel and an end panel extending outwardly from a first edge of the bottom panel. The end panel includes a stacking pillar panel extending laterally from a first edge of the bottom panel, an end roll over panel extending laterally from a horizontal edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to roll over the stacking pillar panel such that a liner panel of the end roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel in a set-up container, a corner roll over panel extending laterally from a first vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to roll over itself onto the stacking pillar panel to form a corner stacking pillar, a locking flap extending a laterally from a second vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to lock the corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container, and a retaining flap extending from an inner edge of the corner roll over panel configured to retain the corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container.

The blank further includes a side roll over panel extending outwardly from a second edge of the bottom panel configured to roll over itself to such that the retaining flap of the corner roll over panel is sandwiched between an inner panel and an outer panel of the side roll over panel. A liner panel of the side roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel abutting the liner panel of the end roll over panel in the set-up container. In embodiments, the stacking pillar can be a triangular stacking pillar.

The corner roll over panel includes, a first inner panel, a second inner panel, a medial panel, a first outer panel, and a second outer panel, wherein the first inner panel is configured to lay flush on an inside surface of the first outer panel, wherein the second inner panel is configured to lay flush on an inner surface of the second outer panel with the corner stacking pillar constructed, wherein the medial panel is configured to form a hypotenuse of the stacking pillar in a constructed stacking pillar.

The first inner panel and the first outer panel of the corner roll over panel can be configured to form a first two ply side of the constructed stacking pillar and the second inner panel and the second outer panel of the corner roll over panel can be configured to form a second two ply side of the constructed stacking pillar to reinforce a stacking strength of the constructed stacking pillar relative to a direction of gravity. A bottom edge of the medial panel of the corner roll over panel can be configured to lay flush on the bottom panel for an entire length of the bottom edge of the medial panel (e.g., the bottom edge is flat and continuous along the bottom panel for its length).

The medial panel of the corner roll over panel can include a locking aperture defined therein to receive a locking tab of the locking flap in a constructed triangular stacking pillar.

The first outer panel can include a stacking tab extending laterally from a top edge of the first outer panel configured to be inserted into a stacking aperture of another container stacked on top of the set-up container.

In certain embodiments, at least the first outer panel includes a stacking tab extending laterally from a top edge of the first outer panel configured to be inserted into a stacking aperture of another container stacked on top of the set-up container. In certain embodiments, the first outer panel, the second outer panel, the first inner panel, and the second inner panel can each define a portion of the stacking tab such that the stacking tab formed in the set up container is defined along a corner of the stacking pillar. In certain embodiments the stacking tab can be two-ply.

In embodiments, the bottom panel can include a first locking aperture and a second locking aperture defined in the first edge of the bottom panel, and the inner panel of the end roll over panel can include a first locking tab and a second locking tab configured to be inserted into the first locking aperture and the second locking aperture, respectively, of the bottom panel in the set-up container.

The bottom panel can also include a third locking aperture and a fourth locking aperture defined in the second edge of the bottom panel and the inner panel of the side roll over panel can include a first locking tab and a second locking tab configured to be inserted into the third locking aperture and the fourth locking aperture, respectively, of the bottom panel in the set-up container.

In embodiments, the bottom panel can further include a fifth locking aperture and a sixth locking aperture defined in the second edge of the bottom panel configured to receive a respective stacking tab of a second container when the set-up container is stacked atop the second container.

In embodiments, the corner roll over panel is a first roll over corner panel, and the end panel can further include a second corner roll over panel extending laterally from a third vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel, configured to roll over itself onto the stacking pillar panel to form a second corner stacking pillar, a second locking flap extending laterally from a fourth vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to lock the second corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container, and a second retaining flap extending laterally from an inner edge of the second corner roll over panel configured to retain the second corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set up container. The side roll over panel can be configured to sandwich the second retaining panel between the inner panel and the outer panel of the side roll over panel in the set-up container.

In embodiments, the side roll over panel can be a first side roll over panel and the end panel can be a first end panel, and the blank can further include a second end panel extending outwardly from a third edge of the bottom panel. The second end panel can include a second stacking pillar panel extending outwardly from the third edge of the bottom panel, a second end roll over panel extending laterally from a horizontal edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to roll over the stacking pillar panel such that a liner panel of the second end roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel and abutting the liner panel of the first side roll over panel in the set-up container, a third corner roll over panel extending outwardly from a first vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to roll over itself onto the stacking pillar panel to form a third corner stacking pillar, a third locking flap extending vertically from a second vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to lock the third corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container, and a third retaining flap extending from an inner edge of the third corner roll over panel configured to retain the third corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container, and fourth corner roll over panel extending outwardly from a third vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel, configured to roll over itself onto the second stacking pillar panel to form a fourth corner stacking pillar. A fourth locking flap can extend laterally from a fourth vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to lock the fourth corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container, and a fourth retaining flap can extend laterally from an inner edge of the fourth corner roll over panel configured to retain the fourth corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container.

The second side roll over panel can extend laterally from a fourth edge of the bottom panel configured to roll over itself to such that the third retaining flap of the third corner roll over panel and the fourth retaining flap of the fourth corner roll over panel are sandwiched between an inner panel and an outer panel of the second side roll over panel, and liner panel of the second side roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel abutting the liner panel of the first end roll over panel and the liner panel of the second end roll over panel in the set-up container.

In embodiments, each of the, second, third, and fourth corner roll over panels can include a respective: first inner panel, second inner panel, medial panel, first outer panel, and second outer panel. The respective first inner panel can be configured to lay flush on an inner surface of the respective first outer panel and the respective second inner panel can be configured to lay flush on an inner surface of the respective second outer panel in a respective constructed corner stacking pillar. The respective corner roll over panel can be configured to form a respective triangular stacking pillar and the respective medial panel is configured to form a hypotenuse of the respective triangular stacking pillar.

The respective medial panel of the respective corner roll over panel can include a respective locking aperture defined therein to receive a respective locking tab of a respective locking flap in the set-up container, and the respective first outer panel can include a respective stacking tab configured to be inserted into a respective aperture of a second container stacked on top of the set-up container.

The bottom panel can include a respective first and second locking aperture defined in each edge of the bottom panel configured to receive a respective first and second locking tab of each of the respective inner panels of the first end roll over panel, the first side roll over panel, the second end roll over panel, and the second ride roll over panel. The bottom panel can further include a respective first and second stacking aperture defined in the second and fourth edges of the bottom panel configured to receive a respective stacking tab of a respective corner stacking pillar of a second container when the set-up container is stacked atop the second container.

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a display container (e.g., a container for viewing product therein without deconstructing the container), can include, a bottom wall configured to hold product within the container; a first end wall having a first end panel and a first and second stacking pillar extending upward from the bottom panel, a second end wall having a second end panel and a third and fourth stacking pillar extending upward from the bottom panel, a first sidewall having a first side panel extending between the first stacking pillar and the fourth stacking pillar, and a second sidewall having a second side panel extending between the second stacking pillar and the third stacking pillar. The first end wall, the second end wall, the first sidewall, and the second sidewall can form a product display space within the container,

In embodiments, the first, second, third, and fourth stacking pillars can be configured to provide structural stacking support to stack one or more additional containers atop the container and form viewing windows therebetween to display product within the container and without deconstructing the container.

In embodiments, the stacking pillars can be triangular stacking pillars, and a bottom edge of a hypotenuse of each of the triangular stacking pillar can be flush with the bottom panel for an entirety of a length of the bottom edge (e.g., lay flat and continuous on the bottom panel).

In embodiments, at least a portion of the triangular stacking pillars can be two-ply reinforced, and at least a portion of the bottom wall can be two-ply reinforced.

These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, other embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank in accordance with this disclosure, showing a blank for forming a container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3-6 show a folding sequence of forming the blank into a container, wherein:

FIG. 3 shows the formation of corner stacking pillars of the container;

FIG. 4 shows the formed corner stacking pillars;

FIG. 5 shows the erection of end walls of the container; and

FIG. 6 shows the erection of sidewalls of the container;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container formed from the blank of FIG. 1 and folded using the sequence shown in FIGS. 3-6; and

FIG. 8 is an environmental perspective view of the container of FIG. 7, showing product held within the container, and a second container stacked atop the container formed from the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a blank in accordance with this disclosure, showing another blank for forming another container; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container formed from the blank of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, an illustrative view of an embodiment of a blank for forming a container in accordance with the disclosure is shown in FIG. 1 and is designated generally by reference character 100. Other embodiments and/or aspects of this disclosure are shown in FIGS. 2-8.

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a blank 100 for forming a container 1000 can include a bottom panel 102, and an end panel 104 extending outwardly from a first edge 106 of the bottom panel at a first bottom panel fold line 108. The end panel 104 can include a stacking pillar panel 110 extending laterally from the first bottom panel fold line 106, an end roll over panel 112 extending laterally from a horizontal edge 114 of the stacking pillar panel 112 at a first stacking pillar panel fold line 118. A corner roll over panel 120 extends laterally from a first vertical edge 122 of the stacking pillar panel 112 at a first corner roll over fold line 124, a locking flap 126 extends laterally from a second vertical edge 128 of the stacking pillar panel 112 at a locking flap fold line 130, and retaining flap 132 extends from an inner edge 134 of the corner roll over panel 120 at a retaining flap fold line 136.

The end roll over panel 104 includes a liner panel 138, an inner panel 140 and an outer panel 142, where a horizontal portion 144 of the stacking pillar panel 112 forms the outer panel 142 of the end roll over panel 104. The end roll over panel 104 is configured to roll over the horizontal portion 144 of the stacking pillar panel 112 (e.g., the outer panel 142 of the end roll over panel 104) at the first stacking pillar panel fold line 118 to form the inner panel 140 of the end roll over panel 104, and the liner panel 138 is configured fold at a first end roll over panel fold line 146 such that the liner panel 138 of the end roll over panel 104 lays flat on the bottom panel 102 in a set-up container 1000.

The corner roll over panel 120 includes, from right to left in FIG. 1, a first inner panel 148, a second inner panel 150, a medial panel 152, a first outer panel 154, and a second outer panel 156 configured to roll over one another onto the stacking pillar panel 112 to form a corner stacking pillar 158 in the set-up container 1000. The second outer panel 156 can be a first vertical portion 160 of the stacking pillar panel 112. As shown, the constructed stacking pillar 158 can be triangular in shape. When the stacking pillar 158 is constructed, the first inner panel 148 lays flush on an inside surface 162 of the first outer panel 154 and the second inner panel 150 lays flush on an inner surface 164 of the second outer panel 156. The medial panel 152 can form a hypotenuse 166 of the stacking pillar 158 when the stacking pillar 158 is constructed, e.g., as shown in FIG. 3.

A bottom edge 168 of the medial panel 152 of the corner roll over panel 120 can lay flush on the bottom panel 102 for an entire length of the bottom edge 168 of the medial panel 152 (e.g., the bottom edge 168 is flat and continuous along the bottom panel 102 for its entire length) to provide greater structural integrity under stacking weight. For example, the continuous edge 168 can prevent the corner stacking pillars 158 from crushing and/or folding or falling inwards towards the center of the container 1000.

The locking flap 126 includes a locking tab 170 extending laterally from the locking flap 126 at a locking flap fold line 172 configured to lock the corner stacking pillar 158 together in the set-up container 1000, e.g., by inserting the locking flap 172 into a locking aperture 174 of the medial panel 152 of the corner roll over panel 120. The first outer panel 154 can include a stacking tab 176 extending laterally from a top edge 178 of the first outer panel 154 configured to be inserted into a stacking aperture 180 of another container 2000 stacked on top of the set-up container 1000. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the stacking tab 176 can extend upwards in the set-up container 1000. In embodiments, the stacking tab 176 can be closer to an inner side corner 182 of the stacking pillar 158 than an outer corner 184 of the stacking pillar 158.

As can be seen in FIGS. 5, the first inner panel 148 and the first outer panel 154 of the corner roll over panel 120 can form a first two ply side 186 of the constructed stacking pillar 158 and the second inner panel 150 and the second outer panel 156 of the corner roll over panel 120 can form a second two ply side 188 of the constructed stacking pillar 158 to reinforce a stacking strength of the constructed stacking pillar 158 relative to a direction of gravity. Further, as shown, the direction of the corrugation flutes can be orientated parallel to the direction of the stacking forces to provide stacking strength and reduce the risk of collapse of the stacking pillars 158 under the weight of additional containers.

The retaining flap 132 extends from the inner edge 134 of the corner roll over panel 120 at the retaining flap fold line 136 and is separated from the first outer panel 154 by a cut line 190. The retaining flap 132 is configured to retain the corner stacking pillar 158 in an upright position in the set-up container 1000 by sandwiching the retaining panel 132 within a side roll over panel 201, e.g., as described further below. The retaining flap can also include finger cut outs 192 to assist a user in moving the retaining flaps to the extended position, e.g., as shown in FIGS. 1-3.

The side roll over panel 201 extends outwardly from a second edge 203 of the bottom panel 102 at a second bottom panel fold line 205. The side roll 201 over panel includes a liner panel 207, an inner panel 209 and an outer panel 211, where the inner panel 209 extends between a first 213 and second 215 side roll over panel fold lines. The side roll over panel 201 is configured to roll over itself, were the outer panel 211 rolls up at the second bottom panel fold line 205 to an upright position, the inner panel 209 rolls over the outer panel at the first side roll over panel fold line 213, and the liner panel 207 rolls over the inner panel 209, folding at the second side roll over panel fold line 205, and over the retaining flap 132 of the corner roll over panel 120. The retaining panel 132 is thus sandwiched between the inner panel 209 and the outer panel 211 of the side roll over panel 201 in the set-up container 1000, and the liner panel 207 of the side roll over panel 201 lays flat on the bottom panel 102 in the set-up container 1000. A corner 217 of the liner panel 207 of the side roll over panel 201 abuts the liner panel 138 of the end roll over panel 112 in the set-up container 1000, for example, as shown in FIG. 7. In embodiments, the corner 217 of the liner panel 207 can be cut out to receive the corner 139 of the liner panel of the end roll over panel 112 in the set-up container so that the liner panels 138 and 207 can “lock” together.

In embodiments, the bottom panel 102 can include a first locking aperture 219 and a second locking aperture 221 defined in the first edge 106 of the bottom panel 102, and the inner panel 140 of the end roll over panel 112 can include a first locking tab 223 and a second locking tab 225 configured to be inserted into the first locking aperture 219 and the second locking aperture 221, respectively, of the bottom panel 102 in the set-up container 1000. The bottom panel 102 can also include a third locking aperture 227 and a fourth locking aperture 229 defined in the second edge 203 of the bottom panel 102 and the inner panel 209 of the side roll over panel 201 can include a first locking tab 231 and a second locking tab 233 configured to be inserted into the third locking aperture 227 and the fourth locking aperture 229, respectively, of the bottom panel 102 in the set-up container 1000.

In embodiments, the bottom panel 102 can further include a fifth locking aperture 235 and a sixth locking aperture 237 defined in the second edge 203 of the bottom panel configured to receive a respective stacking tab 276 of a second container 2000 when the set-up container 1000 is stacked atop the second container 2000.

The corner roll over panel as described herein above can be a first roll over corner panel 120, and the end panel 104 can further include a second corner roll over panel extending laterally from a third vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel 110, a second locking flap 226 extending laterally from a fourth vertical edge 228 of the stacking pillar panel 110 configured to lock the second corner stacking pillar 258 together in the set-up container 1000, and a second retaining flap 232 extending laterally from an inner edge 234 of the second corner roll over panel 220 configured to retain the second corner stacking pillar 258 in an upright position in the set up container 1000.

In embodiments, a second end panel 204 extending from a third edge 206 of the bottom panel 102 and can include a second stacking pillar panel 210, a second end roll over panel 212, and a third and 320 a fourth corner roll over panel 420. The respective portions and/or panels of the second end panel 204 can be the same or similar to that described with respect to the first end panel 104, and as such common elements already described with respect to the first end panel 104 are not repeated herein for the second end panel 204. Similarly, the blank 100 can include a second side roll over panel 501 extending from a fourth edge 503 of the bottom panel, and the second side roll over panel 501 can be similar to the first side roll over panel 201, thus common elements between the first and second side roll over panels 201, 501 already described for the first side roll over panel 201 are not repeated with respect to the second side roll over panel 501.

In embodiments, each of the first 120, second 220, third 320, and fourth 420 corner roll over panels can include a respective: first inner panel 148, 248, 348, 448, second inner panel 150, 250, 350, 450, medial panel 152, 252, 352, 452, first outer panel, 154, 254, 354, 454, and second outer panel 156, 256, 356, 456. Each stacking pillar 158, 258, 358, 458 is held together by a respective locking flap 126, 226, 326, 426, and the end panels 104, 204 are held upright with respective retaining flaps 132, 232, 332, 432.

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, and as shown in FIGS. 7-8, a display container 1000 (e.g., a container for viewing product therein without deconstructing the container), can include a bottom wall 1002 configured to hold product 1051 within the container 1000. From the bottom wall 1102 extending upward, the container includes a first end wall 1104 having a first end panel 104 and a first 1158 and second stacking pillar 1058 and a second end wall 1204 having a second end panel and a third 1358 and fourth 1458 stacking pillar extending upward from the bottom wall 1102. Also extending upward from the bottom wall 1102, the container includes a first sidewall 1201 having a first side panel 1209 extending between the first stacking pillar 1158 and the fourth stacking pillar 1458, and a second sidewall 1501 having a second side panel 1509 extending between the second stacking pillar 1258 and the third stacking pillar 1358. The first end wall 1104, the second end wall 1204, the first sidewall 1201, and the second sidewall 1501 can form a product display space 1053 within the container 1000 and within the stacking pillars 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458. One or more portions of the container 1000, e.g., the stacking pillars 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458, the side walls 1201, 1508, the end walls 1104, 1204, and the bottom wall 1102 can be 2-ply reinforced to provide structural stacking support to be able to stack one or more additional containers 2000 atop the container 1000, e.g., as shown in FIG. 8.

When stacked, the stacking pillars 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458 can form viewing windows therebetween to display product 1051 within the container 1000. This way, the product can be displayed on the shelves within the original containers 1000 and viewed from all sides, while the containers 1000, 2000 remain stacked, and without the need to deconstruct the container 1000.

As shown in FIGS. 2-7, a folding sequence to erect the container 1000 from the blank 100 can be as follows. From the flat blank 100, e.g., as shown in FIG. 2, the stacking pillars 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458 are formed by rolling the corner roll over panels 120, 220, 320, 420, starting at the respective first inner panel 148, 248, 348, 448 and rolling inwards towards the respective stacking pillar panel 110, 210 so that the respective second inner panel 150, 250, 350, 450 lays flat on the inner surface of the stacking pillar panel 110, 210. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the first inner panel 148, 248, 348, 448 and the first outer panel 154, 254, 354, 454 can form a respective first two ply section 186, 286, 386, 486 of the respective stacking pillars 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458. The respective second inner panel 150, 250, 350, 450 and the respective second outer panel 156, 256, 356, 456 form a respective second two ply section of the respective stacking pillar 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458. The respective locking flaps 126, 226, 326, 426 are folded over the respective locking flap fold lines 130, 230, 330, 430 and the respective locking tab 170, 270, 370, 470 is inserted into the respective locking aperture 174, 274, 374, 474 of the medial panel of the stacking pillar. This forms an overlapping two-ply portion on the respective medial panels.

As is seen in FIG. 3, once the corner roll over panels 120, 220, 320, 420 are “rolled” and the stacking pillars 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458 are formed, the retaining flaps 132, 232, 332, 432 extend upright, and are not rolled with the corner roll over panels 120, 220, 320, 420. The end panels 104, 204 are then folded upwards at the first bottom panel fold lines to erect the end walls 1104, 1204, into an upright position. Next, the end roll over panels 112, 212 are folded over the first end roll over panel fold line, and the respective locking tabs (e.g., 223, 225) of the inner panel of the end roll over panels are inserted into the respective first and second locking apertures (e.g., 219, 221) of the bottom panel 102. Then, the respective liner panel 138, 238 of the end roll over panels is placed onto the bottom panel 102. Locking the end roll over panels 112, 212 in place will retain the end panels in their upright position as the side walls 1201, 1501 are formed.

After the first and second end walls 1104, 1204 are locked in place, the sidewalls 1201, 1501 can be formed from the side roll over panels 201, 501. First, the outer panel 211, 511 is folded upward at the second bottom panel fold lines 205, 505, and the inner panels 209, 509 are rolled over the first side roll over panel fold lines 213, 513 to lay against the inner surface of the respective outer panels 211, 511, and the respective locking tabs (e.g., 231, 233) are inserted into the respective third and fourth locking apertures (e.g., 227, 229) in the second edge 203 and fourth edge 503 of the bottom panel 102. While the side roll over panels 201, 501 are being rolled over, the retaining flaps 132, 232, 332, 432 of the now upright respective stacking pillars 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458 extend horizontally along the second and fourth bottom edges 203, 503 of the bottom panel 102. Thus, when the respective inner panel 209, 509 of the side roll over panel is rolled and locked into the bottom panel 102, the respective retaining flap is caught between the inner 209, 509 and outer panels 211, 511 of the side roll over panels 201, 501 and sandwiched therebetween, to add additional support for holding the stacking pillars upright 1158, 1258, 1358, 1458, beyond the locking tabs of the end roll over panel. This configuration and folding sequence allow for a single user to manually fold the blank into the container, and allows for doing so without any adhesive.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a blank 500 for constructing a container 5000, can be similar to that of blank 100 for constructing container 1000, for example blank 500 can have similar components and features, and may be erected in a similar manner to that described with respect to blank 100 and container 1000. For brevity, the description of common elements that have been described above are not repeated with respect to FIGS. 9 and 10. In blank 500, the stacking tabs can be define along the corners and can be two plies, effectively forming two stacking tabs 576a and 576b. For example, as shown with respect to corner roll over panel 520 in FIG. 9, a first portion of a first ply of the stacking tab 576a can be defined on the first inner panel 548 and a second portion of stacking tab 576a of the first ply can be defined on the second inner panel 550. A first portion of a second ply of the stacking tab 576b can be defined on the first outer 554 and a second portion of stacking tab 576b of the second ply can be defined on the second inner panel 556. As shown in FIG. 10, the stacking tab 576a forms the inner (first) ply while stacking tab 576b forms the outer (second) ply. While the stacking tabs 576a, 576b are described with respect to the corner roll over panel 520, it will be appreciated that each of the corner roll over panels and stacking pillars shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 can be the same as shown for corner roll over panel 520.

Further, as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the outer panel 542 of the end roll over panel 504, and the outer panel 611 of the side roll over panel 601 each have a cut out portion forming a corner cut out 569. In the set up container 5000, the as shown in the corner roll over panel 520, the corner cut out 569 forms a single ply portion in the corner roll over panel 520 to accept a stacking tab 576a, 576b of a second set up container stacked below the container 5000. While the corner cut out 569 is described with respect only to one corner, e.g., as formed on the corner roll over panel 520 on the set up container 5000, it will be appreciated that each corner can include a corner cut out 569 as shown for corner roll over panel 520.

Those having ordinary skill in the art understand that any numerical values disclosed herein can be exact values or can be values within a range. Further, any terms of approximation (e.g., “about”, “approximately”, “around”) used in this disclosure can mean the stated value within a range. For example, in certain embodiments, the range can be within (plus or minus) 20%, or within 10%, or within 5%, or within 2%, or within any other suitable percentage or number as appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art (e.g., for known tolerance limits or error ranges).

The articles “a”, “an”, and “the” as used herein and in the appended claims are used herein to refer to one or to more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.”

Any suitable combination(s) of any disclosed embodiments and/or any suitable portion(s) thereof are contemplated herein as appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure.

The embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for improvement in the art to which they pertain. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A blank for forming a container, comprising:

a bottom panel;

an end panel extending outwardly from a first edge of the bottom panel, wherein the end panel includes:

a stacking pillar panel extending laterally from a first edge of the bottom panel;

an end roll over panel extending laterally from a horizontal edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to roll over the stacking pillar panel such that a liner panel of the end roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel in a set-up container;

a corner roll over panel extending laterally from a first vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to roll over itself onto the stacking pillar panel to form a corner stacking pillar;

a locking flap extending a laterally from a second vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to lock the corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container; and

a retaining flap extending from an inner edge of the corner roll over panel configured to retain the corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container; and

a side roll over panel extending outwardly from a second edge of the bottom panel configured to roll over itself to such that the retaining flap of the corner roll over panel is sandwiched between an inner panel and an outer panel of the side roll over panel, and wherein a liner panel of the side roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel abutting the liner panel of the end roll over panel in the set-up container.

2. The blank of claim 1, wherein the stacking pillar is a triangular stacking pillar.

3. The blank of claim 2, wherein the corner roll over panel includes, a first inner panel, a second inner panel, a medial panel, a first outer panel, and a second outer panel, wherein the first inner panel is configured to lay flush on an inside surface of the first outer panel, wherein the second inner panel is configured to lay flush on an inner surface of the second outer panel with the corner stacking pillar constructed, wherein the medial panel is configured to form a hypotenuse of the stacking pillar in a constructed stacking pillar.

4. The blank of claim 3, wherein the first inner panel and the first outer panel are configured to form a first two ply side of the constructed stacking pillar and wherein the second inner panel and the second outer panel are configured to form a second two ply side of the constructed stacking pillar to reinforce a stacking strength of the constructed stacking pillar relative to a direction of gravity.

5. The blank of claim 4, wherein a bottom edge of the medial panel of the corner roll over panel is configured to lay flush on the bottom panel for an entire length of the bottom edge of the medial panel.

6. The blank of claim 5, wherein the medial panel of the corner roll over panel includes a locking aperture defined therein to received a locking tab of the locking flap in a constructed triangular stacking pillar.

7. The blank of claim 6, wherein the first outer panel includes a stacking tab extending laterally from a top edge of the first outer panel configured to be inserted into a stacking aperture of another container stacked on top of the set-up container.

8. The blank of claim 7, wherein the bottom panel includes a first locking aperture and a second locking aperture defined in the first edge of the bottom panel, wherein the inner panel of the end roll over panel includes a first locking tab and a second locking tab configured to be inserted into the first locking aperture and the second locking aperture, respectively, of the bottom panel in the set-up container.

9. The blank of claim 8, wherein the bottom panel includes a third locking aperture and a fourth locking aperture defined in the second edge of the bottom panel, wherein the inner panel of the side roll over panel includes a first locking tab and a second locking tab configured to be inserted into the third locking aperture and the fourth locking aperture, respectively, of the bottom panel in the set-up container.

10. The blank of claim 9, wherein the bottom panel further includes a fifth locking aperture and a sixth locking aperture defined in the second edge of the bottom panel configured to receive a respective stacking tab of a second container when the set-up container is stacked atop the second container.

11. The blank of claim 10, wherein the corner roll over panel is a first roll over corner panel, and wherein the end panel further includes:

a second corner roll over panel extending laterally from a third vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel, configured to roll over itself onto the stacking pillar panel to form a second corner stacking pillar;

a second locking flap extending laterally from a fourth vertical edge of the stacking pillar panel configured to lock the second corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container; and

a second retaining flap extending laterally from an inner edge of the second corner roll over panel configured to retain the second corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container, wherein the side roll over panel is configured to sandwich the second retaining panel between the inner panel and the outer panel of the side roll over panel in the set-up container.

12. The blank of claim 11, wherein the side roll over panel is a first side roll over panel and, wherein the end panel is a first end panel, and further comprising a second end panel extending outwardly from a third edge of the bottom panel, wherein the second end panel includes:

a second stacking pillar panel extending outwardly from the third edge of the bottom panel;

a second end roll over panel extending laterally from a horizontal edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to roll over the stacking pillar panel such that a liner panel of the second end roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel and abutting the liner panel of the first side roll over panel in the set-up container;

a third corner roll over panel extending outwardly from a first vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to roll over itself onto the stacking pillar panel to form a third corner stacking pillar;

a third locking flap extending vertically from a second vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to lock the third corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container; and

a third retaining flap extending from an inner edge of the third corner roll over panel configured to retain the third corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container; and

a fourth corner roll over panel extending outwardly from a third vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel, configured to roll over itself onto the second stacking pillar panel to form a fourth corner stacking pillar,

a fourth locking flap extending laterally from a fourth vertical edge of the second stacking pillar panel configured to lock the fourth corner stacking pillar together in the set-up container; and

a fourth retaining flap extending laterally from an inner edge of the fourth corner roll over panel configured to retain the fourth corner stacking pillar in an upright position in the set-up container.

13. The blank of claim 12, further comprising the second side roll over panel extending laterally from a fourth edge of the bottom panel configured to roll over itself to such that the third retaining flap of the third corner roll over panel and the fourth retaining flap of the fourth corner roll over panel are sandwiched between an inner panel and an outer panel of the second side roll over panel, and liner panel of the second side roll over panel is configured to lay flat on the bottom panel abutting the liner panel of the first end roll over panel and the liner panel of the second end roll over panel in the set-up container.

14. The blank of claim 13, wherein each of the, second, third, and fourth corner roll over panels include a respective:

first inner panel, second inner panel, medial panel, first outer panel, and second outer panel, wherein the respective first inner panel is configured to lay flush on an inner surface of the respective first outer panel, wherein the respective second inner panel is configured to lay flush on an inner surface of the respective second outer panel in a respective constructed corner stacking pillar, wherein the respective corner roll over panel is configured to form a respective triangular stacking pillar, wherein the respective medial panel is configured to form a hypotenuse of the respective triangular stacking pillar.

15. The blank of claim 14, wherein the respective medial panel of the respective corner roll over panel includes a respective locking aperture defined therein to receive a respective locking tab of a respective locking flap in the set-up container, and wherein the respective first outer panel includes a respective stacking tab configured to be inserted into a respective aperture of a second container stacked on top of the set-up container.

16. The blank of claim 15, wherein the bottom panel includes a respective first and second locking aperture defined in each edge of the bottom panel configured to receive a respective first and second locking tab of each of the respective inner panels of the first end roll over panel, the first side roll over panel, the second end roll over panel, and the second ride roll over panel.

17. The blank of claim 16, wherein the bottom panel further includes a respective first and second stacking aperture defined in the second and fourth edges of the bottom panel configured to receive a respective stacking tab of a respective corner stacking pillar of a second container when the set-up container is stacked atop the second container.

18. A display container, comprising:

a bottom wall configured to hold product within the container;

a first end wall having a first end panel and a first and second stacking pillar extending upward from the bottom panel;

a second end wall having a second end panel and a third and fourth stacking pillar extending upward from the bottom panel;

a first sidewall having a first side panel extending between the first stacking pillar and the fourth stacking pillar; and

a second sidewall having a second side panel extending between the second stacking pillar and the third stacking pillar, wherein the first end wall, the second end wall, the first sidewall, and the second sidewall form a product display space within the container,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth stacking pillars are configured to provide structural stacking support to stack one or more additional containers atop the container and form viewing windows therebetween to display product within the container and without deconstructing the container.

19. The display container of claim 18, wherein the stacking pillars are triangular stacking pillars, and wherein a bottom edge of a hypotenuse of each of the triangular stacking pillar is flush with the bottom panel for an entirety of a length of the bottom edge.

20. The display container of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the triangular stacking pillars are two-ply reinforced, and wherein at least a portion of the bottom wall is two-ply reinforced.

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