Tray

Abstract

The present invention provides a tray that allows for the provision of partitions in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions on the bottom surface while minimizing the amount of sheet material required. [Solution] The tray 1 comprises an end wall 20 and a side wall 30 connected to a bottom plate 10, an inner wall 40 folded inward from the side wall 30, and an inner flap 50 superimposed on the inner surface of the end wall 20. A horizontal partition 70 and a vertical partition 80 are provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 10. The horizontal partition 70 has a horizontal plate 71 whose lower edge is connected to the bottom plate 10. The vertical partition 80 has a first vertical plate 81 assembled to the horizontal plate 71, and two second vertical plates 82, 82, front and rear, whose lower edges are connected to the bottom plate 10.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a tray.

Background Art

[0002] In a cardboard tray for accommodating a plastic container filled with fresh fruits such as strawberries, a cross-shaped partition portion is provided on the bottom surface by a horizontal partition plate extending in the left-right direction and a vertical partition plate extending in the front-back direction.

[0003] As a conventional partition portion, there is one in which a horizontal partition plate is formed by bending a part of the bottom plate, and the vertical partition plate is formed separately from the tray body and the vertical partition plate is combined with the horizontal partition plate (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the above-mentioned conventional tray, a single vertical partition plate is provided from the front edge portion to the rear edge portion of the bottom plate. Since the vertical partition plate is large, the amount (area) of the sheet required to form the tray becomes large.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a tray capable of providing partition portions in two directions (front-back direction and left-right direction) on the bottom surface while suppressing the amount of the sheet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a tray comprising a bottom plate, a pair of front and rear end walls connected to the bottom plate, and a pair of left and right side walls connected to the bottom plate. The tray also comprises an inner wall connected to the upper edge of the side wall and folded inward from the side wall, and an inner flap connected to the front and rear edge of the inner wall and overlapped with the inner surface of the end wall. The upper surface of the bottom plate is provided with a horizontal partition portion extending in the left-right direction and a vertical partition portion extending in the front-rear direction. The horizontal partition portion has two horizontal plates, front and rear, whose lower edges are connected to the bottom plate via a fold line. The vertical partition portion has a first vertical plate assembled to the two horizontal plates, and two second vertical plates, front and rear, arranged on both the front and rear sides of the first vertical plate, whose lower edges are connected to the bottom plate via a fold line.

[0008] In the tray of the present invention, the container can be suspended in mid-air by hooking the opening edge of the container onto the upper edge of the side plate and the upper edge of the inner flap. For example, when the container is filled with fruits and vegetables, lifting the container away from the bottom plate prevents vibrations from the tray during transport from being directly transmitted to the fruits and vegetables inside the container.

[0009] Furthermore, in the tray of the present invention, only the first vertical plate of the vertical partition is a separate component from the tray body. Since second vertical plates are positioned in front of and behind the first vertical plate, the first vertical plate can be made smaller. In addition, both second vertical plates can be formed by bending a part of the bottom plate. This reduces the amount of sheet material required to form the tray.

[0010] Furthermore, by making the first vertical plate smaller, the entire tray, including the first vertical plate, can be formed into a single, roughly rectangular blank sheet, which improves paper handling when cutting the blank sheet from the raw material.

[0011] Furthermore, in the tray of the present invention, even if the first vertical plate of the vertical partition becomes smaller, the second vertical plate is positioned in front of and behind the first vertical plate. This prevents containers arranged side by side from bumping into each other during transport of the tray, thereby protecting the contents inside the containers.

[0012] In the tray described above, it is preferable to stabilize the second vertical plate by forming connecting holes in the end wall and inserting the insertion parts protruding from the edge of the second vertical plate into the connecting holes.

[0013] In the tray described above, it is preferable that connecting flaps are provided on the left and right edges of the end wall, sandwiched between the side wall and the inner wall, and that the first vertical plate is a portion separated from the connecting flaps. In this configuration, the end wall and the side wall are connected by a connecting flap, thus stabilizing the end wall and the side wall.

[0014] Furthermore, when the tray is assembled, the connecting flaps are sandwiched between the side wall and the inner wall and are not visible from the outside. Therefore, even if the first vertical plate is cut from one connecting flap, making that connecting flap shorter than the others, it does not affect the appearance of the tray. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The tray of the present invention allows for a reduced amount of sheet material, improving paper handling when cutting blank sheets from raw material sheets, while also providing a partition on the bottom surface, enabling the container to be suspended and protecting the contents inside the container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front left upper section. [Figure 2] This figure shows a blank sheet for a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the tray according to an embodiment of the present invention, before the first vertical plate is assembled to the horizontal plate. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing a tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, the front-back, left-right directions are set for convenience in explaining the tray of the present embodiment, and do not limit the configuration or usage state of the tray.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4, the tray 1 of the present embodiment is for accommodating a plastic container P filled with fruits and vegetables such as strawberries. The container P has a tray shape with an open upper surface, and the opening edge protrudes outward. In the tray 1 of the present embodiment, four containers P can be arranged side by side in the front-back and left-right directions.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the tray 1 of the present embodiment includes a bottom plate 10, a pair of front and rear end walls 20, 20, and a pair of left and right side walls 30, 30. Further, the tray 1 includes an inner wall 40 that is continuously provided at the upper edge of the side wall 30 and folded inward of the side wall 30, and an inner flap 50 that is continuously provided at the front-back direction edge of the inner wall 40 and overlapped on the inner surface of the end wall 20. On the upper surface (bottom surface) of the bottom plate 10 of the tray 1, a horizontal partition portion 70 extending in the left-right direction and a vertical partition portion 80 extending in the front-back direction are provided.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the tray 1 of the present embodiment is formed by mountain-folding or valley-folding a blank sheet S cut out from a cardboard sheet at each fold line. The blank sheet S shown in FIG. 2 is arranged so that the inner surface side is visible. The fold lines of the blank sheet S are ruled lines (pressed ruled lines) formed by linearly pressing the surface of the blank sheet S. Note that intermittent cuts may be formed in the ruled lines. By doing so, it becomes easier to bend the blank sheet S at the fold lines. Alternatively, the fold lines may be constituted by intermittently forming linear half-cut cuts that only cut the surface of the sheet or cuts that penetrate the sheet.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom plate 10 is formed in a quadrangle (see FIG. 2). The front and rear edges of the base plate 10 are connected by bent lines to the front and rear end walls 20, 20, respectively. The end walls 20 are rectangular wall plates formed perpendicular to the base plate 10. In addition, a connecting hole 22 is formed in the center of the end wall 20 in the left-right direction.

[0022] The left and right connecting flaps 21, 21 are connected to the left and right edges of the front end wall 20 via a folded line. Similarly, the left and right connecting flaps 21, 21 are connected to the left and right edges of the rear end wall 20 via a folded line. The front connecting flap 21 protrudes rearward from the left and right edges of the front end wall 20, and the rear connecting flap 21 protrudes forward from the left and right edges of the rear end wall 20.

[0023] In this embodiment, of the four connecting flaps 21, the left front, left and right, and right rear connecting flaps 21 have the same protruding length from the end wall 20 and are formed in the same shape. The remaining left rear connecting flap 21 has a protruding length from the end wall 20 that is smaller than the protruding lengths of the other connecting flaps 21.

[0024] The left and right edges of the base plate 10 are connected to the left and right side walls 30, 30 via fold lines. The side walls 30 are rectangular wall panels formed perpendicular to the base plate 10. An inner wall 40 is connected to the upper edge of the side wall 30 via two folded lines on the left and right. The inner wall 40 is a rectangular wall panel that is folded inward relative to the side wall 30. As a result, the inner wall 40 is superimposed on the inner surface of the side wall 30, and a double wall is formed by the side wall 30 and the inner wall 40.

[0025] The lower edge of the inner wall 40 is in contact with the upper surface of the base plate 10. In this embodiment, a projection formed on the lower edge of the inner wall 40 is inserted into engagement holes formed on the left and right edges of the base plate 10, thereby connecting the lower edge of the inner wall 40 to the upper surface of the base plate 10.

[0026] A connecting flap 21, which is connected to the end wall 20, is sandwiched between the side wall 30 and the inner wall 40. As a result, the end wall 20 is connected to the side wall 30 and the inner wall 40, and the front and rear end walls 20, 20 and the left and right side walls 30, 30 form a rectangular cylindrical wall section in plan view.

[0027] Front and rear inner flaps 50, 50 are connected to the front and rear edges of the left inner wall 40 via fold lines. Similarly, front and rear inner flaps 50, 50 are connected to the front and rear edges of the right inner wall 40 via fold lines. The left inner flap 50 protrudes to the right from the front and rear edges of the inner wall 40, and the right inner flap 50 protrudes to the left from the front and rear edges of the inner wall 40.

[0028] The inner flap 50 is superimposed on the inner surface of the end wall 20. The height of the inner flap 50 is formed to be less than the height of the end wall 20 and the side wall 30. Therefore, the upper edge of the inner flap 50 is positioned lower than the upper edges of the end wall 20 and the side wall 30.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the horizontal partition 70 is raised from the upper surface of the base plate 10 and extends in the left-right direction. The horizontal partition 70 is located in the center of the front-to-back direction on the upper surface of the base plate 10. The horizontal partition 70 divides the internal space of the tray 1 into front-to-back sections.

[0030] The horizontal partition section 70 has two horizontal plates 71, 71, one at the front and one at the back. The horizontal plates 71 are raised perpendicularly to the upper surface of the bottom plate 10. The horizontal plates 71 extend in the left-right direction, and both sides are oriented in the front-back direction. The front and rear horizontal plates 71, 71 are spaced apart in the front-back direction.

[0031] The lower edge of the horizontal plate 71 is connected to the base plate 10 via a fold line. In the blank sheet S (see Figure 2), the horizontal plate 71 is fitted into an opening formed in the base plate 10. Then, by bending the front horizontal plate 71 upward and backward relative to the base plate 10, and bending the rear horizontal plate 71 upward and forward relative to the base plate 10, the front and rear horizontal plates 71, 71 are raised on the upper surface of the base plate 10.

[0032] The height of the horizontal plate 71 is smaller than the height of the end wall 20 and the side wall 30. Therefore, the upper edge of the horizontal plate 71 is positioned lower than the upper edges of the end wall 20 and the side wall 30. The upper edge of the horizontal plate 71 and the upper edge of the inner flap 50 are formed at the same height.

[0033] A recessed portion 71a for insertion is formed in the center of the upper edge of the horizontal plate 71 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, a protruding portion 10a, which was fitted inside the recessed portion 71a for insertion, protrudes in the front-rear direction into the opening of the bottom plate 10 formed by raising the horizontal plate 71 relative to the bottom plate 10.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the vertical partition 80 is raised from the upper surface of the base plate 10 and extends in the front-to-back direction. The vertical partition 80 is located in the center of the upper surface of the base plate 10 in the left-to-right direction. The vertical partition 80 divides the internal space of the tray 1 into left and right sections.

[0035] The vertical partition section 80 has a first vertical plate 81 positioned in the center of the base plate 10, and two second vertical plates 82, 82 positioned on the front and rear sides of the first vertical plate. The first vertical plate 81 and both second vertical plates 82, 82 are raised perpendicularly to the upper surface of the base plate 10. The first vertical plate 81 and both second vertical plates 82, 82 extend in the front-to-back direction, and both sides are oriented in the left-to-right direction.

[0036] The front second vertical plate 82 is positioned in front of the horizontal partition 70 and at the front end of the bottom plate 10. That is, the front second vertical plate 82 is positioned between the horizontal partition 70 and the front end wall 20. The rear second vertical plate 82 is positioned behind the horizontal partition 70 and at the rear end of the bottom plate 10. That is, the rear second vertical plate 82 is positioned between the horizontal partition 70 and the rear end wall 20.

[0037] The lower edge of the second vertical plate 82 is connected to the base plate 10 via a fold line. In the blank sheet S (see Figure 2), the second vertical plate 82 is fitted into an opening formed in the base plate 10. By bending the second vertical plate 82 upward relative to the base plate 10, the second vertical plate 82 is raised to the upper surface of the base plate 10.

[0038] In this embodiment, the front second vertical plate 82 is bent upwards and to the right relative to the bottom plate 10, and the rear second vertical plate 82 is bent upwards and to the left relative to the bottom plate 10, so that the front and rear second vertical plates 82, 82 are raised on the upper surface of the bottom plate 10. When the front and rear second vertical plates 82, 82 are raised on the upper surface of the base plate 10, as shown in Figure 4, an opening is formed at the front of the base plate 10 to the left of the front second vertical plate 82, and an opening is formed at the rear of the base plate 10 to the right of the rear second vertical plate 82. By offsetting the openings formed at the front and rear of the base plate 10 to the left and right in this way, the reduction in the strength of the base plate 10 is suppressed.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, an insertion portion 82a protrudes from the front edge of the front second vertical plate 82, and an insertion portion 82a protrudes from the rear edge of the rear second vertical plate 82. The insertion portions 82a are inserted into the connecting holes 22 of the end wall 20. In this way, the second vertical plates 82 are connected to the end wall 20 and fixed in an upright position relative to the bottom plate 10.

[0040] The first vertical plate 81 is formed separately from the tray body and is a component that is assembled to both horizontal plates 71, 71 of the horizontal partition 70. Two insertion recesses 81a, 81a are formed on the lower edge of the first vertical plate 81, spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. The front and rear insertion recesses 81a, 81a of the first vertical plate 81 are interlocked with the front and rear insertion recesses 71a, 71a of the front and rear horizontal plates 71, 71, respectively, so that the first vertical plate 81 is assembled in a state perpendicular to both horizontal plates 71, 71. The lower edge of the first vertical plate 81 abuts against the upper surface of the bottom plate 10 between the two horizontal plates 71, 71. In addition, front and rear protrusions 10a, 10a (see Figure 3) are positioned below the lower edge of the first vertical plate 81.

[0041] The first vertical plate 81 and the front second vertical plate 82 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and the first vertical plate 81 and the rear second vertical plate 82 are also spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. In this way, the vertical partition section 80 is formed by arranging the first vertical plate 81 and both second vertical plates 82, 82 in a straight line with a gap between them in the front-to-back direction. The length of the first vertical plate 81 in the front-to-back direction is formed to be very small compared to the length of the bottom plate 10 in the front-to-back direction.

[0042] The horizontal partition section 70 and the vertical partition section 80 are positioned perpendicular to each other in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions on the upper surface of the bottom plate 10, thereby dividing the internal space of the tray 1 into four spaces in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and right directions. Then, as shown in Figure 4, by accommodating a container P in each space, four containers P can be arranged side by side in the tray 1. In the tray 1 of this embodiment, the container P can be suspended in mid-air by hooking the opening edge of the container P onto the upper edge of the horizontal plate 71 and the upper edge of the inner flap 50. By separating the container P from the bottom plate 10 in this way, vibrations during transport of the tray 1 can be prevented from being directly transmitted to the fruits and vegetables inside the container P.

[0043] In tray 1 of this embodiment, the first vertical plate 81 shown in Figure 3 is the portion separated from the left rear connecting flap 21. In tray 1, of the four connecting flaps 21, the left rear connecting flap 21 is shorter in the front-to-back direction than the other three connecting flaps 21 by the length of the first vertical plate 81.

[0044] In the blank sheet S shown in Figure 2, one of the four connecting flaps 21 has a shorter overhang length from the end wall 20 than the others. The first vertical plate 81 is positioned in the area between the tip of the connecting flap 21, which is formed by shortening the shorter connecting flap 21, and the inner flap 50 (the area on the upper right corner side in Figure 2). The first vertical plate 81 is connected to the blank sheet S via a cutting guide wire, and is detached from the blank sheet S when assembling the tray 1 (see Figure 3) from the blank sheet S. In this embodiment, the blank sheet S for the entire tray 1, including the first vertical plate 81, is formed as a single, substantially rectangular sheet.

[0045] In the tray 1 described above, as shown in Figure 3, only the first vertical plate 81 of the vertical partition 80 is a separate component from the tray 1 body. As shown in Figure 1, the second vertical plates 82, 82 are positioned in front of and behind the first vertical plate 81, so the first vertical plate 81 can be made smaller in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, both second vertical plates 82, 82 can be formed by bending a part of the bottom plate 10. This reduces the amount of sheet material required to form the tray 1.

[0046] Furthermore, in the tray 1 of this embodiment, by making the first vertical plate 81 smaller, the entire tray 1 including the first vertical plate 81 can be formed from a single, substantially rectangular blank sheet S, as shown in Figure 2, thus improving paper handling when cutting the blank sheet S from the raw material sheet.

[0047] In the tray 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the second vertical plates 82, 82 are positioned in front of and behind the first vertical plate 81, and the first vertical plate 81 and the second vertical plate 82 are interposed between the containers P, P that are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. As a result, even if the first vertical plate 81 becomes smaller in the front-to-back direction, it can be prevented from hitting the tray 1 during transport, and the fruits and vegetables inside the containers P can be protected. Furthermore, in the tray 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the insertion portion 82a of the second vertical plate 82 is inserted into the connecting hole 22 of the end wall 20, so that the second vertical plate 82 is stably erected.

[0048] In the tray 1 of this embodiment, the connecting flap 21, which is connected to the end wall 20, is sandwiched between the side wall 30 and the inner wall 40, thereby stably connecting the end wall 20 and the side wall 30. In this embodiment, the first vertical plate 81 is a portion separated from one of the connecting flaps 21. Although one connecting flap 21 is shorter in the front-to-back direction than the other connecting flaps 21, when the tray 1 is assembled, the connecting flaps 21 are sandwiched between the side wall 30 and the inner wall 40 and are not visible from the outside, so the appearance of the tray 1 is not affected.

[0049] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from its spirit. In the tray 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the horizontal partition 70 and the vertical partition 80 are orthogonal to each other, dividing the internal space of the tray 1 into front, back, left, and right sections. However, the number of horizontal partitions 70 and vertical partitions 80 is not limited. For example, multiple horizontal partitions 70 and multiple vertical partitions 80 may be combined to divide the internal space of the tray 1 into four or more sections.

[0050] In the tray 1 of this embodiment, the first vertical plate 81 shown in Figure 1 is the part separated from the connecting flap 21, but the area in the blank sheet S shown in Figure 2 where the first vertical plate 81 is placed is not limited. Furthermore, the first vertical plate 81 may be formed separately from the blank sheet S.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the tray 1 of this embodiment is used to hold a container P filled with fruits and vegetables, but the contents that can be stored in the tray of the present invention are not limited. Although the tray 1 in this embodiment is made of corrugated cardboard, the tray of the present invention may be formed from various known types of cardboard. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1 tray 10 Bottom plate 20 End wall 21 Connecting flaps 22 connecting holes 30 side wall 40 Inner wall 50 Inner flap 70 Horizontal partition section 71 Horizontal board 71a Insertion recess 80 Vertical partition section 81 First vertical board 81a Insertion recess 82 Second vertical board 82a Insertion part P container S Blank Sheet

Claims

1. The base plate and A pair of front and rear end walls connected to the aforementioned bottom plate, A pair of left and right side walls connected to the bottom plate, An inner wall is provided in connection with the upper edge of the side wall and is folded inward from the side wall, It comprises an inner flap connected to the front-rear edge of the inner wall and superimposed on the inner surface of the end wall, On the upper surface of the bottom plate, A horizontal partition extending in the left-right direction, A vertical partition extending in the front-to-back direction is provided, The aforementioned horizontal partition section is, It has two horizontal plates, front and rear, whose lower edges are connected to the bottom plate via a fold line, The aforementioned vertical partition section is, The first vertical plate is attached to the two horizontal plates, A tray characterized by having two second vertical plates, one on the front and one on the back, positioned on both sides of the first vertical plate, with their lower edges connected to the bottom plate via a fold line.

2. A tray according to claim 1, A connecting hole is formed in the end wall. A tray characterized in that an insertion part protruding from the edge of the second vertical plate is inserted into the connecting hole.

3. A tray according to claim 1, A series of connecting flaps are provided on the left and right edges of the end wall, which are sandwiched between the side wall and the inner wall. The tray is characterized in that the first vertical plate is a portion separated from the connecting flap.

Images