Tray For The Transportation Of Products

Abstract

The tray comprises a bottom (1), a pair of sides (2) and a pair of headers (3), the sides (2) and the headers (3) comprising upper flaps (4, 5) engageable to each other, and it is characterized in that the flaps (5) of the headers comprise a pair of protrusions (6) which are inserted in complementary grooves (7) provided at the flaps (4) of the sides. The flaps (5) of the headers comprise a longitudinal folding line (9) and the flaps (5) of the headers also comprise a transversal folding line (15). It is obtained a tray provided with a lid, which is formed by said upper flaps of the headers and the sides, presenting a great stiffness, in the engagement between the flaps forming the lid and also in its resistance to compression when some trays are placed stacked.

Description

The present invention relates to a tray for the transportation of products, comprising a lid formed by flaps extending from the headers and from the sides.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are known trays for the transportation of products made from cardboard comprising a lid formed from flaps engaged to each other extending from the upper part of the headers and the sides of said tray.

An example of this tray is disclosed in the Spanish Patent Application ES-200402987 in the name of the same applicant than the present application.

In this tray, the engagement between said flaps is done by longitudinal grooves provided at the header, inside which the flaps of the sides are housed. To reinforce this contact zone between the flaps of the headers and the sides, at each of the corners tongues are provided, so that four layers of material are obtained at the corners of the tray, to provide stiffness enough to the tray when they are stacked one on the other. Furthermore, this tray is not foldable.

The objective of the present invention is to obtain a tray provided with a lid having a simpler structure than that described previously, without said additional tongues being necessary.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With the tray of the invention said drawbacks can be solved, presenting other advantages that will be described.

The tray for transporting products of the present invention comprises a bottom, a pair of sides and a pair of headers, the sides and the headers comprising upper flaps engageable to each other, and it is characterized in that the flaps of the headers comprise a pair of protrusions which are inserted in complementary grooves provided at the flaps of the sides.

Thanks to this feature it is obtained a tray provided with a lid, which is formed by said upper flaps of the headers and the sides, presenting a great stiffness, in the engagement between the flaps forming the lid and also in its resistance to compression when some trays are placed stacked.

Advantageously, the flaps of the headers comprise a longitudinal folding line and the flaps of the headers also comprise a transversal folding line.

According to a preferred embodiment, said grooves provided at the flaps of the sides have a C-shape, defining a tongue.

Preferably, the tray of the present invention comprises protrusions of rounded profile at the upper part of its sides, complementary with recesses of rounded profile provided at the lower part of said sides.

To permit the folding of the tray of the present invention and to facilitate its transportation when it is empty, the bottom comprises a longitudinal folding line and two pairs of folding lines extending from said longitudinal folding line to the corners of said bottom, and in that each header also comprises a vertical folding line aligned with said transversal folding line provided at the flaps of the headers.

Preferably, each side comprises a pair of lateral flaps which are fixed to the external part of the header and the bottom comprises a pair of lateral flaps, each being fixed to the external part of the header. Furthermore, each lateral flap of the bottom also comprises a vertical folding line, which matches up with the vertical folding line of the header, said folding line of the header presenting a groove at the joining zone between the header and the upper part of the lateral flap of the bottom.

Advantageously, the headers comprise additional lateral flaps which are fixed on the sides forming reinforcing columns at the corners of the tray.

Preferably, the flaps of the headers comprise cuttings at their ends, at the contact zone with the header.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of what have been described some drawings are attached in which, diagrammatically and only as a non-limitative example, a practical case of embodiment is shown.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a half of the tray of the present invention, the lid being opened;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an end of the tray of the present invention during the closing of the lid;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an end of the tray of the present invention with the lid closed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the header of the tray of the present invention, seen from outside; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tray of the present invention during its folding.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The tray of the present invention comprises a bottom 1, a pair of sides 2 and a pair of headers 3. Each lateral 2 comprises a first upper flap 4 and each header comprises a second upper flap 5. These upper flaps 4, 5 are engageable to each other, forming a lid.

The engagement between said upper flaps 4, 5 is done by protrusions 6 provided at the second flaps 5 which are inserted inside complementary grooves 7 provided in said first flaps 4. Said grooves 7 have a C-shape and define a tongue 8.

The second flaps 5 comprise a longitudinal folding line 9 to facilitate the insertion of the protrusions 6 inside said grooves 7, as can be seen in FIG. 2. To facilitate also this insertion, these second flaps 5 comprise cutting 10 at their ends, at the contact zone with the header 3.

Each header 3 also comprises lateral flaps 11 fixed to the sides 2, defining reinforcing columns at the corners of the tray.

The joining of the headers 3 and the rest of the tray is done by lateral flaps 18, 19 provided at the sides 2 and the bottom 1, which are fixed on the external part of the headers 3.

To obtain a foldable tray that can be transported in a substantially flat position when it is empty, the bottom 1 comprises a longitudinal folding line 12 and two pairs of folding lines 13 extending from said longitudinal folding line 12 to the corners of the tray. Furthermore, the headers comprise a vertical folding line 14 aligned with the longitudinal folding line 12 of the bottom 1 and the second flaps also comprise a transversal folding line 15, also aligned with the vertical folding line 14 of the header 3. Furthermore, the lateral flap 19 of the bottom 1 also comprises a transversal folding line 20, which matches up with the vertical folding line 14 of the header 3.

Said vertical folding line 14 of the header comprises a groove 16 at the joining zone between the header 3 and the upper part of said lateral flap 19 of the bottom 1.

To facilitate the stacking of some trays one on the others, the sides 2 comprise protrusions 21, 22 at its upper part, complementary with recesses 23 provided at the lower part of said sides 2. Preferably, at least one of these protrusions 22 has a rounded profile, facilitating the folding of said first flaps 4.

Even though reference is made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is apparent for a person skilled in the art that the described tray is susceptible of numerous variations and modifications, and that all the details can be substituted by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. Tray for transporting products, comprising a bottom (1), a pair of sides (2) and a pair of headers (3), the sides (2) and the headers (3) comprising upper flaps (4, 5) engageable to each other, characterized in that the flaps (5) of the headers comprise a pair of protrusions (6) which are inserted in complementary grooves (7) provided at the flaps (4) of the sides.

2. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the flaps (5) of the headers comprise a longitudinal folding line (9).

3. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the flaps (5) of the headers also comprise a transversal folding line (15).

4. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that said grooves (7) provided at the flaps (4) of the sides have a C-shape, defining a tongue (8).

5. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises protrusions (22) of rounded profile at the upper part of its sides (2), complementary with recesses (23) of rounded profile provided at the lower part of said sides (2).

6. Tray according to claim 3, characterized in that the bottom (1) comprises a longitudinal folding line (12) and two pairs of folding lines (13) extending from said longitudinal folding line (12) to the corners of said bottom (1), and in that each header (3) also comprises a vertical folding line (14) aligned with said transversal folding line (15) provided at the flaps (5) of the headers.

7. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that each side (2) comprises a pair of lateral flaps (18) which are fixed to the external part of the header (3) and the bottom (1) comprises a pair of lateral flaps (19), each being fixed to the external part of the header (3).

8. Tray according to claim 7, characterized in that each lateral flap (19) of the bottom also comprises a vertical folding line (20), which matches up with the vertical folding line (14) of the header (3), said folding line of the header presenting a groove (16) at the joining zone between the header (3) and the upper part of the lateral flap (19) of the bottom (1).

9. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the headers (3) comprises additional lateral flaps (11) which are fixed on the sides (2) forming reinforcing columns at the corners of the tray.

10. Tray according to claim 1, characterized in that the flaps (5) of the headers (3) comprise cuttings (10) at their ends, at the contact zone with the header (3).