Innovative shipping package

Abstract

A product container package assembly comprises a tray, a plurality of product containers positioned on a support surface of the tray, and an adhesive positioned between at least one of the product containers and the support surface. The tray having a support surface, front side, a back side, a left side and a right side. The tray has a back side wall, right side wall and a left side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface. The front side defines an opening between the right side wall, the left side wall and the support surface. The adhesive is positioned at least between the product container(s) immediately adjacent to the front side opening and the support surface.

1 . A product container package assembly comprising: 
 a tray, the tray having a support surface, front side, a back side, a left side and a right side, 
 the back side being defined by a back side wall, the back side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface  
 the right side being defined by a right side wall, the right side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface,  
 the left side being defined by a left side wall, the left side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface,  
 the front side defining an opening between the right side wall, the left side wall and the support surface;  
   a plurality of product containers, the plurality of product containers positioned on the support surface of the tray, each of the product containers having top, bottom and side surfaces, the plurality of product containers being arranged on the support surface in a plurality of rows, every row having at least one product container whose side surface is engaged by at least one side wall of the tray, one row being immediately adjacent to the opening of the front side of the tray;    an adhesive, the adhesive positioned between the bottom surface of at least one product container of the one row immediately adjacent to the opening of the front side of the tray and the support surface.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive is a temporary bond self-releasing adhesive.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive comprises a single strip of adhesive between the one row immediately adjacent to the opening of the front side of the tray and the support surface.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive comprises at least one discrete area of adhesive which is positioned between only the bottom surface of the at least one product container of the one row immediately adjacent to the opening of the front side of the tray and the support surface.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive is positioned between the support surface and the bottom surface of each and every product container.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 5  wherein the adhesive comprises a plurality of discrete adhesive regions on the support surface, wherein each region corresponds to an area of at least a portion of the bottom surface of a single product container.  
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein each of the product containers have a tapered shape such that the bottom surface has an area less than that of the top.  
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a top pad, the top pad having an engagement surface in contact with the top surface of each of the product containers.  
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein the engagement surface of the top pad has an area less than that of the support surface of the tray.  
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the back side wall, right side wall and left side wall each define a wall height, the wall height of at least a portion of the right side wall and the left side wall tapering from a first height to a second height, wherein the second height is less than the first height, the height of the back side wall being the second height.  
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising an encapsulating film, the encapsulating film being at least partially disposed about the tray and the product containers.  
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein the film is at least partially constructed from at least one polymer material.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein the film is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of stretch-wrap, shrink-wrap and any combination thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a shipping container, the tray and product containers being entirely contained within the shipping container.  
   
   
       15 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein the shipping container is at least partially constructed of cardboard.  
   
   
       16 . The assembly of  claim 15  wherein the cardboard is corrugated.  
   
   
       17 . The assembly of  claim 1  comprising a plurality of trays.  
   
   
       18 . A product container package assembly comprising: 
 a only a single tray, the tray having a support surface, front side, a back side, a left side and a right side, 
 the back side being defined by a back side wall, the back side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface  
 the right side being defined by a right side wall, the right side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface,  
 the left side being defined by a left side wall, the left side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface,  
 the front side defining an opening between the right side wall, the left side wall and the support surface;  
   a plurality of product containers, the plurality of product containers positioned on the support surface of the tray, each of the product containers having top, bottom and side surfaces, the plurality of product containers being arranged on the support surface in a plurality of rows, every row having at least one product container whose side surface is engaged by at least one side wall of the tray, one row being immediately adjacent to the opening of the front side of the tray;    a top pad, the top pad having an engagement surface in contact with the top surface of each of the product containers;    an encapsulating film, the encapsulating film at least partially disposed about the tray, the product containers and the top pad.    
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 18  wherein each of the product containers have a tapered shape such that the bottom surface has an area less than that of the top.  
   
   
       20 . A method of packaging product containers comprising: 
 providing a tray, the tray having a support surface, front side, a back side, a left side and a right side, 
 the back side being defined by a back side wall, the back side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface  
 the right side being defined by a right side wall, the right side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface,  
 the left side being defined by a left side wall, the left side wall extending in a substantially vertical direction from the support surface,  
 the front side defining an opening between the right side wall, the left side wall and the support surface;  
   applying a temporary bond self-removing adhesive onto the support surface; and    placing a plurality of product containers onto the support surface, each of the product containers having top, bottom and side surfaces, the plurality of product containers being arranged on the support surface in a plurality of rows, every row having at least one product container whose side surface is engaged by at least one side wall of the tray, one row being immediately adjacent to the opening of the front side of the tray, the adhesive being positioned between the support surface and at least one product container of the one row.