Packaging System and Method for Flatware and the Like

Abstract

A system and method for packaging consumer products that include a number of individual pieces is provided. A pulp insert tray that includes a number of form fitting receiving locations to receive the individual pieces of the set separates and protects the individual pieces from damage resulting from uncontained packaging. A retainer may be used in association with the insert tray to provide additional support of the individual pieces, and assist in the final assembly of the packaged set. The use of pulp as the insert tray material provides significant ecological benefit.

1 . A packaging system comprising:
 an insert tray including a pair of end walls, at least two sidewalls longitudinally between the end walls and extending between a top surface of the insert tray and a bottom surface defining at least one receiving location, the insert tray including at least one retainer receiving slot oriented across at least one receiving location, the at least one retainer receiving slot defined by a plurality of recesses extending from the top surface towards the bottom surface, individual recesses being formed in one of the end walls or sidewalls; and   a retainer including, at least, a retention member receivable in the at least one retainer receiving slot, the retention member extending across the at least one receiving location when received in the at least one receiving slot, forming a gap between a bottom surface of the retention member and the bottom surface of the at least one receiving location.   
   
   
       2 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , further comprising a box sized to receive the insert tray while the retention member is received in the at least one retainer receiving slot, the box maintaining the retention member in the retainer receiving slot. 
   
   
       3 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the retainer further includes a planar portion that extends across at least a portion of the top surface of the insert tray while the retention member is received in the retainer receiving slot. 
   
   
       4 . The packaging system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the retainer includes a second retention member spaced apart from the first retention member, the planar portion being interposed between and connecting the first and second retention members; and   the insert tray includes a second retainer receiving slot extending across at least one receiving location, the first and second retainer receiving slots spaced apart and each of the first and second retainer receiving slots sized to receive at least one of the first and second retention members.   
   
   
       5 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one retainer receiving slot is provided by a plurality of generally aligned recesses in adjacent ones of the plurality of sidewalls, the receiving slot extending in a first direction being generally transverse to the longitudinally extending direction of the sidewalls. 
   
   
       6 . The packaging system of  claim 5 , wherein a plurality of the sidewalls include indentations extending in the first direction forming stacking guides, the stacking guides aligned longitudinally along the sidewalls proximate the recesses forming the at least one retainer receiving slot, the stacking guides receivable in recesses of another insert tray when stacked thereon. 
   
   
       7 . The packaging system of  claim 5 , wherein
 one of the at least one retainer receiving slot is provided by a pair of recesses with one recess formed in each end wall, the retainer receiving slots formed by recesses in the sidewalls extending generally transverse to the retainer receiving slot formed by recesses in the end walls; and   the insert tray includes a plurality of receiving locations, individual ones of the receiving locations being formed between the end walls and adjacent sidewalls, the plurality of receiving locations includes at least three receiving locations, each receiving location being elongated, the perimeter of one of the receiving locations is spoon shaped including an elongated handle portion connected to a contoured head portion, the perimeter of one of the receiving locations is generally fork shaped including an elongated handle portion connected to a first side of a contoured head portion, the head portion having a generally flat second side opposite the first side, and the perimeter of another one of the receiving locations is substantially rectangular.   
   
   
       8 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one retainer receiving slot is provided by a pair of recesses with one recess formed in each end wall. 
   
   
       9 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface includes a plurality of indentations forming a plurality of nesting receiving locations when viewed from a top side of the insert tray, the indentations forming a plurality of nesting keys being negatives, generally, of the nesting receiving locations when viewed from a bottom side of the insert tray, the indentations configured such that the nesting receiving locations may receive corresponding nesting keys of another insert tray when stacked thereon. 
   
   
       10 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of at least one receiving location includes at least one support hump, the support hump extending toward the top surface. 
   
   
       11 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the insert tray is substantially prism shaped generally including a top, a bottom, and four sides extending between the top and bottom, defining a generally rectangular cross-sectional outer periphery defined by the top, bottom and two opposed sides of the four sides;   the retainer includes a plurality of surfaces including a back surface, an upper surface, and a pair of spaced apart side surfaces extending between the back surface and upper surface, the plurality of surfaces defining a substantially rectangular opening closely sized to the outer periphery of the insert tray in a closed orientation, the retainer connected to the top surface and extending into the rectangular opening from the top surface; and   in the closed orientation the retainer may be mounted to the insert tray to substantially surround the rectangular cross-sectional outer periphery with the retention member of the retainer received in the retainer receiving slot.   
   
   
       12 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the insert tray includes a plurality of receiving locations, individual ones of the receiving locations being formed between the end walls and adjacent sidewalls. 
   
   
       13 . The packaging system of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of receiving locations includes at least three receiving locations, each receiving location being elongated, the perimeter of one of the receiving locations is spoon shaped including an elongated handle portion connected to a contoured head portion, the perimeter of one of the receiving locations is generally fork shaped including an elongated handle portion connected to a first side of a contoured head portion, the head portion having a generally flat second side opposite the first side, and the periphery of one of the receiving locations is substantially rectangular. 
   
   
       14 . The packaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the insert tray is made of pulp. 
   
   
       15 . The packaging system of  claim 14 , wherein the pulp includes recycled material. 
   
   
       16 . A method of forming a packaging system comprising:
 forming an insert tray from pulp including recycled material, the insert tray having a plurality of receiving locations and at least one retainer receiving slot extending across the plurality of receiving locations;   forming a retainer including at least a retention member sized to insert into the retainer receiving slot;   providing a box having an internal cavity closely sized to an outer periphery of the combination of the insert tray with the retainer such that the combination may be received in the box.   
   
   
       17 . A method of packaging flatware including:
 inserting a plurality of flatware pieces into a receiving location of an insert tray;   securing the flatware pieces within the receiving location with a retainer; and   inserting the flatware pieces, insert tray and retainer into a box.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein securing the flatware pieces includes inserting a retention member of the retainer into a retainer receiving slot of the insert tray such that the retention member extends across at least one receiving location and secures a plurality of flatware pieces between a bottom surface of the receiving location and the retention member. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further including maintaining the retention member within the at least one retainer receiving slot with the box. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein securing the flatware pieces within the receiving location with the retainer further includes wrapping the retainer around a top, bottom, and two opposed sides of the insert tray.