Stabilizing Tray For Shipping and Display Stacked Containers

Abstract

A stabilizing tray for shipping and displaying stacked containers has a plurality of indexing openings through its bottom wall for receiving the necks of subjacent containers so that the necks of containers in a lower tray extend into recessed bottoms of containers in an upper tray. The bottom wall of the tray around the openings rests on shoulders of subjacent containers, and indexing notches around the edges of the indexing openings engage with protrusions on the containers to uniformly orient the containers. In one embodiment interlocking tabs and openings in adjacent walls hold the tray in erected configuration, and in another embodiment flaps on the ends of some of the walls are adhered to adjacent walls to hold the tray in erected configuration. The tray front wall has a reduced height and the back wall has an increased height to obscure date codes on the containers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stabilizing tray for shipping and displaying stacked containers having a recessed bottom and an upper shoulder with a neck extending upwardly therefrom, wherein said tray comprises:
 a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall, and opposite side walls;   means securing said front wall, back wall and opposite side walls in an upright position to form a shallow tray; and   a plurality of indexing openings through said bottom wall for receiving the necks of containers in a subjacent layer of containers so that the necks of containers in the subjacent layer extend into the recessed bottoms of containers supported on said bottom wall in an upper tray.   
     
     
         2 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said indexing openings are sized so that the tray bottom wall surrounding each opening rests on the shoulders of containers in a subjacent layer, whereby at least a substantial portion of the weight of the stacked containers is carried through the trays to the shoulders of containers in lower layers.   
     
     
         3 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 indexing notches are formed in said tray bottom wall around the edge of each said indexing opening for cooperation with protrusions on an upper end of a subjacent container to orient the container in a predetermined direction, said notches being configured so that all containers in a subjacent layer of containers are uniformly oriented.   
     
     
         4 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 indexing notches are formed in said tray bottom wall around the edge of each said indexing opening for cooperation with protrusions on an upper end of a subjacent container to orient the container in a predetermined direction, said notches being configured so that all containers in a subjacent layer of containers are uniformly oriented.   
     
     
         5 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said tray front wall has a reduced height for improved visibility of and access to containers supported in said tray.   
     
     
         6 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein:
 said tray back wall has an increased height relative to at least said front wall for obscuring at least a major portion of containers supported in said tray adjacent said back wall.   
     
     
         7 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 said tray front wall has a reduced height for improved visibility of and access to containers supported in said tray; and   said tray back wall has an increased height relative to at least said front wall for obscuring at least a major portion of containers supported in said tray adjacent said back wall.   
     
     
         8 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said means securing said front wall, back wall and opposite side walls in an upright position comprises locking openings at the ends of first said walls, and locking tabs on the ends of adjacent second said walls, said locking tabs being engaged in said locking openings.   
     
     
         9 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein:
 flaps extend from opposite ends of said front wall and said back wall, said locking tabs being formed in said flaps; and   said locking openings are formed in said side walls.   
     
     
         10 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein:
 said flaps are folded against the outside of said side walls; and   said locking tabs are inserted inwardly through said locking openings and folded downwardly so that a container placed in said tray engages said locking tab to aid in holding it in its downwardly folded locked position in said locking opening.   
     
     
         11 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein:
 said indexing openings in said tray bottom wall are sized so that the tray bottom wall surrounding each indexing opening rests on the shoulders of containers in a subjacent layer, whereby at least a substantial portion of the weight of the stacked containers is carried through the trays to the shoulders of containers in lower layers;   indexing notches are formed in said tray bottom wall around the edge of each said indexing opening for cooperation with protrusions on an upper end of a subjacent container to orient the container in a predetermined direction, said notches being configured so that all containers in a subjacent layer of containers are uniformly oriented;   said tray front wall has a reduced height for improved visibility of and access to containers supported in said tray; and   said tray back wall has an increased height relative to at least said front wall for obscuring at least a major portion of containers supported in said tray adjacent said back wall.   
     
     
         12 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said means securing said front wall, back wall and opposite side walls in an upright position comprises flaps extending from opposite ends of said front wall and said back wall, said flaps being adhesively secured to adjacent portions of said side walls.   
     
     
         13 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein:
 said indexing openings in said tray bottom wall are sized so that the tray bottom wall surrounding each indexing opening rests on the shoulders of containers in a subjacent layer, whereby at least a substantial portion of the weight of the stacked containers is carried through the trays to the shoulders of containers in lower layers.   
     
     
         14 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein:
 indexing notches are formed in said tray bottom wall around the edge of each said indexing opening for cooperation with protrusions on an upper end of a subjacent container to orient the container in a predetermined direction, said notches being configured so that all containers in a subjacent layer of containers are uniformly oriented.   
     
     
         15 . A stabilizing tray as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein:
 said tray front wall has a reduced height for improved visibility of and access to containers supported in said tray; and   said tray back wall has an increased height relative to at least said front wall for obscuring at least a major portion of containers supported in said tray adjacent said back wall.