Combination semi-closed winged tray and sleeve for packaging and displaying food articles
A semi-closed base tray of molded pulp material having cavities for holding individual food articles, such as apples, and a pair of opposing wings or flaps integral with the base tray and hingedly attached to opposing front and rear edges of the base tray, for partially enclosing the apples positioned in the base tray, in combination with an open-ended sleeve positionable over the base tray (when filled with the food articles) that serves to hold the wings in the closed position while allowing the fruit to be visible in the tray and sleeve combination.
1. A combination winged tray and outer sleeve for packaging and displaying a plurality of individual food articles, such as apples, comprising:
the winged tray comprising an integral molded fiber article having a central base tray and a pair of opposing winged cover portions integral with and hingedly connected to opposing front and rear edges of the central base tray for pivoting between open and closed positions over the central base tray, the central base tray and winged cover portions each having a complimentary array of base cells and cover cells respectively that together form an array of semi-closed cell pockets for holding individual food articles in each semi-closed cell pocket when the winged cover portions are closed over the central base tray;
each cell of the opposing winged cover portions having a closed outer wall portion adjacent one of the front and rear edges of the central base tray for partially covering a food article in one of the semi-closed cell pockets, and an open central portion that lies between the opposing winged cover portions in the closed position for displaying food articles in the semi-closed cell pockets,
mating base and cover cell posts on the central base tray and winged cover portions respectively disposed adjacent the front and rear edges of the central base tray, and disposed between adjacent semi-closed cell pockets, for supporting the winged cover portions on the central base tray in the closed position, and
the outer sleeve comprising an open-ended sleeve having a closed central loop portion configured to engage around a plurality of the semi-closed cell pockets for holding the winged cover portions on the central base tray in the closed position and for displaying the food articles in the semi-closed closed cell pockets.
2. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 1 , wherein:
the front and rear edges of the base tray are disposed parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the winged tray, and the open central portion lies above the longitudinal centerline.
3. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 2 , wherein:
transverse flanges are provided on the winged cover portions for holding the outer sleeve on the winged tray in the closed position.
4. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 1 , wherein:
the sleeve is made of paper, pulp, plastic or cardboard material.
5. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 1 , wherein:
the closed central loop portion of the sleeve has a flat label area configured to lie above the central base tray and winged cover portions in the closed position.
6. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 2 , wherein:
the closed central loop portion of the sleeve has a length aligned with the longitudinal centerline configured to cover only a portion of the semi-closed cell pockets adjacent the front and rear edges.
7. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 1 , wherein:
the central base tray and winged cover portions have opposing right and left side edges, extending between the front and rear edges.
8. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 1 , wherein:
each base cell has an outwardly bowed sidewall portion sized to receive a major cell diameter of a food article disposed in the base cell.
9. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 8 , wherein:
the sidewall portions of two adjacent base cells form a cell divider which prevents contact between food articles in the adjacent cells.
10. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 1 , wherein:
the central base tray has a top wall that lies in a top reference plane TRP and defines an open top end of each base cell, and the base cell posts extend above the TRP.
11. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 10 , wherein:
the cell posts of the base tray include front and rear edge base cell posts disposed adjacent the front and read edges respectively and each having an upper support wall disposed above the TRP, and
the cell posts of the winged cover portions include front and rear edge cover cell posts disposed adjacent the front and rear edges respectively with mating surfaces for engaging the upper support wall of the front and rear edge base cell posts.
12. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 2 , wherein:
the base tray includes a plurality of supporting posts disposed along the longitudinal centerline.
13. The winged tray and sleeve of claim 1 , wherein:
the food articles comprise one or more of apples, oranges, grapefruits, guavas, kiwis, peaches, pears, Asian pears, avocados, tomatoes, lemons and limes.