Expandable retail shelf tray

1. A laterally expandable tray made from a unitary blank, the tray comprising:

a bottom panel extending laterally from one side edge to an opposite side edge and rearwardly from a front fold line to a rear fold line;

a front panel assembly hingedly attached to the bottom panel along the front fold line and extending upwardly from the bottom panel;

a rear panel assembly hingedly attached to the bottom panel along a rear fold line and extending upwardly from the bottom panel; and

at least one side panel assembly, the side panel assembly comprising an intermediate side panel interposed between an inner side panel and an outer side panel, the intermediate side panel attached orthogonally to the rear panel assembly along a side fold line, the inner side panel attached to the intermediate side panel along a fold line, the outer side panel hingedly attached to the inner side panel along a rotational fold line; wherein

the outer side panel is moveable between a first, unexpanded position in which the outer side panel is in a flat, abutting relationship with the intermediate side panel and a second, expanded position in which the outer side panel is connected to the inner side panel along the rotational fold line but rotated outwardly away from the inner side panel and the intermediate side panel to define an angle of rotation (β) with the intermediate side panel.

2. The tray of claim 1 wherein:

the tray comprises two side panel assemblies.

3. The tray of claim 2 further comprising:

a top panel hingedly attached to each outer side panel along a top fold line, the top panel oriented perpendicular to the outer side panel and parallel to the bottom panel.

4. The tray of claim 1 wherein:

the front panel assembly comprises an outer front panel hingedly attached to the bottom panel along a front fold line and an inner front panel attached to the outer front panel along a double fold line and affixed to the bottom panel.

5. The tray of claim 1 wherein:

the bottom panel is reinforced with a second bottom layer comprising two partial bottom panels, each partial bottom panel foldably connected to an intermediate side panel along an intermediate side panel fold line and extending inwardly from the intermediate side panel fold line.

6. The tray of claim 1 wherein:

the rear panel assembly comprises an outer rear panel and an inner rear panel hingedly attached to the outer rear panel along a double fold line and attached to the bottom panel.

7. The tray of claim 5 further comprising:

a locking panel hingedly connected to the outer side panel along a locking panel fold line, the locking panel having a first free edge that forms a locking panel angle (α) with the locking panel fold line, the locking panel configured to fit between the partial bottom panel and the bottom panel when the tray is in the first, unexpanded position.

8. The tray of claim 7 wherein:

the intermediate side panel defines a locking opening; and

the tray further comprises a locking tab extending from the free edge of the locking panel, the locking tab configured to fit into the locking opening to lock the outer side panel in place when the outer side panel is in the second, expanded position.

9. The tray of claim 7 wherein:

the angle of rotation (β) is the same as the locking panel angle (α).

10. The tray of claim 1 further comprising:

two rear edge panels, each rear edge panel connected to an outer side panel along a fold line.

11. The tray of claim 10 further comprising:

a tab foldably connected to each top panel along a top panel free edge; and

a tab foldably connected to each rear edge panel along a rear edge tab fold line, each rear edge panel tab defining an opening adjacent to the rear edge tab fold line, each opening being positioned to receive one of the top panel tabs when the tray is in the first, unexpended position.

12. The tray of claim 10 further comprising:

a tab extending from a free edge of each rear edge panel, each tab configured to fit into a corresponding slot when the tray is in the first, unexpended position, the slots defined by the outer rear panel.

13. A blank for making a laterally expandable tray, the blank comprising:

a bottom panel extending laterally from a side cut line to an opposite side cut line and rearwardly from a front fold line to a rear fold line;

an outer front panel connected to the bottom panel along the front fold line;

an inner front panel connected to the outer front panel along a double fold line;

an outer rear panel connected to the bottom panel along the rear fold line, the outer rear panel extending laterally from a side fold line to an opposite side fold line;

an inner rear panel connected to the outer rear panel along a rear double fold line, the inner rear panel extending laterally from a side cut line to an opposite side cut line;

two intermediate side panels, each intermediate side panel connected to the outer rear panel by a fold line;

two inner side panels, each inner side panel connected to one of the two intermediate side panels along a fold line;

two outer side panels, each outer side panel connected to one of the two inner side panels along a fold line; and

two top panels, each top panel connected to one of the two outer side panels along a fold line.

14. The blank of claim 13 further comprising:

two rear edge panels, each rear edge panel connected to one of the two outer side panels along a fold line.

15. The blank of claim 13 further comprising:

two partial bottom panels, each partial bottom panel connected to one of the two intermediate side panels along a fold line.

16. The blank of claim 13 further comprising:

two substantially triangular locking panels, each locking panel connected to one of the two outer side panels along a fold line.