US 5,752,602 AGranted

Stackable and nestable one part container

AssigneeRehrig Pacific Company

InventorsJeffrey Robert Ackermann, William Patrick Apps, Glenn McCord Phillips

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Abstract

A stackable and nestable container having a bottom surface, a first pair of opposed end walls integrally joined with the bottom surface and extending upwardly away therefrom, and a second pair of opposed side walls integrally joined with the bottom surface and extending upwardly away therefrom. The first and second pairs of opposed end walls and side walls are integrally joined with each other along common end surfaces thereof to form with the bottom surface a substantially rectangular open top container. Each of the end walls and side walls includes a pair of column sections, and each of the column sections includes a recessed portion, an inner shelf and a lower column support. Each of the end walls and side walls further includes a pair of stacking sections, and each of the stacking sections includes a stacking foot and a stacking shelf. The stackable and nestable container is adapted to be nestable with a similarly shaped container when the containers are disposed in a first orientation and the stackable and nestable container is adapted to be stackable with a similarly shaped container when the containers are disposed in a second orientation.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A stackable and nestable container comprising a bottom surface, a first pair of opposed side walls integrally joined with said bottom surface and extending upwardly away therefrom, a second pair of opposed side walls integrally joined with said bottom surface and extending upwardly away therefrom, said first and second pairs of opposed side walls being integrally joined with each other along common end surfaces thereof to form with said bottom surface a substantially rectangular open top container, the uppermost surfaces of said first and second pair of opposed side walls collectively forming an upper container rim having a periphery;

at least one of said pairs of side walls including a pair of column sections, each said column section including a recessed portion, an inner shelf and a lower column support, said recessed portions extending downwardly away from said container rim and terminating in said inner shelf, said inner shelf being disposed a predetermined distance above said bottom surface of said container;
at least one of said pairs of side walls further including a pair of stacking sections, each said stacking section including a stacking foot and a stacking shelf, said stacking foot being spaced inwardly from said container rim and extending downwardly so as to terminate in said stacking shelf disposed between said stacking foot and said container rim;
wherein said stackable and nestable container is adapted to be nestable with a similarly shaped container when said containers are disposed in a first orientation;
and
wherein said stackable and nestable container is adapted to be stackable with a similarly shaped container when said containers are disposed in a second orientation.

2 more elements

A stackable and nestable open top container comprising:

a bottom surface;
a first pair of opposed side walls integrally joined with said bottom surface and extending upwardly away therefrom;
a second pair of opposed side walls integrally joined with said bottom surface and extending upwardly away therefrom, said first and second pairs of opposed end walls and side walls being integrally joined with each other along common end surfaces thereof to form with said bottom surface a substantially rectangular open top container;
at least two of said side walls including a pair of stacking sections each comprising a stacking foot and a stacking shelf, said stacking foot being spaced inwardly from said container rim and extending downwardly so as to terminate in said stacking shelf disposed between said stacking foot and said container rim, said stacking sections adapted to support a similarly shaped container stacked thereon;
wherein at least two of said side walls include a lower column support having a double thickness of material;
wherein said stackable and nestable container is adapted to be nestable with a similarly shaped container when said containers are disposed in a first orientation;
and
wherein said stackable and nestable container is adapted to b stackable with a similarly shaped container when said containers are disposed in a second orientation, said first and said second orientations being offset by an one hundred eighty degree rotation about a vertical axis of said container.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.