Nestable crate for containers

A nestable bottle crate comprising:

• a floor having a plurality of bottle support areas for supporting bottles;
• a peripherally extending upper band portion having alternating first portions and second portions, the first portions each including a single, solid wall having a bottle contact surface, the second portions each including a nesting projection, the second portions each including an inner wall spaced inwardly from an outer wall;
• a lower wall comprising spaced-apart columns which extend between the second portions of the upper band portion and the floor, the columns extending inwardly into the crate, wherein the bottle contact surfaces, bottle support areas, and the columns define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets extending around the periphery of the crate for maintaining bottles in a vertically upright manner, wherein the nesting projections are received into columns of a similar crate nested in the crate;
• and
• at least one ledge generally parallel to the floor between at least one of the columns and the adjacent second portion of the upper band portion.

A nestable bottle crate comprising:

• a floor having a plurality of bottle support areas for supporting bottles;
• a peripherally extending upper band portion having alternating first portions and second portions, the first portions having bottle contact surfaces, the second portions each including a nesting projection to provide a tighter fit with similar crates nested in the crate;
• a plurality of spaced-apart columns extending from the floor to the second portions of the upper band portion, each column projecting inwardly into the crate to form a ledge between the column and the second portion of the upper band portion, a tapered nose between the ledge and the column, wherein the bottle contact surfaces, bottle support areas, and the columns define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets extending around the periphery of the crate for maintaining bottles in a vertically upright manner;
• and
• four corner columns extending from the floor to the upper band portion, each corner column projecting inwardly into the crate to form a corner ledge between the corner column and the upper band portion.

A nestable bottle crate comprising:

• a floor having a plurality of bottle support areas for supporting bottles;
• a peripherally extending upper band portion having alternating first portions and second portions, the first portions each including a single, solid wall having a bottle contact surface, the second portions each including a nesting projection;
• a lower wall comprising spaced-apart columns which extend between the second portions of the upper band portion and the floor, the columns extending inwardly into the crate, wherein the bottle contact surfaces, bottle support areas, and the columns define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets extending around the periphery of the crate for maintaining bottles in a vertically upright manner, wherein the nesting projections are received into columns of a similar crate nested in the crate;
• and
• at least one ledge between each of the columns and the adjacent second portions of the upper band portion, wherein when a like crate is stacked thereon an upper surface of a floor of the like crate is below a plane defined by upper surfaces of the ledges of the crate.