Crate for containers
AssigneeRehrig Pacific Company
InventorSean T. Ogburn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A crate includes a bottom wall including a plurality of dividers defining a plurality of container pockets and a peripheral wall extending upward from a periphery of the bottom wall. The bottom wall and peripheral wall are thermoformed from a single sheet of plastic, such as recycled PET bottles. Optional features include stabilizing feet, a peripheral lip that prevents shingling and flexible retainers protruding into the pockets to provide a tighter fit with bottles.
Claims23
A crate comprising:
- a plurality of bottom walls each having a pocket wall extending at least partially about the periphery of the associated bottom wall defining a container pocket thereon, at least one of the pocket walls including a flared portion defining a stabilizing foot of the crate such that the stabilizing foot does not extend below the associated bottom wall;
- and
- an upper side wall extending upward from the pocket wall of each of the plurality of bottom walls, the upper side walls defining a peripheral wall of the crate, wherein the bottom walls, the pocket walls and the upper side walls are thermoformed from a single sheet of plastic.
A crate comprising a single thermoformed sheet defining a plurality of container pockets having bottom walls and dividers therebetween and a peripheral lip around an upper edge of the plurality of container pockets, the peripheral lip protruding outwardly and then downwardly from the upper edge of the plurality of pockets, the peripheral lip protruding downwardly at least one third a height of the crate, the bottom walls being located at the bottom of the crate such that the bottom walls are capable of engaging a planar surface when the crate is placed on the planar surface, wherein the crate is storing at least two bottles, each bottle received in one of the plurality of container pockets and wherein the bottles contact one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.