Stackable low depth bottle case

• US 4,899,874 A
• Filed: 04/26/1988
• Issued: 02/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Original Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Inventors: Apps, William P., Rehrig, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moy, Joseph Man-Fu
• Application Number:
  US07/186,140
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 206/427, 206/509, 206/511, 206/203, 206/201, 206/821, 220/21, 220/22, 220/23.6
• US Class Current: 206/201
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/243 Crates for bottles or like containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 21/04 Open-ended containers shaped to be nested when empty and to be superposed when full
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2501/24108 corresponding to part of the height of the bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 71/70 Trays provided with projections or recesses in order to assemble multiple articles, e.g. intermediate elements for stacking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/809 X-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/821 Stacking member

Abstract

The stackable low depth bottle case of the present invention includes four side walls and a bottom portion. A plurality of upwardly projecting hollow columns extend upwardly within the side walls. The columns, walls, and bottom portion define a plurality of bottle retaining pockets. The bottle retaining pockets have flat surfaces to permit retention of bottles without base indentations and to permit rotation of petaloid bottles. The columns extend upwardly from the base portion a distance approximately one third of the height of the bottles to be retained. The columns may be hollow to permit empty cases to stack top to bottom. The lower surface of the bottom portion has circular concave portions with central retaining openings to facilitate stacking of loaded cases top to bottom. When a case is disposed on a lower filled case, the bottle tops of the lower case are guided toward the central retaining openings by the circular concave portions.

Claims

1. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a bottom portion attached to said side walls;

a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting columns generally disposed within said side walls defining, in combination with said bottom portion and said outer side walls, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets with at least one column per pocket, said columns extending above a top surface of one of said side walls and below a top surface of the retained bottles; and

said bottom portion includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets; and

means for resting said bottom portion on closures of bottles on which said case is stacked and for guiding each closure coaxially with a centerline of one of said bottle retaining pockets;

wherein when said case is empty, said columns of said case interlock with an upper case when said cases are stacked bottom to top, and when a subjacent case is loaded, the closures of bottles disposed in the subjacent case abut said bottom portion resting and guiding means when said cases are stacked bottom to top.

2. A stackable low depth case according to claim 1 wherein said columns project upwardly from and contact said bottom portion.

27. A stackable low depth case as in claim 1, wherein at least one of said columns can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

3. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a bottom portion attached to said side walls, said bottom portion having ribs;

a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting hollow columns generally disposed within said side walls defining, in combination with said bottom portion and said outer side walls, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets with at least one column per pocket, said columns extending above a top surface of one of said side walls and below a top surface of the retained bottles, and wherein at least some of said ribs correspond in location to said columns; and

said bottom portion includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across said bottle retaining pockets; and

means for resting said bottom portion on closures of bottles on which said case is stacked and for guiding each closure coaxially with a centerline of one of said bottle retaining pockets;

wherein when said case is empty, said columns of said case fit within ribs corresponding to respective columns on an identical upper case when said cases are stacked bottom to top, and when a subjacent case is loaded, the closures of bottles disposed in the subjacent case abut said bottom portion resting and guiding means when said cases are stacked bottom to top.

4. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 further comprising a plurality of vertical walls within said outer side walls adjacent and extending from said columns which further define said plurality of bottle retaining pockets.

5. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 wherein said columns do not contact said bottom portion thereby forming a gap between the upper surface of said bottom portion and said columns.

6. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 wherein each of said columns have at least one surface, at least above the top surface of said side walls, curved to substantially conform to the shape of the bottles to be retained and transported in said bottle retaining pockets.

7. A stackable low depth case according to claim 6 wherein at least one column is centrally disposed and is substantially octagonal in shape, and four alternate sides of said octagon are curved, at least above the top surface of said side walls, to substantially conform to the shape of the bottles to be retained and transported in said bottle retaining pockets.

8. A stackable low depth case according to claim 6 wherein said columns have horizontal platforms substantially coplanar with the top surface of said side walls, said columns include upwardly disposed projections above said surface, and said projections have surfaces which are curved to substantially conform to the shape of the bottles to be retained and transported in said bottle retaining pockets.

9. A stackable low depth case according to claim 8 wherein said projections further comprise support portions.

10. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 wherein when said case is empty, said columns of said case fit within a hollow portion of columns on said identical upper case when said cases are stacked bottom to top.

11. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 wherein said bottom portion resting and guiding means are opposite said substantially flat upper surface and includes substantially circular concave lower surfaces with each of said concave lower surfaces having a centrally located bottle closure receiving portion and the closures of bottles disposed in a subjacent case abut said centrally located bottle closure receiving portions of said concave lower surfaces of said case when said cases are stacked bottom to top.

12. A stackable low depth case according to claim 11 wherein each of said bottle closure receiving portions have central retaining openings.

13. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3, wherein some of said columns have projecting portions extending above the topmost point on other said columns.

14. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 wherein said bottle retaining pockets are shaped to receive two-liter bottles and said columns extend approximately four inches above said lower surface of said bottom portion.

15. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 further comprising four side walls wherein said four side walls form a rectangular outer shell.

16. A stackable low depth case according to claim 15 wherein the ratio of the length to the width of said outer shell is substantially equal to the ratio of the number of bottles said case holds in the lengthwise direction to the number of bottles said case holds in the widthwise direction so that a plurality of said cases may be cross stacked, wherein at least some of said cases in one layer can be disposed at 90°

angles from cases in adjacent layers and the center-to-center distance between adjacent bottle retaining pockets within said case and between two adjacent cases having abutting side walls are substantially equal.

17. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 wherein said columns extend above said bottom portion a distance approximately one third of the height of the bottles to be retained and transported.

18. A stackable low depth case according to claim 3 wherein said bottle retaining pockets are shaped to receive 2-liter PET bottles.

28. A stackable low depth case as in claim 3, wherein at least one of said columns can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

29. A stackable low depth case as in claim 8, wherein said projection curved surfaces are coplanar with surfaces of said columns below said surface.

19. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

four outer side walls forming a rectangular outer shell having a low depth;

a bottom portion attached to said side walls, said bottom portion having ribs; and

a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting hollow columns generally disposed within said side walls defining, in combination with said bottom portion and said outer side walls, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets with at least one column per pocket, said columns extending above a top surface of one of said side walls and above said bottom portion a distance approximately one third of the height of the retained bottles, and wherein at least some of said ribs correspond in location to said columns;

wherein said bottom portion includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets; and

means for resting said bottom portion on closures of bottles on which said case is stacked and for guiding each closure coaxially with a centerline of one of said bottle retaining pockets;

wherein when said case is empty, said columns of said case fit within ribs corresponding to respective columns on an identical upper case when said cases are stacked bottom to top, and when a subjacent case is loaded, the closures of bottles disposed in the subjacent case abut said centrally located bottle closure receiving portions of said concave lower surfaces of said case when said cases are stacked bottom to top; and

wherein the ratio of the length to the width of said outer shell is substantially equal to the ratio of the number of bottles said case holds in the lengthwise direction to the number of bottles said case holds in the widthwise direction so that a plurality of said cases may be cross stacked, wherein at least some of said cases in one layer are disposed at 90°

angles from cases in adjacent layers and the center-to-center distance between adjacent bottle retaining pockets within said case and between two adjacent cases having abutting side walls are substantially equal.

20. A stackable low depth case according to claim 19 wherein said columns do not contact said bottom portion and thereby form a gap between the upper surface of said bottom protion and said columns.

30. A stackable low depth case as in claim 19, wherein at least one of said columns can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

21. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

four outer side walls forming a rectangular outer shell having a low depth;

a bottom portion attached to said side walls, said bottom portion having ribs; and

a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting hollow columns having curved sides generally disposed within said side walls defining, in combination with said bottom portion and said outer side walls, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets shaped to receive 2-liter PET bottles with at least one column per pocket, said columns extending above a top surface of one of said side walls and approximately four inches above said bottom portion, wherein some of said columns have upwardly extending projecting portions extending above the topmost point on other of said columns, three centrally disposed columns are substantially octagonal in shape, four alternate sides of each of said octagonally shaped columns are curved, at least above the top surface of said side walls to substantially conform to the shape of the bottles to be retained and transported in adjacent said bottle retaining pockets, and at least some of said ribs correspond in location to said columns;

wherein said bottom portion includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across said bottle retaining pockets; and

means for resting said bottom portion on closures of bottles on which said case is stacked and for guiding each closure coaxially with a centerline of one of said bottle retaining pockets;

wherein when said case is empty, said columns of said case fit within ribs corresponding to respective columns on an identical upper case when said cases are stacked bottom to top, and when a subjacent crate is loaded, the closures of bottles disposed in the subjacent case abut said centrally located bottle closure receiving portions of said concave lower surfaces of said case when said cases are stacked bottom to top; and

wherein the ratio of the length to the width of said outer shell is substantially equal to the ratio of the number of bottles said case holds in the lengthwise direction to the number of bottles said case holds in the widthwise direction so that a plurality of said cases may be cross stacked, wherein at least some of said cases in one layer are disposed at 90°

angles from cases in adjacent layers and the center-to-center distance between adjacent bottle retaining pockets within said case and between two adjacent cases having abutting side walls are substantially equal.

22. A stackable low depth case according to claim 21 wherein said columns do not contact said bottom portion thereby forming a gap between the upper surface of said bottom portion and said columns.

31. A stackable low depth case as in claim 21, wherein at least one of said columns can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

23. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a bottom portion attached to said side walls;

a plurality of spaced upwardly projecting hollow columns generally disposed within said side walls defining, in combination with said bottom portion and said outer side walls, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets with at least one column per pocket, said columns having horizontal platforms disposed substantially coplanar with a top surface of one of said side walls and a plurality of upwardly disposed projections, at least one of said projections extending from each of said platform of said columns, said projections extending above a top surface of one of said side walls and below a top surface of the retained bottles, said projections forming an extension of said bottle retaining pockets; and

said bottom portion includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets; and

means for resting said bottom portion on closures of bottles on which said case is stacked and for guiding each closure coaxially with a centerline of one of said bottle retaining pockets;

wherein when said case is empty, said columns of said case fit within a hollow portion of columns on an upper case when said cases are stacked bottom to top, and when a subjacent crate is loaded, the closures of bottles disposed in the subjacent case abut said bottom portion resting and guiding means when said cases are stacked bottom to top.

24. A stackable low depth case according to claim 23 wherein said columns and said projections have coplanar surfaces which are curved to substantially conform to the shape of the bottles to be retained and transported in said bottle retaining pockets.

25. A stackable low depth case according to claim 23 wherein said projections include support portions.

26. A stackable low depth case as in claim 23 wherein some of said projections extend above the topmost points on other of said projections.

32. A stackable low depth case as in claim 23, wherein at least one of said columns can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

33. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a case bottom disposed substantially within said outer shell; and

a plurality of means, generally disposed within said outer shell and extending at least above a top surface of one of said side walls, for increasing the effective height of the case to thereby limit the tilting movement of the bottles to be retained and transported, said plurality of effective case height increasing means defining, in combination with said case bottom and said outer shell, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets with at least one effective case height increasing means per pocket;

said case bottom includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets; and

means for resting the case bottom on closures of bottles in a subjacent case and for aligning each closure with said case bottom for stacking said case.

34. A stackable low depth case as in claim 33, wherein each of said plurality of effective case height increasing means extend above said upper surface of said case bottom a distance approximately one-third of the height of the bottles to be retained and transported.

35. A stackable low depth case as in claim 33, wherein the plurality of effective case height increasing means extend upwardly from and contact said case bottom upper surface.

36. A stackable low depth case as in claim 33, wherein at least one of said effective case height increasing means includes a projecting portion extending above a topmost point of at least some of the other of said effective case height increasing means.

37. A stackable low depth case as in claim 33, wherein said outer shell is rectangular having a longer length than width and having the ratio of the length to the width of the outer shell be substantially equal to the ratio of the number of bottles said case holds in a lengthwise direction to the number of bottles said case holds in a widthwise direction;

and

at least one of said effective case height increasing means is disposed along a centerline of the length of the case and extending above at least a top surface of one of said side walls, said at least one effective case height increasing means disposed along a centerline of the length of the case includes a recess for receiving a side wall of an identical upper crate so that an identical upper crate can be cross-stacked with said case when said case is empty and the center-to-center distance between adjacent bottle retaining pockets within said case and between said case and the upper identical case are substantially equal.

38. A stackable low depth case as in claim 33, wherein at least one of said effective case height increasing means can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

39. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a case bottom disposed substantially within said outer shell; and

a plurality of columns, generally disposed within said outer shell, extending at least above a top surface of one of said side walls and defining, in combination with said case bottom and said outer shell, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets with at least one column per pocket;

said case bottom includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets; and

means for resting the case bottom on closures of bottles in a subjacent case and for aligning each closure with said case bottom for stacking said case.

40. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a case bottom disposed substantially within said outer shell; and

a plurality of means, generally disposed within said outer shell, for increasing the effective height of the case to thereby limit the tilting movement of the bottles to be retained and transported, said plurality of effective case height increasing means defining, in combination with said case bottom and said outer shell, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets, with at least one effective case height increasing means per pocket and with each of said plurality of effective case height increasing means including at least one surface which is extending at least above a top surface of one of said side walls and is curved to substantially conform to the shape of the bottles to be retained and transported;

said case bottom includes means for resting said case bottom on closures of bottles in a subjacent case and for aligning each closure with said case bottom for stacking said case.

41. A stackable low depth case as in claim 40, wherein said case bottom comprises an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets.

42. A stackable low depth case as in claim 40, wherein each of said plurality of effective case height increasing means extend above the case bottom a distance of approximately one-third of the height of the bottles to be retained and transported.

43. A stackable low depth case as in claim 40, wherein the plurality of effective case height increasing means extend upwardly from and contact said case bottom.

44. A stackable low depth case as in claim 40, wherein at least one of said effective case height increasing means includes a projecting portion extending above a topmost point of at least some of the other of said effective case height increasing means.

45. A stackable low depth case as in claim 40, wherein said outer shell is rectangular having a longer length than width and having the ratio of the length to the width of the outer shell be substantially equal to the ratio of the number of bottles said case holds in a lengthwise direction to the number of bottles said case holds in a widthwise direction;

and

at least one of said effective case height increasing means is disposed along a centerline of the length of the case and extending above at least a top surface of one of said side walls, said at least one effective case height increasing means disposed along a centerline of the length of the case includes a recess for receiving a side wall of an identical upper crate so that an identical upper crate can be cross-stacked with said case when said case is empty and the center-to-center distance between adjacent bottle retaining pockets within said case and between said case and the upper identical case are substantially equal.

46. A stackable low depth case as in claim 40, wherein at least one of said effective case height increasing means can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

47. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a case bottom disposed substantially within said outer shell;

a plurality of columns, generally disposed within said outer shell, said columns defining, in combination with said outer shell and said case bottom, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets with at least one column per pocket and each of said columns including at least one surface which is extending at least above a top surface of one of said side walls and is curved to substantially conform to the shape of the bottles to be retained and transported;

said case bottom includes means for resting said case bottom on closures of bottles in a subjacent case and for aligning each closure with said case bottom for stacking said case.

48. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls, forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a case bottom disposed substantially within said outer shell; and

a plurality of means, generally disposed within said outer shell and extending at least above a top surface of one of said side walls, for increasing the effective height of the case to thereby limit the tilting movement of the bottles to be retained and transported and defining, in combination with said case bottom and said outer shell, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets, with at least four adjacent effective case height increasing means per pocket;

said case bottom includes means for resting said case bottom on closures of bottles in a subjacent case and for aligning each closure with said case bottom for stacking said case.

49. A stackable low depth case as in claim 48, wherein said case bottom further comprises an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets.

50. A stackable low depth case as in claim 48, wherein each of said plurality of effective case height increasing means extend above the case bottom a distance approximately one-third of the height of the bottles to be retained and transported.

51. A stackable low depth case as in claim 48, wherein the plurality of effective case height increasing means extend upwardly from and contact said case bottom.

52. A stackable low depth case as in claim 48, wherein at least one of said effective case height increasing means includes a projecting portion extending above a topmost point of at least some of the other of said effective case height increasing means.

53. A stackable low depth case as in claim 48, wherein said outer shell is rectangular having a longer length than width and having the ratio of the length to the width of the outer shell be substantially equal to the ratio of the number of bottles said case holds in a lengthwise direction to the number of bottles said case holds in a widthwise direction;

and

at least one of said effective case height increasing means is disposed along a centerline of the length of the case and extending above at least a top surface of one of said side walls, said at least one effective case height increasing means disposed along a centerline of the length of the case includes a recess for receiving a side wall of an identical upper crate so that an identical upper crate can be cross-stacked with said case when said case is empty and the center-to-center distance between adjacent bottle retaining pockets within said case and between said case and the upper identical case are substantially equal.

54. A stackable low depth case as in claim 48, wherein at least one of said effective case height increasing means can be associated with more than one of said pockets.

55. A stackable low depth case for retaining and transporting bottles comprising:

a plurality of outer side walls, forming an outer shell having a low depth;

a case bottom disposed substantially within said outer shell; and

a plurality of columns, generally disposed within said outer shell, and extending at least above a top surface of one of said side walls with at least four adjacent columns defining, in combination with the outer shell and the case bottom, a plurality of bottle retaining pockets;

said case bottom includes means for resting said case bottom on closures of bottles in a subjacent case and for aligning each closure with said case bottom for stacking said case.

56. A stackable low depth approximately one-third height case for retaining and transporting 2-liter PET bottles comprising:

four outer side walls forming a rectangular outer shell having a low depth, having a longer length than width and having the ratio of the length to the width of the outer shell be substantially equal to the ratio of the number of 2-liter PET bottles said case holds in a lengthwise direction to the number of 2-liter PET bottles said case holds in a widthwise direction;

a case bottom disposed substantially within said outer shell; and

a plurality of columns generally disposed within said outer shell and including 2-liter PET bottle supporting surfaces, said 2-liter PET bottle supporting surfaces defining, in combination with said outer shell and said case bottom, a plurality of 2-liter PET bottle retaining pockets;

said case bottom includes;

an upper surface which is substantially flat across the bottle retaining pockets; and

a lower surface including means for resting the case bottom on closures of 2-liter PET bottles in a subjacent case and for aligning each closure with said case bottom for stacking said case;

wherein said plurality of columns extend above said lower surface of said case bottom a distance of approximately one-third of the height of the 2-liter PET bottles to be retained and transported.

57. A stackable low depth approximately one-third height case as in claim 56, wherein said plurality of columns extend approximately four inches above said lower surface of said case bottom.

58. A stackable low depth approximately one-third height case as in claim 56, wherein at least one of said columns includes a projecting portion extending above at least one of side walls and a topmost point of at least some of the other of said columns.

59. A stackable low depth approximately one-third height case as in claim 57, wherein at least one of said columns can be associated with more than one of said pockets.