초록 ▼

A reusable case 2 for bottles 4 has a plurality of pockets 64 for receiving base portions of the bottles. Each pocket 64 is equipped with a bottle side-wall gripper 15 and a bottle base support 70 for supporting the bottle 4 and orienting it so that a symmetry axis of the bottle 4 substantially coin

A reusable case 2 for bottles 4 has a plurality of pockets 64 for receiving base portions of the bottles. Each pocket 64 is equipped with a bottle side-wall gripper 15 and a bottle base support 70 for supporting the bottle 4 and orienting it so that a symmetry axis of the bottle 4 substantially coincides with a centerline of the pocket 64. Substantially coaxial with the pocket centerline is a stacking/cross-stacking case-rest 76. The cases 4 are dimensioned and the pockets 64 positioned so that cases of bottles can be arranged in layers in cross-stacked structure with the bottles 4 in each lower layer being oriented and positioned to locate closures 6 of the bottles 4 within the stacking/cross-stacking case rests 76 of the cases 2 of the next higher layer.

대표청구항 ▼

A case for transporting bottles, the bottles having a longitudinal symmetry axis and having a top closure for sealing the bottle and a base portion contoured to permit the bottle to stand on a flat surface, the base portion having a bottom which contacts the surface on which the bottle stands, the b

A case for transporting bottles, the bottles having a longitudinal symmetry axis and having a top closure for sealing the bottle and a base portion contoured to permit the bottle to stand on a flat surface, the base portion having a bottom which contacts the surface on which the bottle stands, the bottom being defined generally between an outer wall of the base portion of the bottle and an indentation in the base portion, the case being molded from a plastic material and comprising: (a) an outer shell; (b) a plurality of support elements connected to and generally disposed within the outer shell for reinforcing the shell, the outer shell and support elements being shaped to define a plurality of bottle pockets, a square lattice of vertex points being defined in fixed geometric relationship to the outer shell, the bottle pockets being located at vertex points of squares of the lattice, the outer shell being shaped relative to the lattice of vertex points to permit a plurality of such cases with bottles inserted in the bottle pockets to be arranged in a multilayered cross-stacked structure; (c) bottle seating means associated with each of the bottle pockets for orienting and supporting bottles inserted into the pockets, each bottle seating means including: (c.1) a bottle side-wall gripper connected to at least one of the outer case and the support elements, the gripper being configured to grip a radially outer wall of a base portion of a bottle inserted in the bottle pocket to position the bottle, and (c.2) a bottle base support connected to at least one of the outer case and the support elements, the bottle base support being spaced apart along a pocket centerline from the bottle side-wall gripper, the bottle base support being positioned and configured to fit within the indentation in the base portion of a bottle inserted into the bottle pocket to support the bottle and, in cooperation with the bottle side-wall gripper, to orient the bottle so that the symmetry axis of the bottle substantially coincides with the pocket centerline; and (d) stacking/cross-stacking case rests associated respectively with each of the bottle pockets, each case rest being connected to one of the outer shell and the support elements and located generally coaxially with respect to the pocket centerline spaced apart from the bottle base support in a direction opposing the corresponding bottle side-wall gripper, each case rest being configured to locate a closure of a bottle oriented generally coaxially with the pocket center line, so that cases of bottles can be stacked one on top of the other with the bottles of a lower case being positioned and oriented by the bottle seating means of the lower case to locate the closures of the bottles within the stacking/cross-stacking case rests of an upper case, weight of the upper case thereby being transmitted to closures of bottles in the lower case by way of case rests of the upper case.