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A nestable crate for bottles includes a floor portion having a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface and a plurality of bottle support areas. A wall structure is connected to the floor portion and forms a containment area therewith. The wall structure has a peripherally extending upper band port

A nestable crate for bottles includes a floor portion having a floor top surface, a floor bottom surface and a plurality of bottle support areas. A wall structure is connected to the floor portion and forms a containment area therewith. The wall structure has a peripherally extending upper band portion with an interior surface and an exterior surface, and also has a single-walled lower wall construction comprising adjacent column members which extend between the upper band the and floor portion. The wall structure includes sidewalls and end walls, and adjacent column members have curved facing surfaces extending inwardly into the containment area. The inner surface of the upper band portion, one of the plurality of bottle support areas, and the facing surfaces define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets extending around the periphery of the wall structure.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A low-depth nestable crate for holding bottles, said crate having a low-depth wall structure having sidewalls and end walls, said crate comprising: a floor member having a floor top surface and a floor bottom surface; a band extending around the periphery of the crate and spa

What is claimed is: 1. A low-depth nestable crate for holding bottles, said crate having a low-depth wall structure having sidewalls and end walls, said crate comprising: a floor member having a floor top surface and a floor bottom surface; a band extending around the periphery of the crate and spaced above the floor member for preventing the bottles from tipping, the band further having spaced-apart interior projections, inner surfaces of which define a first plane, the band further defining a lower ledge on an exterior of the crate; and a pair of columns disposed along at least one of the sidewalls for connecting the band and the floor member, the columns being spaced apart and having a nesting window disposed therebetween, the columns having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the columns aligned with the interior projections and projecting inwardly of the interior projections to form an angled ledge therebetween, each adjacent pair of columns defining a bottle receiving area for containing one of the bottles therein, the interior surface of each column having a pair of opposed surfaces meeting at a centrally disposed surface which defines a second plane offset from the first plane, the exterior surface of the column having a recess to matingly receive corresponding interior projections from a similar crate nested therebelow. 2. The crate of claim 1, wherein the interior surfaces of the columns have a cylindrically concave surface. 3. The crate of claim 2, wherein the cylindrically concave surface extends from a lower column edge to an upper column edge. 4. The crate of claim 1 wherein the band includes a plurality of upright concave inner surfaces, said concave inner surfaces arranged in an alternating manner with the columns and being positioned to correspond to the generally cylindrical bottles. 5. The crate of claim 4, wherein the interior surfaces of the columns have a cylindrically concave surface, and wherein the cylindrically concave surface and its adjacent upright concave inner surface have a similar curvature radius. 6. The crate of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the band has a single wall construction. 7. The crate of claim 1 further comprising upwardly recessed bottle top receiving areas on the floor bottom surface. 8. The crate of claim 1 wherein the crate has corner columns connecting the corner of the band to the floor member. 9. The crate of claim 1 wherein the interior projections of the band and adjacent columns have a common vertical centerline. 10. The crate of claim 1 wherein the pair of columns are below the lower ledge of the band. 11. The crate of claim 10 wherein the angled ledge is substantially aligned with the lower ledge of the band. 12. The crate of claim 10 wherein the lower ledge is generally parallel to the floor. 13. The crate of claim 1 wherein the lower ledge of the band rests on an uppermost edge of the similar crate nested therebelow, such that the entirety of the band is above the uppermost edge of the similar crate nested therebelow. 14. A low-depth nestable bottle crate comprising: a floor member having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface having a plurality of bottle support areas for supporting an array of bottles in an upright manner; a generally upright band member spaced apart from the floor member and extending around the periphery of the crate, the band member having an upper surface, a lower surface, an exterior surface, and an interior surface, the interior surface having a single walled bottle contact area corresponding to the bottle support areas of the floor member, the interior surface further having upper inwardly-extending portions between adjacent contact areas; and at least two spaced-apart nesting columns connecting a periphery of the floor member with the lower surface of the band member, the columns including first and second opposed inner surfaces defining a corresponding vertical recess on the column outer surface, wherein the first inner surface of one of the plurality of columns, an adjacent second inner surface from an adjacent column, one of the bottle support areas and bottle contact areas define a bottle receiving pocket for supporting a bottle in an upright orientation, wherein the upper inwardly-extending portions and the columns have a transition ledge therebetween. 15. The crate of claim 14 wherein the bottle contact areas are defined by arcuate surfaces on the band member interior surface which are arranged in an alternating manner with the columns and are positioned to correspond to the generally cylindrical bottles. 16. The crate of claim 14 wherein the first and second opposed inner surfaces and their adjacent bottle contact areas have a similar radius of curvature. 17. The crate of claim 14 wherein the columns are arranged in an alternating pattern with windows disposed therebetween and below the band member. 18. The crate of claim 14 wherein the band member includes side wall portions and end wall portions, and wherein the end wall portions of the band member include a handle opening formed therein. 19. The crate of claim 14 wherein the bottle support area oriented at a corner of the floor member is configured such that more than half of the bottle circumference is contained within the bottle support area. 20. A low-depth nestable bottle crate comprising: a floor member having a top surface with a plurality of bottle support areas for supporting an array of bottles thereon; an upper wall member spaced apart from the floor member and extending around the periphery of the crate, the upper wall member having an exterior surface, and also having an interior surface with spaced apart inwardly extending projection members, and bottle contact surfaces between the projection members, uppermost edges of the projection members spaced downwardly from an uppermost edge of the upper wall member; and a lower wall portion disposed along a plane offset inwardly from the projection members to define an interior ledge therebetween, the lower wall portion having a plurality of support members for connecting a periphery of the floor member with a lower surface of the upper wall member, the support members aligned with the projection members of the upper wall member, the support members including first and second opposed inner surfaces defining a corresponding recess on a column outer surface for receiving the projection members of a like crate when nested, the lower wall structure having a window disposed between adjacent support members. 21. The crate of claim 20 further including a handle portion extending between two of the projection members, a handle opening below the handle portion. 22. A nestable bottle crate comprising: a floor member having a top surface with a plurality of bottle support areas for supporting an array of bottles thereon; an upper wall member spaced apart from the floor member and extending around the periphery of the crate, the upper wall member having an upper edge, a lower edge, an exterior surface, and also having an interior surface with spaced apart inwardly extending nesting projections, and concave bottle contact surfaces between the nesting projections; and a lower wall structure inwardly offset from the upper wall member and having a plurality of support members for connecting the floor member with a lower surface of the upper wall member, the support members aligned with the nesting projections of the upper wall member, the support members including first and second opposed inner surfaces defining a corresponding recess on a column outer surface for receiving the nesting projection of a like crate when nested, the lower wall structure having a window disposed between adjacent support members, the lower wall structure further including a plurality of corner support members extending from the floor member to the upper wall member, the bottom surface of each corner support member and the floor member defining a recessed nesting area. 23. A low-depth nestable crate for holding bottles, said crate having a low-depth wall structure having sidewalls and end walls, said crate comprising: a floor having a floor top surface and a floor bottom surface; an upper wall portion spaced above the floor, the upper wall portion having opposed sidewalls and opposed end walls, the sidewalls including alternating first upper wall portions and second upper wall portions, each first upper wall portion having a first inner surface and a first outer surface spaced apart from each other, the first inner surface having interior projections extending inwardly into the crate, the interior projections having uppermost edges that are spaced below a plane defined by an uppermost edge of the upper wall portion, and the first outer surface being generally planar, the second upper wall portion being non-flat and having a second inner surface and a second outer surface, the second inner surface defining a bottle contact surface, the second outer surface recessed relative to the first outer surface; and at least two columns disposed along at least one of the sidewalls connecting the upper wall portion and the floor, the columns being spaced apart and having a nesting window disposed therebetween below the bottle contact surface, the columns having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surfaces of the columns offset inwardly from the first inner surfaces such that adjacent pair of columns define a bottle receiving area for containing one of the bottles therein, the interior surface of each column having a pair of opposed surfaces meeting at a central surface, the exterior surface of the column having a recess to receive corresponding interior projections from a similar crate nested therebelow. 24. A low-depth nestable crate for holding bottles, said crate having a low-depth wall structure having sidewalls and end walls, said crate comprising: a floor having a floor top surface; an upper wall portion extending around the periphery of the crate and spaced above the floor member, the upper wall portion having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface defined by alternating first outer surface portions and second outer surface portions, the first outer surface portions defined by a generally flat planar surface and the second outer surface portions defined by recessed uneven surfaces, the inner surface having a plurality of spaced-apart interior projections corresponding to the first outer surface portions, and a corresponding uneven bottle contact surface corresponding to the second outer surface portions, the upper wall portion defining a lower ledge about an exterior of the crate, the lower ledge generally parallel to the floor; at least two columns disposed along a periphery of the floor for connecting the upper wall portion and the floor, the columns being spaced apart and having a nesting window disposed therebetween, the columns disposed generally below the interior projections, the columns spaced inwardly of the lower ledge of the upper wall portion, and the window disposed generally below the bottle contact surface, the columns having an exterior recessed surface for receiving a similar crate nested therebelow. 25. A nestable crate for bottles comprising: a floor; a pair of opposed sidewalls and endwalls extending around the periphery of the crate and spaced above the floor, an upper wall portion of the sidewalls having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface of the sidewalls defined by alternating first outer surface portions and second outer surface portions, the first outer surface portions defined by a generally flat planar surface and the second outer surface portions inwardly offset from the first outer surface portions, the first outer surface portions defining a lower ledge generally parallel to the floor, the outer surface of the endwalls being generally planar and flat thereacross, the inner surface of the sidewalls having a plurality of spaced-apart interior projections corresponding to the first outer surface portions; a plurality of columns disposed along a periphery of the floor for connecting the upper wall portion and the floor, the columns being spaced apart and having a nesting window disposed therebetween, the columns disposed generally below the interior projections, and the window disposed generally below a bottle contact surface, the columns having an exterior recessed surface for receiving a similar crate nested therebelow. 26. The crate of claim 25, wherein the inner surface of the sidewalls further includes a bottle contact surface corresponding to the second outer surface portions. 27. The crate of claim 25, wherein one of the pairs of sidewalls and endwalls includes a handle opening therein. 28. A nestable crate comprising: a floor; an upper wall portion extending around the periphery of the crate and spaced above the floor, the upper wall portion having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface having an upper edge and lower edge generally parallel with each other, the inner surface including spaced-apart interior projections and a bottle contact surface disposed between a pair of adjacent interior projections, the upper wall portion further having opposed upper side walls and opposed upper end walls, wherein at least one of the opposed upper side walls and end walls includes a handle area defined by a handle opening with an upper handle member first disposed thereabove and a lower handle member disposed therebelow; a lower portion having a plurality of columns disposed along the sidewalls for connecting the upper wall portion and the floor, the columns being spaced apart and having a nesting window disposed therebetween below the bottle contact surface, the columns having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the columns extending inwardly from the interior projections of the upper wall portion and having a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge, wherein the first later edge of one column and the second lateral edge of an adjacent column define a window therebetween. 29. The crate of claim 28, wherein the upper wall portion has an upper edge portion disposed above the upper handle member defined by a plurality of ribs.