Nestable containers

Abstract

A nestable container having a frusto-conical downwardly tapering sidewall, and a bottom which includes a plurality of embossed lugs disposed towards the periphery and a portion lying inside the lugs which is embossed upwardly forming a surface on the interior of the container for engaging the lugs of and radially and axially restraining an upper nested container. In one form of the invention the upper end of the container has means for spacing it a predetermined distance from an adjacent container in a nested stack of containers.

Description

and as shown in FIG. 4, the vertical distance between the second shoulder 38 and the top of the lip or rim 18 is less than the top stacking height. If the respective shoulders of two adjacent containers engage, then the containers are spaced apart a distance equal to the top stacking height (neck length 36). The second shoulder 38 and the bead 40 serve the dual purpose of adding stiffness to the open top of the container and also are used for purposes of sealing a snap-on closure lid (not shown).

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, upper contact is made between shoulders 34 and 38 simultaneously with the lower contact between the bottom of lugs 28 and the lug receiving shoulder 26. The combination of upper and lower contact provides increased supporting surface area so that a higher stack or greater axial force may be applied without jamming the containers. This is beneficial during transit as well as when the containers are in a dispensing machine. Further, the combination of upper and lower contact retains the containers in closer axial alignment, thereby preventing cocking or tilting while they are in a nested, stacked condition.

The embodiment of the container as herein described is made from a one-piece sheet of suitable plastic material.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fully, effectively accomplished.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, various modifications thereof, after study of this specification, will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, reference should accordingly be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A plastic nestable container comprising a sidewall tapering generally downwardly from a larger diameter adjacent its upper open end to a smaller diameter adjacent its bottom, said bottom being recessed inwardly forming a vertically disposed truncated conical depression having upwardly, inwardly sloping sidewalls with respect to the bottom, a plurality of spaced lugs extending upwardly from the bottom of said container, said lugs having semi-cylindrical shaped vertical walls forming interruptions of said sloping sidewalls of the truncated conical depression, a substantially peripherally continuous lug receiving shoulder interrupting said sloping sidewalls of the truncated conical depression, said lug receiving shoulder having a horizontal portion for receiving the bottoms of the lugs and an upwardly extending inner wall portion for engagement with the semi-cylindrical shaped vertical walls of said lugs of an upper nested container.

2. A nestable container according to claim 1, wherein said embossed lugs are three lugs spaced equidistantly from the vertical axis of the container.

3. A nestable container comprising a sidewall and a bottom, said sidewall being generally frusto-conical tapering downwardly from a larger diameter adjacent its open end to a smaller diameter adjacent said bottom, means disposed adjacent said upper open end for spacing the upper open ends of a plurality of nested stacked containers a predetermined distance apart, respectively, said distance being defined as the top stacking height, said bottom being recessed inwardly, forming a vertically disposed concave conical depression having upwardly, inwardly sloping sidewalls, a plurality of spaced lugs extending upwardly from the bottom of said container, said lugs having semi-cylindrical shaped vertical walls forming interruptions of said sloping sidewalls of the conical depression, a substantially peripherally continuous lug receiving shoulder interrupting said sloping sidewall of the conical depression, said lug receiving shoulder having a horizontal portion for receiving the bottoms of the lugs of an upwardly extending inner wall portion for engagement with the semi-cylindrical shaped vertical walls of said lugs of an upper nested container, the vertical nesting distance between said lug receiving shoulder and the bottom of said lugs being defined as the bottom stacking height, and the bottom and top-stacking heights being substantially equal.

4. A nestable container according to claim 3, further comprising indicia disposed on the sidewall of said container.

5. A plastic nestable container having a slightly tapered sidewall extending upwardly from a bottom at its small end to adjacent its open end where it is provided with a peripherally continuous outwardly extending first shoulder presenting a sharply defined outer edge and a substantially vertical neck extending outwardly therefrom and provided at its upper end with a peripherally continuous outwardly extending second shoulder presenting a sharply defined inner edge, an inwardly extending annular bead forming the upper portion of said vertical neck adjacent said second shoulder, the outer diameter of the first shoulder being slightly greater than the inner diameter of said neck portion at said second shoulder and said second shoulder being of a diameter substantially greater than said first shoulder, the vertical distance between said first shoulder and said second shoulder being defined as the top stacking height, a plurality of embossed lugs disposed towards the periphery of said bottom, and the portion of the bottom lying inside the lugs being embossed upwardly forming a surface on the interior of the container for engaging the lugs of an upper nested container, the vertical nesting distance between the surface on the interior of said container and the bottom surface of said lugs being defined as the bottom stacking height, and said bottom stacking height being substantially equal to said top stacking height.

6. A plastic nestable container having a slightly tapered sidewall extending upwardly from a bottom at its small end to adjacent its open end where it is provided with a peripherally continuous outwardly extending first shoulder presenting a sharply defined outer edge and a substantially vertical neck extending upwardly therefrom and provided at its upper end with a peripherally continuous outwardly extending second shoulder presenting a sharply defined inner edge, the outer diameter of the first shoulder being slightly greater than the inner diameter of said neck portion at said second shoulder and said second shoulder being of a diameter substantially greater than said first shoulder, the vertical distance between the first shoulder and the second shoulder being defined as the top stacking height, said bottom being recessed inwardly by a truncated conical depression providing an upwardly, inwardly sloping sidewall and terminating in an interiorally disposed top surface, a plurality of spaced semi-cylindrical shaped lugs extending downwardly from about the location of the juncture between said sloping sidewall and the interiorally disposed top surface to the plane of the bottom, the bottoms of the lugs being formed by radially inward extensions of the bottom end surface of the container, and the innermost location of the semi-cylindrical shaped vertical wall of each lug being within the zone of said sloping sidewall forming interruptions thereof, the vertical distance between the bottom of said lugs and a nesting surface of the depression being defined as the bottom stacking height, and said top stacking height being substantially equal to said bottom stacking height.

7. A nestable container comprising a bottom wall, a circumferential sidewall extending upwardly and generally inclined outwardly from said bottom wall and ending in a peripheral rim at its upper extent, and a combined stacking ridge and lid receiving area including said rim and the portion of said sidewall extending downwardly therefrom, said stacking ridge and lid receiving area comprising a shoulder adjacent the upper end of said container and extending generally horizontally outwardly from the inclined portion of said sidewall to form the lowermost extent of the stacking ridge portion of said area, a face section inclined and projecting inwardly and upwardly from said shoulder, and extending a shelf extending outwardly and upwardly from the upper extent of said face section and spaced downwardly from the top of said rim, the vertical distance between said shoulder and said shelf being defined as the top stacking height, the outer extent of said shoulder being greater than the inner extent of said shelf, the outer extent of substantially all portions of said sidewall which are intermediate said shoulder and a point spaced downwardly therefrom a distance equal to said top stacking height being less than the inner extent of said shelf, and the outer extent of all portions at and below said point being less than the inner extent of said shoulder, so that the shoulder of one such container can seat on the shelf of a next lower like container to provide a stacking means between two such containers when nested together, the distance between said shelf and the top of said rim being less than said top stacking height and the outer periphery of said shelf being joined to said rim with all portions of the inner surface of said sidewall between said shelf and the top of said rim being disposed at least as far outwardly as said outer periphery of the shelf, said shelf and at least the upper portion of said face section below said shelf forming a lid sealing means of said area.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein a generally vertically disposed circumferential portion is located between said shoulder and said face section connecting them together.

9. A nestable container according to claim 7 wherein an upwardly extending wall portion is located between said shelf and said rim connecting them together.

10. A nestable container comprising a bottom wall, a circumferential sidewall extending upwardly and generally inclined outwardly from said bottom wall and ending in a peripheral rim at its upper extent forming an open end of said container, said sidewall adjacent to said open end of the container being provided with a peripherally continuous outwardly extending first shoulder presenting a sharply defined outer edge forming a stacking ridge, a substantially vertical neck extending upwardly from said first shoulder and having at its upper end an inwardly projecting bead and a peripherally continuous outwardly extending second shoulder formed by the upwardly facing surface of said bead, said inwardly projecting bead presenting a sharply defined inner edge of said second shoulder, the vertical distance between the first shoulder and the second shoulder being defined as the top stacking height and the vertical distance between said second shoulder and the top of said rim being less than said top stacking height, the outer diameter of said first shoulder being greater than the diameter of said inner edge of the second shoulder, the outer diameter of said second shoulder being greater than said outer diameter of the first shoulder, the outer extent of substantially all portions of said sidewall which are intermediate said first shoulder and a point spaced downwardly therefrom a distance equal to said top stacking height being less than the diameter of said inner edge of said second shoulder, and the outer extent of all portions at and below said point being less than the inner diameter of said first shoulder, so that said first shoulder of one such container can seat on said second shoulder of a like container therebelow when the two containers are nested together, and a portion extending upwardly from the outer extent of said second shoulder to said peripheral rim, said portion at all locations therealong having an inner diameter which is at least as great as the outer diameter of said second shoulder, said second shoulder and said inwardly projecting bead forming a lid sealing means.