Abstract:
A stackable and nestable beverage case is provided. A rib structure to afford rigidity and durability, tapered sides to facilitate removal of containers from the case and tapered surfaces to provide secure nesting of cases are provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to beverage cases for transporting and storing a plurality of cartons or bottles. More particularly, the present invention relates to plastic molded beverage cases adapted to be stacked or nested and capable of withstanding the heavy forces imposed in transporting the cases. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cases for transporting and storing beverage cartons and bottles have long been known. Wooden and metal cases have been used to accommodate beverage cartons and bottles for many years. More recently, plastic molded rectangular beverage cases have been developed and are now widely used. Typically, the plastic beverage case is injection molded of polypropylene, polyethylene or a similar long chain cross-linked polyolefin. The beverage cases are required to be sufficiently structurally sound to withstand repeated use in both the full, partially full and empty condition. As a result, the molded plastic beverage cases are customarily provided with four full sides that extend from the bottom to the top of the case. 
     The service to which the beverage cases is put includes edge to edge stacking in both the full and empty condition to form columns three high, four high or higher. In addition, recent efforts have developed rectangular plastic molded beverage cases which can both be stacked and nested. The design requires that the longitudinal side of the beverage case be partially open. The stacking feature is directed principally for the full or loaded condition and nesting is used principally for storing and transporting cases in the empty condition. Stacking occurs by arranging the beverage case with the bottom edge of a beverage case on the upper edge of the beverage case directly below. Nesting occurs by placing the beverage cases alternatively transverse to each other. 
     There now also exist beverage cases having legs to elevate the carton or bottle support surface above floor level with the two shorter or lateral sides of the four rectangular sides extending above the two longer or longitudinal sides. The legs are provided to allow transport means to reach under the support surface to lift the beverage case. The extended lateral sides provide the surface edges on which the legs rest when the beverage cases are in the stacked condition. The two longitudinal sides adjacent the elevated sides provide access to the cartons resting on the support surface and facilitate nesting by presenting a depression into which a beverage case can fit when arranged transversely with another beverage case. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a durable beverage case capable of being stacked or nested. 
     A further object of the invention is directed to providing a beverage case with means to facilitate nesting. 
     Thus, a rectangular beverage case is provided with legs to elevate the support surface for the cartons above floor level. Longitudinal sides extend upwardly an intermediate distance from the carton support surface with the lateral sides extending well above the top of the longitudinal sides. This design provides a structure wherein fully loaded beverage cases can be stacked with the legs of the beverage case resting on the upper surface of the lateral sides of the beverage case below. Alternatively, empty beverage cases can be nested by mounting the alternative beverage cases transversely to each other in the depression formed by the low longitudinal sides. 
     With the absence of four fully extended sides the beverage case is provided with a rib arrangement or matrix that affords the rigidity and strength necessary for heavy duty handling of beverage cases. Vertical diagonal ribs extend outwardly from each of the four corners of the beverage case; two horizontal parallel continuous ribs extend outwardly from the beverage case, the upper continuous rib aligned with the carton support surface. A panel is formed between the upper and lower continuous ribs on each longitudinal side to provide a surface below the carton support surface against which a conventional hook can bear for moving the beverage case across a floor. 
     The longitudinal sides are formed with upper edges that are at an angle extending upwardly and outwardly from inside to outside to facilitate removal of the cartons from stacked beverage cases. In addition, at the four locations at which the longitudinal sides meet the lateral sides, tapered sections are provided to enable positive nesting of the beverage cases. 
     The support surface for the cartons or bottles is formed with holes except for the surface adjacent each of the sides. The holes afford drainage and reduce the weight of the case. The solid surface adjacent the longitudinal sides prevents the handling hook from gaining access to the cartons or bottles on the support surface. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood when considered with the following drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the beverage case of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side case elevational view of a longitudinal side of the beverage of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a lateral side of the beverage case of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the beverage case of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial sectional elevational view of the beverage case of FIG. 1 showing the legs of a second beverage case fitting in the stacking arrangement; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional elevational view through line 6--6 of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view through line 7--7 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view through line 8--8 of FIG. 4; and 
     FIG. 9 is a view of two beverage case in the nested mode. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is embodied in the plastic molded rectangular beverage case 2 shown in perspective in FIG. 1. The rectangular beverage case 2 is provided with lateral sides 3 and 4, longitudinal sides 6 and 8 and a carton surface 9. Lateral sides 3 and 4 extend upwardly above the longitudinal sides 6 and 8 and terminate in surfaces 10 and 12 respectively on which a beverage case 2 can be stacked. A collar 14, 16 extends upwardly from the inner edge of the respective surfaces 10 and 12 of the lateral sides 3 and 4, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. 
     The beverage case is also provided with legs 18 and 20 which are comprised of full lateral sections 18A, 20A and short longitudinal leg sections 18B,20B. The lateral leg sections 18A and 20A are in the same vertical plane asthe lateral sides 3 and 4 and, in effect, are continuations of the lateral sides 3 and 4. The longitudinal leg sections 18A and 20A seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, are relatively short and define an opening below the bottom of the surface 9 into which lifting devices or hooks may access below the case surface 9. 
     The longitudinal leg sections 18B and 20B are sized to define the opening between the oppositely facing longitudinal leg sections 18B and 20B on thesame longitudinal side a length equal to the length of a lateral side 3 or 4 of the beverage case 2 to thereby facilitate nesting of beverage cases 2. The longitudinal leg sections 18B and 20B are formed at an angle whereby the bottom of the section 18B, 20B is shorter than the top. The preferred angle θ, seen in FIG. 1, is 75° to 80°; i.e.77°. 
     The case surface 9, as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 8, is comprised essentiallyof a solid continuous rectangular perimeter 22 and a plurality of holes 24.The perimeter 22 serves to prevent a conventional hook used to grip and pull the case 2, from reaching a carton resting on the surface 9. The holes 24 serve to allow liquid to drain from the case surface 9 and to minimize the weight of the case 2. 
     As best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, a horizontal rib 26 and a horizontal rib 28 extend around the case 2 to form parallel continuous ribs. A solid panel section 30 extends between the rib 26 to the rib 28 on the longitudinal sides 6 and 8 of the beverage case 2. A rib 32 extends from the rib 26 along the entire edge of each of the longitudinal leg sections 18B and 20B. Further, a rib or horizontal edge surface 33 extends across the bottom edge of the lateral sides 3 and 4. Vertical reinforcing ribs 34extend between the parallel horizontal ribs 26 and 28. Each corner of the case 2 is also provided with a vertical rib 36 extending on a diagonal from the case 2. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 7, each lateral side 3 and 4 is provided with two intermediate vertical reinforcing ribs 38 and40 and a rib matrix 42 between the intermediate vertical ribs 38 and 40. Handle sections 43 are also provided in lateral sides 3 and 4 to enable manual lifting of the beverage case 2. The upper edge 45 of the handle sections 43 is preferably rounded. 
     The longitudinal sides 6 and 8 are provided with vertical edge ribs 27 thatextend from the surfaces 10 and 12 to the horizontal continuous rib 28. In addition, the upper edge 47 of each longitudinal side 6 and 8 is provided with a taper 44 that extends upwardly from the inside to the outside of the beverage case 2 and facilitates removal of the cartons or bottles whenthe cases 2 are loaded and stacked. The preferable angle of the taper 44 isthirty degrees. 
     A tapered guide member 29, best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, is formed at the upper edge 47 where the longitudinal sides 6 and 8 meet the lateral edge ribs 27. The tapered guide members 29 are provided with short vertical sections 31 and upper tapered sections 33 to afford positive guidance during nesting of the beverage cases 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the distance between the oppositely facing vertical sections 31 is essentially the sameas the width of the lateral side of the beverage cases 2. Thus, a sliding centering effect is created with a resultant firm holding condition for cases when in the nested mode. 
     In the stacked mode, the beverage cases 2 form a column in which the four sides of each case 2 of the column are in the same plane. As seen in FIG. 5, the surface 33 of a leg 18 sets directly on the upper edge 10 of the lateral side 3. 
     The arrangement of ribs in combination with the location of the surface 9 provides a durable case structure that protects against deflection and deformation of the case 2. In practice, it has been found that the case 2 can be stacked six high with all six cases 2 fully loaded with cartons or bottles without any damage to the cases or cartons within the cases when forces are imposed on the column of cases to effect movement. 
     In effect a U-frame structure is formed by the ribs 32 and the portion of rib 26 between the ribs 32. This U-frame structure is below the beverage case support surface 9 and provides enhanced floor to wall strength, rigidity when stressed diagonally and better carton carrying characteristics due to limited flexibility of the bottom of the case and rigidity of the outside structure. Combined with the outside rib structurewhich includes vertical edge ribs 36 and the continuous horizontal ribs 26 and 28, the U-frame provides a solid structure for the beverage case. 
     The solid panel section 30 is also below the support surface 9 and serves as a bearing surface against which a hook (not shown) can bear to pull a beverage case 2 or a column of beverage cases 2 horizontally across a floor surface. The horizontal rib 28, which is in the same horizontal plane as the support surface 9, horizontal rib 26 and the vertical ribs 34provide a structure capable of reacting the force of the hook without damage to the beverage case 2 or the cartons within the beverage case 2. 
     Although the invention has been described as storing and transporting beverage cartons and bottles, it is clear that many various articles can be stored or transported by the beverage case. Therefore, the term containers, when used, is used in the broad sense to mean cartons, bottlesand other items.