Patent ID: 8403163

Claim:
A protection and containment system for co-packaged containers comprising: a hollow primary container having a circumscribing upright sidewall and an opening configured for receiving material to be stored in the container; a top protector complementally configured with the primary container for fitting therewith atop the primary container, said top protector including a side wall and at least a pair of spaced-apart opposed risers extending upwardly from the primary container above the opening and presenting a gap therebetween; at least one retainer coupled to each of said pair of spaced-apart opposed risers and positioned interiorly of said side wall, said retainer being located and configured for holding a secondary container atop the primary container; and a base complementally configured for receiving and supporting said primary container thereon and configured complemental to said top protector whereby a plurality of protection and containment systems can be stacked; wherein said risers and side wall of said top protector and said retainer are located and configured to permit nesting of a secondary container in a gap between the risers and adjacent an interior surface of the side wall wherein the primary container includes a bottom wall, a top wall, and wherein the sidewall is configured complemental and in substantial vertical registry with a generally rectangularly configured side wall of the base so as to extend upwardly therefrom when the primary container nests with and is supported by the base, the top wall of the primary container being configured with four corner sections separated by a pair of intersecting channels, each of said channels having a substantially planar floor and a pair of opposed, upright channel walls, wherein each of the corner sections includes a corner shelf and a pair of side shelves, the system further comprising at least one secondary container held by said retainer in the gap between said risers and sized whereby no part of said secondary container extends upwardly beyond a top rim of said top protector, and wherein said side wall of said top protector includes a plurality of downwardly extending lugs sized and configured to be received into channels provided in the primary container with the lugs resting on the planar floors of the primary container.