Patent ID: 7578410

Claim:
A low-depth bottle crate comprising: a crate bottom, said crate bottom having an upper surface and a lower surface, said upper surface being devoid of any interior columns; an outer peripheral wall joined with and extending upwardly from said crate bottom, said peripheral wall including a pair of opposing side walls and a pair of opposing end walls, each of said opposing side and end walls having an upper and lower portion, said lower portion of said side walls being solid about said peripheral wall, and said upper portion of said opposing side and end walls including a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs; a plurality of columns each of which are defined between two of said plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs, each of said plurality of columns having an external top surface and an internal area; a notch defined along said external top surface of one or more of said plurality of columns, said notch including a base extending from the outer peripheral wall to an inner support wall; and a nesting rib located within said internal area of one or more of said plurality of columns, said nesting rib positioned above said lower surface of said crate bottom and below said external top surface of said plurality of columns, said nesting rib configured so as to fit within said notch and engage said base of said notch when said crate is nested on top of an identical empty crate said plurality of columns includes four corner columns disposed at four corners of said crate, and wherein each of said plurality of columns defined within said opposing side and end walls extends above said external top surface of each of said four corner columns.