Patent ID: 7467714

Claim:
A plurality of stacked containers, which comprises: a plurality of containers, each having an outer surface and a base portion, an upper finish portion opposed to said base portion, and a sidewall extending therebetween; said finish portion including an opening therein which is closable with a closure, wherein the finish portion is nestable with the base portion of an additional container and the base portion is nestable with the finish portion of an additional container; wherein a stack of said containers is provided by having a plurality of first containers in a first tier and a plurality of second containers nested with said first containers in a second tier, with each tier having outside containers and inside containers; and a separator element having outside open portions on opposed sides thereof, with the outside containers in the first tier each received in an outside open portion, wherein the outside open portions engage the outer surface of the outside containers to secure the containers in position; wherein each separator element is a single, continuous element including a plurality of outside and inside openings; the openings corresponding to the spacing of said containers, with the containers in the first tier each received in an opening; and an outside opening is positioned closer to an inside opening than such inside opening is positioned with respect to an adjacent inside opening.