Patent ID: 7322475

Claim:
A nestable bottle crate comprising: a floor portion having a floor upper surface, the floor upper surface including a plurality of bottle support areas for supporting bottles; a peripherally extending upper band portion having an inner surface with bottle contact portions, the upper band portion including a plurality of first portions alternating with a plurality of second portions, the first portions each including a single solid wall having an inner surface forming the bottle contact portions, a lower lip projecting outwardly from an outer surface of each of the first portions, the second portions each including an inner wall spaced inwardly from an outer wall, an outer surface of the upper band portion including alternating recesses defined by the first portions of the upper band portion and the lower lip; a lower wall comprising adjacent columns which extend between the upper band portion and the floor portion, the columns having inner surfaces extending inwardly into the crate, wherein the bottle contact portions, bottle support areas, and the inner surfaces of the columns define a plurality of bottle receiving pockets extending around the periphery of the crate for maintaining bottles in a vertically upright manner; and at least one ledge between the upper band portion and the lower wall, the at least one ledge protruding inwardly from the inner surface of the upper band portion between the bottle contact portions.