Two-way stacking and nesting book boxes with interposing slat construction

Abstract

A unitary container for the accessible storage and convenient transportation of books and/or the like featuring top and bottom surfaces which are other than solid, being composed of various longitudinal slats spaced such that, when two or more units are stacked in a bookcase configuration, the top slats of lower units interpose between the bottom slats of upper units to form an effectively solid planar shelf for the storage of books and/or the like within each upper unit. The spaces between the slats are large enough to allow this function, and at the same time small enough to provide effective containment of books and/or the like when an individual container is removed from the stack and used for transportation of said books and/or the like. Additionally, the container features conventional nesting means whereby it may be stacked and interlocked with other like containers in an alternate configuration with the planes of the rear panels parallel to the ground. The means of this alternate nesting configuration incorporate a forcing function which allows the containers to nest properly in the alternate configuration only if they are stacked alternatingly top-over-bottom and bottom-over-top, in order to insure that the center of mass of a stack of containers in the alternate configuration is more closely aligned with the center of volume of the stack itself

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A unitary container incorporating top and bottom surfaces which are other than solid, being composed of various slats spaced such that, when two or more units are stacked, the top slats of lower units interpose between the bottom slats of upper units to form an effectively solid planar shelf within each upper unit, the spaces between the slats being large enough to allow this function and at the same time small enough to provide effective containment of books and/or the like when an individual container is removed from the stack.  
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the mating faces of interposing slats are slanted at complementary angles to facilitate self-aligning of the slats when one container is stacked upon another.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the side panels of said container include various openings to provide handle means for carrying said container and/or to further reduce the weight of said container.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein the front and rear edges of the side panels incorporate nesting means to facilitate interlocking of said container with other like containers when stacked with the planes of the rear panels of said containers parallel to the ground.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the nesting means of said containers when stacked with the planes of the rear panels of said containers parallel to the ground incorporates a forcing function whereby the units will only properly nest if stacked alternatingly top-over-bottom and bottom-over-top.