Crate for 20-24 oz. bottles

Abstract

A low depth bottle crate has a peripheral wall of uniform height that includes a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls and a crate bottom connected to the peripheral wall. An upper surface of the crate bottom is formed to include a bottle supporting platform for each bottle to be received in the crate. There are a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of the side and end walls that define columns between the cut-outs, lower portions of the peripheral wall and the columns being of single wall construction except for hollow caps at upper ends of the columns that are of double wall construction. The cut-outs terminate at a ledge that separates the upper portions of the side and end walls from the lower portions of the side and end walls. Each of the columns, except for four corner columns, has a support buttress extending downwardly and inwardly from a lower edge of a respective one of the hollow caps to the crate bottom. The lower portions of the side and end walls are connected to the crate bottom by a plurality of inwardly directed ribs arranged in groups, directly below each cut-out.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A low depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform height, said peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls; a crate bottom connected to said peripheral wall, an upper surface of said crate bottom formed to include a bottle supporting platform for each bottle to be received in the crate; a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of said side and end walls defining columns between said cut-outs, lower portions of said peripheral wall and said columns being of single wall construction except for hollow caps at upper ends of said columns that are of double wall construction; each of said columns, except for four corner columns, having a support buttress extending downwardly and inwardly from a lower edge of a respective one of said hollow caps to said crate bottom, and wherein said cut-outs terminate at a ledge that separates said upper portions of said side and end walls from said lower portions of said side and end walls, and further wherein said lower portions of said side and end walls are connected to said crate bottom by a plurality of inwardly directed ribs arranged in groups, directly below each cut-out.  
     
     
         2 . The crate of  claim 1  wherein each group comprises three substantially L-shaped ribs.  
     
     
         3 . The crate of  claim 1  wherein said buttresses engage said crate bottom inwardly of said groups of inwardly directed ribs.  
     
     
         4 . The crate of  claim 1  including at least one nesting rib between each of said buttresses and an interior surface of each of said columns.  
     
     
         5 . The crate of  claim 4  including a nesting rib on an interior surface of each said corner column.  
     
     
         6 . The crate of  claim 1  wherein said bottle supporting platforms are flush with said crate bottom.  
     
     
         7 . The crate of  claim 1  wherein handle cut-outs are provided in lower portions of said end walls, and handle bars extend between adjacent columns in said end walls directly above said handle cut-outs.  
     
     
         8 . The crate of  claim 7  wherein said handle bars are of double wall thickness.  
     
     
         9 . The crate of  claim 8  wherein each handle bar is connected directly to said crate bottom.  
     
     
         10 . The crate of  claim 1  wherein each of said hollow caps is formed with a pair of bottle supporting ribs facing respective adjacent bottle receiving platforms.  
     
     
         11 . The crate of  claim 1  wherein said crate bottom has a lower surface formed with an array of recesses adapted to engage bottle caps of bottles carried in an underlying similar crate.  
     
     
         12 . A low depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform height, said peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls; a crate bottom connected to said peripheral wall, an upper surface of said crate bottom formed to include a bottle supporting platform for each bottle to be received in the crate; a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of said side and end walls defining columns between said cut-outs, said cut-outs terminating at a ledge that separates said upper portions of said side and end walls from lower portions of said side and end walls, and wherein handle cut-outs are provided in lower portions of said end walls, defining handle bars that extend between adjacent columns in said end walls directly above said handle cut-outs, each handle bar connected directly to the crate bottom at a mid-point of said handle bar.  
     
     
         13 . The crate of  claim 12  wherein said handle bar is connected to said crate bottom by a strut extending from said handle bar to a raised pedestal on said crate bottom.  
     
     
         14 . The crate of  claim 12  wherein said upper surface of said crate bottom is flat, with no defined bottle receiving pockets.  
     
     
         15 . The crate of  claim 12  wherein said handle bars are of double wall thickness.  
     
     
         16 . The crate of  claim 14  wherein said crate bottom has a lower surface formed with an array of recesses adapted to engage bottle caps of bottles carried in an underlying similar crate.  
     
     
         17 . A low depth bottle crate having a peripheral wall of uniform height, said peripheral wall including a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls; a crate bottom connected to said peripheral wall, an upper surface of said crate bottom formed to include a bottle supporting platform for each bottle to be received in the crate; a plurality of substantially U-shaped cut-outs in upper portions of said side and end walls defining columns between said cut-outs, lower portions of said peripheral wall and said columns being of single wall construction except for hollow caps at upper ends of said columns that are of double wall construction; and wherein handle cut-outs are provided in lower portions of said end walls, and handle bars extend between adjacent columns in said end walls directly above said handle cut-outs, each handle bar connected directly to the crate bottom; said crate bottom having a lower surface formed with an array of recesses adapted to engage bottle caps of bottles carried in an underlying similar crate, said recesses in each of four quadrants being individually different but substantial mirror images of recesses in adjacent quadrants in respective longitudinal and transverse directions.  
     
     
         18 . The low depth crate of  claim 17  wherein said lower portions of said peripheral wall are connected to said crate bottom by a plurality of groups of substantially C-shaped ribs.  
     
     
         19 . The low depth crate of  claim 18  wherein said recesses have peripheries defined by vertically oriented ribs, and wherein said substantially L-shaped ribs have horizontal components with heights less than corresponding heights of said vertically oriented ribs.  
     
     
         20 . The crate of  claim 17  wherein said handle bars are of double wall thickness.  
     
     
         21 . The crate of  claim 20  wherein each handle bar is connected directly to said crate bottom.  
     
     
         22 . The crate of  claim 17  wherein each of said hollow caps is formed with a pair of bottle supporting ribs facing respective adjacent bottle receiving platforms.  
     
     
         23 . The crate of  claim 12  wherein said side walls are formed with a plurality of laterally spaced wedge slides that provide a smooth transitions from said upper portions to said lower portion of said side walls.