Nesting and stacking storage crate

Abstract

A nesting and stacking storage crate having a bottom, a top rim, a sidewall connecting the bottom and the top rim, and a pair of shelves formed into the sidewall, the shelves adapted to support the bottom of another identical storage crate.

1 . A nesting and stacking storage crate, comprising: 
 a bottom;    a top rim that defines an open top;    a sidewall connecting the bottom and the top rim; and    a pair of shelves formed into the sidewall, the shelves adapted to support the bottom of another identical storage crate.    
   
   
       2 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 1  wherein the top rim defines an open top that is larger than the bottom.  
   
   
       3 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 1  wherein the shelves are closer to the top rim than they are to the bottom.  
   
   
       4 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 1  wherein the shelves are on opposite sides of the crate.  
   
   
       5 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 4  wherein the shelves each comprise a top surface that is generally planar.  
   
   
       6 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 5  wherein the shelves each further comprise an interior lip projecting above the plane of the top surface.  
   
   
       7 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 5  wherein the shelves each further comprise a series of ribs below the top surface.  
   
   
       8 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 1  wherein the top rim and the bottom are generally rectangular.  
   
   
       9 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 8  wherein the sidewall comprises four generally planar portions that define four sides of the rectangle.  
   
   
       10 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 9  wherein the shelves are in two opposite sidewall portions.  
   
   
       11 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 10  wherein the shelves extend along most of the length of the two opposite sidewall portions.  
   
   
       12 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 9  further comprising pillars connecting the top rim and bottom at each of the corners of the rectangle.  
   
   
       13 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 12  wherein the sidewall between the pillars comprise a series of openings.  
   
   
       14 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 1  further comprising a series of standoffs located at spaced locations around and below the rim.  
   
   
       15 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 1  further comprising carrying handles.  
   
   
       16 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 15  wherein the carrying handles comprise the shelves.  
   
   
       17 . The nesting and stacking storage crate of  claim 1  wherein the bottom has opposite sides, and the distance between the shelves is about the same as the distance between the opposite sides of the bottom.  
   
   
       18 . A nesting and stacking storage crate, comprising: 
 a generally rectangular bottom;    a generally rectangular top rim that defines an open top, wherein the top rim defines an open top that is larger than the bottom;    a sidewall connecting the bottom and the top rim, the sidewall comprising four generally planar portions that define four sides of the rectangle; and    a pair of shelves formed into the sidewall on two opposite sidewall portions close to the rim, the shelves spaced from one another about the same distance as opposite sides of the bottom so that they can support the bottom of a second identical storage crate that is rotated ninety degrees relative to the first crate.