Caseless tier sheet

Abstract

A tier sheet includes a deck having a support surface. A plurality of walls extend downward to define lower recesses for receiving the upper ends of containers therebelow. In one embodiment, the tier sheet is a single thermoformed sheet and includes a plurality of upper recesses formed in the deck, each upper recess defined between an outer wall and a column. In another embodiment, the tier sheet is injection molded.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tier sheet comprising:
 a deck having a support surface;   a pair of opposed flat side walls extending upward from the deck;   a pair of opposed flat end walls extending upward from the deck, wherein the pair of side walls and the pair of end walls angle outward as they extend upward from the deck, such that an empty identical tier sheet could be nested therein; and   a plurality of walls extending downward to define lower recesses for receiving upper ends of containers therebelow.   
     
     
         2 . The tier sheet of  claim 1  wherein the tier sheet is a single thermoformed sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The tier sheet of  claim 2  further including a plurality of upper recesses formed in the deck, each upper recess defined between an outer wall and a column, wherein the plurality of walls includes the plurality of columns. 
     
     
         4 . The tier sheet of  claim 3  wherein the upper recesses are annular and the plurality of columns are cylindrical. 
     
     
         5 . The tier sheet of  claim 4  wherein the support surface is coplanar with uppermost surfaces of the plurality of columns. 
     
     
         6 . The tier sheet of  claim 5  further including a plurality of recessed channels connecting the plurality of upper recesses to one another. 
     
     
         7 . The tier sheet of  claim 6  wherein the recessed channels are shallower than the upper recesses. 
     
     
         8 . The tier sheet of  claim 4  wherein the plurality of columns open downward to form the lower recesses. 
     
     
         9 . The tier sheet of  claim 8  further including a plurality of outer cylindrical walls extending downward from the deck, each of the plurality of outer cylindrical walls spaced outward of one of the plurality of columns. 
     
     
         10 . The tier sheet of  claim 9  further including a tapered annular wall connecting each outer cylindrical wall to the respective column. 
     
     
         11 . The tier sheet of  claim 10  wherein the outer cylindrical walls extend downward from the deck further than the plurality of columns. 
     
     
         12 . The tier sheet of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of columns open downward to form the lower recesses. 
     
     
         13 . The tier sheet of  claim 12  further including a plurality of outer cylindrical walls extending downward from the deck, each of the plurality of outer cylindrical walls spaced outward of one of the plurality of columns and extending downward from the deck further than the plurality of columns. 
     
     
         14 . The tier sheet of  claim 13  further including a tapered annular wall connecting each outer cylindrical wall to the respective column. 
     
     
         15 . The tier sheet of  claim 14  in combination with a plurality of containers stacked therebelow, each container having a neck portion and a cap, the neck portion and cap of each container received in one of the plurality of columns. 
     
     
         16 . The combination of  claim 15  wherein the plurality of containers are stacked in multiple layers with the tier sheet and a plurality of identical tier sheets between each layer. 
     
     
         17 . The combination of  claim 15  wherein the plurality of containers are a plurality of lower containers, the combination further including a plurality of upper containers identical to the plurality of lower containers, each of the plurality of upper containers has a body portion including a pair of opposed flat wall portions, wherein the opposed flat wall portions of each of the plurality of upper containers abuts one of the opposed flat wall portions of another one of the plurality of upper containers, one of the pair of opposed flat side walls, or one of the pair of opposed flat end walls. 
     
     
         18 . The combination of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of upper containers are supported on the plurality of columns and the plurality of outer walls. 
     
     
         19 . The tier sheet of  claim 1  in combination of a plurality of containers, each of the plurality of containers has a body portion including a pair of opposed flat wall portions, wherein the opposed flat wall portions of each of the plurality of containers abuts one of the opposed flat wall portions of another one of the plurality of containers, one of the pair of opposed flat side walls, or one of the pair of opposed flat end walls. 
     
     
         20 . The combination of  claim 19  wherein each container has a neck portion extending upward from the body portion and a cap at an outer end of the neck portion.