Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~ CA 02228160 1998-01-28
Stacking and Nesting Containers
The present invention relates to containers which are designed to allow
like containers to stack or nest with each other.
One conventional style of container, an example of which is described in
British Patent GB 12703~0, can stack or nest, and is referred to herein as a
stack/nest container. This style is designed to allow one container to nest intoa container below, when in a first relative orientation, but to stack on the
container below when the relative orientation has changed, usually by 180~
about the vertical axis. In some designs, containers stack when all identically
aligned and nest when alternately aligned. In other designs, containers nest
when identically aligned an~ ~tack when alternatively aligned. U.S. Patent
RE 32223 discloses a multil :1 stacking contair~er. French Pate~t FR 2077219
discloses a container for fruit.
Accor-ling; to the present invention there is provided a container formed
to allow a second like container to nest therein when the two containers are in a
first relative orientation, and to cause a second like container to stack thereon
when the two containers are in a second relative orientation, wherein stacking
means are provided having a stowed position in which stacking or nesting as
aforesaid are possible, and a stacking position in which the stacking means
interferes with nesting to cause the containers to stack when in the first relative
orientation, and wherein the stacking height give by the stacking means is
intermediate the nesting height and the stacking height when the stacking
means is stowed.
The stacking means may incorporate formations corresponding to
formations which engage to cause stacking when containers are in the second
relative orientation.
Preferably the first and second relative orientations are separated by 180~
about a vertical aYis.
AMEN~}ED ~lEÇ~T
IPE~P
I CA 02228160 1998-01-28
The stacking means are preferably at or within the base of the container
when in their stowed position. The stacking means are preferably mounted to
turn from their stowed position to their stacking position, such as by hinge or
pivot means. They may be mounted to the base or, where the container has a
base and upstanding walls, they may be mounted to the bottom of a wall.
Preferably there are recesses in the base to receive stacking means
when in the stowed position. The recesses may be sufficiently deep to
receive the stacking
A~/IEN~ED S~{E~T
lP~,P
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means without the stacking means projecting above the
upper surface of the base when in the stowed position.
There may be detent means to retain the stacking means in
either or both of the stacking and stowed positions.
The stacking means may support the base of a like
c~ontainer from below when in the stacking position.
The container may comprise further stacking
formations which engage a second like container to allow
the container to stack when in the second relative
orientation.
Preferably handle means are provided to facilitate
movement of the stacking means between their stowed and
stacking positions.
The invention also provides a container formed to
allow a like container to nest therein, and comprising
stacking means having a stowed position in which nesting
is allowed as aforesaid, and a stacking position in which
the stacking means interfere with the entry of one
container into another for nesting, thereby causing like
containers to stack, wherein the stacking means is
located at or within the base of the container when in
the stowed position.
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The stacking means are preferably within the base
of the container when in their stowed position. The
stacking means are preferably mounted to turn from their
stowed position to their stacking position, such as by
hinge or pivot means. They may be mounted to the base
or, where the container has a base and upstanding walls,
they may be mounted to the bottom of a wall.
Preferably there are recesses in the base to
receive stacking means when in the stowed position. The
recesses may be sufficiently deep to receive the stacking
means without the stacking means projecting above the
upper surface of the base when in the stowed position.
There may be detent means to retain the stacking means in
either or both of the stacking and stowed positions.
The stacking means may support the base of a like
container from below when in the stacking position.
Preferably handle means are provided to facilitate
movement of the stacking means between their stowed and
stacking positions.
Preferably the container is formed to allow a
second like container to nest therein when the two
containers are in a first relative orientation, and to
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cause a second like container to stack thereon when the
two containers are in a second relative orientation.
Preferably the stacking means interfere with nesting when
the containers are in the first relative orientation.
Preferably the stacking height given by the stack-
ing means is different to the stacking height available
when in the second relative orientation, and is prefer-
ably intermediate the nesting height and the stacking
height available when in the second relative orientation.
The stacking means may incorporate formations
corresponding to formations which engage to cause
stacking when containers are in the second relative
orientation.
Preferably the first and second relative
orientations are separated by 180~ about a vertical axis.
The container may comprise further stacking
formations which engage a second like container to allow
the container to stack when in the second relative
orientation.
One embodiment of the present invention will now be
described in more detail, by way of example only, and
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
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Fig. 1 is a partly schematic perspective view of a
container according to the invention;
r
Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end wall from within
the container and divided at the central plane to
indicate the arrangement when the stacking means are in
t-heir stacking position (to the right) and nesting
position (to the left); and
Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 and
showing the other end wall.
Referring to the drawings, the container 10 is
formed in a manner which will be described more fully
below, to allow a second like container to nest therein
when the two containers are in a first relative
orientation. A second like container may stack thereon
when the two containers are in a second relative
orientation. Stacking means shown generally at 12 are
provided and have a stowed position (as shown in Fig. 1)
in which stacking or nesting as aforesaid are possible,
and a stacking position to be described with reference to
Figs. 2 and 3, in which the stacking means interferes
with nesting to cause the containers to stack when in the
first relative orientation.
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In more detail, the container 10 is a stack/nest
container which nests when containers are similarly
aligned, and stacks when containers are alternately
reversed by 180~ rotation about the vertical. The
container 10 has a base 14, two side walls 16 and two end
walls 18. In this example, the walls 16 are relatively
l,ong and the walls 18 are relatively short, but this
relationship could be reversed or the walls could all be
of equal length. The walls are perforated in a number of
ways for various reasons. A rim 20 extends around the
entire periphery at the top of the walls 16. The walls
16,18 slope inwardly and the plan of the base 14 is
smaller than the plan of the inner edge of the rim 20.
Various notch formations 22 are provided around the mouth
of the container, just inside the rim 20. At one end
wall 18A, there are two notches 22 spaced from the
extreme ends of the wall 18A. On the other end wall 18B,
two notches Z2 are in the container corners, at the ends
of the wall 18B. Three notches 22 are provided along
each side wall 16 but not symmetrically about the centre.
One merges with a notch in the end wall 18B and the other
two are spaced along the wall 16 but there is no notch 22
at the corner joining the end wall 18A.
It is apparent from Fig. 1 that the distribution of
notches 22 has assymmetry when viewed from above.
Ten feet 24 are arrayed around the lower edge of
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the walls 16,18 at the outer faces. Each foot 24
corresponds with a notch 22 (so that two merged feet
correspond with the merged notches at the junction of the
side walls 16 and the end wall 18B). Each foot 24 is
structurally connected to the corresponding notch 22 by a
sloping strut 26 which allows weight supported by a notch
2-2 to be passed through to the corresponding foot 24.
The distribution of feet 24 is the same as the
distribution of notches 22 except that the distribution
has been rotated through 180~ about a vertical axis.
That is to say, if the rim 20 was notionally rotated by
180~ about a vertical axis relative to the base 14, there
would be a foot 24 directly beneath each notch 22. In
consequence, if a first container is rotated by 180~
about the vertical axis, relative to a second container,
the two containers can then be stacked by lowering feet
24 on the upper container to engage the notches 22 on the
lower container. A complete and secure stack can be
formed by alternating the orientation of containers so
that each stacks in this manner. The weight of the stack
is then transferred down the stack through a zigzag
series of struts 26.
The details of how the feet 24 and notches 22
engage, and consequently of their design, are within the
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skill of the skilled reader and do not themselves form
part of the present invention. Their design may vary
according to expected loads, manufacturing materials and
techniques, etc.
The assymmetry just described also allows like
containers to nest. When containers have the same
orientation as each other, the feet 24 and struts 26 of
the upper container can be lowered into the lower
container because they will be clear of the notches 22.
As the container is further lowered, the fully nested
condition is reached in which the rims 20 of the upper
and lower containers are immediately above one another
(and may rest on each other), the struts 26 of the two
containers are next to each other (and on a slant) and
the feet 24 lie immediately one above the other (and may
rest on each other). Finally, the bases 14 of the two
containers will be close together. This is the normal
compact condition useful when transporting empty
containers.
The nesting and stacking arrangements described
above provide compact nesting for storage and return
transport, or stacking when containers are full. The
stacking means 12 allow containers to be stacked at an
intermediate height when only partly full, as will now be
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described.
Each stacking means 12 has two end formations 30
connected by a bar 32 serving as a handle for easier
manipulation. The end formations 30 are in the region of
the corners of the container 10. The stacking means 12
~re hinged or pivotted to the container base or the
bottom edge of the end walls 18 to allow them to turn
from a stowed position shown at the left of Figs. 2 and
3, to a stacking position shown at the right of those
figures. (It is to be appreciated that the left and
right sides of each of Figs. 2 and 3 would be a mirror
image when in the stowed position or in the stacking
position, so that the stowed and stacking positions can
conveniently both be shown on the same drawing by
dividing the drawing at the vertical plane midway along
the end wall 18).
The base 14 has a channel recess 34 complementary
to the outline of the stacking means 12, to allow the
stacking means 12 to lie in the channel 34 when in the
stowed position. If desired, the channel 34 may be
sufficiently deep for the upper surface of the stacking
means 12, when stowed, to be flush with or below the
level of the upper surface of the base 14. A simple snap
catch may be provided to retain the stacking means 12 in
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the stowed position, if required.
Each end formation 30 has a generally arched
configuration which, in this example, consists of two
upright legs 36 and a cross-bar 38. The bar 32 extends
between the formations 30 to allow both formations 30 to
be raised together, such as by raising the bar 32. The
complete stacking means 12 may be a single component
manufactured for instance by injection moulding. The
stacking means 12 shown in Fig. Z differs from that shown
in Fig. 3 solely by the location of lugs 40. In Fig. 2,
adjacent the end wall 18A, the lugs 40 extend up above
the cross-bar 38 (when raised) at the top of the
outermost uprights 36. In the stacking means 12 shown in
Fig. 3, adjacent the end wall 18B, the lugs 40 extend up
above the cross-bar 38 (when raised) at the top of the
innermost uprights 36. Many other designs of formation
30 could be used, including rounded arches, or
unperforated plate members etc.
It can also be seen from Figs. 2 and 3 that the
spacing of the lugs 40 from the centre line corresponds
to the spacing of the feet 24 on the end walls 18, also
from the centre line. In consequence, if a second
container is lowered into a container below, with both
containers having the same orientation, but with the
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stacking means 12 of the lower container in the raised,
stacking position, the upper container will not be able
to move down to the fully nested condition as described
above. Instead, the stacking means 12 will interfere
because the feet 24 will make contact with the lugs 40
and further downward movement will be arrested. The
weight of the upper container will then be borne by the
stacking means 12 and the upper container will be
supported in an intermediate stacked position. This
intermediate stacked position is part way between the
fully nested condition described above, and the stacking
position available when containers are rotated through
180~ relative to each other.
Conversely, if the stacking means are down, lying
in the recess 34, nesting is unobstructed.
The details of how the lugs 40 engage the feet 24,
and whether notches are provided in the lugs or there is
simple abutment of the base 14 from below, or some other
arrangement is used, can be widely varied, particularly
according to the nature of the notches 22 and feet 24
being used.
It can be seen that the lugs 40 mimic notches 22
when the stacking means 12 are raised, in that lugs 40
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then occupy positions directly below the position which
notches 22 would occupy if the lower container was
rotated through 18û~.
It is envisaged that the container described above
can be readily manufactured by injection moulding from a
plastics material, but other arrangements and materials
could be used.
Many modifications and variations to the container
described could be made without departing from the scope
of the present invention. For instance, stacking means
generally of the form described could be incorporated in
a container which has notches and feet distributed to
allow stacking when containers have like orientation, and
nesting when rotated through 180~, or some other amount.
The notches and feet could be replaced by many other
alternatives, such as pillars and voids.
Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification
to draw attention to those features of the invention
believed to be of particular importance it should be
understood that the Applicant claims protection in
respect of any patentable feature or combination of
features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the
drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been
placed thereon.
