Crate

Abstract

Crates may be positioned in stacked arrangements for use and nested arrangements for storage. The nested arrangements may be more compact to facilitate more efficient storage of the crates when not in use. The crates may include one or more features that may be sized and configured to align and / or interlock the crates when in the stacked arrangement and / or the nested arrangement.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 171,384, filed Apr. 21, 2009 and entitled CRATE, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention generally relates to crates.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Conventional milk crates have a rectangular-shaped bottom, four rectangular side walls and an open-ended top. Unfortunately, stacking such milk crates may take up a large amount of space, making them inefficient to store. Because they are inefficient to store, they are often stacked outside of buildings and other structures, making them susceptible to weather damage and to theft.BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION[0006]A need therefore exists for a crate that eliminates or diminishes the disadvantages and problems described above.[0007]One aspect is a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]A need therefore exists for a crate that eliminates or diminishes the disadvantages and problems described above.

[0008]Another aspect is a plurality of crates that may be positioned in a stacked arrangement and a nested arrangement. The height of the crates 10 in the nested arrangement may be less than about 50 percent, 40 percent, 30 percent and / or 20 percent of the height of the crates in the stacked arrangement. Moreover, the ratio of the height of the crates 10 in the stacked arrangement to the height of the crates in the nested arrangement may be at least about 2, 3, 4 and / or 5 to 1. For example, in one embodiment, at least about one hundred fifty nested crates may fit into the space that thirty stacked crates may occupy. The crates may thus provide significant advantages. For example, items may be placed into crates for storage and the crates may then be stacked. When the crates are no longer being used to store and / or carry the items, the empty crates may be nested and stored in a much smaller area than they occupied when stacked. Significantly, this may allow more of the empty crates to be stored inside secured areas and / or areas out of the weather, which may help prevent weather damage to, and / or theft of, the crates

[0010]A further aspect is the crates may include a support that may interconnect opposing side walls. When in the nested arrangement, the supports of a pair of adjacent crates may be aligned to allow the supports to nest within and / or interlock with each other. In addition, when the crates are in the stacked position, the supports of the pair of adjacent crates may be generally offset, which may allow the support of the lower crate to contact one or more portions of the upper crate to help stabilize the upper crate. In some instances, the support of a crate may extend along at least a substantial portion of the height of its side walls, which may advantageously help strengthen, stiffen and / or reinforce the side walls and the crate.

[0011]Another further aspect is the crates may include side walls that may include one or more projections and / or receiving portions. The projections and / or receiving portions may interlock with each other when the crates are in the nested arrangement. The projections may also help align, support and / or stabilize the crates when in the stacked arrangement. For example, when the crates are in the stacked arrangement, the projections of the lower crate may contact, abut and / or engage an exterior surface of the upper crate, which may help align, support and / or stabilize the upper crate. In some instances, the projections of a crate may extend along at least a substantial portion of the height of its side walls, which may advantageously help strengthen, stiffen and / or reinforce the side walls and the crate.

[0012]Yet another further aspect is that one or more portions of side walls of the crates may extend inwardly. When the crates are in the stacked arrangement, the inwardly extending portions of the side walls of the lower crate may contact, abut and / or engage an exterior surface of the side walls of the upper crate, which may help align, support and / or stabilize the upper crate. When the crates are in the nested arrangement, the inwardly extending portions of the side walls of the upper and lower crates may interlock with each other.

[0013]Still another aspect is a crate that may be constructed from plastic using a molding process, such as compression molding, injection molding and / or any other suitable molding process. Desirably, if the crate is constructed from plastic using a molding process, some or all of the crate's features may be quickly and easily integrally formed in the crates as part of unitary one-piece construction during the molding process. It will be appreciated, however, that the crates need not have a unitary, one piece construction. It will also be appreciated that the crates need not be constructed from plastic or using a molding process and may be constructed from plastic, wood, metal and / or any other desired material using any other desired manufacturing process.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, stacking such milk crates may take up a large amount of space, making them inefficient to store.

Because they are inefficient to store, they are often stacked outside of buildings and other structures, making them susceptible to weather damage and to theft.

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