GB1603046A - Stackable-nestable container - Google Patents

Description

(54) STACKABLE-NESTABLE CONTAINER (71) We, ALLIBERT EXPLOITA TION, a French Body Corporate, of 129 avenue Leon Blum, Grenoble, Isere, France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The object of the invention is a stackablenestable container.

The descriptive term "stackablenestable" must be understood as relating to containers having an arrangement which allows them to occupy two essential portions in relation to one another: a so-called stacked position in which they are piled on one another without fitting closely one within the other and the other so-called nested position in which they are stacked with one fitting closely inside the other. The first position is a position of use while the second position is suitable for transporting or storing containers which are empty.

In order to achieve this aim, the containers must have a particular arrangement and especially must not be entirely symmetrical, in order that they can nest in one another when they are superposed in identical relative positions and can stack on one another when they are superposed in different relative positions, the change from one of these positions to the other necessitating rotation of a container through 1800 in a horizontal plane in relation to the subjacent container.

It will be appreciated therefore that in order to facilitate stacking and nesting of these containers, they must be provided with visual means to facilitate their marking and therefore their positioning; for example, among other means, it is known to have recourse to external ribs, arrows, strips which are let into the containers and which are of a different colour from the container as a whole.

It is however clear that such reference means are frequently ineffective and in any case do not allow the user to identify the position of the containers instantly from whatever angle he may see them.

The invention obviates these drawbacks.

Thus, according to this invention there is provided a stackable-nestable container so formed that it can either stack on top of or nest within a like container depending on the relative orientation of the containers, wherein the whole of both of the inside and outside of two opposite walls of the container are of different colours, and the respective colour extends from each of said opposite walls to at least an adjacent portion of an adjacent wall.

The invention will be properly understood from the ensuing description, with reference to the attached diagrammatic drawing, which by way of non-limitative example, illustrates three embodiments of such a container.

Figures 1 to 3 are perspective views of this container.

In all cases, the containers are of a general parallelepiped shape of a type known per se and compnse on their two opposite transverse faces an assembly formed by columns 1 and recesses 2, an assembly which makes it possible for the containers to be superposed either in the nested state or in the stacked state according to whether the columns 1 on the container are aligned with those on the other container or are aligned with the recesses 2 of the other container.

In order rapidly to permit either nesting or the stacking of the containers, it is therefore necessary for the user to have reference means which allow him immediately to detect the position in which such a container which is to be stacked is disposed, whereupon the said container can be moved into the desired position - for nesting or stacking.

To facilitate this identification, the inven tion provides for the container as a whole to be in two different colours.

Considering for example the container shown in Figure 1, it can be seen that its body is coloured differently on either side of a plane passing through the middle transverse plane of the container. The result is that the container then has for example a white colour on its lateral transverse face 3a and the same white colour on half of its two longitudinal lateral faces 3b and 3c and on half of its bottom 3e, while the rest of the container, that is to say its lateral transverse face 3d and half its longitudinal lateral face 3b - 3c and half of its bottom 3e are of a different colour, for example red.Under these conditions, it will be appreciated that from whatever angle the user sees the containers according to those in Figure 1, it will be instantly possible for him to identify their position and immediately to locate them in the desired position corresponding either to stacking or nesting. Thus, if the containers have to be nested one in another, it is sufficient to place them in relation to one another in such positions that the same colours are superposed: white on one side and red on the other, whereas if, on the other hand, the desired position is a stacking position, the containers must be superposed while care is taking to alternate their colours from one to another.

The same result is obtained by adopting the disposition of colours as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the colour, for example white, still involves the entire lateral transverse face 4a of the container and a small part of the lateral longitudinal face 4c, but it mvolves a very large part of the lateral longitudinal face 4 and conversely the colour, for example red, involves the entire lateral transverse face 4d and a small part of the lateral longitudinal face 4b, but the largest part of the lateral longitudinal face 4c. With regard to the bottom 4e, this is itself on one side coloured white for example and on the other coloured red for example, these two colours being separated by an oblique line which joins the vertical line separating the two colours on the lateral longitudinal walls 4b and 4c.

The same result is also obtained with the container shown in Figure 3, in which one of the colours, for example white, covers the entire lateral transverse face 5a and all the lateral longitudinal face Sb while the other colour, however, red for example, covers the lateral transverse face 5d amd all the lateral longitudinal face Sc. The bottom Se is itself in two colours, respectively for exam le white and red, which are separated by a tine passing diagonally across the container.

The differences in colouring of various parts of the container may of course be achieved by any means but it is obvious that it is advantageous to achieve this colouring during the operation of moulding the container, if it is a container which is moulded in synthetic resin. For this, it is sufficient to mould the container with two resins coloured by different colour pigments.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A stackable-nestable container so formed that it can either stack on to of or nest within a like container depending on the relative orientation of the containers, wherein the whole of both of the inside and outside of two opposite walls of the container are of different colours, and the respective colour extends from each of said opposite walls to at least an adjacent portion of an adjacent wall.

2. A stackable-nestable container according to Claim 1, wherein the container consists of two portions of different colours, part of the bottom of the container being of one colour and the remainder being of the other colour.

3. A stackable-nestable container according to either preceding Claim, moulded from two plastics materials of different colours.

4. A stackable-nestable container according to any preceding Claim and substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. tion provides for the container as a whole to be in two different colours. Considering for example the container shown in Figure 1, it can be seen that its body is coloured differently on either side of a plane passing through the middle transverse plane of the container. The result is that the container then has for example a white colour on its lateral transverse face 3a and the same white colour on half of its two longitudinal lateral faces 3b and 3c and on half of its bottom 3e, while the rest of the container, that is to say its lateral transverse face 3d and half its longitudinal lateral face 3b - 3c and half of its bottom 3e are of a different colour, for example red.Under these conditions, it will be appreciated that from whatever angle the user sees the containers according to those in Figure 1, it will be instantly possible for him to identify their position and immediately to locate them in the desired position corresponding either to stacking or nesting. Thus, if the containers have to be nested one in another, it is sufficient to place them in relation to one another in such positions that the same colours are superposed: white on one side and red on the other, whereas if, on the other hand, the desired position is a stacking position, the containers must be superposed while care is taking to alternate their colours from one to another. The same result is obtained by adopting the disposition of colours as shown in Figure 2. In this case, the colour, for example white, still involves the entire lateral transverse face 4a of the container and a small part of the lateral longitudinal face 4c, but it mvolves a very large part of the lateral longitudinal face 4 and conversely the colour, for example red, involves the entire lateral transverse face 4d and a small part of the lateral longitudinal face 4b, but the largest part of the lateral longitudinal face 4c. With regard to the bottom 4e, this is itself on one side coloured white for example and on the other coloured red for example, these two colours being separated by an oblique line which joins the vertical line separating the two colours on the lateral longitudinal walls 4b and 4c. The same result is also obtained with the container shown in Figure 3, in which one of the colours, for example white, covers the entire lateral transverse face 5a and all the lateral longitudinal face Sb while the other colour, however, red for example, covers the lateral transverse face 5d amd all the lateral longitudinal face Sc. The bottom Se is itself in two colours, respectively for exam le white and red, which are separated by a tine passing diagonally across the container. The differences in colouring of various parts of the container may of course be achieved by any means but it is obvious that it is advantageous to achieve this colouring during the operation of moulding the container, if it is a container which is moulded in synthetic resin. For this, it is sufficient to mould the container with two resins coloured by different colour pigments. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A stackable-nestable container so formed that it can either stack on to of or nest within a like container depending on the relative orientation of the containers, wherein the whole of both of the inside and outside of two opposite walls of the container are of different colours, and the respective colour extends from each of said opposite walls to at least an adjacent portion of an adjacent wall.

2. A stackable-nestable container according to Claim 1, wherein the container consists of two portions of different colours, part of the bottom of the container being of one colour and the remainder being of the other colour.

3. A stackable-nestable container according to either preceding Claim, moulded from two plastics materials of different colours.

4. A stackable-nestable container according to any preceding Claim and substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.