Partition panel structure for molded plastic crate

Claim 2

A material-handling crate comprising a rectangular bottom member, integrally molded sidewalls and end walls mounted on and extending upwardly from the sides of said bottom member, a plurality of partition panels within said crate including at least one longitudinal partition panel integrally molded with an extending substantially perpendicular to said end walls and disposed substantially perpendicular to said bottom member and at least one transverse partition panel integrally molded with and extending substantially perpendicular to said sidewalls and disposed substantially perpendicular to said bottom member, said transversely disposed partition panels and said longitudinally disposed partition panels perpendicularly intersecting along a straight line of intersection, and vertically extending corrugation means formed in each of said partition panels, said corrugAtion means extending throughout the full height of said partition panels permitting limited independent longitudinal expansion and contraction of said partition panel within said crate.

Claim 3

A crate as defined in claim 1, wherein said bottom member is integrally molded with said sidewalls and said end walls.

Claim 4

A crate as defined in claim 2, wherein said bottom member comprises a grid of integrally molded beams intersecting each other with interstitial spaces among said beams.

Claim 5

A crate as defined in claim 3, wherein said bottom member is integrally molded with said partition panels.

Claim 6

A crate as defined in claim 4, wherein said corrugation means in each of said panels is disposed above one of said spaces whereby said corrugation means is not restrained by said integrally molded bottom member.

Claim 7

A crate as defined in claim 1, wherein said corrugation means in each of said panels comprises at least two corrugations in each of said partition panels disposed one on each side of and adjacent each said line of intersection, each of said corrugations dimensioned to radiate arcuately outwardly from said line of intersection.

Claim 8

A crate as defined in claim 5, wherein the plane tangent to the surface of each of said corrugations at said line of intersection is disposed at an angle from the plane of the panel of which each of said corrugations is a part, said corrugations arcuately returning to integrally connect with said panel plane outwardly of said line of intersection.

Claim 9

A crate as defined in claim 7, wherein each of said corrugation surfaces is perpendicular to the next adjacent corrugation surface at said line of intersection.

Claim 10

A crate as defined in claim 5, wherein said corrugations are of common cross-sectional configuration at any point along said line of intersection.

Claim 11

In a material-handling crate having a generally rectangular bottom member, a pair of generally vertical and substantially parallel opposed sidewalls, a pair of generally vertical and substantially parallel opposed end walls, said side and said end walls being integrally molded and joined to said bottom member adjacent the side edges thereof, and a partition panel structure separating the interior of said crate into a plurality of compartments for segregating and protecting individual articles packaged therein, the improvement wherein said partition panel structure comprises, at least one vertically disposed longitudinal partition panel disposed between and substantially parallel to said end walls and integrally molded with said sidewalls, at least one vertically disposed transverse partition panel disposed between and substantially parallel to said sidewalls and integrally molded with said end walls, said longitudinal and said transverse panels intersecting and being integrally joined to one another throughout their full height along a vertical line within said crate, and expansion means integrally molded in said longitudinal and said transverse partition panels adjacent said vertical line and extending the full height of said panels to thereby permit independent longitudinal expansion and contraction of said longitudinal and transverse panels, said sidewalls, said end walls, said transverse partition panel and said longitudinal partition panel being integrally molded from a single homogenous mass of plastic material.

Claim 12

In a material-handling crate having a generally rectangular bottom member, a pair of generally vertical and substantially parallel opposed sidewalls, a pair of generally vertical and substantially parallel opposed end walls, said side and said end walls being integrally molded and joined to said bottom member adjacent the side edges thereof, and a partition panel structure separating the interior of said crate into a plurality of compartments for segregating and protecting individual articles packaged therein, the improvement wherein said partition panel structure comprises, at least one vertically disposed longitudinal partition panel disposed between and substantially parallel to said end walls and integrally molded with said sidewalls, at least one vertically disposed transverse partition panel disposed between and substantially parallel to said sidewalls and integrally molded with said end walls, said longitudinal and said transverse panels intersecting and being integrally joined to one another throughout their full height along a vertical line within said crate, and expansion means integrally molded in said longitudinal and said transverse partition panels adjacent said vertical line and extending the full height of said panels to thereby permit independent longitudinal expansion and contraction of said longitudinal and transverse panels, said sidewalls, said end walls, said transverse partition panel and said longitudinal partition panel being integrally molded from a single homogenous mass of plastic material.

Claim 13

In a material handling crate as defined in claim 10, the further improvement wherein said expansion means comprises a reverse curve portion in each said partition panel, said reverse curve portions extending on each side of said vertical line.

Claim 14

In a material-handling crate as defined in claim 11, the further improvement wherein a downwardly extending V-shaped notch is formed in the top edge each of said partition panels between each of said intersections.