Stackable members

Claim 2

In combination first and second articles of an elastically deformable material each having a first wall and an opening, said articles being of the same general overall shape so that they are nestable one within the other when one article is placed in the opening of the other with the first walls thereof lying adjacent each other, first and second deformable means on the first walls of said first and second articles respectively for engaging a portion of the first wall of the article lying next adjacent thereto, each of said first and second deformable means having a respective portion which deforms in a substantially opposite direction to the deformable portion of the deformable means on the first wall of the article next adjacent thereto when a force is applied substantially transverse to the deformable portions of the deformable means of said articles, said deformable portion of said first deformable means including first means which causes it to assume a shape of lesser height than when undeformed in response to the force and said deformable portion of said second deformable means including first means which causes it to assume a shape of greater height than when undeformed in response to the force, said deformable portions upon resuming their undeformed shapes when the force is released tending to move the articles apart.

Claim 3

A stackable article as in claim 1, wherein each said deformable means is a unitary part of said first wall and said first means of each said deformable means includes a hinge which permits said portion of each said deformable means to change its shape when force is applied thereto.

Claim 4

A stackable article as in claim 2, wherein said hinge means for each said deformable means is attached to the portion of said deformable means which changes its shape at two opposed sides thereof.

Claim 5

A stackable article as in claim 3, wherein there is a single hinge means for each said deformable means which surrounds the respective portion of each said deformable means which changes its shape.

Claim 6

A stackable article as in claim 3, wherein each said deformable means is in the shape of a ring.

Claim 7

A stackable article as in claim 1, wherein said deformable portion of the first said deformable means is generally flat in the absence of the force and said deformable portion of the second deformable means is generally dome shaped in the absence of the force.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1, wherein said deformable means of each said article are aligned when the articles are stacked and the deformable portions thereof engage each other when the articles are nested and force is applied generally transverse to said deformable portions.

Claim 9

A stackable article as in claim 7, wherein each said deformable means is a unitary part of said one wall and includes a hinge which permits said portion of each said deformable means to change its shape when force is applied thereto.

Claim 10

A stackable article as in claim 7 wherein said deformable portion of the first said deformable means is generally flat in the absence of the force and said deformable portion of the second deformable means is generally dome shaped in the absence of the force.

Claim 11

A stackable article of an elastically deformable material having a first wall and a second wall defining an open portion to accept another article of the same general shape to be nested therein with the first walls of the respective articles lying adjacent each other, first and second deformable means formed on the first wall of a said article to achieve substantial alignment with a second and a first deformable means respectively on the first wall of another stackable article when nested therein, each of said first and second deformable means of the article having a respective deformable portion thereon which deforms in a substantially oPposite direction to the deformable portion of the other deformable means when force is applied substantially transverse to said deformable portions, said deformable portion of the said first deformable means being generally flat in the absence of the force and said deformable portion of the second deformable means being generally dome shaped in the absence of the force, each of said first and second deformable means being a unitary part of said one wall and each including a respective first means which permits said flat deformable portion of said first deformable means to deform to a more dome shape when force is applied thereto and which permits domed portion of said second deformable means to deform to a more flat shape when force is applied thereto.

Claim 12

A stackable article of an elastically deformable material having a first wall and a second wall defining an open portion to accept another article of the same general shape to be nested therein with the first walls of the respective articles lying adjacent each other, first and second deformable means formed on the first wall of a said article to achieve substantial alignment with a second and a first deformable means respectively on the first wall of another stackable article when nested therein, each of said first and second deformable means of the article having a respective deformable portion thereon which deforms in a substantially oPposite direction to the deformable portion of the other deformable means when force is applied substantially transverse to said deformable portions, said deformable portion of the said first deformable means being generally flat in the absence of the force and said deformable portion of the second deformable means being generally dome shaped in the absence of the force, each of said first and second deformable means being a unitary part of said one wall and each including a respective first means which permits said flat deformable portion of said first deformable means to deform to a more dome shape when force is applied thereto and which permits domed portion of said second deformable means to deform to a more flat shape when force is applied thereto.

Claim 13

An article as in claim 10, wherein said first means of each deformable means including a hinge.

Claim 14

A stackable article as in claim 10, wherein said first and second deformable means are located on said one wall of one article to achieve respective substantial vertical alignment with a respective second and a first deformable means of another stackable article when nested.

Claim 15

A stackable article as in claim 10, said article being non-circular and having the first and second deformable members located thereon to achieve the stated vertical alignment when a part of one stackable article is oriented by a predetermined amount with respect to the same part of another stackable article when the two are nested.

Claim 16

A stackable article as in claim 13, wherein said article has a plurality of pairs of first and second deformable means, said pairs of first and second deformable means arranged to provide mirror image symmetry.

Claim 17

A stackable article as in claim 10, said article being substantially circular and said first and second deformable means being bounded by a generally closed perimeter.

Claim 18

A stackable article as in claim 15, wherein said perimeter is in the shape of a circle.

Claim 19

A stackable article as in claim 11, wherein said hinge is in the general shape of an inverted V, the legs of the V being capable of spreading as force is applied to a respective deformable member.

Claim 20

A stackable article as in claim 11, wherein there is a single hinge means for each of said first and second deformable means, said single hinge means substantially surrounding the respective deformable portion of each said deformable means.

Claim 21

A stackable article as in claim 10, wherein each of said first and second deformable means has the general shape of a ring, said rings being concentric with respect to each other.

Claim 22

A stackable article as in claim 19, wherein each ring shaped deformable means has first and second hinge means attached to opposite sides of the respective deformable portion of a said deformable means.

Claim 23

A stackable article as in claim 20, wherein said first deformable means lies within said second deformable means.

Claim 24

A stackable article as in claim 20, wherein said second deformable means lies within said first deformable means.

Claim 25

The article of claim 10, wherein first and second deformable members are generally ring shaped with the rings being concentric, the positions of said rings being reversed on alternate articles to be stacked together.