Stackable container

Claim 1

A generally frusto-conical and relatively thin walled nestable container of an injection molded plastic material comprising, a bottom wall and a side wall diverging upwardly to an open rim, said rim comprising an integral annular portion extending radially outwardly of said side wall, the center portion of said bottom wall including stacking means, said stacking means comprising an upstanding annular wall arrangement, said annular wall arrangement being open at the upper end thereof and closed at the bottom end thereof by a bottom wall section, said annular wall arrangement having a height sufficient to provide substantial axial separation between the rims of adjacent identical containers nested in a stack with the inner peripheral edge of the rim of each container in cooperation with the side wall of an adjacent container in a stack stabilizing arrangement, said annular wall arrangement comprising an outer annular wall section and an inner annular wall section spaced radially inwardly of said outer annular wall section, said bottom wall section being formed at the lower end of said inner annular wall section, said inner annular wall section and said bottom wall having substantially greater wall thickness than the side wall of said container, an upper annular wall section integrally formed between the upper ends of said outer annular wall section and said inner annular wall section, said upper annular wall section at the junction thereof to said inner annular wall section including a surface inclined downwardly toward the axis of said container, the diameter of the upper outer peripheral edge portion of said inclined surface being substantially greater than the diameter of the lower outer peripheral edge of said bottom wall section to cause engagement of said lower outer peripheral edge of said bottom wall by said inclined surface in a radial centering and vertical camming engagement of adjacent containers in a stack.