Reinforced nestable containers

Claim 1

A nestable container of integral construction which is formed from thin-walled plastic material and provides improved resistance to collapse under lidding forces, said container comprising a cup portion having an open upper end and a downwardly tapered sidewall, an intermediate portion having a sidewall which tapers downwardly and inwardly at a greater degree than said tapered sidewall of said cup portion, a pedestal portion having a closed bottom end and a sidewall angled differently from said sidewall of said intermediate portion, said cup portion including a rim at said open upper end and a denesting ridge located below and having a greater diameter than the inner diameter of said rim for denesting like stacked empty containers, and stiffening means bridging said intermediate portion with said pedestal portion for providing collapse-resistance to the container, said stiffening means comprising a circumferentially disposed array of strengthening fillets of substantially diamond shape extending upwardly from said closed bottom end of said pedestal portion to a plane parallel to said closed bottom end of said pedestal portion and intersecting a point where said sidewall of said intermediate portion meets said sidewall of said cup portion, each of said strengthening fillets having a pair of adjoining triangular-like portions inclined relative to one another and which project outwardly from said sidewall of said intermediate portion and said sidewall of said pedestal portion.