Tray and Reusable Bottle Arrangement for Storage and Handling

Abstract

A tray and bottle arrangement has a tray for holding several reusable bottles. The tray has an elongated body and defines several pockets adjacent one another in the top of the tray. Each pocket has a cylindrical sidewall with narrow channels communicating between adjacent pockets so that the sides of adjacent bottles can touch one another. Fingers extend from the top surface of the tray on both sides of the pockets and engage the sides of the bottles within the pockets. Also, ribs extend into the pockets from the pockets' sidewalls that engage the sides of the bottles to hold them in the tray.

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a tray having a top, a bottom, first and second opposing sides, and first and second opposing ends, the top of the tray defining a plurality of pockets for receiving bottles, the pockets disposed adjacent one another from the first end to the second end of the tray and each having a sidewall and a bottom surface;   a plurality of fingers extending from the top surface of the tray for engaging sides of the bottles, the fingers disposed on the first and second sides of the tray and disposed between adjacent ones of the pockets; and   a plurality of ribs for engaging sides of the bottles, the ribs extending from the sidewalls of each of the pockets.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tray defines narrow channels communicating between the adjacent pockets and permitting the sides of adjacent bottles to engage one another. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising handles disposed on the first and second opposing ends of the tray. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising first and second end walls for engaging the sides of the bottles, the first and second end walls extending from the top of the tray adjacent the pockets at the first and second opposing ends of the tray. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second end walls each extend a same distance as the fingers from the top of the tray. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pockets extends a first distance into the top of the tray, wherein each of the fingers extends a second distance from the top of the tray, and wherein the second distance is at least half or more than the first distance. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pockets has at least four of the ribs disposed therein, the at least four ribs being positioned at four quadrants of the pocket. 
   
   
       8 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of bottles;   a tray having a top, a bottom, first and second opposing sides, and first and second opposing ends, the top defining a plurality of pockets for receiving the bottles, the pockets disposed adjacent one another from the first end to the second end of the tray and each having a sidewall and a bottom surface;   a plurality of fingers disposed on the first and second sides of the tray and extending from the top surface of the tray, each of the fingers disposed between adjacent ones of the pockets and engageable with sides of the bottles disposed in the adjacent pockets; and   a plurality of ribs extending from the sidewalls of each of the pockets, the ribs being engageable with the sides of the bottles disposed in the pockets.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the tray defines narrow channels communicating between each of the adjacent pockets and permitting the sides of the adjacent bottles to engage one another. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising handles disposed on the first and second opposing ends of the tray. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising first and second end walls for engaging the sides of the bottles, the first and second end walls extending from the top of the tray adjacent the pockets at the first and second opposing ends of the tray. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second end walls each extend a same distance as the fingers from the top of the tray. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each of the pockets extends a first distance into the top of the tray, wherein each of the fingers extends a second distance away from the top of the tray, and wherein the second distance is at least half or more than the first distance. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each of the pockets has at least four of the ribs disposed therein, the at least four ribs being positioned at four quadrants of the pocket. 
   
   
       15 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of reusable bottles;   a tray having a top, a bottom, first and second opposing sides, and first and second opposing ends, the top defining a plurality of pockets for receiving the bottles, the pockets disposed adjacent one another from the first end to the second end of the tray and each having a sidewall and a bottom surface, each of the adjacent pockets defining a narrow channel communicating therebetween allowing sides of the adjacent bottles to engage one another;   a plurality of fingers disposed on the first and second sides of the tray and extending from the top surface of the tray, each of the fingers disposed between adjacent ones of the pockets and being engageable with the sides of the bottles disposed in the adjacent pockets;   first and second end walls disposed at the first and second opposing ends of the tray, the first and second end walls extending from the top of the tray adjacent the pockets and being engageable with the sides of the bottles disposed in the adjacent pockets; and   a plurality of ribs extending from the sidewalls of each of the pockets, the ribs being engageable with the sides of the bottles disposed in the pockets.   
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising handles disposed on the first and second end walls. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each of the pockets extends a first distance into the top of the tray, wherein each of the fingers extends a second distance away from the top of the tray, and wherein the second distance is at least half or more than the first distance. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second end walls each extend a same distance as the fingers from the top of the tray. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each of the pockets has at least four of the ribs disposed therein, the at least four ribs being positioned at four quadrants of the sidewall of the pocket.