| 摘要 |
<p>A universal case is adapted to transport PET bottles of both a base-cup type and a petaloid type. The case 2 includes an outer shell 4,6 and a plurality of support ribs 30, 32, 34, 36, 80 for reinforcing the shell. The outer shell and the support ribs are shaped to define a plurality of bottle pockets 25 for receiving the bases of PET bottles. A bottle seating structure 40 is associated with each bottle pocket 25 and includes a plurality of dual-base-engagement projections 52, a base-cup-bottle alignment structure 42 and a petaloid-bottle alignment structure 48, 50. The dual-base-engagement projections associated with a bottle pocket 25 extend generally parallel to a centerline of the pocket and project into the pocket. The number of dual-base-engagement projections equals the number of petaloid lobes 124 formed in the base of a PET bottle of the petaloid type. The dual-base-engagement projections 52 are shaped and positioned to fit within and engage an annular indentation 108 in the base cup 102 of a PET bottle 100 of the base-cup type. The dual-base-engagement projections 52 are also shaped and positioned to fit within and engage petaloid-lobe-separation notches 127 between the petaloid lobes 124 of a PET bottle of the petaloid type. The base-cup-bottle alignment structure 42 defines a base-cup-bottle annular-bottom-surface contact plane and the petaloid-bottle alignment structure 48, 50 defines a petaloid-bottle lobe-bottom-surface contact plane. The petaloid-bottle lobe-bottom-surface contact plane is spaces apart from the base-cup-bottle annular-bottom-surface contact plane in a direction along the pocket centerline and below the base-cup-bottle annular-bottom-surface contact plane when the case is in a horizontal rest position.</p> |
