Receptacle adaptable for nested stacking

Abstract

A receptacle adaptable for nested stacking which has a bottom and walls which cooperate to form an open-topped well having rounded corners defined by a first radius. The receptacle includes a plurality of stop structures for limiting depth of insertion of adjacent receptacles in a nested orientation, which stop structures are preferably located at the corners of the well and comprise an integrally formed depression and an associated shelf in each corner. The shelf is generally planar and generally horizontal and has a boundary adjacent the well which is defined by a second radius, larger than the first radius which defines the corners. The depression has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion preferably depends outwardly of the well substantially from the boundary of the shelf and extends beyond a vertical line intersecting the boundary. The first portion is pitched outward of the vertical line from the boundary of the shelf. When measured in a plane which bisects the corner, the vertical line and the first portion subtend an acute angle. The second portion of the depression joins the first portion with the corner and presents a generally downward facing first abutting surface which spans the intersection of the boundary of the shelf of the next adjacent lower receptacle with a plane, the plane establishing a desired depth of insertion of the upper receptacle within the lower receptacle in a nested orientation.