(57) A universal case is capable of transporting PET bottles of a basecup type and a petaloid
type. The case (2) includes an outer shell (4, 6) and a plurality of support ribs
(32, 34, 36, 38) for reinforcing the shell. The outer shell and 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 base-cup-bottle alignment structure (42, 44, 48) and a petaloid-bottle alingment
structure (54, 56). The base-cup-bottle alignment structure (42, 44, 48) is configured
to orient (42, 44) a PET bottle (100) of the base-cup-type seated in the bottle pocket
(25) so that a longitudinal symmetry axis of the bottle extends generally parallel
to a pocket centerline. The petaloid-bottle alignment structure (54, 56) is adapted
to orient a PET bottle of the petaloid type seated in the bottle pocket (25) so that
the longitudinal symmetry axis of the bottle extends generally parallel to the pocket
centerline. The case also includes a case rest (60) associated with each bottle pocket
(25). The case rest (60) has a central-base-surface bottle-to-case load-transmission
surface (61) facing the bottle pocket (25) and a case-to-closure load-transmission
surface (63) facing outward from the bottom of the case. Contact surfaces of the base-cup-bottle
alignment structure and the petaloid-bottle alignment structure are offset from one
another so that the central base surface bottle-to-case load-transmission surface
(61) of the case rest (60) is positioned to contact a central base surface (108, 130)
of bottles (100, 120) of both the base-cup type and the petaloid type when the bottles
are seated in the bottle seating structure (40). Cases of the invention filled with
PET bottles of either the base-cup type of the petaloid type can be stacked in multitiered
structures with the case-to-closure load-transmission surfaces (63) of the case rests
(60) in the upper tiers resting on the tops of the closures (112, 128) of bottles
(100, 122) in cases immediately below with weight tending to be transmitted from a
central base surface (108, 130) of a bottle (100, 120) in an upper case substantially
directly compressively through the case rest (60) of the case to the tops of the closures
(112, 128) of the bottles (110, 122) in a next lower case.
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