System of open-topped containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a system of stackable open-top containers. The system comprises male and female containers that can be alternately stacked, either in upright or inverted position. When the system contains containers that are stacked in inverted position on top of upright container, substantial space saving is obtained by the system. The invention also provides male and female containers that are useful in the system of containers.

Claims

1. A system of containers, the system comprising: at least two alternately vertically stackable open-topped male and female containers that each comprise a single continuous structural unit, so that within a stack a male container meets a female container and vice versa, each male container comprising: a substantially rectangular bottom having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer edge of each side thereof two pairs of oppositely located side walls extending from the bottom, each side wall having a rim disposed at an upper end of each side wall, the rims of the side walls being interconnected to form an opening, the lower end of the side walls being interconnected with the bottom at an inwardly position from the outer edge thereof, at least a portion of the outer surface of each of the side walls of the male container extending angularly inwardly from the bottom towards an opposing side wall such that a distance between rims of each pair of oppositely located side walls is smaller than a distance between the lower ends of each pair of oppositely located side walls, and each female container comprising a substantially rectangular bottom having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer edge of each side thereof, two pairs of oppositely located side walls extending substantially vertically from the bottom, each side wall having a rim disposed at an upper end of each side wall to form an opening, and wherein, when the female container is turned by 180 from an upright position, the walls of the male container will fit within the opening of the female container.

2. The system of containers according to claim 1, each male container further comprising at least one support member extending downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom in proximity to the outer edge of the bottom, the at least one support member being shaped such that when a male container is stacked in an upright orientation on top of an upright female container, the at least one support member of the male container fits within the rim of the female container such that a peripheral portion of the bottom of the male container meets at least a portion of the rim of the female member.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the female containers comprise at least one support member, and wherein the male and female containers are further shaped so that when a female container is stacked in an upright orientation on top of an upright male container, the at least one support member of the female container allows the rim of the male container to meet the lower surface of the bottom of the female container at an inwardly position from the edge of the bottom of the female container.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the male and female containers further comprise at least one support member that is configured so as to be in close proximity to an upper portion of opposing side walls of an adjacent container in a vertical stack of containers that are in an upright position, so as maintain the stack in a stable state.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the male member is further configured such that when a female member is stacked on top of a male member in an inverted orientation, the rim of the female member meets a substantial portion of the outer edge of the bottom of the male member in close proximity to the lower portion of the side wall of the male container, so as to maintain the stack in a stable state.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the male and female containers further comprise at least one support member that is configured as to be engaged in a locked position with support members of an adjacent member within the stack with respect to horizontal movement when a male container is stacked in an upright position on top of an inverted female container.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the male container comprises at least one support member that is structured such that when a male container is stacked on top of an upright female container, the support member of the male container will fit within the rim of the lower female container, and wherein at least two recesses are provided on the rim of the female container and aligned with fork lift insertion openings of the support member of the male container, to allow a fork lift to lift the male container.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the male and female containers further comprises at least one support member that is structured so that when a male container is stacked on top of an inverted female container, the support member of the male container will fit snugly with the at least one support member of the female container, thus keeping the male and female containers in a locked position with respect to horizontal movement.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the male and female containers comprise at least one support member that is provided with fork lift insertion openings parallel to, and in close proximity with, the outer edge of the bottom, oppositely positioned with respect to identical fork lift insertion openings parallel to, and in close proximity with, an opposing outer edge of the bottom.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the rim of the male and/or female container has a plurality of recesses, the recesses being vertically aligned with, and at least of equal length as, the fork lift insertion openings.

11. The system of containers of claim 1, wherein each male container comprises: a pair of oppositely located recesses that are provided on the rims of a pair of oppositely located side walls, each recess having a bottom surface and two side surfaces extending upwardly from the bottom surface to form an upper opening of the recess, the bottom and side surfaces of the recess forming a portion of the rim of each of the pair of oppositely located side walls, and wherein a distance between the bottom surfaces of the pair of oppositely located recesses is smaller than a distance between the lower ends of the pair of oppositely located side walls.

12. The system of containers of claim 1, wherein on each male container at least two oppositely located side walls each further comprise at least one flange extending upwardly from a lower edge, the flange being upwardly tapered along at least a portion of the side wall.

13. The system of containers of claim 1, wherein each container comprises at least one drain, for draining liquid from the container.

14. The system of containers of claim 1, wherein each male container comprises at least one drain channel for collecting and/or dispersing liquid within the container, wherein the drain channel is fluidly connected to at least one drain hole in the container, so that liquid within the container can be released through the drain channel and the drain hole.

15. The system of containers of claim 1, wherein each female container has at least one drain hole arranged on at least one side wall, the drain hole traversing the side wall and being provided as an opening onto the bottom surface of the container, to allow liquid within the container to flow through the drain hole.

16. The system of containers of claim 1, wherein each female container has at least one drain channel for collecting and/or dispersing liquid within the container, wherein the drain channel is fluidly connected to at least one drain hole in the container, so that liquid within the container can be released through the drain channel and the drain hole.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a male container of one embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a side view along one side wall of a male container.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a side view along the other side wall of a male container.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a top view of a male container.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of a male container.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a female container of one embodiment of the invention.

(7) FIG. 7 shows a side view of one side wall of a female container.

(8) FIG. 8 shows a side view along the other side wall of a female container.

(9) FIG. 9 shows a top view of a female container.

(10) FIG. 10 shows a bottom view of a female container.

(11) FIG. 11 shows four different stacking configurations of the containers according to the invention; (A) inverted female container on top of an upright male container; (B) upright male container on top of an upright female container; (C) upright female container on top of an upright male container; (D) upright male container on top of an inverted female container.

(12) FIG. 12 shows two types of stacks of containers according to the invention; (A) stack that is formed by (from below) stacking of upright female container on top of upright male container, followed by an upright male container that is stacked on top of the upright female container, and so on; (B) stack that is formed by (from below) stacking an inverted female container on top of an upright male container, followed by stacking of upright male container on top of the inverted female container, and so on.

(13) FIG. 13 shows male (A) and female (B) containers according to another embodiment of the invention.

(14) FIG. 14 shows a side views and of male (A) and female (B) containers of FIG. 13.

(15) FIG. 15 shows stacking configurations of containers as shown in FIG. 13, wherein (A) an inverted female container is stacked on top of an upright male container; (B) an upright male container is stacked on top of an upright female container; (C) an upright female container is stacked on top of an upright male container.

(16) FIG. 16 shows two stacking configurations of pairs of male and female containers as shown in FIG. 13, each pair fitting on a conventional pellet, wherein (from bottom) (A) a pair of upright female containers is stacked on top of a pair of male containers, and a pair of male containers is stacked on top of the first pair of female containers, and so on, wherein adjacent pairs in the stack are rotated by 90 along a vertical axis with respect to adjacent pairs in the stack; (B) a pair of inverted female containers is stacked on top of an upright pair of male containers, and a pair of upright male containers is stacked on top the first pair of inverted female containers, and so on, wherein adjacent pairs in the stack are rotated by 90 along a vertical axis with respect to adjacent pairs in the stack.

(17) FIG. 17 shows a side views (A) and (B) of an alternative embodiment of male containers in accordance with the invention.

(18) FIG. 18 shows a bird's eye view of a male container of an alternative embodiment of containers in accordance with the invention.

(19) FIG. 19 shows side views (A) and (B) of an alternative embodiment of female containers in accordance with the invention.

(20) FIG. 20 shows a bird's eye view of a female container of an alternative embodiment of containers in accordance with the invention.

(21) FIG. 21 shows stacking configurations of male and female containers as shown in FIGS. 17-20; (A) inverted male container stacked on top of an upright female container; (B) upright female container stacked on top of an upright male container; (C) upright male container stacked on top of an upright female container; (D) upright male container stacked on top of an inverted female container.

(22) FIG. 22 shows stacks of alternative male and female containers, wherein in (A) there is shown a stack of upright male and female containers, in an alternative arrangement; and in (B) there is shown a stack of sandwiches of containers, wherein each sandwich contains an inverted male container that is stacked on top of an upright female container, and each sandwich being stacked on top of a lower sandwich, such that an upright female container fits snugly on top an adjacent inverted male container in the stack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(23) Turning to FIG. 1, a male container 1 is shown, having interconnected side walls 2 and 3 that have an upper edge 9. The side wall 2 is further provided with flanges 8, that extend upwardly from a bottom 6. The side walls 2 and 3 extend from a lower end that is located at an inward position from the outer edge 10 of the bottom 6. The side wall 3 can be seen to extend upwardly and inwardly from the bottom 6, towards an opposing side wall 3. The container has a supporting member 7, that extends downwardly from the bottom 6, parallel to side wall 2, lending support to the container when placed on a flat surface. The support member 7 is further provided with fork lift openings 5, for access of the fork of a fork lift. The container has an identical side wall 2 oppositely located to the shown side wall 2.

(24) A side view of the container 1 is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, showing side walls 2, 3 that have an inwardly tilt. Flanges 8 extend from the bottom and are substantially thinner at their upper end than at their lower end, which is located at a distance from the outer edge 10 of the bottom of the container. A gap exists between the lower end of the flanges and the outer edge of the container, which allows a female container of suitable dimensions to be placed in an inverted position on top of the male container, such that the female container rests on the upper surface of the bottom. A top view of the container 1 shown in FIG. 4 showing the opening of the container. An outer portion of the upper surface 12 extends beyond the bottom of the side walls 2,3, such that an inverted female container can be placed on top of the male container.

(25) A bottom view of the container 1 is provided in FIG. 5, showing the two oppositely located support members 7 that extend from the lower surface 13 of the bottom 11, parallel to side wall 2. Oppositely located fork lift insertion openings 5 are located on the pair of support members, allowing a fork lift to lift and transfer the container.

(26) Turning to FIG. 6, a female container 20 is illustrated, having side walls 21, 22. The side walls extend upwardly from an outer edge 25 of the bottom 28, perpendicular to the surface of the bottom. Support members 26 extends downwardly from the outer edge of the bottom 28. Thereby, the side wall 21, the outer edge of the bottom 28 and the support member 26 form a continuous outer surface that extends approximately perpendicularly upwardly when the container is positioned on the ground. As further illustrated by FIG. 6, the support member 26 has fork lift insertion openings 24, that are oppositely located to an oppositely located support member 26 that extends downwardly from the bottom 28 at the opposite outer edge of the bottom.

(27) In FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, side views of the female container are shown, illustrating in FIG. 7 the position of recesses 23 positioned along the upper rim 27 of the side wall 21, located perpendicular from, and aligned with, fork lift insertion openings 24 within support members 26 of the container.

(28) A top view of the female container, shown in FIG. 9, shows an upper rim 27 of the container 2, its opening and the upper surface of the bottom 25. Position of oppositely located fork lift insertion openings 24 is also illustrated. With further aid from FIG. 10, showing a bottom view of the container, the position of the fork lift insertion openings 24 is shown, a pair of which is provided on each support member 26, opposite to identical openings on an identical support member.

(29) The design of the containers allows for stacking of the containers that provides for stable stacks and space saving of empty containers. Thus, male and female containers can be alternately stacked so that a stack of containers is formed that contains male and female containers in the alternate. Further the containers are designed such that they can be stacked in different configuration, each being stable with respect to horizontal movement, due to the design of the male and female containers.

(30) Thus, turning to FIG. 11, the male and female containers can be stacked in several different configurations, as shown by the four different illustrations. The top illustration A shows a sandwich of a female container 20 that has been inverted and placed on top of a male container 1. In this configuration, the upper rim 27 of the female container rests on the upper surface of the bottom 6 of the male container, along its outer edge 11, resulting in a snug fit of the female container on top of the male container. The result is a sandwich of male of female containers that is stable and provides significant space savings during the storing of the containers, compared with a configuration in which each container takes up a volume of space that is equal to the volume of the container. The sandwich of containers rests on the support members 7 of the lower male container. Fork lift insertion openings 5 allow for the lifting and transfer of the sandwich of containers. Additional sandwiches of containers can be placed on top of the sandwich, with the support members 7 of the next male container in the stack fitting snugly inside the support members 26 of the inverted female container, and simultaneously resting on the lower surface 25 of the inverted female container, to provide stable stacking of additional sandwiches of male and female containers. A stack of alternately stacked male and inverted female containers is further illustrated in the right illustration B of FIG. 12.

(31) In illustration B of FIG. 11, a stack of an upright male container resting on top of an upright female container is shown. In this configuration, a peripheral portion of the lower surface of the bottom 6 of the male containers rests on top of the upper rim 27 of the female container. The support members 7 of the male container fit snugly within the opening of the female container, being simultaneously in close proximity to an upper portion of the side walls 21, 22 inside the female container, close to the upper rim, so as to provide stability with respect to horizontal movement. Fork lift insertion openings 5 in the support member of the male container are aligned with recesses 23 in the female container, so that a fork lift can lift the male container, or a stack of containers that are on top of the female container and have a male member as their bottom member, from the stack.

(32) Turning to illustration C, an upright female container is shown on top an upright male container. An upper portion of the side walls 2,3 of the male containers fits snugly within the support members 26 of the female containers, such that the upper rim of the male container meets the lower surface of the bottom of the female container. The resulting stack is stable with respect to horizontal movement. The fork lift insertion openings 24 of the female container are aligned with recesses 4 in the wall 2 of the male container, allowing for the insertion of a fork through the stack, so that the upper female container, or a stack of containers that have a female container as its bottom member can be lifted and transported from the stack.

(33) A stack of containers, female and male in the alternate, can thus be formed as shown in illustration A of FIG. 12. The snug fit of support members of the male and female containers with an upper portion of the side walls of a lower member of the opposite sex in the stack, which also, via its upper rim, meets the lower surface of the bottom of an adjacent and upper member, provides for structural stability of the stack. Further, fork lift insertion openings that are aligned with recesses along the upper rim of side walls, provide the possibility of lifting and moving any portion of the stack of containers. Another advantage of this stacking is provided by space saving, since the stack of containers occupy a smaller space than combined individual containers. The containers in this configuration can either be empty, or they can be filled, e.g. with food items. Adjacent upper members within the stack provide a lid or cap for lower members in the stack, which can be important for example during transport or storage of items that are sensitive to air flow, temperature fluctuations, etc.

(34) Illustration D in FIG. 11 shows yet another stacking configuration, in which an upright male container is placed on top of an inverted female container. Here, support members 7, 26 of the adjacent containers meet, such that the male support member 7 sits on top of the lower surface 25 of the bottom of the female container, and fits within the support members 26 of the female container. A peripheral portion of the lower surface of the bottom of the male container simultaneously rests on top of the support members of the inverted female container. As a result, the two containers are interlocked with respect to horizontal movement, and the weight of the upper container is distributed between the bottom and support members of the lower containers. In this configuration, additional containers can be placed on top of the upper male container, e.g. an upright female container or an inverted female container, and so on.

(35) Thus, stacks of containers of the present invention can be formed, wherein within each vertical stack, male and female containers are alternately provided. The containers can further be provided in an upright or inverted configuration with respect to an horizontal axis, i.e. containers within the stack can either be upright or they can be rotated by 180 with respect to a horizontal axis. Stacks of containers can thus be provided, with different configurations of adjacent members in the stack as indicated in FIG. 11.

(36) In FIG. 13, male and female containers with a slightly different configuration, but same overall functionality, are shown. The male container A (on the right) has side walls 2,3 that extend from a bottom 6, and are tilted inwardly with respect to the bottom, towards opposing walls. The walls have an upper rim 9 that extends along an opening of the container. Support members 7 are provided, that extend downwardly from the bottom 6. The female container B (on the left) has side walls 21, 22 that extend vertically from a bottom and have an upper rim 27 that extends along the opening of the container. The container further has recesses 23 along the upper rim, and support members 26 that extends downwardly from the bottom.

(37) Side views A and B showing a short wall and a long wall of the containers are indicated in FIG. 14. This view shows the tilt of the side walls 2, 3 of the male container, which have a lower end that is located inwardly from the outer edge of the bottom 6. This allows for stacking of an inverted female container on top of the male container, which rests on the support members 7.

(38) The male and female container in this configuration are alternately stackable as shown in FIG. 15, wherein in A, a female container is stacked in an inverted position on top of an upright male container, such that the upper rim 27 of the female container rests on top of the bottom 6 of the male container. The side walls of the male container are located inwardly from the outer edge of the bottom such that the inverted female container fits snugly on top of the outer edge of the bottom of the male container, so as to provide a stable sandwich structure. Further, the support members 7 of the male containers are structured so as to fit snugly in spaces between support members 26 of the inverted female container, so that the support members of an upright male container can rest on top of the lower surface of the bottom 25 of an inverted female container within the spaces between the support members of the female containers, so as to provide for a stable stacking configuration.

(39) In B, a male container is stacked on top of a female container. Here, the support members 7 of the male container fit snugly within recesses 23 along the upper rim of the walls of the female container, such that the two containers are interlocked with respect to horizontal movement.

(40) In C, an upright female container rests on top of an upright male container. Due to the side walls 2,3 of the male container being tilted inwardly, the female container rests on top of the male container such that the upper rim 9 of the male container meets the bottom 25 of the female container. In this configuration, the support members 26 of the female container are adjacent to, and in close proximity with, an upper region of the side walls of the male container, so that the stack of containers is stable with respect to horizontal movement.

(41) Thus, through the different stacking possibilities of the containers, stacks of containers can be formed, wherein male and female containers are placed alternately in the vertical stack, inverted female container on top of an upright male container, upright male container on top of an upright female container, upright female container on top of an upright male container, or upright male container on top of an inverted female container. The stacking of inverted female containers on top of upright male containers provides for substantial space savings when storing or transporting empty containers.

(42) In FIG. 16, an embodiment is shown, in which the dimensions of the male and female containers shown in FIG. 13-15 are such that when placed side by side, the containers fit snugly on a pellet, which allows for easy transport of the containers. Two types of stacks of containers are shown. On the left (A), upright female containers positioned side by side, are stacked on top of two upright male containers, that are also placed side by side. Further, the female containers are rotated by 90 along a vertical axis with respect to the male containers. Each pair of parallel containers in the stack fit snugly on top of the lower pair of containers in the stack. Further, the alternate orientation of the containers provides for additional stability of the stack, due to the interlocking nature of the stack, whereby movement of the stack perpendicular to the longer side of each pair of containers in the stack is prevented by the snug fit of upper pairs of containers in the stack with the adjacent lower pair of containers. Thus, stable stacks of pairs of containers are formed, that can optionally be transferred by a fork lift, when placed on top of a conventional pellet with fork lift insertion openings. On the right (B), pairs of parallel female containers are placed in an inverted position on top of pairs of parallel upright male container in each layer of the stack. Further sandwiches of pairs of inverted female containers on top of upright male containers are placed on top of the initial sandwich pair in the stack, each subsequent sandwich pair being rotated by 90 with respect to a vertical. In this manner, a stack of containers is formed that (i) is stable with respect to horizontal movement, due to the interlocking nature of the stacking, and (ii) provides for significant space savings, due to fact that female containers fit snugly on top of male containers. A comparison of FIGS. A and B shows the space savings clearly, each stack containing the same number of containers.

(43) An alternative embodiment of male containers in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 17. Side views (A) and (B) are shown along a long side and short side of the container, respectively. In (A) flanges 8 are shown on the long side wall, extending from the upper surface of the bottom 6 at both ends of the side wall, extending to the end of the wall. An elongated recess 4 is shown, both on the long side wall and the short side wall (shown in B). The recess on the long side wall is vertically aligned with the two fork lift insertion openings 5. Drain holes 30 are shown on both side walls, that allow liquid to be drained from the container. The outer edge 10 of the bottom has a slightly irregular surface along the side wall, there being a deflection 32 to accommodate the drain hole 30 and a slight elevation vertical to the fork lift insertion openings 5. Along the short side (B), there is also a slight deflection to allow for the drain hole 30 along this side wall also.

(44) A bird's eye view of the alternative male container is shown in FIG. 18. Here it can be seen that the side walls are tilted towards the middle and that the flanges 8 that are arranged on the side wall 2 extend to the corner, where side walls 2, 3 meet. Drain channel 31 is arranged where the bottom 6 meets the inner side walls. Further, drain holes 30 are arranged on each side wall, and are arranged such that the drain channel feeds into the drain holes, so that liquid in the container is drained through the drain holes. Intersecting lines on the bottom 6 indicate that the upper surface of the bottom 6 is tilted towards the sides, away from the middle of the bottom. This facilitates draining of liquid from the container.

(45) Side views of an alternative female container are shown in FIG. 19. Here, drain holes 33 are shown, which serve the same purpose as on male containers. Further, the rim of the container has a single extended recess 23 arranged on both long side wall 21 (A) and short wall 22 (B).

(46) The view from above shown in FIG. 20 shows drain holes 33 and drain channel on the bottom of a female container, similar to that for the male container shown in FIG. 19. Also, similar to the male container, the bottom 28 is slanted, as indicated by the intersecting lines, away from the middle of the bottom, towards the sides, such that liquid in the container can be drained through the drain channel and drain holes 33.

(47) Four views of stacking arrangements of the alternative male and female containers are shown in FIG. 21, wherein in (A) an inverted male container is stacked on top of an upright female container, in (B) an upright female container is shown stacked on top of an upright male container, in (C) an upright male container is stacked on top of an upright female container, and in (D) a upright male container is shown on top of an inverted female container. The inverted male container in (A) rests on the upper rim of the lower female container, the outer portion of the bottom of the container meeting the upper rim of the female container. The snug fit of the male container on top of the female container, supported by the inverted flanges, provides for a space-saving sandwich structure of containers, that can easily be transported by use of fork lift insertion openings on the lower female container. In the assemblies shown in (B) and (C), support members of female and male containers respectively form a stable sandwich structure, with respect to horizontal movement, by meeting adjacent upper side walls of adjacent containers, while the bottom of the containers rests on the upper rim of the lower container. The assembly in (D) shows how support members of adjacent containers, the lower being inverted, interconnect, so as to form a stable sandwich structure.

(48) FIG. 22 shows a stack of containers comprising alternatively stacked male and female containers as shown above in FIGS. 17-21. On the left (A) a stack comprising alternating female and male containers, all upright, is shown. The stack is stable due to the close interaction and support provided by the structural configurations of the containers. On the right (B), a stack comprising the same number of containers is shown (8 in total), but wherein male containers are stacked in inverted position on top of upright female containers. The considerable space savings of the stack can be readily appreciated, by comparing with the stack in (A).

(49) It is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments that are described in the foregoing. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and is not intended to be limiting in any way.

(50) It should be noted that as used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range, is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smaller ranges, and are also contemplated, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also contemplated.

(51) It should be understood that the particular structural embodiments, methodology, materials, and substances, etc., described herein can vary. Thus, variations that are within the skills of the ordinary practitioner are also contemplated. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

(52) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the following clauses: 1. A male open top container, the container comprising a continuous structure that comprises: a substantially rectangular bottom having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer edge of each side thereof, the bottom interconnecting four substantially upright side walls extending from the bottom, the side walls consisting of two pairs of oppositely located side walls extending from the bottom to form an opening having a rim around it, the lower end of the side walls being interconnected with the bottom at an inwardly position from the outer edge thereof, at least a portion of each of the side walls extending angularly inwardly from the bottom towards an opposing side wall, the container further comprising at least one support member extending downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom in proximity to the outer edge of the bottom. 2. The open top container of clause 1, wherein the angularly extending portion of the side walls is tilted with respect to a vertical axis by from about 1 to about 5. 3. The open top container of clause 1 or clause 2, wherein the side walls extend angularly continuously inwardly with respect to the bottom. 4. The open top container of clauses, wherein the at least one support member is provided with at least two pairs of fork lift insertion openings, wherein each member of a pair of such fork lift insertion openings is arranged oppositely to a substantially identical fork lift insertion opening. 5. The open top container of clause 4, wherein the at least one support member is comprised of two oppositely located support members, each of the support members comprising fork lift insertion openings oppositely located to substantially identical openings on an oppositely located support member. 6. The open top container of clause 4, wherein the at least one support member is comprised of two pairs of oppositely located support members that are arranged close to two opposite outer edges of the bottom, such that each support member that is arranged close to a first outer edge of the bottom is oppositely located to a substantially identical support member that is arranged close to a second outer edge of the bottom. 7. The open top container of clause 1, comprising at least three support members located in close proximity to the outer edge of one side of the bottom, and at least three oppositely located support members in close proximity to an opposite outer edge of the bottom, wherein the at least three support members are configured to provide at least two fork lift openings thereinbetween. 8. The open top container of clauses, wherein the rim has at least one recess along each side of the container. 9. The open top container of clauses, wherein the rim has a plurality of oppositely positioned recesses. 10. The open top container of the previous clause, wherein at least two of the recesses being at least of substantially equal length as, and being substantially vertically aligned with, the fork lift openings. 11. The open top container of clause 4, wherein the at least one support member is provided as a continuous structure in proximity of the outer edge of the bottom. 12. The open top container of clauses, wherein at least two oppositely located side walls each further comprise at least one flange extending upwardly from a lower edge, the flange being upwardly tapered along at least a portion of the side wall. 13. The open top container of clause 9, wherein the at least one flange is configured such that the flange extends from an upper surface of the bottom, and wherein at its lower edge, the horizontal distance from the outer edge of the bottom to the flange is approximately equal to the width of the rim of the side walls. 14. The open top container of clause 9 or clause 10, wherein the at least one flange extends upwardly from the bottom along the side walls. 15. The open top container of any one of the clauses 9 to 11, wherein the thickness of the at least one flange along its upper edge is substantially smaller than its thickness along its lower edge. 16. The open top container of any one of clauses 9 to 12, wherein the flange is tapered along substantially its entire length. 17. The open top container of clauses, wherein the upper surface of the bottom is at least partially slanted, so that when placed on a level surface, liquid in the container will flow towards at least one side of the container. 18. The open top container of the previous clause, wherein the upper surface of the bottom is slanted from its middle towards the sides of the container, so that when placed on a level surface, liquid in the container will flow towards the sides of the container. 19. The open top container of clauses, wherein the container further comprises at least one drain, for draining liquid from the container. 20. The open top container of clauses, wherein the container has at least one drain hole arranged on at least one side wall, the drain hole traversing the side wall and being provided as an opening onto the bottom surface of the container, to allows liquid within the container to flow through the drain hole. 21. The open top container of the previous clause, wherein the container has a drain hole arranged on each side wall. 22. The open top container of clauses, the container further comprising at least one drain channel for collecting and/or dispersing liquid within the container. 23. The open top container of the previous clause, wherein the drain channel is fluidly connected to at least one drain hole in the container, so that liquid within the container can be released through the drain channel and the drain hole. 24. The open top container of any of the previous two clauses, wherein the drain channel is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom, at a meeting point of the bottom and the side walls. 25. A female open top container comprising a continuous structure comprising: a substantially rectangular bottom having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer edge of each side thereof, the bottom interconnecting four substantially vertical side walls extending from the bottom, the side walls consisting of two pairs of oppositely located side walls extending from the bottom to form an opening having a rim around it, the container further comprising at least one support member extending downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom in proximity to the outer edge of the bottom, wherein the at least one support member provides at least two oppositely oriented fork lift insertion openings along opposite sides of the container, and wherein the container further comprises at least one drain, for draining liquid from the container. 26. The open top container of clause 25, wherein the at least one support member is provided as two oppositely located support members, and wherein the at least two fork lift insertion openings are oppositely located to substantially identical openings on an oppositely located support member. 27. The open top container of any one of the clauses 25 or 26, wherein the at least one support member is provided as a single support member structure, the structure extending along, and downwardly from, the outer edge of the bottom. 28. The open top container of any one of the clauses 25 to 27, wherein the at least one support member extends downwardly from the outer edge of the bottom, so as to form a continuous planar surface with the outer edge of the bottom and at least two of the side walls. 29. The open top container of clauses 25 to 28, wherein the rim has a plurality of recesses. 30. The open top container of clauses 25 to 29, wherein the rim comprises continuous recesses along at least two opposite sides of the container that also have support members arranged close thereto, and wherein each of such recesses is vertically aligned with the thus arranged support members. 31. The open top container of any one of the clauses 25 to 30, wherein the recesses are of a height that is at least one quarter of the height of the fork lift openings. 32. The open top container of any one of the clauses 25 to 31, wherein the recesses are of a height that ranges from about one quarter to about three quarters of the height of the fork lift openings. 33. The open top container of any one of the clauses 25 to 32, wherein the upper surface of the bottom is at least partially slanted, so that when placed on a level surface, liquid in the container will flow towards at least one side of the container. 34. The open top container of the previous clause, wherein the upper surface of the bottom is slanted from its middle towards the sides of the container, so that when placed on a level surface, liquid in the container will flow towards the sides of the container. 35. The open top container of any one of the clauses 25 to 34, wherein the container further comprises at least one drain, for draining liquid from the container. 36. The open top container of clauses 25 to 35, wherein the container has at least one drain hole arranged on at least one side wall, the drain hole traversing the side wall and being provided as an opening onto the bottom surface of the container, to allow liquid within the container to flow through the drain hole. 37. The open top container of clauses 35 or 36, wherein the container has a drain hole arranged on each side wall. 38. The open top container of clauses 25 to 37, the container further comprising at least one drain channel for collecting liquid within, and/or draining liquid from, the container. 39. The open top container of the previous clause, wherein the drain channel is fluidly connected to at least one drain hole in the container, so that liquid within the container can be released through the drain channel and the drain hole. 40. The open top container of any of the previous two clauses, wherein the drain channel is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom, at a meeting point of the bottom and the side walls. 41. A system of containers, the system comprising alternately vertically stackable open-topped male and female containers, each male container and each female container comprising a body comprising a bottom having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer edge, the bottom interconnecting four substantially upright side walls extending from the bottom, the side walls consisting of two pairs of oppositely placed side walls extending from the bottom to form an opening having a rim, wherein the bottom of male and female containers are of substantially equal length and width, the side walls of the female container extending substantially vertically from the bottom, the side walls of the male container extending angularly inwardly towards an opposing side wall from an inwardly position of the bottom with respect to its outer edge, such that when turned by 180 from an upright position, the walls of the male container will fit within the opening of an upright female container. 42. The system of containers according to the previous clause, each male member further comprising at least one support member extending downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom in proximity to the outer edge of the bottom, the at least one support member being shaped such that when a male container is stacked in an upright orientation on top of an upright female container, the at least one support member of the male container fits within the rim of the female container such that a peripheral portion of the bottom of the male container meets at least a portion of the rim of the female member. 43. The system of clause 41 or 42, wherein the male and female containers are further shaped so that when a female container is stacked in an upright orientation on top of an upright male container, the at least one support member of the female container allows the rim of the male container to meet the lower surface of the bottom of the female container at an inwardly position from the edge of the bottom of the female container. 44. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 43, wherein the at least one support member of the male and female containers are further configured so as to be in close proximity to an upper portion of opposing side walls of an adjacent container in a vertical stack of containers that are in an upright position, so as maintain the stack in a stable state. 45. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 44, wherein the side wall of the male member is further configured such that when a female member is stacked on top of a male member in an inverted orientation, the rim of the female member meets a substantial portion of the outer edge of the bottom of the male member in close proximity to the lower portion of the side wall of the male container, so as to maintain the stack in a stable state. 46. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 45, wherein the support members of the male and female containers are further configured so as to be engaged in a locked position with support members of an adjacent member within the stack with respect to horizontal movement when a male container is stacked in an upright position on top of an inverted female container. 47. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 46, wherein the support member of the male container is structured such that when a male container is stacked on top of an upright female container, the support member of the male container will fit within the rim of the lower female container, and wherein at least two recesses are provided on the rim of the female container and aligned with fork lift insertion openings of the support member of the male container, to allow a fork lift to lift the male container. 48. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 47, wherein the support member of the male container is further structured so that when a male container is stacked on top of an inverted female container, the support member of the male container will fit snugly with the at least one support member of the female container, thus keeping the male and female containers in a locked position with respect to horizontal movement. 49. The system of any one of clauses 42 to 48, wherein the at least one support member is provided with fork lift insertion openings parallel to, and in close proximity with, the outer edge of the bottom, oppositely positioned with respect to identical fork lift insertion openings parallel to, and in close proximity with, an opposing outer edge of the bottom. 50. The system of any one of clauses 42 to 49, wherein the at least one support member is comprised of two oppositely located support members, each of the support members comprising fork lift insertion openings oppositely located to substantially identical openings on an oppositely located support member. 51. The system of any one of clauses 42 to 50, comprising at least three support members located in close proximity to the edge of one side of the bottom, and at least three oppositely located support members in close proximity to an opposite edge of the bottom, wherein the at least three support members are configured to provide at least two fork lift openings thereinbetween. 52. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 51, wherein the male container comprises at least two pairs of fork lift insertion openings, wherein each member of a pair of such fork lift insertion openings is arranged oppositely to a substantially identical fork lift insertion opening. 53. The system of any one of the clauses 42 to 50, wherein the at least one support member on the male container is comprised of two oppositely located support members, each of the support members comprising fork lift insertion openings oppositely located to substantially identical openings on an oppositely located support member. 54. The system of any one of the clauses 42 to 50, wherein the at least one support member on the male container is comprised of two pairs of oppositely located support members that are arranged close to two opposite outer edges of the bottom of the male container, such that each support member that is arranged close to a first outer edge of the bottom is oppositely located to a substantially identical support member that is arranged close to a second outer edge of the bottom. 55. The system of any one of clauses 41 to 54, wherein the angularly extending portion of the side walls of the male container is tilted with respect to a vertical axis by from about 1 to about 5. 56. The system of any one of clauses 41 to 55, wherein the side walls of the male container extend angularly continuously inwardly with respect to the bottom. 57. The system of any one of clauses 41 to 56, wherein the rim of the male and/or female container has a plurality of recesses, the recesses being vertically aligned with, and at least of equal length as, the fork lift insertion openings. 58. The open top container of clauses 41 to 56, wherein the rim of the male and/or female container comprises continuous recesses along at least two opposite sides of the container that also have support members arranged close thereto, and wherein each of such recesses is vertically aligned with the thus arranged support members. 59. The system of clause 57 or clause 58, wherein the recesses are of a height that is at least one quarter of the height of the fork lift openings. 60. The system of clause 59, wherein the recesses are of a height that ranges from about one quarter to about three quarters of the height of the fork lift openings. 61. The system of any one of clauses 41 to 60, wherein at least two oppositely located side walls of the male container each further comprise at least one flange extending upwardly from a lower edge, the flange being upwardly tapered along at least a portion thereof 62. The system of clause 61, wherein the at least one flange is configured such that at its lower edge, the horizontal distance from the outer edge of the bottom to the flange is approximately equal to the width of the rim of the side walls of the female container. 63. The system of clause 61 or clause 62, wherein the at least one flange extends upwardly from the bottom along the side walls. 64. The system of any one of the clauses 61 to 63, wherein the thickness of the at least one flange along its upper edge is substantially smaller than its thickness along its lower edge. 65. The system of any one of clauses 61 to 64, wherein the flange is tapered along substantially its entire length. 66. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 65, wherein the at least one support member of the female container is provided as two oppositely located support members, and wherein the at least two fork lift insertion openings of the female container are oppositely located to substantially identical openings on an oppositely located support member. 67. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 66, wherein the at least one support member of the female container is provided as a single support member structure, the structure extending along, and downwardly from, the outer edge of the bottom of the female container. 68. The system of any one of the clauses 41 to 67, wherein the at least one support member of the female container extends downwardly from the outer edge of the bottom of the female container, so as to form a continuous planar surface with the outer edge and at least two of the walls of the female container. 69. A system of containers, comprising alternately vertically stackable open-topped male and female containers, each male container and each female container comprising a body comprising a bottom having an upper surface, a lower surface and an outer edge, the bottom interconnecting four substantially upright side walls extending from the bottom, the side walls consisting of two pairs of oppositely placed side walls extending from the bottom to form an opening having a rim, wherein the bottom of male and female containers are of substantially equal length and width, the side walls of the female container extending substantially vertically from the bottom, the side walls of the male container extending angularly inwardly towards an opposing side wall from an inwardly position of the bottom with respect to its outer edge, such that when turned by 180 from an upright position, the walls of the male container will fit within the opening of an upright female container; each male member and each female member further comprising at least one support member extending downwardly from the lower surface of the bottom in proximity to the outer edge of the bottom, the at least one support member being shaped such that when a male container is stacked in an upright orientation on top of an upright female container, the support member of the male container fits within and rests on recesses along the rim of the female container, when female container is stacked in an upright orientation on top of a male container, the support member of the female container allows the rim of the male container to meet the lower surface of the bottom of the female container at an inwardly position from the edge of the bottom of the female container, the at least one support member of the male and female containers being configured so as to be in close proximity to an upper portion of opposing side walls of an adjacent container in a vertical stack of containers that are in an upright position, so as maintain the stack in a stable state; wherein the side wall of the male member is further configured such that when a female member is stacked on top of a male member in an inverted orientation, the rim of the female member meets a substantial portion of the outer edge of the bottom of the male member in close proximity to the lower portion of the male side wall, so as to maintain the stack in a stable state; and wherein the support members of the male and female containers are further configured so as to be engaged in a locked position with support members of an adjacent member within the stack with respect to horizontal movement when a male container is stacked in an upright position on top of an inverted female container.