BOX FOR DRINKING WITH FOUR ERGONOMIC ICARRIES WITH REINFORCED SIDE WALL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to boxes for beverages. More specifically, the invention relates to a partially deep or half-deep molded plastic box for beverages having handles on all four sides, a reinforced side wall that uses a minimum amount of material, and which is excellent with the beverage boxes similar and to some extent anidable with the non-nestable "compartment-type" beverage boxes of the prior art. Beverages, for example, beer and soft drinks, are commonly packaged in bottles or cans. These bottles and cans, especially in their sizes of approximately sixteen to twenty ounces and up to approximately twenty-four ounces, are often joined and packed in groups, for example, six-unit cartons to be marketed to consumers. To facilitate handling, either joined together in pre-packed groups or by themselves, cans and bottles are commonly placed in boxes containing up to twenty-four containers, depending on their size. Reusable molded plastic boxes capable of containing twenty-four beverage containers have been developed in the prior art. These boxes have a lower wall or floor and vertical and extreme side walls around the periphery of the floor. One type of prior art box has an approximate half-depth construction, i.e., it has a height that is approximately half the height of the beverage containers placed therein, and has a side wall with a substantially high height. uniform that is about 4 1/2 inches high, and are commonly referred to in the industry as each "compartment style". These compartment-style boxes are not nested with each other or with other boxes or compartments. However they have an inter-coupling structure at their upper and lower parts that allow the lower part of an upper box to extend approximately 3/8 of an inch into the upper part of a lower box, allowing the boxes to be stack in a stable relationship with each other. Some boxes have side and end walls that form a band around the upper parts of the walls, with the band supported in a separate relationship with the floor by separate columns. U.S. Patent Nos. 5,316,172, 5,445,273 and 5,495,945 are examples of such boxes. In 5,445,273, the web has a single thickness and is curved outwardly adjacent to the seating areas of the can to define the concave curved support surfaces for the sides of the cans. U.S. Patent No. 5,495,945, on the other hand, has a double-thick wall, with an inner wall panel facing the inside of the box and a separate outer wall panel, and only the inner wall panel is curved outward to define the bottle or can support surfaces. Handles are also provided in most of the prior art boxes to facilitate the handling of the same. These lugs are typically placed only on the end walls, although in some cases, such as the full depth boxes described in US Pat. Nos. 3,005,572, 3,380,616 and 6,209,742, for example, they may have lugs on both the end walls and the walls. side walls. It is believed that some conventional half-deep compartment style boxes also have a handle on each of the four walls, but the handles on these boxes are located on a lower portion of the walls, making them less ergonomically treatable. Although conventional non-nestable compartment type boxes meet a need, it is desirable to have a comparable sized box with handles on the upper portion of the four sides, and that is nested to minimize the amount of space required during transportation and storage. However, during the introduction of the nestable boxes, both the conventional non-nestable compartment-type boxes and the novel nestable boxes will be used. This presents a problem with respect to the uniformity or consistency of the nested or stacked height of the nestable boxes and the non-nestable compartment-type boxes, respectively, and the ability to nest or stack the new boxes and the previous boxes together. Therefore, there is a need for a new nestable box that replaces conventional non-nestable box-type boxes, where the new box has ergonomically treatable handles on an upper portion of all four sides, and can be nested with similar boxes and can also be nesting within conventional compartment style boxes, and having a structure and height of the side wall such that when two of the nestable boxes are nested, or when an anidable box according to the invention is nested within a compartment-style box conventional, have a combined height that is again half as high as the height of a single box. In this way, the new nestable boxes can be nested and stacked together, or mixed with conventional non-nestable compartment style boxes to produce stacks of boxes that have a uniform height, thereby facilitating the handling of the boxes, especially when they are loaded onto a pallet for transport or storage. Additionally, the applicant is not aware of any partially deep compartment-style box having handles on an upper portion of both side and end walls, and that especially includes a wall of a single thickness supported in a separate relationship with the floor of the box , with the wall folded adjacent to the bottle seating areas to define a plurality of vertically extending ribs oriented in an arc to form a plurality of separate contact lines for coupling and supporting the bottles and also for the wall strength of a single thickness, with which a resistant wall with a minimum amount of material is obtained. The present invention is a partially deep compartment style box having a handle on an upper portion of each of the four sides, and which can be nested with similar boxes and can be nested as well as stacked inside non-nestable compartment type boxes conventional, and which has a height of the side wall and a structure such that when two of the nestable boxes are nested together, or one of the boxes of the invention is nested inside a conventional compartment-style box, they have a combined height that it is once again half as big as the height of a single box. In addition, the partially deep-walled box of the invention has a wall of a single thickness supported in a separate relationship with the floor of the box, with handles on both of the side and end walls, and the wall is folded adjacent to the floor areas. bottle seat to define a plurality of vertically extending ribs forming separate contact lines oriented in an arc for coupling and supporting the beverage containers and also for reinforcing the wall of a single thickness, whereby a resistant wall is obtained with a minimum amount of material. More specifically, the box of the invention is intended to handle beverage containers of 16 to 24 ounces, although it can be adapted to be used with containers of different sizes, and the floor is divided into 24 container seating areas. This box comprises a side wall divided into an upper and lower wall portion with an approximately equal height, wherein the lower wall portion is interleaved relative to the upper wall portion., and the upper wall portion effectively forms a band that extends continuously around the perimeter of the box. A handle is formed in the upper wall portion on each side and end of the box, the four handles facilitate handling by truck and plant personnel, especially when sliding loaded boxes over a pile. The lower wall portion comprises a series of spaced apart columns extending between the floor of the box and the upper wall portion. The columns have curved concave surfaces facing the adjacent beverage container seating areas, and provide support for the bottles resting on the seating areas. The hollow supports extend upwards from the upper ends of the columns and through substantially the height of the upper wall portion. The supports serve to reinforce the upper wall portion of a single thickness in these areas, and in the preferred embodiment support to form vertically extended ribs that make linear contact with the beverage containers and also give resistance to the supports. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, the portion of the upper network in the areas between the supports is folded to define a plurality of vertically extending ribs arranged so as to form contact lines that are in a radius of curvature having their center separated into the wall. The plagued sections reinforce the upper wall portion of a single thickness, and the ribs provide multiple points of linear contact with a bottle resting on the adjacent seating area. The provision of a handle on an upper wall portion of each of the four sides provides the box with versatility and ease of handling not found in conventional deep-bottom boxes. On the other hand, the box of the invention has a structure and side wall height such that it can be nested up to half its height with similar boxes, or up to half its height in a conventional compartment-style box, and when two boxes they nest one over the other have a combined height that is once again half as big as the height of a single box. This relationship produces uniformity in the stacked heights of conventional non-nestable compartment-type boxes and nestable boxes of the invention, facilitating the handling, storage and transport of the mixed conventional compartments and the partially deep boxes that exemplify the present invention. In addition, the box of the invention can be stacked with conventional compartment style boxes. A conventional compartment style box nests a short distance, for example; three eighths of an inch, inside the box of the invention, providing stability and uniformity to a stack containing conventional compartments and partially deep boxes of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing, like other objects and advantages of the invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate similar parts in FIG. all views, and wherein: Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment according to the invention. Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of the box of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an elevation end view of the box of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the box of Figure 1 Figure 5 is a top plan view of the box of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the box of Figure 1. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage box of Figure 1. the invention, taken along line 7-7 in Figure 5. Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 8-8 in Figure 5. Figure 9 is a sectional view enlarged fragment taken along line 9-9 in Figure 5. Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Figure 5. Figure 11 is a sectional view. horizontal taken along line 11-11 in Figure 4. Figure 12 is an elevational end view of two of the boxes of l to invention in nested relation. Figure 13 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of two of the boxes of the invention shown nested. Figure 14 is a side elevational view of one of the boxes of the invention nested in a conventional non-nestable compartment style box. The partially deep or half-deep beverage box of the invention is generally indicated at 10 in Figures 1-8. The box comprises a lower wall 11 with an open grid design defining a plurality of unbundled beverage container seat areas 12. The opposite vertical side walls 13 and 14, and the opposite vertical end walls 15 and 16 extend around the periphery of the bottom part. The side and end walls, each are divided into portions A and B of upper and lower wall with an approximately equal height, wherein the lower wall portion B is interleaved with respect to the upper wall portion A, and the portion of The upper wall effectively forms a band 17 that extends continuously around the perimeter of the compartment. Lugs 18A are formed in each of the side walls, and the lugs 18B are formed in each of the end walls, in the upper wall portion or band 17. The four handles in the upper wall portion facilitate handling by the truck and plant personnel, especially when the loaded boxes are slid over a pile. The lower wall portion B comprises a series of spaced apart columns 19 extending between the floor of the box and the upper wall portion or band 17. The columns have curved concave surfaces 20 facing the adjacent beverage container seat areas 12, and provide support for the bottles (not shown) that rest on the seating areas. Hollow supports 21 extend upwardly from the upper ends of the columns and along the interior surface of the upper wall portion 17. The supports serve to reinforce the upper wall portion of a single thickness in these areas, and in the preferred embodiment are folded to form vertically extending ribs 22 which both reinforce the support and make linear contact with the beverage containers. Further, in the preferred embodiment, the upper wall portion 17 of a single thickness in the areas 23 between the supports also folds to define a plurality of vertically extending ribs 24 arranged so as to form contact lines that are in a radius of curvature R having its center separated inwardly from the wall. The folded sections 23 reinforce the upper wall portion 17 of a single thickness, and the ribs 24 provide multiple line contact points with a bottle (not shown) that rests on an adjacent seating area 12. Outwardly projecting flanges 25 and 26 are formed at the upper and lower edges of the wall 17, further reinforcing the wall of a single thickness and defining the finished upper and lower edges. The flanges 26 on the lower edge of the wall also serve as a rest or catch against which the upper edge of an underlying box engages when two of the boxes are nested together as shown in Figures 12 and 14. Making Referring to Figures 2 and 6, it will be seen that the lower tabs 26 are interrupted or omitted in the areas where the handles 18 and the supports 21 are located, avoiding any spaces closed or trapped behind the supports or inside the handles and facilitating the drainage of these spaces. Additionally, and with particular reference to Figures 1-5 and 7-10, it will be seen that the handles have an essentially identical construction, except that the handles 18A on the side walls have less thickness or width in a direction transverse to the length of the wall of the lugs 18B on the end walls. The handles comprise panels 27 and 28 of inner and outer wall, respectively, with interconnected transverse ribs 29 extending therebetween. The upper edge of the handles is open, and the lower edge is closed by a lower wall 30 extending between the inner edges of the lower and outer wall panels. The lower wall 30 is perforated at 31 between each pair of ribs 29 to facilitate drainage of moisture from the space between the wall panels. The box of the invention has a height hi which is approximately equal to the height h2 of a conventional non-nestable compartment style box, where when two of these boxes of the invention are nested together, they have a combined height that is once more than half the height of a single conventional box. See Figure 12. On the other hand, the box of the invention can be nested to half its depth in a conventional compartment-style box as illustrated in Figure 14. Additionally, the bottom of a compartment-style box does not conventional nestable is inserted a short distance into the top of an anidable box of the invention to the same extent as two non-nestable boxes coupled one inside the other, to provide a stable stacked relation (not shown). The provision of four handles gives the box versatility and ease of operation which is not found in conventional partially deep boxes. On the other hand, the nesting capacity of the box of the invention with similar boxes, and to some extent with conventional compartment style boxes, and the ability to stack with conventional compartment style boxes, provides stability and uniformity to a pile containing conventional boxes and partially deep boxes of the invention. Additionally, when two boxes of the invention are nested together, their combined nested height is equal to the height of a single conventional compartment. This relationship facilitates handling, storage and transportation of conventional mixed compartment style boxes and partially deep boxes of the invention. Although particular embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.