GB2174366A

GB2174366A - Container and insert device for holding elongated objects in the container

Info

Publication number: GB2174366A
Application number: GB08608498A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Rosler
Original assignee: Rose Plastic GmbH
Current assignee: Rose Plastic GmbH
Priority date: 1985-04-16
Filing date: 1986-04-08
Publication date: 1986-11-05
Also published as: FR2580256B3; GB8608498D0; DE8511117U1; FR2580256A1

Abstract

A holder-insert for a container, the holder-insert having a plurality of generally similar sockets for receiving elongated objects, each object being insertable through an aperture at the mouth of the socket and wherein there is fixed in or at the mouth of each socket (5, 5') a resilient tang (6) whose shape conforms essentially to the cross section of the socket, the tang occupying, when at rest, most of the cross-sectional area of the socket. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container and insert device for holding elongated objects in the container The invention relates to means for holding and fixing elongated objects in position in a container.

Such containers are of use as packaging for transport and sale, and following purchase by a customer he can use these containers for storing the objects of his workshop in a man ner in which the objects are simultaneously stored yet presented so that a choice of object for use is made available. It is often desired, or necessary, to package or store elon gated objects, such as drills or the like, in such a way that they are prevented from shifting during transport, i.e. prevented from becoming damaged by rattling about. In many cases objects of different lengths and dia meters are packaged in the same container. In the case of drills, for example, the diameter usually varies with the length of the drill. The same problem arises in the packaging of taps, milling cutters, broaches and the like.Tools of this kind are easily damaged, both during tran sportation and in the workshop.

For drills, packaging containers are known which have for each individual drill two aper tures axially spaced apart and in line with each other. The apertures have varying diameters to agree with the diameters of the individual drills. To prevent axial shifting of the drills during transportation mechanical stops are provided, each individually distanced from a base to suit the length of the individual drill.

This fixes the drill in position so that it cannot rattle about.

One disadvantage of this arrangement is that it is costly to manufacture. Another is that when the length of the drill varies, for example due to grinding of the cutting edge, the drill is no longer positively fixed in posi tion axially.

The intention in the present invention is to provide a holding means for installation in a packaging container, or workshop container, which makes it possible to fix elongated ob jects of different lengths and diameters indivi dually in position, preventing axial displace ment; and yet it should be easy to insert in, and remove each object individually from the holding means installed in the container. A fur ther requirement is that the objects should be easily visible in the container. And the manu facturing costs of the device should be low.

The invention provides for a container, a holder-insert exhibiting a plurality of generally similar sockets for receiving elongate objects, each object being insertable through an aper ture at the mouth of a socket, and in which in each socket there is fixed a resilient tang whose shape conforms essentially to the cross section of the socket, the tang occupying, when at rest, most of the cross-sectional area of the socket.

The tang may be at the mouth of the socket or spaced from the mouth. The tang yields resiliently when an elongate object is inserted into the socket, and then thrusts it firmly against the opposite wall of the socket, jamming it in place. When no elongated object has been inserted into a given socket, the tang occupies most of the cross-sectional area of the socket, only a small gap remaining between the lip of the tang and the wall of the socket. Consequently elongated objects of a wide range of different diameters can be fixed in position, the greatest permissible diameter being nearly the whole diameter of the socket.

The holder-insert equipped with tanged sockets may be suited for fitment into containers of various shapes, e.g. rectangular circular or oblong.

The invention extends also to a packaging container having such a holder-insert.

Further details of the invention can be derived from the following description of the examples represented in the drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a packaging container equipped with a holder-insert for supporting and retaining elongated objects.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an oblong holder insert.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a circular holderinsert according to the invention.

Figure 4 shows a detail, drawn to a larger scale, of part of a holder-insert according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a different holderinsert, showing resilient tangs of different shapes and raised guiding rims for facilitating insertion of the elongated objects.

Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal section taken in the plane 7-7 in Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a space-view of a packaging container equipped with a holder-insert loaded with elongated objects. In this case the container and its holder-insert are rectangular.

In Fig. 1 the packaging container 1, which has a bottom 2 and sidewalls 3, accommodates a holder-insert 4 for retaining elongated objects, such as those shown at 7 in Fig. 4.

The holder-insert has several sockets 5, all of the same diameter.

In Figs. 1 to 5 the sockets 5 have considerable depth, compared to their diameters, whereas in Figs. 6 and 7 the sockets 5' are quite shallow, being essentially apertures in a holder-insert 4' of little thickness.

Each socket 5, 5' contains a resilient tang 6. As shown in Figs. 2 3 and 6, the tang 6 occupies, when at rest, most of the superficial area, as seen in plan view, of the socket 5, 5'.

As shown best in Figs. 4 and 5, when an elongated object 7 is introduced from above into one of the sockets 5 of the holder-insert 4, the resilient tang 6 yields flexibly, bending downwards and thrusting the elongated object 7 against the opposite wall of the socket 5, 5', i.e. the flexible tang 6 jams the elongated object in place in the socket 5, 5'.

The base of the tang 6, where it is attached to the wall of the socket 5, 5', should not occupy more than one third of the circumferece of the socket 5, 5', so as to ensure that the tang 6 retains sufficient freedom of movement and to allow room for elongated objects 7 of different diameters to be fixed in place in the socket 5, 5', as is illustrated clearly in Fig.

4.

Each tang 6 is preferably formed of-onepiece with the wall of the socket 5, 5'. This facilitates manufacture using a synthetic resin as the raw material. The tang 6 must have sufficient elastic flexibility to retain in place elongated objects of a variety of diameters and cross sections.

In the case of a deep socket 5 the tang 6 is preferably rooted part-way along the wall of the socket, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

In the case where the holder-insert 4' forms the top, or cover, of the packaging container, the sockets 5' are quite shallow (Figs. 6 and 7). In this case each tang 6 lies flush with the upper surface of the cover. To ensure that the tang 6 is sufficiently flexible, the tang can have less thickness than the holder-insert 4'.

The gap 9 remaining between the lip of the tang 6 and the wall of the socket 5, 5' should be kept fairly small, particularly in the region opposite the root of the tang.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, to facilitate introduction of the elongated objects into the sockets, each socket 5, 5' can have a raised guiding rim 8 around the portion of the mouth of the socket not occupied by the root of the tang 6. The inner surface of the guiding rim should coincide with the inner surface of the socket 5, 5'.

The sockets 5, 5' need not necessarily be round, as illustrated in Fig. 5, but can if desired be, for example, horse-shoe shaped, as shown in Fig. 6.

Depending on the nature of the application, the holder-insert 4 itself can, if desired, be of elongated shape (Figs. 1 and 2), or round (Fig.

3) or rectangular (Figs. 6 to 8).

In regard to the diameters of the sockets, a holder-insert with 10 mm diameter sockets, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 8, can be used, for example, for taking elongated objects of diameter varying from 1 to 7 mm. Elongated objects of greater diameter require larger sockets.

Claims

1. A holder-insert for a container, the holder-insert having a plurality of generally similar sockets for receiving elongated objects, each object being insertable through an aperture at the mouth of the socket and wherein there is fixed in or at the mouth of each socket (5, 5') a resilient tang (6) whose shape conforms essentially to that cross section of the socket, the tang occupying, when at rest, most of the cross-sectional area of the socket.

2. A holder-insert as claimed in Claim 1, in which only a small gap remains between the lip of the tang (6) and the wall of the socket (5, 5').

3. A holder-insert as claimed in Claims 1 or 2, wherein the root of the tang (6), where it is fixed to the socket (5, 5') occupies at most one third of the circumference of the socket.

4. A holder-insert as claimed in one of the Claims 1 to 3, in which the tang (6) is integral with the wall of the socket (5, 5').

5. A holder-insert as claimed in one of the Claims 1 to 4, and in which in an elongated, preferably cylindrical socket (5) the tang (6) is positioned part-way along the socket.

6. A holder-insert as claimed in one of the Claims 1 to 4, and where one surface of the tang (6) is flush with the external surface of the holder-insert, the socket in this case being of shallow depth.

7. A holder-insert as claimed in one of the Claims 1 to 6, wherein for facilitating insertion of the elongated object (7), the mouth of the socket (5, 5') has a raised guiding rim (8) whose inner surface merges with the wall of the socket.

8. A holder-insert according to claim 1 and as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

9. A container having a holder-insert as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8.