EP0000239B1

EP0000239B1 - Storage reel assembly and a pair of matable hub members therefor

Info

Publication number: EP0000239B1
Application number: EP78300005A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Clyde Thomas Carter
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1977-06-24
Filing date: 1978-06-01
Publication date: 1981-01-07
Also published as: JPS5412071A; IT7824801A0; CA1084889A; EP0000239A1; DE2860396D1; ES244585U; ES244585Y; US4101095A

Description

This invention relates in general to the art of packaging elongate flexible material and relates in particular to a rotary storage reel assembly for such material, and to a pair of matable hub members for such an assembly.
A problem with which the invention is concerned is the provision of a storage reel assembly which can simply and rapidly be assembled into a finished storage reel, and hub members of which can be used with a variety of different sized reel end flange members to produce, as required, storage reels of various diameters and widths. Although «knock down» or collapsable storage reels are known, for example from United States Patent Specifications Nos. 1013588; 1265110; 1679573; 1815499; 1949378; 2312899; 2695142; 2881985; 3301500; and 3822851; Australian Patent Specification No. 145690; West German Utility Model Specification No. 7008696; and French Patent Specification No. 1535724, none of these known assemblies fulfills all the above criteria. The use of screw means to maintain the parts in assembled relationship, for example, renders the assembly time undesirably long and the provision of fastening means on the reel end flange members themselves, for example, renders them usable only with complementarily formed parts.
There is described in Australian Patent Specification No. 145690 a rotary storage reel assembly comprising first and second reel end flange members each having a central through opening; a tubular hub for reception in the openings; locking means for releasably securing the reel end flange members and the hub in assembled relationship, with the hub received in the openings and the reel end flange members in substantially parallel spaced relationship at opposite ends of the hub; and a spacer member having a central through aperture; the hub comprising two matable hub members each of which can be passed through a respective one of the central openings to an extent limited by stop means on the respective hub members, to mate in the central aperture of the spacer member when such is interposed between the reel end flange members, means being provided for restraining relative rotation between the hub members and the spacer member in the assembled condition of the reel. Such a known storage reel assembly will hereinafter be referred to as a "storage reel assembly as herein defined".
Since the hub members of this known assembly are screwed together in order to assemble the finished reel, this assembly has the disadvantage mentioned above in relation to the use of screw means.
According to one aspect of the invention, a storage reel assembly as herein defined is characterised in that the locking means comprise at least one locking flange on one hub member and at least one row of locking ribs on the other hub member, the row extending axially thereof, the or each locking flange being interposeable between a selected adjacent pair of the locking ribs by relatively rotating the hub members when in their mating relationship, to an extent limited by an abutment carried by one of the hub members, one hub member having a keying portion which is insertable into the central aperture of the spacer member, which aperture is of non-circular cross-section, to key such hub member to the spacer member.
Not only can the parts of the assembly be easily and rapidly assembled, but the reel end flange members can be in the form of simple annular discs, different sized pairs of such flange members being capable of being connected by means of the same hub members, and the width of the finished reel being determinable by choosing a spacer member of appropriate length.The fact that for producing a range of different sized reels, only hub members of one size need be stocked reduces production costs and simplifies storage and stock keeping records. No locking means need be provided on the spacer member or the reel end flange members.
According to another aspect of the invention, a pair of matable hub members for an assembly according to the invention in which each hub member comprises a base portion having a flange for abutment against the respective reel end flange member, and a mating portion in the form of a circular, or substantially circular, cross-section tube extending substantially centrally from the base portion, the mating portion of one hub member being adapted to receive the mating portion of the other hub member, is characterised in that the other hub member carries locking ribs in the form of a series of spaced, interrupted rings extending circumferentially about the outer surface of its mating portion, and the one hub member carries a plurality of locking flanges extending axially inwardly from the inner surface of its mating portion at its end remote from its base portion, an abutment in the form of a rib extending from one of the locking flanges towards the base portion of the one hub member for limiting relative rotation of the hub members when in their mating relationship, one of the hub members having a keying portion extending from its base portion alongside the mating portion, for co-operation with the walls of the central aperture of the spacer member to key the hub member to the spacer member.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a rotary storage reel assembly comprising first and second reel end flange members each having a central through opening; a hub for reception in the openings; locking means for releasably securing the flange members and the hub in assembled relationship, with the hub received in the openings and the flange members in substantially parallel spaced relationship at opposite ends of the hub; and a spacer member having a central, through aperture; the hub comprising substantially circular cross-section, matable female and male hub members, each hub member having a base portion receivable in a respective one of the central openings, and a radial flange adapted to engage the respective reel end flange member, means being provided for restraining relative rotation between the hub members and the spacer member in the assembled condition of the reel, the female hub member having a circular cross-section female mating portion extending co-axially from its base portion, a central bore extending through the female mating portion, the male hub member having an elongate, male mating portion extending centrally from its base portion; is characterised by at least one internal radially inwardly directed arcuate flange at the free end of the female mating portion, and an abutment extending the length of the bore from an edge of the flange, the male mating portion having a plurality of interrupted rings on the outer surface thereof, each ring comprising at least one radially extending arcuate rib, at least one keying member extending from the base portion of the male mating portion and being shaped for keying engagement in the central aperture of the spacer member, which aperture is of non-circular cross-section, the mating portions being such that the flange or flanges can be passed between the ribs of the female mating portion and the hub members relatively rotated to bring the ribs and the flange or flanges into locking engagement, a cantilever latch arm on the, or each, keying member extending from a position thereon remote from the base portion of the male mating portion towards the flange of such base portion for latching the male hub member to its respective reel flange member.
For a better understanding of the invention reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a rotary storage reel assembly;
Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of two mating hub members of the assembly;
Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, axial sectional view of the storage reel assembly in its assembled condition to provide a rotary storage reel; and
Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a metal insert for the assembly.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a rotary storage reel assembly 10, comprises a pair of substantially identical reel end flange members 12 and 14 formed from thin, rigid stock material, for example metal or pressboard, the members 12 and 14 having central circular through openings 16 and 18, respectively. The assembly also comprises a spacer member 20 having a central square through aperture 22 and preferably being made from expanded polystyrene, and mating female and male hub members 24 and 26.
The female hub member 24 has a circular base portion 27 externally shaped for reception in one of the openings 16 or 18 of the reel end flange members and being provided with a radially extending flange 28 for engaging the axially outer face of the one reel end flange member. A circular cross-section tubular cylindrical mating portion 30 extending co-axially from the portion 27 has a through bore 32 at the extreme right hand (as seen in Figure 2) end of which are two internal, radially extending flanges 34 and 36 each having in its axially inward surface, a detent notch 38 (only one of which is shown), the notches being identical. An abutment in the form of a stop rib 40 (Figures 1 and 3) extends the full length of the wall of the bore 32 adjacent to one end of the flange 34. The base portion 27 has two finger grip apertures 42 and 44formed therein.
The hub member 26 has a base portion 46 externally shaped for reception in the other of the openings 16 or 18 of the reel end flange members 12 and 14 and having a radially extending flange 48 for engaging the radially outer face of the other flange member 12 and 14. A pair of wedge shaped keying portions 50 or 52 extending from the base portion 46 each has a cantilever latch arm 54 diverging from the portion 50 or 52 in the axially outward direction of the assembly 10 when in its assembled condition (as best seen in Figure3), each arm 54 terminating back from the plane of the flange 48. The outer peripheral surfaces of the portions 50 and 52 conform to the walls of the aperture 22 in the spacer member 20 so as to key the hub member 26 thereto. A circular cross-section tubular mating portion 56 extending coaxially from the centre of the base portion 46 has a central bore 58, a plurality of segmental locking ribs 62 and 64 on the external surface of the mating portion 56 being arranged in two opposed rows to provide a series of interrupted locking rings coaxial with the portion 56 and being constantly spaced from one another in axial direction thereof. Each rib 62 and 64 has a detent projection 66 extending axially outwardly of the assembly 10 and being complementary with each notch 38 of the hub member 24, (only the projections 66 of the ribs 62 are shown).
The hub members 24 and 26 are preferably moulded from a hard wearing plastics material of high rigidity.
In practice a stock of reel flange members 12 and 14 of different diameters and spacer members 20 of different thicknesses, are held in store so that finished reels of different diameters and thickness, can be constructed to meet individual requirements.
In order to produce a finished reel, reel end flange members 12 and 14 of the required diameter and a spacer member 20 of the required thickness are first selected, together with a male and a female hub member these being essentially universal members of standard dimensions for use with any of the reel flange and spacer members held in store.
The male hub member 26 is first inserted through the opening 16 of the reel end flange member 12 (for example) so that the latch arms 54 engage the inner face of the flange member 12 (see Figure3) whereby the reel end flange member 12 is held firmly in position between the latch arms 54 and the flange 48 of the hub member 26. The spacer member 20 is then mounted on the keying portion 50 and 52 of the member 26 so that these portions extend through the aperture 22 of the member 20 whereby the members 20 and 26 are keyed together and are frictionally engaged with one another. The mating portion 30 of the hub member 24 is then inserted through the opening 18 in the reel end flange member 14 and is mated with, and locked to, the mating portion 56 of the hub member 26 as described below.
The hub members are shown in Figure2 in aligned relationship as they would be in their fully mated and locked condition. In order to mate the two hub members 24 and 26 they are positioned so as to be relatively rotated by 90° with respect to the angular positions in which the hub members 24 and 26 are shown in Figure2, so that ribs 62 and 64 of the hub member 26 are aligned with the spaces between the flanges 34 and 36 of the hub member 24. The portion 56 is inserted into the bore 32, to an extent determined by the widths of the spacer 20 and the reel end flange members 12 and 14, until the flanges 34 and 36 are aligned with the space between a pair of adjacent ribs 62 and that between the opposed pair of ribs 64, after which the hub members 24 and 26 are relatively rotated to their angular positions of Figure2, in which each flange 34 and 36 is interposed between an adjacent pair of the ribs 62 and 64 and the detent projections 66 of those ribs engage in the detent notches 38 of the flanges, continued relative rotation of the hub members 24 and 26 in the same sense being prevented by the abutment of the ribs 62 against the stop rib 40. The hub members 24 and 26 are thus releasably locked together. The reel end flange member 14 is held in position between the flange 28 of the hub member 24 and the spacer member 20, as shown in Figure3. The hub members can be released from one another by relatively rotating the hub in the opposite sense to that described above and then withdrawing the portion 56 from the bore 32.
The reel assembly described above may be modified in various ways, for example, there may be only one, or more than two flanges 34 and 36 and more than two rows of ribs 62 and 64 on the portion 56. The ribs may be on the female hub member and the flange or flanges on the male hub member, the aperture 22 may be other than square, the portions 50 and 52 being appropriately modified in shape. The spacer member may be of any suitable form, being spoked for example. The finger grip apertures 42 and 44 may be of a number other than two and may be in the form of recesses rather than apertures. There may for example be only one latch member 54.
As shown in Figure4, a metal insert 70 has a square base wall 72 from which extend four rectangular side walls 74 so that the insert 70 has the form of an open rectangular box or tray. The wall 72 has a central circular opening 76 and four smaller circular openings 78 constantly spaced about the opening 76. The insert 70 is for inclusion in the assembly 10 where the finished reel is to be subjected to considerable torque when in use. In assembling the finished reel, the insert 70 is inserted into the aperture 22 of the spacer member 20 so that the open side of the insert 70 will face the reel end flange member 12. In the assembled condition of the reel assembly, the keying portions 50 and 52 of the hub member 26 engage the inner surfaces of the side walls 74 of the insert 70, with the mating portion 56 of the hub member 26 extending through the central aperture 76 of the insert 70. Prior to mating the hub member 24 and 26, fasteners (not shown) may be inserted through two of the smaller openings 78 which are aligned with openings 80 in the portions 50 and 52, to secure the insert 70 more firmly against rotation relative to the hub members. The insert 70 thus serves to increase the resistance of the finished reel to torque developed when the reel is in use. It has been found that such resistance to torque can be optimized by making the spacer 20 of expanded polystyrene.
The finger grip apertures 42 and 44 (or finger grip recesses) may be employed to receive driving members (not shown) e.g. spindles, for rotating the finished reel about an axle (not shown) passed through the bores 32 and 58 of the hub member. The driving members may also extend from the apertures 42 and 44 through those openings 78 of the insert 70 (when such is provided), which are not occupied by the fasteners mentioned above, if these openings 78 are aligned with the apertures 42 and 44.

Claims

1. A rotary storage reel assembly comprising first and second reel end flange members (12 and 14) each having a central through opening (16 or 18); a tubular hub (24, 26) for reception in the openings (16 and 18); locking means (36, 62) for releasably securing the reel end flange members (12 and 14) and the hub (24,26) in assembled relationship, with the hub (24, 26) received in the openings and the reel end flange members (12 and 14) in substantially parallel spaced relationship at opposite ends of the hub (24, 26); and a spacer member (20) having a central through aperture (22); the hub comprising two matable hub members (24 and 26) each of which can be passed through a respective one of the central openings (16 and 18) to an extent limited by stop means (28 or 48) on the respective hub members (24 or 26), to mate in the central aperture (22) of the spacer member (20) when such is interposed between the reel end flange members (12 and 14), means (40 and 50 or 52) being provided for restraining relative rotation between the hub members (24 and 26) and the spacer member (20) in the assembled condition of the reel; characterised in that the locking means comprise at least one locking flange (36) on one hub member (24) and at least one row of locking ribs (62) on the other hub member (26), the row extending axially thereof, the or each locking flange (36) being interposeable between a selected adjacent pair of the locking ribs (62) by relatively rotating the hub members (24 and 26) when in their mating relationship, to an extent limited by an abutment (40) carried by one (24) of the hub members (24 and 26), one hub member (26) having a keying portion (50 or 52) which is insertable into the central aperture (22) of the spacer member (20), which aperture (22) is of non-circular cross-section, to key such hub member (26) to the spacer member (20).

2. An assembly according to Claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises a metal insert (70) for co-operation with the keying portion (50 or 52), the insert (7/) having a base wall (72) conforming to the shape of the central aperture (22) of the spacer member (20) and a central opening (76) for the hub members (24 and 26), sidewalls (74) extending from the base wall (72) for engaging the wall of the central aperture (22) of the spacer member (20).

3. An assembly according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the locking ribs (62) are in the form of a series of interrupted circular rings extending circumferentially about the outer surface of the other hub member (26).

4. An assembly according to Claims 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that at least one (26) of the hub members comprises a co-operating cantilever latch arm (54) and peripheral flange (48) for latching such hub member (26) to the respective reel end flange member (12), and a finger grip aperture (42,44) or recess for use in relatively rotating the hub members (24 and 26) and for receiving a reel driving member.

5. A pair of matable hub members for an assembly according to Claim1, each hub member (24 and 26) comprising a base portion (27 or 48) having a flange (28 or 48) for abutment against the respective reel end flange member (12 or 14) and a mating portion (30 or 56) in the form of a circular, or substantially circular, cross-section tube extending substantially centrally from the base portion (27 or 46), the mating portion (30) of one hub member (24) being adapted to receive the mating portion (56) of the other hub member (26), characterised in that the other hub member (26) carries locking ribs (62 and 64) in the form of a series of spaced, interrupted rings extending circumferentially about the outer surface of its mating portion (56), and the one hub member (24) carries a plurality of locking flanges (34 and 36) extending axially inwardly from the inner surface of its mating portion (30) at its end remote from its base portion (27), an abutment in the form of a rib (40) extending from one of the locking flanges (34) towards the base portion (27) of the one hub member (24) for limiting relative rotation of the hub members when in their mating relationship, one of the hub members (26) having a keying portion (50) extending from its base portion (46) alongside the mating portion (58), for co-operation with the walls of the central aperture (22) of the spacer member (20) to key the hub member (26) to the spacer member (20).

6. A pair of hub members according to Claims, characterised in that one of the hub members has a cantilever latch arm (54) diverging from a position on the hub member (26) remote from its base portion (46) towards such base portion (46) and being arranged to co-operate with the flange (48) of such hub member (26) to latch the hub member (26) to the respective reel flange member (12).

7. A rotary storage reel assembly comprising first and second reel and flange members (12 and 14) each having a central through opening (16 or 18); a hub (24, 26) for reception in the openings 16 and 18); locking means (36, 62) for releasably securing the flange members (12 and 14) and the hub (24, 26) in assembled relationship, with the hub (24, 26) received in the openings (16 and 18) and the flange members (12 and 14) in substantially parallel spaced relationship at opposite ends of the hub (24, 26); and a spacer member (20) having a central, through aperture (22); the hub comprising substantially circular cross-section, matable female and male hub members (24 and 26), each hub member (24 and 26) having a base portion (27 and 46) receivable in a respective one of the central openings (16 and 18), and a radial flange (28 and 48) adapted to engage the respective reel end flange member (12 or 14), means (40 and 50 or 52) being provided for restraining relative rotation between the hub members (24 and 26) and the spacer member (20) in the assembled condition of the reel, the female hub member (24) having a circular cross-section female mating portion (30) extending co-axially from its base portion (27), a central bore (32) extending through the female mating portion (30), the male hub member (26) having an elongate, male mating portion (56) extending centrally from its base portion (46); characterised by at least one internal radially inwardly directed arcuate flange (34) at the free end of the female mating portion (30), and an abutment (40) extending the length of the bore (32) from an edge of the flange (34), the male mating portion (56) having a plurality of interrupted rings on the outer surface thereof, each ring comprising at least one radially extending arcuate rib (62, 64), at least one keying member (50 or 52) extending from the base portion (46) of the male mating portion (58) and being shaped for keying engagement in the central aperture (22) of the spacer member (20), which aperture is of non-circular cross-seciton, the mating portions (30 and 56) being such that the flange or flanges (34, 36) can be passed between the ribs (62, 64) of the female mating portion (30) and the hub members (24 and 26) relatively rotated to bring the ribs (62, 64) and the flange or flanges (34, 36) into locking engagement, a cantilever latch arm (54) on the, or each, keying member (50 or 52) extending from a position thereon remote from the base portion (46) of the male mating portion (58) towards the flange (48) of such base portion (46) for latching the male hub member (26) to its respective reel flange member (12).