EP0005870A1

EP0005870A1 - Holder offering the possibility to be stacked or juxtaposed and connected by means of a connecting element

Info

Publication number: EP0005870A1
Application number: EP79200218A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jan Verhenne
Original assignee: Bekaert NV SA
Current assignee: Bekaert NV SA
Priority date: 1978-05-24
Filing date: 1979-05-07
Publication date: 1979-12-12
Also published as: FR2426435B3; NL7805651A; AU4690779A; GB2021525A; JPS5512095A; BE875861A; FR2426435A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a stackable holder comprising a bottom (6) from which upright walls (2,3,4,5) are standing up. The bottom (6) is located at a distance from the under edges of the walls (2,3,4,5), whereas in these walls starting from the upper edges and under edges, substantially vertical slots (7) are made to receive the wall edges of the holder to be placed on it or under it or to receive connecting elements (8) to connect two adjacent holders. this invention further relates to a connecting element to be used in combination with such holders.

Description

The invention relates to a stackable holder comprising a bottom from which upright walls are standing up.
Numerous variants of such holders are known in practice. The stacking capacity is obtained by making the underside of the holder narrower in stepwise fashion so that it can be embraced by the open upperedge of the underlying holder.
The possibilities of using such holders are limited. They are nearly unsuitable for decorative purposes since the combination of several holders into a stack with a given, specific shape, whereby for example the holders are used as flower or plant pots or serve for holding separate flower pots or objects, offers an unstable structure. The connection of several juxtaposed holders is only possible by making apertures in the respective walls of two juxtaposed holders and connecting them by means of for example bolts.
The invention provides a stackable holder whereby, in a very simple manner and without supplementary production costs, the holders can be stacked in an desired relationship and can be combined bv means of a simple and unexpensive fitting into a stable structure in which the holders are juxtaposed.
According to the invention the bottom of the holder is located at a distance from the under edges of the walls, whereas in the walls, starting from the upper edges and under edges, substantially vertical slots are made to receive the wall edge of a holder located respectively under or over it, or to receive a connecting element connecting two adjacent holders.
The presence of the slots in combination with the elevated bottom makes it possible to connect the holders to each other in such a relationship that the different holders are located either one on top of the other, and staggered with respect to each other, and that the wall edges fit into the slots. It is clear that it is thus possible to reach A great variety of unexpected and decorative effects.
preferably the holder is prismatic comprising a first set of two opposite walls with unequal widths, connected to a second set of walls with equal widths. So it is possible to unite a number of corresponding holders into a structure having the shape of a circle or of a part of a circle. Thereby it is advantageous that the walls of the first set are curved and the respective curvature centers coincide. This considerably broadens the application possibilities since it allows to form a curved or zig-zag structure in which curved walls with smooth transitions abut against each other.
The slots are prefarably made in the curved walls adjacent to their straight end walls so that when stacking the holders, the straight wall sections of two superimposed walls rest against each other thus offering a stable structure.
The invention also provides a connecting element for use in combination with a number of holders of the type described above and comprising an oblong narrow body with at the upper and under sides two connecting hooks connected to it via a thinned flexible section and fitting in the slots of the holders to be connected.
Preferably one of the ends of the body section is connected to a suspension eye via a breakable transition.
The invention is further clarified with reference to the drawings in which :

Fig. I is a perspective view of a holder according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a connecting element for connecting a number of holders;
Fig. 3 is a top view of the holder according to Figure 1;
Fig. 4 is a bottom view of this holder;
Fig. 5 is a front view of the holder;
Fig. 6 is a cross-section according to line VI-VI in Figure 3;
Fig. 7 is a view of a stacking structure of several holders;
Fig. 8 and 9 are examples of the manner in which a number of holders according to Figure are connected in a juxtaposed relationship;
Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view according to the line X-X in Figure 8;
Fig. 11, 12 and 13 are examples of combinations of holders according to the invention.

Figure I shows an embodiment of the holder I according to the invention composed of two straight side walls 2 and 3 connected by a curved rear wall 4 and a curved front wall 5. The bottom 6 is located at a distance above the under edges of the walls 2 through 5.
In both curved walls 4 and 5 corner slots 7 are formed directly adjacent to the side walls 2 and 3. Their depths are inferior or equal to the distance from the bottom 6 to the under edges of the walls and their widths are at least equal to the wall thickness. Such a holder can be made very unexpensively in one piece by means of injection molding.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a connecting element that can be usedfor connecting two holders of the type shown in Figure 1, located with the flat walls against each other. The connecting element 8 is preferably made of synthetic material and comprises an oblong body 9 with, at the underside, upstanding hooks 10, 11, which project at both sides from the body, and, with at the upperside hooks 12, 13. Those hooks are connected to the body 9 via the bending lines 14 indicated by means of dotted lines and consisting of thinned material parts. At the upperside there is a suspension eye 15 which is connected to the body via a thinned material part 16 so that the eye 15 may easily be broken off the connecting element. For connecting two juxtaposed holders the lips 10 through 13 are bent backwards and fit into the corresponding slots 7. By means of the eye 15 a number of holders can be hung on the wall.
Figures 3 through 6, which are respectively top, bottom, front and cross-sectional views of the holder give a clear picture of the buildup of the holder.
Figures 7 through 13 give a picture of the many combination possibilities and surprising decorative effects offered by the holder according to the invention. The holder can be used as a decorative element, but also as an element for storing a variety of objects, for receiving flower pots or holding plants. When the circumferential curve of the walls is equal to 90° divided by a whole number, a series of holders combined into a quarter circle can be used for filling up a corner between two walls. For the holder shown in the figures the circumferential curve of the walls is equal to 30°, which, as shown in Figure 7, makes that four boxes is a sufficient combination to fil a corner in a decorative way. Figure 7 shows the boxes la through 1d mutually connected by the engagement of the straight side walls of the boxes into the slots of the boxes combined therewith. This figure also shows how a box (la) can be used as a pot for holding a plant 17. Figure 8 illustrates how the fact that the respective curvature centers of the curved walls of each box coincide so offering the possibility of combining the boxes into a zigzag structure whereby the schematically shown connecting elements 8 can be used for connecting the boxes. Evidently, when filled with heavy material, such as gravel or sand, they can also be placed on the ground. The broken lines 18 and 19 indicate how twelve boxes can be combined into a complete circle.
Figure 10 shows a cross-section according to the line X-X in Figure 8. The box concerned is here used for holding a flower pot 20. Figure 9 also shows how more than three boxes can be used for filling a corner between two upright walls 21, 22. In this example there are five boxes.
The figures 11, 12 and 13 show three further possibilities of combining four boxes, thereby possibly using the connecting elements 8. In the combination shown in Figure 11 a nearly rectangular space 23 remained between the boxes. The combination according to Figure 12 offers a smaller, also nearly rectangular space 24, whereas the combination according to Figure 13 offers an approximately diamond-shaped space 25. The open space between the holders may obviously be filled in any possible manner.

Claims

1. A stackable holder comprising a bottom from which upright walls are standing up, characterised in, that the bottom is located at a distance from the under edges of the walls, whereas in these walls starting from the upper edges and under edges, substantially vertical slots are made to receive the wall edges of the holder to be placed on it or under it or to receive connecting elements to connect two adjacent holders.

2. A holder according to Claim 1, characterised in, that the holder is prismatic with a first set of two opposite walls with unequal widths connected to a second set of walls with equal widths.

3. A holder according to Claim 2, characterised in, that the walls of the first set are curved and the respective curvature centers coincide.

4. A holder according to Claims 2 or 3, characterised in, that the slots are provided in the curved walls adjacent to the straight end walls.

5. A connecting element to be used in combination with a holder according to Claims through 4, characterised by an oblong narrow body section with at the upper and under sides two connecting hooks fitting in the slots of the holders to be connected and connected to the body by a thinned flexible part.

6. A connecting element according to Claim 5, characterised by a suspension eye connected to one of the ends by a breakable transition.