EP0073749B1 - Holder for small objects - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a small parts container, in which receptacles are removably attached to one another on a central holding rod, which are equipped with centering means for securing their mutual position, the uppermost holding container being closable by means of a cover which can be pushed onto the central holding rod.

In a known design according to DE-AS 19 22 116, the receptacles are arranged at a distance from one another on the holding rod, the outer walls of the receptacles widening conically upwards. Such a design has the disadvantage that the receptacles are not lockable, so that small parts contained in the receptacles can easily fall out of the receptacles, especially when the entire container falls over, which, for. B. is easily possible during transport in a motor vehicle.

Furthermore, according to DE-AS 10 35 070 an embodiment of the type mentioned is known, in which three receptacles are arranged on a central support rod. In this embodiment, the uppermost receptacle can be closed by a lid which has two flaps which can be pivoted upward about a horizontal axis arranged next to the central holding rod. The receptacles have an essentially rectangular cross section. To open the small parts container, the two lid flaps are folded up and the uppermost receptacle is pulled up along the central holding rod and fixed to the holding rod in the raised position. The second (middle) receptacle has a link guide, through which it is rotated by 90 ° when it is moved upwards. If, in this known design, the uppermost receptacle is now pulled upwards, it takes the middle receptacle with it by means of chains, which is then pivoted through 90 ° through the link guide. In this way, all three containers are essentially open, but in the central area, access to the interior of the receptacles is impaired by the "next-lying container.

From CH-AS 322 378 a tool trolley is known, as z. B. in mechanic workshops for the storage and provision of hand tools is common. Receptacles are slidably arranged on laterally opposite vertical support rods.

The invention has for its object to provide a small parts container of the type mentioned, which is simple in construction and in which the receptacles are easy to fill and lock. According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the lid can be rotated about the central holding rod relative to the uppermost receptacle and has a filling opening into which the neck of a funnel can be inserted, which is provided with means for releasable connection to the central holding rod and in that the receptacle are provided with means for fixing in different angular positions and that, if necessary, the funnel closes the container in an inverted position. As a result, the small parts to be filled in can be distributed evenly over the entire receiving space of the top-lying receiving container, the other receiving containers being closed off. The funnel makes filling much easier, since in many cases the small parts have to be thrown into the receptacle to be filled from a greater distance. An embodiment in which the funnel closes the container in an inverted position is particularly appropriate. In this variant, the funnel has a double function. It acts as a filling element and as a closing element of the small parts container.

To lock the funnel with the uppermost receptacle, a locking bolt which can be pushed into an opening arranged on the funnel neck and which is displaceably mounted in the uppermost receptacle can advantageously be provided. This results in a particularly tight fit of the funnel in the filling opening. To actuate the locking pin, a flap pivotally mounted on the uppermost receptacle can be provided, which has side cheeks with slots that run obliquely to the direction of movement of the locking pin, into which pins provided on the locking pin engage, whereby an easier unlocking is achieved. Furthermore, to hold the funnel the latter can be provided with a retaining clip which comprises a retaining body which can be pushed onto the retaining rod and serves to secure the receptacle or the lid. In order to fix the holding body to the central holding rod, a locking pin can be mounted in a displaceable manner in the holding body, annular grooves for engaging the locking pin being provided on the central holding rod. For the locking of the locking pin, each ring groove of the holding rod can additionally be penetrated by a bore transverse to the axis of the holding rod, into which the locking pin can be inserted. It can be mounted to actuate the locking pin in the holding body, in particular against the pressure of a spring transverse to the direction of displacement of the locking pin actuating rod which has an inclined portion to the direction of movement, with which the locking pin, in particular by means of a pushed onto the actuating rod on Lock pin trained eyelet is coupled. This enables easy operation of the locking pin and thus easy removal of the holding body from the holding rod. The actuating rod for the locking pin can be attached to a handle which is slidably mounted on the holding body. This enables the unlocking to be operated with one hand. Finally, the bottoms of the receptacles can be provided with openings, the openings provided in the bottoms of the receptacles preferably being delimited by meshes of a grid forming the bottom. This enables the small parts located in the receptacles, e.g. B. can be cleaned by means of a cold cleaner or the like, without having to be removed from the small parts container.

• Fig. 1 zeigt schaubildlich den Kleinteilbehälter bei voneinander distanzierten Aufnahmebehältern.
• Fig. 2 gibt, ebenfalls schaubildlich, den Kleinteilbehälter während des Befüllens wieder.
• Fig. 3 stellt, gleichfalls schaubildlich, das Entleeren eines Abteils des gerade oben befindlichen Aufnahmebehälters dar.
• Fig. 4 veranschaulicht die Bewegungsmöglichkeiten der einzelnen Teile des Kleinteilbehälters zueinander.
• Fig. 5 zeigt, ebenfalls schaubildlich, den Kleinteilbehälter in geschlossenem Zustand. Die
• Fig. 6, 6a - c geben im Detail die Verriegelung zwischen dem Handgriff und der zentralen Haltestange wieder. Die
• Fig. 7, 7a - c und 7ca verschaulichen die Verriegelung des Trichters an dem Deckel. Die
• Fig. 8, 8a - c zeigen verschiedene Grundrißformen des erfindungsgemäßen Kleinteilbehälters.
• Fig. 9 veranschaulicht eine vereinfachte Ausführungsvariante des Haltegriffs und der zentralen Haltestange.

The subject of the invention and further advantageous embodiments of the same are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings.

• 1 shows a diagram of the small parts container with the receiving containers spaced apart from one another.
• Fig. 2 shows, also graphically, the small parts container during filling.
• Fig. 3 shows, likewise graphically, the emptying of a compartment of the receptacle located just above.
• Fig. 4 illustrates the possible movements of the individual parts of the small parts container to each other.
• Fig. 5 shows, also graphically, the small parts container in the closed state. The
• 6, 6a-c show in detail the locking between the handle and the central handrail. The
• 7, 7a-c and 7ca illustrate the locking of the funnel on the lid. The
• 8, 8a-c show different layouts of the small parts container according to the invention.
• Fig. 9 illustrates a simplified embodiment of the handle and the central support rod.

1 denotes a lower, lower receptacle on which a second, shallower receptacle 2 can be placed, which can be locked by means of a cover 3. A central holding rod 6 is provided on the lower receptacle 1, onto which the second receptacle 2 and the lid 3 can be pushed. A holding body 5 having a cylindrical shaft 5d can be plugged onto the holding rod 6 and locked with the latter.

4 denotes a funnel for the more precise insertion of the small parts, the neck 4c of which can be inserted into a filling opening 3e in the cover 3.

Legs 1A are provided on the lower receptacle 1. Furthermore, this receptacle has a circumferential bead 1 B serving as a grip strip, which is provided with notches 1 C for easier twisting. The interior of the receptacle 1 is divided by partitions 1a, of which every second can be removed in the present case.

In the same way as the lowermost receptacle 1, the second receptacle 2 is also provided with legs 2A and a circumferential bead 2B serving as a grip strip, which has notches 2C for easier twisting. The interior of the receptacle 2 is also divided by partitions 2a.

The cover 3 is also provided with legs 3a and a circumferential bead 3B which serves as a grip strip and which has notches 3C. The cover 3 is designed so that, apart from the area of the filling opening 3e, it can also serve to accommodate small parts, its interior also being divided by partitions 3D.

Both the receptacles 1, 2 and the lid 3 have openings in the bottoms which are formed by the mesh of the grids forming the bottoms.

The receptacles 1, 2 and the lid 3 have, on their outer wall region, locking projections NAR, NIR projecting in the axial direction, which cooperate with corresponding recesses FAR, FIR of the adjacent receptacle or the lid. The locking projections or notches are arranged so that they only snap into place when the partitions of the containers arranged one above the other are aligned. To make it easier to stack the receptacles, the outer diameter of the upper edge thereof is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the lower edge of the container or lid located immediately above, that is to say that the outer shells of the receptacle or lid are stepped.

The funnel 4, which can be inserted into the filling opening 3e with its funnel neck 4c, has an inwardly facing edge section 4B at its upper region. Furthermore, over this edge section 4B axially projecting legs 4A and a funnel retaining clip 4d cooperating with the cylindrical shaft 5d of the holding body 5 are provided.

The funnel neck 4c can be fixed in the filling opening 3e. For this purpose, as can be seen from FIGS. 7, 7a-c and 7ca, a radially outward-pointing locking pin 3d, which is loaded by means of a spring 3c in the sense of an outward adjustment, is provided on the cover 3, namely at its central part is intended to snap into a corresponding hole in the funnel neck 4c. To actuate the locking pin 3d, a flap 3a is pivotally mounted on the central part of the cover 3 by means of a bearing pin 3b, the flap 3a having two side cheeks, between which lateral ones Sliding surfaces 3d5 of the locking pin 3d are guided and which have obliquely inward and upward slits into which an actuating axis 3d3 penetrating the locking pin engages. The spring 3c is designed as a helical spring and is wound around a coaxial guide pin 3d4 arranged at the rear end of the locking bolt 3d. It is supported with one end on the rear end of the locking bolt and the other end on the opposite part of the cover 3 which supports the guide pin 3d4. In order to limit the movement of the locking bolt 3d caused by the spring 3c, a stop pin 3d2 is provided which abuts against a part of the cover 3 which supports the front end of the locking bolt 3d. The locking pin is delimited at its front end by a sloping top surface 3d7, which is inclined downwards and outwards in such a way that when the funnel neck 4c is inserted, the locking pin 3d is pushed back from above and when the bore in the funnel neck is aligned with the guide of the front The end of the locking pin falls into the hole in the funnel neck. On the underside, the locking bolt has an inclined surface 3d6, starting from the front cover surface 3d7 and sloping downward towards the rear end of the locking bolt 3d, through which the funnel neck 4c is pulled downward into the filling opening 3e of the cover 3 when the locking bolt 3d engages .

To lock the holding body 5 on the central holding rod 6, the holding body has a locking mechanism which interacts with bores 6e provided in the central holding rod and extending transversely to the latter. In the area of the bores 6e, circumferential grooves 6d are provided, which facilitate the engagement of the locking mechanism. The mutual spacing of the grooves 6d corresponds to the height of the receptacle. As shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 6a-c, the locking mechanism has a locking pin 5e5 which is displaceably mounted transversely to the holding rod 6 and which can be actuated by means of an actuating rod 5e4. For this purpose, the locking pin 5e5 has an eyelet (see FIG. 6c) which slides on the actuating rod. The latter is bent obliquely downwards and outwards in the area of its interaction with the eyelet, so that when the actuating rod 5e4 is pulled up, the eyelet and thus the locking pin 5e5 is withdrawn (FIG. 6b), as a result of which it disengages from the respective transverse bore 6e. To guide the locking pin 5e5 and the actuating rod 5e4, a guide housing 5e6 is provided, which projects radially from the sleeve 5c which can be plugged onto the central holding rod and forms the lower part of the holding body 5. The guide housing 5e6 has two coaxial bores for the locking pin 5e5 and a slot guide for its eyelet. The actuating rod is guided between the walls of the guide housing 5e6 running in the longitudinal direction of the sleeve 5c, so that any lateral turning is prevented. The lower part of the actuating rod 5e4 is bent radially inward at the end of the slideway of the eyelet and the end piece into a coaxial to angled upper part of the actuating rod 5e4, which, like the vertical part of the actuating rod 5e4 located above the slideway of the eyelet, is slidably guided in the axial direction in a bore parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 5c. The actuating rod 5e4 is fastened by means of a screw 5e2 to a handle 5e1 which is mounted on the shaft 5d of the holding body 5 so as to be displaceable in the axial direction of the shaft. The handle 5e1 is loaded by a compression spring 5e3 in the sense of its downward movement and thus an insertion of the locking pin 5e5 into one of the transverse bores 6e (FIG. 6a). The carrying handle of the holding body 5 is denoted by 5a and is connected to the sleeve 5c by means of connecting rods 5b which pass through the shaft 5d in the longitudinal direction. To make it easier to fit the sleeve 5c or the receptacle 1, 2 or the cover 3 onto the central holding rod 6, the latter is tapered or rounded at its upper end 6c.

In the embodiment variant shown in FIG. 9, the holding body 5 is fixed on the central holding rod 6 by screwing the holding body provided with an internal thread onto the holding rod 6 provided with an external thread.

In Fig. 5 the small parts container according to the invention is shown in the storage or transport position. For this purpose, the funnel 4 is placed with the edge 4B on the upper edge of the cover 3, that is to say with the funnel neck 4c upward, the holding body 5 being pushed through the funnel neck 4c and with the central holding rod 6 in the manner described by means of the locking pin 5e5 is locked. If the small parts container is now to be put into operation, then the locking of the holding body 5 on the central holding rod 6 is released, namely by pulling up the handle 5e1 and thus the actuating rod 5e4, which results in the locking pin being pulled back by sliding the eyelet along the oblique one Slideway causes. As a result, the holding body 5 can be pulled off the central holding rod 6.

The funnel 4 and, if the lower receptacle 1 is to be filled first, the lid 3 and the second receptacle 2 are then pulled off the central holding rod 6. Then the lid 3 is pushed back onto the holding rod 6 and placed directly on the lower receptacle 1. Then the lid 3 is opposite the receptacle 1 rotated until the projections NAR, NIR have engaged in the corresponding recesses FAR, FIR of the other part. As a result, the partitions 3D of the lid 3 now lie exactly over the partitions 1a of the lower receptacle 1. Now the funnel 4 with its neck 4c is inserted into the filling opening 3e in the lid 3, whereby the outer wall of the funnel neck 4c strikes the inclined lid surface 3d7 the locking pin 3d is pushed back against the force of the spring 3c. As soon as the corresponding hole in the funnel neck 4c is aligned with the guide hole of the locking pin 3d, the locking pin 3d automatically engages, as a result of which the funnel 4 is fixed in the cover 3. The holding body 5 is then inserted with its cylindrical shaft 5d into the funnel holding clip 4d and the sleeve 5c is placed on the central holding bar 6. Now the locking pin 5e5 is withdrawn by means of the handle 5e1 and the actuating rod 5e4, as a result of which the sleeve 5c can be pushed further onto the holding rod 6. After releasing the handle 5e1, the locking pin 5e5 is loaded by the spring 5e3 in the sense of falling into the respective annular groove 6d of the holding rod 6. By pushing the sleeve 5e along the holding rod 6, the locking pin 5e5 snaps into the annular groove and prevents further pushing on. By turning the holding body 5, the locking pin 5e5 comes into alignment with the corresponding transverse bore 6e of the holding rod 6 and automatically falls into the latter, as a result of which the lid is locked with respect to the lower receiving container 1. If these latter two parts are to be rotated relative to one another, then the cover 3 is shifted somewhat upwards along the holding rod by means of the funnel 4, as a result of which the projections NAR NIR disengage from the recesses FAR, FIR, so that a corresponding rotation is possible. To provide the second receptacle 2, it is pushed onto the central holding rod 6 before the lid 3 is placed on it. All further steps proceed as described above in connection with the filling of the first receptacle 1. The individual movements for releasing the parts for mutual rotation are indicated in FIG. 4 by arrows.

In Fig. 2 the small parts container according to the invention is shown during loading with small parts.

To remove the funnel 4, the flap 3a is pressed down, as a result of which the locking pin 3d is pulled back against the force of the spring 3c and pulled out of the bore of the funnel neck 4c by the actuating axis 3d3 sliding along the slot walls, whereby the funnel 4 is released.

For the targeted emptying of individual compartments, as shown in FIG. 3 with regard to emptying a compartment of the lower receptacle 1, after removing the funnel 4, the lid 3 is placed and locked onto the respective receptacle in the manner described, after which the filling opening 3e is then closed compartment to be emptied is rotated. Then the desired compartment can be emptied by simply falling over the small parts container.

Characterized in that the bottoms of the receptacles 1, 2 and the lid 3 are formed by grids, the small parts located in the compartments can be removed without removing them, e.g. B. be cleaned by means of a cold cleaner in that the cleaning agent is sprayed onto the lid from above, whereby it then flows through the entire container while cleaning the parts contained in it.

Claims (9)

1. A container for small parts, in which storage containers disposed one over the other are detachably secured to a central retaining rod and are provided with centring means for determining the relative position of said storage containers, wherein the upper most storage container is adapted to be closed by a cover, which is adapted to be slidably fitted on the central retaining rod, characterized in that the cover (3) is rotatable about the central retaining rod (6) relative to the uppermost storage container (2) and has a filling opening (3e), which is adapted to receive the neck (4c) of a funnel (4), which is provided with means for detachably connecting the funnel to the central retaining rod (6), the storage containers (1, 2) are provided with means for fixing them in different angular positions, and, if desired, the container is adapted to be closed by the funnel (4) in an inverted position.

2. A container for small parts according to claim 1, characterized in that a locking bolt (3d, Figures 7 to 7c) is slidably mounted in the uppermost storage container and is adapted to be pushed into an opening provided in the neck of the funnel so as to lock the funnel to the uppermost storage container.

3. A container for small parts according to claim 2, characterized in that a flap (3a) for actuating the locking bolt (3d) is pivoted to the uppermost storage container and has side cheeks formed with slots, which are oblique to the direction of movement of the locking bolt (3d) and receive pins (3d3) provided on the locking bolt (3d) (Figure 7).

4. A container for small parts according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the funnel (4) is provided with a retaining buckle (4d), which embraces a retaining member (5), which is adapted to be slidably fitted on the retaining rod (6) and serves to lock the storage containers (1, 2) and/or the cover (3).

5. A container for small parts according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a locking pin (5e5, Figures 6-6c) is transversely displaceably mounted in the retaining member (5), annular grooves for receiving the locking pin being provided on the central retaining rod (6).

6. A container for small parts according to claim 5, characterized in that a bore which is transverse to the axis of the retaining rod extends through each annular groove of the retaining rod, the locking pin (5e) being adapted to be slidably inserted into said bore (Figures 6a, 6b).

7. A container for small parts according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that an actuating rod (5e4) is slidably mounted in the retaining member (5) to be displaceable transversely to the direction of the displacement of the locking pin (5e5) and is particularly displaceable against the pressure of a spring (5e3) and comprises a section which is oblique to the direction of displacement, the locking pin (5e5) being coupled to said section particularly by means of an eye (Figure 6c), which is formed on the locking pin (5e5) and is slidably fitted on the actuating rod.

8. A container for small parts according to claim 7, characterized in that the actuating rod (5e4) for the locking bolt (5e5) is secured to a handle (5e1), which is slidably mounted on the retaining member (5).

9. A container for small parts according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bottoms of the storage containers (1, 2) are provided with openings, such openings being preferably provided in the bottoms of the storage containers (1, 2), defined by the elements of a grid which constitutes the bottom.

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