EP1798001A1

EP1798001A1 - Safety package for nails, screws and the like

Info

Publication number: EP1798001A1
Application number: EP06125427A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuseppe Righini
Original assignee: Packcenter SRL
Current assignee: Packcenter SRL
Priority date: 2005-12-15
Filing date: 2006-12-05
Publication date: 2007-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2026-12-05
Also published as: ATE439950T1; PL1798001T3; DE602006008561D1; ITBO20050766A1; ES2334255T3; EP1798001B1

Abstract

A safety package for nails, screws and the like, comprising at least one support (2) provided with at least one openable case (3) for nails (4), screws and the like, and comprising at least one retention element (5) which is adapted to support the nail (4) and/or screw in the working position and such that the hand of the operator is at a sufficient safety distance so that it is not struck accidentally by hammers, screwdrivers or other handling tools.

Description

The present invention relates to a safety package for nails, screws and the like.
The use of tools such as hammers, screwdrivers and others, both in the domestic field and in the professional field, often causes more or less severe injuries, due mainly to the accidental impacts of such tools on the hands of the operator.
As is known, these impacts may be caused by simple negligence or carelessness in driving nails or screws, or by difficult working conditions, due for example to haste or to the lack of working space, and others.
The need is therefore felt to provide suitable protections for the hands of the operator, especially with particular reference to the operations performed in the domestic environment, which, as is known, are often performed without the necessary precautions which instead an expert professional knows how to take.
The aim of the present invention is to meet the above mentioned requirement, by providing a safety package for nails, screws and the like which allows to perform operations with hammers, screwdrivers and other tools in conditions of maximum safety.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a safety package for nails, screws and the like which is practical, reliable and versatile in use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety package which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost.
This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present safety package for nails, screws and the like, which comprises at least one support provided with at least one openable case for nails, screws and the like, characterized in that it comprises at least one retention element which is adapted to support the nail and/or screw in the working position and such that the hand of the operator is at a sufficient safety distance so that it is not struck accidentally by hammers, screwdrivers or other handling tools.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a safety package for nails, screws and the like according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the package according to the invention, in a first embodiment and in the working configuration;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the package of Figure 1, in the nail positioning configuration;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the package according to the invention, in a second embodiment and in the working configuration;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the package of Figure 3, in the nail positioning configuration;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the package according to the invention, in a third embodiment;
Figure 6 is a plan view of the retention element of the package according to the invention, in a fourth embodiment;
Figure 7 is a plan view of the retention element of the package according to the invention, in a fifth embodiment.

In the exemplary embodiments that follow, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other exemplary embodiments.
Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
With reference to Figure 1, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a safety package for nails, screws and the like according to the invention, in a first embodiment thereof.
The package 1 is of the type which comprises at least one support, generally designated by the reference numeral 2, which is provided with at least one openable case 3 for nails, screws and/or the like (for example nuts, staples or others), designated by the reference numeral 4.
The support 2, which has any shape, is preferably made of a synthetic material such as plastics or of other materials having equivalent mechanical characteristics, for reasons which will become better apparent hereinafter. The support 2 can be affected by a sort of window 2a, which allows to hang said support on a suitable hook provided in the display and sale space.
The openable case 3 can be made for example of plastics (clear or opaque) and glued to the support 2, or can be made equally of other materials and be fixed to said support by means of connecting elements of a different kind.
According to the invention, the safety package comprises at least one retention element 5, which is adapted to support with one hand 6 the nail 4 and/or the screw in the working position and is such that said hand is at a sufficient safety distance, so that it cannot be struck accidentally by hammers 7, screwdrivers or other handling tools.
In greater detail, the retention element 5 is constituted advantageously by a portion of the support 2 which is affected by at least one seat 8 for the insertion of at least one nail 4 and/or a screw.
The insertion seat 8 is formed conveniently by two mutually opposite tabs 9, 10, which are elastically flexible and are associated with the support 2: the tabs 9, 10 can thus be moved manually from an active configuration (Figure 1), in which they are kept elastically against each other so as to retain the nail 4 and/or the screw, to a configuration for positioning the nail 4 (Figure 2), in which they are substantially mutually spaced so as to allow the operator to insert the nail 4 between them.
Each of the tabs 9, 10 has its respective free end 9a, 10a affected by curved regions 11 for the insertion of the shaft of the nail 4 and/or of the screw; the tabs 9, 10 are further provided with respective bridges 12, 13 for elastically flexible connection to the support 2.
The tabs 9, 10 have respective end portions 14, 15, which are arranged mutually opposite the respective free ends 9a, 10a and are affected by finger insertion recesses 16.
The method of use of the package according to the invention is as follows. Once the case 3 has been opened to extract the nails 4 and/or screws, a slight pressure is applied to the tabs 9, 10 by inserting the fingers in the recesses 16 so as to move the tabs into a mutually spaced nail positioning configuration; by releasing the tabs 9, 10, the nail is retained elastically between them and therefore can be driven with the hammer 7 simply by holding the support 2 with one hand; this allows to keep the hand at a sufficient safety distance.
It is noted that the retention element 5 can be provided so that it is removable from the support 2 in order to facilitate its use; in particular, the retention element 5 can be delimited by at least one tear line which is formed in the support 2, or, as an alternative, the retention element 5 can be glued to said support.
It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.
The package according to the invention allows to avoid injuries with hammers, screwdrivers and the like in an extremely cheap and versatile manner.
It is noted that the retention element can be provided in any position with respect to the support (for example above, below, laterally).
It is further possible to provide an opposite constructive solution, in which the tabs are closed against each other by manual pressure and are instead kept elastically open for nail insertion.
A second embodiment of the package according to the invention is shown in Figures 3 and 4. In this example, the package comprises a plurality of insertion seats 8, 8a, so as to make its use even more versatile.
In greater detail, the support 2 is affected by second insertion seats 8a, each of which is constituted by a sort of slot which is substantially V-shaped; the sides of the V-shaped slot are provided with respective distributions of teeth 17 for retaining the nail. The nail is inserted by pressure in the second seats 8a until it is retained stably by interference.
A third embodiment of the package is shown in Figure 5. Second V-shaped insertion seats 8a are provided here, and there is a third insertion seat 8b which is constituted by a sort of slot which is provided in the support 2 and has a zigzag profile. The support 2 is further affected by fourth insertion seats 8c, which have a substantially circular closed shape, fifth insertion seats 8d, which have a substantially circular open configuration on the edge of the support 2, sixth insertion seats 8e, which have a substantially hexagonal closed configuration, and seventh insertion seats 8f, which have a substantially hexagonal open configuration on the edge of the support 2. The plurality of seats 8-8f gives extreme versatility to the package, since it can be used for nails, screws or other elements having the most disparate shapes and dimensions.
In a fourth embodiment (Figure 6), the retention element 5 is separated from the support 2 and is for example inserted in the case 3. It is constituted preferably by a sort of pincers with mutually opposite jaws 18, 19 provided with recesses 20 for the retention of the nail 4 and/or of the screw. By applying pressure to the jaws 18, 19, the nail is retained.
In a fifth embodiment, the retention element 5 comprises a sort of pincers which are separated from the support 2 and preferably inserted in the case 3 and have crossed jaws 18, 19 provided with recesses 20 for retention of the nail. By pressing the jaws 18, 19, the nail 4 is released.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
All the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2005A000766 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A safety package for nails, screws and the like, comprising at least one support (2) provided with at least one openable case (3) for nails (4), screws and the like, characterized in that it comprises at least one retention element (5) which is adapted to support the nail (4) and/or screw in the working position and such that the hand of the operator is at a sufficient safety distance so that it is not struck accidentally by hammers, screwdrivers or other handling tools.
The package according to claim 1, characterized in that said retention element (5) is constituted by a portion of said support (2) which is affected by at least one seat (8) for the insertion of at least one nail (4) and/or of a screw.
The package according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said seat (8) for the insertion of at least one nail (4) and/or screw is formed by two mutually opposite elastically flexible tabs (9, 10) which are associated with said support (2), said tabs (9, 10) being thus movable from at least one active configuration, in which they are kept elastically against each other so as to retain the nail (4) and/or screw, to at least one configuration for positioning the nail (4), in which they are substantially mutually spaced.
The package according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said insertion seat (8) of at least one nail (4) and/or screw is formed by two mutually opposite elastically flexible tabs (9, 10) which are associated with said support (2), said tabs (9, 10) being thus movable from at least one active configuration, in which they are kept against each other by manual pressure so as to retain the nail (4) and/or screw, to at least one configuration for positioning the nail (4), in which they are kept elastically substantially mutually spaced.
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said tabs (9, 10) has its respective free end (9a, 10a) affected by recesses (11) for the insertion of the shaft of the nail (4) and/or screw.
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a pair of bridges (12, 13), for respectively connecting in an elastically flexible manner said tabs (9, 10) to said support (2).
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of said insertion seats (8, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f).
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one second insertion seat (8a), which is constituted by a sort of slot which is formed in said support and is substantially V-shaped.
The package according to claim 8, characterized in that the sides of said V-shaped slot are provided with respective distributions of teeth (17) for retaining the nail (4).
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one third insertion seat (8b), which is constituted by a sort of slot which is formed in said support (2) and has a zigzag profile.
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one fourth insertion seat (8c) which has a substantially circular closed shape and is provided in said support (2).
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one fifth insertion seat (8d) which has a substantially circular open shape on the edge of said support (2).
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one sixth insertion seat (8e) which has a substantially hexagonal closed shape and is provided in said support (2).
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one seventh insertion seat (8f) which has a substantially hexagonal open shape on the edge of said support (2).
The package according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said retention element (5) can be removed from said support (2).
The package according to claim 15, characterized in that said retention element (5) is delimited by at least one tear line which is formed in said support (2).
The package according to claim 15, characterized in that said retention element (5) is glued to said support (2).
The package according to claim 1, characterized in that said retention element (5) is inserted in said case (3).
The package according to claim 18, characterized in that said retention element (5) comprises at least one sort of pincers with mutually opposite jaws (18, 19) which are provided with recesses (20) for the retention of the nail (4).
The package according to claim 18, characterized in that said retention element (5) comprises at least one sort of pincers with jaws (18, 19) which are crossed and are provided with recesses (20) for retaining the nail (4).