GB1562851A - Combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A COMBINATION OF A RECEPTACLE AND A PENCIL SHARPENER (71) We, FLYING Roc INDUSTRIAL COMPANY LLMITED, a Company of Hong Kong, of 74 Hung To Road, 7th Floor, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to a combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener.

According to the present invention there is provided a combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener, which receptacle is adapted to receive the pencil sharpener therein in an operative position and which receptacle comprises a panel for defining a wall or part of a wall of the receptacle, the panel being provided with abutment means for enabling the pencil sharpener to be retained in the operative position thereof, the receptacle being provided with second means for enabling the panel to be retained so as to define said wall or said part, the arrangement being such that, on positioning of the pencil sharpener in the operative position in the receptacle and on positioning of the panel such that the panel defines the wall or wall part, the abutment means can come into contact with the pencil sharpener thereby to retain the pencil sharpener in the operative position.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a combination in which the receptacle has a panel which is of simple construction, readily manufactured and readily assembled to define a wall or part of a wall of the receptacle and which retains, via the abutment means, the pencil sharpener in the operative position thereof thereby obviating the necessity of a step of gluing or soldering the pencil sharpener to the receptacle to retain the pencil sharpener in the operative position.

In a preferred embodiment, the panel comprises material that can be heatstamped so that the exterior surface of the panel has a design thereon, for example one of the signs of thc zodiac.

Constituent parts of the receptacle, and preferably, the entire receptacle, are of a suitable material such as plastics material or a metal for example a diecasting alloy, preferably a zinc diecasting alloy. Advantageously, appropriate constituent parts are moulded, or cast, in one piece.

For ease of manufacture, the abutment means are preferably integral with the panel, and normally in the form of a flange extending from the interior surface of the panel, and the panel is moulded from plastics material or obtained, by casting, from a diecasting alloy. Advantageously, the base and walls of the receptacle, apart from the wall or the part of the wall defined by the panel, are manufactured, preferably in one piece, from plastics material or the diecasting alloy. A panel having the desired design thereon can be readily selected during manufacture of the receptacle and readily inserted into the partly made receptacle.

In an embodiment of the present invention wherein the panel defines part of the wall, the second means, preferably, comprises flanges provided at edges of the panel and guide means provided in the receptacle to guide the panel into position and to maintain the panel in position. The receptacle can have two substantially vertical members extending from the base thereof for receiving the pencil sharpener therebetween and the positioning means of the panel can extend substantially horizontally from the interior surface of the panel and above the substantially vertical members to retain the pencil sharpener in the operative position thereof.

The receptacle can be in any desired suitable shape. For example, the receptacle can be in the form of a desk.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be put into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded front perspective view of an embodiment of a combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 shows a rear elevational view of the combination of Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows a base view of the combination of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawngs, there is shown a receptacle 1 containing a pencil sharpener 2, the receptacle 1 being in the form of a desk having a single drawer 3 and having a figurine 4 in the form of one of the signs of the zodiac situated on top of the desk. In this embodiment the figurine represents the sign Gemini.

The receptacle 1 comprises a substantially U-shaped portion 7 which defines a base 5, side walls 6 and sections 8 and 9 of front and back walls of the desk. The constituent parts of the U-shaped portion are of plastics material, or of a zinc diecasting alloy, and are interconnected.

Advantageously, the U-shaped portion is moulded or cast in one piece. The pencil sharpener 2 extends centrally across the width of the base 5; such that the aperture of the pencil sharpener for receiving a pencil to be sharpened is adjacent the back wall section 9 and the cuttmg blade 10 of the pencil sharpener lies superjacent the base 5. The pencil sharpener is situated between two planar members 11, which extend substantially vertically from the base 5 to a little above the height of the pencil sharpener 2 and above a central rectangular slot 12 in the base extending the length of the cutting blade 10 of the pencil sharpener. The members 11 extend almost the entire width of the interior of the receptacle 1 and terminate a distance from the back wall thereof.Due to the positioning of the members 11, the pencil sharpener 2 is restricted from sliding along the base of the receptacle.

The front and back wall sections 8, 9 each comprise a central portion extending from the base and two side portions in the form of strips extending the length of the front or back wall and being adjacent respective of the side walls. The front wall central portion terminates at a level substantially corresponding to the height of the members 11 and the back wall central portion, of smaller height than that of the front wal! central portion, has a semicircular groove 13 at the upper edge thereof. The groove 13 is situated so as to be in register with part of the aperture of the pencil sharpener. The remainder of the hack wall of the receptacle is defined by a panel 14 which can be slidably inserted into the back wall section.The lower edge of the panel has a semi-circular groove 15 which, together with the semi-circular groove 13 of the back wall central portion, defines an aperture for a pencil in register with the aperture of the pencil sharpener 2.

In this embodiment, the panel 14 is in the form of a sheet 18 of plastics material or zinc diecasting alloy that can be heatstamped having, affixed to the back thereof, two strips 16 of plastics material or zinc diecasting alloy. Each strip 16 extends beyond the side and lower edges of the sheet to form positioning flanges which, during insertion of the panel into the back wall section, abut the back wall section 9 such that, when the panel is in position, the exterior surface of the panel is flush with the exterior surface of the back wall section.

Guide means are provided in the form of two rods i7 each being vertically positioned on the base 5 of the receptacle closely adjacent the panel 14 and between the members 11 and the side walls 6. These rods 17 assist in guiding the panel 14 into position and in retaining the panel 14 in position.

The sheet 18 is also provided with an integral flange 19 extending horizontally above the groove 15 thereof such that, when the panel 14 is in position, the flange 19 abouts the top of the pencil sharpener, thereby retaining the pencil sharpener 2 in the operative position.

The drawer < lies above the pencil sharpener 2 and the members 11 of the base and completes the remainder of the front desk. The top surface of the desk comprises a sheet 20 of moulded plastics material or of a zinc diecasting alloy having a series of holes punched therein. The sheet has a peripheral projection 21 such that the projection engages around the upper edges of the back and side walls.

The figurine 4 is attached, for example, by glue, to the upper surface of the sheet 20.

The base 5 of the U-shaped portion 7 has legs 22 at the corners thereof.

Normally, the exterior surface of the panel has hot-stamped thereon a design, such as a sign of the zodiac, corresponding to that of the figurine.

In use, a pencil can be readily inserted into the aperture in the back wall of the receptacle 1 and hence into the pencil sharpener 2 per se and shavings from the pencil sharpener can leave the receptacle via the slot 12. In this embodiment, the panel 14 is retained in position after insertion thereof, by the sheet 20. However, if required, the receptacle 1 could be adapted to enable the panel 14 to be slidably removed after constructlon to enable replacement of a worn pencil sharpener.

As is apparent, the pencil sharpener 2 in this embodiment is readily and easily maintained in the operative position by sliding the panel 14 into position in the U-shaped portion 7, the flange 19 of the panel maintaining the pencil sharpener 2 in the operative position thereof. As a result, the pencil sharpener does not require to be glued or soldered into position, which gluing and soldering is a time consuming process. Also, a receptacle such as de scribed is normally mass produced and, because the figurine and panel having corresponding markings can simply be applied to the partly made receptacle as required, greater flexibility in manufacture can be attained.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener, which receptacle is adapted to receive the pencil sharpener therein in an operative position and which receptacle comprises a panel for defining a wall or part of a wall of the receptacle, the panel being provided with abutment means for enabling the pencil sharpener to be retained in the operative position thereof, the receptacle being provided with second means for enabling the panel to be retained so as to define said wall or said part, the arrangement being such that, on positioning of the pencil sharpener in the operative position in the receptacle and on positioning of the panel such that the panel defines the wall or wall part, the abutment means can come into contact with the pencil sharpener thereby to retain the pencil sharpener in the operative position.

2. A combination according to Claim 1, wherein the panel comprises material that can be heat-stamped.

3. A combination according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the abutment means are integral with the panel and are in the form of a flange extending from the surface of the panel.

4. A combination according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the panel defines, at least partly, an aperture for a pencil to be sharpened.

5. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receptacle has two substantially vertical members extending from a base of the receptacle for receiving the pencil sharpener therebetween, wherein the panel defines part of a side wall of the receptacle ar,d wherein the abutment means extends substantially horizontally from the panel and above the substantially vertical members to retain the pencil sharpener in the operative position thereof.

6. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel defines part of a wall and wherein the second means comprises flanges provided at edges of the panel and guide means provided in the receptacle to guide the panel into position and to maintain the panel in position.

7. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel comprises plastics material.

8. A combination according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the panel comprises a diecasting alloy.

9. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein constituent parts of the receptacle are moulded from plastics material.

10. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein constituent parts of the receptacle are of a die casting alloy.

11. A combination according to Claim 8 or 10, wherein the diecasting alloy is a zinc diecasting alloy.

12. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pencil sharpener is operatively situated in the receptacle.

13. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receptacle is in the form of a desk having a drawer.

14. A combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (14)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. required, the receptacle 1 could be adapted to enable the panel 14 to be slidably removed after constructlon to enable replacement of a worn pencil sharpener. As is apparent, the pencil sharpener 2 in this embodiment is readily and easily maintained in the operative position by sliding the panel 14 into position in the U-shaped portion 7, the flange 19 of the panel maintaining the pencil sharpener 2 in the operative position thereof. As a result, the pencil sharpener does not require to be glued or soldered into position, which gluing and soldering is a time consuming process. Also, a receptacle such as de scribed is normally mass produced and, because the figurine and panel having corresponding markings can simply be applied to the partly made receptacle as required, greater flexibility in manufacture can be attained. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener, which receptacle is adapted to receive the pencil sharpener therein in an operative position and which receptacle comprises a panel for defining a wall or part of a wall of the receptacle, the panel being provided with abutment means for enabling the pencil sharpener to be retained in the operative position thereof, the receptacle being provided with second means for enabling the panel to be retained so as to define said wall or said part, the arrangement being such that, on positioning of the pencil sharpener in the operative position in the receptacle and on positioning of the panel such that the panel defines the wall or wall part, the abutment means can come into contact with the pencil sharpener thereby to retain the pencil sharpener in the operative position.

2. A combination according to Claim 1, wherein the panel comprises material that can be heat-stamped.

3. A combination according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the abutment means are integral with the panel and are in the form of a flange extending from the surface of the panel.

4. A combination according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the panel defines, at least partly, an aperture for a pencil to be sharpened.

5. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receptacle has two substantially vertical members extending from a base of the receptacle for receiving the pencil sharpener therebetween, wherein the panel defines part of a side wall of the receptacle ar,d wherein the abutment means extends substantially horizontally from the panel and above the substantially vertical members to retain the pencil sharpener in the operative position thereof.

6. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel defines part of a wall and wherein the second means comprises flanges provided at edges of the panel and guide means provided in the receptacle to guide the panel into position and to maintain the panel in position.

7. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel comprises plastics material.

8. A combination according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the panel comprises a diecasting alloy.

9. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein constituent parts of the receptacle are moulded from plastics material.

10. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein constituent parts of the receptacle are of a die casting alloy.

11. A combination according to Claim 8 or 10, wherein the diecasting alloy is a zinc diecasting alloy.

12. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pencil sharpener is operatively situated in the receptacle.

13. A combination according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receptacle is in the form of a desk having a drawer.

14. A combination of a receptacle and a pencil sharpener, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.