GB2270064A

GB2270064A - Container with cord to grip contents

Info

Publication number: GB2270064A
Application number: GB9218052A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher John Ake
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-08-25
Filing date: 1992-08-25
Publication date: 1994-03-02
Anticipated expiration: 2012-08-25
Also published as: GB9218052D0; GB2270064B

Abstract

A hollow container (10) for elongate objects such as artists brushes, and comprising at least two parts (11, 12, 13) that can be secured together to form the container, and a flexible cord (31) having its ends secured to relatively rotatable parts (12, 13) of the container. Elongate objects placed in the container can be gripped by the cord (31) simply by rotating said parts relative to each other to cause the cord to wrap around said objects. <IMAGE>

Description

A Container This invention relates to a container for holding elongated objects such as artists brushes, scalpels, knives, pencils, etc.

Hollow containers for holding artists brushes etc., unless filled with some cushioning material or filled to capacity, generally allow the objects in the container to rattle around loosely within the container. This may lead to damage to the objects housed in the container.

The present invention provides a container in which the elongated objects are securly held within the container.

Accordingly there is provided a hollow container for elongate objects, the container comprising at least two parts that can be secured together to form an enclosed container and a flexible cord means having its ends secured to relatively rotatable parts of the container so that elongage objects placed in the container can be gripped by the cord simply by rotating said parts relative to each other to cause the cord to wrap around said objects.

Preferably said parts comprise a first hollow half container, a securing means attached to the first half container and rotatable relative to the first half container, and a second hollow half container which is releasably engagable with the securing means for assembly of the two half containers together and the cord means has one end fixed to the first half container and its other end fixed to one of the securing ring and second half container, so that elongate objects placed in the container may be gripped securely by said cord simply by rotating the two half containers relative to each other.

Preferably the securing means is a ring which is rotatably mounted on the first half container and includes a one way locking device which is operable to allow rotation between the ring and first half container in one direction of rotation but not in the other direction.

Conveniently the one way locking device comprises an annular ratchet on the first half container and resilient pawl on the securing ring, the pawl being disengagable from the ratchet to effect relative rotational movement in said other direction.

Preferably the other end of the cord is fixed to the securing means, preferably to the pawl.

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig 1 is a perspective view of a container exploded into its different components, Fig 2 is an axial section through a portion of the container in an assembled condition, Fig 3 is a radial cross-section through an assembled container.

With reference to Figs 1 to 3 there is shown a hollow container 10 comprising a first (or lower) hollow cylindrical half container 12, a second (or upper) hollow cylindrical half container 11 and a securing means 13 in the form of an annular securing ring 13. The securing ring 13 is rotatably mounted on the lower half container 12 with the lower portion 13b of the ring being a resilient snap-fit into a groove 14 in the upper portion of the lower half container.

A one way locking device 15, 16 in the form of a pawl and ratchet is operable to allow rotation between the ring 13 and the lower half container in one rotational direction but not in the other rotational direction. An annular ratchet 15 is located on the radially outer surface of the lower half container 12 adjacent the mouth 17 thereof and the pawl 16 is located on the end of a resilient tongue 18 which is formed integrally with the securing ring 13.

The tongue 18 extends circumferentially of the ring 13 at its mid-portion 13a , and is separated from the ring except at its root by d 'U' shaped through slot 19. The pawl 16 is made to engage the ratchet 15 by moving the free end of the tongue radially inwards . The remainder of the mid-portion 13a of the securing ring has a hand grip 20 formed externally thereof to facilitate turning of the ring 13 relative to the lower half container 12 . The upper half container 11 forms a lid and has a stepped smaller diameter portion 21 on its radially outer surface adjacent the mouth thereof 22. The stepped diameter portion fits slidingly into the ring 13. The external surface of the stepped diameter portion 21 is formed with a bayonet fitting 23 which is releasably engageable with an internal pin 24 on the inner surface of the securing ring 13.

A pawl release 25 in the form of a circumferentially extending raised land is located on said stepped smaller diameter portion circumferentially spaced from one of the bayonet fittings 23 so that if the bayonet fitting is turned to a release condition the land 25 comes into alignment under the tongue 18 and raises the pawl 16 from engagement with the ratchet teeth. The upper half container 11 is thus capable of only limited rotational movement in both rotational directions relative to the securing ring 13.

A flexible cord 31 is located within the lower half container 12 and has one end 32 fixed to the wall of the lower half container and its other end 33 fixed to either the wall of the upper half container 11, or preferably to the tongue 18 of the securing ring 13. The ends 32, 33 of the cord 31 can be simply knotted with the knots recessed into the respective ring and half container.

In use the lower half container is held by the grip 20 on the securing ring 13 and elongate objects, e.g. pens, paint brushes, scalpels, etc., are placed in the lower half container 12 with the cord 31 also pushed into the lower container.

The upper half container 11 is pushed into the securing ring 13 with the bayonet fitting 23 aligned with the pins 24. The upper half 11 is then twisted clockwise for limited rotational movement relative to the gripped ring 13 to move the pins 24 into full engagement in the respective bayonet fittings 23. The upper half container 11 is then rotated clockwise holding the lower half container 12 causing rotation of the ring 13 relative to the lower half container 12 and wrapping the cord 31 around the contents.

The relative rotation continues until the resistance prevents further rotation. At this point the objects are firmly gripped by the cord 31 and the tension in the cord 31 pulls the pawl 16 radially inwardly to engage the ratchet 15 to prevent anti-clockwise relative rotation and unwinding of the cord from around the objects.

To open the container, the ring 13 is held by the grip 20 and the upper half container 11 is rotated anti-clockwise to release the bayonet fitting, this cause the release land 25 to move circumferentially into alignment under the tongue 18 and raise the pawl 16 radially outwardly against the tension in the cord 31 and disengage the pawl and ratchet mechanism. Further anti-clockwise movement of the upper half container 11 relative to lower half container rotates the ring 13 anti-clockwise relative to the lower half container and causes the cord 31 to unwrap and release the objects within the lower half container 12 The two halves 11, 12, of the container can then be separated to allow removal of the objects from the container.

Claims

1. A hollow container for elongate objects, the container comprising at least two parts that can be secured together to form an enclosed container and a flexible cord means having its ends secured to relatively rotatable parts of the container so that elongage objects placed in the container can be gripped by the cord simply by rotating said parts relative to each other to cause the cord to wrap around said objects.

2. A hollow container as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said parts comprises a first hollow half container, a securing means attached to the first half container and rotatable relative to the first half container, and a second hollow half container which is releasably engagable with the securing means for assembly of the two half containers together, and the cord means has one end fixed to the first half container and its other end fixed to one of the securing ring and second half container, so that elongate objects placed in the container may be gripped securely by said cord simply by rotating the two half containers relative to each.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the second half container is capable of only limited rotation relative to the securing means.

4. A container as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the second half container is secured to the securing means through a bayonet type connection.

5. A container as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the securing means is a ring which is rotatably mounted on the first half container and includes a one way locking device which is operable to allow rotation between the ring and first half container in one direction of rotation but not in the other direction.

6. A container as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the one way locking device comprises an annular ratchet on the first half container and a resilient pawl on the securing ring, the pawl being disengagable from the ratchet to effect relative rotational movement in said other direction.

7. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 6 wherein the other end of the cord is fixed to the securing means.

8. A container as claimed in Claim 7 when dependant upon Claim 6, wherein the other end of the cord is connected to the pawl so that when the cord has been tightened around said objects the cord pulls the pawl into engagement with the ratchet.

9. A container as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the second half container has a release device thereon which can move the pawl to a released position when the second half container is in a detachable condition relative to the first half container.

10. A container as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the release device is a raised area on the external cylindrical surface of the second half container, the second half container being rotatable relative to the securing means in said other direction to cause the raised area to lift the pawl against the tension in the cord.

11. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 10, wherein the securing means has a finger grip on its external surface.

12. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 12, wherein the second half container is in the form of a lid.