ZA200507869B

ZA200507869B - Small indicator block

Info

Publication number: ZA200507869B
Application number: ZA200507869A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Mainetti Mario
Original assignee: Mainetti Tecnologies S P A
Priority date: 2003-03-19
Filing date: 2005-09-29
Publication date: 2007-02-28
Also published as: CN100591249C; ITVI20030053A1; CN1761423A

Description

LS y - 1 - . Title: SMALL INDICATOR BLOCK . The present finding refers to a small indicator block.

The use of small indicator blocks that are applied to products in order to identify them is well known in many industries, particularly in the trade field.

The small indicator blocks of the known type have the drawback of being easily removed from their attachment seat.

This removal easiness is dangerous as it means having some objects without the small indicator block and makes possible exchanges of goods easy by ill-disposed people during the handling of goods in warehouses or in stores and this might mainly occur particularly when the small indicator block is applied on coat hangers or garment bags in general with size~-mark functions.

Moreover, as coat hangers are commonly used at home, if the size- mark small block is €asily removable, there is the risk that kids take it as a toy and due to its small sizes and bright colours it could be mistaken for a sweet and therefore dangerously swallowed. )

The object of the present invention is the provision of manufacturing a small indicator block that after having been assembled on the support prevents these negative events from occurring.

This object is achieved through a first embodiment of a small indicator block that, after having been assembled on the support, can be removed and kept as a single piece only with a difficult operation for which the operator needs to use a specific tool and carry out a specific operation kids hardly guess. :

This object is achieved through a second embodiment of a small indicator block that is fixedly assembled on the support so that it can be removed only with an opération that jeopardizes its integrity ang thus not allow its reuse.

A further object of the invention is the provision of manufacturing a small indicator block that can be easily and quickly applied both manually and automatically on the body of the support.

* 1 4 - 2 - . A further object of the invention is the manufacturing of a small indicator block that can be produced by a simple moulding step of . plastic material.

These objects are achieved, according to the finding, by means of a small block made of a substantially parallelepiped box-shaped body with a longitudinal opening on its side surface which, allowing its insertion into a thin wall formed on the body of the support, allows the tonguing between a bridge associated to the above-said longitudinal opening and at least one counteracting elastic tab formed on the aforesaid thin wall in order to carry out the required attachment.

Finally, the finding foresees that when the removal operation of the small block without jeopardizing its integrity is required, this operation can be carried out due to the fact that, when the above-said small block is assembled on the support body, a portion of the elastic tab projects from said small block thus allowing the operator to act on the above-said portion in order to carry out the required release.

During the operating step, the small indicator block is at first brought closed to and then inserted into the thin wall by hand or by mechanical means so that the bridge of said small block when entering into the recess containing the tab, slightly deforms it so that after it is overcome by the bridge, as it is slightly elastic, it springs back into the initial position in order to form an abatement step. This step avoids the spring back of the bridge; the required attachment of the small indicator block on the fixed body is therefore obtained, thus avoiding the release of the support from the body.

During the operating step, in order to remove the small indicator block from the fixed body, the operator needs to operate with a suitably shaped tool such as a pin or other small-sized and small thickness sharpened tool on the small portion of tab projecting from the small block and exerting a pressure on it, he slightly deforms it as much as required in order to release said tab from the bridge of the small block and therefore allowing its removal from the fixed body.

The features of the small indicator block and of the support wall obtained on the fixed body will become clear from the description of a»

» - 3 = ] Some possible embodiments, that are given only by way of a non-limiting example with the aid of the attached drawings, wherein: . ~ Figure 1 and 2 represent a detailed perspective view of a coat hanger equipped with a small indicator block of the type that is assembled in 5S a removable way on the support; ~ Figure 3 represents the exploded perspective view of the small indicator block of Figure 1; - Figures 4 to 8 represent the orthogonal and perspective views of the small indicator block of Figure 1 in a first embodiment; - Figures 9 to 13 represent the orthogonal and perspective views of the small indicator block according to Figure 1 in a second embodiment; - Figures 14 to 17 and 18 to 21 represent, in sequence, the attachment steps on the support of the small block of Figure 1, respectively with one or two elastic tabs; - Figures 22 to 25 represent a first embodiment of the support for the application of the small indicator block of Figure 1; - Figures 26 to 29 represent a second embodiment of the support for the application of the small indicator block of Figure 1; - Figures 30 to 33 represent a third embodiment of the support for the application of the small indicator block of Figure 1; - Figures 34 to 37 represent a fourth embodiment of the support for the application of the small indicator block of Figure 1; - Figures 38 to 41 represent a fifth embodiment of the support for the application of the small indicator block of Figure 1; - Figure 42 and 43 represent a sixth embodiment of the support for the application of the small indicator block of Figure 1; - Figure 44 represents a perspective view of a coat hanger equipped with the small indicator block of the invention, of the kind being integrally assembled on the support; - Figures from 45 to 47 represent the perspective views of the small block of Figure 44, respectively in the assembled and exploded conditions of its components;

* 4 - 4 ~ . = Figures 48 to 50 represent the small indicator block of Figure 44 in three different perspective views; h ~ Figures 51 to 53 and 54 to 56 represent the attachment steps of the small indicator block of Figure 44 in sequence on a support respectively equipped with one and two elastic tabs; - Figure 57 and 58 represent the perspective views of two possible embodiments of the small indicator block of the invention, obtained by co-injection or post-injection of two different components.

As it can be seen from Figures 1 to 3, the small indicator block referenced to in its whole with no. 1 is fastened to a thin wall 2 obtained on the body 3 and is specifically but not exclusively formed by a coat hanger; on said thin wall a hollow space 6 containing at least one tab 4 projecting towards the inner part of the same hollow space and provided with an elastic stem is obtained.

As it can be seen in Figures from 4 to 8, the small indicator block 1 is made of a hollow body 11 whose shape is a substantially right parallelepiped with a longitudinal slot 12 on one of the sides of its lateral surface that develops for the whole height of the same small block and whose width “S” corresponds to the thickness of the thin wall 2 being present on the support body 3.

The slot 12 ends with two openings 13 whose width “G” corresponds to the distance between the two opposite internal walls of the same small block in order to form the seat for the guiding keys on the thin wall; the guiding keys are better defined in the description herein below.

The slot 12 is interrupted, preferably in the central position, by a cross bridge 14.1 acting as an attachment element of the small indicator block 1 with the support body 3 and, moreover, it is a strengthening and stiffening element of the body of said small block.

In a similar way, as it can be seen in Figures from 9 to 13, the small indicator block 1, in one of its possible manufacturing version, shows the bridge 14.2 placed inside the body, preferably close to the wall equipped with the slot 12 in order to increase the stiffening of the same body.

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Ld -5 ~- , As it can be deduced from the sequence of the Figures from 14 to 17 and from 18 to 21, the attachment is made thanks to the flexibility . of the single tab or of the couple of tabs 4 (see Figures 42 and 43) obstructing the groove 7 wherein the bridge 14 slides when the body 11

S is inserted into the thin wall 2.

The stroke of the bridge 14 stops when the same bridge goes and places upstream of the tabs 4 and is therefore blocked by their spring back.

According to the invention, the removal of the small block from the support is made possible due to the fact that, as it can be seen in

Figures 2, 17 and 21, when the small block 1 is assembled, a portion of an end 5 of the elastic tab 4 partially projects from the above-said small block, the operator acting with a tool “K” on said projecting portion moves and slightly deforms the tab, thus allowing the release of the bridge from the same tab and the removal of the small block.

As it can be seen from Figures 22 to 25, in a first embodiment of the support seat 2 of the small indicator lock, two opposite couples of ribs 20 and 21 are associated, their width “L” is higher than the thickness “S” of the thin wall 2 and at least equal or higher than the width of the small block 1 and form the upper and lower support and guiding bases of the same small block (see Figures 24 and 25).

As it can be seen in Figures from 22 to 25, on the thin wall 2, two small keys 22 and 23 projecting from the two couples of ribs 20 and 21 are obtained on which the openings 13 of the small block 1 engage forming the front entry guide (key 22) and the rear anti-rotation guide {key 23) during the entering step of the above-said small block into the thin wall.

Figures from 26 to 29 represent a second embodiment of the support seat of the small indicator block 1, wherein there are only the front «ribs 20 and the front keys 22.

Figures from 30 to 33 represent a third embodiment of the support seat of the small block 1, wherein there are the front ribs 20, the front keys 22 and some bosses 24 with anti~rotation functions.

J v - 6 - : Figures from 34 to 37 represent a fourth embodiment of the support seat of the small indicator block 1, wherein the two couples of . guiding keys are replaced by two opposite strips 25 closing the two ends of the small block (see Figure 37).

Figures from 38 to 41 represent a fifth embodiment of the support seat of the small indicator block 1, wherein to the strips 25 the rear ribs 21 are associated.

Figure 44 represents a small indicator block 1 integrally assembled on the support being removed only with a difficult action compromising its integrity and therefore does not allow its reuse.

As it can be seen in Figures from 45 to 47, in order to make the removal from the support of the small indicator block 1 difficult to ill-disposed people, according to invention, said small block is entirely contained between two opposite brackets 30 projecting from the same body when hooked.

As it can be seen in Figures from 48 to 50, in order to avoid a possible breaking, the small indicator block 1, made of a hollow body 11 with a longitudinal slot 12, according to the above-~said description, has a bridge 14.3 followed by an opening 15, obtained on a slab 16 making a first transversal stiffening rib while some ribs 17 help the longitudinal stiffening of said body.

As it can be seen in Figures from 51 to 53 and from 54 to 56, the hook of the body 11 on the support takes place as previously described, the bridge 14.3 sliding inside the groove 7 deforms the elastic tab 4 and places into the hollow 6.

As it can be seen in Figures 53 and 56, in order make the release or the breaking of the small block 1 even more difficult, according to the present invention, when the small block is hooked to the support, the rear surface 10 of the small block is placed over the hollow 6 so that said hollow is completely covered with the body 11 and, moreover, the rear portion 16.1 of the slab 16 couples with the groove 7 and further increases the stiffening of the constraint.

Finally, as it can be seen from Figures 57 and 58, according to the present invention, the body 11 of the small indicator block 1 is

(J 1 4 - 7 - . made of two components with different physical and/or aesthetical features. ’ This small bi-component indicator block is made by co-injection or post-injection wherein the two different materials make the two parts 110 and 120 of the body 11 or wherein a part 110 is partially covered with the other part 120.

Various embodiments of small indicator blocks can be manufactured according to the shaping of the small indicator block and of the type of support without leaving the purpose of the following claims.

Claims

* y WO 2004/082443 8 PCT/EP2004/001725 : CLAIMS

1. A SMALL INDICATOR block to be applied on objects to be ’ identified, particularly on coat hangers and the like, characterized in that it comprises a box-shaped body (1) provided with a longitudinal slot (12) on its side surface that, allowing its insertion into a thin wall (2) obtained on the body (3) of the support of said small block, enables the fixing between a bridge (14) matched with the above-said longitudinal slot and a single elastic counter tab (4) or a couple of elastic counter tabs, obtained on the above-said thin wall in order to carry out the small block-support attachment.

2. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 1, characterized in that the removal of the small block (1) from the support (3) is possible due to the fact that, when the small block is assembled on the support body, a portion (5) of the elastic tab (4) projects from the above-said small block, thus enabling the operator to act on it in order to release it.

3. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it is formed by a hollow body (11) whose shape is a substantially right parallelepiped with a longitudinal slot (12) on one of the sides of its lateral surface that develops for the whole height of the same small block and whose width (S) corresponds to the thickness of the thin wall (2) of the support body (3).

4. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 3, characterized in that the slot (12) ends with two openings (13) whose width (G) corresponds to the distance between the two opposite walls of the same small block, in order to form a seat for some guiding keys obtained on the thin wall.

5. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises a cross bridge (14) forming the attachment element toc the support body (3).

6. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 5, characterized in that the cross bridge (14.1) forms an interruption of the slot (12) preferably in a central position.

* v -9 - . 7. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 5, characterized in that the cross bridge (14.2) is placed inside the body . (11), preferably close to the wall provided with the longitudinal slot (12).

8. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that the bridge (14) slides along the groove (7) and thanks to the flexibility of the single tab (4) or of the couple of tabs, it places inside the hollow (6) upstream of said tabs and it is therefore blocked by their spring back.

9. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that its removal from the body of the support without breakings is made possible for the fact that when the small block (1) is assembled on the support body, a portion (5) of the end of the elastic spring (4) projects so that the operator, acting with a suitably shaped tool (K) on said projecting portion, slightly moves and deforms the tab (4), ‘thus allowing the release of the bridge (14) from it and the extraction of the small block.

10. A SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that two couples of ribs (20.21) are associated to the thin wall whose width (L) is higher than the thickness (S) of the thin wall (2) and at least equal or higher than the width of the small block (1) form the lower and upper support bases of the same small block.

11. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 10, characterized in that on the thin wall (2) and over the two couples of ribs (20,21) there are two keys (22,23) on which the openings (13) of the small block (1) engage, respectively forming a front entry guide (22) and an anti-rotation rear guide (23) during the insertion step of the above-said small block into the thin wall.

12. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claims 10 and 11, characterized in that the support seat of the small indicator block (1) is only made of front ribs (20) provided with the correspondent front keys (22).

» 1% - 10 - 3 13. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 12, characterized in that in the support seat of the small block (1) there . are the front ribs (20), the front keys (22) and some bosses (24) with anti-rotation functions.

14. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that on the thin wall (2) two opposite strips project acting as guiding elements and closing the two ends of the small block (1) when it is assembled.

15. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 14, characterized in that some rear strips (21) are associated to the strips (25).

16. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that it is integrally assembled on the support and it can be removed with a difficult action damaging its integrity and therefore it cannot be reused.

17. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 16, characterized in that when the small block is hooked over the support body, it is contained between two opposite brackets (30) projecting from its body.

1s. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claims 16 and 17, characterized in that the bridge (14.3) is followed by an opening (15) and is obtained on a slab (16) forming a first transversal stiffening rib.

19. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 18, characterized in that it shows some longitudinal ribs (17) that help stiffening the body (11).

20. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the claims from 16 and following, characterized in that when the body (11) is hooked over the support the rear surface (10) of the small block is positioned over the hollow (6).

21. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the claims from 16 and following, characterized in that when the body (11) is hooked over with the support, the rear portion (16.1) of the slab (16) matches with the sliding groove (7) of the bridge (14).

r > - 11 - ) 22. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that the body (11) is made at least ’ of two components with physical and/or aesthetical features being reciprocally different.

23. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 22, characterized in that the body (11) is obtained by co-injection and/or post-injection of two different materials.

24. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 22, characterized in that the bi-component body (11) forms the two overlapped parts (110,120).

25. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 22, characterized in that the bi-component body (11) is made of one part (110) that is partially covered by the other part (120).

26. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized in that it acts as a size-mark small block applied on coat hangers and the like.

AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 20 July 2004 (20.07.04); claim 1 amended]

1. A SMALL INDICATOR block to be applied on objects to be ) identifled, particularly on coat hangers and the like, and a support characterized In that it comprises a box-shaped body (1) provided with a longitudinal slot (12) on its side surface that, allowing Its Insertion Into a thin wall (2) obtained on the body (3) of the support of sald small block, enables the fixing between a bridge (14) matched with the above-said longitudinal slot and a single elastic counter tab (4) or a couple of elastic counter tabs, obtained In a recess on the’ above-said thin wall, the bridge entering into the recess containing the tab, In order to carry out the small block-support attachment.

2. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 1, characterized In that the removal of the small block (1) from the support (3) is possible due to the fact that, when the small block is assembled on the support body, a portion (5) of the elastic tab (4) projects from the above-said small block, thus enabling the operator to act on it in order to release it. 3, The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claims 1 and 2, , characterized In that it Is formed by a hollow body (11) whose shape is a substantially right parallelepiped with a longitudinal slot (12) on one of the sides of Its lateral surface that develops for the whole height of the same small block and whose width (S) corresponds to the thickness of the thin wall (2) of the support body (3). 5

5. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to one or more of the previous claims, characterized In that it comprises a cross bridge (14) forming the attachment element to the support body (3).

6. The SMALL INDICATOR block according to claim 5, characterized in that the cross bridge (14.1) forms an interruption of the slot (12) preferably in a central position, AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)

International Application N.

PCT/EP2004/001725 International filing date 21.02.2004 Applicant: Mainetti Tecnologie S.p.A.

STATEMENT UNDER ART. 19(1) The amendments regard only the original claim 1. The other original claims remain unchanged.

In particular In the new formulation of the general part of the claim 1 there Is the insertion of the term “support” since the invention consists of the combination of the small indicator block and the support and it seems difficult to claim the small indicator block by means of its technical features without also claiming the support.

As to the characterizing part of the new version of claim 1, we have inserted the feature that the elastic counter tab of claim 1 Is contained In a recess and that the bridge of the small indicator block Is entered Into the recess contalning the tab.

In effect the omission of these features would lead to a lack of clarity of the claim 1. AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)