U.S. patent application number 10/050467 was filed with the patent office on 2002-09-12 for box for storing and dispensing cable.
Invention is credited to Cote, Gerard.
Application Number | 20020125161 10/050467 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26728297 |
Filed Date | 2002-09-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020125161 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cote, Gerard |
September 12, 2002 |
Box for storing and dispensing cable
Abstract
A box for storing, shipping and dispensing cable or wire from a
spool contained within the box. The box having features to allow
efficient dispensing of cable in measured amounts.
Inventors: |
Cote, Gerard; (La Prairie,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
David Wolf
Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.
600 Atlantic Avenue
Federal Reserve Plaza
Boston
MA
02210
US
|
Family ID: |
26728297 |
Appl. No.: |
10/050467 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60262253 |
Jan 17, 2001 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/408 ;
206/395; 206/397 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/04 20130101;
B65D 85/675 20130101; B65H 49/322 20130101; B65D 5/725 20130101;
B65D 5/5014 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/408 ;
206/395; 206/397 |
International
Class: |
B65D 085/67 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A box for dispensing a length of cable wound around a spool
positioned in the box comprising, a box having continuous opposite
sides, opposite ends and a top and bottom, an opening in one end
wall, and means forming a handle grip in the box, and a cable spool
support positioned within the box and including opposed rigid
supports parallel to one another and shaped to support opposite
ends of a spindle upon which cable is wound with the free end of
the cable extending outwardly of the box.
2. A box for dispensing cable, the box comprising: a pair of
opposed, rectangular side walls; a front wall adjacent to each of
the pair of side walls; a back wall adjacent to each of the pair of
side walls and opposite from the front wall; a top wall adjacent to
each of the pair of side walls, the front wall and the back wall;
bottom wall adjacent to each of the pair of side walls and opposite
the top wall; a panel in a wall of the box, adapted to be displaced
to provide an opening in the wall; and a cable spool support
located in the box, the support including journals to support a
spindle of a spool of cable for dispensing cable from the spool in
the box, wherein the cable spool support comprises a pair of rigid
supports positioned adjacent opposite walls and each closely
fitting at least portions of five walls, each of said supports
including a journal integrally formed in the support and shaped to
receive an end of a spindle supporting a spool of wire, said spool
of wire including a spindle, with the spool positioned between the
supports one from the other, the end of the wire on the spools
removable from the box through said opening.
3. The box as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of the pair of
rigid supports are made of cardboard.
4. The box as set forth in claim 3 wherein the box and each of the
pair of rigid supports are formed from a single sheet of
cardboard.
5. The box as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of the pair of
rigid supports have a U-shape, with the journal of each support
defined by the bight of the U-shape.
6. The box as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of the pair of
rigid supports are comprised of an expanded polystyrene
plastic.
7. A box as set forth in claim 5 having a panel in one of the front
or back walls, said panel shaped and sized to be moved from a
position in a plane common with the front or back wall to a
position at least in part engaging the cable on the spool.
8. A box as set forth in claim 7 wherein said panel is adapted to
be folded along a line intermediate the ends and to be hinged along
a parallel line for movement from and to said plane.
9. A box as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said rigid
supports comprise an internal panel integrally connected to the
upper edge of a side wall and folded inwardly against the inner
surface of said side wall.
10. A box as set forth in claim 9 wherein the internal panel is
formed with an opening having a lower edge that extends
transversely across a portion of the internal panel at a spaced
distance from the lower edge of the side wall forming a supporting
surface for an end of the spindle.
11. A box as set forth in claim 10 having spacers integrally
connected to the lower edge of the internal support and folded
between the internal support and side wall to form a reinforcing
member for said supporting surface.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional
Application No. 60/262253, filed Jan. 17, 2001.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a box construction designed
to contain a spool of wire or cable for smoothly dispensing such
wire or cable in measured amounts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is common today to sell wire and cable for industrial and
commercial use mounted on spools. The spools generally have a
drum-like configuration. However, such a spool shape alone is not
always convenient for feeding measured amounts of cable. In
addition, spools provide no substantial protective covering for the
cable, nor do they provide an omni-directional, stable, stackable
package. Additionally, conventional spool packaging heretofore in
use is comparatively expensive to make an is at a competitive
disadvantage in sales against wire sold without being spool
wrapped.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Embodiments of aspects of the present invention provide an
improved apparatus for storing and dispensing cable or wire.
[0005] One illustrative embodiment of the invention provides a
simple packaging system for wire or cable that permits wire or
cable to be stored safely with the cable protected, while at the
same time permitting measured amounts of the cable to be fed from
the spool for subsequent use. It is noted that the terms wire and
cable are used interchangeably herein.
[0006] In another illustrative embodiment of the invention a simple
packaging system is provided for wire and cable that facilitates
the installation of cable under a wide range of conditions. In
particular, the present invention provides a convenient means for
storing and moving cable and at the same time permits the easy pay
out of measured amounts of cable in a manner which is efficient to
a cable installer.
[0007] An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a
means for storing cable in a relatively inexpensive package
designed to support cable on a spool.
[0008] A further advantage of an embodiment of the present
invention is to provide an improved means of paying out cable at a
steady rate, avoiding tangling and backlash of the cable.
[0009] In yet another illustrative embodiment of the invention, a
box for dispensing cable is provided. The box comprising a pair of
opposed, rectangular side walls, a front wall adjacent to each of
the pair of side walls, a back wall adjacent to each of the pair of
side walls and opposite from the front wall, a top wall adjacent to
each of the pair of side walls, with the front wall and the back
wall and a bottom wall adjacent to each of the pair of side walls
and opposite the top wall. The box also includes a panel in a wall
of the box adapted to be displaced to provide an opening in the
wall with a cable spool support located in the box. The cable spool
support includes journals to support a spool of cable for
dispensing cable from the spool in the box. One embodiment is
formed entirely of cardboard, folded in a manner to provide a pair
of opposed sturdy journals.
[0010] Further features and advantages of the present invention, as
well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the
present invention are described in detail below with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention is described with reference to the following
drawings, in which similar reference numbers indicate similar
structures.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable box showing an
embodiment of the invention as it would be received by a user;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,
with cable being dispensed from a large opening;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,
with cable being dispensed from a handle opening;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spool of cable positioned
on two internal components of an embodiment of the invention
forming journals for the spool;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a die cut single sheet of cardboard
used to construct a box and rigid supports;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cutaway view showing a box and rigid supports
forced from a single sheet of cardboard;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the invention, showing a
first flap of the top wall in a closed position and a second flap
of the top wall in an open position;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the invention, showing both
the first flap and the second flap of the top wall in an open
position;
[0020] FIG. 9 is another view of the invention, showing a cable
retainer forming a part of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a view of yet another aspect of the invention,
showing a integral cable lock.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The present invention will be better understood upon reading
the following detailed description of various embodiments of
aspects thereof in connection with the drawings.
[0023] The present invention comprises a box preferably formed of
heavy duty corrugated cardboard or other relatively stiff cardboard
or other material which is rugged, capable of supporting heavy
contents, and typically used for shipping spools of wire and cable.
Cardboard is generally preferred because it allows the box to be
made at a lower cost. The box is preferably formed as a six-sided
container having a rectangular side wall 1 and an opposite side
wall of equivalent dimensions and parallel to it, as well as front
wall 2 with a corresponding parallel back wall at the other end,
and a top wall 3 with a corresponding bottom wall parallel thereto.
The box may be conveniently formed with the top 3 being a lockable
cover. The front wall 2 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is formed with
a die-cut, removable panel 10 which can be removed along a
perforated line 10A. A portion 10B of the panel 10 may be folded
inwardly along crease line 10C within the box lying adjacent to the
spool 26 of cable. This may be done such that the panel 10
frictionally engages the spool 26 or such that the panel 10 serves
to reinforce the upper edge of the opening 11 which may be used as
a handle for the box. The edges of the panel 10 may be
conventionally die cut intermittently so that it will remain in
planar alignment with the wall 2 unless moved relative thereto
under a positive force. The upper edge may be scored or die cut
depending on whether the panel is to be removed completely or
folded inwardly.
[0024] The top 3 of the box is also provided with a die-cut opening
15 forming a handle grip. The die-cut handle opening 15 extends
laterally across the top of the box and may be provided with an
enlarged center-cut segment 16 for ease in removing the portion of
the top 3 to form the handle opening 15. This center-cut section
may also be used to dispense cable without removing the die cut
portions of the handle as is shown in FIG. 3. It may alternatively
be diecut in a similar fashion to panel 10 with only one side
forming a large scored section.
[0025] The relative dimensions of the box are best illustrated in
FIG. 2. For example, when used for a conventional spool of
electrical wire sold for industrial or installation purposes in
bulk, a box suitable for on site installations may comprise a box
with outer dimensions on the order of 8" wide, 14' long and 141/2"
high, respectively represented as dimensions A, B and C in FIG. 2.
These outer dimensions may, of course, vary depending on the
precise size of the spool to be contained. The panel 10 should
preferably have dimensions on the order of about 8" long and 51/2"
wide, respectively shown as dimensions F and G in FIG. 2. The
handle opening 15 may vary in size depending on the size of the
spool but preferably should be 51/2" wide and about 2" deep as
represented by D and E in FIG. 2.
[0026] Positioned within the box is an interior support, with its
relative position within the box illustrated in FIG. 4. The
interior support is preferably formed of two opposed rigid supports
18. These rigid supports 18 may comprise STYROFOAM (expanded
plastic made from polystyrene) or other rigid plastic elements made
through a molding, blow forming, or other plastic forming process.
Alternatively, the rigid supports may also be comprised of internal
panels of cardboard that may be integrally formed from the same
sheet of cardboard used to form the box. The supports are
positioned parallel to one another on the inner surfaces of the
side walls 1 in a spaced relation. Each support is formed of board
approximately one inch thick in the embodiment illustrated in FIG.
4, with length and width dimensions sized to occupy the width and
height of the box. In the illustrated embodiment, the supports here
are "U"-shape. The supports 18 are each formed with an integrally
defined journal to function as an axle or spindle support 20 in the
preferred embodiment. The spindle supports 20 are formed as an
elongated opening extending from the upper edges of the supports 18
downwardly from the top 3 of the box towards the bottom edge of the
box. The edges 22 form the side edges of the journals while the
bottoms 23 forms the bottom edges of the journals. In the
illustrated embodiment, the journal of each support is defined by
the bight of the "U"-shape. The edge 22 is positioned closer to the
bottom of the box than to the top of the box. By spacing the facing
edges 22 a distance on the order of five inches apart, a variety of
different sized spindles for spools 26 of wire and cable may be
accommodated. A spool 26 of wire or cable 25 is conventionally
formed with a spool 26 supported on a spindle 24 with the spindle
24 preferably integrally formed within the spool and having a
diameter of less than five inches or less than the space between
the opposite edges 22 of each side 18. Alternative embodiments may
incorporate a spool that is separate from a spindle.
[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a plan view of one embodiment of the
invention where both the box and the rigid supports 18 are formed
from one sheet of cardboard. The figure shows the sheet of
cardboard after it has been cut but before it has been glued and
folded to form a box with integral rigid supports. The rectangular
side walls 1, the end wall 2, and the top wall 3 are numbered in
FIG. 5 such that they correspond to the numbered sides shown in
FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 which show a box in the assembled state. Solid
lines in this drawing represent complete cuts in the cardboard
while dashed lines represent either fold lines or perforation lines
where panels may be removed if desired. FIG. 6 shows a cutaway view
of box formed from the sheet of cardboard shown in FIG. 5. To form
the box, the following steps are taken. The sheet is folded along
crease lines 2A, 1A between the panels defining the front 2, the
back, the side walls 1, and the bottom. Then too, 41A forming a
portion of the bottom is glued to tab 41B, 42A is glued to tab 42B
and 43A is glued to tab 43B. Tabs 41A, 41B, 42A and 42B form the
bottom when secured together. The sheet now has an elongated box
form without a top. The next step involves folding panels 44 which
are connected to the upper edge of the side panels 1 by crease
lines 44A and folding them into the internal cavity of the box.
These internal panels 44 as illustrated in FIG. 5 each have spacers
46 that integrally connect along crease lines 44B along the edges
remote from side panel 1. Each spacer 46 includes a center section
46A and end sections 46B and 46C. The end sections are connected to
the center sections along crease lines 46D. These end sections 46B
and 46C are folded over the center section 46 into a sandwich-like
configuration. Thus assembly of the sandwich-like configuration is
folded against the internal panel 44 between the panel 44 and the
side wall 1. When so folded the unfolded longitudinal edge of the
sandwich-like configuration is aligned with the lower edge 50 of
rectangular opening 51. When assembled the configuration provides a
rigid formal support 52 as illustrated in FIG. 6, having at least
four thicknesses of cardboard that will function to support the
spindle of a spool of wire. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the details of
the top wall 3 of the box. The top wall provides a secure means to
keep the box closed and also improves the structural rigidity of
the box. The top wall 3 includes a first top flap 31 and a second
top flap 32. To close the lockable cover, the first flap 31 is
moved into the position shown in FIG. 7. Here, the tab at the
distal end of the first flap is tucked into an interior portion of
the box. Next the second flap 32 is folded over the first flap to a
position like that shown in FIG. 1. The three flap locks 34 are
then tucked into an interior position of the box. The three
corresponding locking tabs 35 are then placed through the flap
locks 34 to hold the top wall 3 rigidly in place. Such a rigid
connection is particularly important when a handle is included in
the top wall 3 of the box. Various locking tabs may be incorporated
through the invention to hold the various components in place.
[0028] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the spool 26 with the cable
25 is pre-packaged within the box. The free end of the cable 25 may
be drawn or fed from the box either through the handle opening 15
as illustrated in FIG. 3 or, alternately, through the large opening
11 as shown in FIG. 2, depending upon the particular needs and
desire of the user of the box. FIG. 7 shows a retainer that may be
used to hold the free end of the cable 25 in place during shipment.
The retainer is an elongated rubber band 17, but alternatively
could be comprised of different materials including an elastic
fabric, a non-elastic fabric, a plastic material, a cord or any
similar materials know to those in the art. A first end 17A of the
band is fastened to the cable approximately 6 inches from the free
end 25A of the cable 25. A second end 17B of the band is then
stretched around the spool in the same direction as the cable.
After one complete revolution, the second end is looped around the
free end of the cable which serves to lock the free end in place.
The band has the added benefit of making the free end of the cable
easy to located and remove. To remove the cable from the box, one
only has to locate the band and pull or rotate it until it leads to
the free end of the cable. Pulling the band in the vicinity of the
cable free end allows the second end of the band to free itself
from the cable. A continued pulling force will cause the spool to
rotate until cable is being dispensed. Once cable has been
dispensed, the band can easily be removed from the cable.
[0029] One aspect of the invention includes a cable lock 19 that
can be used to hold the free end of the cable. This lock 19 is
illustrated in FIG. 10. The lock would likely be used when only a
portion of the cable in the box has been dispensed and the
remaining portion is stored. In such a situation, the free end of
the cable is wedged between the die cut handle opening 15 and the
corresponding portion of the box. The wedging action locks the
cable in place until it needs to be dispensed again.
[0030] While the invention has been described in conjunction with
specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in
the art. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention as set forth
herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various
changes may be made without departing from the invention.
* * * * *