Abstract:
A Reuser case for retaining a wound coil of filamentary material wherein first and second separate half-sections, each including mating projections and counterpart receptacles enabling the two sections to be releaseably joined and forming an enclosed case containing the wound coil and wherein the first and second half-sections are formed of injection molded impact resistant high intensity propylene; each of the half-sections including releasable locking members to join the first and second half-sections to one another to form the Reuser case; and the Reuser case including large and small diameter payout opening s respectively accommodating a first payout tube for unwinding a coil of filamentary material or large diameter and a second payout tube for unwinding a coil of filamentary material of small diameter.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention:  
           [0002]    This invention relates to re-usable cases for containing a package of wound electrical wire or cable for unwinding through a payout hole and payout tube and, more particularly, to such cases that are injection molded of impact- resistant, high density polyethylene in complementary attachable sections to provide two different sized ports for related sized payout tubes for paying out different sized electrical wire or cable and wherein the two-sections afford ease of insertion and removal of electrical wire or cable. The two sections are easily and readily attachable to form a contained re-user case with built in support feet enabling the re-user case to be set down at the work site and further including built in handles for easy portability of the re-user case.  
           [0003]    2. Related Art:  
           [0004]    1.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,533; Kotzur et al.; “Container with Octagonal Insert and Corner Payout”; and assigned to the same assignee as the present application: A package of filamentary material wound in a FIG. 8 configuration with a radial hole extending from the central core space thereof to the outer periphery thereof is enclosed in a container having a perforated corner portion for unwinding the FM material. The winding is placed within a polygonally-sided insert having opposing sides engaging the outer periphery of the windings and including a payout tube inserted in the radial hole for feeding the inner end of the material. Opposite sides of the insert engage the inner surfaces of the container with the payout tube being aligned with the perforated corner portion. The bottom and upper surfaces of the container include intersecting cone sections for supporting the inner windings of the material.  
           [0005]    2.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,812; Kotzur et al.; “Coil with Large Payout Hole and Tube for Kinkless Payout”; and assigned to the same assignee as the present application: A paper or corrugated container is disclosed having a hingeable panel including an opening and a payout tube formed of container-type material and with an outer end opening conforming to the panel opening. A flap member extends from each of the openings and extends through and around the edges of the panel opening for supporting the payout tube with the panel in a closed position.  
           [0006]    3.) U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,554; Kotzur et al.; “Combined Fiber Containers and Payout Tubes and Plastic Payout Tubes”; and assigned to the same assignee as the present application: A combined container and payout tube is shown in FIG. 10A wherein the container holds a wound coil of filamentary material and includes a payout hole extending from the inner coil to the outer coil. A serrated opening in a panel of the container is opened to allow the filamentary material to be removed from the container. The filamentary material is threaded through a payout tube incorporated as part of the container. The container is dimensioned in accordance with the diameter of the wound coil that is to be contained therein; and  
           [0007]    4.) “The Reelex Re-User”; Advertisement of Windings circa 1990: A blow molded re-user container of impact resistant high density polyethylene for holding wound coils of electrical wire or cable which includes two identical half-sections each containing a cone extending from the center of the section into the central opening of the wound coil to maintain the shape of the coil and to limit movement thereof inside the re-user container. The re-user container is weather proof, portable (light weight) and affords the usual REELEX benefits, namely, non rotating spool, low tension and non-twist wind affording easy payout, no over-run and less scrap.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The Re-User cases of the invention are an improvement over that of the Reelex Re-User container described above (paragraph  4 ) and are constructed for containing wound electrical coils and cables for unwinding. The Re-User cases of the invention are injection molded of impact resistant high density polyethylene to improve the cost of manufacture as opposed to a blow molding process used with the prior art Reelex Re-User Cases.  
           [0009]    Additionally, the REELEX Re-User cases of the present invention do not utilize cones or the like to stabilize the wound coil.  
           [0010]    Moreover, the two half-sections of the Re-User cases of the present invention use combined hinge and clamps to open and close the separate case sections and to secure each half-section to one other thereby enclosing the wound electrical wire or cable.  
           [0011]    The Re-User case of the present invention accommodates new tube designs such as the EZ Tube and the Reelex II Tube.  
           [0012]    The Re-User case of the present invention accommodates storage and payout of large diameter cable such as CAT  5 , CAT  6 , CAT  7  electrical cable through a large diameter payout tube and “normal-sized” electrical wire or cable through a smaller diameter payout tube. The payout tube for the large diameter electrical wire or cable is, for example, defined in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,979,812 and 6,109,554 (referred to above) and the payout tube for “normal-sized” electrical wire or cable is defined, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,022,399; Zajac; “Screw-In Tube with Breakable Tabs for Coil of Flexible Material with Inner End Payout”; 4,057,203; Newsman et al.; “Package of Flexible Material with Oval Payout Tube”; and 5,810,272; Wallace et al.; “Snap-On Tube and Locking Collar for Guiding Filamentary Material Through a Wall Panel of a Container Containing Wound Filamentary Material” (all of the aforementioned patents being assigned to the same assignee as the present application, namely Windings, Inc.).  
           [0013]    Finally, the Re-User case of the present invention is designed to be weatherproof, sturdy, stackable, re-usable, portable and provide the usual benefits of the REELEX wind, i.e. non rotating spool, low tension and non-twist wind affording easy payout, no over-run and less scrap.  
           [0014]    It is a primary object of the invention to provide a Re-User case for wound electrical coils or cable that is made of injection molded, impact-resistant, high density polyethylene.  
           [0015]    It is a feature of the invention that the Re-User cases are light in weight.  
           [0016]    It is an advantage of the invention that the Re-User cases are portable.  
           [0017]    A further object of the invention is that the separate half-sections of the Re-User case are removably joined to one another to form the closed Re-User case.  
           [0018]    A further feature of the invention is that the separate half-sections are clamped to one another by removable, plastic clamps.  
           [0019]    A further advantage of the invention is that the clamped sections of the Re-User case are easily closed and opened by a simple rotation of the various clamps to engage preformed retaining members on opposing sections of the case.  
           [0020]    Another object, feature and advantage of the invention is that the Re-User cases are optimally configured to be stored one on top of the other to reduce space.  
           [0021]    Yet another object of the invention is to provide a lower cost of manufacture than known Re-User cases.  
           [0022]    Yet another feature of the invention is that the Re-User cases are made of injection molded polyethylene.  
           [0023]    Yet another advantage of the invention is that the Re-User cases are durable and of high strength to withstand the rough and hard usage to which they are exposed in the field of their application.  
           [0024]    Yet another object of the invention is to provide safe storage and kinkless, twistless payout of a wide diameter/size of wound, electrical wire or cable from a re-usable container made of light weight, durable material.  
           [0025]    Yet another feature is that the Re-User case of the invention can easily be converted to store and payout either large or small diameter/size electrical cable or wire through either one of two different-sized payout tube openings.  
           [0026]    Yet another advantage of the invention is that each Re-User case of the invention can store and payout a wide range of diameter of electrical wire or cable from the same Re-User case. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a pictorial, perspective view of the symmetrical lower and upper halves of the Re-User case according to the invention; however, in the preferred embodiment of the invention the two halves of the Re-User case are not hinged as the FIG. merely depicts the symmetrical structure of the upper and lower halves of the Re-User case.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the Re-User container with the lower and upper halves closed and showing the provision of a large payout tube for the payout of large diameter cable such as CAT 5 , CAT 6  and CAT 7  cable and a smaller payout tube for the payout of smaller diameter wire or cable;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 is a top view of the Re-User case shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a right side elevation of the Re-User case of FIG. 2;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 is a detail view of a plastic clip and retaining member for securing a portion of the upper and lower sections of the Re-User case;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is a section of the retainer clip and wall of the Re-User case along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a section of the retainer clip and the wall of the Re-User case along lines  7 - 7  of FIG. 5;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8 is a plan view of the lower half of the Re-User case shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 9, 10,  11  and  12  are respective cross-sections of the Re-User case wall along lines respective lines  9 - 9 ,  10 - 10 ,  11 - 11 ,  12 - 12  of FIG. 8;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIGS. 13, 14,  15  and  16  are respective cross-sections of the Re-User case wall taken along lines  13 - 13 ,  14 - 14 ,  15 - 15 ,  16 - 16  of FIG. 8;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 17 is a partially broken section of the lower half of the re-suer case taken along lines  17 - 17  of FIG. 8;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a small payout tube for attachment to the re-user case for paying out small diameter filamentary material;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a large payout tube for attachment to the Re-User case for paying out large diameter filamentary material; and  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a retainer clip for attaching the separate lower and upper halves of the Re-User case. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0041]    The re-user case  1  is divided into two symmetrical sections, namely a lower section  24  and an upper section  26  as illustrated in FIG. 1. It should be noted at the outset that each half section of the Re-User case is made in a suitable injection mold apparatus and as such is a unitary continuous structure requiring no fastening means whatsoever. As will be apparent from the following description, each of sections  24  and  26  are symmetrical and are adapted to be joined when the two sections are closed and attached to one another as shown in FIG. 2. Wall member  25   a  of the lower half  24  of the Re-User case  22  includes one-half of a large radius cutout  27   a  for accommodating a large diameter payout tube (see FIGS. 8 and 19) and a small opening  28   a  for accommodating a small diameter payout tube (see FIGS. 8 and 18). Wall member  25   a  includes opposing wall sections  29   a ,  30   a  and  31   a ,  32   a  each of which include clip retaining structures  33   a  that will be more fully described hereinafter with respect to FIGS.  4 - 7 , and which coact with a respective clip  34   a  (more fully described hereafter with respect to FIGS.  4 - 7  and  20 ) to secure lower halves  24  and  26  together with a wound coil oor wire in the Re-User case  22 .  
         [0042]    Wall sections  35   a  and  36   a  each form one-half of a handle/foot (to be more fully described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 8) enabling the Re-User case to be easily hand-carried or placed on a flat surface.  
         [0043]    With reference to the upper half  26  of the Re-User case  26  shown in FIG. 1, the common components are identified therein by the suffix “b”. Thus wall member  25   b  of the upper half  26  of the Re-User case  22  includes one-half of a large radius cutout  27   b  for accommodating a large diameter payout tube (see FIGS. 8 and 19) and a small opening  28   b  for accommodating a small diameter payout tube (see FIGS. 8 and 18). When the lower and upper halves are joined, then cutouts  27   a ,  28   b  and  28   a ,  28   b  form respective payout tube openings for receiving respective large and small-sized payout tubes (as illustrated in FIG. 2). Wall member  25   b  includes opposing wall sections  29   b ,  30   b  and  31   b ,  32   b  each of which include clip retaining structures  33   b  that will be more fully described hereinafter with respect to FIGS.  4 - 7  and which coact with a respective clip  34   b  (more fully described hereafter with respect to FIGS.  4 - 7  and  20 ) to secure lower halves  24  and  26  together with a wound coil (not shown) in the Re-User case  22 .  
         [0044]    Wall sections  35   b  and  36   b  each form one-half of a handle/foot (to be more fully described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 8) enabling the Re-User case to be easily hand-carried or placed on a flat surface.  
         [0045]    User case  22  is constructed by injection molding impact-resistant, high density polyethylene in a manner known to those skilled in the art.  
         [0046]    Depression  39   a  with circularly-shaped ring  40   a  is formed in the bottom  38  of the lower half  24  of the Re-User case  22  to strengthen the bottom  38  and to provide for a raised external surface for advertising. In a similar manner depression  39   b  with circularly-shaped ring  40   b  is formed in the bottom  41  of the upper half  26  of the Re-User case  22  to strengthen the bottom  41  and to provide for a raised external surface for advertising.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 2 illustrates the assembled lower  24  and upper  26  halves forming the assembled Re-User case  22 . Handle  42  is formed as shown in the FIG. by the mating of wall sections  36   a ,  36   b . Another handle/foot (not shown) is formed by the mating of wall sections  35   a ,  35   b  (see FIG. 1). Similarly wall section  47   b  mates with another wall section  47   a  (not shown) to form another portion of a handle/foot (not shown) and wall sections  48   a  and  48   b  form the other half of handle/foot  42 . The above described wall sections also serve as feet to support the Re-User case as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0048]    With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a large diameter payout tube  43  is shown protruding from an opening formed by the mating of cutout sections  27   a ,  27 , respectively from the lower and upper halves  24 ,  26  of the Re-User case. A portion of a small diameter payout tube  44  is shown to the left in FIG. 2. One of four retaining clips  34   a  (only one being shown in FIG. 2) is shown engaging with a preformed retaining member  45  (the structure of the retaining clips and the corresponding retaining members is described more fully hereinafter with respect to FIGS.  4 - 7 ).  
         [0049]    Raised circumferential portion  46  and depressed circumferential ring  46   b  formed in the top portion  41  of upper half  26  strengthens the top  41  and is also available for advertising.  
         [0050]    The handles/feet  47   b  and  35   b  (only a portion of which are shown at the bottom of FIG. 2) serve either as a means for carrying the Re-User case or as a support member for supporting the Rs-User case  22  on the ground or other suitable surface.  
         [0051]    The top view of the Re-User case  22  illustrated in FIG. 3, shows the small diameter payout tube  44  protruding from the left side of the Re-User case  22  and the large diameter payout tube  43  extending from the right side of the Re-User case  22 . Lower wall sections  29   a  and  32   a  of lower half section  24  mate with counterpart upper wall sections  29   b  and  32   b , respectively, of upper half section  26 . In a similar manner lower handle/foot sections  36   a ,  48   a  mate with counterpart upper handle/foot sections  36   b ,  48   b , respectively to form a handle/foot  50 . Handle/foot  50  obviously enables the Re-User case  22  and the wound coil therein (not shown) to be easily hand carried to different locations within a storage area or at a worksite. Retaining clip  51  engages curved retaining member  33   a  in wall section  32   a  to partially secure the lower half section  24  of the Re-User case to upper half section  26 . Similarly, retaining clip  34   a  engages curved retaining member  45  to partially secure the lower and upper half sections  24 ,  26  to one another.  
         [0052]    Counterpart retaining clips and curved retaining members are also located at wall sections  31   a ,  31   b  and  30   a ,  30   b  to provide a retaining force at each of the four corners of the reuser case represented by the aforementioned wall sections as shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0053]    The side elevation view of the Re-User case  22  in FIG. 4, in addition to the retaining members and clips mentioned previously, shows the mating of cutouts  27   a  and  27   b  to form an opening  52  for accommodating the large diameter payout tube  52 . The closure of the lower and upper halves  24 ,  26  of the Re-User case  22  also joins horizontal members  53   a ,  53   b  and  54   a ,  54   b  along with strengthening members  54   a ,  54   b  and  55   a ,  55   b . Respective handle/foot portions  35   a ,  35   b  and  36   a ,  36   b  are illustrated on the respective right and left sides of the Re-User case  22 .  
         [0054]    A detail of the plastic retaining clip and retaining member structure is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 20, wherein u-shaped retaining clip  34   b , includes connecting member  60  which joins the two ends  61 ,  62  of the retaining clip. Connecting member  60  is removable secured within a pair of clip members  63 ,  64  formed on wall member  29  and two pairs of opposing clip members  65 , 66  and  67 ,  68 , respectively. U-Shaped clip  34   b  is force fit between clip members  63 ,  64  and the pair of clip members  65 ,  66  and  67 ,  68  so as to rotate from the position shown in phantom lines to the position shown in full lines to engage over the curved retaining structure  69  and thereby secure the lower wall member  29   a  and upper wall member  29   b  of the respective upper and lower sections  24 ,  26  of the Re-User case.  
         [0055]    The clip members  63 ,  64 ,  65 ,  66 ,  67  and  68  enable the retaining clip member  34   b  to not only rotate as shown in FIG. 5, but also to be removed and separated from the Re-User case  22 .  
         [0056]    [0056]FIG. 6 shows a section of the retainer clip  34   b  taken along lines  6 - 6  of FIG. 5 and wherein clip members  64 ,  67  engage the center portion  60  of clip retainer  34   b  and the curved portion of retaining member  34   a  engages the retaining clip  34   b  in the closed position. In moving between the open and closed position the retainer clip  34   b  travels along the arc illustrated by the arrow in the Figure. In the open position, the center  60  of the retaining clip  34   b  may be disengaged from the retaining clips  64 ,  67 ,  63 ,  64 ,  65  and  66  to be removed from the Re-User case  22 .  
         [0057]    Plastic ridges  69 ,  70 , integral with wall section  29   c , provide support for the Re-User case wall section  29   a . These ridges are common to all of wall sections  29   a ,  32   a  and  29   b  and  30   b  as is redily apparent from the various Figures.  
         [0058]    A sectional view of the retainer clip  34   b , the wall section  29   a  and the section of the retaining member  34   a  are shown in FIG. 7 and illustrates the manner in which the retainer clip  34   b  is retained between the retaining member  34   a  and the support member  69  when in the closed position. Recesses  72   a ,  72   b  in wall section  29   a  of one half section of the Re-User case  22  receive projections (not shown) in the opposing half section of the Re-User case  22  for aiding in securing the two halves together, as will be discussed more fully hereinafter with respect to FIGS.  8 - 16 .  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 8 is a plan view of the lower half section  24  of the Re-User case  22  shown in FIG. 1 which clearly shows the generally octagonal configuration and the substantial symmetry of the Re-User case structure. Opposing handle/foot sections  80 ,  82  are identical and each comprise a hollow section,  35   a ,  36   a  having a rectangularly shaped outer member  83 ,  84  and a corresponding inner frame member  85 ,  86  of which inner wall sections  36   a  and  35   a  are integral parts. Rib members  87   a ,  88   a  and  89   a  support and strengthen the outer member  83  and the inner frame member  85 . Similarly rib members  87   b ,  88   b  and  89   b  support and strengthen the outer member  84  and the inner frame member  86 . Inner rib members  90   a  and  93   a  provide respective support for wall member  36   a  and the respective junction  94  and  95  of outer frame member  83  and wall section  30   a  and wall member  36   a . Similarly, inner rib members  90   b  and  93   b  provide respective support for wall member  35   a  and the respective junction  96  and  97  of outer frame member  84  and wall section  32   a  and wall member  31   a . Rib members  91   a  and  92   a  reinforce the respective end portions  98  and  99  of inner frame member  85 . In like fashion, rib members  91   b  and  92   b  reinforce the respective end portions  100  and  101  of inner frame member  86 .  
         [0060]    Inner frame member  85  includes a respective upstanding projection  102 ,  103  at end portions  98  and  99 . It is noted that inner frame member  86  does not include any such projections. It is understood that the upper half section  26  (not shown in FIGS.  8 - 16 ) is identical to lower half section  24  described in FIGS.  8 - 16  and that when the two half sections are joined, the upper half section will be rotated so that the upstanding projections of the lower half will engage within the inner frame of the upper half section having no projections and vice-versa. From the following description it will be apparent that the remaining structures of the lower and upper half sections of the Re-User case are similarly constructed so as to be in interlocking relationship when they are joined to one another.  
         [0061]    The combination of projections and recesses for joining the lower and upper half sections of the Re-User case is illustrated with respect to the cross sections through various wall sections of the lower half section  24  shown in FIGS.  9 - 12  and  13 - 16 , respectively. The section through one half of wall section  25   a  supporting the small diameter payout tube  44  (FIG. 9), the section through wall section  30   a  (FIG. 10), the section through wall section  31   a  (FIG. 11) and the section through one half of wall section  27   a  supporting the large diameter payout tube  43  all indicate respective projections  105 ,  106 ,  107  and  108  extending from the respective wall sections  25   a ,  30   a ,  31   a  and  27   a.    
         [0062]    Reference to FIGS.  13 - 16 , respectively illustrating sections through the lower half of wall section  25   a  (FIG. 13), wall section  32   a  (FIG. 14), wall section  29   a  (FIG. 15) and the lower half of wall section  27   a  (FIG. 16) clearly indicates the presence of recesses  110 ,  111 ,  112  and  113  in the respective wall sections. In FIG. 13, a projection  114  from a counterpart wall section  115  of an upper half section of the Re-User case is shown (in phantom) engaging the recess  110  of wall section  25   a . In like or similar manner, the various projections and recesses of each half section of the resuser case engage or join one another to enable the two half sections to be assembled together as illustrated in FIG. 2.  
         [0063]    The cross-sectional view of FIG. 17 taken along lines  17 - 17  of FIG. 8 shows the handle/foot member  83  along with the projection  99  and the supporting rib  88   a  of lower half section  24  of the Re-User case  22 . Floor  39   a  is bounded by raised sections  40   a . Projecting rib  107  extends above wall section  31   a  (FIG. 11) and indentation  121  in the wall section strengthens it in a manner known to those skilled in the art of injection molding. The inside of curved support member  120  will grasp the rounded portion of a retaining clip to help join the upper and lower half sections of the Re-User case. Indentations  122  and  123 ,  124  serve to strengthen wall sections  31   a  and  125 , respectively. Wall section  29   a  adjoins wall sections  125  and  35   a . Wall section  35   a  includes rib member  88   b  for strengthening handle/foot member  84 .  
         [0064]    [0064]FIGS. 18 and 19 respectively illustrate a small diameter payout tube and a large diameter payout tube. These payout tubes are themselves described in the patents referred to in the Background of the Invention. The payout tubes, in their simplest configuration, simply comprise a plastic material with a flange  130  attached at one and which is received in aperture  28   a  of side wall  25   a  (FIG. 1) to retain the payout tube to prevent its slipping out of the Re-User case and the payout hole in the filamentary material stored in the Re-User case. In a similar manner large diameter payout tube  43  includes a flange  132  that is inserted in aperture  27   a  of wall casing  125  to prevent the payout tube from slipping out of the payout hole in the filamentary material and the Re-User case.  
         [0065]    It is of course understood that in the actual operation of the manner in which the flanges of the payout tubes are retained in either apertures  28   a  or  27   a , that the respective flange of a particular payout tube also is retained within the respective corresponding aperture of the other of the other half section of the Re-User case, thereby affording a complete entrapment of the payout tube within the side opening of the Re-User case.  
         [0066]    The above description serves only to describe exemplary embodiments of the best mode of making the present invention and to demonstrate the features and advantages of its construction and operation. The invention is not intended to be limited thereby, as those skilled in the Re-User case art will readily perceive modifications of the above-described embodiments. Thus the invention is intended to be limited only by the following claims and the equivalents to which the claimed components thereof are entitled.