Abstract:
A grease cartridge management system having a multi-piece caddy and a chamber mounted thereon in a secured position for inserting grease cartridges therein to protect them from damage in the handling, storage and transportation of grease cartridges from a storage location to the point of use with a grease gun.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a grease cartridge management system, and more particularly, a grease cartridge management system for identifying, organizing and storing new and partially used grease tubes used to lubricant various equipment and similar devices in residential, commercial and industrial applications. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Grease cartridges come in standardized sizes for use with grease guns to lubricant a number of devices requiring lubrication. One of the problems whether it is home owner greasing ball joints on his vehicle or a maintenance man lubricating a machine tool on the factory floor, is that the used and partially used grease cartridges often end up on the garage or factory floors, respectively. Also, when the grease gun is used to lubricate various factory equipment requiring different greases to be used, a partially used grease cartridge is often removed from the grease gun at the point of use with no place to put it before replacing it with another to do the lubrication job at hand. What happens to that partial used grease cartridge when removed from the grease gun? Often the partially used grease cartridge ends up on the factory floor or workbench where it is subject to contaminants and damage. The typical maintenance work bench is often a place where the grease cartridge housing is exposed to other fluids and is able to soak up moisture on its surface causing it to swell and thereby ruining the ability to reuse the cartridge again in a grease gun or introducing contaminants to the grease within the cartridge. Also, the cartridges get crushed and abused when stored out in the open by other tools that are laid across the tubular cartridges or even cut through the housing material of the cartridge causing the grease to leak. Grease cartridge housings are often made out of a coated laminated paper housing that are subject to deformation and destruction by many handling abuses and causes. For example, loose grease cartridges are often thrown in the back beds of a pickup truck or open toolboxes and exposed to the elements of nature like rain, sleet or snow. The grease cartridges housings swell when rain soaks their skins or come apart from tools when tools are thrown on top of them. Therefore, it is important to be able to store new and partially used grease cartridges in a safe place whether in the back of a pickup truck or on a bench shelf in a factory or garage setting. Another reason for storing the various grease cartridges in a safe place is that these cartridges with specialized greases can costs hundreds of dollars per cartridge. So a system that helps to identify, store and maintain the integrity of the cartridges in relative safety yet has the mobility to carry one or more cartridges to be stored in the bed of a pickup truck without damage when going to and from the job site or transported to the point of use would be a valuable and ideal system. 
         [0003]    Often times due to the environmental and other conditions impacting upon the housing of the grease cartridge exposed to the outdoor elements carried in a pickup truck bed, a tool box, a shed or a farm field next to the tractor or other equipment requiring constant lubrication, the identifying cartridge label with directions or instruction on it application are unreadable due to label damage. Thus with missing instructions and directions, the grease can be misapplied causing problems for the end user. 
         [0004]    Any advanced lubricant management system must be very robust especially when going into rough environmental conditions where the grease cartridges having the typical vulnerable paper laminated housings. Also, to save money, it is important to be able to reuse partially used grease cartridges and to maintain the integrity of the labeling on the cartridge housing throughout the lifetime of the cartridge for future use. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a definite need for a grease cartridge system for storage, transporting and handling to the point of use that protects the grease cartridge, its labels and instructions. There is also a requirement that lubricants are identifiable at all times form storage to point of use whether the lubricants are stored on an offsite or onsite location exposed to the elements. In short, a lubricant inventory management/process control begins with the ability to track and use the proper lubricants for the proper application in residential, commercial and industrial settings. Also, application, direction and warning information needs to accompany the lubricants from storage to the point of use in the residential, commercial or industrial applications without any errors in the identification of the lubricant or errors in the instructions related to its application. 
         [0006]    In addition, it is often important to have two or more spare grease cartridges at hand so the greased gun can be rapidly changed out of the empty grease cartridges and replaced by a new one. Also, it is often important to have more than one type of grease to handle different lubrication applications or if a problem occurs with the current grease cartridge being used so that the lubrication of the equipment can be fully completed to prevent damage of continuous operation without the proper lubrication. In outdoor applications, the grease cartridge and its labels might receive damage due to moisture or to the other fluids being spilled directly onto the labels or outer shell of the laminated paper housing when dispensing grease. Some applications require more detailed instructions on how to apply the lubricants, and in that case, it may require the ability to handle multiple sets of instructions or warnings in separately organized literature that accompany the grease cartridge to market. But one thing that remains and that is the ability to management the deployment of grease cartridges from storage to the job site without misidentifying, damaging or losing the instructions. 
         [0007]    Therefore, it is an essential aspect of any grease identification and management system to have a cartridge management system capable of handling multiple grease cartridges with different greases, labels and information associated therewith. The present invention solves above discussed problems and even other problems, and provides advantages and aspects for maintaining the integrity of the grease cartridge and its application at the point of use. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    According to the present invention, a grease cartridge management system comprises a hand caddy and a protective chamber for housing a grease cartridge releasably mounted on the caddy. The caddy comprises at least a three piece assembly of generally flat panels, one vertically disposed and the other two panels are interlocked horizontally on the vertical panel and spaced apart with respect to each other a predetermined distance to mount and hold the protective chamber thereon. The vertical panel is generally rectangular in shape with generally identical front and rear surfaces of a predetermined length, width and thickness terminating in a top, a bottom and two opposing vertical edges connected between the top and bottom edges. The vertical panel increases in thickness going from top to bottom. 
         [0009]    An opening through the vertical panel disposed near the top and intermediate the vertical edges serves as a gripping place for the digits on a hand to carry the caddy. The first of the two horizontal panels includes a keyed slot opening having a length and width corresponding to the width and thickness at the bottom of the vertical panel. The second of the two horizontal panels includes a keyed slot opening having a length and width corresponding to the width and thickness at a predetermined point intermediate the top and bottom edges of the vertical panel. 
         [0010]    The vertical panel further includes vertical locking tabs on the front and rear surfaces thereof. In assembling the caddy, the keyed slot of the first panel is inserted over the top edge of the vertical panel and the first panel is slid downwardly to the bottom of the vertical panel, the top surface of the first panel passes the vertical locking tabs on the front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel and locks the first panel in place at the bottom of the vertical panel. The combination of the first panel locked to the bottom of the vertical panel provides a base for the caddy so that the vertical panel remains oriented upright. Then the keyed slot of the second panel is inserted over the top edge of the vertical panel and the second panel is slid downwardly a predetermined distance on the vertical panel until the second panel top surface passes the locking tabs on the front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel and stops the downwardly movement on the vertical wall a predetermined distance from the top edge due to frictional engagement with the thickness of the vertical panel against the keyed slot and a keyed location on the vertical panel. 
         [0011]    To disassemble, the locking tabs engaging the top surface of the second horizontal panel are pushed inwardly to the front and rear surfaces on the vertical panel while pulling the second horizontal panel upwardly releasing it from the keyed position on the vertical panel and then removed over the top edge of the vertical panel. The locking tabs engaging the top surface of the first horizontal panel at the bottom of the vertical wall are pushed inwardly on both front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel while pulling the first panel upwardly and pass the keyed location of the second horizontal panel on the vertical panel. Next, the locking tabs holding the second panel are pushed inwardly to the front and rear surfaces releasing the first panel to travel upwardly again an over the top edge to remove the first horizontal panel. This permits the caddy to be disassembled, packaged and shipped as a generally flat item when ordered from a customer of the caddy. 
         [0012]    Thus the varying thickness of the vertical panel, which increases going from the top edge to the bottom edge for the purposes of frictionally engaging and keying the slot of each horizontal panel to a predetermined position on the vertical panel when assembled. In assembly, the vertical panel is upright and the slot with the greatest width, the first horizontal panel, is placed over the top edge of the vertical panel and slid downwardly to approximately the bottom of the vertical panel by passing over the first set of locking tabs and keying surfaces for the second horizontal panel and then passing over the second set of locking tabs where it mates with the second keying surface on the rear and front surfaces of the vertical panel to key and lock the first panel in its assembled place. The second horizontal panel with a small keyed slot width is assembled the same way as the first panel only it slides down the vertical panel and passes over only the first locking tabs to key and lock in place against the first keying surface on the front and rear surfaces of the vertical panel. The first and second panels are spaced apart a predetermined distance from and parallel to one another on the vertical wall when the three panels of the caddy are assembled. 
         [0013]    The first horizontal panel includes spaced apart recesses on the top surface corresponding to the bottom dimensions of the bottom of the chamber. The second horizontal panel includes spaced apart openings extending through the top and bottom surfaces of the panel having a dimension sufficient to accommodate generally the dimensions of the chamber at its approximate midpoint between the top and bottom of the chamber. In using the grease cartridge management system of the present invention, a grease cartridge is inserted into the chamber. The chamber is closed before inserting the chamber through one of the openings extending through the second panel until the bottom of the chamber engages a spaced apart recess on the first panel disposed axially below the opening on the second panel when placing grease cartridges into the assembled caddy. 
         [0014]    The chamber of the grease cartridge management system includes a generally tubular enclosure for storing and transporting a grease cartridge therein having two halves of approximately the same size to house the grease cartridges. Each half of the chamber is generally a hollow conical frustum shape closed at the smaller base end and open at the larger base end. Each larger base end includes mating threads for screwingly joining the two halves together to define a one-piece storage chamber for grease cartridges sealed in the openable middle against the elements when the two halves are screwed together to form the chamber. The volume of the chamber is a predetermined size sufficient to enclose a grease cartridge. 
         [0015]    The small base end on the top half of the chamber has a raised circular ridge extending above the top a predetermined distance with two opposing pin eyelets on an outer surface of the ridge to receive a pair of pins on an arcuate or semicircular hanger where the pins are pivotally mounted within the eyelets to make the hanger rotatable in an arc above the small base end. A generally flat circular insert fitting within the inner perimeter of the generally circular ridge to cover a generally circular identification tag that can be inserted on the small base within the perimeter of the ridge. The lower half of the chamber having a key raised portion extending from the small base end a predetermined distance to mate with the keying recess of the first horizontal panel. When the keyed bottom of the chamber is inserted into the keying recess, a hooked tab forming a part of the key on the base or bottom of the chamber engages a corresponding opening in the recess to removably lock the chamber in the recess. 
         [0016]    According to another aspect of the invention, a caddy includes six circular openings in the second panel having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the chamber midpoint when assembled and the first panel includes six corresponding recesses axially disposed beneath each opening to receive the bottom of each inserted chamber into the caddy. 
         [0017]    According to still another aspect of the present invention, each chamber with the hanger attached to the top of the chamber allows for the storage of a plural number of chambers on a grease cartridge wall bracket system side by side on a peg or other horizontally extending rod. 
         [0018]    Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective side view of a grease cartridge management system including a caddy and chamber mounted thereon according to the teachings of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a left end elevation view taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is an exploded frontal perspective view of the three components of the caddy in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a right end elevation view taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 : 
           [0025]      FIG. 5A  is a partial exploded cross section view of the connection between the bottom of the caddy and chamber of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5B  is a partial exploded cross section view of the connection between the bottom of the caddy and chamber showing an alternative embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is an elevation view of the chamber of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of the two mating halves of the chamber with components for housing a grease cartridge, a tag identifier and a hanger of the chamber as shown in  FIG. 6 ; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the chamber shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. 
         [0031]    The present invention is a grease cartridge management system. In  FIG. 1 , the systems comprises a caddy  10  and a chamber  12  for handling, storing and transporting a grease cartridge  14  in an enclosure protecting the grease cartridge  14  and its label instructions from storage to the point of use in a grease gun. The caddy  10  is a three-piece assembly of panels. A vertical panel  16  is comprised of several generally flat layers  16   a  making up the vertical panel having of a predetermined height, width and tapered thickness increasing in thickness when going from a top edge  20  to a bottom base  22  as shown in  FIG. 3 , and having generally opposing side edges  24  connecting the top edge  20  to the bottom base  22 . The vertical panel  16  includes an opening  18  through the panel  16  near the top edge  20 , a carrying handle  25  encompasses the top edge  20  and extends into the opening  20  to accommodate the digits of a hand to carry the caddy  10  in a comfortable manner. 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 2 , a front surface  26  of the caddy  10  a first pair of locking tabs  28  is spaced apart and disposed a predetermined distance down from the top edge  20  on a line parallel to the top edge  20 . A second pair of locking tabs  30  are spaced apart a predetermined distance above the base  22  in a line parallel to the base  22 . The panel  16  includes a rear surface  32  that is a mirror image of the front surface  26  with two pairs of locking tabs  34  and  36  opposite the two pairs of locking tabs  28  and  30  on the front surface  26  and along the same parallel lines from the top edge  20  and the bottom base  22 , respectively. 
         [0033]    In  FIGS. 1-5 , a first and second horizontal panels  38  and  40  have keyed openings  42  and  44 , respectively. The keyed openings or slots  42  and  44  varying in width so that the first panel keyed slot  42  is wider than the second panel keyed slot  44  to permit the panel  38  to be inserted over the top edge  20  and handle  25  and slide downwardly to the bottom base  22  passing over the all eight locking tabs  28 ,  30 ,  34  and  36  to lock in placed with the base  22 . The keyed slots  42  and  44  engage corresponding keys  46  and  48 , on the front and rear surfaces  26  and  32  of the vertical panel  16 . The first keyed opening  42  of the first horizontal panel includes a generally rectangular portion  50  disposed in the middle of two perpendicular opposing arm portions  52  extending outwardly on either side of the portion  50  to define the key opening  42  and to match the width and thickness of the panel  16  at its base  22  with respect to the combination of the opposing arms and rectangular portions of the opening  42 . The rectangular portion  50  of the opening is dimensioned to pass over the handle  25  too. The second keyed opening  44  of the second horizontal panel includes same configuration as keyed opening  42  with a rectangular portion  54  and arm portions  56  except the overall opening  44  only matches with width and thickness of the vertical panel at a predetermined point between the top edge  20  and base  22 . 
         [0034]    A pair of keys  58  and  60  is located on the vertical panel  16  at the base  22  and at the predetermined point between the top edge  20  and the base  22 , respectively. The base key  58  includes a bar  62  on the front surface  26  of the panel  16  having a length and height that matches the rectangular portion  50  of the opening  42  and a corresponding bar  64  on the rear surface again matching the rectangular portion  50  of the opening  42  to define a complete key for the key slot  42 . The exact same configuration is applicable to key  60  at essentially the predetermined point on the panel  16 . A bar  66  on the front surface  26  is duplicated on the rear surface  32  to define a bar  68  performing the same function with the keyed slot  44  as the bars  62  and  64  perform with the keyed slot  42 . Therefore, when panel  38  is inserted over the handle  25  and top edge  20  and slid downwardly on the panel  16  the panel  38  passes over the locking tabs  28  and  34  at the midpoint and continues over the key bars  66  and  68  and a pair of support flanges  70  and  72  extending horizontally from the bottom edge of the bars  66  and  68  a predetermined distance to snap the key  58  into the key slot  42  at the base  22  as the panel  38  passes over the locking tabs  30  and  36  and rests on a pair of supports flanges  74  and  76  extending horizontally from the bars  62  and  64  a predetermined distance and rests on a pair of horizontal ledges  78  and  80  in the same plane as the support flanges  74  and  76  at the base  22 . The locking tabs pressing against the top surface of the panel  38  captures the panel securely between the locking tabs and the combination of the support flanges  74  and  76  plus the ledges  78  and  80  on the front and rear surfaces of the panel  16 . Likewise, the panel  40  is inserted over the handle  25  and top edge  20  and slid downwardly into place below locking tabs  28  and  34  on the front and rear surfaces of panel  16  to engage the top surface of the panel  40  with the bottom surface of the panel  40  engaging a pair of support flanges  70  and  72  and a pair of horizontal ledges  70   a  and  72   a  on the front and rear surfaces  26  and  32 , respectively, of panel  16 . In this manner, the second horizontal panel  40  is securely supported and locked in place between the locking tabs  28  and  34  and the support flanges/ledges  70  and  72 ,  70   a  and  72   a.    
         [0035]    The first panel  38  includes keyed recesses  82  on the top surface of the panel that include hexagonal or similar sides  84  with openings  86  in at least two of the sides  84  to receive a barb  88  mounted on a mating hexagonal or similar shaped bottom portion  90  of the chamber  12  to hook into openings  86  to secure the bottom of the chamber  12  to the first panel  38 . 
         [0036]    The grease cartridge system further includes a generally tubular chamber  12  for storing and transporting a grease cartridge therein having two halves  92  and  94  of approximately the same size to house the grease cartridges  14 . The two halves  92  and  94  are generally hollow conical frustum shape closed at the smaller base  96  and open at the larger base  98  with mating threads  100  on the larger base ends for joining the two halves at their large bases  98  together to define a one piece storage chamber  12  sealed in the middle against the elements when the halves are screwed together to form the chamber  12 . The volume of the chamber is sufficient to enclose at least one grease cartridge therein. The small base  96  on the top half  92  of the chamber  12  has a raised circular ridge  102  extending above the top base  96  a predetermined distance with two opposing pin eyelets  104  on an outer surface of the ridge to receive a pair of pins  106  on an arcuate or semicircular hanger  108  where the pins  106  are pivotally mounted within the eyelets  104  to make the hanger  108  rotatable in a 180° arc about the top. A generally flat circular insert  110  fitting within the inner perimeter of the ridge  102  to cover a generally circular identification tag  112 . The lower half  94  of the chamber  12  having the keyed raised portion  90  extending from the small base  96  a predetermined distance with the pair of barbs  88  extending into the recessed keyed slots  86  in each recess  82  that the chamber  12  is inserted. Circular openings  91  in the second horizontal panel  40  are axially aligned with the recessed slots  82  in the first panel  38 . The openings  90  include ribs  114  to grip the sides of the chamber  12  in a frictional fit when fully seated in the recesses  82  in the first panel  38 . 
         [0037]    The caddy is generally made from a durable, scuff resistance, opaque plastic material and the chamber is generally made from a clear plastic material allowing the viewing of the grease cartridge within the chamber to help in quick identification of the grease cartridge in the event the ID tag in the top of the chamber was not filled out and place therein to help identify the particular grease tube within. Generally, the chamber  12  is watertight when the two conical frustum halves are screwed together tightly so that no moisture gets to the housing of the cartridge causing it to swell. The drawings show a six pack for carrying the grease cartridges in a safe environment but the caddy could be extend or short with respect to the horizontal panels  38  and  40  with a greater number or lesser number of holes and recessed keyed slots axially aligned to carry more or less grease cartridges in the system. 
         [0038]    As can easily be seen by the FIGS. and written description herein the caddy vertical member could be a trapezoid, a triangle, a circle and many more geometric shapes and make out of metal, fiberglass, various plastics, nylons and other similar rigid materials. It could even be made out of coated paper like cardboard or laminated paper with a protective sealing to prevent moisture from destroying the caddy in keeping with the present invention. Also, the horizontal panels might have other geometric shapes so long as they are fixed in place by a locking mechanism between the vertical and horizontal members of the caddy  10 . The chamber  12  could also be made of many different high tech materials that are now