Abstract:
A bead holder provides storage of a plurality of beads and having individual tubular containers therein for separation and containment of like kind beads. The bead holder includes multiple rectangular boxes, each rectangular box has a clasp closure and store in an upright orientation and a plurality of individual tubular containers with plastic stopper closures. The bead holder is made of a transparent plastic material to allow visual access of all the assortment of beads within each tubular container.

Description:
The application claims priority of provisional patent application 60/214,678 filed on Jun. 27, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a system of containers for small craft items such as beads or the like which compartmentalizes similar craft items together and provides visual access to all of the craft items within each of the compartments. 
     BACKGROUND 
     People who work with beads either as a hobby or in their profession may accumulate hundreds of different designs and types of beads which vary by color and size as well as material. Until now, it has been difficult to easily store the multitude of types of beads such that they are all visually accessible and easily retrievable to the person during use, as well as providing containers that are stackable and easily transportable. 
     In the prior art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,743 (&#39;743) issued to Dalbo, a bead tray is disclosed wherein individual compartments lay adjacent to each other within a tray formation. A pair of individual compartments butt up to each other at their end walls so that the front walls of each compartment are adjacent to the peripheral wall of the tray. A funnel opening from each compartment has an aperture through the peripheral wall of the tray for retrieval of the beads. In order to visually distinguish each of the types of beads contained in each compartment of the prior art, a single tray must be unlayered to expose and view the different beads stored therein. The bead storage tray disclosed in U.S. Patent &#39;743 would necessarily require an extremely long length to view dozens of different beads at one time. This configuration would not provide for easy storage and transport of the beads. In addition, to remove a particular type of bead from its compartment, the entire tray must be tilted on an angle to allow the bead to flow through the funnel. If the tray is long in order to contain many dozens of types of beads, tilting the tray to retrieve a particular bead would be cumbersome. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a bead holder which allows a person to easily transport and visually distinguish more than a hundred different types and colors of beads at one time. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention addresses the aforementioned concerns by providing a bead holder for storage of a plurality of beads and for the separation of like kinds of beads having an open frame with a sleeve formation and a solid top surface with through front and rear openings. The frame slidably receives a drawer therein. The drawer has an open-ended top providing access to the interior of the drawer. The interior of the drawer has a predetermined width and length for receiving a plurality of outer cases therein. Each outer case has a width corresponding with the interior width of the drawer. Each outer case is capable of receiving storage tubes having removable plastic plug closures. A plurality of storage tubes are capable of placement and storage within each outer case. 
     Another aspect of the invention provides that the frame, drawer, outer case and storage tubes are made from a clear plastic material to provide visual access to a multitude of beads stored therein. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the sleeve formation of the frame is open along five sides having reinforced edges and corners to outline the frame, and a solid plastic top surface to prevent the outer cases being inadvertently dislodged from the drawer when the drawer is within the frame. 
     In yet a further aspect of the invention, the parallel lower edges of the frame have a rail guide formed along an inner surface of the lower edge. The drawer has a bottom surface having a pair of rails positioned to align with the rail guide on the frame to provide easy slidable movement of the drawer within the frame. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bead holder in accordance with the present invention within a container assembly including a frame and drawer in an open position and three bead holders removed from the drawer; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container assembly showing the drawer in a closed position having multiple bead holders therein; 
     FIG. 3 a  is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a bead holder including an outer case containing storage tubes therein; and 
     FIG. 3 b  is the side elevational view of another embodiment of a bead holder including a plastic outer case containing storage tubes of a different size therein. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, the bead holder  10  of the present invention provides an outer case  40  in which multiple plastic storage tubes  46  can be stored. Individual bead holders  10  may be transported in a purse or pocket of the user. Multiple bead holders  10  may be transported in available boxes such as shoe boxes or in a frame and drawer assembly as described hereinafter. 
     Each outer cases  40  has a predetermined width (W) which is slightly smaller than a typical shoe box (not shown). The depth or thickness (D 1  and D 2 ) of the outer case  40  can vary to accommodate different sizes of storage tubes  46  therein. The outer cases  40  are made of a clear plastic having a clasp opening  44 . The outer cases  40  can be placed in a shoe box or in the drawer  14  through an open-ended top  26 . The outer cases  40  enclose plastic storage tubes  46  having cylindrical sides with a permanently closed first end  48  and a removable plastic plug style closure  50  at the opposing end. 
     In the preferred embodiment the plastic storage tubes  46  are provided in various sizes. The illustrated embodiment shows tubes  46  having dimensions 2″ H×⅝″ diameter (FIG. 3 a ). Other plastic storage tubes are shown having dimensions of 2″ H×1⅛″ diameter (FIG. 3 b ). The outer boxes  40  have a depth (D 1  and D 2 ) to receive one of the sizes of tubes. The width (W) and depth (D 1  or D 2 ) of the outer boxes  40  are such that when filled with the appropriate storage tubes  46  will allow little lateral movement of tubes  46 . Therefore, tubes  46  of the same size are placed in a particular outer case  40  sized for the same sized tubes so that the tubes  46  remain upright relative to the outer box  40 . Each storage tube  46  will accommodate a particular style, color or size bead in one storage tube  46 . This will keep similar beads in the same tube for easy retrieval. A person using the bead container assembly of the present invention will divide his or her beads into the desired categories and then place each category of beads in its individual tube  46 . The plastic plug-style closure  50  seals the beads within the tube  46 . The outer case  40  can accommodate multiple tubes  46  in an upright position as shown in FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b . The outer cases  40  are preferably placed in a shoe box or in the drawer  14  such that the plastic plug-style closure  50  is facing the bottom of the drawer  14 . Therefore, when the drawer  14  is placed into the frame  12 , the contents of each tube  46  is clearly visible through the clear plastic top surface  16  of the frame. 
     The two-piece frame  12  and drawer assembly  14  is configured and adapted to hold a plurality of bead holders  10 . The two piece frame  12  and drawer assembly is sized to be the approximate dimensions of a typical shoe box. These dimensions provide easy, stackable containers that are not bulky and are easily transportable. The frame or shell  12  has a sleeve formation for receiving the drawer  14  therein. Although the frame  12  could include a five sided structure having only one open wall for entry of the drawer  14 , to save in material cost it is only necessary to provide a clear or transparent plastic top surface  16  and reinforced corners  18  and edges  22   a, b  along the other four sides. The clear plastic top surface  16  prevents the outer cases  40  from falling out of the drawer  14  when the bead holder system is in a closed position. The top surface  16  may include a ridge  17  extending around and adjacent to the periphery of the top surface  16  so that the top surface  16  may be used as a working surface for arrangement of the beads  100 . The ridge  17  will maintain the beads  100  on the top surface  16 . The bottom support edges  22   b  of the frame  12  will preferably include a rail guide  24  on the inside surfaces to guide the movement of the drawer  14  therein. 
     The drawer  14  is a five walled box having an open-ended top  26 . The drawer  14  is sized to fit snugly within the frame  12  and also to accommodate outer cases  40  having various depth sizes therein. Along the outside surface of the floor of the drawer  14  are a pair of corresponding rails  25  for alignment with the rail guide  24  in the frame  12  and facilitate the movement of the drawer  14  in the frame  12 . The forward wall  30  of the drawer  14  has a handle  32  attached thereon. In the preferred embodiment, the handle  32  is positioned at the upper edge of the forward wall  30 . In the illustrated embodiment the handle  32  extends slightly above the upper edge of the forward wall  30  so that the handle  32  acts as a stop for the drawer  14  and prevents the drawer  14  from sliding through the back side  34  of the frame  12 . A stop may also be provided by a stop ridge (not shown) at the far end of the rail guide  24 , or by a reinforced corner  18  extending into the back side  34  of the frame  12 , or by the forward wall  30  of the drawer  14  extending above the top surface of the frame  12 . The drawer  14  is capable of holding a plurality of outer boxes  40 . 
     The use of clear plastic throughout the assembly for individual tubes, outer cases and two-piece drawer system allows for easy visual access to the beads. If a particular bead is required, then only the particular outer case  40  holding that bead will need to be dislodged from the drawer  14  and then only the individual tube will need to be retrieved from the outer case  40  and tilted to retrieve the bead  100 . The bead holder  10  of the present invention also helps to keep track of the supply of a particular style of bead so that a person can quickly observe whether a reorder of the bead is necessary. The bead holder  10  also allows for easier transport of possibly over a hundred types of beads within a typical shoe box or in the single frame and drawer assembly. The frame and drawer assembly also allows for stackable storage of the beads on shelves. The lower edges  22   b  of the frame  12  may include a corresponding ridge (not shown) which stacks within or around the ridge  17  on the top surface  16  of the frame  40  to facilitate the stacking of the bead container assemblies. 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law. For example, one modification could include a pair of outer cases  40  having smaller widths then previously discussed; but when placed side-by-side adjacent to each other could have a total width of (W) for placement into drawer  14  so that there is little lateral movement of the pair of outer cases  40 .