Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02881546 2015-02-10
RING AND CONTAINER FOR COILED WIRE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application
No.
61/938,360, filed on February 11,2014, the entirety of which is hereby fully
incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates to containers that are configured to transport
and allow for continuous payout of a portion of a coiled wire stored in the
container. Containers of coiled wire often include lids as well as hold down
rings
that are disposed within the container and above the coiled wire.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] A first representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. The
embodiment includes a ring suitable for riding upon a top surface of a coil of
wire.
The ring includes a substantially planar member extending between an inner
edge defining a central aperture and an outer edge, the member including a
substantially planar portion that extends radially inwardly of the outer edge
and
toward the inner edge, and a upwardly extending central portion that extends
from the planar portion to the inner edge. The substantially planar portion
includes a top surface that faces away from a top surface of a coil of wire
when
the member rests thereupon and an opposite bottom surface that faces toward a
top surface of the coil of wire when the member rests thereupon, the bottom
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surface of the substantially planar portion includes a plurality of
projections that
extend therefrom away from the bottom surface.
[0004] Another representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. The
embodiment includes a system for supporting a coil of wire. The system
includes
a container including a bottom surface, side walls collectively defining an
internal
volume that is configured to receive an elongate wire coiled therein, the
elongate
coiled wire defining a top surface that faces an open top of the container,
and a
substantially cylindrical side surface that radially faces an inner surface of
the
container. The container receives a ring that rests upon the top surface of
the
elongate coil of wire, the ring extends between an inner edge defining a
central
aperture and an outer edge, the ring including a substantially planar portion
that
extends radially inwardly of the outer edge and toward the inner edge, and a
upwardly extending central portion that extends from the planar portion to the
inner edge. The substantially planar portion includes a top surface that faces
away from a top surface of a coil of wire when the ring rests thereupon and an
opposite bottom surface that faces toward the top surface of the coil of wire
when
the ring rests thereupon, the bottom surface of the substantially planar
portion
includes a plurality of projections that extend therefrom away from the bottom
surface. The ring is configured to slide downwardly within the internal volume
of
the container as the elongate wire is withdrawn from the container.
[0005] Advantages of the disclosed devices will become more apparent to
those skilled in the art from the following description of embodiments that
have
been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, other
and
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4
different embodiments are contemplated, and the disclosed details are capable
of
modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description
are to
be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ring usable within a
container for
holding a coil of wire.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container with the ring
of FIG. 1
disposed therein and above a coil of wire, with a portion of the wire being
withdrawn through a center aperture in the ring.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a ring that is usable within the
container of
FIG. 2.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a side view of the ring of FIG. 3.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the container of FIG. 2
and the ring
of FIG. 3 resting upon a top surface of the coil of wire.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of another ring that is usable
within the
container of FIG. 2.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a side view of the ring of FIG. 6.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 3 disposed within
a container.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a top schematic view of FIG. 8 with the container
partially
deformed and a portion of the ring deflected.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a top view of a ring disposed within a
container.
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[0016] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another ring that is usable within the
container of FIG. 2.
[0017] FIG. 12 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 11.
[0018] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the ring of FIG. 11.
[0019] FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of the container of FIG. 2 and the
ring
of FIG. 11 resting upon the top surface of the coil of wire.
[0020] FIG. 14a is a detail view of detail A of FIG. 14.
[0021] FIG. 15 is the view of FIG. 11 with the flexible members removed.
[0022] FIG. 16 is perspective view of another ring that is usable within
the
container of FIG. 2
[0023] FIG. 17 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 16.
[0024] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another ring usable within a
container
for holding a coil of wire.
[0025] FIG. 19 is the ring of FIG. 18 receiving a dowel and a band to
retain the
ring in position within a wire container (not shown).
[0026] FIG. 20 is the ring of FIG. 18 depicted with two similar rings in a
stacked configuration, with a support member of a lower stacked received
within
a void of a socket of the upper stacked ring.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PRESENTLY
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] Turning now to FIGs. 1-17, a system for supporting and transporting an
elongate coiled wire is provided. The system includes a container 500 that
receives the elongate coiled wire 550 within an internal volume 520 defined
within
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an outer wall 510 and a bottom wall 530. The coiled wire 550 may be coiled
directly within the inner volume 520 such that that the coiled wire 550
defines an
elongate donut-like shape, with a top surface 552 that is formed by the coils
of
wire that are disposed at the top of the coiled wire 550, and a cylindrical
side
surface 554 that is formed by the portions of the coiled wire that are at the
radial
outer edge of the coiled wire 550 along the height of the coiled wire 550. In
some
embodiments, the cylindrical side surface 554 of the coiled wire 550 may
contact,
or be in close proximity to, an inner surface 512 of the side walls 510 of the
container 500. In some embodiments, the cylindrical side surface 554 of the
coiled wire 550 may contact the entire inner surface 512 of the side walls 510
of
the container 500, while in other embodiments, the cylindrical side surface
554 of
the coiled wire 550 may only contact a portion of the inner surface 512 of the
side
walls 510 of the container, either due to the inclusion of other structures
(such as
corner braces 740 (FIG. 10) disposed within the inner volume of a container
700,
wherein the coiled wire also contacts a surface of each corner brace 740), or
in
circumstances when the coiled wire 550 is the same shape as the inner surface
512 of the side walls 510 of the container 500.
[0028] In some embodiments, the container 500 receives a ring 20 therein,
which sits upon the top surface 552 of the coiled wire 500 and assists with
maintaining the various portions of wire from the coiled wire 550 from being
withdrawn or being pulled out of the container 500 when not intended. This
specification discloses multiple embodiments of rings, shown specifically as
rings
20, 120, 220, 320, 420, 820 For the sake of brevity, portions of the various
rings
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that include similar structure are identified with similar element numbers in
the
ones and tens digits, e.g. outer edges 32, 132, 232, 323, 432, 832 Unless
otherwise discussed herein, rings that are identified with element numbers
with
the same tens and ones digits should be understood as including similar
structure
across the various rings 20, 120, 220, 320, 420 and these structures may only
be
discussed with respect to one of the rings (while being equally applicable to
the
structure of the other rings) for the sake of brevity.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the ring 20 is a generally planar member that forms
a center aperture 42 through which a portion of the wire being pulled from the
coil
550 for use extends. The center aperture 42 is defined by an inner edge 44
that
may be disposed around the geometric center of the ring 20 or at another
location upon the ring 20. The ring 20 extends to an outer edge 32 that
defines
the outer perimeter of the ring 20. The ring 20 may include an inclined
portion
40, which extends to the inner edge 44 (that defines the center aperture 42)
and
a substantially planar portion 30 located radially outward of the inclined
portion
40. The inclined portion 40 may be provided to provide a gradual, guided
transition for the wire being pulled from the coil 550 (below the ring 20)
from the
substantially horizontal coiled orientation, to the vertical direction out of
the
container 500 (as shown schematically in FIGs. 2 and 5).
[0030] The ring 20 may include a substantially planar portion 30 that
surrounds
a portion of the entire circumference of the inclined portion 40 and extends
from
the inclined portion to the outer edge 32 of the ring 20. In some embodiments,
the ring 20 may be generally circular. The substantially planar portion 30 may
be
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flat, or in other embodiments may form a small angle radially, such as very
slightly rising (e.g. at an angle of a few degrees, such as less than 1, 1, or
2
degrees or similar values) toward the center C of the ring, or may have the
opposite curvature, with an angle that slightly rises (e.g. at an angle of a
few
degrees, such as less than 1, 1, or 2 degrees, or similar values) toward the
outer
edge 32. In embodiments where the substantially planar portion 30 has a small
angle, the angle may be continuous along the radius of the planar portion 30
(i.e.
to form a cone), or discontinuous to form a radial curve between the inclined
portion 40 and the outer edge 32 (to form a concave, or convex lower surface)
In
some embodiments, one or both of the bottom and/or upper surfaces of the outer
edge may rest within a respective plane.
[0031] The ring 20 is formed to provide a blocking surface disposed above the
top surface 552 of the coiled wire 550, which prevents foreign objects from
engaging with the coiled wire 550 disposed within the container 500, and
prevents wire from extending upward (or being pulled upward) through any gaps
610 (FIG. 8) between the outer edge 32 of the ring 20 and the inner surface
512
of the side walls 510 of the container 500. The ring 20 may also be configured
with sufficient weight to hold the coiled wire 550 in a coiled orientation
during
transport, but be light enough that the downward gravitational (normal) force
of
the ring 20 upon the coiled wire does not generate a significant amount of
friction
(or a mechanical blockage) between the wire and the ring 20, and between
neighboring wires, to prevent wire from freely being pulled from the container
500
through the central aperture 42 in the ring 20. In some embodiments, the ring
20
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may be made from metal (such as aluminum or steel) or plastic, composites, or
other materials with beneficial weight, strength properties. One of ordinary
skill in
the art would be able to select a suitable material for the ring 20 after a
thorough
review and understanding of this specification and an understanding of the
type
of wire and size of the coil of wire within the container.
[0032] In other embodiments, as best shown in FIGs. 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10, the
ring 20 (120, 220, 320, 420) may be generally circular but include a plurality
of
vertices 34 (134, 234, 334, 434) (such as 4 equally or unequally spaced
vertices,
while other numbers of vertices such as 3, 5, 6, 7, or 8 are contemplated)
that
extend radially outward from the center of the ring further than the remainder
of
the outer edge 32. The plurality of vertices 34 may form a point or a vertical
edge
upon the outer edge 32 (132, 232, 332, 432) of the ring 20, while in other
embodiments the plurality of vertices 34 may each be arcuate, flat, or another
geometry as long as the plurality of vertices are configured to extend
radially
outward further than the remainder of the outer edge 32 of the ring 20.
[0033] As can be understood with reference to FIGs. 8 and 10, the ring 20
(120, 220) may be sized and shaped such that the plurality of vertices 34 are
the
only portions of the ring 20 that contact the inner surface 512 of the side
walls
510 of the container 550, while the radius of the outer edge 32 forms a
plurality of
small gaps 610 (FIG. 8) between the ring and the side walls 510 of the
container
500. The ring 20 may be sized to minimize the size of the gaps 610, to prevent
portions of the coiled wire 550 from extending upwardly through the gaps 610
(either on their own as the coiled wire might be urged radially outward, or
upward
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due to wire being withdrawn through the center aperture 42 of the ring 20
during
use), and/or to be sized sufficiently small enough to prevent a foreign object
from
extending through one of the plurality of gaps 610 which might become
entangled
with the wire within the inner volume 520 of the container 500.
[0034] In some embodiments, the ring 20 (120, 220, 320, 420) may include a
plurality of flexible portions 38 (138, 238, 338, 438) that are disposed
proximate
to or including the outer edge 32 of the ring 20. For example, the plurality
of
flexible portions may be formed from a material, such as rubber or silicone,
that
generally extends in a predetermined manner, but can elastically or flexibly
deflect if acted upon by an external force, and is biased to then return to
(or
toward) its normal configuration when the external force is removed. In some
embodiments, the flexible portions 38 may each be formed proximate to and
including the vertices 34 as well as a portion of the ring within the planar
portion
30 of the ring that includes the respective vertex 34. As can be best
understood
with reference to FIGs. 8 and 9, the plurality of flexible portions (138 shown
in the
figures, but 38 and 238 are similar) may include one, some, or all of the
plurality
of vertices 134, which are the portions of the outer edge 132 of the ring that
makes contact with the inner walls 510 of the container 500.
[0035] In some embodiments, the plurality of flexible portions 38 (138,
238)
may each connect to the planar portion 30 of the ring 20 with a straight edge
butt
joint, as shown in FIG. 3, while in other embodiments, the transition between
the
plurality of flexible portions and the remainder of the planar portion 30 of
the ring
20 with a curved edge, a lap joint, a tongue and groove joint, or other types
of
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joints known to connect two members along an edge. The plurality of flexible
portions 38 may be connected to the planar portion 30 of the ring with a press
fit,
adhesive, fasteners or other structures known in the art.
[0036] In embodiments shown in FIGs. 11-15 another ring 320 is provided.
Similar to the rings described elsewhere herein, the ring 320 may include a
plurality of vertices 334 (such as 4, while other numbers are contemplated,
evenly or otherwise spaced about the ring 320) that are provided along the
outer
edge 332 of the ring 320. In some embodiments, vertices 334 and the outer
edge 332 of the ring 320 are configured to not normally contact the inner
surface
512 of the container 500, as shown schematically in FIG. 14 and 14a.
Specifically, the radius of the planar portion 330 about the outer edge 332
and
vertices 334 is smaller than the nominal inner diameter of the container 500
(which like the containers used with the rings disclosed elsewhere herein may
include a cylindrical inner surface, an octagonal inner surface as shown in
FIG.
10, or an inner surface with another geometry). Of course, in some
embodiments, the container 500 may become deformed (such as the deformation
of the container 500 shown schematically in FIG. 9, and discussed in more
detail
below) which could cause the outer edge 332 or vertices 334 to contact the
container 500.
[0037] The ring 320 may include a plurality of flexible members 338 that are
disposed upon the planar portion 330 of the ring 320 and proximate to the
outer
edge 332. The flexible members 338 may each include a first portion 338' that
extends radially beyond the outer edge 332 with the remaining second portion
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338" disposed upon the planar portion 330. In some embodiments, one or more,
or in some embodiments all, of the flexible members 338 are disposed proximate
to, or in some embodiments over (or under) the vertices 334, such as one
flexible
member 338 proximate to (and potentially over or under) each vertex 334 in the
outer edge 332.
[0038] As best shown in FIGs. 11 and 14b, the planar portion 330 of the ring
320 may receive or include a post 339 that extends axially from the planar
portion
330 (either upwardly from the upper surface 322 of the planar portion 330 as
shown in the drawings, or downwardly from the opposite lower surface). The
flexible member 338 may be retained upon the post 339 with a fastener, such as
sandwiched upon the post with a nut, with an adhesive, with a crimp
connection,
or with another type of known connection (releasable or non releasable)
method.
The post 339 may be formed monolithically with the planar portion 330 of the
ring
320, such as molded with the ring or machined with the ring, or the post 339
may
be a fastener that is itself retained upon the ring 330. In other embodiments,
the
flexible member 338 may be fixed to the ring 320 with other structures, such
as
adhesive, staples or other fasteners, crimps, press fits, or other connection
structures or methods.
[0039] In some embodiments, the planar portion 330 may additionally include
a plurality of ledges 339a, such that a ledge 339a is disposed proximate to
each
post 339. The ledge 339a is configured to engage a portion (such as an edge)
of
the flexible member 338, such that engagement between the flexible member
338 and the ledge 339a (in combination of with the engagement between the
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,
flexible member 338 and the post 339) provides two points of engagement
ultimately between the ring 320 and the flexible member 338, such that the
flexible member 338 is prevented from rotating or otherwise being displaced
from
its position and orientation upon the ring 320.
[0040] In some embodiments, the first portion 338' of the flexible member may
be disposed in an orientation that is parallel or substantially parallel with
a plane
through the outer edge 332 (either the top portion or the bottom portion),
while in
other embodiments (as specifically shown with respect to the flexible member
438 of FIGs. 16-17, but equally applicable for the flexible member 338) that
first
portion 338' may be disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the plane,
either
an upward angle or a downward angle with respect to the planar portion 330. In
some embodiments, the first portion 338' of the flexible portion 338 may be
biased into either a parallel orientation, or at an oblique angle, such that
the
flexible portion 338 may be urged into a different direction or a different
orientation in the same general direction (such as being urged axially upward
(or
downward) into a larger oblique angle due to engagement with the inner wall
512
of the container 500 (FIG. 14a), but then returns to or toward the normal
biased
orientation.
[0041] Turning now to FIGs. 16-17, another embodiment of a ring 420 is
provided. Similar to rings described elsewhere herein, the ring 420 may
include a
plurality (such as 4, while other numbers are contemplated) of vertices 434
that
are provided along the outer edge 432 of the ring 420. In some embodiments,
vertices 434 and the outer edge 432 of the ring 420 are configured to not
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normally contact the inner surface 512 of the container 500, (similar to the
embodiment of ring 320 shown schematically in FIG. 14 and 14a), while in other
embodiments, one or more of the plurality of vertices 434 are configured to
contact the inner surface 512 of the container (similar to the schematic
drawing of
ring 120 in FIG. 5).
[0042] The ring 420
additionally includes a plurality of flexible portions 438 that
are disposed proximate to the outer edge 432 of the planar portion 430 and
disposed around the circumference of the outer edge 432, such as evenly spaced
around the circumference. In some embodiments, the plurality of flexible
portions
438 may be disposed such that each flexible portion 438 is located between two
adjacent vertice 434 of the ring 420, such as exactly in the middle of the
two
adjacent vertices 434. In some embodiments, the outer edge 432 of the ring 420
may be sized and shaped such that the midpoint (where the flexible member 438
is positioned) is at the smallest radius of the ring 420 (or one of the many
equal
smallest radiuses when the ring 420 conforms to the same curvature between
each vertex 434).
[0043] As with the flexible portion 338 discussed above, the flexible portion
438 may include a first portion 438' that extends radially beyond the outer
edge
432 of the ring 420, and a second inner (not specifically shown but similar to
second portion 338" of the flexible member 338) that is fixed to the ring 420.
The
first portion 438' may be aligned in one of the many ways with respect to the
planar portion 430 of the ring 420 as discussed with respect to the first
portion
338' of the ring 338 with respect to the ring 320, such as substantially
planar to a
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plane through the outer edge 432, at an oblique angle to the plane through the
outer edge 432, and biased toward that orientation. As with the flexible
member
338, the flexible member 438 may be formed from a flexible material, such as
rubber or silicone, or a flexible plastic, or other materials that can be
formed (with
appropriate geometries) to be flexible to deform if needed when contacting an
inner surface 512 of a container 500, but to be resilient to be biased toward
its
normal orientation. The methods and structures for rigidly (and in some
embodiments releaseably, as in flexible portion 338) connecting the flexible
portion 338 to the ring 320 are equally applicable to the flexible portion 438
and
the ring 420.
[0044] As with the ring 320, the ring 420, including the plurality of
flexible
portions 438 disposed thereon, is configured such that one, some, or all of
the
first portions 438' of the flexible portions 438 normally contact the inner
surface
512 of the container 500 when the ring 420 is disposed within the container
and
above a coil of wire 550. This contact may be in addition to contact between
the
one or a plurality of vertices 434 or the only contact with the container 500.
Similar to the interaction between the flexible portion 338 and the container
500,
the interaction between the flexible portions 438 and the inner surface 512 of
the
container 500 may be urged into a different direction or a different
orientation in
the same general direction (such as being urged axially upward (or downward)
into a larger oblique angle due to engagement with the inner wall 512 of the
container 500 (similar to flexible portion 338 in FIG. 14a)), but then returns
to or
toward the normal biased orientation when released.
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[0045] As can be understood, the presence of the flexible portions 438 (as
well
as the flexible portions 338 on ring 320) and their interaction with the inner
walls
512 of the container eliminates any gap present between the outer edge 432
(332) of the ring 420 (320) and the container 500, and the possible deflection
of
the flexible portions 438 (338) when contacting the container allow for the
contact
to be maintained in situations where the container is deformed (as shown
schematically in FIG. 9) while still maintaining contact between the ring 438
(338)
and the container 500 and allowing the ring 438 (338) to be maintained in a
horizontal orientation above the coil of wire 550 in the container.
[0046] In some
embodiments, the container 500 may become deformed away
from its normal profile (where the plurality of vertices 34 of the ring 20
each
contact or come close to the inner surface 512 of the side walls 510) such
that
one or more of the vertices 34 upon a flexible portion 38 is compressed or
urged
(deflected) downwardly or upwardly to allow the ring 20 to fit within the
internal
volume 520 on the top surface 552 of the coiled wire 550. A potential
deformation of a container 500 deformation and resultant deflection of the
flexible
portion 138 is shown schematically at portion E of FIG. 9 (depicted with ring
120,
but flexible portions 38, 238 on rings 20 and 220 act in the same manner). The
deflection of the flexible portions 38 (138, 238) allows the ring 20 to remain
substantially horizontal upon the coiled wire 550 and allows the ring to
"float"
downward within the internal volume 520 of the container 500 as the wire is
withdrawn from the container (as shown schematically in FIGs. 3 and 5).
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[0047] The deformation E of the container depicted in FIG. 9 may cause a
related radially outward deformation of the container, such as portion D in
FIG. 9.
The existence of the flexible portions 138 (38 and 238 are similar) upon the
vertices 34 allow the radius of the ring 20 to be maximized (thereby limiting
the
space 610) while still allowing the ring to horizontally remain within the
inner
volume 512 of the container 500.
[0048] In some embodiments, the ring 20 (120, 320, 420) may include a
plurality of projections that extend from the bottom surface 24 of the ring
20, and
toward the top surface 552 of the coiled wire 550 when the ring 20 is disposed
thereon. The plurality of projections may take many forms, and representative
embodiments are discussed below.
[0049] Turning now to FIGs. 3 and 4, the ring 120 may include a plurality of
projections, that may be a plurality of lines 160 (360, 460) that each extend
from
proximate to the inclined region 140 toward the outer edge 134 of the ring
120.
The some or all of the plurality of lines 160 may be continuous, or
discontinuous
with one or more spaces formed along the length of the lines 160. In some
embodiments, the lines 160 may each be straight, while in embodiments shown
in FIGs. 3 and 4, the plurality of lines 160 may be curved along their length
between a first end 162 (proximate to the inclined region 140) and a second
extended end 164, proximate to the outer edge 134.
[0050] In some embodiments, the plurality of lines may be curved with a
first
side that is concave 160a along its length, with an opposite side that is
convex
160b along its length. As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of lines 160 may be
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=
arranged such that the concave portion 160a of a line faces the convex portion
160b of the neighboring line and vice versa. In some embodiments, the
plurality
of lines 160 are spaced upon the bottom surface 124 of the ring 120 such that
the
lines are equally spaced about the bottom surface 124, with each line 160
extending the same length and in the same shape.
[0051] In some embodiments, the second ends 164 of each of the respective
plurality of lines 160 may be disposed proximate to or below one of the
respective
plurality of vertices 134 on the outer edge 132 of the ring 120. In other
words,
each of the plurality of vertices 134 may receive (directly or in close
proximity) a
second end 164 of the one of the plurality of lines 160. In embodiments where
the ring 120 includes a flexible portion proximate to (338) or defining (138,
238)
each vertex 134, the second end 164 of each of the plurality of lines 160 may
end
in close proximity to the flexible portion 138, while in other embodiments,
the
flexible portion 138 may be formed to include a portion of the respective line
160,
including its second outer end 164.
[0052] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of lines 160 may extend
downwardly from the bottom surface 124 of the ring 120. In some embodiments,
the plurality of lines 160 may each be a uniform depth and width, or they may
be
differing depth and/or width. In some embodiments, the plurality of lines 160
may
extend from the bottom surface 124 of the ring 120 a distance (depth) that is
about the same as the thickness of the substantially planar portion 130 of the
ring
120. In other embodiments, the plurality of lines 160 may extend from the
bottom
surface 124 of the ring 120 a distance that is a multiple of the diameter of
the wire
17
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expected to be used in the container 500 with the ring 120, such as a depth
equal
to one diameter, two diameters, three diameters, one and a half diameters and
the like. As can be understood with a thorough review of this specification
and
drawings, the plurality of lines 160 provide a set off distance (generally
equal to
the thickness of the plurality of lines 160) that prevents the bottom surface
124 of
the ring 120 from resting directly upon the top surface 552 of the coiled wire
550.
This set off minimizes the friction between the portion of wire being pulled
from
the coil 550 (through the central aperture 142) and therefore limits the force
necessary to pull the wire from the coil 550. The set off also may prevent the
bottom surface 124 of the ring 120 from blocking the path of the wire out of
the
coil 550 and through the central aperture 142 of the ring 120. In embodiments
where the plurality of lines 160 are curved (such as embodiments shown in FIG.
3), the portion of the wire being pulled from the coil 550, when contacting
one of
the plurality of lines 160 urges the wire in a gradual manner toward the
inclined
portion 140 and the central aperture 142.
[0053] Turning now to FIGs. 6-7, the plurality of projections disposed upon
the
bottom surface 224 of a ring 220 may be in the form of a plurality of bumps or
dimples 262 that are spaced about the bottom surface 224. The bumps 262 may
be curved projections, such as semicircles or other curved geometries.
Alternatively, the bumps 262 could be cubes, pyramids, truncated pyramids,
truncated cones, or other complex shapes with curved and/or planar faces. The
bumps 262 may be equally and/or consistently spaced from neighboring bumps
262 around the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220, while in other embodiments,
18
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,
the bumps 262 may be unequally spaced, such as with closer spacing in some
portions of the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 (such as at portions of the
ring
that are closer to the outer edge 232 of the ring) with a larger spacing in
other
portions of the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 (such as at portions of the
ring
that are closer to the inclined portion 240 of the ring 220). The plurality of
bumps
262 may be provided to provide a set off distance (generally equal to the
depth of
the plurality of bumps 262) that prevents the bottom surface 224 of the ring
220
from resting directly upon the top surface 552 of the coiled wire 550. Similar
to
the plurality of lines 160 of ring 120, the plurality of bumps 262 minimizes
the
friction between the portion of wire being pulled from the coil 550 (through
the
central aperture 242) and therefore limits the force necessary to pull the
wire from
the coil 550 and also minimizes any mechanical blockage between the bottom
surface 224 of the ring 220 and the wire.
[0054] In some embodiments, all or some of the plurality of bumps 262 may be
the same shape, thickness, and/or radius, and/or size. Alternatively, the
plurality
of bumps 262 distributed about the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 may be
formed from differing shapes, thicknesses, radii, and/or size, which are
designed
to minimize the blockage and friction felt by the wire during removal of the
wire
being pulled through the center aperture 242 of the ring 220, while
maintaining
the effectiveness of the ring 220 at preventing the wire within the coil 550
from
inadvertently being pulled from the ring 220 or tangling together during
normal
wire removal during operations or transit.
19
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=
[0055] As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the plurality of bumps 262
are uniformly spaced upon the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220. In an
exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the ring 220 forms a plurality of
similar
sections along the entire bottom surface, such as section X, Y, Z (and others)
depicted in FIG. 6. The plurality of bumps 262 disposed in section X are
disposed in the same geometry and spacing as the plurality of bumps 262
disposed in sections Y, Z, and the remainder of the sections disposed within
the
bottom surface, shown as divided by imaginary lines R. One of ordinary skill
in
the art will appreciate that the specific location and spacing of the
plurality of
bumps within each section (e.g. X, Y, Z) within a bottom surface 224 of the
ring
220 will be a function of the size of the ring, the size of the container 500,
the
type (material, thickness) of wire, and an appropriate geometrical
arrangement,
size and spacing for the plurality of bumps 262 to be used upon the bottom
surface 224 of the ring 220 will readily be determined by one of ordinary
skill in
the art with review of this specification and drawings without undue
experimentation.
[0056] As a specific representative example, the bottom surface of a ring 220
that has a diameter of 20 inches (between opposite vertices 234) and a
diameter
of 18.6 inches (at the smallest diameter of the outer edge 232) may have 15
equally spaced sections (e.g. X, Y, Z) that each include four bumps 262. The
four bumps 262 form two bumps 262a that each are aligned in a first line A
through the center C of the ring, and two other bumps 262b that each are
aligned
along a second line B though the center C of the ring 220, with the first and
CA 02881546 2015-02-10
second lines A, B being 12 degrees apart, and each of the first and second
lines
A, B forming an angular distance (a) of 6 degrees from the line's closest edge
of
the section. Each of the bumps 262 within a section (e.g. section X) may be
positioned at a different radial distance from the center C of the ring 220.
Other
rings 220 may be designed for differing sized containers 550.
[0057] In some embodiments where the ring 220 includes one or more flexible
portions 238 (as described above) the plurality of bumps 262 may be disposed
upon the portion of the bottom surface 224 of the ring 220 without the
flexible
portions 238, while in some embodiments, one of more of the flexible portions
238 may include one or more bumps 262 (either formed monolithically with the
flexible portions 238, or attached to the flexible portions 238).
[0058] Turning now to FIGs. 18-20, in some embodiments a ring 820 may be
provided. While the ring 820 is discussed herein with respect to the features
of
the ring depicted in FIG. 18, the features of the ring 820 disclosed herein
could
also be included in any of the rings (20, 120, 220, 320, 420), and likewise,
in
some embodiments the features of rings 20, 120, 220, 320, 420 may be provided
upon the ring 820.
[0059] The ring 820 may be a generally planar member that forms a center
aperture 842 through which a portion of the wire being pulled from the coil
550
extends as the wire is used. The center aperture 842 is defined by an inner
edge
844 that may be disposed around the geometric center of the ring 820 or at
another location upon the ring 820. The ring 820 extends to an outer edge 832
that defines the outer perimeter of the ring 820. The ring 820 may include an
21
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inclined portion 840, which extends to the inner edge 844 (that defines the
center
aperture 842) and a substantially planar portion 830 located radially outward
of
the inclined portion 840. The inclined portion 840 may provide a gradual,
guided
transition for the wire being pulled from the coil 550 (below the ring 820)
from the
substantially horizontal coiled orientation, to the vertical direction out of
the
container.
[0060] The ring 820 may include a substantially planar portion 830 that
surrounds a portion of the entire circumference of the inclined portion 840
and
extends from the inclined portion to the outer edge 832 of the ring 820. In
some
embodiments, the ring 820 may be generally circular or may include a plurality
of
vertices 834 as depicted in FIGs. 18 and 19.
[0061] The planar portion 830 of the ring 820 may include two or more support
members 860 (or bosses) that are disposed upon opposite sides of the center
aperture 842. The support members 860 may include a top surface 861 that
includes a valley 862, which is configured to support a dowel 890 therein. As
best shown in FIG. 19, in some embodiments, two support members 860 are
disposed across the center aperture 842 from each other and the valleys 862 of
each support member 860 can receive a portion of the dowel 890, and normally
opposite end portions 891, 892 of the dowel 890. The support elements 860 are
provided to support the dowel 890 during transport of the container 500. The
dowel 890 may be provided to receive a rope, string, band, or the like 895
thereover, with the band 895 being fixed to a bottom surface of the container
500
(or another structure within the container, or a bottom portion of the coiled
wire
22
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550, or the like), such that the band 895 pulls the dowel 890 downward (i.e.
in the
direction of the bottom of the container) which retains the ring 820 in
position
above the coiled wire during transit. When the container is received by the
user
and is positioned for wire withdrawal (such as for welding operations) the
band
895 and the dowel 890 removed from the supporting elements 860.
[0062] In some embodiments, the ring 820 may additionally include two or
more receiving sockets 840 (and specifically the same number of sockets 840 as
the number of supporting elements 860 upon the ring). The sockets 840 may be
positioned upon the planar portion 830 of the ring 820 and disposed on
opposite
sides of the center aperture 842. As best understood with reference to FIG.
20,
the sockets 840 are provided to provide space for receipt of a support member
860 within a void 842 within the socket 840, which allows two or more rings
820
to be stacked with only a small space therebetween. Accordingly, the opposed
sockets 840 (and specifically the center point 844 of each socket 840) are
disposed upon the ring 820 at the same distance that the center points 864 of
opposed support members 860. In some embodiments, the side walls 865 of the
support members 860 and the side walls 845 of the sockets 840 may be slanted
(such as to resemble the walls of a hollow truncated pyramid) such that the
support members 850 may slidingly fit within the void 842 of the corresponding
socket 840. In other embodiments, one or both of the support members 860 and
the sockets 840 may have relatively vertical side walls (as shown in FIG. 18).
In
these embodiments, the void 842 of the socket 840 should be slightly larger
than
23
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the outer cross-section of the support member 860 to allow the support member
to nest within the void within the socket 840.
[0063] Because the support member 860 is configured to receive the dowel
890 within a valley 862 in the support member, the support member 860 may be
sized such that the valley 862 is above the inner edge 844 of the inclined
portion
840 (i.e. the height "H" depicted in FIG. 20), so that a straight dowel 890
can
freely extend between support members 860 that are disposed on opposite sides
of the inclined portion 840. In other embodiments, the dowel may be angled
(such as in the shape of a upside down "v" (with the center point to be
aligned
over the center hole of the ring 820) or in curved profile to allow the dowel
to be
retained by the support members 860 on opposite sides of the center hole,
while
still vertically clearing the inner edge 844, with the upper surface of the
support
member 860 disposed at the same vertical height above the planar portion or
below the height of the inner edge. With reference to FIG. 20, the ring 820
may
be modified such that the valley 862 may be disposed below the height H if the
dowel is curved or like an upside down "v" to allow the dowel to lower into
the
lower valley 862 on both opposite sides of the center hole 842.
[0064] While the preferred embodiments of the disclosure have been
described, it should be understood that the disclosure is not so limited and
modifications may be made without departing from the invention. The scope of
the invention is defined by the appended claims, and all devices that come
within
the meaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intended to
be
embraced therein.
24
