GB2277921A - Containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for storing camera filters is composed of a box-like main body (10) and a cover (11) fitted into an opening in the body (10). The cover (11) has internal walls (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34) which combine with ribs (45) on the inside of side walls (21, 22) of the cover (10) to form pockets for resiliently gripping the filters in side-by-side relationship to permit a filter to be selected and withdrawn. The body (10) has side walls (12, 13) with inter-engageable ribs (17) and grooves (18) on opposed outer faces which permit a number of containers to be fitted together and stacked side-by-side. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTAINERS The present invention relates to a container for storing objects such as camera filters in a side-by-side relationship.

It is known to provide accessories for cameras in the form of flat rectangular or disc-like filters which are secured to a camera to achieve various effects.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved container for such objects.

In one aspect the invention provides a container composed of a box-like main body and a cover adapted to fit into an opening of the body wherein the cover has internal walls and/or ribs defining pockets for resiliently gripping and carrying one or more rectangular or disc-like objects, such as filters, in a side-by-side relationship for containing in the main body.

Preferably the cover has side and end walls whose exterior is adapted to snugly form a frictional sliding fit in the opening of the body and there are gripping projections on the end walls of the cover which engage in recesses in end walls of the main body and a lip on a top wall to permit a user to easily remove the cover by pulling.

In another aspect the invention provides a two part container with a box-like main body and a cover for detachably fitting into an opening in the main body wherein the exteriors of the major side walls of the main body have one or more interengageable projections and recesses enabling a stack of such containers to be held in side-by-side relationship. Conveniently the projection and recess can take the form of a circular rib on one wall and a circular groove in the other wall which interengage say as a snap or press fit.

The invention may be understood more readily, and various other features of the invention may become apparent, from consideration of the following description.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a body component of a container constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the body component; Figure 3 is an end view of the body component; Figure 4 is a sectional end view of the body component taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view of a cover component of the container; Figure 6 is an inverted plan view of the cover component; Figure 7 is a side view of the cover component; and Figure 8 is an end view of the cover component.

As shown in the drawings, a container constructed in accordance with the invention is composed of two components namely a main body component 10 and a cover component 11. Both components 10, 11 are moulded from plastics material and are adapted to fit together. The body component 10, shown in Figures 1 to 4, is of rectangular box-like form with side walls 12, 13, end walls 14, 15 and a base wall 16. The side walls 12, 13 are parallel and have a circular rib 17 and a circular groove 18, on their respective exterior faces, adapted to fit together so that a number of containers can be held in side-by-side relationship. The end walls 14, 15 have semi-circular cut-out recesses 19 at an opening 20 of the component 10 opposite the base wall 16.

The cover component 11, shown in Figures 5 to 8, is composed of side walls 21, 22, a top wall 23 and end walls 24, 25. The top wall 23 extends outwardly of the side and end walls 21, 22, 24, 25 to form a projecting lip 26 extending around the component 11. The walls 21, 22, 24, 25 have exterior surfaces designed to fit snugly into the opening 20 of the body component 10 with a sliding frictional contact between the exterior surfaces of the walls 21, 22, 24, 25 and the interior surfaces of the walls 12, 13, 14, 15 of the body component 10. When the cover 11 is fitted to the body 10 the lip 26 lies substantially flush with the exterior of the walls 12, 13, 14, 15 of the body 10 or preferably just inset slightly from the exterior of the walls 12, 13, 14, 15 of the body 10.The end walls 24, 25 of the cover 11 have semi-circular projecting portions 27 which fit into the recesses 19 in the end walls 14, 15 of the body 10.

These portions 27 and the lip 26 provide convenient gripping locations to enable the cover 11 to be pulled off and removed from the body 10.

The side walls 21, 22 of the cover 11 are provided with semi-circular recesses 28. As shown in Figure 6, the cover 11 is provided with internal walls 29 to 34 extending from the inner surface of the end walls 24, 25 and the inner surface of the top wall 23 and disposed at least partly parallel with the side walls 21, 22. The walls 29, 30 have a curved top edges 35 aligned with the recesses 28. The walls 31, 33 have inclined end regions 36 and the walls 32, 34 have 'T'-shaped end regions 37.

The regions 36, 37 adjoin wall portions parallel to the side walls 21, 22. The side walls 21, 22 also have upstanding ribs 45 confronting the walls 29, 30. The shaped walls 31 to 34 and the ribs 45 collectively provide reception pockets for resiliently gripping a number of flat rectangular or disc-shaped objects (not shown), and more particularly filters for cameras, in a side-by-side relationship parallel to the side walls 21, 22.

With such objects fitted in place the objects can be withdrawn with the cover 11 from the body 10. The objects are held reliably without contact with one another by the pockets on the cover 11 and the objects are unable to move within the container 10, 11 when the cover 11 is fitted to the body 10. A filter thus carried by the cover 11 can be removed by pulling the cover 11 off the body 11 and the filter fitted to a holder of a camera without touching with the fingers.

The body 10 can be made of translucent plastics or can be treated with a roughened or ribbed exterior 41 (Figure 1) except for a circular wall region 40 inside the rib 17 and/or the groove 18 which region 40 is transparent to permit the interior of the container and its contents to be seen. The cover 11 can be made of a contrasting coloured plastics material.

Claims (14)

1. A container composed of a box-like main body and a cover adapted to fit into an opening of the body wherein the cover has internal walls and/or ribs defining pockets for resiliently gripping and carrying one or more rectangular, or disc-like objects in a side-by-side relationship for containing in the main body.

2. A container according to Claim 1, wherein the cover has side and end walls with exteriors adapted to form a snug frictional sliding fit in the opening of the body.

3. A container according to Claim 2 and further comprising gripping projections on the end walls of the cover which engage in recesses in end walls of the body and facilitate removal of the cover from the body by pulling.

4. A container according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the cover has a lip on a top wall to facilitate removal of the cover from the body by pulling.

5. A container according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the side walls of the cover have semi-circular recesses and the pockets are defined partly by first internal walls of the cover which have curved edges aligned with the recesses.

6. A container according to Claim 5, wherein the cover has further internal walls some with inclined end regions and others with T-shaped end regions and the pockets are further defined by the inclined and T-shaped wall regions and by ribs on the inside of the side walls.

7. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body has opposed side walls with a matching rib and a groove in their respective exterior surfaces, the rib and groove serving to locate with a groove and a rib of other containers to permit the containers to be stacked and held in side by side relationship.

8. A container according to Claim 7, wherein the rib and groove in the side walls are circular.

9. A container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover and the body are both made from a molded plastics material.

10. A container according to Claim 9, wherein the body is made from translucent material or is provided with a roughened or ribbed exterior except for a region which is transparent to permit the interior of the container to be seen.

11. A container according to Claim 9 or 10 wherein the body and the cover are made from contrasting coloured plastics material.

12. A two-part container comprised of a box-like main body and a cover for detachably fitting into an opening in the main body wherein the exteriors of the major side walls of the main body have one or more interengageable projections and recesses enabling a stack of such containers to be held in side-by-side relationship.

13. A container according to Claim 12 wherein the projections and recesses take the form of a circular rib on one wall and a circular groove in the other wall which interengage as a snap or press fit.

14. A container substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.