Packaging sleeve with latching cap

Abstract

A packaging sleeve (2) having at least one latching cap (1) arranged on the end. The shape of the latching cap is adapted according to the outer perimeter of the packaging sleeve (2) and securely attached to the packaging sleeve by its side walls (13) by a latching wall (15).

Claims

1. A packaging sleeve comprising: at least one sleeve having an outer surface that defines an outer perimeter of said sleeve, said sleeve also having an inner surface that at least partially defines a storage chamber, an edge of said outer surface cooperating with an edge of said inner surface to define an end of said sleeve, a portion of said outer surface having protrusions that extend radially outward and define an underside or relief portion thereon; and at least one latching cap that is secured to an end of said sleeve, said latching cap having a cover wall and side walls that are connected to said cover wall and extend away from said cover wall to form a terminal edge, said side walls being arranged in correspondence with the outer perimeter of the outer surface of said sleeve, said outwardly extending protrusions of said sleeve being adjacent one end of said sleeve, said side walls of said latching cap extending radially and laterally beyond the outer perimeter of said sleeve and beyond the outwardly extending protrusions as said latching cap is secured to said end of said sleeve, the side walls of said latching cap having latching edges that define latching recesses, each of said protrusions extending through a respective latching recess with said latching edge being elastically expandable and resilient so as to be in spring contact with the relief portion or underside of a respective one of said protrusions at times when said latching cap is secured to said end of said sleeve, each of said side walls having a latching wall in the lower region of said side wall, said latching wall extending between one of said latching edges and the terminal edge of said side wall, said latching wall having a smaller cross-section than the cross-section of adjacent portions of said side wall such that said latching wall is elastically expandable and resilient such that the lower region of said side wall is expandable over said radially outwardly extending protrusion to release said latching cap from said secured position.

2. The packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein said latching cap has a perimeter that defines at least two corner regions, each of said corner regions having a latching recess arranged therein, said latching recesses being diametrically opposed to each other, the latching edges of said latching recesses being integrally molded in said cap as a lower end of the respective latching recess and extending beneath the respective protrusion such that said latching edges are in spring contact beneath the protrusions to secure said latching cap to said sleeve.

3. The packaging sleeve according to claim 2 wherein said outer surface of said sleeve has four protrusions that are arranged in respective corner regions of said outer surface, said packaging sleeve having four latching recesses that are arranged in respective corner regions of the latching cap, said latching edges in each of said latching recesses extending beneath one of said protrusions to hold the protrusion to the latching cap.

4. The packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the latching cap is composed of a material having elastic resilience such that the lower region of the side walls can be expanded over the perimeter of the sleeve.

5. The packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein said latching cap has a perimeter that defines a corner region, said latching recesses being located outside of the corner region and in a region of the opposing side walls of the latching cap.

6. The packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the profile shape of the sleeve is selected from the group comprising square, rectangular, round, triangular, diamond and trapezoidal shapes and wherein the perimeter shape of the latching cap corresponds to the profile shape of the sleeve.

7. The packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein said cover wall of said latching cap includes an insertion part that reinforces said cover wall.

8. The packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the latching cap is a closure cover that seals an open end of the sleeve.

9. The packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the latching cap includes a hanger.

10. A latching cap for a packaging sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the side walls of the latching cap are attached in a locking manner to the outer surface of the sleeve.

11. A packaging sleeve comprising: an outer sleeve with an outer surface that defines an outer perimeter of said outer sleeve, said outer sleeve also having an inner surface, an edge of said outer surface cooperating with an edge of said inner surface to define a first end of said outer sleeve, said outer sleeve having a second end that includes a bottom wall, a portion of the outer surface of said outer sleeve having protrusions that are adjacent to said second end of said outer sleeve and that extend radially outward and define an underside or relief portion thereon; an inner sleeve having an outer surface that defines an outer perimeter of said inner sleeve, said inner sleeve also having an inner surface, an edge of said outer surface cooperating with an edge of said inner surface to define a first end of said inner sleeve, said inner sleeve having a second end that includes a bottom wall, a portion of the outer surface of said inner sleeve having protrusions that are adjacent said second end of said outer sleeve and that extend radially outward and define an underside or relief portion thereon, said first end of said inner sleeve being insertable into the first end of said outer sleeve such that the inner surface of said outer sleeve cooperates with the inner surface of said inner sleeve to define a storage chamber; and at least one latching cap that can be secured to the second end of said outer sleeve and to the second end of said inner sleeve, said latching cap having side walls that are arranged in correspondence with the outer perimeter of the outer surface of said outer sleeve and in correspondence with the outer perimeter of the outer surface of said inner sleeve, said side walls of said latching cap extending radially and laterally beyond the outer perimeter of said outer sleeve and beyond the outwardly extending protrusions of said outer sleeve as said latching cap is secured to the second end of said outer sleeve, the side walls of said latching cap also extending radially and laterally beyond the outer perimeter of said inner sleeve and beyond the outwardly extending protrusions of said inner sleeve as said latching cap is secured to the second end of said inner sleeve, the side walls of said latching cap defining latching recesses, each of said latching recesses further defining a latching edge, each of said protrusions extending through a respective latching recess with said latching edge being elastically expandable and resilient so as to be in spring contact with the relief portion or underside of a respective one of said protrusions at times when said latching cap is secured to second end of said outer sleeve or to the second end of said inner sleeve, said side walls having a lower region that is elastically expandable and resilient such that the lower region of said side walls is expandable over said radially outwardly extending protrusions of said outer sleeve to release said latching cap from said secured position at the second end of said outer sleeve, and is also expandable over said radially outwardly extending protrusions of said inner sleeve to release said latching cap from said secured position at the second end of inner sleeve.

12. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein said latching cap has a perimeter that defines at least two corner regions, each of said corner regions having a latching recess arranged therein, said latching recesses being diametrically opposed to each other, the latching edges of said latching recesses being integrally molded in said cap as a lower end of the respective latching recess and extending beneath the respective protrusion such that said latching edges are in spring contact beneath the protrusions to secure said latching cap to said outer sleeve or to said inner sleeve.

13. The packaging sleeve according to claim 12 wherein said outer surface of said outer sleeve has four protrusions that are arranged in respective corner regions of said outer surface of said outer sleeve and wherein said outer surface of said inner sleeve has four protrusions that are arranged in respective corner regions of said outer surface of said inner sleeve, said packaging sleeve having four latching recesses that are arranged in respective corner regions of the latching cap, said latching edges in each of said latching recesses extending beneath one of said protrusions of said outer sleeve or said inner sleeve to hold the protrusion to the latching cap.

14. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein the latching cap is composed of a material having elastic resilience such that the lower region of the side walls is expandable over the perimeter of the outer sleeve and over the perimeter of the inner sleeve.

15. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein a latching wall defines a respective one of said latching edges and wherein said latching wall has a cross section that is smaller than the cross section of other portions of said side walls of said latching cap such that said latching wall is resilient and elastically expandable so as to yield the latching effect for the latching edge.

16. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein said latching cap has a perimeter that defines a corner region, said latching recesses being located outside of the corner region and in a region of the opposing side walls of the latching cap.

17. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein the profile shape of the outer sleeve and the profile shape of the inner sleeve is selected from the group comprising square, rectangular, round, triangular, diamond and trapezoidal shapes and wherein the perimeter shape of the latching cap corresponds to the profile shape of the outer sleeve and the profile shape of the inner sleeve.

18. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein said latching cap includes a cover wall, said cover wall including an insertion part that reinforces said cover wall.

19. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein the latching cap is a closure cover that is operative to seal an open end of the outer sleeve and an open end of the inner sleeve.

20. The packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein the latching cap includes a hanger.

21. A latching cap for a packaging sleeve according to claim 11 wherein the side walls of the latching cap are attached in a locking manner to the outer surface of the outer sleeve and to the outer surface of the inner sleeve.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of drawings which illustrate one preferred embodiment. Additional features of the disclosed invention and advantages of the disclosed invention can be derived from these drawings and the description thereof.

(2) They show:

(3) FIG. 1: a perspective diagram of a packaging sleeve having two snap-on hangers on opposite ends

(4) FIG. 2: the packaging sleeve according to FIG. 1 with the hanger removed

(5) FIG. 3: a perspective diagram of a latching hanger

(6) FIG. 4: a top view of the bottom side of the packaging sleeve according to FIG. 2

(7) FIGS. 5a-g: various profile shapes of packaging sleeves and latching caps adapted thereto

(8) FIG. 6: a perspective diagram of the latching cap

(9) FIG. 7: a section through the latching cap according to FIG. 6 across the plane of the hanging strap

(10) FIG. 8: a diagonal section through the latching cap and the top side of the outer sleeve

(11) FIG. 9: the same section as FIG. 8, with a section cut through the inner sleeve

(12) FIG. 10: a schematic diagram of the section guidance for the sections according to FIGS. 8 and 9

(13) FIG. 11: a side view of the packaging sleeve having snap-on latching caps

DESCRIPTION OF A PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(14) FIG. 1 shows in general a packaging sleeve 2 consisting of two parts that can be inserted one into the other and can be locked together. An outer sleeve 7 (see FIG. 2) is designed to be displaceable and lockable by means of an inner sleeve 6, so that the length of the packaging sleeve 2 is thereby continuously adjustable and lockable.

(15) A latching cap 1 designed as a hanger is snapped onto the respective end side of the packaging sleeve 2. In the embodiment as a hanger, the latching cap 1 has a hanging strap 3 with a conventional hanger opening 4 formed in it.

(16) FIG. 2 shows that the packaging sleeve 2 has a bottom wall 5 on both the inner sleeve 6 and the outer sleeve 7, so that the latching cap 1 according to FIG. 3 can be snapped onto it.

(17) For this purpose, protrusions 10 which engage in the respective latching recesses 11 of the latching cap 1 according to FIG. 3 and are locked in place there are formed by the inner sleeve 6 and the outer sleeve 7 in the corners in the region of the respective bottom wall 5. The top view of the bottom wall 5 is shown in FIG. 4.

(18) FIG. 5 (illustrations a-g) shows that the packaging sleeve 2 may have any cross section according to the diagrams in a-g and therefore the latching cap 1 may have a profile shape adapted thereto.

(19) Likewise, the invention is not limited to a packaging sleeve 2 that is variable in length and can be locked. Only the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 shows that there is a latching path 8 consisting of a plurality of teeth in the region of the corners of the inner sleeve 6, cooperating with the respective snap teeth 9 directed radially inward on the inner circumference of the outer sleeve 7. Such a type of latching is described in DE 28 51 096 C2. In this way the inner sleeve 6 can be inserted continuously into the outer sleeve 7 and locked in position by the latching engagement between the teeth of the latching path 8 and the snap teeth 9 of the outer sleeve 7.

(20) The disclosed invention is not limited to this embodiment, as already indicated. Packaging sleeves of any cross-sectional shape according to FIG. 5 may be used.

(21) However, if the latching cap is used as a closure element, then according to FIG. 6 the hanging strap 3 is omitted and the cover wall 12 of the latching cap 1 then serves as a closure for the end faces of the packaging sleeve 2.

(22) Likewise, it may happen that the hanging strap 3 remains on the cover wall 12 but the latter nevertheless serves as a closure element for the open end faces of the packaging sleeve 2.

(23) The latching cap 1 is preferably manufactured as an injection molded plastic part and has side walls 13 extending away from and orthogonally to the cover wall 12, such that latching recesses 11, which are bordered by the peripheral edges 18, are provided in the corner regions of the side walls 13.

(24) To reinforce the flexural stiffness of the cover wall 12 of the latching cap an insertion part such as a metal plate or a plastic sheet may be inserted from the inside. Such an embodiment is expedient when particularly heavy objects (for example, a drill bit) are placed in the interior of the packaging sleeve, such that the tip is directed toward the end wall of the packaging sleeve and are thus directed against the reinforced cover wall 12 of the latching cap 1.

(25) A latching edge 14 which is integrally molded above a resilient latching wall 15 in one piece with the material is formed in the lower region of the bordering edge 18.

(26) In attaching the latching cap 1 to the respective protrusions 10 of the packaging sleeve 2, the protrusions 10 first engage in the receptacle space 20 of the latching cap 1 and widen the latching wall 15 resiliently outward in the direction of the arrow 16 in the circumferential direction and also in the direction of the arrow 17 in the radial direction. After the protrusions 10 of the packaging sleeve 2 have overcome the resilient latching wall 15 so that the protrusions 10 fully enter the latching recess 11, latching wall 15 it snaps back again, so that the latching edge 14 is then in contact with the underside of the protrusions 10 and thus establishes a locking position.

(27) These relationships are illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. It can be seen here that the latching edge 14 of the latching cap 1 is in contact with the underside of the respective protrusion 10 of the packaging sleeve 2. FIG. 8 shows that the protrusions 10 are arranged in the region of the outer sleeve 7, while FIG. 9 shows that the protrusions 10 are arranged in the region of the inner sleeve 6 with the same diameter and the same dimensions.

(28) An insertion bevel 19 may also be provided in the region of the latching wall 15 to bring the obliquely shaped protrusions 10 easily into the latching recess 11 of the latching cap 1 while overcoming the latching wall 15 resiliently.

(29) FIG. 10 shows the diagonal section used to create the drawings according to FIGS. 8 and 9, and FIG. 11 shows a side view of a packaging sleeve 2 provided with two oppositely arranged latching caps 1.

(30) The disclosed invention includes the latching cap together with and separately from the packaging sleeve.

LEGEND TO THE DRAWINGS

(31) 1 Latching cap 2 Packaging sleeve 3 Hanging strap 4 Hanger opening 5 Bottom wall 6 Inner sleeve 7 Outer sleeve 8 Latching path 9 Snap teeth 10 Protrusion 11 Latching recess 12 Cover wall 13 Side wall 14 Latching edge 15 Latching wall (resilient) 16 Direction of arrow 17 Direction of arrow 18 Bordering edge 19 Insertion bevel 20 Receptacle space