BEAD TRAY

Abstract

A disclosed bead tray for holding and sorting beads includes a tray with a contoured bottom surface for orientating beads and guiding the beads from the tray onto a track. The track is disposed between side surfaces that are angled away from the track. The side surfaces are angled such that an end of a string is guided upward toward the track and into an opening of a bead within the track.

Claims

1. A device for holding and sorting beads, the device comprising: a tray portion including a contoured surface for orientating beads for exiting the tray portion; and a track portion receiving beads from the tray and positioning the received beads relative to a guiding surface of the tray such that a string may be guided into an opening of a bead within the track.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the guiding surface comprises guiding surfaces on either side of the track, the guiding surfaces angled relative to a bead supported within the track for guiding the string into the opening defined within the bead.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the track includes a bottom surface disposed at a depth from a top of the guiding surfaces, the depth defining the position of the opening relative to the guiding surfaces.

4. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein the bottom surface includes a profile that aligns the bead opening within the track.

5. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein the track includes a width that corresponds to a width of a single bead disposed within the track.

6. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein guiding surfaces slope downwardly away from the track at an angle, the angle that guides an end of a string upward to the track.

7. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the track is angled downwardly away from the tray such that beads move toward an end of the track.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the both the tray and track are disposed at a common angle to move beads from the tray into the track.

9. A method of loading beads onto a string to aid in creating an item from beads including an outer diameter and a through opening, the method comprising: defining a contoured surface of a holding bin to feed at least one bead into a track in a desired orientation, and defining side surfaces of the track to include an angle for guiding a string into an opening of a bead disposed within the track.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, including defining the side surfaces to extend downward from the track at an angle determined to guide a thread to the track.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, including defining the holding bin and the track to slope downward toward a lip in the track to facilitated movement of beads within the holding bin toward the lip.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, including defining the track to include a depth that aligns the through opening of a bead with a top surface of the track and side surfaces.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, including defining the depth to align a bottom portion of the through opening with the top surface of the track and side surfaces.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, including defining the track to include a length for aligning a plurality of beads for assembly to a string guided along the side surfaces.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, including guiding an end of a string along the side surface into the opening of the at least one bead.

16. A method of assembling a string onto a bead having an outer diameter and a through opening, the method comprising: loading a plurality of similar sized beads into a bin of a tray, wherein the tray includes a bottom surface contoured to direct beads within the tray toward a track; aligning beads from the tray onto a track, wherein the track includes a profile that maintains the beads in an upright orientation with the through opening disposed transverse to a length of the track; guiding an end of a string along a side surface of the track toward a top surface of the track; and inserting the end of the string through a through opening of a bead disposed within the track.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, including orientating the bead within the track such that a bottom of the through opening is aligned with the top surface of the track.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, including angling the side surface such that upon contact of the end of the string with the side surface, the end of the string is guided upward toward the track.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example bead tray embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 2A is a front view of an example bead.

[0009] FIG. 2B is a side view of the example bead.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a side view of the example bead tray.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a bead within a track portion of the example bead tray.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a top view of the example bead tray.

[0013] FIG. 6 is front view of the example bead tray.

[0014] FIG. 7A is a schematic view of first step in a disclosed method of inserting a string into a bead.

[0015] FIG. 7B is a schematic view of another step in a disclosed method of inserting a string into a bead.

[0016] FIG. 7C is a schematic view of yet another step in a disclosed method of inserting a string into a bead.

[0017] FIG. 7D is a schematic view of an additional step in a disclosed method of inserting a string into a bead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, a bead sorting tray 10 is schematically illustrated and includes a tray portion 12 for holding beads 16 and a loading portion 14. The tray 12 includes a bin 26 for holding a plurality of beads 16. The bin 26 leads to the loader 14. The loader 14 includes a track portion 34 where beads 16 are fed from the bin 26 and aligned for easy threading of a thread, string or other elongated members schematically illustrated at 15. The track 34 provides for the bead 16 to be aligned and orientated such that openings through the bead 16 are disposed transverse to the track 34 to provide for easy threading. The bin 26 includes a bottom surface 28 that is contoured to direct the beads into the track 34.

[0019] The disclosed embodiment is a single unitary structure and the term portion is used to indicate parts of the disclosed embodiment. It should be understood that it is specifically with the contemplation of this disclosure that the disclosed bead tray could be made as a single structure or from any different structures and parts jointed together.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B with continued reference to FIG. 1, each of the beads 16 includes an outer diameter 18, an inner diameter 24 and a width 20. Each of the beads 16 also includes a thickness 22 between the outer diameter 18 and the inner diameter 24.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 with continued reference to FIG. 1, the example track 34 includes a profile that aligns the inner diameter 24 with side surface 38 of the loading portion 14. The track 34 includes a bottom surface 42 that is contoured to hold the bead 16 in an upright position as is illustrated in FIG. 3. The side surfaces 38 are angled to align the string member 15 with the inner diameter 24 of each of the beads 16. In this example, the track 34 includes a width 46 and a depth 44. The depth 44 and width 46 work in concert to align the beads 16 such that the inner diameter 24 is substantially aligned with the sides 38.

[0022] The example track 34 is angled downwardly at an angle 32 such that the beads 16 will roll down the track 24 against an end lip 36. The bin 26 includes the bottom surface 28 that directs the beads 16 into the loader 14. The loader 14 includes the track 34 angled downwardly at the angle 32 such that the beads 16 are directed into the track 34 and orientated relative to the side surfaces 38.

[0023] The example tray track 34 includes the width 46 and the depth 44 that properly aligns bead 16 of a given size with the sides 38 such that the inner diameter 24 is aligned with the sides 38. However, the width 46, depth 44, bottom surface profile 42 and angle 32 can be tailored to accommodate any size of beads 16.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 with continued reference to FIGS. 1-4, the example bead tray 10 includes the bin 28 that includes a bottom surface 28. The bottom surface 28 includes contours 30a, 30b, 30c that direct the beads into the track 34. The contours 30a-c are arranged to direct beads into the tracks 34 in a manner such that they are orientated in an upright manner. In other words, each of the beads 16 are orientated such that the inner diameter or opening through each of the beads 16 extends across the track 34. Moreover, the beads 16 are orientated such that the outer diameter allows them to roll downward through the track 34 and be stopped against the lip 36.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 6 with continued reference to FIG. 3, the example loader portion 14 includes the track 34 with angled side surfaces 38. The angled side surfaces 38 are disposed at an angle indicated at 40 that provides for the easy installation or threading of a thread string or other elongated member through the inner diameter of a bead supported within the track 34.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 7A-7D, the side surfaces 38 provide for alignment of the string or thread material with the inner diameter 24 of a bead 16. In this example, an end of a thread 15 is directed towards the loader portion 14 and impacts the side surface 38 as is illustrated in FIG. 7B. The angle 40 of the side surface 38 orientates the threaded member 15 such that it proceeds upward along the side surface 38 towards the bead 16 within the track 34. The angle 38 is provided such that the thread 15 guides along the side surface 38 and is directed into the inner diameter 24 of the bead 16 as is shown in FIG. 7C. Accordingly, the threaded member 15 will extend through the inner diameter 24 of the bead 16 as shown in FIG. 7D and enable the bead 16 to be removed from the track 34, where another bead 16 is loaded into place for assembly onto the thread 15.

[0027] Accordingly, the example bead tray provides not only for organization of the beads but also eases assembly and the creation of a beaded item.

[0028] Although an example embodiment has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this disclosure. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the scope and content of this invention.