RING AND CONTAINER FOR COILED WIRE

Abstract

A ring suitable for riding upon a coil of wire is provided. 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 surface of the substantially planar portion includes a plurality of projections that extend therefrom away from the bottom surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/938,360, filed on Feb. 11, 2014, the entirety of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

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

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 surface of the substantially planar portion includes a plurality of projections that extend therefrom away from the bottom surface.

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.

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 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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ring usable within a container for holding a coil of wire.

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.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a ring that is usable within the container of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the ring of FIG. 3.

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.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of another ring that is usable within the container of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the ring of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 3 disposed within a container.

FIG. 9 is a top schematic view of FIG. 8 with the container partially deformed and a portion of the ring deflected.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a ring disposed within a container.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another ring that is usable within the container of FIG. 2.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the ring of FIG. 11.

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.

FIG. 14a is a detail view of detail A of FIG. 14.

FIG. 15 is the view of FIG. 11 with the flexible members removed.

FIG. 16 is perspective view of another ring that is usable within the container of FIG. 2

FIG. 17 is a top view of the ring of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another ring usable within a container for holding a coil of wire.

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).

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

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 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.

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 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.

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).

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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 FIGS. 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.

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 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.

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 nonreleasable) 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.

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 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.

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.

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 normally contact the inner surface 512 of the container 500, (similar to the embodiment of ring 320 shown schematically in FIGS. 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).

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 vertices 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).

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 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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).

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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 the outer cross-section of the support member 860 to allow the support member to nest within the void within the socket 840.

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.

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.

Claims

1. A ring suitable for riding upon a top surface of a coil of wire, comprising:

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 surface of the substantially planar portion includes a plurality of projections that extend therefrom away from the bottom surface.

2. The ring of claim 1, wherein the plurality of projections are a plurality of lines that extend radially outward along the substantially planar portion from a portion proximate the upwardly extending central portion toward the outer edge.

3. The ring of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of lines are continuous and are curved to define a concave side and a convex side, wherein the concave side of a first continuous line faces a convex side of a neighboring second continuous line, and the convex side of the first continuous line faces a concave side of a neighboring third continuous line positioned on an opposite side of the first continuous line from the second continuous line.

4. The ring of claim 2, wherein the outer edge of the member is generally arcuate and includes a plurality of vertices, wherein each of the vertices extend radially further outward from the central aperture than the remainder of the outer edge of the member.

5. The ring of claim 4, wherein an extended end of each of the respective plurality of lines extends to a respective one of plurality of vertices.

6. The ring of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of lines extends axially from the bottom surface of the member about the same distance as a thickness of the substantially planar portion of the member.

7. The ring of claim 2, wherein the plurality of lines comprise four curved and continuous lines, wherein each of the four curved lines are equally spaced around the bottom surface of the planar portion of the member, and each of the curved lines include the same curvature along their length between a first end proximate to the central aperture and a second end proximate to the outer edge.

8. The ring of claim 7, wherein each of the curved lines extend to the outer edge of the member.

9. The ring of claim 1, wherein the outer edge comprises a plurality of vertices that extend radially outward from the central aperture a greater distance than the remaining portions of the outer edge.

10. The ring of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of flexible members disposed proximate to the outer edge of the substantially planer member, wherein each of the flexible members are operatively engaged with the substantially planer member proximate to a respective one of the plurality of vertices, such that one of the plurality of plurality of flexible members is disposed proximate to one of the respective the plurality of vertices.

11. The ring of claim 10, wherein each flexible member includes a first portion that extends radially outward from the outer edge a greater distance than the plurality of vertices each extend radially outward.

12. The ring of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of each flexible member is configured to be urged axially when the flexible member engages an inner surface of a container enclosing the ring.

13. The ring of claim 1, wherein the substantially planer member supports a plurality of flexible members each disposed proximate to the outer edge, wherein each of the flexible members includes a first portion that extends radially outward from the substantially member past the outer edge.

14. The ring of claim 13, wherein each of the first portion of each of the plurality of flexible member is biased into an oblique angle with respect to a plane through the outer edge.

15. The ring of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of flexible member is engaged with a post that is disposed upon the ring.

16. The ring of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of ledges disposed upon the substantially planar member, each ledge of the plurality of ledges disposed proximate to a respective post disposed upon the planar member, wherein a portion of the respective flexible member engaged with the respective post contacts the respective ledge to prevent rotation of the flexible member about the post.

17. The ring of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of flexible members spacingly disposed proximate to the outer edge of the substantially planar member, wherein each of the plurality of flexible members is disposed between two adjacent vertices and a portion of each of the plurality of flexible members extends radially beyond the outer edge.

18. The ring of claim 9, wherein the plurality of vertices are made from a material that exhibits a greater flexibility than a material that forms the remaining portion of the substantially planar portion of the ring.

19. The ring of claim 18, wherein the vertices are made from rubber and the remaining portion of the substantially planar portion are made a metal or a plastic.

20. The ring of claim 9, wherein the plurality of projections are a plurality of continuous lines that extend radially outward along the substantially planar portion from a portion proximate the central aperture toward the outer edge, wherein a respective end of each of the plurality of continuous lines extends to a respective one of the plurality of contact points.

21. The ring of claim 1, wherein the plurality of projections are a plurality of discrete bumps that are spacingly arranged around the bottom surface.

22. The ring of claim 21, wherein the plurality of bumps are each substantially semi-circular.

23. The ring of claim 21, wherein the bottom surface of the planar portion includes a plurality of similarly sized and shaped sections, wherein the plurality of bumps disposed within each section are disposed with a uniform pattern and uniform spacing from neighboring bumps within each of the sections.

24. The ring of claim 1, further comprising two or more support members disposed upon the planar portion and disposed on opposite sides of the central aperture, wherein the support members are configured to receive and support a dowel that extends therebetween and across the central aperture.

25. The ring of claim 24, wherein the two or more support members each include a valley disposed upon a top surface of the support member, wherein each of the valleys are configured to receive the dowel therein when provided upon the support member.

26. The ring of claim 24, further comprising two or more sockets disposed upon the planar portion and disposed on opposite sides of the central aperture, wherein the sockets are disposed at a spacing that is consistent with a spacing of the opposed support members such that when two similar rings are disposed in a stacked configuration with the support members of a lower ring of the two stacked rings are aligned with the sockets of an upper ring of the two stacked rings at least a portion of the support member from the lower ring extends into a void defined by the upper ring.

27. A system for supporting a coil of wire, comprising:

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, and

wherein the ring is configured to slide downwardly within the internal volume of the container as the elongate wire is withdrawn from the container.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the outer edge of the ring is generally arcuate and includes a plurality of vertices, wherein each of the plurality of vertices extend radially further outward from the central aperture than the remainder of the outer edge of the member, and wherein the plurality of vertices are configured to contact an inner surface of the side walls of the container.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of projections are a plurality of lines that extend radially outward along the substantially planar portion from a portion proximate the upwardly extending central portion toward the outer edge.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of lines extends axially from the bottom surface of the member about the same distance as a thickness of the substantially planar portion of the ring.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of lines comprise a plurality of curved and continuous lines, wherein each of the plurality of lines are equally spaced around the bottom surface of the planar portion of the member, and each of the lines include the same curvature along their length between a first end proximate to the central aperture and a second end proximate to the outer edge.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the portions of the ring defining the plurality of vertices are made from a material that exhibits a greater flexibility than a material that forms the remaining portion of the ring.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the outer edge of the ring comprises a plurality of vertices that extend radially outward from the central aperture a greater distance than the remaining portions of the outer edge, wherein the plurality of vertices are configured to make contact with the inner surface of the side walls of the container when the ring is disposed within the internal volume of the container, wherein the each of the respective plurality of continuous lines includes an outer end portion that disposed below a respective one of the plurality of vertices.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of projections are a plurality of discrete bumps that are spacingly arranged around the bottom surface, and

the bottom surface of the planar portion includes a plurality of similarly sized and shaped sections, wherein the plurality of bumps disposed within each section are disposed with a uniform pattern and uniform spacing from neighboring bumps within each of the sections.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the outer edge of the ring comprises a plurality of vertices that extend radially outward from the central aperture a greater distance than the remaining portions of the outer edge, and

further comprising a plurality of flexible members disposed proximate to the outer edge of the ring, wherein each of the flexible members are operatively engaged with the ring proximate to a respective one of the plurality of vertices, such that one of the plurality of plurality of flexible members is disposed proximate to one of the respective the plurality of vertices.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein each flexible member extends radially outward from the out edge a greater distance than the plurality of vertices each extend radially outward, and at least a portion of each flexible member is configured to be urged axially when the flexible member engages an inner surface of a container enclosing the ring.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein the ring supports a plurality of flexible members each disposed proximate to the outer edge, wherein each of the flexible members includes a first portion that extends radially outward from the ring past the outer edge, and

wherein each of the first portion of each of the plurality of flexible member is biased into an oblique angle with respect to a plane through the outer edge.