Packaging, storage and display apparatus and system

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a packaging, storage and display system for articles, such as small tools, like drill bits and the like. An index for holding the articles is pivotably mounted in a case. A rack, which may be selected from a variety of rack structures, is mounted within the index, for holding articles having particular sizes and shapes. A frame structure is resistively pivotably mounted on the index, so that the frame structure may be pivoted to a particular position relative to the index, and will tend to remain in that position, until a force in excess of a particular amount is exerted on the frame structure. The index and/or the frame structures may be interchangeably mounted.

1 . A holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles, comprising:
 an index having positioned therewithin a rack which is operably configured to engage and releasably retain an end of at least one article;   a frame structure pivotably mounted to the index;   rotation control structure interconnecting the frame structure and the index, operably configured to enable at least one portion of the frame structure to remain in a first position relative to the index until a force greater than a predetermined amount is applied, prompting the at least one portion of the frame structure to move to one of a plurality of possible second positions relative to the index, and to further enable the at least one portion of the frame structure to remain in the one of a plurality of second positions upon removal of the force, wherein the frame structure includes at least one surface which engages with a corresponding mating surface of the at least one index, and the rotation control structure comprises mating ratchet structures disposed on the at least one surface of the frame structure and the corresponding mating surface of the at least one index.   
   
   
       2 . The holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure comprises:
 a web of material, one end of which is connected to and extends from one end of the at least one index for a predetermined distance, across the width of the at least one index and proceeds at the other end of the web, to the other end of the index, to form a loop which encloses a defined space between the frame structure and the index, within which the articles received by the index are to be positioned.   
   
   
       3 . The holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure is selected from a plurality of frame structures having different shapes and configurations for defining different shapes and areas of spaces between the webs of the frame structures and the index, when each of the frame structures is mounted on the index. 
   
   
       4 . The holder for packaging, storing and displaying articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame structure includes at least one surface which engages with a corresponding mating surface of the at least one index, and the rotation control structure comprises mating ratchet structures disposed on the at least one surface of the frame structure and the corresponding mating surface of the at least one index. 
   
   
       5 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation control structure comprises:
 at least one male ratchet member, disposed on one of the frame structure and the index, and having an first axis of pivoting, and a projecting contoured portion with contoured ratchet surfaces disposed circumferentially about the first axis of pivoting on a radially outwardly facing surface of the projecting contoured portion;   at least one female ratchet member, disposed on the other of the frame structure and the index, and having a second axis of pivoting, and a recess centered on the axis of pivoting, and a plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces disposed circumferentially about the second axis of pivoting on a radially inwardly facing surface of the recess;   the at least one first male ratchet member being laterally insertably received in the at least one female ratchet member, the first axis of pivoting being disposed coaxially with the second axis of pivoting.   
   
   
       6 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 5 , wherein the contoured ratchet surfaces of the male ratchet member comprise a plurality of convex projections. 
   
   
       7 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces of the female ratchet member comprise a plurality of concavities. 
   
   
       8 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 5 , wherein the contoured ratchet surfaces of the male ratchet member comprise a plurality of concavities. 
   
   
       9 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces of the female ratchet member comprise a plurality of convex projections. 
   
   
       10 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces of the female ratchet member and the contoured ratchet surfaces of the male ratchet member comprise complementary sets of radially extending projections. 
   
   
       11 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation control structure comprises:
 at least one laterally cantilevered male ratchet member, disposed on one of the frame structure and the index, and having an first axis of pivoting, and a projecting contoured portion with contoured ratchet surfaces disposed circumferentially about the first axis of pivoting on a radially outwardly facing surface of the projecting contoured portion;   at least one laterally opening female ratchet member, disposed on the other of the frame structure and the index, and having a second axis of pivoting, and a recess centered on the axis of pivoting, and a plurality of complementary contoured ratchet surfaces disposed circumferentially about the second axis of pivoting on a radially inwardly facing surface of the recess;   the at least one laterally cantilevered first male ratchet member being laterally insertably received in the at least one female ratchet member, the first axis of pivoting being disposed coaxially with the second axis of pivoting.   
   
   
       12 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one retaining pin, operably positioned in the at least one case section, for releasably engaging and retaining at least one of the frame structure and the at least one index when the at least one index is disposed in its stowed position.   
   
   
       13 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles, according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one retaining pin comprises:
 a central post, having a retaining arm extending laterally therefrom;   at least one flexible side leg, extending substantially parallel to the central post, and connected thereto by a transverse web;   at least one tooth, extending laterally from the at least one flexible leg, for frictionally engaging an inside surface of a retaining pin receiving aperture disposed in the at least one case section.   
   
   
       14 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles, according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one retaining pin comprises:
 a post, operably configured to be received in a cooperatively configured slot in the case;   a retaining arm pivotably mounted to the post.   
   
   
       15 . The packaging, storage and display apparatus for articles, according to  claim 12 , wherein the post includes a pin extending upwardly therefrom, having a rectangular cross-sectional configuration, and wherein the retaining arm includes a rectangular slot extending therethrough, a resiliently deformable leg forming one edge of the slot, so that upon receipt of the pin in the slot, the retaining arm is configured to be resistively pivotable around the pin, between at least two positions disposed at least 90° from one another.