MODULAR CASE FOR PENS

Abstract

 The invention relates to a pens case (1) made of rigid material and comprising an envelope (2) and a cover (3), said case (1) being suitable for housing at least two pens (4).
According to a possible characteristic, the cover (3) is detachable to be separated from the envelope (2), the envelope (2) comprising fastening means (13) and the cover (3) comprising complementary fastening means, so that said cover (3) can be fixed to the envelope (2) in different positions (2) through an interaction between said fastening means (13) and said complementary fastening means, in order to serve as a base intended to maintain the envelope (2) in a given position on an external surface.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a modular case for pens.

[0002] Usually, such cases are composed of a flexible material and comprise an envelope suitable for housing the pens and a cover which is made of the same material as said envelope. The cover prolongates the envelope and can be manually moved between a closing position for which the cover extends parallelly to the envelope and is inserted in a flange fastened to said envelope, and an opening position for which said cover is removed from the flange and allows a user to catch a pen.

[0003] Other types of case already exist and are made of a rigid material. The cover is articulated mounted on the envelope housing the pens, said cover being manually movable between a closing position for which it fits around the envelope and forms with the envelope a closed space, and an opening position for which the cover has rotated relative to the envelope and serves as a base for the pens case. In the closing position the case comprising the envelope and the cover may be easily transported in a school bag or a brief case, and in the opening position the case can be placed on a table or a desk with the envelope being inclined relative to the plan of said table or desk. In the latest case, a user can easily catch the suitable pens stored in the case and which goes beyond the envelope. The main disadvantage of such pens case is that there is only one position for the cover to maintain the envelope on an external surface, which means that if this external surface is already inclined relative to a horizontal direction or if the user would prefer to have different angle of presentation of the pens, the pens case will be also inclined without any possibility to correct its inclined position.

[0004] A case for stored pens pursuant to the invention has a greater modularity character compared to the existing pens cases and thus is adapted to several different situations.

[0005] The subject of the invention is a pens case made of rigid material and comprising an envelope and a cover, said case being suitable for housing at least two pens.

[0006] According to the invention, the cover is detachable to be separated from the envelope, and the envelope comprises fastening means and the cover comprises complementary fastening means, so that said cover can be fixed to the envelope in different positions through an interaction between said fastening means and said complementary fastening means, in order to serve as a base intended to maintain the envelope in a given position on an external surface. In this way, once the pens case has been opened by removing the cover, said cover can serve to maintain the envelope in an operational position on a table or on a desk, with the suitable inclination degree, to facilitate the catching of pens. In other words, the cover can be fastened to the envelope in different places on said envelope, to obtain the suitable inclination angle for the envelope put on an external surface. The detachable cover, by acting as a base for the envelope, increases the modularity character of a pens case pursuant to the invention. The cover allows to maintain the envelope in an inclined position compared to an external surface on which the envelope would be put. Preferably, the envelope is maintained perpendicular to the external surface. Depending on the position of the cover on the envelope, said envelope will be maintained on an external surface in a more or less inclined position. Consequently, it is possible to adapt the inclination degree of the envelope compared to an initial inclination degree of the external surface on which said envelope is intended to be put, by placing the cover on said envelope in the suitable position so as to obtain a final position of the envelope which would be fully operational to easily catch a pen stored in the envelope. The external surface can be a part of a table or to a desk. The wording "rigid" means "non-deformable". In this way, the pens case pursuant to the invention keeps always the same form. Preferably, the pens case comprises several compartments, which are parallel and which can each contain one pen. These compartments have a size allowing the use of different kinds of writing instruments, at the user's choice. Two successive compartments can be completely separated by a continuous wall or can be in continuity without any marked separation means between them.

[0007] According to a possible characteristic, the fastening means comprise two parallel slits and the complementary secondary means comprises two pawns, the cover being fixed to the envelope by an insertion of each pawn in a slit, the position of the cover relative to the envelope being variable along said slits. This way, a user can adjust, at his convenience, the cover's position along the envelope by sliding the cover along the slits, to obtain the suitable inclined position of said envelope on a table or on a desk, to easily catch the suitable pen placed inside the envelope.

[0008] According to a possible characteristic, the envelope comprises two opposite edges between which are stored the pens parallel to said edges, the slits extending along said edges.

[0009] According to a possible characteristic, the cover comprises a front face, a rear face and two lateral faces connecting the front and the rear faces, and in that each pawn is carried by a lateral face and is inserted in a slit by the outside of the envelope.

[0010] According to a possible characteristic, the spacing between the two lateral faces of the cover is slightly greater than the spacing between the two edges of the envelope, the insertion of the pawns in the slits being carried out after that the two lateral faces have been placed around the envelope. For this configuration, the two lateral faces first are pushed back from each other, and then are released allowing the pawns to penetrate into the slits.

[0011] According to a possible characteristic, once the pawns have been inserted in the slits the cover is inclined relative to the envelope, the cover keeping the same inclination angle with the envelope whatever its position along the slits. In other words, the cover is fixed on the envelope always with the same orientation, only its position along said envelope is adjustable.

[0012] According to a possible characteristic, the cover extends perpendicularly to the envelope when it is mounted on said envelope to serve as a base. This configuration is particularly suitable in the framework of a pens case pursuant to the invention.

[0013] According to a possible characteristic, the pens case comprises secondary fastening means on one side and complementary secondary fastening means on another side, so that two pens cases can be attached together by means of an interaction between the secondary fastening means of a pens case and the complementary secondary fastening means of the other pens case. In this way, at least two pens cases pursuant to the invention can be attached together to form a resulting case which can contain a larger number of pens. Consequently, depending on the number of pens that a person wants to use, the suitable case corresponding to this number of pens can be easily mounted at the last moment. The secondary fastening means and the complementary secondary fastening means can be represented by any means which can interact easily and rapidly without using any tool. They can be for example constituted by clips.

[0014] According to a possible characteristic, the secondary fastening means are placed on one of said edges and the complementary secondary fastening means are placed on the other edge. In this way, two pens cases which are attached together are placed next to each other. If for example one pens case pursuant to the invention can contain four pens, and if two pens cases are attached together, the resulting case will contain eight pens aligned in a same direction and extending in the same plane.

[0015] According to a possible characteristic, the secondary fastening means and the complementary secondary fastening means interact with a relation of the type male/female. This type of interaction is easy to implement because no tool is necessary and is moreover well mastered.

[0016] According to a possible characteristic, the secondary fasting means comprise at least one ergot and the complementary second means comprises at least one orifice, two pens cases being fastened together by an insertion of the ergot in the orifice. Preferably, the insertion of the ergot in the orifice requires some effort.

[0017] According to a possible characteristic, each ergot is cylindrical-shaped. Such an ergot is easy to manufacture.

[0018] According to a possible characteristic, the rigid material of the case is a plastic. This kind of material is light and presents a good mechanical strength.

[0019] According to a possible characteristic, the pens case is made of transparent material. In this way, with a simple glance, a user is directly capable to choose the suitable pen with respect to what he wants to write or to draw.

[0020] According to a possible characteristic, the pens case stores four pens.

[0021] Another object of the invention is an assembly comprising at least two pens cases according to the invention.

[0022] According to a possible characteristic, these two pens cases are fastened together, so that the secondary fastening means of one pens case interacts with the complementary secondary fastening means of the other case. In this way, it is possible to form a channel of several pens cases.

[0023] A pens case pursuant to the invention presents the advantage to have a great modularity character, because on one hand it can be easily attached to another pens case of the same type to obtain a resulting pens case with the suitable size, and because on the other hand, it can be maintained on a table or a desk in several positions with different inclination angles.

[0024] We give hereafter, a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a pens case pursuant to the invention, by referring to the following figures:

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pens case pursuant to the invention,
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pens case of figure 1, the cover being separated from the envelope,
• Figure 3A, 3B and 3C are three perspective views of a pens case pursuant to the invention, respectively in a slightly inclined position, in an inclined position and in a strongly inclined position,
• Figure 4 is a front view of an assembly comprising two pens cases pursuant to the invention attached together,
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of the assembly of figure 4, in an inclined position,
• Figure 6 is a front view of an intersection zone between two pens cases pursuant to the invention attached together,
• Figure 7 is a perspective view of the assembly of figure 4, in a slightly inclined position,
• Figure 8 is a perspective view of an assembly comprising three pens cases pursuant to the invention and attached together, in an inclined position.

[0025] The following detailed description will be focused on a pens case which is designed to comprise four pens. It is just an illustrative example which is not limitative in the framework of the invention.

[0026] Referring to figures 1 and 2, a pens case 1 pursuant to the invention comprises an envelope 2 and a cover 3 which can be separated to access to the pens 4 stored in said envelope 2. The envelope 2 and the cover 3 are made of the same rigid material, which is preferably a plastic. Advantageously the plastic is transparent allowing a user to see through the case 1 the different pens 4 stored inside said case 1. The envelope 2 is rectangular-shaped and comprises four identical compartments 5 which are parallel and which are each intended to store a pen 4. More precisely, the rectangular envelope 2 is delimited by two parallel long edges 6, and the compartments 5 extend parallelly to said long edges 6 by being placed between said edges 6. Each compartment 5 is cylindrical-shaped and delimits a closed space which is completely separated from the other compartments 5. The envelope 2 comprises a lower thin part 7 and an upper thick part 8, the cover 3 being intended to fit around said upper part 8. Each compartment 5 thus comprises a thin section located in the lower part 7 of the envelope 2 and a thick section corresponding to the upper part 8 of said envelope 2. A pen 4 schematically comprises a cylindrical body and a cap 20 equipped with a bar 21, said cap 20 being enlarged relative to said body. When a pen is stored in a compartment 5 of the case 1, the body lies in the thin section of the compartment 5 and the cap 20 with the bar 21 lies in the thick section of said compartment 5.

[0027] A pens case 1 pursuant to the invention can go from a closed configuration as illustrated in figure 1 where the cover 3 closes all the compartments 5, to an open configuration as illustrated in figure 2 and for which the cover 3 has been removed from the envelope 2, allowing a user to catch the suitable pen stored inside the cover 1.

[0028] As illustrated in figures 3A, 3B and 3C, once the cover 3 has been removed from the envelope 2, it can serve as a base for said envelope 2 in order to maintain said envelope 3 on an external surface in an operational configuration. Indeed, the cover 3 schematically comprises a front face 10, a rear face and two lateral faces 11, 12 connecting the front face 10 and the rear face. Each lateral face 11, 12 comprises a pawn, so that the two pawns of the cover 3 are perfectly aligned and extend towards to each other. The envelope 2 comprises two parallel slits 13, each extending along a long edge 6 of said envelope 2 and passing through both the lower thin part 7 and the upper thick part 8 of the envelope 2. In this way, the cover 3 can be fixed on the envelope 2 by inserting each pawn of said cover 3 in a slit 13 of the envelope 2. The cover's 3 position can be changed by translating said cover 3 along the slits 13 of the envelope 13.

[0029] In this way, referring to figure 1A, if a user wishes that the envelope 2 be maintained on an external surface of a table or a desk, so as to extend in a sensibly vertical direction, he will fix the cover 3 at the level of an extremity of the lower part 7 of the envelope 2.

[0030] Referring to figure 1B, if the user wishes that the envelope 2 be maintained on a table or a desk in a moderately inclined position, he moves the cover 3 in a central area of the envelope 2 along the two slits 13.

[0031] Referring to figure 1C, if he wishes that the envelope 2 be maintained on a table or a desk in a more inclined position close to a horizontal position, he moves the cover 3 at the level of the upper thick part 8 of said envelope 2.

[0032] Referring to figures 4 and 6, at least two pens cases 1 according to the invention can be fastened together to form a larger resulting pens case 14. On that subject, each pens case 1 comprises fastening means 15 and complementary fastening means 16, said fastening means 15 being implemented along a long edge 6 of the envelope 2 and said complementary fastening means 16 being implemented along the other long edge 6 of said envelope 2. The fastening means 15 comprises two cylindrical ergots aligned along the long edge 6 on which they are implemented, and the complementary fastening means 16 comprises two circular plots having each an orifice, said plots being aligned along the other long edge 6 on which they are implemented. In this way, at least two pens cases 1 can be attached together by inserting the two ergots 15 of one pens case 1 in the orifices 16 of the two plots of the other pens case 1, this insertion requiring some effort. The fastening between the two pens cases 1 is like a clipping. The presence of plots allows to create a space 17 between the two pens cases 1 once they have been fastened together.

[0033] Referring to figures 5 and 7, two pens cases 1 according to the invention can be fastened together to form a larger resulting pens case 14, which can also be maintained in an inclined position on a table or on a desk, by means of the covers 3 of said pens cases 1. Indeed, since the two pens cases 1 which are fastened together form therebetween a space 17, it becomes easy to fix the two covers 3 on the two envelopes 2 by inserting the pawns of said covers 3 in the slits 13 of said envelopes 2 to obtain a base intended to maintain the larger resulting pens case 14 in an inclined position on a table or on a desk. Fastening at least two pens cases 1 together does not prevent to fix the covers 3 on the envelopes 2 to obtain the suitable base.

[0034] Referring to figure 8, the pens cases 1 according to the invention can be fastened together without limiting the number of pens cases 1. In this way, three pens cases 1 pursuant to the invention can be fastened together to form a channel 30 extending in one direction, which is perpendicular to the long edges 6 delimiting the envelopes 2 of the pens cases 1.

Claims

1. Pens case (1) made of rigid material and comprising an envelope (2) and a cover (3), said case (1) being suitable for housing at least two pens (4), characterized in that the cover (3) is detachable to be separated from the envelope (2), and in that the envelope (2) comprises fastening means (13) and the cover (3) comprises complementary fastening means, so that said cover (3) can be fixed to the envelope (2) in different positions (2) through an interaction between said fastening means (13) and said complementary fastening means, in order to serve as a base intended to maintain the envelope (2) in a given position on an external surface.

2. Pens case according to claim 1, characterized in that the fastening means comprise two parallel slits (13) and the complementary secondary means comprises two pawns, and in that the cover (3) is fixed to the envelope (2) by an insertion of each pawn in a slit (13), the position of the cover (3) relative to the envelope (2) being variable along said slits (13).

3. Pens case according to claim 2, characterized in that the envelope (2) comprises two opposite edges (6) between which are stored the pens (4) parallel to said edges (6), and in that the slits (13) extend along said edges (6).

4. Pens case according to claim 3, characterized in that the cover (3) comprises a front face, a rear face and two lateral faces (11, 12) connecting the front and the rear faces, and in that each pawn is carried by a lateral face (11, 12) and is inserted in a slit (13) by the outside of the envelope (2).

5. Pens case according to any of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the spacing between the two lateral faces (11, 12) of the cover (3) is greater than the spacing between the two edges (6) of the envelope (2), and in that the insertion of the pawns in the slits (13) is carried out after that the two lateral faces (11, 12) have been placed around the envelope (2).

6. Pens case according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that once the pawns have been inserted in the slits (13) the cover (3) is inclined relative to the envelope (2), and in that the cover (3) keeps the same inclination angle with the envelope (2) whatever its position along the slits (13).

7. Pens case according to claim 6, characterized in that the cover (3) extends perpendicularly to the envelope (2) when it is mounted on said envelope (2) to serve as a base.

8. Pens case according to any of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that it comprises secondary fastening means (15) on one side and complementary secondary fastening means (16) on another side, so that two pens cases (1) can be attached together by means of an interaction between the secondary fastening means (15) of a pens case (1) and the complementary secondary fastening means (16) of the other pens case (1).

9. Pens case according to claim 8, characterized in that the secondary fastening means (15) are placed on one of said edges (6) and the complementary secondary fastening means (16) are placed on the other edge (6).

10. Pens case according to any of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the secondary fastening means (15) and the complementary secondary fastening (16) means interact with a relation of the type male/female.

11. Pens case according to claim 10, characterized in that the secondary fasting means (15) comprise at least one ergot and the complementary second means (16) comprises at least one orifice, and in that two pens cases (1) are fastened together by an insertion of the ergot (15) in the orifice (16).

12. Pens case according to claim 11, characterized in that each ergot (15) is cylindrical-shaped.

13. Pens case according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the rigid material of the case (1) is a plastic.

14. Pens case according to any of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it can store four pens (4).

15. Assembly (14, 30) comprising at least two pens cases according to claims 8 to 12, characterized in that these two pens cases (1) are fastened together, so that the secondary fastening means of one pens case (1) interact with the complementary secondary fastening means of the other case (1).

Drawing