Container for collated strips of fasteners

Abstract

A container may include a receptacle having a floor, a base rim, an open end, a pair of generally parallel side walls, and a pair of end walls. The floor of the receptacle may have a generally rectangular shape, surrounded by the end walls and side walls. The container may have a length of between about 7½ inch and about 8½ inch and a height of between about 2½ inch and about 3 inch. The floor may have base rim extending downward from the floor and integral with the side walls and end walls. The side and end walls may define an open end opposite the floor. A complementary removable lid may have an elevated cap region and a rotation joint. The elevated cap region may be stackably mountable with the base rim of the receptacle. The rotation joint may divide the lid into an openable portion and a fixed portion, the openable portion being pivotable about the rotation joint. The container may be loaded with a plurality of angled collated strips of fasteners. The collated strips of fasteners may be loaded side by side, with each consecutive strip in an alternating heads-up, heads-down orientation and angled in directions opposite one another.

1 . A plastic container comprising a receptacle and a removable lid; 
 wherein said receptacle has a generally rectangular floor, a peripheral base rim extending from said floor, a pair of generally parallel side walls extending from said floor in a direction generally opposite said base rim and having a height of between about 2 inches and about 3 inches and a length of between about 8 inches and about 10 inches, a pair of generally parallel end walls extending from said floor between said side walls and having a height of between about 2 inches and about 3 inches and a length of between about 2 inches and about 3 inches, said side walls and end walls defining an open end opposite said floor;    wherein said removable lid has an elevated cap region stackably mountable with said base rim.    
   
   
       2 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein the width between said pair of generally parallel side walls is between about 2⅛ inches and about 2⅝ inches.  
   
   
       3 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein said elevated cap region extends above said removable lid a height of between about ⅛ inch and about ⅜ inch.  
   
   
       4 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein said base rim of said container has a depth of between about ⅛ inch and about ½ inch.  
   
   
       5 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein said base rim and said cap region are respectively sized and configured so that said base rim mounted to said cap region provides maximum lateral tolerances of between about 0 inch and about ⅛ inch, and said side walls and end walls of respective ones of stacked containers are substantially aligned within said tolerances.  
   
   
       6 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein said base rim of said container is substantially continuous.  
   
   
       7 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein said side walls and end walls are integral with said base rim.  
   
   
       8 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein said side walls and end walls near said open end further comprise a clamping flange and a gripping flange located below said clamping flange, and wherein said removable lid has clamping bands for creating an interference fit with at least a portion of said clamping flange and positioning bands for frictionally engaging at least a portion of said side walls and end walls.  
   
   
       9 . A plastic container according to  claim 1 , wherein said removable lid has an openable portion and a fixed portion separated by a rotation joint.  
   
   
       10 . A plastic container according to  claim 9 , wherein said removable lid has a closed position and an open position, said closed position defined by said openable portion and said fixed portion removably engaged with said container, and said open position defined by said fixed portion engaged with said container.  
   
   
       11 . A plastic container according to  claim 9 , wherein said elevated region on said openable portion frictionally engages said elevated region on said fixed portion in the open position.  
   
   
       12 . A loaded plastic container comprising a receptacle, a removable lid, and a plurality of collated strips of fasteners; 
 wherein said receptacle has a generally rectangular floor, a base rim extending from said floor, a pair of generally parallel side walls extending from said floor in a direction generally opposite said base rim and having a height of between about 2½ inches and about 3 inches and a length of between about 8½ inches and about 9½ inches, a plurality of end walls, and an open end opposite said floor;    wherein said removable lid has an elevated cap region stackably mountable with said base rim; and,    wherein each of said collated strips of fasteners have a projected length of between about 7¾ inches and about 8¼ inches.    
   
   
       13 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said length of said side walls are between about 100% and about 120% of said projected length of each collated strip of fasteners.  
   
   
       14 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said plurality has 13 to 17 collated strips of fasteners.  
   
   
       15 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said collated strips of fasteners each have 33 to 38 fasteners.  
   
   
       16 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said collated strips of fasteners are loaded substantially vertical in said container, side by side, each consecutive strip alternating heads-up, heads-down, and wherein each consecutive collated strip of fasteners is angled in directions opposite one another.  
   
   
       17 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein the width between said pair of generally parallel side walls is between about 2⅛ inches and about 2⅝ inches.  
   
   
       18 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said cap region extends above said removable lid a height of between about ⅛ inch and about ⅜ inch.  
   
   
       19 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said base rim of said container has a depth of between about ⅛ inch and ⅜ inch.  
   
   
       20 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said base rim mounted to said cap region provides maximum lateral tolerances of between about 0 inch and about ⅛ inch.  
   
   
       21 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said side walls and end walls are integral with said base rim.  
   
   
       22 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said side walls and end walls near said open end further comprise a clamping flange and a gripping flange located below said clamping flange, and wherein said removable lid has clamping bands for creating an interference fit with said clamping flange and positioning bands for frictionally engaging said side walls and end walls.  
   
   
       23 . A plastic container according to  claim 12 , wherein said removable lid has openable portion and a fixed portion separated by a rotation joint.  
   
   
       24 . A plastic container according to  claim 23 , wherein said container and removable lid have a closed position and an open position, said closed position defined by said openable portion and said fixed portion removably engaged with said container, and said open position defined by only said fixed portion engaged with said container.  
   
   
       25 . A plastic container according to  claim 24 , wherein said elevated region on said openable portion frictionally engages said elevated region on said fixed portion in the open position.  
   
   
       26 . A loaded plastic container comprising a receptacle, a removable lid, and a plurality of collated strips of fasteners; 
 wherein said receptacle has a generally rectangular floor, a base rim extending from said floor, a pair of generally parallel side walls extending from said floor in a direction generally opposite said base rim and having a height of between about 2½ inches and about 3 inches, a length of between about 8½ inches and about 9½ inches, and a width between said side walls between about 2⅛ inches and about 2⅝ inches, a plurality of end walls, and an open end opposite said floor, said side walls and end walls integral with said base rim and having a clamping flange and a gripping flange located below said clamping flange near said open end;    wherein said removable lid has an elevated cap region stackably mountable with said base rim, clamping bands for creating an interference fit with said clamping flange and positioning bands for frictionally engaging said side walls and end walls, a fixed portion and openable portion separated by a rotation joint, said openable portion rotatably openable about said rotation joint, and a closed position and an open position, said closed position defined by said openable portion and said fixed portion removably engaged with said container, said open position defined by only said fixed portion engaged with said container, wherein said elevated region on said openable portion frictionally engages said elevated region on said fixed portion in the open position; and,    wherein said plurality has 13 to 17 collated strips of fasteners, each collated strip having 33 to 38 fasteners and a projected length of between about 7¾ inches and about 8¼ inches, vertically loaded in said container side by side, each consecutive strip alternating heads-up, heads-down, and wherein each consecutive collated strip of fasteners is angled in directions opposite one another.    
   
   
       27 . A plastic container according to  claim 26 , wherein said elevated cap region extends above said removable lid a height of between about ⅛ inch and about ⅜ inch.  
   
   
       28 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 26 , wherein said base rim of said container has a depth of between about ⅛ inch and ⅜ inch.  
   
   
       29 . A plastic container according to  claim 26 , wherein said base rim mounted to said cap region provides maximum lateral tolerances of between about 0 inch and about ⅛ inch.  
   
   
       30 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 26 , wherein said length of said side walls are between about 100% and about 120% of said projected length of each collated strip of fasteners  
   
   
       30 . A loaded plastic container according to  claim 26 , wherein said length of said side walls are between about 100% and about 120% of said projected length of each collated strip of fasteners