STORAGE DEVICF,

Background to the Invention The present invention relates to a storage device. In particular, the present invention relates to a storage device for storing a large number of different articles separately in a readily accessible manner.

It is often problematic to store a large number of different articles, such as small items of hardware, i.e. nails, screws and the like, in a convenient manner _.

Conventionally, these items are either stored in a single container all mixed together, which makes the selective retrieval of an article from the mixture both time-consuming and frustrating, or are stored in a multi- compartment drawer unit or the like. Whilst such a drawer unit may effectively store the articles separately and make their subsequent retrieval more convenient than storing the articles as a single mixture, such drawer units and the like are often large bulky items and do not provide a space-efficient means of storing small articles.

The present invention seeks to address the problems of the prior art.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides a storage device comprising an elongate support member rotatable about a longitudinal access thereof and adapted to receive at least one closure member of a container and to hold that closure member in place.

In one embodiment, the elongate support member is adapted to receive a plurality of closure members.

A further aspect of the present invention provides an elongate support member rotatable about a longitudinal access thereof, and a closure member provided on the elongate support member and adapted to receive a container thereon.

In one embodiment, a plurality of closure members are provided on the elongate support member, each closure member adapted to receive a container thereon.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a storage device comprising a support member and a container, the support member being adapted to receive an open end of the container so as to form a closure member for the container.

In one embodiment, the support member is rotatablc about a longitudinal access thereof.

In a further embodiment, the storage device may comprise a plurality of containers, the support member being adapted to receive respective open ends of the containers so as to form respective closure members for the containers.

The containers may be used to hold a variety of small solid objects, such as nuts, bolts, screws, herbs, spices, pulses and the like. Alternatively, the containers may be used to hold one or more liquids.

In any of the preceding aspects of the present invention, the closure member may be releasably engaged with the support member, for example by means of a clip or press-fit or magnetic inter-engagement. Alternatively, the closure member may be provided integrally with the support member, for example, formed as a single piece with the support member or non-releasably fixed to the support member.

The containers may be formed from any suitable material, such as plastic, glass, metal or any other material known to the skilled person and appropriate for the purpose. It is preferred that the containers are fully or semi-transparent to allow ease of identification of the contents within the different containers when the device is in use.

Where the closure member is releasably inter-engagable with the support member, the support device may be further provided with securing means for releasable inter-engagement with respective closure members. Such securing means may comprise any suitable means, such as releasable clips, snap fit inlcr-engagcment means, magnetic means provided on the support device and each respective closure member for magnetic interaction, and any other suitable securing means known to the skilled person and appropriate for the desired function.

The support member may be of any suitable cross-section providing more than one flat surface on which the closure member is located either directly or by securing means. For example, the support member may be substantially square in cross- section thereby allowing closure members to be distributed in four different planes. Alternatively, the support member may be rectangular in cross-section. This has the advantage that differently dimensioned closure members may be accommodated on the differently dimensioned sides of the support member. It will be appreciated that other cross-sectional shapes are possible for the support member including, but not limited to, a substantially triangular cross-section.

The support member may comprise any suitable material such as wood, metal, plastic or any other suitable material known to the skilled person.

In one embodiment, the support device is further provided with mounting means for mounting on a substantially vertical surface, the mounting means further comprising receiving means adapted to receive at least a portion of the storage device therein, such that the elongate support member may be rotatable relative to the mounting means.

In this way, the support device may be mounted at any desired location on a substantially vertical surface, such as a wall. This allows the storage device to be

operated using wall space which may be otherwise unused. In addition, the storage device may be mounted at any desired height and thus can be located at, for example, eye level if this is convenient for the user. Alternatively, if the storage device is to be used at a workbench or the like, the storage device can be mounted on the adjacent wall at the eye level of the user when sitting down.

It will be appreciated that by merely reorienting the mounting means, the storage device may be mounted on the underside of a substantially horizontal surface, such as the underside of a support beam, or a ceiling. Such a mounting arrangement allows versatility of the storage device location and allows the storage device to be located in an area which may otherwise be unused.

Alternatively, the storage device may be provided with a floor stand, the elongate support member being rotatable relative to the floor stand, such that the storage device may be located either on the floor, a shelf, a workbench, or any other suitable substantially horizontal surface.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a storage device in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view of the embodiment of Figure 1 in the direction shown by arrow A in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of a storage device in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a side view of a third embodiment of a storage device in accordance with the present invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a storage device 10 comprising an elongate support member in the form of a spindle 20 supported on wall brackets 30 mounted on a substantially vertical surface 60, such as a wall or the like. Spindle 20 is rotatablc relative to wall brackets 30. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, spindle 20 is square in cross section and is provided with jar lids 40 at spaced intervals along each of its four longest sides.

In the embodiment shown, jar lids 40 are non-releasably provided on spindle 20. However, it will be appreciated that variations may exist where the jar lids 40 are releasably provided on spindle 20, by means of appropriate clips and/or snap fittings and/or magnetic securing means. It will also be appreciated that any other suitable fastening means known to the skilled person may be employed as an alternative to the aforementioned paragraph.

Each jar lid 40 is dimensioned to receive a glass jar 50. Glass jars 50 are provided with screw threads at the jar neck which interact with the screw thread on the jar lid 40, and thus glass jars 50 may be releasably held by jar lids 40 on spindle 20.

In use, small items such as nails, screws, or any other small item to be stored, are contained within a glass jar 50. Glass jar 50 is then screwed onto a corresponding jar lid 40 provided on spindle 20, in order to store the glass jar and its contents as part of storage device 10. It is most convenient when screwing and unscrewing a glass jar 50 from a corresponding jar lid 40 on spindle 20 if spindle 20 is rotated so that jar lid 40 is presented in a horizontal plane on the underside of spindle 20. In this way, glass jar 50 may be screwed to jar lid 40 without tipping glass jar 50 and risking spilling the contents. Once glass jar 50 has been secured to jar lid 40 on spindle 20, spindle 20 may be safely rotated relative to wall brackets 30 without risk of spillage of the contents of the glass jar 50. When it is desired to retrieve the contents of a glass jar 50 secured to spindle 20, spindle 20 may be simply rotated relative to wall brackets 30 until the jar lid 40 of the desired glass jar 50 is located

in a horizontal plane on the underside of spindle 20. Glass jar 50 may be safely unscrewed from jar lid 40 without risk of spillage of the contents of glass jar 50, the desired contents removed from glass jar 50 and glass jar 50 re-secured to corresponding jar lid 40 as described above.

In this way, it will be appreciated that a number of small articles may be contained within a number of separate glass jars 50 which may secured to spindle 20 by means of jar lids 40, spindle 20 being rotatable in order to allow the convenient orientation of any selected glass jar 50 for removal from storage device 10 and also re-securing to spindle 20 once the desired contents have been removed from or added to glass jar 50.

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of a storage device 10 in which spindle 20 is shown in a substantially vertical orientation, and is rotatable about a vertical longitudinal access (shown as access B in Figure 3). Spindle 20 is supported in base-mounting unit 70 and is rotatable relative to base-mounting unit 70. This may be achieved by any suitable means known to the skilled person, for example by the provision of a bearing in base-mounting unit 70 on which spindle 20 is mounted. In this way, storage device 10 may be mounted on a horizontal surface such as the floor, or any other suitable surface including desk tops and counter tops. Once again, spindle 20 is square in cross section and jar lids 40 are provided along each of the four long sides of spindle 20, jar lids 40 being adapted to receive glass jars 50 thereon, as described above, with reference to the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of a storage device 10 in which spindle 20 is mounted on hanging brackets 80 which are adapted to mount the storage device 10 from a substantially horizontal surface, such as a ceiling, ceiling beam, underside of a workbench, or any other suitable substantially horizontal surface from which it is desired to suspend storage device 10. Spindle 20 is rotatable relative to hanging

brackets 80. Jar lids 40 are provided along the four longer lengths of spindle 20, as described in connection with embodiments 1 and 2 mentioned above.

The various different mounting methods for storage device 10 contribute to the versatility of the storage device and permit a user to locate storage device K) in any suitable space available in order to provide an efficient space-saving means of storage of small articles in separate containers for easy retrieval as desired.

Although aspects of the invention have been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment shown and that various changes and modifications may be effected without further inventive skill and effort. For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the spindle is provided as a longitudinal member which is square in cross section. However, it will be appreciated that the spindle may be of any suitable cross sectional shape which allows the attachment of jar lids 40 and glass jars 50 along more than one length. For example, spindle 20 may be triangular in cross section or may be any suitable shape with three or more sides, provided that jar lids 40 may be located along at least _, two of the long sides of spindle 20. Alternatively, spindle 20 may have a cross sectional shape which comprises two or more flat edges on which jar lids 40 and glass jars 50 may be located and one or more non-flat sides. For example, the cross sectional shape of spindle 20 may be two flat parallel sides connected to one another by two convex or concave sides. All the aforementioned cross sectional shapes of spindle 20 are considered to be encompassed by the present invention provided that jar lids 40 and glass jars 50 may be accommodated on at least two of the long sides of spindle 20, in use.