Circular saw blade holder

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/480,149, filed Jan. 17, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to holders for displaying articles. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to holders for storing or displaying circular saw blades.

[0003] Generally, circular saw blades may be displayed on a holder within a packaging for merchandising purposes and for other various reasons. The packaging may inhibit a potential purchaser from contacting the saw blade and/or allow the saw blade to hang from a merchandise rack.

[0004] In one embodiment, the invention provides a saw blade holder for a circular saw blade having a central aperture. The saw blade holder includes a base and a blade mount extending from the base. The blade mount includes threads. The blade mount is configured to be received in the central aperture of the circular saw blade. The saw blade holder further includes a retaining member including threads. The retaining member is removably coupled to the blade mount for retaining the circular saw blade on the blade mount.

[0005] In another embodiment, the invention provides a saw blade holder for a circular saw blade having a central aperture. The saw blade holder includes a base, a blade mount extending from the base, and a retaining member including a plurality of wings formed in a perimeter of the retaining member. The blade mount is configured to be received in the central aperture of the circular saw blade. The retaining member is removably coupled to the blade mount for retaining the circular saw blade on the blade mount.

[0006] In another embodiment, the invention provides a saw blade holder for a circular saw blade having a central aperture. The saw blade holder includes a base having a lip axially extending a first distance from an outer circumference of the base, a blade mount axially extending a second distance from the base, and a retaining member removably coupled to the blade mount for retaining the circular saw blade on the blade mount. The second distance is less than the first distance. The blade mount is configured to be received in the central aperture of the circular saw blade.

[0007] Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0015] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

[0016] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a circular saw blade 10 and a saw blade holder 12, which together define a saw blade holder system. The circular saw blade 10 has an outer diameter D1 and a thickness or width W (FIG. 6). The illustrated circular saw blade 10 includes a body 26, a plurality of cutting teeth 30, a central aperture 34 (FIG. 5), and at least one relief slot 38. In other embodiments, the circular saw blade 10 may have other configurations.

[0017] The blade holder 12 is configured to receive and support the circular saw blade 10. For example, the blade holder 12 may be used in a retail setting to display the circular saw blade 10 for purchase. The blade holder 12 may also be used in a workplace or home setting to store the circular saw blade 10 when not in use. The illustrated blade holder 12 includes a base 14, a blade mount 18 supported by the base 14, and a retaining member 22 removably coupled to the blade mount 18. The blade mount 18 defines a central axis 20. The central axis 20 extends perpendicular relative to the base 14. The saw blade holder 12 further includes an anti-rotation member 40, which is configured to be received between adjacent cutting teeth 30. The anti-rotation member 40 inhibits the saw blade 10 from rotating relative to the saw blade holder 12. The blade holder 12 also has a diameter D2 that is substantially similar to, but slightly larger than the diameter D1 of the saw blade 10. In other embodiments, the diameter D1 of the saw blade 10 and the diameter D2 of the blade holder 12 may have little to no similarity in size. The illustrated blade holder 12 may support a stack of three saw blades 10. In other embodiments, the blade holder 12 may support a single saw blade 10 or a stack of fewer or more than three saw blades 10.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the illustrated base 14 includes a hub 42, one or more spokes 46 extending from the hub 42, and a rim 50. The hub 42 is positioned substantially at the center of the base 14 and supports the saw blade mount 18. The spokes 46 extend radially outward from the hub 42 to the rim 50. A void 54 (also referred to as a window 54) is defined between each pair of spokes 46 to reduce the amount of material needed to support the saw blade mount 18 on the base 14. Additionally, the voids 54 may be used to assist in removal of the saw blades 10 from the blade holder 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 14 includes four spokes 46 that extend from the hub 42 and four corresponding voids 54. The spokes 46 are equally spaced about the base 14. In other embodiments, the base 14 may include other numbers of spokes 46 and voids 54 and/or the spokes 46 may be unevenly spaced. Alternatively, the base 14 may be a monolithic disk that does not include the voids 54. The illustrated voids 54 are bordered by void walls 56, which extend from the body 26 along the central axis 20 in a direction away from the retaining member 22. The void walls 56 are configured to add strength to the voids 54. Additionally, the illustrated void walls 56 define a rearmost portion of the saw blade holder 12 (FIG. 5). As such, when the blade holder 12 is placed on a surface (e.g., a tabletop), only the void walls 56 will contact the ground surface.

[0019] With continued reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the rim 50 includes a lip 58 around an outer circumference of the rim 50. The lip 58 extends parallel to the central axis 20. In some embodiments, the lip 58 may extend a distance equal to at least the width W (FIG. 4) of the saw blade 10 or the width of a stack of saw blades 10. The lip 58 may help cover and radially constrain the saw blade 10 while the saw blade 10 is held on the holder 12. The illustrated lip 58 is undulating, with alternating raised portions 62 and recessed portions 66. The undulating lip 58 allows the saw blades 10 to be more easily grasped and removed from the holder 12. For example, a user will more easily fit a finger between the recessed portions 66 and the saw blades 10) than between the raised portions 62 and the saw blades 10. In some embodiments, the stack of saw blades 10 extend past the recessed portions 66.

[0020] The lip 58 also facilitates stacking the saw blade holder 12 with other, similar saw blade holders. For example, the saw blade holder 12 can be stacked on top of another saw blade holder such that a rear surface of the base 14 rests on the rim of the another saw blade holder. In addition, one or more other saw blade holders can be stacked on top of the lip 58 of the saw blade holder 12. Stacking is possible because no other features of the saw blade holder 12 (e.g., the blade mount 18, the retaining member 22, the anti-rotation member 40), etc.) or the stack of saw blades 10 extends axially further than the lip 58.

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the base 14 further includes at least one hang tab 70) that projects radially from the rim 50. The hang tab 70 may be used to hang the holder 12. The holder 12 may be hung for a number of reasons. Such reasons may include hanging the holder 12 to display the saw blade 10 during merchandising or hanging the holder 12 to store the saw blade 10 at home or in a workshop. In the illustrated embodiment, the hang tab 70 is integrally formed with the base 14. In other embodiments, the hang tab 70 may be a separate piece that is permanently or removably coupled to the rim 50.

[0022] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the blade mount 18 and the anti-rotation member 40 are integrally formed with the base 14 and extend away from the base 14. The anti-rotation member 40 also extends radially inward from the lip 58. The illustrated blade mount 18 and anti-rotation member 40 extend away from the base 14 along the central axis 20 in a direction opposite the direction that the void walls 56 extend from the base 14. The blade mount 18 is configured to be received in the central aperture 34 of the circular saw blade 10 and support the circular saw blade 10 on the holder 12. In other embodiments, the blade mount 18 or the anti-rotation member 40 may be separate pieces that are permanently or removably coupled to the base 14.

[0023] With continued reference to FIGS. 4-6, the blade mount 18 includes a mount thread 76 located on an outside surface of the blade mount 18. The blade mount 18 is configured to mate with a similar retaining thread 78 on the retaining member 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the mount thread 76 includes a triple start thread. Similarly, the retaining thread 78 includes a triple start thread. The threads 76, 78 having three start threads allows the retaining member 22 to be quickly secured to the blade mount 18 (i.e., relative to a single or double start thread). For example, the triple start threads 76, 78 have a lead distance (i.e., distance traveled in one rotation) three times longer than a single start thread of the same pitch. Thus, if a single start thread is rotated three times to achieve full engagement and secure the retaining member 22 in place, the triple start threads 76, 78 will only need to be rotated once. This threading arrangement saves the user time in securing the retaining member 22 to the blade mount 18. In other embodiments, the blade mount 18 may include a single start thread or different multi start thread (e.g., double, quadruple, etc.) and may be located on an inside surface of the blade mount 18.

[0024] With continued reference to FIGS. 4-6, the retaining member 22 may be received on the saw blade mount 18 to retain the saw blade 10 to the holder 12. The retaining member 22 combines the functionality of a typical nut and washer design. The illustrated retaining member 22 is a generally annular member having an overall cross-section that is larger than the central aperture 34. The illustrated retaining member 22 is also reusable and may be referred to as a reusable retaining member. In some embodiments, the retaining member 22 may be referred to as a reusable washer or a washer. The retaining member 22 has a central opening 72 that receives the blade mount 18. The illustrated central opening 72 is circular to generally match the shape and size of the blade mount 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining member 22 further includes a plurality of protrusions 74 (also referred to as a plurality of wings 74) formed in a perimeter of the retaining member 22. Stated another way, the wings 74 extend radially from the central opening 72 of the retaining member 22. The wings 74 help a user engage and manipulate (e.g., rotate) the retaining member 22. For example, the wings 74 allow a user to engage and manipulate the retaining member 22 using a bare or gloved hand. In the illustrated embodiment, the retaining member 22 may be placed on the blade mount 18 after one circular saw blade 10 is coupled to the blade mount 18 or after multiple circular saw blades 10 are coupled to the blade mount 18.

[0025] The retaining member 22 may be formed of an extruded plastic. In some embodiments, the retaining member 22 may be made of an elastically flexible material that also maintains rigidity to constrain at least one saw blade 10 on the blade mount 18. In other embodiments, the retaining member 22 may be made of other suitable materials, such as metal or a composite material. As such, the retaining member 22 is also reusable. That is, the retaining member 22 may be removed from the blade mount 18 without cutting, breaking, or otherwise destroying the retaining member 22. The retaining member 22 may, therefore, be reconnected to the blade mount 18 after the circular saw blade 10 is removed and recoupled to the blade mount 18 for storage. The retaining member 22 may also be connected to another blade mount on a similar holder, if desired.

[0026] With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the retaining member 22 is in a secured position, such that the retaining threads 78 are fully engaged with the mount thread 76 and the retaining member 22 abuts a top blade in the stack of saw blades 10. The illustrated embodiment includes three saw blades 10. The illustrated retaining member 22 may also be in the secured position with a stack of two saw blades 10 or a single saw blade 10. This allows the user to remove the retaining member 22 from the blade mount 18, remove one saw blade 10 from the stack of saw blades 10, and resecure the retaining member 22 on the blade mount 18 with the remaining saw blade(s) 10.

[0027] FIG. 7 illustrates three starts 82 of the mount threads 76 and three starts 86 of the retaining threads 78. FIG. 7 further illustrates the retaining member 22 having nine wings 74. In other embodiments, the retaining member 22 may have fewer or more wings 74.

[0028] In some embodiments, the holder 12 and the circular saw blade 10 may be covered in a packaging material while the holder 12 is packaged and on display. The packaging material may be a transparent material (e.g., plastic shrink-wrap) that at least partially surrounds the saw blade 10 and the holder 12.

[0029] Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.