BACKGROUND ART Matches used for igniting cigarettes and cigars and for fire lighting are considered to be dangerous in the hands of young children. The dangers are considered substantial enough in countries such as the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia that safety legislation has been implemented to ensure that flint and electronic lighters are child resistant in some form.

Children who are unaware of the dangers of matches are at risk with igniting a match too close to their face and/or clothes and with setting fire to inflammable and combustible materials and substances. Apart from personal injury there is also the risk of property damage due to the wayward use of matches by children.

It is an object of the invention to provide a safety device to overcome at least some of the above mentioned problems, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a broad aspect of the invention there is provided a safety device to retain a match tray, the device including a casing having a top member being in a spaced apart, substantially parallel arrangement with a bottom member, a first side member adjoining the top and bottom members, and a first end member in a spaced apart, substantial parallel

arrangement with a second end member, the first and second end members adjoining the top and bottom members, the first end member having a first aperture of a size sufficient to allow a said tray, in use, to be slidable through the first aperture, a means for sliding the tray through the first aperture, and having a second releasably securable side member opposite the first side member for retaining a said tray within the casing.

Preferably the means for sliding the tray through the first aperture is a second aperture in the second end member of a sufficient size to allow access to an end of the tray.

Desirably a spring means is located adjacent and inside the first side member to bias the tray toward the second releasably securable side member.

Preferably the second releasably securable side member is an elongate removably attachable flexible cover. Desirably the flexible striker cover is secured substantially over a match striker pad. Advantageously the flexible cover is releasably securable by locking lugs attachable to the casing.

Preferably a striker pad is on one side of a match box from which the corresponding said match tray is slidably associated, and both the box and the tray are removably insertable in the casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described by way of example only of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 : illustrates a side view of a safety device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2: illustrates the top view through section E-E of the device of figure 1.

Figure 3: illustrates a first end view of the safety device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4: illustrates the bottom view of the safety device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 : illustrates a second end view of the safety device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6: illustrates a sectional top view of figure 2 with the first step of the method of providing access to the tray of matches.

Figure 7: illustrates the sectional top view of figure 2 with the second step of the method of providing access to the striker pad.

Figure 8 : illustrates a perspective view of the safety device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the figures, a safety device, generally indicated by 1, in association with a standard shaped tray of matches and box, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, is illustrated.

The device 1 inclues a casing 2 having a substantially flat top member 3 being in a spaced apart, substantially parallel arrangement with a substantially flat bottom member 4. A side member 5 is adjacent with and adjoining the top member 3 and the bottom member 4.

A first end member 6 is in a spaced apart, desirably substantial parallel, arrangement with a second end member 7. The first end member 6 has a first aperture 8 of a size sufficient to allow a tray 9 capable of retaining a plurality of matches 1 as seen in figure 6, in use, to be slidable therethrough the first aperture 8.

Desirably a means for sliding at least a portion of the tray 9 through the first aperture 8 is in the form of an aperture 18 provided in the second end member 7 of the casing 2. The aperture 18 is for allowing access, and to apply force, to one end of the tray 9.

Alternatively, the means for sliding the tray 9 through the first aperture 8 could be in the form of a slot (not shown) in the top member 3 guiding a slidable spring-biased latch along the slidable direction of travel of the tray 9. In use, the latch would be associated with and move the tray 9 through the aperture 8 and the latch would retract when released.

The casing 2 is desirably made of any durable and resilient material such as, for example, a plastics material, tin, bakelite, non-ferrous metal, or combination thereof. Desirably the material will not distort when being used in association with a box or tray of matches. As boxes of matches are made in various shapes and sizes, it will be appreciated that the casing 2 will be moulded in a shape to retain the particular matchbox and allow the tray 9 to be operated.

Spring biasing means in the form of a spring leaf 11 biases the match tray 9 and associated match box 10 toward the opposite side 12 of the casing 2 from the side member 5. The tray 9 and/or box 10 can be inserted and subsequently removed in the casing 2 desirably via the opposite side 12 of the casing 2. A flexible striker cover 13 with winged or angled end sections 13a is positionable over the match striker pad 14 to reduce the chances of a child tampering with the striker pad 14 by using match heads against the pad 14. The flexible striker cover 13 is desirably a resilient plastics material.

The device 1 includes locking lugs 15 to secure the cover 13 in place, thus also retaining the tray 9 and box 10 within the casing 2.

The casing 2 is preferably reinforced with corner sections 16 against which the lugs 15 are releasably attachable.

The desirable method of inserting a matchbox into the casing 2 is with the flexible cover 13 and the lugs 15 first removed from the casing 2. The tray 9 and box 10 are inserted in direction A toward the spring member 11. A user will determine whether to have the opening of the tray 9 of matches facing the top member 3 or the bottom member 4. This decision can be made depending on preferences as to whether a left hand or right hand is to be used to hold the device 1 during operation.

When the match tray 9 and desirably the box 10 are in a suitable position within the casing 2, with the striker pad 14 facing out in direction A at the opposite side 12 of the casing, the flexible cover 13 is positioned as seen in figure 2 and the locking lugs 15 are locked into place to retain the tray 9 and cover 13 in place.

In operation, and particularly with reference to figures 6 to 8, a user may hold the device 1 in one hand with their fingers against the side member 5 and their thumb pressing inwards in direction A against the flexible cover 13 to move the tray 9 and box 10 against the spri ng leaf 11 and align the end of the tray 9 with the first aperture 8.

With the end of the tray 9 aligned with the aperture 8, a user can then apply force through second aperture 18 in direction B against the end of the tray 9 so as to slide the tray 9 through the first aperture 8 to expose enough of the contents of the tray 9, as seen with the top view of the device 1 in figure 6. As the contents of the tray 9 can be matches 17, as seen in figure 6, at least one match 17 can be plucked from and the tray 9 can then be slid back within the casing 2 such that the striker pad 14 on the side of the box 10 can be lightly pressed against the inside of the flexible cover 13.

The next step in the method of using the device 1, with reference to figure 7, is for a user to press or squeeze the angled end sections 13a of the flexible cover 13 in directions C and D to flex the cover 13 away from and thereby expose the striker pad 14. The user can then strike

a match 17 against the pad 14 and release the flexible cover 13, thus allowing the cover 13 to flex back against the pad 14.

Once the tray 9 of matches 17 is spent, the original tray 9 may be reused with further matches 17 or a new tray 9 with matches 17 can be slotted through aperture 8 and the original box 10 retained within the casing 2. More preferably the tray 9 and box 10 would be replace as the striker pad 14 is likely to have become worn through use and require replacing also. The box 10 can be removed by removing the tray 9 and then deforming the box 10 and pulling it through the aperture 8. Alternatively both the tray 9 and the box 10 may be removed by removing the lugs 15 and the cover 13 and sliding out the tray 9 and box 10.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there will be many different methods of operating the device 1 as there are many methods of holding and operating a match box per se.

It will be appreciated that an advantage of the invention is that a box of matches being retained in the device 1 can make it more difficult for a child to remove matches and/or use the striker pad with a match.

It will also be appreciated that the device 1 of the invention can be made to suit a particular size of match tray 9.

Wherein the foregoing reference has been made to integers or components having known equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Additional advantages of the present invention will become apparent for those skilled in the art after considering the principles in particular form as discussed and illustrated. Thus, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments as described and illustrated, but is intended to cover all alterations or modifications which are within the scope of the appended claims.