A DEVICE FOR PROTECTING A CONTAINER USED IN THE TRANSPORT OF

ARTICLES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to a device for protecting a container used in the transport of articles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Applicant believes the invention will be particularly advantageously applicable to luggage containers such as suitcases or similar enclosures used in the transport of articles through commercial airports. The Applicant has found that manhandling or theft of articles from containers is a commonplace occurrence at commercial airports. Current measures known to the Applicant for preventing damage or theft of luggage containers all have drawbacks, e.g. in being too expensive in that they are not re-usable, time consuming, outside of the control of the traveller, and the like. The Applicant seeks a device which alleviates these drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for protecting a container used in the transport of articles, which device includes a belt including interconnected panels for wrapping around a periphery of the container; and at least one lockable securing mechanism for securing the panels around the container against unauthorised opening or tampering.

The panels may be hingedly interconnected. The device preferably includes four panels, one for each side, a top and a bottom of an orthogonal or parallelepiped- shaped container, such as a suitcase. The device may include two panel portions, one panel portion being at each end of the belt, the panel portions being co-operable, when the belt is wrapped around the container, to form a composite panel (e.g. the top panel). Thus, in use, when the device is closed, i.e. when the ends of the belt are connected together, the two panel portions may cooperate to form a single composite panel.

The lockablθ securing mechanism may be operative between the two panel portions.

The lockable securing mechanism may be positioned or positionable at a handle of the container. In such case, the device may be shaped, and the lockable securing mechanism may be arranged, to allow use of the handle of the container. Two lockable securing mechanisms may be positioned, in use, at the top of the suitcase, which typically includes the handle.

By way of development, an adjustable interconnection may be provided between at least one pair of adjacent panels to provide for different container sizes. The adjustable interconnection in this regard may be provided in conjunction with a hinge. More particularly, the adjustable interconnection may be operable to adjust the spacing between the adjacent panels. At one surface of the device, the adjustable interconnection may stand proud of the respective surface of the device thereby providing protection for the respective surface, e.g. the bottom, from exposure to or knocking or scraping against a potentially detrimental terrain surface, in use.

In one embodiment, the adjustable interconnection includes a toothed ratchet and a matched ratchet-engaging formation, displaceable relative to each other, operable between the adjacent panels. More particularly, a tooth of the toothed ratchet may engage or be engageable with the matched ratchet-engaging formation at a variable position selectable along a length of the ratchet, thereby to vary the spacing between the adjacent panels.

Each panel may include a frictional abutment surface on an operatively inner face thereof for frictionally engaging the container. One or more panels may be of a resilient material, to accommodate bulging of the suitcase.

The panels may be shaped and dimensioned to cover a substantial portion of the periphery of the container. For example, the panels may cover at least 50% of the surface area of the container.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the following diagrammatic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with the invention in an extended or open condition;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the device of Figure 1 in a folded or closed condition; Figure 3 is a three-dimensional view of the device of Figure 2, wrapped around a container, in use;

Figure 4 is a three-dimensional view corresponding to that of Figure 3, but shows the device in use with the suitcase in a dilated condition;

Figure 5 is a three-dimensional view corresponding to that of Figure 3, but shows the device in use with an adjustable catch in conjunction with one of the hinges;

Figure 6 is a three-dimensional view of another embodiment of a device, in accordance with the invention, in an extended or open condition; and

Figure 7 is a three-dimensional view of the device of Figure 6 in a folded or closed condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 refers to a device for protecting a container such as a suitcase used in the transport of articles.

The device 10 includes a belt 1 1 having a plurality of panels 12, 14, 16, 18 which are hinged together by means of a series of hinges 22, 24, 26, 28. The panel 12 is a composite panel comprising two panel portions 12.1 , 12.2 at opposite ends of the belt 1 1 . Two hinges 22.1 , 22.2 are provided between panel portions 12.1 and panel 14, two hinges 24.1 , 24.2 between panels 14 and 16, two hinges 26.1 , 26.2 between panels 16 and 18, and two hinges 28.1 , 28.2 between panel 18 and panel portion 12.2.

The panel portions 12.1 , 12.2 complement each other to provide the panel 12 for a top of the suitcase, and to mount a lockable securing mechanism in the form of a pair of hook-and-eye clasps 30.1 , 30.2 and 32.1 , 32.2 for securing the panels 12, 14,

16, 18 around the container. The hook-and-eye clasps 30.1 , 30.2, 31 .1 , 31 .2 in a folded or closed condition are also provided with through holes for the insertion of a padlock or similar locking device to lock the panels 12, 14, 16, 18 around the container and to prevent unauthorised opening or tampering.

With reference to Figure 2, the device 10 is shown in a folded condition whereby the hook 32 and the eye 30 of each clasp are secured together to render the device 10 closed (in other words, to render one end of the belt 1 1 attached to other end).

Referring to Figure 3, the two panel portions 12.1 , 12.2 of the top panel 12 of the device 10 are shaped to accommodate a handle 36 of the container in the form of a suitcase 50 and to expose the handle 36 for use to handle the suitcase 50. The hinges 22, 24, 26, 28 are positioned to allow the panels 12, 14, 16, 18 to surround and protect the suitcase 50, in accordance with the invention. It is significant that the protected suitcase 50 can still be handled by its handle 36, but it is protected against incidental damage and vandalism, and is rendered tamper proof or at least tamper resistant.

Referring to Figure 4, the device 10, in use, may be expanded or dilated sideways when the suitcase 50 is filled fully, even over packed, with luggage, through the slight resilience of panels 14 and 18.

With reference to Figure 5, the device 10 includes a set of two adjustable catches 34 in conjunction with adjacent hinges 24.1 , 24.2 to render the device 10 adjustable to accommodate containers of various sizes. In this case, the hinge 24 serves hingedly to interconnect a loop 34.1 of the catch 34 with a side panel 14, instead of interconnecting the side and bottom panels 14, 16. The adjustable catches 34 have a series of sequential angularities or hooks 34.1 protruding from or standing proud of, the bottom of the panel 16 when the device 10 is in the folded condition. The loop 34.1 therefore extends hingedly from one portion of the hinge 24 toward, and to engage, the angularities or hooks 34.2. A selected hook can thus be engaged in accordance with a width of the container 50, to adjust the size of the device 10. Each of the adjustable catches 34 also stands proud of the device 10 and thereby functions as a support

surface for the container 50 and protects a surface e.g. the bottom 16, against a detrimental support surface.

The hook-and-eye clasps 30, 32 may be adjustable, e.g. by having sets of spaced eyes which can selectively be engaged by the hooks to accommodate thicker and thinner suitcases - similarly to the catches 34. It is to be appreciated that the device 10 may have substantial inherent resilience to render it effectively stepless in respect of adjustment.

If desired, the hinges 22, 24, 26, 28 can be dispensed with, and a belt having lines of flexural weakness to allow appropriate folding between panels may be provided.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, reference numeral 100 generally indicates another embodiment of a device, in accordance with the invention, for protecting a container such as the suitcase 50 used in the transport of articles.

The device 100 includes a belt 101 comprising a plurality of panels 102, 104,

106, 108 which are interconnected by means of a plurality of adjustable interconnections 1 12, 1 14, 1 16, 1 18. In similar fashion to the device 10, the composite panel 102 intended for a top of the suitcase 50 comprises two panel portions 102.1 ,

102.2.

Two adjustable interconnections 1 12.1 , 1 12.2 are provided respectively between the panel portion 102.1 and the panel 104, the panel 104 and the panel 106, the panel 106 and the panel 108, and the panel 108 and the panel portion 102.2. Each adjustable interconnection 1 12, 1 14, 1 16, 1 18 includes two elongate toothed ratchets 120 pivotally interconnected by means of a hinge 130. The adjustable interconnections 1 12, 1 14, 1 16, 1 18 are thus hinged. In addition, the free end of each ratchet 120 includes an enlarged protrusion 140 to inhibit complete withdrawal from the panel 102, 104, 106, 108 of the associated interconnection 1 12, 1 14, 1 16, 1 18.

Each panel 102, 104, 106, 108 defines therein a pair of side-by-side grooves or channels 160 for guided linear displacement of the associated ratchets 120. At the end of each channel 160 is a ratchet-engaging formation or brace 150 to engage a

particular tooth of an associated ratchet 120. The teeth of the toothed ratchets 120 are sawtooth-shaped and are orientated to allow linear inward displacement of the ratchet 120 into the channel 160 but resist withdrawal of the ratchet 120 from the channel 160, ratchet-fashion.

A selected tooth on the ratchet 120 can thus be engaged by the ratchet- engaging formation 150, to adjust the spacing between adjacent panels 102, 104, 106, 108 in accordance with dimensions of a container to be enclosed by the device 100.

With reference to Figure 7, in use, the panels 102, 104, 106, 108 are positioned around the suitcase (not illustrated). The size of the device 100 is adjusted to accommodate the suitcase by slidably displacing the ratchets 120 inwardly along the channels 160. The orientation of the inclined teeth of the ratchets 120 allows each tooth (presenting an inclined face) to pass inwardly beneath the ratchet-engaging formation 150 with little resistance, but by presenting a vertical or sheer face and bearing against a side of the ratchet-engaging formation 150, to resist withdrawal of the ratchet 120 from the channel 160.

Typically, the panels 102, 104, 106, 108 are initially spaced as far apart as the protrusions 140 allow, and then wrapped around the suitcase. The panels 102, 104,

106, 108 are then pushed together to wrapped around the suitcase snugly or even very tightly. The ratchet 120 allows the spacing of the panels 102, 104, 106, 108 easily to be reduced, but not easily to be increased.

The Applicant believes that the invention as exemplified provides a device

10, 100 which is user-friendly, reusable, and effective in protecting a container such as a suitcase 50 against accidental damage, even vandalism, and renders the suitcase 50 resistant to tampering. It does not impair or hinder normal handling of the suitcase 50. For example, corners, especially bottom corners, are left exposed to allow wheeled suitcases still to be wheeled. Also, a handle (which may be extendible) for wheeling a wheeled suitcase is usually provided at an upper corner diagonally opposed to the wheels. Also such a handle would be left exposed and usable.

The Applicant also believes that the invention as exemplified may be particularly beneficial to persons having a plurality of different sized containers which they may wish to transport at various points in time. The same device 10, 100 can be used to accommodate containers having a plurality of different dimensions; thus alleviating the cost involved in obtaining a plurality of different sized versions of the device.

The panels are of a tough or durable material, advantageously of sheeting of synthetic polymeric material which is resistant to piercing, cutting and mechanical damage in general and, if desired, may be resiliently deformable, if only slightly, to accommodate bulging suitcases.