Introduction

The present invention relates to a transport case. Additionally, the present invention relates to a transport case in particular, though not exclusively, for valuables.

Background to the Invention

Many transport cases exist, particularly those known as flight cases. Fittings, for instance handles, flush latches for securing lids to bases and cases to cases, corner reinforcements, etc exist for flight cases. Such fittings are well known and, as such, where used in my transport cases require no detailed description. That said the invention is not intended to be limited to transport cases merely for use in air transport.

It is known for a transport container, having a lid, sides and a base, to have grooves in the sides for location of dividers extending between the sides for locating items in the case. However, such dividers are ill-adapted to resist inertial loads laterally of the dividers tending to move the items, due to the dividers being weak in bending, being long and thin. Further, they are ill- adapted to subdivision of the container.

US 2895599 discloses a case for transporting art, which consists of a series of stacking elements featuring an array of small holes, a base and a lid. A piece of artwork can be held in each layer using straps with hooks that engage to the holes.

US 2019/154422 discloses a case for transporting arrowheads with a rigid plate comprising an array of recesses each with a magnet at their base.

CN 210883464 discloses a biological reagent box which uses a foam board with an array of holes at the base. Once biological reagent bottles are positioned in the holes, a second foam board with a corresponding array of holes is positioned over the bottles to secure them in place. An object of the present invention is to provide an alternative transport case and, preferably, an improved transport case. The Invention

According to the invention there is provided a transport case for items to be transported, comprising:

• a lid, sides and a base, the base having:

• a front/back and left/right extending array of locator engagement positions, and

• a plurality of locators engageable in selected ones of the arrayed positions for locating items placed on the base for transportation, the arrangement being such that inter-engagement of the locators and the base provides continued location of items during transport, and wherein the locators comprise or are of foam.

The invention further provides a transport case for items to be transported, comprising:

• sides and a base, the base having: · a front/back and left/right extending array of locator engagement positions, and

• a plurality of locators engageable in selected ones of the arrayed positions for locating items placed on the base for transportation, the arrangement being such that inter-engagement of the locators and the base provides continued location of items during transport, and wherein the locators comprise or are of foam.

Additionally, the invention provides a method of transporting an item comprising packing the item into a transport case as described above and defined elsewhere herein.

Detailed Description of the Invention Normally all of the sides, lid (where present) and base, collectively called “walls”, are formed from outer plastics material board such as glass reinforced plastics board or honeycomb sandwich board or indeed sheet metal, such as aluminium. The walls normally have foam linings for protecting the transported items from damage due to these walls being rigid and/or impacts damaging the walls. The linings may be removably arranged for providing more room for protectively wrapped items when needed. Equally, the locators will preferably comprise or be of foam as per the definition of the invention above. However, it is envisaged that in alternative embodiments of the invention instead of being of foam, the locators comprise or are of solid elastomer or solid plastics material.

The peg and locator arrangement may be modified and split into a bore engaging part (e.g. a peg) and a locator part (e.g. a block part or locator) adjustably arranged on the bore engaging part. For example, the peg and locator arrangement may comprise a locator and a peg. In some embodiments the locator may have a hole through which the peg passes. In other embodiments the locator is not permanently fixed to the peg, and in use the peg abuts the edge of the locator. In other embodiments, the locator arrangement may be one part. When the locator arrangement is one part, it may comprise a peg part and a block/locator part. It is preferred that the locator part is or comprises foam and the bore-engaging part is not of foam.

In use the locators are in contact with the item being secured. Therefore, the locators preferably comprise or are of foam (or other suitably soft material) to prevent damage to the item being transported (e.g. an artwork). Foam is a particularly preferred material for the locator since it is compressible. Therefore, in use a foam locator can be compressed slightly towards the item being transported. This further reduces movement of the item when in transit.

The locator engagement positions are suitably provided in a front/back and left/right extending array. The positions thus extend between the front and back, generally substantially all the way from the front to the back, and also extend between left and right hand sides, generally substantially all the way from left to right.

The locator engagement positions may optionally also be present on one or more sides and/or the lid of the case. In particular, in embodiments where the case is adapted to carry a sculpture, it is preferred that the case has locator engagement positions on the base as well as one or more sides and/or the lid. In particularly preferred embodiments where the case is adapted to carry a sculpture, the case may have locator engagement positions on the base, one or more sides and the lid.

The locators are usually separate to (i.e. not permanently connected to) the item being transported (e.g. the artwork). In preferred embodiments, the locators are reusable (i.e. can be used many times) and are not damaged during normal use.

The locators may be shaped as blocks. If the locators are shaped as blocks (i.e. cube / cuboidal in shape), they abut the item to be transported with a flat edge.

Alternatively, the locators may be shaped to cup an item being transported. For example, the locators may have a U-shape such that the item being transported can slide into the locator. In the case where an artwork is being transported, the edge of the artwork may fit into the locator. In other embodiments, the locator may be shaped to cup the corner of an item being transported (i.e. the locator may have a U-shaped cross-section bending round a corner, e.g. 90 degrees).

In some embodiments, the array of locator engagement positions may be provided by a rigid sheet comprising an array of holes.

The locators, specifically the block part, may have chamfered corners. Chamfered corners aid in securing resilient straps over the locators, since the chamfers allow the straps to lie smoothly over the locators. Preferably one or more of the external corners of the locator will be chamfered. When the locators are U-shaped (i.e. shaped to cup the edge or corner of an item being transported), they may have slits at one or both of the internal corners of the U. These slits mean that when the foam locator is compressed towards the item being transported (e.g. an artwork), the foam locator changes shape and exerts a slight force downwards on the artwork, holding the artwork against the base of the transport case.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the locators are U-shaped and have both chamfered external corners and slits at both internal corners of the U.

The width of the locators may be greater than the thickness of the item being transported. In some embodiments the width of the foam locators is equal to the internal depth of the transport case. When the width of the foam locators is equal to the internal depth of the transport case, the base of the locator is in contact with the inside of the base of the transport case and the top of the locator is in contact with the inside of the lid of the transport case.

The locators may be held in position by pegs. The pegs are preferably rigid such that they can be used to apply a force to the item being transported, to hold the item in position. The pegs may be made of metal, wood or other suitable materials. In particularly preferred embodiments, the pegs are hollow aluminium tubes. Alternatively or additionally, the locators may be held in position by straps. The straps may feature hooks at their ends to engage with the locator engagement positions. Optionally the straps may be adjustable, for example it may be possible to tighten the straps once they are in position, e.g. with a ratchet. In preferred embodiments both pegs and straps are used in combination with the locators to hold the item in position during transport.

In another embodiment, the array is an orthogonal (i.e. orthogonal to the bores) wire or plastics material grid and the locators are resilient straps with hooks at their ends. The hooks engage the grid and extend between the base and the lid for their location in engagement with the grid. This embodiment is envisaged to be suitable for wrapped transport items. The locators may optionally comprise other elements in addition to the resilient straps with hooks at their ends. For example, when the array is an orthogonal grid, the locators may attach to the array via a resilient strap with a hook at the end; the locator may also feature a block connected to the resilient strap.

In one embodiment, the base or its foam liner and/or an additional wire or plastics material board or sheet metal between the line and the base is formed with an array of bores and the locators are each provided with one or more pegs for engagement with the bores in (but preferably not through) the base, preferably in the foam lining of the base. The peg may be provided in squat U- shape to span an item being transported. The legs of the U may then engage the bores and the transverse limb may engage across the transport item and abut the lid, or its foam lining. Conveniently the legs are arranged at a multiple of the diagonal spacing of the bores.

The lid liner may also be provided with an array of engagement positions such as bores, with the pegs extending through the locators to engage with the bores in the lid’s liner. The pegs and bores in the lid liner provide for the inter engagement of the locators in their selected positions. In the preferred embodiment, the lid liner has no bores, but engages the locators by resilient action with the pegs of locators positioned on the base. Alternatively the base, and preferably the lid, liners are formed with an orthogonal array of grooves and the locators are equally provided with complementary formations, typically two crossed ridges, for engagement with the array of grooves with the crossing ridges engaging in two crossing grooves, whereby the selectable inter-engagement is provided.

Conveniently the base and lid liners and the locators are all of high density or closed cell foam, preferably of the same type. The locators can be of small squares each corresponding to one or at least less than two pitches of the bores or the grooves at least in one direction. Where the transported items span several pitches, several such locators can be used between them or alternatively multi-pitch locators can be provided.

Locators may be used with an array of engagement positions. Specifically, pins in resilient blocks may engage in an array of apertures in a board fixedly mounted in the case, albeit the board itself may have its own resilience.

Optionally, a locator engagement array is provided in the form of a pair of connected, spaced sheets, each having an array of aligned apertures, the alignment of the apertures providing determined orientation of a locator pin in them where the locators and the transport items are secured with respect to the sheets. The arrangement avoids the requirement for a thick board heavier than the two spaced sheets.

Optionally, an array apertured board or a pair of connected spaced sheets may be provided with resilient mountings in the case, to the base and/or the sides, whereby shock forces from handling and transport of the case are at least partially isolated from the board and the board or sheets.

Preferably, the locators provide further shock isolation.

In the case of two spaced sheets, which can be metallic, for instance of aluminium, or non-metallic, for instance of resin bonded board, they can have a peripheral frame suitably of box or channel section with the resilient mountings at the corners and/or sides of the case.

The lid can be hinged to one of the sides or the sides can be split in their height and the split parts hinged together at the split. Latches and/or locks can be provided at the side opposite the hinge. Alternative latches/locks can be provided at all sides; or again the lid can be fastened with other fasteners, for example screws. The sides can be provided externally with carrying handles and latches/locks for holding the case closed. Equally the sides can be provided with pegs or the like for engagement in racks of a larger container provided with a racking system.

The case may be used to transport any valuable and delicate items. Examples of such items include, but are not limited to, paintings and other artwork, antiques, sculptures, jewellery, and wine. The size of the case will vary depending on the size and shape of the item(s) it is intended to carry. For example, a case designed to transport artwork, such as paintings, will likely be larger in two dimensions, but narrower in a thickness dimension. Contrastingly, a case designed to transport sculptures, may be large in all three dimensions (for example closer to or substantially cube shaped). There are no fixed size limits on the case, however an example case for transporting paintings may be 1.49m x 1.59m x 0.27m. Another example transport case for transporting paintings may be 2.41m x 1.59m x 0.27m. A further example transport case for transporting paintings or similar shaped items may be 3.0m x 2.5m x 0.4m. An example transport case for transporting sculptures may be substantially cube, e.g. 2.0m x 2.0m x 2.0m.

Examples

To help understanding of the invention, several specific embodiments thereof will now be described by way of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an oblique view of a transport case of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the case of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a side view of the case of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is an oblique cross-section view of the case of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is an oblique cross-section view of the case of Figure 1 , the cross-section perpendicular to that seen in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a more detailed scrap view of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a cross-section side view of a modified peg and locator; Figure 8 is an alternative peg and locator arrangement with an elastomeric band between its pegs, which engage with a mesh instead of an apertured board;

Figure 9 is a scrap view similar to Figure 8 of a modified case having a mesh array and a cross member for locating a transport item thinner than the depth of the case;

Figure 10 is an inside view of the base of another transport case of the invention with a plate aperture array resiliently mounted;

Figure 11 is a scrap view of the mounting seen in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a view of a pin and locator foam block being installed;

Figure 13 is a similar view of an art work secured to the aperture array plate;

Figure 14 is a view of an entire case, showing an open case loaded with artwork and the same case closed;

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of an artwork positioned in a foam locator and secured by a resilient strap;

Figure 16 shows two foam locators;

Figure 17 is another view of a foam locator; and

Figure 18 shows a conventional Carabiner clip compared to a hook of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 to 6 show a transport case 1 which is rectangular, square with a depth D which is a fraction of the dimensions S of the square. These proportions adapt the case to transport of paintings. Other cuboid shapes are envisaged for transport of items having more equal dimensions measured orthogonally such as sculptures or other valuables such as rare wines, etc.

Whilst the case is shown in the drawings stood on edge, it has four sides 2, 3, 4, 5, notionally front 2, left side 3, back 4, right side 5. Where as in the illustrated embodiment the case is square there is little, beyond arbitrary naming, to distinguish the four sides. Where the case is wide between left and right sides than deeper between front and back, the distinction is clearer. The case also has a lid 6 and a base 7. There is an inner base 8, which is at least twice as thick as the outer base 7, typically 17mm as against 7mm, with the sides, lid, base and inner base being of Astroboard, a polypropylene sandwich of outer and inner imperforate sheets with a honeycomb filling between. The inner base has a left/right and back/front array of 14mm bores 9 at 50mm pitch in both directions. The bores will be further described below.

As shown, all of the sides have a pair of handles 10. The left and right sides 3,5 have four bosses 11 apiece, enabling the case to be located in grooves in a rack, not shown. Also not shown are latches for latching the lid in place. These can be provided at all four sides, or where a hinge is provided at the back, just at the front or possibly at the left and right sides as well. Arrangement of the hinge and latches will be within the capabilities of the skilled reader.

As shown the sides are divided at a joint 12 into a narrower part 13 fast with lid and a wider part 14 fast with the base. The sides, lid and base all have closed cell foam inner linings 16. Aluminium reinforcing angle 17 is provided at edges between the facings and corner reinforcements 18 are provided at the corners of the case. It will be appreciated that this construction is robust for transport of items requiring protection.

The foam lining of the base has an orthogonal array, front/back and left/right, of apertures 21 in register with the bores 9 in the inner base. At least one as shown, but normally several, closed cell foam locator 22 is provided with a thickness to extend between the base and lid foam linings with compression. It has an eccentric aperture 23, in which a peg 24 extends. The peg is sized to fit the apertures 21 in the base foam and the bores 9 in the inner base. Also, the peg is slightly longer than the combined thickness of the base foam lining and the locator, with the result that when the lid is closed, the peg bottom is on the board of the base and engages with the foam of the lid. This has the effect of locating that end of the peg, without the need for the lid foam having an aperture array in the way of the base foam. Nevertheless it could have such an array. In use, the case is laid flat, or at least at an angle such that a painting placed in it when open does not have a tendency to fall out. The lid is removed or hinged open. The painting may be laid on the base, against the foam of two adjoining sides. Along the opposite edges of the painting, locators are placed. They are turned to allow the separation between the closest peg apertures and the edge of the painting to be taken up with some compression of the locators’ foam, bearing in mind that the peg apertures in the locators are eccentric providing differing thicknesses of the locator foam. Thus the painting is secured. If enough room is left in the case, one or more other paintings can be secured in like manner. They do not need to be rectangular, because the array of apertures allows for placement of locators all over the base.

The lid and base foam have nominal thicknesses of 50mm, leaving a gap of 60mm assuming that there is no compression of the foam by a transport item, which there often will be. These measurements are to suit paintings being transported. If the painting is thicker, but wrapped in protective wrapping, the base foam can be removed. Alternatively the case can be made deeper. For other items, the depth of the case can be nearer the other dimensions or indeed greater than them, with an appropriate thickness of the locators and length of the pegs.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. The foam linings, including the base lining can be arranged to be removable, to accommodate larger items to be transported, particularly where these are separately wrapped with resilient wrapping. In such case, the pegs are longer to take account of the absence of the lid foam. Additionally or alternatively, the locator cube is different with a material (foam or other plastics material) top between the peg top and lid, of slightly greater depth than that distance, so as to add compression on the peg.

Further, as shown in Figure 7, the peg and foam block locators, or some of them can be replaced with a two part arrangement of a bore engagement part 101 , having one or more and preferably four short pegs 102 fast with a plate 103. The second part 104 has a complementary plate 105 and an upstand 106 from the plate 105. The parts are adjustable in particular towards or away from the item to be located a slot, groove or runner 107 in either of the plates and a fastener 108 such as a wing nut and stud. Tightening the fastener maintains a foam block 109 on the upstand in locating contact with the transport item I.

In another modification, the apertured inner base is replace with an orthogonal mesh 201 , as shown in Figure 8. The pegs 202 are provided with hooks 203 adapted to hook under the mesh at intersections in it, with lateral projections 204 limiting tilting of the pegs towards a transport item. Locator blocks 205 are fitted to the pegs. The tops of the pegs, where they engage the lid foam are provided with further hooks 206 for resilient bands 207 extending from one peg on one side of the item to another on the other. The bands can be fitted during packing of the item in the case or can be provided pre-fitted to a pair of pegs.

A further modification, as in Figure 9, is shown with an orthogonal mesh array but is also applicable to a peg bore array. Essentially the pegs are adapted to receive a cross member over the transport item I. The cross member has foam or other blocks for holding the transport item against the base. In more detail, the case 300 of which Figure 9 is a scrap view has a base 301 and a lid 302, with an orthogonal wire mesh 303 held by legs 304 off the base. A lower foam layer 305 lays on the mesh and has an array of bores 306 for pegs 307. The foam layer need not extend over the entire mesh and can indeed be in the form of blocks. The pegs, which are provided in pairs as shown and possibly more all-round the sides of the transport item, carry foam locator blocks 308 and are provided with sprung latches 309 for hooking under the mesh array and holding the pegs connected to it. The pegs are apertured 310 above the locators. The latches 309 are pivoted on a carrier 311 engage-able in a pair of the apertures and urged by a spring 312 to hook under the mesh at a lower end 313. A cross member 314 is received on the pegs at bores (not shown) and secured to them with wing-nut-and-bolt fixtures 316. The cross member has at least one foam pad 317 for bearing on top of the transport item I. The tops of the pegs have abutments 318 in contact with the lid 302. Thus the arrangement locates the transport item parallel to the base, with pegs and locators on all four sides, and between the base and the lid. It touches neither of the latter being held in place by foam layers 305 and pads 317.

It is envisaged that the modifications of Figures 8 and 9 can be used without the need for the pegs to be abutted against the lid in a further aspect of the invention according to which there is provided a transport case for items to be transported, comprising:

• sides and a base, the base having:

• a front/back and left/right extending array of locator engagement positions and

• a plurality of locators engageable in selected ones of the arrayed positions for locating items placed on the base for transportation, the arrangement being such that inter-engagement of the locators and the base provides continued location of items during transport.

Referring to Figures 10 to 13, a further transport case of the invention is shown with an alternative internal arrangement. In the corners between the sides 404, 405, 406, 407 and abutting the base 403 are secured resilient mounting brackets 461. Each has a resilient block 462 bonded to it. An inner bracket 463 is bonded to the opposite side of the block. The blocks and their inner brackets are spaced from the base 403.

A rectangular frame 464 of aluminium channel 465 is supported by the inner brackets and has riveted on, on opposite sides, a pair of aluminium plates 466 with an array of apertures 467. The frame and plates are connected to the carcase of the case only by the resilient blocks and thus are isolated from higher acceleration shocks suffered by the case in use.

The plates are shown carrying art works AW wrapped in bubble wrap BW via foam blocks 471 acting with pins 472 on their outsides in locating the art works on the plates. The locator blocks of foam are generally U-shaped to hold the art works spaced from the plates 466. To promote resilient deformation of the blocks against the art works, they are partially slit through at the roots of their Us. They are externally chamfered at 473. This arrangement allows a pin 472 to be engaged at angle, see 4721 , in an aperture partially under a foam block and then pivoted upright with respect to the plates for engagement in an aligned aperture in the other plate. Certain of the blocks have resilient straps 474 passing over them in tension from hooks 475 on opposite sides. The hooks engage via apertures in the plate 4661 nearer the lid as opposed to the other plate 462 nearer the base. The chamfers 473 enhance frictional engagement of the straps with the blocks and thus retention of the art works close to and the blocks against the plate 4661.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiments. For instance, the transport case can be provided with catches for clipping two of them together. In the case where each transport case has castors, these castors can be staggered to allow them to rotate fully and avoid them interfering with each other.

Figure 14 demonstrates how several artworks (or other objects) can be secured into one case 505. A first art work 500 is secured to the base 503 using side locators 506, pegs 507 and straps 508. Connected to the base 503 are two parallel sheets with aligned orthogonal arrays of apertures 510. Two foam locators 506 are positioned on opposite sides of wrapped artwork 500. A resilient strap 508 is passed over the two opposite foam locators and secured to the base by hooking onto an aperture 510 on each side of the artwork. The first art work 500 is further secured via a second set of two side locators 506 and strap 508. At each corner of the first art work 500, two pegs 507 are pushed through aligned apertures 510 in the two parallel sheets. The pegs 507 are in contact with the wrapped artwork 500 directly.

The pegs prevent movement of the art work left/right or up/down (directions are relative to the view of the case in Figure 14, where the case stands vertically on stand 512). The resilient straps 508 and foam lining in the lid of the case (not shown) prevent movement forwards (i.e. out of the open case in Figure 14).

A second art work 520 is held in the transport case in a largely similar way to the first art work 500. Third and fourth artworks 530 and 540 are held in the case using corner locators 516, pegs 507 and straps 508. The corner locators 516 are largely similar to the side locators 506, however instead of simply being “U” shaped, the corner locators 516 are shaped such that the “U” bends 90 degrees and therefore fits the corner of an artwork. Accordingly, corner foam locators 516 are fitted to each corner of the third and fourth artworks 530 and 540. Resilient straps 508 are passed aver adjacent corner locators 516 and are held into place by hooking onto an aperture 510 on each side. The direction (i.e. left/right or up/down) of the straps 508 is not important, however the straps should pass between adjacent foam locators such that the straps lie flush against the foam locators 516.

Two pegs are positioned at each corner of the third and fourth artworks 530 and 540 such that the pegs abut and slightly compress the corner locators 516. As above, the pegs are held in position by passing through aligned apertures 510 on the parallel sheets.

Once the artworks are secured to the parallel sheets and hence the base 503 of the open case, the lid can be secured via clasps and catches 518 on the outside of the case. It is noted that when the lid is on the case, there is a gap between foam inside the lid (not shown) and the top of the pegs and foam locators. As such, the pegs and foam locators are only connected to the transport case via the parallel sheets, and in turn the parallel sheets are connected to the ret of the case via shock absorbers (not shown) in each corner. This reduces the risk of damage to the items during transport.

The case shown in figure 14 additionally has castors 519 to assist with moving the case.

Figure 15 shows a cross section of an artwork 550 positioned in a foam locator 551. The artwork in the foam locator is held in place via a peg 552 which passes through aligned apertures in parallel sheets 555a and 555b each featuring an array of apertures (not shown). The peg 552 compresses the foam locator towards the artwork 550. Additionally, the foam locator 551 is held in place via a resilient strap 553 which passes over the foam locator and hooks onto the upper parallel sheet 555a. The foam locator 551 has chamfered corners 560 and the strap 553 lies smoothly across the upper chamfered corner. The resilient strap may be tightened in position using a ratchet (not shown).

The foam locator 551 has two slits 557. Therefore, when the foam locator is compressed towards the artwork by both the peg 552 and strap 553, the section of foam between the two slits changes shape slightly, leading to an overhang 556. This overhang 556 helps to prevent the artwork moving within the foam locator 551 , since the overhang exerts a force onto the artwork in the direction of the base of the case 503.

Figure 16 shows a corner foam locator 562 and a side foam locator 563. As described above, the corner foam locator 562 is shaped to receive the corner of a painting, whilst the side foam locator 563 is shaped to receive the side of the painting, i.e. the side foam locator can be positioned at any point along the edge of a painting, whilst the corner foam locator can only be positioned at the corner of a painting. Both the corner and side foam locators have slits 565 which assist in holding the artworks in place within the foam locators. Additionally, the foam locators both have chamfered corners 564 which assist in positioning a strap over the locators.

Figure 17 shows another view of a side foam locator 563 with chamfered corners 564 and slits 565.

Figure 18 shows a detailed view of a hook 570 for securing a strap to the apertures as described above. For comparison, figure 18 also shows a conventional carabina clip 571 . The hook used in the invention 570 has a loop 572 by which it can be connected to a strap. The hook 570 swivels about point

573, this assists the user in securing the hook through an aperture, since the strap can be laid at any angle and the hook 570 rotated to fit the aperture as required. The end 574 of the hook is sized to fit through an aperture, as described above.