GB2516952A - Storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

A safe device for storing belongings on a beach or other location having soft ground comprises a body having a storage portion 11 and a ground engaging leg 21, the storage portion 11 comprising a lockable cavity 12 and the ground engaging leg 21 comprising an elongate shaft 22 and a helical blade 24 extending around at least a lower portion of the elongate leg. A detachable handle (33, figure 1) is provided for driving the ground engaging leg 21 into the ground. The handle (33) is then removed and belongings can be stored lockable cavity 12. The helical blade 24 prevents thieves from lifting the body.

Description

STORAGE DEVICE

This invention relates to a storage device and particularly but not exclusively to a storage device for inserting into sand or other soft ground.

It is not uncommon for visitors to a beach to leave their personal belongings unattended, for example when wishing to swim in the sea. The theft of personal belongings from beaches is thus a widespread problem. Furthermore, such personal belongings are generally items that would be carried by the beachgoer in his or her pockets or handbag and thus include keys, purses, wallets and mobile telephones. In view of the high monetary value of such items, it is desirable to address the problem of the theft of personal belongings from beaches.

I have now devised a lockable storage device for inserting into sand or other soft ground.

In accordance with the present invention, as seen from a first aspect, there is provided a storage device, the device comprising: a body comprising a storage portion and a ground engaging portion, the storage portion comprising a lockable cavity and the ground engaging portion comprising an elongate shaft and a helical blade extending around at least a lower portion of the elongate shaft; and, means for causing rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis.

In use, it is envisaged that a user will drive the ground engaging portion of the body downwardly into the ground by manually rotating at least the ground engaging portion about the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The helical blade will thus engage with the ground and prevent a person such as a thief from simply lifting the body from the ground; the ground engaging portion must be rotated in the opposite direction in order to remove said portion from the ground The means for causing rotation of the shaft about its longitudinal axis may comprise a handle selectively engageable with the body, the handle being configured to project radially from an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft when coupled to the body.

In this preferred embodiment, it is envisaged that the user will drive the ground engaging portion of the body downwardly into the ground by manually rotating the handle about the longitudinal axis of the shaft. It is further envisaged that the user will subsequently disengage the handle from the body so that the thief has no readily accessible means for actuating rotation of the ground engaging portion.

The handle may be selectively engageable with the ground engaging portion of the body.

The handle may be detachably coupled to the body.

Preferably the storage portion comprises a base and one or more upstanding side walls, the upstanding side walls preferably extending from a periphery of the base.

The base and one or more upstanding side walls at least partially bound the lockable cavity. The one or more side walls preferably terminate at an upper open periphery.

The body preferably further comprises a lid arranged to releasing engage the one or more side walls proximal to the upper open periphery, the lid substantially closing the cavity when engaged with the one or more side walls.

The elongate shaft of the ground engaging portion may comprise a tapered lower end.

Locking means may be provided for locking the lid against the upper open periphery.

The locking means may comprise first and second apertuies in the lid and the side wall respectively, said apertures being arranged such that a padlock may pass therethrough to secure the lid relative to the side wall.

The storage portion may be detachably coupled to the ground engaging portion by coupling means.

Means for releasing the coupling means is preferably located within the lockable storage cavity. Advantageously, this prevents a thief from removing the storage portion whilst leaving the ground engaging portion secured to the ground.

Preferably the coupling means is configured to enable rotation of the storage portion relative to the ground engaging portion, said rotation being about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In this embodiment, a thief is thus unable to rotate the ground engaging portion, and hence release the ground engaging portion from the ground, by gripping and rotating the storage portion.

The coupling means may comprise a bolt arranged to extend through the base of the storage portion. The upper portion of the bolt is preferably spaced apart from the base of the storage portion by a spacer member so as to enable rotation of the storage portion relative to the ground engaging portion.

The ground engaging portion may comprise a mounting plate. Preferably the mounting plate is arranged to support the base of the storage portion when the storage portion is coupled to the ground engaging portion.

The device may further comprise means for selectively preventing rotation of the storage portion relative to the ground engaging portion. Said means may comprise a rod arranged to extend through a hole in the base of the storage portion and at least partially extend through a hole in the mounting plate of the ground engaging portion.

The hole in the mounting plate of the ground engaging portion may be a blind hole or may extend through the full depth of the mounting plate. In this embodiment, rotation of the storage portion relative to the ground engaging portion is prevented when the rod at least partially extends through the hole in the mounting plate and permitted upon withdrawal of the rod from the hole in the mounting plate.

Preferably the one or more side walls of the storage portion are arranged to extend below the top of the mounting plate of the ground engaging portion when the storage portion is coupled to the ground engaging portion. Advantageously, this arrangement prevents a thief from forcibly removing the storage portion from the ground engaging portion by insertion of a blade or the like between the base and the mounting plate.

Preferably the handle is sized and shaped to fit within the cavity. Advantageously, this enables the user to lock the handle within the cavity when disengaged with the body.

In accordance with the present invention, as seen from a second aspect, there is provided a method of storing belongings on a beach or other location having soft ground, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a device as hereinbefore described; (b) with the handle coupled to the body, rotating the handle and exerting a downward pressure so as to drive the ground engaging portion downwardly into the ground; (c) subsequently decoupling the handle from the body; The method preferably further comprises the steps of inserting personal belongings into the storage portion and subsequently locking the storage portion. The steps of inserting personal belongings into the storage portion and subsequently locking the storage portion may be performed prior to step (b) above. Alternatively, the steps of inserting personal belongings into the storage portion and subsequently locking the storage portion may be performed after completion of step (b) above and may be performed after completion of step (c) above.

The method may further comprise the step of inserting the handle into the storage portion and subsequently locking the storage portion, these steps being performed after step (c) above.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a storage device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention with interior features illustrated by dashed lines; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a user inserting the device of figure 1 into the ground; Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of the device of figure 1 inserted into the ground; and, Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of storing belongings on a beach or other location having soft ground in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to figures ito 3 of the drawings, there is illustrated a storage device 10 for use on a beach or other location having soft ground.

The storage device 10 comprises a storage portion in the form of a housing 11 having a cavity 12 defined therein. The housing 11 includes a base 13 and a cylindrical side wall 14 that extends upwardly from the periphery of the base 13. The side wall 14 terminates at an upper open periphery 15.

The storage device 10 preferably further comprises a lid 16 arranged to releasing engage the side wall 14 proximal to the upper open periphery 15, the lid 16 being sized and shaped to close the cavity 12 when engaged with the side wall 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid 16 may be removed from the housing 11, but it will be appreciated that the lid 16 could also be hingedly or slidingly coupled to the housing 11.

An aperture 18 is formed towards the upper peripheral edge 15 of the side wall 14. A corresponding aperture 19 is formed towards the peripheral edge of the lid 16. In order to lock the lid 16 in place in the configuration in which it closes the cavity 12, a shackle of a padlock 20 or the like may be passed through the apertures 18, 19.

The storage device 10 further comprises a ground engaging portion in the form of a leg 21 arranged to extend downwardly from the housing when the device is in use.

The leg 21 comprises an elongate shaft 22 having a tapered lower end 23. A screw portion 24 is provided at the tapered lower end 23, the screw portion 24 comprising a helical blade that extends radially from the elongate shaft 22. In order to engage the leg 21 with the ground, a user rotates the leg 21 about an axis parallel to the elongate shaft 22 in a direction appropriate to the handedness of the screw portion 24. The user simultaneously applies sufficient downward pressure to cause the leg 21 to move downwardly into the ground. When engaged with the ground, it is envisaged that the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft 22 will extend in a substantially vertical direction. The engagement of the helical blade with the ground prevents subsequent removal of the leg 21 from the ground in any manner other than rotating the leg 21 about the axis parallel to the elongate shaft 22 in the opposite direction.

The leg 21 further complises a mounting plate 25 arianged to abut the base 13 of the housing 11, the mounting plate 25 extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft 22.

The housing 11 is detachably coupled to the leg 21 by coupling means in the form of a bolt 26 arranged to extend through a hole 27 in the base 13 of the housing 11 and at least partially through a hole 28 in the mounting plate 25 of the leg 21. The bolt engages with the hole 28 in the mounting plate 25 of the leg 21 by means of screw thread engagement. The bolt 26 is arranged to pass through a washer 29 and a spacei member 30 in order to allow rotation between the housing 11 and the leg 21 when the two are engaged.

It will be appieciated that the rotation of the housing 11 relative to the leg 21 is about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft 22 of the leg 21, which will be substantially vertical when the device 10 is inseited in the ground.

The ability of the housing 11 to rotate relative to the leg 21 prevents a thief from ieleasing the device 10 from the giound by glipping and rotating the housing 11.

Furthermore, in order to decouple the housing 11 from the leg 21, a user must have access the interior of the cavity 12, thereby preventing a thief from stealing the personal belongings stored within the housing 11 via removal of the housing 11 from theleg2l.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the coupling means may be arranged such that the orientation of the leg 21 relative to the housing 11 may be reversed for transportation purposes. For example, the diameter of the hole 27 in the base of the housing 11 could be greater than the largest diameter of the leg 21, which is likely to be the diameter of the screw portion 24, so as to enable the leg 21 to extend upwardly through the base 13 of the housing 11 and into the cavity 12 defined therein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the side wall 14 of the housing 11 extends below the mounting plate 25 of the leg 21 when the housing 11 is coupled to the leg 21, thereby preventing a thief from forcibly removing the housing 11 from the leg 21 by insertion of a blade or the like between the base 13 of the housing 11 and the mounting plate 2softheleg2l.

A rod 31 for selectively preventing rotation of the housing 11 relative to the leg 21 is provided. The rod 31 is configured to selectively extend through a hole in the base 13 of the housing 11 and at least partially extend through a hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 of the leg 21. In the illustrated embodiment, the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 extends through the full depth thereof. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 is a blind hole. The rod 31 is retractable from at least the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 so as to selectively permit or prevent rotation of the housing 11 relative to the leg 21, the housing 11 being rotatable relative to the leg 21 when the rod 31 extends at least partially through the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 and the housing 11 being spatially fixed relative to the leg 21 when the rod 31 is withdrawn from the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25.

The device 10 further comprises a handle in the form of first and second handle portions 33a, 33b. These handle portions 33a, 33b are arranged to push fit into respective holes 34 in the housing 11 such that the handle portions 33a, 33b may be fully detached from the housing 11. When engaged with the housing 11, the handle portions 33a, 33b extend radially from the longitudinal axis of the housing 11 and hence radially from the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft 22 of the leg 21. In the illustrated embodiment, the length of each handle portions 33a, 33b is less than the height of the housing 11 so as to enable the handle portions 33a, 33b to be inserted and stored within the interior cavity 12 of the housing 11 when disengaged therewith.

With reference to tigure 4 of the drawings, in use at step 101, the user spatially fixes the housing 11 relative to the leg 21 by inserting the rod 31 into the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 of the leg 21.

At step 102, which may be performed before or after step 101, the user couples the handle portions 33a, 33b to the housing 11.

At step 103, the user drives the leg 21 of the device 10 downwardly into the ground by gripping the handle portions 33a, 33b and manually rotating device 10 about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 22. The helical blade thus engages with the ground so as to prevent a thief from simply lifting the device 10 from the ground.

The user retracts the rod 31 from the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 of the leg 21 at step 104 so as to ensure free rotation of the housing 11 relative to the leg 21. It will be appreciated that this disengages the handle portions 33a, 33b from the leg 21: any actuation of the handle portions 33a, 33b simply causes the housing 11 to rotate relative to the leg 21.

At step 105, the user disengages the handle portions 33a, 33b from the respective apertures 34 in the housing 11. This provides a second mechanism for disengaging the handle portions 33a, 33b from the leg 21. It will therefore be appreciated that steps 104 and 105 may be alternative steps or may be performed in combination in order to provide a dual defence against theft.

The user removes the lid 16 from the housing 11 at step 106 and inserts his personal belongings into the cavity 12. The user may also insert the handle portions 33a, 33b into the cavity 12.

At step 107, the user engages the lid 16 with the cylindrical side wall 14, thereby closing the cavity 12.

At step 108, the user passes a locking mechanism such as a padlock 20 through the apertures 18, 19 formed in the side wall 14 and lid 16 respectively. The user then locks the locking padlock 20 to secure the belongings within the cavity 12.

If the user wishes to remove the device 10 from the ground, for example if he wishes to leave the beach, he unlocks the padlock 20 and removes the lid 16 from the housing 11 at step 109.

At step 110, the user inserts the rod 31 into the hole 32 in the mounting plate 25 of the leg 21 and push-fits the handle portions 33a, 33b to the housing via the respective holes 34.

At step 111, the user subsequently grips the handle portions 33a, 33b and manually rotates the device 10 about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 22 in an opposite direction to the direction of rotation in step 103.