WO2001049572A2

WO2001049572A2 - Container with shock-absorbing means

Info

Publication number: WO2001049572A2
Application number: PCT/GB2001/000017
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alex Pidgley; Stephen Grimes
Original assignee: Computer Luggage Company Limited
Priority date: 2000-01-06
Filing date: 2001-01-04
Publication date: 2001-07-12
Also published as: AU2530601A; GB2359543A; WO2001049572A3; GB0100333D0; GB0000154D0

Abstract

A container (11) has cushioning means (20; 80; 60; 70) for protecting the contents of the container against chock damage; the cushioning means (20; 50; 60; 70) comprise one or a plurality of flexible envelopes housing a gel and located within the container over a limited region such as the periphery of one or more major walls, the corners where two walls meet, or the control region of one or more of the walls.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CONTAINERS

The present invention relates generally to containers, and particularly to containers formed as cases or holders for conveying articles or equipment. In one particular embodiment the container of the invention may be formed as a carrying case for electronic or electrical equipment. The present invention finds particular, although not exclusive, application in the structure of a carrying case for a computer.

In recent times the prevalence of the so-called lap top or portable computers has increased greatly, and many people find it a great convenience to be able to carry a small, portable computer from one work place to another, or between their place of work and home, to allow them greater freedom and flexibility in organising their working life. Computers, however, are relatively shock-sensitive items of high value which must be treated with care in order to preserve their functionality. Such shocks and impacts would at least damage or distort their casing, and at worst cause internal damage possibly resulting in malfunction or even total breakdown of the computer. Specialist luggage in the form of carrying cases for computers is available on the market, and this very often incorporates padded or lined wall structures which serve at least to some extent to absorb impacts or shocks encountered during travelling, for example should the user place the computer in its carrying case heavily on the ground, or even drop it or have it knocked from their grasp. Although known padded bags or cases are able to absorb the minor impacts from jostling crowds and occasional striking against adjacent objects such as tables or chairs as the bag or case is carried from place to place, larger impacts, especially should the computer be dropped, are not fully absorbed and these can still result in distortion of the casing and/or internal damage to the computer.

The present invention seeks to provide a container, suitable for, but not exclusively for, carrying computers and the like shock-sensitive equipment or contents, having a greater ability to absorb impacts than conventional, prior art padded cases or containers, without substantially increasing the weight of the container and having a negligible effect on the dimensions whilst nevertheless offering a higher degree of protection. The present invention also comprehends a protective element that can be introduced into otherwise known containers (padded or otherwise) for the purpose of increasing the ability of the container to absorb shocks and protect the contents from impact .

According to one aspect of the present invention, therefore, there is provided a container having at least two major substantially parallel walls spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls, and having cushioning means for protecting the contents of the container against damage, the cushioning means comprising at least one laminar panel housing a gel and defined by a flexible envelope, and extending over at least the majority of at least one said wall.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a container having at least two major substantially parallel walls spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls, and having cushioning means for protecting the contents of the container against damage, the cushioning means comprising at least one flexible envelope housing a gel and located at or adjacent at least one of the corners defined by the intersection of any of the said walls. According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a container having at least two major substantially parallel walls spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls, and having cushioning means for protecting the contents of the container against damage, the cushioning means comprising at least one flexible envelope housing a gel and extending around the peripheral region of at least one of the said walls .

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a container having at least two major substantially parallel walls spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls, and having cushioning means for protecting the contents of the container against damage, the cushioning means comprising a flexible envelope housing a gel and extending, between the peripheral region of the said major walls, around.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a container having at least two major substantially parallel walls spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls, and having cushioning means for protecting the contents of the container against damage, the cushioning means comprising an envelope housing a gel, wherein at least one of said walls includes at least a portion which is transparent whereby visually to expose said cushioning means .

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a container having at least two major substantially parallel walls spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls and at least one dividing wall which spans any two of the said walls, and having cushioning means for protecting the contents of the container against damage, the cushioning means comprising at least one envelope housing a gel.

The diving wall may be formed as part of the structure of the container or may be a separate and removable insert and may be ' applicable to any of the previously discussed embodiments . The dividing wall may itself have cushioning means in the form of a flexible envelope housing a gel .

Preferably the cushioning means is formed or positioned in the interior of the container, however other embodiments in which at least a portion of the cushioning means is formed or positioned externally of the container are not beyond the scope of the invention.

In other embodiments the cushioning means may be formed as a separate and removable insert which can be fitted to and removed from the container. The insert may be fitted into a pocket in the container which may be specifically adapted to receive such an insert. The insert may be formed as a shaped element, for example at least partly conformed to the shape of the intended components (which is especially useful in the case of dedicated computer cases) .

The cushioning means may be formed integrally as part of the structure of the container, in which case one or more of the container walls may comprise or include one or a plurality of the gel envelopes.

One advantage of the use of enclosed gel volumes for shock absorption lies in the fact that the gel may be retained in the envelope under pressure, and the appropriate pressure required for specific circumstances may be chosen in dependence on the nature of the contents to be conveyed and the particular form of the envelope . The envelope defining the gel-containment volume may comprise a layer of flexibly resilient material defining at least one wall of each of a plurality of individual gel-containment volumes. Alternatively, the envelope defining the gel-containment volume may comprise two layers of flexibly resilient material with a plurality of partitions separating the space between them into a plurality of individual gel-containment volumes. At least some of the said plurality of gel envelopes may intercommunicate with one another although, preferably, the gel envelopes are all entirely independent of one another.

As well as this, the material from which at least a part of the container is made may itself be formed with one or a plurality of gel envelopes that receive and retain gel, preferably but not exclusively under pressure.

Techniques for producing integrally moulded such structures may include those in which the moulding takes place under pressure such that the entrapped gel is at superatmospheric pressure upon forming the layer, or processes in which gel under pressure is introduced into the compartments or pockets subsequent to manufacture, suitable means for sealing the introduction route being provided.

In view of its intended use to absorb impacts and shocks, the gel-containment volume envelopes are preferably made of a material sufficiently resistant to tearing or rupture as to be substantially non- rupturable in use.

The gel may be any semi-solid colloidal solution or jelly, although certain properties are seen as. advantageous .

In one embodiment the gel of choice may exhibit inverse thixotropic properties upon experiencing shock loading.

The gel may include a coloured dye. This may be especially desirable when used in combination with a container having transparent sections that expose the cushioning means. Further, the colour of the coloured dye may be indicative of properties of the gel.

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carrying case according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a case according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the carrying case of Figure 2 ;

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a case according to a third embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a separate removable insert formed as a fourth embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a carrying case according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a carrying case according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the carrying case 11 illustrated in Figures 1 comprises a soft fabric enclosure having two main substantially parallel major walls 12, 13 one of which, the wall 12 has a surrounding perimetrical edge comprising respective end walls 14, 15 and top and bottom walls 16,20. The top wall 16 is provided with a carrying handle 17, for which purpose the top wall 16 may be reinforced below by means (not shown) which give it sufficient stiffness to resist the load imposed on it by the handle 17.

It should be appreciated that the material from which the case 11 is made comprises a relatively flexible abrasion-resistant sheet material that may be a woven fabric of natural or artificial fibres, or may be an extruded homogenous material such as a plastics sheet .

The perimetrical edge 23 of the wall 13 and the corresponding edges 24, 25, 26 of the end walls 14, 15 and the top wall 16 are provided with co-operating parts of a sliding clasp fastener, the sliding clasp 27 of which can be moved between an open position as illustrated in figure 1 to a closed position (not shown) whereby to close the case 11.

The wall 12 has a fabric flap 30 that defines a pocket 40 therein. A generally rectangular laminar panel 35 is formed as an envelope that houses a gel, and is of sufficient dimension to cover a majority of the wall 12. The panel 35 is inserted into the pocket and the flap 30 is releasably secured to the wall 12 by any convenient means such as hook and eye fasteners . In other embodiments the panel 35 is formed as part of the structure of the container, for example by bonding the panel 35 to the wall 12 or by sewing the panel into the pocket .

Of course such a gel panel 35 could be fitted to or formed as part of any of the walls 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20 of the case 11.

The resiliently flexible laminar material of which the panel 35 is composed and the resiliently flexible sheet material of the wall 12 allows the enclosed gel to change shape when the shape of the envelope is distorted, for example due to pressure by contact with an applied force. Compression of the gel within the panel 35 allows the element as a whole to absorb the shocks and impacts to which the wall 12 may be subject in use, especially if, for example, the case 11 were dropped whilst housing a relatively heavy computer.

Figures 2 and 3 show schematically a carrying case equivalent to that shown in figure 1 comprising a soft fabric enclosure having two main substantially parallel enclosure walls 12, 13 side walls 14, 15 and top 16 and bottom 20 walls. Generally pyramidal envelopes 50 housing gel are secured in the eight corners defined by the intersection of the walls 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, without spanning the depth of the case . Figure 3 illustrates a lap top computer 45 fitted into the case 11 of figure 2. The computer 45 is preferably larger than the area immediately available between the envelopes 50 and so displaces the gel accordingly; this ensures that the computer is held in position away from the extremities of the case, and is protected at its corners .

In other embodiments the envelopes may be of sufficient dimension to span the two major walls 12,13; in this case, only four envelopes 50 would be required.

Typically, lap top computers weigh in the region of 2 kg and if it is assumed that the whole weight of the computer may be born by a small area of the cushioning means if the case 11 were to be dropped carelessly to land on one corner, it will be appreciated how the ability to deform resiliently to a large extent allows the shock loading to be reduced to tolerable levels .

Figure 4 shows a carrying case of the same general construction as that shown in figures 1 to 3 except with alternative cushioning means. Two gel-housing peripheral rings 60 extend around the peripheral region of the two major walls 12,13.

In other embodiments the peripheral rings 60 may be associated with any of the walls 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,

20, in each case extending around their peripheral region.

In this embodiment the peripheral rings 60 are an integral part of the case 11, achieved for example by incorporating them within a sewn pocket of the case or by securing them directly to the walls. However, peripheral ring inserts would also be possible for retro-fitting existing containers.

Figures 5 shows an insert tyre element 70 that may be fitted into a pre-existing bag or carrying case for computers. The single encircling tyre is positioned to span the two major walls 12, 13, contacted them only at their periphery, and extends around the top 16 , bottom 20 and side 14, 15 walls.

In use the tyre 70 acts as a resilient mattress to cushion any impact to which the case 11 may be subject in use, for example by being set down heavily or by being dropped, thereby absorbing the shock of impact and protecting the interior contents, which typically may be a computer as discussed above, from damage.

Figure 6 shows a case 11 of the same general construction as that shown in figures 1 to 4, further including a dividing wall 21 which in this embodiment spans the top and bottom walls 16, 20, being parallel to the two major walls 12,13, and in doing so bisects the internal space of the case 11. In addition, the major wall 13 is also able to open away from the side 14, 15, top 16 and bottom 20 walls in the same way as described for the major wall 12 in relation to figure 1. In this way a container could be adapted, for example to carry two computers, or at least to separate a computer from other items also carried in the case. In this embodiment the dividing wall 21 also has cushioning means in the form of a laminar gel panel 35, so as to provide protection to the computer.

In other embodiments the dividing wall 21 is formed as a removable insert which can be fitted into a case to partition its internal- volume. Figure 7 shows a further embodiment of the present invention with a case 11 shown in the same orientation as the case of Figure 1.

The construction of the case 11 is such that it is not the familiar ^λ clam-shell' configuration as shown in Figures 1 to 6, rather it is the top wall 16 that carries the handle (not shown) and that serves as the point of access to the interior of the case, being releasably connectable to the side wall 23.

The interior of the case 11 houses a compartment 80. The compartment 80 is generally rectangular in cross- section and in this embodiment is of dimensions such that it does not fill all of the interior space of the case 11. The compartment 80 may be a removable insert that is releasably attached to the case by any suitable means. Alternatively the compartment 80 may form part of the structure of case 11.

Claims

1. A container having at least two major substantially parallel walls spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls, and having cushioning means for protecting the contents of the container against damage, the cushioning means comprising at least one flexible envelope housing a gel and located within the container over a limited region thereof whereby to lie between an object placed into the container and one or more faces of the container over the said limited region.

2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, in which the said flexible envelope is in the form of a laminar panel extending over at least part of at least one of the major walls of the container.

3. A container as claimed in Claim 1, in which the said cushioning means comprise at least one flexible envelope housing a gel and located at or adjacent at least one of the regions defined by the intersection of any two of the said walls .

4. A container as claimed in Claim 1, in which the said cushioning means comprise at least one flexible envelope housing a gel extending around the peripheral region of at least one of the said walls.

5. A container as claimed in Claim 1, in which the said cushioning means comprise an envelope housing a gel and extending, between the peripheral regions of said major walls, around at least part of the periphery thereof .

6. A container as claimed in any preceding claim and having at least two major substantially parallel walls . spaced by opposite side, top and bottom walls and at least one interior partition wall within the container whereby to separate the interior of the container into two or more interior regions .

7. A container as claimed in Claim 6, in which the interior partition is at least one dividing wall which spans any two of the said walls.

8. A container as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, in which the interior partition has cushioning means in the form of at least one flexible envelope housing a gel .

9. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the cushioning means are formed as a separate and removable insert that can be fitted to and removed from the container.

10. A container as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 9 , in which the cushioning means are formed integrally as part of the structure of the container.

11. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which at least a portion of the cushioning means is positioned on or in relation to an external surface of the container.

12. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said gel is one which exhibits inverse thixotropic properties upon experiencing shock loading.

13. A container as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the gel includes a coloured dye .

14. A container as claimed in Claim 13 , in which the colour of the dye is indicative of the properties of the gel .

15. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim in which both at least one of said walls and said envelope include at least a portion which is transparent, the transparent portions being in register whereby visually to expose said cushioning means .

16. A container as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which at least a portion of at least one of said walls forms part of the said envelope.

17. A container as claimed in Claim 16, in which said envelope has a visual opening whereby to visually expose the contents of the envelope .

18. A container as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a restraining strap to secure a contained item within the container.

19. Cushioning means for protecting the contents of a container against damage the cushioning means incorporating at least two different cushioning fluids at least one of which is a gel, the said two fluids having different physical properties.

20. Cushioning means as claimed in Claim 19 in which at least two cushioning fluids are housed in one or a plurality of enclosed volumes defined by an at least partly resilient envelope.

21. Cushioning means as claimed in Claim 20, in which the cushioning fluids are housed together or separately in the or each enclosed volume.

22. Cushioning means as claimed in any of claims 19 to . 21, in which the at least two different cushioning fluids comprise air and gel.

23. Cushioning means as claimed in any of Claims 19 to 21, in which the at least two different cushioning fluids include air and foam.

24. Cushioning means as claimed in any of Claims 19 to 21, in which the at least two different cushioning fluids comprise gel and foam.

25. A method of forming a protective cushion within a container comprising the steps of placing an article requiring protection and an empty envelope into the container and thereafter introducing gel into the empty envelope .

26. A kit comprising a flexible envelope, a canister of gel and means for introducing the gel from the canister into the envelope.