Abstract:
A unitary, reusable, deformable protective normally flat body spatially conformable to an object to define a protective carrier including a hollow case or body member defining a continuous, uninterrupted cavity, the cavity being filled with a preferably unitary preformed open-celled bat extending throughout the cavity, the body defining a central portion and opposed side portions contiguous thereto and a pair of opposed end portions defining cavities coextensive with the other cavities, unitary operative valve means for introducing air into and withdrawing air from all cavities, the central and opposed side portions being deformable to wrap around an article and the respective end portions being deformable to fold over the engaged side portions when enclosing an article, the valve means being accessible when the article is fully wrapped with the body member.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/953,485 filed Aug. 2, 2007, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to protective carriers for fragile articles generally and specifically to a protective, foldable, normally substantially flat, planar carrier body member covered with a substantially inelastic, air-impermeable sheet material defining a continuous, interior cavity filled with an air-permeable, resiliently compressible material exhibiting shape memory. The carrier body is bendable and foldable out of its normal flat plane in any direction simultaneously to completely surround articles of differing shapes. The carrier body is provided with means for detachably retaining the carrier in its wrapping configuration around an article. The embodiments shown and described herein are particularly suitable to protect a, fragile liquid-bearing container such as a wine bottle. 
         [0003]    Protective covers for fragile articles, including bottles, are well-known in the art. Many of these are designed for transporting various items such as luggage, electronic equipment, sports equipment and other articles which are either fragile or easily broken or damaged if not protected. Various carrying cases, either with rigid or flexible outer shells, have a pad in some or all of the interior to prevent items in the case from shifting and breaking. Those with rigid outer shells or frames inhibit the effects of direct impact by providing strong outer structural support. These cases are principally used for shipping when the article is committed to handling other than by the owner as, for example, by some common carrier including air, rail and truck. Examples of these types of containers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,035 (&#39;035) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,892 (&#39;892). These patents each disclose a carrying case having a plurality of hollow chambers; each including inserts to inhibit movement of articles within the carrying case. Inserts may be rigid or soft and shaped to hold a particular item, such as a computer and may also divide the interior into various different-sized cavities. Rigid inserts are generally not desirable because the do not always conform to the shape of the contained article and allow it to move during impact. They also transmit vibration which in some instances is undesirable. 
         [0004]    Soft inserts have other drawbacks. They may not provide sufficient structural rigidity to the transport case as a whole. Cases with soft inserts can often crush. Soft inserts often are not secured to the interior of the case, permitting enclosed items to move about within the transport case and suffer damage. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. &#39;035 sought to attenuate problems arising from the use of soft, foam inserts by creating a blank defining six (6), individual, rectangular, hollow panels each filled with foam. Means are also provided for air-inflating the cavities containing the foam. These panels individually are attached to a thin backing layer of material coextensive with the shape of the blank defined by the panels, retaining them in their intended relative positions. Since the panels are structurally independent of each other and the back of each is attached to the backing layer, crease channels are generated at the intersections of the respective panels. These channels provide for folding of the backing layer without obstruction from the thickness of the panels to create a rectangular case having a conforming interior cavity. This is as shown in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. &#39;035. The respective panels can be inflated individually or the panels can be interconnected with air conduits so that air introduced into the cavity of one panel will pass to and inflate all the others. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. &#39;892 discloses an impact-resistant wrapping system for packing fragile articles which comprises a sheet formed by sealing under pressure, two single or multi-layer laminated flexible membranes having gas or air barrier properties with cushioning-cellular material such as sponge foam confined in a single airtight cavity defined between the membranes. The wrapping system is normally flat and the cushioning-cellular material is compressed in the cavity. In construction, the elastic cushion material is normally placed in its compressed flat state in the cavity between the flexible membranes. This results in a thin sheet and a vacuum inside of the cavity. In use, the sheet-like wrapping membrane is wound or folded around the article and retained in its wrapping state with fastening members. Then, in order to produce cushioning protection, air is introduced into the cavity by opening an air valve or puncturing the surface of the wrapping system so as to admit air at ambient pressure to permit expansion of the cushioning-cellular material thereby expanding the continuous inner surface of the membrane against the article. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,259 (&#39;259) shows an inflatable, generally cylindrical bladder open at both ends conforming to the shape of a baby bottle. The baby bottle is inserted into the widest open end of the bladder, nipple first, when the bladder is deflated. Valve means are provided to inflate the bladder after the bottle is inserted with the nipple projecting outside of the smaller or narrow, neck-end of the bladder. 
         [0008]    Similar inflatable beverage insulator is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,085, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,845,806 and 5,135,132. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0009]    The particular embodiment of the present invention shown and described herein is particularly useful for hand-carrying a fragile article but is also useable for shipping by air, rail or road. Nevertheless, the principal of this invention are applicable to protecting such items as computers and other electronic devices, radios, audio-visual components, recorders and the like which are not fabricated of glass. 
         [0010]    The embodiment of this invention shown and described herein is particularly well-suited to carry a fragile, bottle of wine or other beverage. A protective carrier for transporting such a bottle should be impact-resistant not only on the sides of the bottle but also at the narrowed neck and the flat bottom, easily applied to the bottle, easily carried in one hand, easily wrapped and unwrapped, and when not in use, preferably normally assumes a flat configuration. It must be inexpensive to manufacture and, preferably, be re-usable including easily cleaned. 
         [0011]    The protective carrier of this invention normally assumes a flat configuration both before and after use. Directions for it use can be stenciled on the inside or bottle-engaging surface during manufacture and be readily visible to the user as the bottle is being wrapped. The flat configuration provides for the machine application of advertising or other decorations on what becomes the outside of the protective carrier when wrapping an article, such as the name of the recipient or giver, a salutation, corporate advertising or other decorations. This makes the carrying case an ideal present or premium item. 
         [0012]    In the preferred embodiment, whether for a bottle or other item, the carrier consists of a pair of space-apart, cover sheets or layers, sealed together at their peripheral edges and defining an internal cavity which cavity is continuous or uninterrupted with no walls or connecting air conduits. The outer cover layers are substantially inelastic and fabricated of an air-impermeable material, preferably water resistant. The internal cavity is substantially filled with a preformed, air-permeable, resilient, memory-retaining foam bat. Preferably, the foam bat is unitary, continuous and of uniform thickness throughout and adhered to the outer cover sheets over the entire contacting surfaces except at the edges of the bat where the cover layers are sealed together. 
         [0013]    The cavity defined by the carrier is provided with operative valve means for the introduction and withdrawal of air from the cavity. The valve means is preferably manually operable. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The objects and advantages referenced above can be achieved by the invention described and claimed herein one embodiment of which is shown in the drawings and is useful in carrying, generally cylindrically-shaped fragile articles such as a bottle in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is top plan view of the carrier in its normally flat configuration when unused with a bottle positioned on the inner portion thereof before wrapping. The inner or top and outer or bottom plan views are substantially identical and therefore only the top is illustrated. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a side-elevational view of the blank taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a view in perspective of the inside surface of the blank with a bottle positioned thereon before wrapping. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a view in perspective as shown in  FIG. 3  with the side portions of the blank wrapped around the bottle with a hook and loop fastener strip, referred to hereafter as “Velcro®” edging engaged. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a view in perspective as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  with the Velcro® end straps engaged to form a carrying handle. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side-elevational view of the blank fully wrapped around a bottle with the bottle shown in broken lines and the end straps engaged to form a carrying handle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Referring to the drawings in detail, the protective carrier consists of a flat, body member  11  consisting of a first external cover layer  12  of substantially continuous material which is substantially inelastic, air-tight, and, preferably water resistant and a second external cover layer  13  of substantially the same material spaced apart from the first said layer  12  thereby defining a uniformly thick cavity  14  there between. The external cover layers may be fabricated of any material that meets the above characteristics such as a polyethylene-coated nylon. The cavity  14  is substantially entirely filled preferably with a unitary, continuous, and preferably pre-formed or molded foam bat  15  of substantially uniform thickness throughout defining flat, generally parallel surfaces in engagement with the cover layers  12  and  13 . It is undesirable to employ loose foam tufts or stuffing material to fill the cavity  14 . The bat  15  is cohesive; shape self-sustaining, preferably continuous mass. The periphery  18  of the foam bat  15  generally conforms to the shape of the sealed edges of the top and bottom cover layers,  12  and  13 . The continuous, peripheral edge  18  of the foam bat is preferably flat and disposed at right angles to the plane of the surfaces of the bat  15  attached to the cover layers  12  and  13 . The foam bat  15  is air-permeable or open-celled so that when the air pressure within the cavity  14  increases, the air-pressure within the mass of foam increases generally to the same degree. The foam of the bat  15  is compressively resilient and possessed of shape memory, returning to its original, undeformed shape after deforming. The foam bat  15  is substantially equally bendable in any plane from its natural flat plane when confined in the cavity  14  as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Preferably, the foam is preformed before assembly with flat, parallel surfaces. The first layer  12  and second layer  13  of covering material are each preferably adhered to the opposed, flat surfaces of the foam bat  15  by any suitable means such as glue, adhesive or thermal bonding. 
         [0022]    The top or inner cover layer  12  and the bottom or outer cover layer  13  are substantially identical in peripheral shape and dimensions and are attached or bonded to each other at their respective peripheral edges  16  and  17  so as to be air-tight. The peripheral edge  18  of the foam bat  15  conforms the peripheral shape of the cover layers,  12  and  13  but dimensioned slightly smaller to leave a small open, peripheral cavity  19  between the internal surfaces of the cover layers  12  and  13  and their sealed edges  16  and  17  without significantly compressing the peripheral edge  18  of the bat  15 . 
         [0023]    An air valve  20  communicates between the exterior of the body  11  and the internal cavity  14  at the peripheral cavity  19 . The valve  20  is operable to open or close manually to allow air into the cavities  14  and  19  and the foam bat  15  or permit air to be discharged there from. Preferably the valve  20  is sealed between the opposing edges of the cover layers  12  and  13 . 
         [0024]    The embodiment shown in the drawings is particularly suitable for protecting and transporting a bottle. In  FIG. 1 , the cover layers,  12  and  13 , are shaped to define a generally rectangular central portion  21  continuous with opposed end panels  22  and  23  formed symmetrically on the rectangular central portion  21 . It is intended that a bottle be laid on the central portion along an axis running through the center of the end panels of flaps  22  and  23 . Side or wrapping panels  26  and  27  are formed continuously and integrally with the rectangular central portion  21 . The sealed edges of wrapping panels  26  and  27  are tapered at  31  and  32  between their respective outermost edges  28  and  29  and the respective, opposed, end panels  22  and  23 . 
         [0025]    Velcro® strips  32  and  33  are attached to the outer edges  28  and  29  of the wrapping panels  26  and  27 . 
         [0026]    One of the end panels  22  is provided with a slot  34  continuously sealed at its inner periphery in the same manner as the peripheral edges  16  and  17  of body member  11 . The foam bat  15  is also provided with a conforming slot and fills the cavity  35  in the end flap  22  in same manner as in the rest of the cavity  14  by passing through the foam bat  15 . The opposing end panel  23  is identical to the end panel  22  except that it does not have a slot. Velcro® strips  39  and  40  are attached to the outermost ends of the respective end panels  22  and  23 . The Velcro® strips,  39  and  40 , are dimensioned sufficiently long to overlap when the end panels  22  and  23  are folded upwardly to close the ends of the case thereby covering the ends of the bottle  37 . When so joined, the Velcro® strips  39 ,  40  define a carrying handle for the protective carrier when used as a carrying case. 
         [0027]    The manually operable air valve  20  is mounted in the tapered edge  31  between wrapping panel  27  and the end panel  22 . 
         [0028]    In use, the bottle  37  is placed on the flat body member  11  generally co-axial with the central axis running through the opposed end panels  22  and  23  as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  with the bottom  38  of the bottle  37  immediately opposed to end panel  22 . The ratio of the dimensions of the central portion  21  and the wrapping panels  26  and  27  perpendicular to the long axis of the bottle should be approximately equal. This ratio obtains irrespective of the diameter of the bottle. The total width of the body portion  11  including the wrapping panels  26  and  27  must be sufficient to define an internal, wrapped-cavity defined by inner cover layer  22  in contact with the bottle  37  at least as wide as the diameter of the bottle and to permit overlapping of the Velcro® strips  32  and  33 . In practice, because it is difficult to force the internal surface  12  of the body portion  11  and wrapping panels  26  and  27  tightly into full and continuous engagement with the bottle  37  along the entire cylindrical surface thereof exclusive of the neck, the dimensions should be slightly greater than the minimum defined by the circumference of the bottle at its largest point. Moreover, the initial wrapping procedure is intended to be begun with the valve  20  open so that deforming and crushing the body  11  together with the foam bat  15  expels air from the cavities  14  and  19 . When the bottle  37  or other article is completely wrapped with the side panels overlapping a secured together with the Velcro®  32  and  33  and the end panels  22  and  23  folded and the Velcro® strips  28  and  40  engaged, the normal resilience and shape memory of the foam bat  15  caused it to expand and in so doing, suck air through the open valve  20  into the cavities  14  and  19 . Supplemented inflation can be achieved by forcing air through the valve  20  into the cavities  14  and  19  permeating the foam bat  15  thereby expanding the carrier into tight engagement with the bottle  37 . 
         [0029]    By way of example, in the case of an ordinary wine bottle the total length of the body member  11  parallel to the long axis of the bottle  37  is approximately 60 cm including the end panels  22  and  23 . The width of the body member  11  perpendicular to the axis of the bottle is approximately 36 cm. which includes the Velcro® strips  31  and  32 . The width of the end panels or flaps is approximately 13 cm and symmetrical with the axis of the body member  11  perpendicular to the long axis of the bottle  37 . The length of each of the end panels  22  and  23  from the locus of engagement to the body portion  11  is approximately 11 cm. The slot  34  is substantially symmetrical with the axis of the body member  11  in the direction of orientation of the bottle  37  extending from the loci of engagement the opposing wrapping panels  26  and  27  where contiguous with the body member  11  toward the endmost portion of end panel  22 . The length of the slot is about 5.50 cm and its width approximately 3.5 cm. 
         [0030]    The slot  34  is positioned to receive and permit access to the exposed inlet end  41  of the valve  20  when the bottle  37  is fully wrapped. 
         [0031]    After the wrapping panels  26  and  27  have been wrapped around the bottle  37  and the Velcro® strips  32  and  33  joined, the end panels or flaps  22  and  23  are folded upwardly in the direction of the Velcro® strips  32  and  33  and the Velcro® strips  39  and  40  are overlapped and joined to define a carrying handle  36 . 
         [0032]    To increase pressure of the interior walls of the carrying case engaging the bottle  37  after it has been wrapped and all the respective Velcro® strips secured, air can be blown into the valve  20  increasing the air pressure within the cavities  14  and  19 . The air passes through both the mass of the foam bat  15  as well as the small continuous cavity  19  between the edge  18  of the foam bat  15  and the sealed edges of the cover layers  12  and  13 . Because the foam bat  15  is adhered to the cover layers  12  and  13 , air will not tend to intrude between the planar surfaces of the bat  15  and the cover layers  12  and  13 . However, air will intrude into the mass of the foam bat  15  from the edges  18  thereof causing some limited but important inward expansion against the surface of the bottle  37 . This is also enhanced by filling the continuous edge cavity  19  between the sealed edges of the cover layers  12  and  13  and the edge  18  of the foam bat  15 . The inelasticity of the cover layers  12  and  13  causes rapid stiffening and limited expansion of the case with very little air being introduced through the valve. 
         [0033]    The bottle  37  can be unwrapped by simply disconnecting the Velcro® strips  39  and  40  defining the handle  36  and then pulling apart the Velcro® strips  32  and  33  of the wrapping panels  26  and  27  to free the bottle  37 . As the foam bat  15  is compressed during wrapping, the air in the cavities  14 ,  19  and the foam  15  can be forced out of the open valve  20  as needed thereby facilitating wrapping and unwrapping. When the bottle  37  is fully wrapped and all the Velcro® fasteners engaged, the air pressure within the cavities  14  and  19  and the foam  15  will become equal to the ambient air pressure when the valve  20  is open and air is drawn into the cavity to fill the interstitial space within the body of the foam  15  and cavity  19 . Air can then be manually forced through the exposed inlet  41  end of the valve  20  to increase the internal air pressure and the valve  20  quickly closed to trap the greater than ambient air pressure inside of the cavities  14  and  19  and the foam  15 . Conveniently, the valve  20  can be operated manually by rotating an external ring even when in the mouth of a person blowing into the valve  20 . The internal construction of the valve  20  is conventional. 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the bottle  37  is completely wrapped, the air valve  20  nestles within the slot  34  and its inlet end  41  is accessible to manual operation as well as the introduction of air by mouth or its release by manually operating the valve. Nevertheless, the valve  20  is not exposed beyond the carrying case in such a manner as to be struck or snagged by nearby objects. 
         [0035]    After use, the body  11  can be stored in a flat configuration as shown in  FIG. 1 . The valve  20  can be opened the body member  11  compressed including by rolling to express internally contained air from the valve  20  and the valve then closed to maintain the body member  11  as thin as possible. However, because the foam bat  15  has shape memory and is normally flat, the entire body  11  will lie flat. 
         [0036]    Because at least the outer cover layer is strong and inelastic, the body  11  will not bulge outwardly even when the ambient air pressure is substantially less than the internal air pressure within the cavities and foam. Thus, there is virtually no danger of explosive rupturing of the outer layers even if the carrying case is put in a non-pressurized cargo hold or other compartment in an aircraft or transported from sea level to a high altitude. 
         [0037]    Although current security regulations may prohibit carrying liquids more than three ounces on commercial aircraft, the protective carrier may be employed to carry an empty container such as a fragile carafe.