Patent Publication Number: US-6907712-B2

Title: Protective freight enclosure

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation in part of and claims the priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/568,113 filed on May 10, 2000, now abandoned. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning providing protection for freight. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Typically in the prior art freight is protected by sheets of plastic which are easy to cut and/or tamper with, without detection. Such sheets of plastic are also not particularly durable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A freight protection apparatus and method is disclosed. The apparatus may include an enclosure for protecting freight shaped in the from of an open box, having an opening, and having first, second, third, and fourth sides, and a top portion, which enclose a chamber. The enclosure may have attached to it first and second straps which can be used to securely attach the enclosure to a collection of freight located, for example, on a pallet. Each of the first and second straps may have a first end which may be in the form of a loop and a second end which may be attached to an attachment device. The loop from the first strap can be connected to an attachment device fixed to the second strap and the loop from the second strap can be connected to an attachment device fixed to the first strap. In this manner the first and second straps can be connected together. 
   First and second metal plates may be provided to further prevent the enclosure from being separated from the collection of freight and/or the pallet. The first metal plate may be attached to one of the first, second, third, or fourth sides. The second metal plate, may be attached to one of the first, second, third, or fourth sides which is opposite the side where the first metal plate is attached. 
   The first strap may be inserted through one or more sleeves attached to one or more sides of the enclosure. Similarly the second strap may be inserted through one or more sleeves attached to one or more sides of the enclosure. Locks with unique serial numbers may be provided for locking the loop ends of the first and second straps to the appropriate attachment device. 
   The present invention also discloses in one embodiment a method comprising the steps of placing an enclosure shaped in the from of an open box, having an opening, and having first, second, third, and fourth sides, and a top portion, which enclose a chamber; over freight which is located on top of a pallet. The enclosure may have first and second straps attached to it similar to as previously mentioned. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1A  shows a first perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention along with a first perspective view of a pallet and the location of a freight box with a first plate of the apparatus inserted between the freight box and the pallet; 
       FIG. 1B  shows a second perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A and a  second perspective view of the pallet of FIG.  1 A and the location of a freight box with a second plate of the apparatus inserted between the freight box and the pallet; 
       FIG. 2  shows a bottom view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
       FIG. 3A  shows a first attachment device of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A  with a first loop inserted into a first ring of the first attachment device; 
       FIG. 3B  shows a second attachment device of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A  with a second loop inserted into a first ring of the second attachment device; 
       FIG. 4A  shows a first lock which has been inserted into the first loop and the first ring of the first attachment device so that the first loop is attached to the first attachment device; and 
       FIG. 4B  shows a second lock which has been inserted into the second loop and the first ring of the second attachment device so that the second loop is attached to the second attachment device. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A  shows a first perspective view of an apparatus  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention along with a first perspective view of a pallet  100  and the location of a freight box  200  with a first plate  78  of the apparatus  10  inserted between the freight box  200  and the pallet  100 .  FIG. 1B  shows a second perspective view of the apparatus  10  of  FIG. 1A and a  second perspective view of the pallet  100  of FIG.  1 A and the location of a freight box  200  with a second plate  74  of the apparatus  10  inserted between the freight box  200  and the pallet  100 .  FIG. 2  shows a bottom view of the apparatus  10  of FIG.  1 A. 
   The apparatus  10  has a top portion  12 , and sides  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20 . The top portion  12  and sides  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20  may be said to define an enclosure having an opening. The enclosure may be said to enclose a chamber  10   a  defined by top portion  12 , and sides  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20 . Inside the chamber  10   a  is located a freight box  200 . The freight box  200  may be, for example, a box for a refrigerator or a box for an oven or any other box holding any other type of goods or freight. The freight box  200  may be replaced by any other type of freight such as a plurality of smaller freight boxes. 
   The apparatus  10  also includes straps  40  and  42 . Each of the straps  40  and  42  may be a rope, a cord, a strap, or a similar device. The strap  40  is fixed, at its first end, to an attachment device  50 , as shown in FIG.  1 A. The strap  42  is fixed at its first end, to an attachment device  52 , as shown in FIG.  1 B. Most of the strap  40  is shown in dashed lines and lies inside of a sleeve  30  which is fixed at the bottom of sides  20  and  18  as shown in FIG.  1 A. Most of the strap  42  lies inside of a sleeve  32  which is fixed at the bottom of sides  16  and  14  as shown in FIG.  1 B. The strap  40  ends in a loop  40   a  at the second end of the strap  40 , as shown in FIG.  1 B. Similarly the strap  42  ends in a loop  42   a  at the second end of the strap  42 , as shown in FIG.  1 A. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the attachment device  52  includes openings  62   a ,  62   b ,  62   c , and  62   d  formed in rings  63   a ,  63   b ,  63   c , and  63   d . Similarly, the attachment device  50  includes openings  60   a ,  60   b ,  60   c , and  60   d  formed in rings  61   a ,  61   b ,  61   c , and  61   d . Each of the rings  61   a-d  and  63   a-d  may be metal rings. Each of the rings  61   a-d  and each of the rings  63   a-d  are fixed to a base material  50   a  and  52   a , respectively, of the attachment devices  50  and  52 , respectively. Each of the rings  61   a-d  and  63   a-d  may be comprised of three sections, which may be an outer section, a middle section, and an inner section. The sides  14 ,  16 ,  18 , and  20 , the top portion  12 , and the base material  50   a  and  52   a  may be made of the same material which may be TYVEK (trademarked) or any other water resistant and/or durable material. 
   In  FIG. 2 , a ring  75  is shown inserted through a hole  74   a  in the plate  74 , and the ring  75  is thereby connected to the plate  74 . Similarly a ring  79  is shown inserted through a hole  78   a  in the plate  78 , and the ring  79  is thereby connected to the plate  78 . The ring  75  is also shown inserted into a hole  19   a  in a sleeve  19 . The sleeve  19  is fixed to the sides  14  and  20  of the apparatus  10 . Similarly, the ring  79  is also shown inserted into a hole  17   a  in a sleeve  17 . The sleeve  17  is fixed to the sides  16  and  18  of the apparatus  10 . 
   In operation, an individual would place the apparatus  10  over freight, such as the freight box  200 , which is sitting on the pallet  100 , so that the freight is completely covered by the apparatus  10 . In this manner the apparatus  10  is positioned as in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The apparatus  10  has an open end  21  whose location is shown in  FIG. 2 , which is like the open end of an open box. The plates  74  and  78  are then slid under the freight box  200 , substantially at the corners of the apparatus  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . Each of the plates  74  and  78  may have a thickness, T 1  shown in  FIG. 1A , of ⅛ (one eighth) of an inch. 
   The individual would then insert loop  40   a  into one of the openings  62   a-d  of the attachment device  52 , such as into opening  62   d  as shown in FIG.  3 A. Similarly, the individual would insert loop  42   a  into one of the openings  60   a-d  of the attachment device  50 , such as into opening  60   a  as shown in FIG.  3 B. The individual would then insert a loop  81  of a lock  80  through the loop  40   a  and the opening  62   d  so that the strap  40  is connected to the attachment device  52  at the end where loop  40   a  is located, as shown in FIG.  4 A. The loop  81  would be pressed into the base  82  to lock the lock  80 . Similarly the individual would insert a loop  85  of a lock  84  through the loop  42   a  and the opening  60   a  so that the strap  42  is connected to the attachment device  50  at the end where loop  42   a  is located, as shown in FIG.  4 B. This causes the straps  40  and  42  to be connected together and tightened so that the sides  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  fit snugly around the perimeter of the freight box  200 . 
   Locks  80  and  84  have serial numbers  82   a  and  86   a , respectively, which are both “555”. This can be used as an identification number for the particular freight box  200  or the pallet  100 . The pallet  100  may be any type of pallet having and may have a base  102 . 
   The apparatus  10  protects freight, such as freight box  200  lying within the chamber  10   a  enclosed by top  12 , and sides  14 ,  16 ,  28 , and  20  from water damage, from theft, and from the high insurance costs associated with water damage and theft. The apparatus  10  is made of durable, lightweight, resistant material such as TYVEK (trademarked). The apparatus  10  is typically one piece. The apparatus  10  protects freight far better than typical plastic wrappings. Plastic wrappings may allow water to penetrate the freight. Further plastic wrappings are easy for a thief to open and to steal from and to reapply plastic wrapping without detection. 
   The locks  80  and  84 , typically have to be broken for a thief to obtain access to the freight box  200  inside the apparatus  10 . If the locks  80  or  84  are broken it provides evidence of tampering of the freight box  200  and/or the apparatus  10 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the locks  80  and  84  are of the form such that once they are opened, they cannot be resealed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, each pallet or each collection of freight on a pallet, may have it own apparatus  10  and at least one lock, like lock  80  or  84 , with a unique serial number. 
   Because tampering can easily be detected, an insurance company can easily determine when the apparatus  10  was tampered with and if necessary, appropriately ascertain liability for the damage to the freight. The apparatus  10  acts as an effective deterrent against would be thieves. 
   Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention&#39;s contribution to the art.