Patent Application
20250002240
This invention was not federally sponsored.
Ryan Curtis, resident of Reno, Nevada, and citizen of USA.
This disclosure is directed generally to protective inserts for cases made to carry valuable and potentially fragile products, and more specifically to an insert with a grid plate with pegs that allow for an item to be pressed into the pegs, depressing the pegs under the item to secure it from the bottom and on all sides.
The invention provides an omni, resettable foam grid system for insertion into a protective case or any other type of container, with an elevated grid plate with openings into which pegs with different shapes and sizes can be inserted. In one embodiment, the grid plate is sandwiched between a lower perimeter frame and an upper perimeter frame; in another embodiment, the grid plate is elevated on stepped pegs. The grid plate can have round or square holes, into which round or square pegs are inserted and held in place by friction, as the pegs are slightly larger than the openings in the grid plate. The pegs can be the same size as the holes, or, preferably, even slightly bigger, so that when they are moved up or down, they are made secure in their new location through the compressibility of the substance from which they are made. The lower perimeter frame—or the series of stepped pegs—positions the grid plate above the bottom of the case, such that when an object such as a firearm, drone, tools, guitar, and camera/or another other item that fits within the insert and the case can have a pre-planned resting spot created by a user pushing pegs into the negative space, leaving undepressed pegs on all sides of the object to prevent lateral movement during transport in the case. As opposed to the prior art, this allows a user to merely press an item down on the field of pegs and create a protective cavity in which the pegs offer protection and support from both the sides and bottom of the case. As the pegs are pushed further into the bottom of the case, they compress and offer even greater protection to the bottom of the item.
As an alternative to the lower perimeter frame, or in combination with it, a series of stepped pegs can be used to support the grid frame. These stepped pegs have a lower portion with a diameter greater than the holes in the grid place, and an upper diameter small enough to fit through the holes in the grid plate, such that the grid plate rests of the “step” in the stepped peg. The invention can be used over and over again with different objects, as once the system has been used to transport a first object with a first shape, the user merely removes the upper perimeter and grid plate, flips it over and then pushes all the pegs back to their original position, ready for a second object to be depressed into the pegs, creating a second shape. The lid of the case can be lined with foam and closes upon the object, thereby securing and protecting it with foam on all sides. The invention allows for the safe, secure and protected transportation of a valuable and/or fragile object.
Once an item is removed from the case, the pegs can be easily “reset” by pushing them back up. At this point the case is ready to protect a new object and makes the invention reusable multiple times.
There are a number of substances from which the various parts of the invention can be made. The upper and lower perimeters are preferably made from foam. The grid plate can be made of foam, plastic, wood, or even metal. The pegs are preferentially made from foam, but plastic and rubber are also contemplated.
There are some inventions that have tried to bring some of the positive aspects of this invention to similar products. For example, US20240044614A1 to Magpul Industries Corp describes an organizer system for use with a case including a base and a lid configured to be matingly coupled together for containing an object therein is disclosed. The organizer system includes a panel system including at least one panel, the at least one panel including a plurality of cutouts formed therein, and a plurality of mounting blocks, each one of the of mounting blocks including a block body and at least one stud. The stud is configured to be removably insertable into one of the plurality of cutouts. When the mounting blocks are inserted into the cutouts adjacent to the object then the base and the lid are coupled together, the panel system and the mounting blocks cooperate to prevent shifting of the object within the case. A method for storing an object in a case using an organizer system is also disclosed.
This invention, however, relies on panels with cutouts, and uses pegs—called studs in this application—that do not depress to cradle an item of value/fragility. Magpul's grid plate is not elevated, as it is in the current invention, thus, there is no way for any “pegs” to depress to form a protective cradle. Magpul's blocks do not move up or down, thus, they provide to adaptable cushioning effect. Finally, Magpul's use of removable and interchangeable blocks with different sizes and shapes in no way approaches the current invention's movable pegs in terms of providing an adaptable, changeable, adjustable cushion for an object.
Another prior art is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,806 for a “Case” to Conrad B. Sloop provides a camera shoulder case a lower case part which holds the equipment, a cover pivotally mounted to the rear of the lower case part, and a shoulder strap having opposite ends mounted to opposite sides of the lower case part. The lower case part can be partitioned by the user to securely hold equipment by the use of pylon devices that can be installed in selected holes of an array of holes formed at the bottom of the lower case part. While this device would function to protect a valuable camera, the versions of “pegs” in this application do not move up and down, as the Sloop's version of the “grid plate” is not elevated, but rather provide lateral protection against an item moving side to side. Instead, Sloop's “pegs” are merely added or taken away to create a cavity into what the item fits; the pegs provide no bottom support to the item.
Other prior arts include U.S. Pat. No. 7,246,704 for “Tool and accessory container with inner grid system” to Black and Decker Inc. contain two container members that are rotably connected to create an inner compartment. Again, this invention uses something close to the pegs of the current invention, but the Black and Decker invention does not allow for their version of Curtis' “pegs” to move up and down. As with the Magpul reference, Black and Decker's version of the “grid plate” is not elevated, and like the Sloop reference, the protection is created not through depressible pegs, but rather, through adding a series of removable/interchangeable blocks with different sizes and shapes.
WO Publication No. 2023172351 to Roberts, etc. is another firearm case with locking latches. This invention, however, also does not have movable pegs that cradle an item, and, like the Black and Decker reference, lacks an elevated grid plate and a way for an item to be protected on both its side and bottom by pegs that can be depressed through an elevated grid plate.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 11,063,473 to Robert Bosch GmbH for a “Handheld tool carrying case”, but like the Roberts prior art, does not feature pegs that can move up and down in a grid plate to form a depression into which an item can rest. There is no teaching in this prior art of how an elevated grid plate allows for pegs to be depressed down to provide a protective hole for an item where the item is supported and protected by pegs on both its bottom and sides.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,023 to Bleggi, etc. for a “Case for flexible elongated objects” teaches a carrying case for storing flexible elongated objects. This invention, however, does not use movable pegs to form a protective cradle for an item. Instead, the Bleggi reference has pegs that can be added to create a “shape”, into which an item is placed. The Curtis invention, on the other hand, does not need pegs to be added or removed to create a desired protective shape, Curits' protection depends on an elevated grid plate with movable pegs being depressed by an item to create a protective cradle below and on the sides of the item.
The prior art also supplies U.S. Pat. No. 10,351,287 to IBM for a “method for using a package insert for cushioning an object”, which describes a method of using a package insert to cushion an item during transport. Pins in this invention can be frictionally inserted from a sideways perspective to support an item. This patent, however, does not allow the item to create its own depression using pegs that can move up or down through a grid plate. This patent covers packaging, and is not intended for multiple uses, as the “pegs” in this case are cut off to fit the item into a package. The current invention, on the other hand, has its protection coming from pegs that move vertically through holes in an elevated grid plate.
US Publication No. 2016/0176606 to Agil Packaging System SI for a “Packaging for protecting objects and method for manufacturing same” shows a packaging device that includes a cover obtained from a packaging sheet derived from a film, with transverse and longitudinal joint lines, to establish pads between them that are filled with fluid in order to achieve the protection of an object around the exterior of which the protective cover is applied to fit. The cover can have pads that are closed or open and connected together, allowing the fluid to pass. The packaging sheet also has fold zones to enable it to be fitted to the outline or shape of the object to be protected, gap zones to fit the surface of the object to be protected, and closure zones to close the sheet onto itself, fitting the object to be protected. Once again, however, there are no fields of pegs which can move up and down through a grid plate to create a depression for an item.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,890,138 to John M. Myrick for a “Modular pegboard cargo restraint” describes a pegboard system where, again, the “pegs” don't move up and down in a grid system, but rather are located to prevent lateral movement of an item. As with many of the prior arts, this patent requires its version of “pegs” to be added or moved around to create a shape into which the item is placed. The “pegs” cannot be used to provide any protection on the bottom of the item.
The current invention provides a superior method of protecting an item by providing an omni foam grid system for insertion into a protective case has a grid plate sandwiched between a lower perimeter frame and an upper perimeter frame, or resting upon a series of stepped pegs. The grid plate has a lattice that forms round or square holes, into which round or square pegs are inserted. The lower perimeter frame or a series of stepped pegs position the grid plate above the bottom of the case, such that when an object such as a firearm, drone, tools, guitar, and camera and/or any item that fits within the insert and case is pressed into the invention, the pegs under the invention depress into the negative space, leaving undepressed pegs on all sides of the object to prevent lateral movement during transport in the case. The lid of the case closes upon the object, thereby securing and protecting it with foam on all sides.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed herein, and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
It should be understood the while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.
The invention has an elevated grid with foam pegs that is held up by a series of stepped pegs or a lower frame. The foam pegs are inserted into the grid and held in place by friction due to the design of the pegs being slightly larger than the size of the grid patterns (square, round or other). The elevated grid and pegs allow for space under the grid so that the pegs can then be depressed down in the shape of the object that sits on top of the grid/pegs giving the object full protection around its perimeter. The pegs can be depressed down until they hit the surface that the elevated grid system is on, giving protection and support to the bottom of the object sitting above. Added protection can be applied by the lid of a case with foam that can be closed down on top of the grid and pegs. The pegs never have to be removed and/or changed into new positions to add protection. The user of our system simply has to push the pegs down into their desired shape. User can easily “reset” their grid and pegs by simply pushing the pegs back to their starting elevated position.
Each of the additional figures and methods disclosed herein can be used separately, or in conjunction with other features and methods, to provide improved devices and methods for making and using the same. Therefore, combinations of features and methods disclosed herein may not be necessary to practice the disclosure in its broadest sense and are instead disclosed merely to particularly describe representative and preferred embodiments.
Various modifications to the embodiments may be apparent to one of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure. For example, persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the various features described for the different embodiments can be suitably combined, un-combined, and re-combined with other features, alone, or in different combinations. Likewise, the various features described above should all be regarded as example embodiments, rather than limitations to the scope or spirit of the disclosure.
Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that various embodiments can comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the claims can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.
Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
Unless indicated otherwise, references to “embodiment(s)”, “disclosure”, “present disclosure”, “embodiment(s) of the disclosure” “disclosed embodiment(s)”, and the like contained herein refer to the specification (text, including the claims, and figures) of this patent application that are not admitted prior art.
For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in the respective claim.
It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.
All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
This utility patent application claims priority back to U.S. Provisional No. 63/524,362, filed 30 JUN. 2023 for an “Adaptable foam grid system for insertion into protective case.”, the contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63524362 | Jun 2023 | US |
