A catch

Abstract

A catch comprising a rotatable shaft 31 having a radial protrusion 33, and a keep 9 configured to releasably receive a portion of the rotatable shaft 31 and the protrusion 33, the keep (9) comprising an opening 13 permitting passage of the shaft and a cavity 15 to receive the protrusion of the catch. In use, the catch mechanism and keep are arranged such that the longitudinal axis of the shaft is extendable through the opening of the keep, and the shaft is rotatable between an engaged position in which the protrusion 33 is located within the cavity 15 and rotated to a disengaged position in which the protrusion 33 is located outside the cavity 15 permitting separation of the keeper from the catch. Preferably the catch may also be axially slidable between a retracted position and an extended position wherein it passes through the keeper. The catch may include a handle 39 and handle stopper abutments 43, 47 prevent axial retraction or extension of the catch. Preferably a magnet 45 on handle 39 retains the handle in a retracted unlocked position.

Description

The present invention relates generally to a catch and a method of operating a catch and finds particular, although not exclusive, utility in securing flight cases. To protect fragile or expensive items such as musical instruments or electronic equipment during transit, the items may be secured within flight cases. Flight cases are typically rigid boxes formed of a body and lid that may be secured together to prevent separation during transit. The edges of the body and lid may comprise aluminium extrusions, and plywood panels may extend between the edges to form sides. Shaped foam inserts may be provided within the flight cases to movement of the items within. Known mechanisms for securing the body and lid together include latches comprising a hook attached to the lid, and a lever and loop combination attached to the body, or vice versa. In use, a user places the hook within the loop, and rotates the lever in a direction away from the hook to tension the loop between the hook and lever. As such, these latches require a first step to actively connect the mechanism between the lid and body, and a second step to tension the mechanism to secure the lid to the body. Such latches can therefore be time consuming and cumbersome to use. Moreover, these latches can require a substantial amount of force by a user when operating the lever to overcome the necessary tension to secure the latch. Furthermore, these known latches are often installed by cutting into the aluminium extrusions. This may weaken the overall rigidity of the flight case because the cut sections of the aluminium extrusions may be susceptible to deforming than other sections. The latches may also protrude from the flight case, such that they are at risk of being easily knocked during transit, which may damage the latch, or cause the lever to spring open. Furthermore, the loop may be easily caught and pulled off the hook, which may result in the latch coming undone. As such, the lid may detach from the body, and expose the items within. Protruding latches may also prevent flight cases from readily sliding past each other when being loaded into or out of a cargo area, because the latches may abut each other when sliding in opposite directions. This may increase loading or unloading times, and / or increase the size of the cargo area required for transporting the cases. As such, there is a desire for an improved means of securing a case lid and a case body. In a first aspect, the present invention provides a catch for securing a case lid to a case body, the catch comprising: a catch mechanism arrangeable on one of a case lid or a case body, the catch mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft having a protrusion extending away from the shaft’s longitudinal axis; and a keep arranged on the other of a case lid and case body, the keep configured to releasably receive a portion of the rotatable shaft and the protrusion, the keep comprising an opening and a cavity; wherein, in use: the catch mechanism and keep are arranged such that the longitudinal axis of the shaft is extendable through the opening of the keep; and the shaft is rotatable between an engaged position in which the protrusion is located within the cavity, thereby retaining the case lid and case body together, in use, and a disengaged position in which the protrusion is located outside the cavity, thereby allowing the case lid and the case body to be moved away from each other, in use. In this way, once a case lid is placed on a case body, the user may carry out a single step of rotating a shaft, thereby engaging the protrusion within the cavity, and securing the case lid to the case body. As such, the case lid is secured to the case body without need of multiple steps to first connect the mechanism between the case lid and case body, and then acuate the mechanism to secure the case lid to the case body. Consequently, the catch may reduce the time taken to secure the case lid to the case body. Furthermore, the catch does not require a user to provide a tensional force between the keep and the catch mechanism to operate and secure the catch, thereby providing a more user-friendly mechanism that may be operable by a larger group of users. Moreover, the catch does not comprise a hook and loop connection, reducing the chances of the loop being caught and pulled off the hook. Additionally, the catch may be installable within a case without the need to cut or remove substantial parts of an aluminium extrusion forming an edge of the case. In this way, the rigidity and strength of the case may be maintained and not reduced. The longitudinal axis of the shaft may be the axis extending along the longest length of the shaft, which in use may be the direction extending between the case lid and case body. The protrusion may extend from an end of the shaft. The protrusion may alternatively extend from a point along the shaft spaced away from the end of the shaft. The portion of the shaft releasably receivable in the keep may be the portion of the shaft including the end of the shaft and the protrusions. The keep may comprise a main body. The opening of the keep may be an orifice extending into the main body. Alternatively, the opening may be a space formed between the main body and at least one leg extending from the main body. The cavity may be a specific volume located within the opening. The shaft may comprise a lever extending away from the shaft’s longitudinal axis, the lever being arranged to rotate the shaft, in use. The opening may comprise a lip forming one side of the cavity, the lip may be arranged to prevent the protrusion from moving out of the cavity in a direction parallel to the shaft’s longitudinal axis, when the shaft is in its engaged position. The shaft may be arranged to be moveable in a direction parallel to the shaft’s longitudinal axis between a retracted position and an extended position. In use when the case lid is not placed on the case body, the shaft, and thus protrusions, may be retracted into the case body. In this way, the risk of bending the shaft, or other damage to the shaft, may be prevented. Furthermore, the risk of the shaft damaging items being loaded into die case may also be prevented. The lever may be arranged to be moveable between a first lever position in which the shaft is in its engaged position and extended position, and a second lever position in which the shaft is in its disengaged position and retracted position. In use, with the lever in its first lever position, the lever may be arranged such that it does not protrude from the side of the case. For example, the lever may be flush against the side, or recessed within the side. In this way, in use with the case lid secured to the case body, the risk of the catch mechanism being knocked, damaged, or caught, may be reduced. Furthermore, the case may be more readily able to slide past another case. In use when the lever is in its second lever position, the lever may extend substantially perpendicular to and away from an outer surface of the case. The catch mechanism may comprise a retraction stop to maintain the shaft in its extended position. The retraction stop may be any means for preventing the movement of the shaft from its extended position to its retracted position. For example, the retraction stop may be a block, a wedge, a pin or bolt extendable through the shaft, or a clamp to hold the shaft in place. The retraction stop may comprise a first block arranged to maintain the lever in its first lever position. The first block may be an immovable mass, relative to the lever, against which the lever may abut, in use. The catch may comprise a biasing means configured to bias the shaft to its retracted position, thereby biasing the protrusion away from the keep, in use. The biasing means may also bias the portion of the shaft releasably receivable in the keep away from the keep, in use. The biasing means may be, for example, a coil spring, a leaf spring, or a resilient material such as rubber or foam. The catch may be arranged such that with the shaft in its retracted position, the shaft may be rotatable to a secure retracted position in which the shaft may be prevented from being moved to its extended position. The lever may be arranged to be moveable from its second lever position to a third lever position in which the shaft is in its secure retracted position. In use, with the lever in its third lever position, the lever may be arranged such that it does not protrude from the side of the case. For example, the lever may be flush against the side, or recessed within the side. In this way, in use when the case lid is not secured to the case body, or not even placed on the case body, the risk of the catch mechanism being knocked and damaged may be reduced. Furthermore, the case may be more readily able to slide past another case. The catch mechanism may comprise a extension stop to prevent the shaft from being moved to its extended position. For example, the extension stop may be a block, a wedge, a pin or bolt extendable through the shaft, or a clamp to hold the shaft in place. The extension stop may comprise a second block arranged to maintain the lever in its third lever position. The second block may be an immovable mass, relative to the lever, against which the lever may abut, in use. The catch may further comprise a lever retention means to retain the lever in its first lever position and / or third lever position. The lever retention means may comprise a magnet. The magnet may be located on or within the lever. Another magnet, or a magnetic material such as a ferrous metal plate, may be located adjacent to the lever, such that in use the magnet in the lever is attracted to the other magnet or magnetic material when in the first lever position or third lever position. Alternatively, the lever may comprise a magnetic material such as a section of ferrous metal, and a magnet may be located adjacent to the lever. In this way, in use with the lever in its first or third lever position, the lever retention means may secure the lever in position, to prevent the lever from unintentionally protruding from the side of the case, thereby reducing the risk of accidental damage to the catch mechanism. This may also prevent the catch from unintentionally disengaging. The shaft may comprise two protrusions extending away from the shaft’s longitudinal axis, and the keep may comprise two cavities. The protrusions may extend in opposite directions to each other. In a second aspect, the invention provides a case including the catch of the first aspect, the case comprising a case lid and a case body. The case lid and case body may define any two sections of a case that are securable together to form part of an enclosed volume. The case lid may be securable to the case body on one side via a hinge. Alternatively, the case lid may be separate to the case body, and thus completely removable from the case body. One of the case lid and case body may comprise a sidewall having a recess within its outer face, the recess may be arranged to house the catch mechanism, and a rim of the other of the case lid and case body may be arranged to house the keep. The catch mechanism may be arrangeable within the recess such that no part of the catch mechanism may extend out from the plane of the outer surface of the case, except for the lever when it is in its second lever position. The keep may be arrangeable within the rim such that no part of the keep may extend beyond the surface of the rim. The case may comprise a passage extending from the recess and through the sidewall in a direction parallel to the outer face, wherein the case may be arranged such that in use with the lid shut, the passage may be aligned with the opening of the keep. The shaft may be arranged to be moveable from the recess, through the hole, and into and out of the keep, in use. In this way, the catch may be arranged to prevent the case lid from being moved away from the case body in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. It will be understood that if the case lid is hinged to the case body, the initial movement of a rim of die case lid from the rim of the case body will be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In this way, the catch may be arranged to prevent a case lid from being rotated away from a case body in a direction initially substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of die shaft. The case may comprise a plurality catches according to the first aspect. In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of securing a case lid and a case body together, the method comprising the steps of: providing the case of die second aspect; rotating the shaft of the catch mechanism to its disengaged position; inserting the portion of the shaft and die protrusion dirough the opening into the keep; and rotating the shaft to its engaged position in which the protrusion is located within the cavity, thereby preventing relative movement of the case lid and case body in opposite directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In this way, a user may place the case lid on the case body, and rotate the shaft, thereby engaging the protrusion within the cavity, and securing the case lid to the case body. As such, the case lid is secured to die case body without need of the multiple steps of first connecting the mechanism between the case lid and case body, and second actuating the mechanism to secure the case lid to the case body. Consequently, die catch may reduce the time taken to secure the case lid to the case body. Furthermore, the catch does not require a user to provide a tensional force between the keep and the catch mechanism to operate and secure the catch, thereby providing a more user-friendly mechanism that may be operable by a larger group of users. The above and other characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction widi the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. This description is given for the sake of example only, without limiting the scope of the invention. The reference figures quoted below refer to the attached drawings. Figure 1 shows an elevational view of a catch in use on a partially open case. Figures 2 to 4 show elevational views of the catch of Figure 1 in use on a closed case. The present invention will be described with respect to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. Each drawing may not include all of the features of the invention and therefore should not necessarily be considered to be an embodiment of the invention. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention. Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking or in any other manner. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that operation is capable in other sequences than described or illustrated herein. Likewise, method steps described or claimed in a particular sequence may be understood to operate in a different sequence. Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that operation is capable in other orientations than described or illustrated herein. It is to be noticed that the term “comprising”, used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression “a device comprising means A and B” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B. Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “an aspect” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or aspect is included in at least one embodiment or aspect of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment”, or “in an aspect” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or aspect, but may refer to different embodiments or aspects. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics of any one embodiment or aspect of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner with any other particular feature, structure or characteristic of another embodiment or aspect of the invention, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments or aspects. Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Moreover, the description of any individual drawing or aspect should not necessarily be considered to be an embodiment of die invention. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in fewer than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention. Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form yet further embodiments, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination. In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practised without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description. In the discussion of the invention, unless stated to the contrary, the disclosure of alternative values for the upper or lower limit of the permitted range of a parameter, coupled with an indication that one of said values is more highly preferred than the other, is to be construed as an implied statement that each intermediate value of said parameter, lying between the more preferred and the less preferred of said alternatives, is itself preferred to said less preferred value and also to each value lying between said less preferred value and said intermediate value. The use of the term “at least one” may mean only one in certain circumstances. The use of the term “any” may mean “all” and / or “each” in certain circumstances. The principles of the invention will now be described by a detailed description of at least one drawing relating to exemplary features. It is clear that other arrangements can be configured according to the knowledge of persons skilled in the art without departing from the underlying concept or technical teaching, the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims. Figure 1 shows an elevational view of a catch in use on a partially open case, wherein a case lid is positioned above, but not in contact with, a case body. There is shown a portion of a lid sidewall 1 with a portion of a body sidewall 3 beneath. A lid rim 5 extends horizontally and defines the edge of the lid sidewall 1, and a body rim 7 extends horizontally and defines the top of the body sidewall 3. Because the case is partially open, the lid rim 5 and body rim 7 are shown to be spaced apart from each other. The dashed box indicates a cross sectional view of the portions of the lid sidewall 1 and case sidewall 3 for explanatory purposes; however, in use the components shown within the dashed box will be hidden from view within the sidewalls 1, 3 of the case. A keep 9 is shown within the lid sidewall 1, although it is also contemplated that the keep 9 may alternatively be located within the body sidewall 3. It will be appreciated that in this alternative, the catch mechanism 23 (described below) will alternatively be located in the lid sidewall 1. The keep 9 comprises a main body 11, and is arranged within the lid sidewall 1 such that an edge of the keep 9 is adjacent to the lid rim 5, and the main body 11 extends into the lid sidewall 1 away from the lid rim 5. An opening 13 extends into the keep 9, in a direction away from the lid rim 5 and into the main body 11. The mouth of the opening 13 is aligned with a hole in the lid rim 5. Also shown is a first cavity 15 and a second cavity 17. The first cavity 15 is located within the lefthand side of the opening 13, and the second cavity 17 is located in the righthand side of the opening 13. Alternatively, only one cavity may be present. The first cavity 15 is formed by a first lip 19 located at the mouth of the opening 13 and extending parallel to the lid rim 5. The second cavity 17 is formed by a second lip 21 at the mouth of die opening 13 extending parallel to the lid rim 5. Alternatively, the first and second lips 19, 21 may be angled away from the lid rim 5, towards the interior of the opening 13. In a further alternative, the first and second cavities 15, 17 may be formed by the lid rim 5. Figure 1 also shows a catch mechanism 23 housed within a recess 25. The recess 25 is within the body sidewall 3, and is located spaced away from the body rim 7. An inner surface 27 of the recess 25 is inset into the case sidewall 3, compared to an outer flange 29 located around the outer edge of the recess 25. In use, the outer flange 29 may be substantially in the same plane as the outer surface of the body sidewall 3. The catch mechanism 23 comprises a rotatable shaft 31 extending from the recess 25, through the body sidewall 3, and towards the body rim 7. The rotatable shaft 31 may have a length of 50mm to 200mm, preferably 100mm to 150mm, for example, 125mm. The rotatable shaft 31 may have a diameter between 3mm and 15mm, for example, 6mm. The longitudinal axis of the rotatable shaft 31 extends through the centre of the opening 13 of the keep 9, perpendicular to the lid rim 5 and body rim 7. A minimum portion of the shaft 31 extends outside of the recess 25, and the shaft 31 does not extend beyond the body rim 7. The rotatable shaft 31 comprises a first protrusion 33 and a second protrusion 35 both located on an end of the rotatable shaft 31 outside of the recess 25. The first and second protrusions 33, 35 extend away from the rotatable shaft 31 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable shaft 31. However, it will be appreciated that the first and second protrusions 33, 35 may extend at an angle offset from the axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable shaft 31. The first and second protrusions 33, 35 may extend 2mm to 8mm from the surface of the rotatable shaft 31, for example, the first and second protrusions 33, 35 may extend 4mm from the surface of the rotatable shaft 31. Alternatively, it is contemplated that only one protrusion is present. A socket 37 is shown, located within the recess 25 directly below the rotatable shaft 31. In use, the shaft 31 is rotatable within the socket 37. A lever 39 is shown in the recess 25 and attached to a portion of the shaft 31 between the socket 37 and a receiving wall of the recess 25 through which the rotatable shaft 31 extends. The lever 39 is shown in its third lever position. In this third lever position, the lever 39 is shown to extend in a plane parallel to the plane in which the protrusions 33, 35 extend. In this instance, the lever 39 extends to the right. In this way, in use the lever 39 may be flush against the inner surface 27 of the recess 25. Whilst not shown, the thickness of the lever is intended to be no greater than the depth of the recess. In this way, file lever 39 may not protrude above the surface of the case sidewall 3, or the flange 29, thereby reducing the chances of the catch mechanism being knocked during transit, thus reducing potential damage to the catch mechanism. Also shown is a spring 41, arranged coiled around the rotatable shaft 31, and located between the receiving wall and the lever 39. In use, the spring 41 acts as a biasing means to bias the lever 39 away from the receiving wall, and thus biases the first and second protrusions 33, 35 away from the body rim 7 into the body sidewall 3. An extension stop 43 is shown between the lever 39 and receiving wall. The extension stop 43 is also shown to the right of the spring 41. The extension stop 43 may be comprised of a rigid material, such as metal or hard plastic. In use, the extension stop 43 may prevent the lever 39 from moving towards the receiving wall, thereby preventing the rotatable shaft 31 from extending through a hole in the body rim 7. The extension stop 43 is shown as a block in Figure 1; however, it will be appreciated that the extension stop 43 may be any means suitable for preventing the lever 39 from moving towards the receiving wall. For example, the extension stop 43 may alternatively be a pin, rod, wedge, or hook. In Figure 1, the rotatable shaft 31 is shown to be in a secure retracted position. In use when the rotatable shaft 31 is in the secure retracted position, a minimum portion of the rotatable shaft 31 extends outside of the recess 25, and the first and second protrusions 33, 35 are at their greatest distance from the keep 9. Additionally, the shaft 31 does not extend beyond the body rim 7, and the shaft 31 is prevented from being moved to an extended position due to the lever 39 abutting the extension stop 43. A magnet 45 is shown within the centre of lever 39. In use, it is envisioned that the inner surface 27 of the recess 25 may comprise a magnetic, or a magnetic material or surface. In this way, when the lever 39 may be held in the position shown in Figure 1 as a result of the magnetic attraction. Figure 2 shows an elevational view of the catch of Figure 1 in use on a closed case, wherein the case lid 1 is placed on the case body 3 such that the lid rim 5 and body rim 7 are in contact with each other. The dashed box again indicates a cross-sectional view of the portions of the lid sidewall 1 and case sidewall 3 for explanatory purposes. The rotatable shaft 31 is shown to be in its retracted position. In the retracted position, a minimum portion of the rotatable shaft 31 extends outside of the recess 25, and the first and second protrusions 33, 35 are at their greatest distance from the keep 9. The rotatable shaft 31 does not extend beyond the body rim 7. The first and second protrusions 33, 35 are not visible in the cross-section shown in Figure 2; however, it will be appreciated that in use the first and second protrusion 33, 35 of Figure 1 extend in opposite directions perpendicular to the inner surface 27. The rotatable shaft 31 is in its disengaged position, because the first and second protrusions 33, 35 are outside of the first and second cavities 15, 17. Furthermore, the lever 39 is shown to extend perpendicularly away from the inner surface 27. The lever 39 is in its second lever position, because the rotatable shaft 31 is in its disengaged position and its retracted position. In use, the rotatable shaft 31 may be moved to an extended position (described in more detail below), because the lever 39 is free to move towards the receiving wall as it is no longer stopped by the extension stop 43. Figure 3 shows an elevational view of the catch of Figures 1 and 2 in use on a closed case, wherein the case lid 1 is placed on the case body 3 such that the lid rim 5 and body rim 7 are in contact. The dashed box again indicates a cross sectional view of the portions of die lid sidewall 1 and case sidewall 3 for explanatory purposes. The rotatable shaft 31 is extended such that a maximum portion of the rotatable shaft 31 extends from die recess 25, and a portion of die rotatable shaft 31 is within the opening 13 of the keep 9. Additionally, the first and second protrusions 33, 35 are within the opening 13. The rotatable shaft 31 is also shown to project out of the hole in the body rim 7. Compared to Figures 1 and 2, the spring 41 is shown to be compressed, and the lever 39 has moved further through the receiving wall towards the keep. The first and second protrusions 33, 35 are not shown in the cross-section shown in Figure 3; however, it will be appreciated that in use die first and second protrusion 33, 35 of Figure 1 extend in opposite directions perpendicular to the inner surface 27. In this way, the protrusions 33, 35 are within die opening 13, but not within the cavities 15, 17. Furthermore, the lever 39 is shown to extend perpendicularly away from the inner surface 27. With the shaft 31 in its extended position, the extension stop 43 may prevent the lever 39 from over rotating towards its third lever position. In this way, the lever 39 may be prevented from over rotating to the right, thereby preventing the first protrusion 33 from entering the second cavity 17, and preventing the second protrusion 35 from entering the first cavity 15. This may give time for the spring 19 to release and urge the shaft 31 vertically away from the keep 9, so the protrusions 33, 35 can fully disengage from the keep before the shaft 31 is moved to its retracted position. Figure 4 shows a side elevational view of the catch of Figures 1 to 3 in use on a closed case, wherein the case lid 1 is placed on the case body 3 such that the lid rim 5 and body rim 7 are in contact. The dashed box again indicates a cross sectional view of the portions of the lid sidewall 1 and case sidewall 3 for explanatory purposes. The rotatable shaft 31 is extended such that a maximum portion of the rotatable shaft 31 extends from the recess 25. The rotatable shaft 31 is shown to project out of the hole in the body rim 7 and into the opening 13 of the keep 9. The rotatable shaft 31 is shown in its engaged position, wherein the first protrusion 33 extends into the first cavity 15, and the second protrusion 35 extends into the second cavity 17. The lever 39 is shown in its first lever position, because the rotatable shaft 31 is in its engaged position and extended position. In this first lever position, the lever 39 is shown to extend in a plane parallel to the plane in which the protrusions 33, 35 extend. In this instance, the lever 39 extends to the left. A retraction stop 47 is shown between the lever 39 and a base wall of the recess 25, wherein the base wall is located opposite to the receiving wall. The retraction stop 47 is shown to the left of the rotatable shaft 31. The retraction stop 47 may be comprised of a rigid material, such as metal or hard plastic. In use, the retraction stop 47 may prevent the lever 39 from moving towards the base wall, thereby preventing the rotatable shaft 31 from retracting through a hole in the body rim 7. The retraction stop 47 may also prevent the lever 39 from over rotating past its second lever position, from its third lever position, when the shaft 31 is in its retracted position. In this instance, the lever 39 is prevented from rotating further to the left. The retraction stop 47 is shown as a block in Figure 4; however, it will be appreciated that the retraction stop 47 may be any means suitable for preventing the lever 39 from moving towards the base wall. For example, the retraction stop 47 may alternatively be a pin, rod, wedge, or hook. In use, when loading items into a case comprising the catch of Figures 1 to 4, a user may operate the lever 39 to its third lever position, as shown in Figure 1. In this way, the lever 39 may be fully within the recess 25, thus not protruding from the body sidewall 3, and secured in place below the extension stop 43 using the magnet 45. Once the items have been loaded into the case, the user may place the case lid on to the case body, such that the lid rim 5 contacts the body rim 7, and the longitudinal axis of the rotatable shaft 31 is aligned with the opening 13 of the keep 9, as shown in Figure 2. To secure the case lid to the case body, in use the user may rotate the lever 39 to the left 90 degrees such that it extends away from the body sidewall 3 as shown in the Figure 2, push the rotatable shaft 31 towards the receiving wall to compress the spring 41 and push the lever 39 past the extension stop 47 as shown in Figure 3, and rotate die lever 39 to the left a further 90 degrees to engage the first and second protrusions 33, 35 in the first and second cavities 15, 17 respectively as shown in Figure 4. To release the case lid from the case body, in use the user may rotate the lever 39 5 as shown in Figure 4 to the right 90 degrees. In doing so, the first and second protrusions 33, 35 may exit the respective first and second cavities 15,17, and the spring 41 may bias the rotatable shaft 31shaft out of the opening 13 and into the body rim 7. The lever 39 may then be rotated a further 90 degrees to the right secure the lever 39 beneath the extension stop 43, which in turn may prevent the rotatable shaft 31 from extending out 10 of the body rim 7. In this way, the catch provides a means for releasably securing a case lid to a case body without the need to provide a tensional force between the keep and the catch mechanism. Moreover, the catch does not comprise a hook and loop connection, reducing the chances of the loop being caught and pulled off die hook during transit. 15

Claims

1. A catch for securing a case lid to a case body, the catch comprising:a catch mechanism arrangeable on one of a case lid or a case body, the catch mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft having a protrusion extending away from the shaft’s longitudinal axis; anda keep arranged on the other of a case lid and case body, the keep configured to releasably receive a portion of the rotatable shaft and the protrusion, the keep comprising an opening and a cavity;wherein, in use:the catch mechanism and keep are arranged such that the longitudinal axis of the shaft is extendable through the opening of the keep; andthe shaft is rotatable between an engaged position in which the protrusion is located within the cavity, thereby retaining the case lid and case body together, in use, and a disengaged position in which the protrusion is located outside the cavity, thereby allowing the case lid and the case body to be moved away from each other, in use.

2. The catch of claim 1, wherein the shaft comprises a lever extending away from the shaft’s longitudinal axis, the lever being arranged to rotate the shaft, in use.

3. The catch of either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opening comprises a lip forming one side of the cavity, the lip being arranged to prevent the protrusion from moving out of the cavity in a direction parallel to the shaft’s longitudinal axis, when the shaft is in its engaged position.

4. The catch of any preceding claim, wherein the shaft is arranged to be moveable in a direction parallel to the shaft’s longitudinal axis between a retracted position and an extended position.

5. The catch of claim 4 when dependent directly or indirectly on claim 2, wherein the lever is arranged to be moveable between a first lever position in which the shaft is in its engaged position and extended position, and a second lever position in which the shaft is in its disengaged position and retracted position.

6. The catch of either claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the catch mechanism comprises a retraction stop to maintain the shaft in its extended position.

7. The catch of claim 6 when dependent on claim 5, wherein the retraction stopcomprises a first block arranged to maintain the lever in its first lever position.

8. The catch of any of claims 4 to 7, comprising a biasing means configured to bias the shaft to its retracted position, thereby biasing the protrusion away from the keep, in use.

9. The catch of any of claims 4 to 8, arranged such thatwhen the shaft is in its retracted position, the shaft is rotatable to a secure retracted position in which the shaft is prevented from being moved to its extended position.

10. The catch of claim 9 when dependent on claim 5, wherein the lever is arranged to be moveable from its second lever position to a third lever position in which the shaft is in its secure retracted position.

11. The catch of either claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the catch mechanism comprises a extension stop to prevent the shaft from being moved to its extended position.

12. The catch of claim 11 when dependent on claim 10, wherein the extension stop comprises a second block arranged to maintain the lever in its third lever position.

13. The catch of claim 12 further comprising a lever retention means to retain the lever in its first lever position and / or third lever position.

14. The catch of claim 13, wherein the lever retention means comprises a magnet.

15. The catch of any preceding claim, wherein the shaft comprises two projections extending away from the shaft’s longitudinal axis, and the keep comprises two cavities.

16. A case including the catch of any preceding claim, the case comprising a case lid and a case body.

17. The case of claim 16, wherein one of the case lid and case body comprises a sidewall having a recess within its outer face, the recess being arranged to house the catch mechanism, and a rim of the other of the case lid and case body being arranged to house the keep.

18. The case of claim 17, comprising a passage extending from the recess and through the sidewall in a direction parallel to the outer face, wherein the case is arranged such that in use with the lid shut, the passage is aligned with the opening of the keep.

19. The case of claim 14, wherein the shaft is arranged to be moveable from the recess, through the hole, and into and out of the keep, in use.

20. A method of securing a case lid and a case body together, the method comprising the steps of:providing the case of any of claims 16 to 19;rotating the shaft of the catch mechanism to its disengaged position;inserting the portion of the shaft and the protrusion through the opening into the keep; androtating the shaft to its engaged position in which the protrusion is located within the cavity, thereby preventing relative movement of the case lid and case body in opposite directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.Application No: GB2312266.618Examiner:Ben MunnsClaims searched: 1-20Date of search: 9 February 2024Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17Documents considered to be relevant:Category Relevant to claims Identity of document and passage or figure of particular relevance X 1-3,16-20 US 10538941 B2 (ROATIS et al.) see entire document, particularly the figures X 1-13, 15-20 AU 495036 B2 (SCALLAN J P) see entire document X 1-13, 16- 20 US 9238926 B2 (GUERRERO et al.) see entire document v A 1-13, 15-20 FR 2922934 Al (TORDO BELGRANO SA ETS) see entire document X 1-20 CN 202414405 U (CHINA I NT MARINE CONTAINERS) see entire document, particularly the figures A - JP 2022092856 A (SEIKAN INC) noting magnetic 149Categories:X Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step A Document indicating technological background and / or state of the art. Y Document indicating lack of inventive step if P Document published on or after the declared priority date but combined with one or more other documents of same category. before the filing date of this invention. & Member of the same patent family E Patent document published on or after, but with priority date earlier than, the filing date of this application.Field of Search:19International Classification:Subclass Subgroup Valid From E05B 0063 / 12 01 / 01 / 2006 E05B 0065 / 52 01 / 01 / 2006 E05C 0003 / 04 01 / 01 / 2006 E05C 0005 / 02 01 / 01 / 2006

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