FOAM CUTOUT CONFIGURED FOR POLYGRAPH EQUIPMENT

Description

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is in the field of containers to store, protect, and transport articles. More specifically, it is a foam cutout for polygraph equipment.

2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Polygraph or “lie detector” tests are administered by certified polygraph examiners, who must generally provide their own polygraph equipment. The components of a polygraph system are regulated by agencies such as the American Polygraph Association (APA). The components required by the APA are enumerated and described in the following paragraph.

A Data Acquisition Subsystem (DAS) is the specialized computer processor in the polygraph system. It receives physiological input from the test subject through various sensors and converts the input to standardized output that can be processed by a polygraph and interpreted by an examiner. The DAS must have a cable for connection to a general purpose computer. A blood pressure cuff is placed around the forearm to measure blood pressure in the arm. A hose connects the blood pressure cuff to the DAS. Electrodermal sensors are used to measure electrical activity in the skin. One or more pneumographs, also known as pneumo tubes, monitor the circumference of the chest and/or abdomen as the subject breathes. A seat pad is placed on the subject's seat to detect body motion.

Several optional accessories are also available at the examiner's discretion. A blood pressure gauge may be connected to the blood pressure cuff to provide a real-time reading depending on the manufacturer. A plethysmograph may be placed at the subject's fingertips to measure pulse blood volume. The seat sensor may be augmented by arm and/or foot pad movement sensors. The use of a masseter headset may also be used to track the subject's head and jaw movements.

Polygraph examiners must often transport their equipment regularly from one location to another. This makes the polygraph equipment vulnerable to damage. What is needed is an improved case interior for the purpose of protecting polygraph equipment from movement and breakage during transport.

3. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY

Carrying cases for polygraph equipment are well-known. Rubicon™, as cited in the accompanying Information Disclosure Statement, discloses a polygraph package with “a smart box, all the necessary sensors, and a convenient suitcase.” The suitcase has a fabric exterior. The interior is lined with foam. Within the upper lid of this suitcase, a plurality of elastic straps extend from one end of the lid to the other. In the intended use of this case, pieces of polygraph equipment are held in place between the foam and the straps.

Zhengzhou Qinghui International Co., Ltd., as cited in the accompanying Information Disclosure Statement, discloses a hard-shelled carrying case for a polygraph. The interior of the case is lined with a rubbery material that is partitioned into rectangular quarters. In the intended use of this case, polygraph equipment is placed within each quarter.

Foam cutouts, or die cuts, are often used to protect equipment within cases. They are most typically cast from EVA or EPE polymers. The Dongguan Zhaokai Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., as cited in the accompanying Information Disclosure Statement, discloses a typical example of die cut foam.

US patents such as Castleberry, Davies, Hutcheson, Leen, Mooney, and Wisecarver, as cited in the accompanying Information Disclosure Statement, disclose foam cutouts for various products. These examples show that the USPTO is known to grant patents for such products provided that the cutouts are configured to contain particular items.

4. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a complex foam cutout system configured to receive numerous components of a polygraph safely and securely within a hard-shelled carrying case. The system includes a case body foam insert and a case lid foam insert, configured to fit within the body and lid, respectively, of a standard hard-shelled case. Each insert is ideally formed from 1-2″ thick layers of polyethylene. Each layer is optimally glued to the interior of its case component.

The case body foam insert has a plurality of cutouts configured to receive polygraph hardware. In particular, the insert has cutouts for the components required for polygraph testing in a law enforcement setting. The most commonly required components are an electronic Digital Acquisition System (DAS) (which comes with a cable), a blood pressure cuff (which comes with a hose), at least one electrodermal sensor, and “pneumo tubes” for measuring the circumference of the chest and abdomen during breathing. Additional polygraph equipment includes a blood pressure gauge, a plethysmograph, arm/foot movement sensor pads, and a masseter headset.

5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a foam cutout configured for polygraph equipment, containing sensor pads.

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the foam cutout configured for polygraph equipment, containing multiple polygraph components. The pads from FIG. 1 are lifted to reveal the cutout and the equipment in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a third perspective view of the foam cutout configured for polygraph equipment, including an exploded view of a hidden transceiver compartment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the foam cutout configured for polygraph equipment, as well as a case and numerous polygraph components for which the cutout is configured.

FIG. 5 is an upper view of the foam cutout configured for polygraph equipment, containing two movement sensor pads, including a hidden view of the sensor pads' cables.

FIG. 6 is a sectional rear view of the foam cutout configured for polygraph equipment, cut and viewed according to the arrows marked “6” in FIG. 5.

6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In this description, part numbers that begin with the digits “10” or “11” refer to the claimed invention. Part numbers beginning with “12” belong to the external environment, and parts beginning with “13” are environmental components that are intended to be placed within the invention.

FIG. 1 introduces the invention in context within a hard-shelled case. The hard-shelled case comprises a case body 121 and a case lid 122. A case body insert 10 is configured to fit securely within the case body, and a case lid insert 11 is configured to fit securely within the case lid. Ideally, the inserts are glued to the case body. Experimentation has shown that polyethylene is an ideal polymer material for the inserts. This material is resistant to degradation after an extended period of use.

Each insert is fabricated with a plurality of cutouts configured for polygraph components. Three examples of cutouts in the case body insert 10 are partly visible in FIG. 1. The blood pressure cuff and hose receptable 103 is configured to contain a blood pressure cuff and hose. The pneumograph tubes receptacle 105 is configured to contain pneumograph tubes 134 (see FIG. 4). A seat sensor ledge 1010 is configured to receive a seat pad sensor 135 in such a manner that the seat pad sensor sits atop other cutouts, not visible in FIG. 1.

Within the case lid insert 11, an arm sensor receptacle 111 is configured to receive an arm sensor pad 137, in such a manner as to leave space behind the arm pad sensor, not visible in FIG. 1. Tie-down straps 113 hold the arm sensor pad in place.

In FIG. 2, the seat pad sensor 135 and arm sensor pad 137 are lifted to reveal several polygraph components as they are intended to be stored in the invention. They include a Data Acquisition Subsystem (DAS) 131, blood pressure cuff 132, blood pressure cuff hose 1321, blood pressure cuff gauge 1322, at least one electrodermal (ED) sensor 133, at least one plethysmograph 136, and a foot sensor pad 138.

FIG. 2 also reveals further details within the case lid insert 11. The arm sensor receptacle 111 is fabricated at the periphery of a foot sensor receptacle 112, which is configured to receive the foot pad sensor pad 138 “behind” the arm sensor pad 137. The arm sensor cable receptacle 1111 is an empty chamber between the case lid insert 11 and the case lid 122. This chamber is configured to receive an arm sensor pad cable 1371.

In FIG. 3, the polygraph components are removed for a better view of the cutouts configured to contain them. The DAS receptacle 101 is a cutout configured to contain the DAS. Access cutouts 1011 protrude from the DAS receptacle. The access cutouts are intended to provide access for a finger and a thumb to grip the DAS. The DAS cable receptacle 102 is configured to contain the DAS cable 1311. The blood pressure cuff and hose receptacle 103 is configured to contain the blood pressure cuff 132 and the blood pressure cuff hose 1321. At least one electrodermal sensor receptable 104 is configured to contain an electrodermal sensor 133. A pneumograph tubes receptacle 105 is configured to contain a set of pneumograph tubes 134 (see FIG. 4).

A seat sensor ledge 1010 circumscribes a region containing the DAS receptacle 101, the DAS cable receptacle 102, and the electrodermal sensor receptacle 104. The seat sensor ledge is configured to accommodate the seat pad sensor 135 while holding it firmly in place. When the seat pad sensor is positioned on the seat sensor ledge, the seat pad sensor sits flush with the top of the surrounding case body foam insert 10.

The receptacles described in the two preceding paragraphs are configured to contain the most commonly required polygraph components. As such, the best embodiment of the invention includes all of these receptacles. Alternative embodiments of the invention will further include additional receptacles, configured to contain polygraph components that are common but not necessarily required.

For instance, a blood pressure gauge receptacle 106 may be provided. It is configured to contain a blood pressure cuff gauge 1322. At least one plethysmograph receptable 107 may be provided. It is configured to contain a plethysmograph 136. A hidden transceiver receptacle 109 with a false bottom insert 108 may be provided. The hidden transceiver receptacle is configured to contain a transceiver 139. The false bottom insert 108 is configured to cover the hidden transceiver receptacle in order to hide the transceiver.

In the case lid foam insert 11, an arm sensor receptacle 111 may be provided, as seen in FIG. 5. It is configured to contain an arm sensor pad 137. A foot sensor receptacle 112 may be provided. It is configured to contain a foot sensor pad 138. In the best mode of this invention, the foot sensor pad is placed in position “behind” the arm sensor pad. In FIG. 5, the foot sensor pad is configured in dashed lines, hidden behind the arm sensor pad.

An arm sensor cable receptacle 1111 may be provided adjacent to the arm sensor receptacle 111. The arm sensor cable receptacle is a hollow space between the case lid 122 and the case lid foam insert 11, as seen best in FIG. 6. The arm sensor cable receptacle is configured to contain the arm sensor cable 1371. In FIG. 5, the arm sensor cable 1371 is shown in dashed lines, hidden in the arm sensor cable receptacle 1111 behind the material of the case lid foam insert 11.

Likewise, a foot sensor cable receptacle 1121 may be provided adjacent to the foot sensor receptacle 112. The foot sensor cable receptacle is a hollow space between the case lid 122 and the case lid foam insert 11, as seen best in FIG. 6. The foot sensor cable receptacle is configured to contain the foot sensor cable 1381. In FIG. 5, the foot sensor cable is shown in dashed lines, hidden in the foot sensor receptacle 1121 behind the material of the case lid foam insert.