US2136669A - Container closure flap - Google Patents

Description

Nov. l5, 1938. w. H. BRACKEN 2,136,669 y CONTAINER cLosURE FLAP Filed July 8, 1956 INVENTOR. B WMM @MU/MQ MMM M *WM ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STAT carica CONTAINERCLOSURE FLAI.

Wallace H; Bracken,JRye, N; Y., assignor to Hart#- mann Trunk Company, Racine; Wis.; ,a"corpo" ration of Wisconsin Application July 8,1936, `Serial-llo` 89,509

tainers;- suitcases and` the like, certain sections. 51.1 of y the. same are .provided with flaps securable over theffaceof arsectiontozprotect, cover, con'- ceal4 andzsegregate garments and articles in said section;` Withthe advent of the sor-called hookless fasteners it -.has been 'common practice to ltreleasably joinmeeting edges of said flaps by ar lineof h'ookless fasteners and the practice has;

been tohave said line of fasteners extend adiacent and parallel to a side edge of the container section,` with, the result"l that the slide fastener:

-1is`manipulated by moving itpalong the line of connection zparallelto a section' edge. It twill be readily appreciated that `with said priorarrangement,` even though the container is closed, if said side' be `exedhor bulged slightly a tampereror` jL pilfezrerlcan4` reach the slide fastener and easilyv manipulateit totrelease and open, the closure aps: and :thereby reach articles `withinV said -section ofmthe container.

Recognizingfthis disadvantage inherent to the'.

Z5` prior arrangements, especially when the same are applied to a container having readily flexiblev ordistortable walls, the present `invention seeksto overcome `said@V objections by providing con-- tainer section closure flaps and connecting means: 3`0-`th`ereior which are arranged and constructedsoV that operationA and `opening of Ithe` same cannot bei effected `from-limited crevices at any onevside` ofthe container section.

Asa specific object of the invention a closure. 315i flapfarrangernent is provided wherein the linesof` connection of the complementary flaps extendv 4a. A further object of theinvention is lto provide three triangular complementary closurel flaps for acontainer; withfslide fastener means applied to the meeting edges of said flaps-and arranged.

so that when the slide fasteners are in closing ad position lthe sameare relatively close to one an other and may be connected and secured by a lock. i

A ,further object. of the invention"A isto'Y `pro-- vide container"` closure `flaps,whichare easily,

55, arrangedandmanipulated, which. are neat and;

attractiveV inf. appearance,which` are inexpensive, and evvhichmare'-` Well: adapted. for the purposes described.

These-and other specicobjects and advantages willfbefapparent from the=following detailed de- 5 scription.A

Aclearsconception `of an embodiment of the invention may be had by referring to the drawing accompany ingrand` forming-apart ofothis specification?. in. rwhicl'i` like-reference. characters 10 designate .the same-or similar parts in the various ,views e' n Fig.1.is arp-perspective view=of a suitcase fof the type'.equippedninteriorly `with! the improved clo` sure flaps for i the 'suitcase'sections; 15.

Fig...2f.is .-afrplancview of the suitcaseinA open4 position showing. closure` flaps for-:both sections thereoi,said,closure flaps vinreach` instance being secured together in closing relationship;

` Fig.` 3 is .2a uvertical sectional vview through thel 20 open y suitcase..on line :3--3 of Fig 2 Fig .4 si-,an-` enlarged vfragmentary view showy ing joinedAportionsof-ea pair'of adjacent closure iiaps; and.; Y p

Fig.,5 awfragmentary detail y sectional vie takenron line; SP5-effige 4.-"

While theainvention'hasbeen shown herein as beingL specifically, applied 'toa certain type vof suitcasefitwillbe apparent that the; novel featuresare-capablefof moregeneral applicationto cases, luggagey carriers and-containers in gen-V eral,. and` Athat.th`e.sp eciic.disclosure should not therefore -beconstrued,asan intent to limit the scope;

For' sake of illustration the invention is illus- 35 trated. in -a,suitcase such as is. illustrated in Figs.

1, 2.and..3.rk Thersuitcase .isfzof the type wherein the wallsothereoffarerelatively" flexible and includes a bodyfsection I0 and a wardrobe section H. Said'sections are hingedly connected to- 40 gether so as to permit the same to open out as in' Figs; 2 and or to besecurec'i'togetherin complementary'closed relationship asin l'ig. 1. The suitcasev-isprovidedAJ with -conventional handle means:|2 forrconveniencein' carrying the same, 45 ands straps or other* `suitable securing means r I3 fori-holding. the: sectionswtogetherrin" closed relationship.

When thersuitcasemr container: iszopened up eachcsection is-'fofxU-'shape in Lcross,` section: .and 50 the upper end thereof is open. For the purposeV of release-bly; closing thef' open end of Seach section-f and-fior::protecting:` covering and maintain-f ing the articles i' and Y garments in said sectionsin proper? relationship; theiimproved closureaps are applied to the open portion of each section. As will appear most clearly from Fig. 2, the

closure flaps for the section I0, for instance, in-

clude a pair of similarly shaped triangular end flaps I4 and I5 and an intermediate flap I6 which is in the form of a truncated triangle. Each of the flaps I4 and I5 is foldably secured along its straight side edge to an upper wall portion of the section I0. The other edges of Asaid flaps I4 and I5 are normally free. The intermediate flap I6 is foldably secured along its inner edge to the inner or rear wall of the section I0 as at I1 in Fig. 3. r f

The diagonally extending inner edges of the flaps I4 and I5 carry extension bands I8 which' are adapted to be overlapped by the diagonally extending free edges of the intermediateap I6. There is also secured along said diagonal -edges of the flaps I4 and I5, adjacent the outer faces of the bands I8 and inwardly of the free edges thereof, a, line-of hookless fastener elements I9 adapted to cooperate lwithlines ofrcomplementary hookless fastener elements secured along'the free diagonal edges of the intermediate flap I6. Each row ofhookless fasteners I9 is adapted to be engaged with the adjacent ele- 1nents"20 on the flap I6 by a slide-fastenerfelementZI. f

Assuming that the closure'aps I 4, I5 and I6 are allv secured together-in closing relationship as in Fig. 2 and thatit isdesired to separate said aps and open the same for access to the section I0, it is merely necessary to move the slide elements- 2lY indiverging lines toward the rear or inner end of the section lIl), thereby disengaging theA adjacent linesfof hookless fastener elements; thereupon thetwo side flaps I4 and I5 may be turned over laterally ofthe case section, and the ap I5 may be folded rearwardly affording complete access-tothe section VIIJ. When the section I is packed and-it is desired to completely cover and protect the articles therein and to. close the section, the outer edge Hap 22 is first folded inwardly and then the aps I4 and I5 are vfoldecl'over the vopen end'of the section I0, and lastly the intermediate section I6 is arranged as shown so that'its outer edges slightly overlap the outer free edges of the end flaps. Thereafter the slide fasteners 2| are 'moved forwardlyV along the engaging lines` ofY hookless fasteners to secure the same together, and after securement the two slide fastener-elements 2l terminate at the forward end of the section relatively close together. The tabs or flanges 23 Vof these elements are aperture'das at 24, and the same may be connected togetherby a snap pad lock 25 as shownin Fig. 2; AWhen said elements are so locked together," operatijon'of the same to open yor releasel the aps' is of lcourse prohibited.

The complementary section II of the suitcase is equipped with similarly arranged aps I4', I5 and I6', and the same will V not be vdescribed in detail. The abutting edges ofrsaid flaps are arranged with hook.less fastener rows I9 and 20 as previously described'and as shownin detail in Fig. 4. Slide fastener elements 23 traverse said abutting rows, and the Vsame maybe joined at their forwardrconverged ends by a lock 25. f j

In the suitcase illustrated the body section I0 is adapted to contain miscellaneous garments and travelingparaphernalia while the section II has'movably mounted therein 'garmentfolding and draping means including one or more removable hangers 26 and a panel 21.

From the disclosure and description it will be apparent that the improved closure flaps are effective means for securely covering and closing the open ends of the suitcase sections. The utility of these aps is obvious when the suitcase is. open as they cover and protect the contents of each section, and furthermore, due to the arrangement of the slide fastener elements and locks, each section may be closed and the naps locked against undesired opening, even when the case sections are open. Perhaps the greatest utility in the present invention resides in the particular arrangement of the flaps and lines of hookless fasteners when the suitcase is closed as in Fig. 1. If the flaps were held in Aclosed position by means of fastener elements y extending parallel to any free edge of a case section, it can be readily understood that if a side Wall portion of the case were bulged 0r flexed, a tamperer might readily insert his nger into the crevice thus provided and manipulate the fastening means and thereby release the naps and gain access to the contents of the section. This contingency is absolutely prohibited by the present invention, and it has extreme usefulness when incorporated in a container having flexible walls. It will be noted that the joined edges of all of the flaps extend in diagonal directions relative to any side edge of a section. Therefore if access is gained to'a section through any bulged or flexed crevice lat a side portion, it will be impossible to manipulate the slide fasteners, even though the same are unlocked, to an extent suncient to gain access to the section. This is due tothe fact that the operation of the slide elements must be on a line at an angle to any edge of the section, and the further the slide element is moved for opening purposes the further it will be from the crevice through which entrance was effected, land said operation suicient to effect opening is precluded unless, of course, an entire Wall of the case is mutilated.

With respect to all of the closure flaps, it should be observed that the same may be formed of material which may be plie-d so as to present an outer surface or layer which is strong, tenacious, and weather and dust proof, while the inner surface, layer or ply may be of a suitable fabric to harmonize with the interior lining of the container. Incorporating this material on the inner surface of the flaps eliminates the need of additional protective or lining material on the surfaces which contact articles and garments in the container.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the improved closure flaps for containers provide tamper-proof means when the container is closed, and they also provide effec.- tive means for closing sections of the container when the container is open, and for being locked in closing relationship.V The flaps and closure means therefore are compact, simple and easily tary aps for closing the same, each being foldably secured along an edge to a side of the section, free edges of one of the flaps meeting a free edge of each of the other aps, hookless fastener means along both pairs of meeting edges, said flaps when joined forming a quadrilateral figure with a pair of converging lines of severance, slide fastener elements movable along `said fastener means and lines of severance, and

a lock for joining the slide fastener elements at the convergedends of said lines adjacent one side of the container section.

2. In a container section having an open face,

the edges of the container surrounding said open face being rectilinear, three complementary flaps -for closing the face of said section, free edges WALLACE H. BRACKEN.

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