US3587699A - Unitary carrying case - Google Patents

Abstract

A UNITARY CARRYING CASE IS ERECTED FROM A BLANK STAMPED FROM FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL. THE BLANK HAS CREASE LINES DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SERIALLY ALIGNED PANELS THAT CAN BE EASILY FOLDED INTO TUBULAR SHAPE. OPPOSING SIDES OF THE CASE HAVE

MATING WING WALLS THAT OVERLAP AND BECOME SECURED TO ASSOCIATED UPSTANDING FLAPS. NONE OF THE CARRYING CASE CORNERS OR OTHER SECTIONS INCORPORATE A STICHED SEAM.

Description

United States Patent [72] inventor Emil Kovach 3757 Primavera Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90065 {21] Appl. No. 783,993 [22] Filed Dec.l6, 1968 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [54] UNITARY CARRYING CASE 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 150/52, 93/49, 150/32, ISO/33, 229/52 [51] Int. Cl A4Sc 11/38 [50] Field of Search 224/5 (22), (inquired); 150/32, 33, 52, 5248; 229/33, 52 (A), 52 (AL) [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 244,523 7/1881 Bamberger 229/33 Dorris 150/52(.8) Howell.... l50/52(.8) Gamrod 150/52(.8)UX Ellsworth 229/33X Lightburnm, 150/52 Pastini..... 150/52 Lerner l50/52X Primary Examiner loseph R. Leclair Altorney- Pastoriza & Kelly ABSTRACT: A unitary carrying case is erected from a blank stamped from flexible sheet material. The blank has crease lines defining a plurality of serially aligned panels that can be easily folded into tubular shape. Opposing sides of the case have mating wing walls that overlap and become secured to associated upstanding flaps. None of the carrying case corners or other sections incorporate a stitched seam.

PATENTEU JUN28 IHTI //Vl ENTOR: EMIL KOVACH BY with ATTORA/E 5 UNITARY CARRYING CASE The present invention relates to carrying containers and more specifically to carrying cases for retaining cameras, binoculars and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional carrying cases for cameras, transistor radios, binoculars and the like ordinarily are fabricated from multiple panels which are assembled and held together at their corners by stitched seams. The usual technique of handstitching these seams on the corners is time consuming and expensive from a labor standpoint. Completed stitched seams are often rough, irregular and poorly aligned and therefore impart an untidy, unsightly appearance.

The corner portions of carrying cases during normal usage are most likely to get bumped and scraped thereby exposing the corner seams to potential breakage. When the stitches become ruptured, the seam becomes loosened and adjacent panel edges separate from one another. The case then acquires a worn or beaten appearance and its capacity to satisfactorily retain the object is severely impaired.

Multiple panels ordinarily used in assembling conventional carrying cases must first be manually arranged in a predetermined pattern before being constructed into the unit. When components of mismatched sizes are assembled together, the resulting case appears disfigured.

Panels must often be made thicker to provide sufficient margin material to securely anchor and retain the stitching so that the stitching will not tear away from the margin material. This tends to make the case excessively heavy.

As shall be explained, the present invention eliminates all stitched seams and separate multiple panels that present these serious disadvantages to conventional carrying cases.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated the present invention comprehends a durable, easily constructed, attractive carrying case constructed from a blank of flat, flexible material. The blank is creased or folded to constitute or outline integral and serially aligned front, bottom, back, top and top extension panels. A first pair of wing walls and a second pair of wing walls extend from opposing side edges of the front panel and back panel respectively. Extending from opposing side edges of the bottom panel is a pair of flaps that are foldable upwardly from the bottom panel. When the flaps are folded upwardly mating first and second wing walls are bent or urged towards one another to overlie the outer surfaces of corresponding adjacent flaps. The wing walls and flaps are preferably secured to one another by adhesive to constitute a rigid basic framework for the carrying case.

The flaps are formed with positioning holes and adjacent edges of mating wing walls are formed with positioning notches located to register with the positioning holes. When registration between the positioning notches and holes is accomplished, connectors are received therein to hold support strap opposing ends securely to the flaps. None of the carrying case corners or other zones employ stitching seams which, as previously described, present numerous difficulties. The case is lightweight and imparts a highly finished appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The numerous benefits and unique aspects of the present invention will be fully understood when the following detailed description is studied in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a unitary carrying case constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the case in its closed position for securely confining an object;

FIG. 2 is a planar view of a unitary blank whose various integrally formed panels may be folded so as to erect the carrying case; and,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the blank illustrated in FIG. 2, showing the panels at an intermediate stage as they are being positioned to erect the carrying case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, a carrying case 10 is shown constructed from multiple integrally united panels. Carrying case 10 includes a front panel 11 and top panel 12 joined to a top extension wall 13 which overlaps a top section of front panel 11 when case 10 is closed as illustrated in FIG. 1. A flap 14, which will be more fully describe in conjunction with FIG. 2, underlies a pair of mating wing walls 15 and 16. Wing wall 16 is one of a pair of wings integrally hinged to opposing side edges of front panel 11. Wing wall 15 is one of a pair of wing walls similarly integrally hinged to opposing side edges of a back panel to be described with respect to FIG. 2.

A support strap 17 which may be sized to slip over a person's arm or shoulder is attached at its opposing ends to the sides of carrying case 10. A pair of vertically aligned grommets or connecting pins 18 secure one end of strap 17 to flap l4 and wing walls 15 and 16 in a manner to be fully described. The other strap end is similarly secured to the concealed side of case 10.

Anchored respectively to the top extension wall 13 and front panel 11 are mating latching elements 19 and 20. A pair of grommets 21 secure latching element 19 to top extension wall 13 and another pair of grommets (not shown) secure latching element 20 to front panel 11. Latching element 19 includes a spring loaded depressible button 22 shaped to fit under and interlock with a U-shaped bar portion of latching element 20.

Referring to FIG. 2, carrying case 10 is shown as a flat blank which is the shape it assumes upon being stamped by a suitable stamping machine from flexible sheet material. A conventional stamping machine is modified to cut out carrying case blanks of the pattern or outline illustrated in FIG. 2. The various dot-dash lines represent crease or fold lines that distinguish adjacent panels or walls that may be bent or folded relative to one another. Material from which the carrying case blank is cut may be any suitable material such as vinyl or other plastic, plastic coated paper, imitation leather, genuine leather and so forth.

Integrally hinged with front panel 11 is a bottom panel 23 having opposing side edges from which a pair of flaps 14 and 24 extend. Joined with bottom panel 23 is a back panel 25. A first pair of wing walls 16 and 26 extend from opposing side edges of front panel 11. In a similar manner the second pair of wing walls 15 and 27 extend from opposing side edges of back panel 25. As shall be explained, wing walls 15 and 16 mate with one another and wing walls 25 and 26 also mate with one another. The combined width of wing walls 15 and 16 is substantially equivalent with the width of flap 14 so that, as shall be explained, when the various panels are bent in a predetermined manner, wing walls 15 and 16 will neatly overlie flap 14.

Pairs of mating positioning notches 28 and 29 are formed on the edges of wing walls 15 and 16 respectively. Also mating positioning notches 30 and 31 are formed on the edges of wing walls 26 and 27. Positioning notches 28 and 29 are located and sized to mate and register with positioning holes 32 in flap 14. Similarly, positioning notches 30 and 31 are arranged to meet and register with positioning holes 33 in flap 24.

A pair of mounting slits 34 and 35 are located to assist in mounting the mating latching elements 19 and 20 respectively illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the carrying case blank of FIG. 2 partially erected into the completed carrying case construction. Serially aligned front panel 11, bottom panel 23, back panel 25, top panel 12 and top extension wall 13 are shown mutually bent or folded into partial tubular shape. It will be appreciated that when these panels are completely folded so as to close the carrying case, they will collectively define a tube. Flaps 14 and 24 are shown bent upwardly from bottom panel 23.

The inner surfaces of the wing walls are preferably coated with adhesive as indicated by adhesive areas 36 and 37 of wing walls 26 and 27 respectively. Wing wall 15 is shown bent inwardly and adhered to a portion of flap 14. When wing wall 16 is urged to its final position adjacent wing wall then positioning notches 28 and 29 will constitute openings arranged in registering alignment with the positioning holes 32 in flap 14. After an end of strap 17, shown in FIG. 1, is laid over these registering positioning notches and holes, then the grommets may be inserted through the holes to mount strap 17 and reinforce the attachment between flap 14 and the wing walls.

The edges of the lower wing wall sections are convexly contoured to expose bottom sections of corresponding flaps. This arrangement saves material, makes case 10 lightweight, and improves the overall carrying case appearance.

OPERATION Keeping the above process and construction in mind it can be understood how many of the previously described disadvantages of assembling and using conventional carrying cases are overcome or substantially eliminated by the present invention.

Initially, a suitable flexible material in sheet form is chosen and a stamping machine is employed to cut a carrying case blank of predetermined outline from the sheet. Crease or fold lines are formed on the blank to constitute serially aligned front panel 11, bottom panel 23, back panel 25, top panel 12, top extension wall 13 as well as the four wing walls and flaps 14 and 24. contemporaneous with the stamping operation, the various positioning notches and holes and mounting slits 34 and 35 are formed in their respective panels.

Latching elements 19 and 20 are then anchored in mounting slits 34 and 35 respectively. Flaps 14 and 24, front panel 11, and back panel are bent upwardly from the plane of the blank to assume perpendicular orientations relative to bottom panel 23. The mating wing walls are urged toward one another until their complementary positioning notches register with the positioning holes of a respective underlying flap. Each set of mated wing walls may be secured to an associated flap by adhesive, as previously indicated, or by staples or the like.

When the wing walls and respective flaps are firmly secured together to thus complete the basic framework of the carrying case, the opposing ends of carrying strap 17 shown in FIG. 1 may then be secured to the opposing sides of the case framework by grommets or the like.

A person may then enjoy fully constructed carrying case 10 by depositing an object such as a camera or transistor radio inside carrying case 10, slipping strap 17 over his shoulder or arm and carrying the object to a different location.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the present invention has provided an inexpensive method for constructing a unitary carrying case and a carrying case that is lightweight, durable and attractive in which all of the various advantages are fully realized.

lclaim:

l. A unitary carrying case capable of being erected from a blank, the case comprising:

a. a front panel;

b. a first pair of wing walls extending from opposing side edges of the front panel;

c. a bottom panel mutually hinged with the front panel;

d. a pair of flaps extending from opposing side edges of the bottom panel, the flaps being foldable upwardly from the bottom panel; I

e. a back panel mutually hinged with the bottom panel;

f. a second pair of wing walls extending from opposing side edges of the of the back panel, each of the second wings being arranged to mate with a first wing;

g. a top panel mutually hinged with the back panel;

h. a support strap; and,

i. connectors for securing the support strap ends to the flaps;

j. positioning notches formed on the adjacent edges of each set of mating first and second wing walls; and, k. a positioning hole formed in each flap, the positioning hole of each flap being aligned to register with a corresponding set of mated positioning notches in order to receive a connector sized to secure a strap end to a flap, wherein the front panel, bottom panel} back panel and top panel are serially aligned and foldable to collectively define a tube, and, when the flaps are folded upwardly mating first and second wing walls may be folded towards one another to overlie a corresponding adjacent flap.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein each set of mating wing walls is positioned outside a corresponding flap and adhesively secured thereto.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the combined width of at least upper sections of mating first and second wing walls is approximately equal to the width of a corresponding adjacent flap.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the edges of the lower wing wall sections are convexly curved to expose bottom sections of corresponding flaps.

5. The structure according to claim 1, including a top extension wall hinged with the top panel, the top extension wall being shaped to overlie an upper portion of the front panel.

6. The structure according to claim 5 including mating latching elements secured to the front panel and top extension wall.

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