WO2011130413A2

WO2011130413A2 - Combination bow case

Info

Publication number: WO2011130413A2
Application number: PCT/US2011/032328
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jesse Simpkins; Roger J. Roth
Original assignee: Plano Molding Company
Priority date: 2010-04-13
Filing date: 2011-04-13
Publication date: 2011-10-20
Also published as: US20120000800A1; WO2011130413A3

Abstract

A combination case includes the first and second cases combined together, each also usabie as a stand-alone case. The first case includes the first inner storage space and the first wall structure configured to enclose the first inner storage in a closed position and expose the first inner storage in an open position. The first wall structure includes the first and second sidewa!!s facing each other in the closed position, at least one first opening formed via the first sidewail to expose the first inner storage space, and at least one second opening formed via the second sidewail to expose the first inner storage.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit from U.S. Provisional Application No. 81 /323,877 filed on April 13, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] 1 . Field of the Disclosure

[0003] This disclosure is directed to a bow case. More particularly, the disclosure is directed to a bow case that is a combination of a hard case and a soft case, each of which is also a stand-alone case.

[0004] 2. Related Art

[0005] Many avid archers or bow hunters consider their bows to be the most important piece of equipment they have. However, bow cases currently in the market are not particularly portable, travel-friendly and at the same time durable and protective enough for rough back roads where a four wheel drive is very often a must. For example, hard cases provide good protection but they are heavy and bulky to carry around during the hunting. On the other hand, soft cases are lighter and more portable than hard cases, but they are not very durable and do not provide a good protection. Accordingly, there is a need for a bow case that is more travel- friendly and portable than hard cases and at the same time more durable and protective than soft cases. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0006] According to an aspect of the disclosure, a combination case includes first and second cases combined together, each also usable as a stand-alone case. The first case includes a first inner storage space and a first wall structure configured to enclose the first inner storage in a closed position and expose the first inner storage in an open position. The first waii structure includes a first and second sidewalls facing each other in the closed position, at least one first opening formed via the first sidewall to expose the first inner storage space, and at least one second opening formed via the second sidewall to expose the first inner storage.

[0007] The at least one first opening and the at least one second opening may be aligned to each other when the first wall structure is in the closed position. The first case may further include at least one first cover connected to the first sidewall to cover the at least one first opening, and at least one second cover connected to the second sidewall to cover the at least one second opening.

[0008] The first and second covers may be configured to move between a first position to cover the first and second openings, respectively, and a second position to expose the first and second openings, respectively. The first and second covers may adjoin outer surfaces of the first and second sidewalls, respectively, in the second position. The first and second openings and the first and second covers may be rectangular shaped. The at least one first cover and the at least one second cover may include a flap.

[0009] The second case may include a second inner space and the second waii structure configured to enclose the second inner space in a closed position and expose the second inner space in an open position. The second wall structure may include the first and second walls facing each other in the closed position, at least one first projection extending inwardly from the first wall, and at least one second projection extending inwardly from the second wail. The first projection and the second projection may be connected each other when the second wall structure is in the closed position.

[0010] The first case may be confined within the second inner space of the second case when the second wall structure is in the closed position. The second case may be bigger than the first case.

[0011] The at least one first projection and the at least one second projection of the second case may be aligned with the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening of the first case, respectively. The at least one first projection and the at least one second projection of the second case may extend through the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening of the first case, respectively.

[0012] The first projection may include the first base connected to the first wail, the first main body extending from the first base, and the first tip end configured to engage the second projection. The second projection may include the second base connected to the second wail, the second main body extending from the second base, and the second tip end configured to engage the first projection. The first tip end may have one of a protrusion and a recess and the second tip end may have the other of the protrusion and the recess, wherein the protrusion may be configured to fit into the recess.

[0013] The first and second bases may be configured to fit into the first and second openings of the first case, respectively. The first and second projections may be substantially perpendicular to the first and second wails of the second case, respectively. [0014] The combination case may be a bow case. The first case may further include one or more holding units formed on an inner surface of at least one of the first and second sidewalls for holding at least one of a bow and an arrow. The first case may be a soft case and the second case may be a hard case.

[0015] Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosure may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the disclosure and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the disclosure as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. No attempt is made to show structural details of the disclosure in more detail than may be necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosure and the various ways in which it may be practiced.

[0017] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a combination case (soft case and hard case) in an open position constructed according to the principles of the disclosure, the combination case including a soft case and a hard case.

[0018] Fig. 2A shows a perspective view of the hard case of Fig. 1 in a closed position, constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. [0019] Fig. 2B shows another perspective view of the hard case of Fig. 2A in an open position constructed according to the principles of the disclosure.

[0020] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the soft case of Fig. 1 in a closed position constructed according to the principles of the disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 4 shows a cutout side view of the combination case of Fig. 1 in a dosed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0022] The embodiments of the disclosure and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non- limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as the skilled artisan would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Descriptions of well- known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the disclosure may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law. Moreover, it is noted that like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. [0023] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a combination case 100 in an open position constructed according to the principles of the disclosure. The combination case 100 may include a hard case 200, a soft case 300 and/or the like. The hard case 200 and the soft case 300 may be separated from each other, and each of the hard case 200 and the soft case 300 may be used as a stand-alone case. In other words, the hard case 200 and soft case 300 may be used separately to house and carry a bow. An example of the hard case 200 is described in U.S. Patent No. 6,571 ,946, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The hard case 200 may provide durable and protective qualities for, e.g., long-term storage, longdistance transportation and/or the like. The soft case 300 may provide the convenience of enhanced portability due to reduced weight, size and/or the like while providing sufficient protection from minor impacts. Sn an embodiment, the combination case 100 may be a bow case. Thus, a user may use the combination case 100 to transport a bow, arrows and/or the like to a hunting destination, remove the soft case 300 from the bow case 100 upon arriving at the hunting destination, and use the soft case 300 alone to carry the bow, arrows and/or the like for hunting. Alternatively, the user may use the hard case 200, instead of the soft case 300, in a rainy or snowy day at the hunting destination, to protect the bow, arrows and/or the like from rain or snow. The combination case 100 may be configured to carry other items, such as, e.g., firearms, musical instruments, sporting goods or the like.

[0024] Fig. 2A shows a perspective view of the hard case 200 in a closed position, and Fig. 2B shows another perspective view of the hard case 200 in the open position. Referring to Figs. 1 , 2A and 2B concurrently, the hard case 200 may include a first wall structure 200A and a second wall structure 200B that are connected to each other via, e.g., a hinge structure 202 (also shown in Fig. 4) to move between the open position and the ciosed position (shown in Fig. 2A). The first wall structure 200A may include a first sidewa!! 21 OA and a first edge wall 220A that extends along edges of the first sidewall 21 OA, Similarly, the second wall structure 200B may include a second sidewall 21 OB and a second edge wall 220B that extends along edges of the second sidewall 21 OB. Bottom portions of the first and second edge walls 220A and 220B may be connected to the hinge structure 202, as shown in Fig. 4. When the hard case 200 is closed, the soft case 300 may be confined within an inner storage space of the hard case 200. The soft case 300 may have a similar or substantially the same outline shape as the hard case 200 although the soft case 300 may be slightly smaller than the hard case 200 to be confined within the inner storage space of the hard case 200. The soft case 300, however, may be large enough to hold a bow 400, arrows 410 and/or the like in its inner storage space.

[0025] The hard case 200 may further include a handle 204, one or more locking units 206 and/or the like. The handle 204 may include a first handle 204A and a second handle 204B connected to top portions of the first and second edge wails 220A and 220B, respectively. The first and second handles 204A and 204B may be combined to form the handle 204 when the hard case 200 is closed. The locking units 206 may be latching devices, such as, e.g., arms 206A and catches 208B and/or the like. The arms 208A may be attached to the first edge wall 220A and the catches 208B may be attached to the second edge wail 220B, or wee versa, as is known in the art. As shown in Fig. 2B, the hard case 200 may further include a plurality of holding devices 290, such as, e.g., clips, hook-and-loop fasteners and/or the like, to hold the bow 400, the arrows 410 and/or the like. The holding devices 290 may be arranged on an inner surface of at least one of the first and second sidewal!s 21 OA and 21 OB, as shown in Fig. 2B. The hard case 200 may further include one or more legs 208 at the bottom thereof for increased stability when the hard case 200 is placed vertically on a surface, as shown in Fig. 2A. The hard case 200 may be formed of a hard and durable material, such as, e.g., blown, injection or rotationaily molded plastic (e.g., ABS plastic or the like), fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel, cold rolled steel and/or the like.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the soft case 300 in a closed position. Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 concurrently, the soft case 300 may include a first sidewall 31 OA, a second sidewall 310B, a bottom wall 320, an edge wall 330, a handle 304 and/or the like. The first and second sidewalls 31 OA and 310B may be connected to each other at bottom portions thereof, or, alternatively, connected to the bottom wall 320, to move pivotaily between the open position and the closed position with respect to the connected bottom portions thereof or the bottom wall 320. The bottom wail 320 may be padded for increased cushion. The edge wall 330 may be formed along edges of the first sidewall 31 OA and/or the second sidewall 310B and extending from one longitudinal end of the bottom wall 320 to the other longitudinal end thereof. For example, the edge wall 330 may be connected to and extending along the edges of the second sidewall 310B, as shown in Fig. 1 . One portion 306A of a zipper 306 may be connected to and extending along the edges of the first sidewall 31 OA. Another portion 308B of a zipper 306 may be connected to and extending along the edge wail 330. The handle 304 may be connected to a top portion of the edge wall 330, as shown in Fig. 3. Alternatively, the edge wail 330 may be divided into first and second edge walls 330A and 330B by the zipper 306, as shown in Fig. 4. The first edge wall 330A may be connected to and extending along the edges of the first sidewall 31 OA, and the second edge wail 330B may be connected to and extending along the edges of the second sidewa!i 31 OB, Other fastening devices are contemplated for opening and closing the soft case 300, including but not limited to, e.g., buttons, hook-and~loop fasteners, snap fasteners and/or the like.

[0027] Further, as shown in Fig. 1 , the soft case 300 may include a plurality of holding devices 390, such as, e.g., clips, hook-and-loop fasteners and/or the like, to hold the bow 400, arrows 410 and/or the like, on an inner surface of at least one of the first and second sidewalis 31 OA and 310B. The soft case 300 may be formed of a material that is durable, mildew resistant, water repellant, resistant to abrasions, tears and scuffs, and/or the like, such as, e.g., nylon (e.g., Cardura™ and Sportlight™ nylon products, Oxford pack cloth and/or the like), polyester, cotton duck, Tarpaulin and/or the like.

[0028] Fig. 4 shows a cutout side view of the combination case 100 in a closed position. Concurrently referring to Figs. 1 , 2A, 2B, 3 and 4, the hard case 200 may include one or more first projections 230A extending inwardly from the first sidewall 21 OA and one or more second projections 230B extending inwardly from the second sidewall 210B. The first projections 230A and the second projections 230B are aligned to each other when the hard case 200 (and the combination case 100) is in the dosed position. Further, the first projections 230A and the second projections 230B may be configured to connect to each other when the hard case 200 (and the combination case 100) is in the dosed position. The first projections 230A and the second projections 230B may extend substantially perpendicular to the first and second sidewalis 21 OA and 210B, respectively. A combination of the first projections 230A and the second projections 230B may function as a reinforcing pillar for increasing the structural rigidity of the hard case 200, as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,571 ,946.

[0029] The first projection 230A may include a base 236A, a main body 237A, a tip end 238A and/or the like. The base 236A may be connected to the first sidewal! 21 OA, and the main body 237A may extend from the base 236A to the tip end 238A. The tip end 238A may be configured to contact the second projection 230B. The first projection 230A may be substantially holiow. For example, the first sidewall 21 OA may include an opening 232A that exposes a hollow space 234A, which is surrounded by the first projection 230A. Similarly, the second projection may include a base 236B, a main body 237B, a tip end 238B and/or the like. The base 236B may be connected to the second sidewall 210B, and the main body 237B may extend from the base 236B to the tip end 238B. The tip end 238B may be configured to contact the first projection 230A. The second projection 230B may be substantially holiow. For example, the second sidewall 210B may include an opening 232B that exposes a holiow space 234B, which is surrounded by the first projection 230B. The tip ends 238A and 238B of the first and second projections 230A and 230B may be configured to engage each other such that the contact therebetween is not easily lost. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the tip end 238A may be protruded and the tip end 238B may be recessed such that the protruded tip end 238A may fit into the recessed tip end 238B.

[0030] The soft case 300 may include one or more first openings 340A on the first sidewall 31 OA and one or more second openings 340B on the second sidewall 310B. The first and second openings 340A and 340B of the soft case 300 may be aligned with the first and second projections 230A and 230B of the hard case 200, respectively. Thus, the first and second projections 230A and 230B may extend via the first and second openings 340A and 340B, respectively. The first opening 340A and the base 236A of the first projection 230A may have the substantially the same shape such that the base 238A may fit into the first opening 340A. For example, the first opening 340A and the base 236 may have a rectangular shape but other shapes are aiso contemplated. Similarly, the second opening 340B and the base 236B of the second projection 230B may have the substantially the same shape such that the base 236B may fit into the first opening 340B. Thus, the first and second sidewalis 31 OA and 31 OB of the soft case 300 may be fixed adjacent to the first and second sidewalis 21 OA and 21 OB of the hard case 200, respectively, when the first and second openings 340A and 340B engage the bases 238A and 236B, respectively.

[00313 Additionally or alternatively, the hard case 200 and the soft case 300 may include one or more first fastening devices 270 and one or more second fastening devices 370 to hold the first and second sidewalis 31 OA and 310B of the soft case 300 adjacent to the first and second sidewalis 21 OA and 210B of the hard case 200, respectively. For example, the first fastening devices 270 may be formed on various portions of inner surfaces 214A and 214B of the first and second sidewalis 21 OA and 210B of the hard case 200. The second fastening devices 370 may be formed on various portions of outer surfaces 312A and 312B of the first and second sidewalis 31 OA and 310B of the soft case 300 and aligned with the first fastening devices 270, respectively. The first and second fastening devices 270 and 370 may be any type of fastening device, such as, e.g., buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap fasteners and/or the like.

[0032] The soft case 300 may further include one or more covers 350 to cover the openings 340, respectively, when the soft case 300 is used as a stand-alone case. The covers 350 may be lifted, folded, retracted or removed to expose the openings 340 when the soft case 300 is combined with the hard case 200, In an embodiment, the covers 350 may be flaps, such as, e.g., flaps 350A and 350B shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the flaps 350A and 350B may have a rectangular shape but other shapes are also contemplated. One side edge of each flap 350 may be connected to a portion the sidewai! 310 surrounding the corresponding opening 232 such that the opening 340 may be exposed by simply lifting the flap 350. As shown Fig. 4, the flap 350A may be folded up and sandwiched between the inner surface 214A of the first sidewai! 21 OA of the hard case 200 and the outer surface 312A of the first sidewai! 31 OA of the soft case 300. On the other hand, the flap 350B may fold down and arranged on an inner surface 314B of the second sidewai! 310B of the soft case 300. Thus, the flaps 350 may be connected to any portion of the soft case 300 and folded or lifted in any direction.

[0033] While the disclosure has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure can be practiced with modifications in the spirit and scope of the appended claims. These examples given above are merely illustrative and are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all possible designs, embodiments, applications or modifications of the disclosure.

Claims

We claim:

1 . A combination case comprising first and second cases combined together, each also usable as a stand-alone case, wherein the first case comprises: a first inner storage space; and

a first wall structure configured to enclose the first inner storage in a closed position and expose the first inner storage in an open position, the first wail structure comprising:

first and second sidewalis facing each other in the closed position; at least one first opening formed via the first sidewali to expose the first inner storage space; and

at least one second opening formed via the second sidewali to expose the first inner storage.

2. The combination case of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening are aligned to each other when the first wall structure is in the closed position.

3. The combination case of claim 2, wherein the first case further comprises:

at least one first cover connected to the first sidewali to cover the at least one first opening; and

at least one second cover connected to the second sidewali to cover the at least one second opening,

4. The combination case of claim 3, wherein the first and second covers are configured to move between a first position to cover the first and second openings, respectively, and a second position to expose the first and second openings, respectively.

5. The combination case of claim 4, wherein the first and second covers adjoin outer surfaces of the first and second sidewalis, respectively, in the second position.

6. The combination case of claim 4, wherein the first and second openings and the first and second covers are rectangular shaped.

7. The combination case of claim 3, wherein the at least one first cover and the at least one second cover comprise a flap.

8. The combination case of claim 2, wherein the second case comprises: a second inner space; and

a second wall structure configured to enclose the second inner space in a closed position and expose the second inner space in an open position, the second wall structure comprising;

first and second walls facing each other in the closed position;

at least one first projection extending inwardly from the first wall; and at least one second projection extending inwardly from the second wall, wherein the first projection and the second projection are connected each other when the second wall structure is in the closed position.

9. The combination case of claim 8, wherein the first case is confined within the second inner space of the second case when the second wall structure is in the closed position.

10. The combination case of claim 9, wherein the second case is bigger than the first case.

1 1 . The combination case of claim 9, wherein the at least one first projection and the at least one second projection of the second case are aligned with the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening of the first case, respectively.

12. The combination case of claim 1 1 , wherein the at least one first projection and the at least one second projection of the second case extend through the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening of the first case, respectively.

13. The combination case of claim 12, wherein the first projection comprises:

a first base connected to the first wall;

a first main body extending from the first base; and

a first tip end configured to engage the second projection.

14. The combination case of claim 13, wherein the second projection comprises:

a second base connected to the second wail;

a second main body extending from the second base; and

a second tip end configured to engage the first projection.

15. The combination case of claim 14, wherein the first tip end has one of a protrusion and a recess and the second tip end has the other of the protrusion and the recess, wherein the protrusion is configured to fit into the recess.

16. The combination case of claim 14, wherein the first and second bases are configured to fit into the first and second openings of the first case, respectively.

17. The combination case of claim 8, wherein the first and second projections are substantially perpendicular to the first and second walls of the second case, respectively.

18. The combination case of claim 1 , wherein the combination case is a bow case.

19. The combination case of claim 18, wherein the first case further comprises one or more holding units formed on an inner surface of at least one of the first and second sidewalis for holding at least one of a bow and an arrow.

20. The combination case of claim 1 , wherein the first case is a soft case and the second case is a hard case.