Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2067657
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to luggage cases such as business or
attache cases. More particularly, the invention relates to cases
having two main compartments for carrying and, in some cases,
organizing the contained personal and business related items, the
compartments being separated from one another by an internal,
hinged, divider panel.
Such cases fall in generally two groups: the first are
softside cases made of fabric or leather-like material, often
unstructured in a generally large envelope shape. The other
general class of cases includes hard outer structure or covering
divided into a lid shell and a base shell which are hinged together
along the bottom side. The base shell usually has a handle
attached to the top face for carrying. The lid shell and base
shell are normally selectively held closed together with a latching
device. In business cases, it is quite common to include a
portfolio section comprising a number of vertically arranged
flexible dividers which are attached to a divider panel hinged
along the bottom inside edge of the lid shell. The entire
portfolio construction is held on left and rights sides by flexible
gusset panels which permit the divider panel and the intermediate
dividers behind the divider panel to hinge out. This exposes
papers, documents and the like for easy access.
The base shell generally provides a large compartment for
carrying clothing items or stacks of papers, books and other items.
An example of such a brief case is shown in U.S. patent 3,756,639
2067657
-
assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Here, in
addition to showing the features mentioned above, the case includes
a gravity responsive detent 41 which prevents the operation of the
latch lever 17 if one tried to open the case upside-down. This
prevents the papers held in the main shell from spilling out as is
shown in figure 2 of that patent. U.S. patent 4,714,286 to
Yamamoto, also assigned to the assignee of the present invention,
shows an attache case with another gravity sensing feature.
However, rather than preventing the case from opening at all if the
case is improperly oriented, Yamamoto teaches providing gravity
sensing means to control the extent of opening of the lid shell.
In particular, if the case were lying in a horizontal position, the
ball bearing detent located in a slot in the lid stays would permit
the case to open fully. However, if the case were opened from a
vertical position, the ball would fall into a slot to in effect
shorten one arm of the stay. The lid shell would be prevented from
opening fully, thus contents in the main shell of the case wold not
tend to fall from the case. However, it's likely that at least
some of the contents of the main shell would fall to the bottom of
the case even if such contents were prevented from falling
completely out of the case. It would be difficult to shut the lid
because of the accumulation of contents (papers, pencils, tape
recorder, etc.) in the bottom of the case while the lid was even
only partially opened.
One solution to this is shown in U.S. patent 3,112,017. Here,
an attache case is shown with a divider panel hinged to the bottom
wall of the base shell. When the divider 25 is clipped in place,
the contents of the base shell are both hidden from view and
2067657
generally prevented from falling out of the case should the case be
opened in an other than horizontal position. The divider panel 25
provides a writing surface so that the case can be used as a desk.
However, the divider panel 25 must be moved from one position to
the other after the case is opened. Thus, if access to shirt 24 or
the like was desired, the case must be opened, then the divider pad
pulled from its latched position over the shirt and preferably
holding devices 23 clipped to hold the divider pad in the vertical
position within the lid while accessing articles 24.
Thus, none these prior art cases include means for
automatically permitting access to either the contents of the
portfolio portion while holding the contents of the main portion of
the attache case from spilling out of the case or from moving to
the bottom of the case. Nor do any of the above prior art cases
provide means for automatically permitting access to the portfolio
portion of the case when the case is opened from a vertical
orientation and for permitting access to the contents in the base
shell of the case when the case is opened from a horizontal
position .
Also, these prior attache cases do not have a way of
organizing small items, such as pencils, sunglasses, etc., for easy
access when the case is only partially opened. Some prior cases
have pencil boxes and such but they are arrayed along the hinged
side of the case, thus requiring the user to fully open the case to
easily access these small items. Also, many attache cases have
small pockets along the front face of the portfolio divider panel
for airline tickets, business cards and the like. Here again, in
order to access these relatively small, flat items, the case must
-- 2067657
be substantially fully opened, thus exposlng the contents of
the base shell or permlttlng the dlsplacement of such contents
and thus preventlng the case from fully closlng agaln.
There have been buslness cases and hand luggage,
both soft slded and hard slded, wlth exterlor zlppered
pockets, extra penclls for accesslng lnterlor and exterlor
compartments and the llke. Such extra compartments do permlt
selectlve access to the contents of the case, that ls, they do
keep portlons of the case closed whlle one opens these extra
compartments. However, such extra access openlngs compllcate
the constructlon of the case and must be provided separate
locks and latches lf such security ls desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The lnvention provides a case having a lid shell and
a base shell and latch means for selectively holding the lid
shell and base shell together, the lid shell belng hlnged to
the base shell and the lld shell deflnlng a lld compartment
and the base shell deflnlng a maln compartment, an lnternal
panel posltloned wlthln the case for closlng the maln
compartment and the lld compartment, means for automatlcally
holdlng sald panel in a first positlon whereln the panel
closes off the maln compartment when the case is opened from a
generally vertical position, and for automatically holding the
panel in a second position wherein the panel closes off the
lld compartment when the case ls opened from a substantlally
horizontal position.
The inventlon also provldes a case comprislng a base
shell, a lld shell hinged along a bottom side to the base
shell, a handle at an upper side of said case, a dlvlder panel
-- 5
65666-168
`' ''
~ 2067657
positioned between the base shell and the lld shell which ls
hinged near said bottom slde of the base shell lnslde the
case, and means for holdlng the dlvlder panel ln an open or a
closed posltlon relatlve to the lld shell, the lld shell
havlng a helght dlmenslon, the dlvlder panel extendlng only
part of sald helght dlmenslon from the hlnged slde of the lld
shell toward the upper edge of the case, at least one
closeable pocket belng posltloned on the lnslde of at least
one of the shells between the upper edge of the dlvlder panel
and the upper slde of the case, sald case further comprlslng
means for flexlbly attachlng the sldes of the dlvlder panel to
the lld shell, and means at the upper edge of the dlvlder
panel for releasably attachlng the dlvlder panel to the lld
shell or alternatlvely to the base shell whereby the degree of
openlng of the lld shell from the base shell about the hlnged
slde ls llmited by the means for flexibly attachlng the
dlvlder panel.
Thls means for fastenlng comprlses a protruslon
means located on the front panel of the portfollo, a flrst
means for releasably holdlng the protruslon carrled by the
base shell, and a second means carrled by the lld shell for
releasably holdlng the protruslon means.
The lnventlon also provldes a case whlch lncludes a
lld shell, a base shell, a hlnge along an ad~olnlng edge of
these shells, and latch means for selectlvely holdlng the lld
shell and base shell together ln a closed posltlon to shut the
case, the lld shell deflnes a lld compartment and the base
shell deflnes a maln compartment, a portfollo normally carried
ln the lld compartment, the portfollo lncludlng a panel
-- 6
65666-168
,i -
2067657
definlng the front of the portfollo and flexlble gussets
extending between the sldes of the panel and the lld shell,
means for holdlng the panel ln alternate posltlons, thls means
belng operable to elther selectlvely hold the panel ln the
flrst posltlon wlthln the lld shell or ln the second posltion
to selectlvely hold the panel to the base shell, both
selectlve holdlng operatlons of sald means belng operable
whlle the lld shell and base shell are ln the closed posltlon.
Thls means for operatlng preferably comprlses a
flrst hook plvoted to the lld shell, thls hook lncludlng a
pendulum portlon for senslng the dlrectlon of the pull of
gravlty to posltlon the hook for engaglng the front panel when
the case ls ln a horlzontal posltlon and for releaslng the
panel when the case ls ln a vertlcal posltlon, sald means
further lncludlng a second hook posltloned and carrled by the
base shell. Thls second hook lncludes a pendulum means for
senslng the dlrectlon of gravlty and for posltlonlng the hook
for engaglng the panel when the case ls ln the vertlcal
posltlon, but for releasing the panel when the case is in the
horizontal posltlon.
This first and second hook means are positioned
relatlve to one another to engage one another when the case ls
ln a vertlcal posltlon. More partlcularly, thls second hook
includes a leg means whlch forces the flrst hook out of
engagement wlth sald panel when the second hook rotates ln
response to gravlty when the case ls a vertlcal posltlon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Flgure 1 shows an attache case accordlng to the
lnstant lnventlon ln an open posltlon.
-- 7
65666-168
2067657
Figure 2 shows a broken away portlon of the case of
Figure 1 with the lid shell belng opened from the horizontal
posltion.
Figure 3 shows the case of Figure 1 after it has
been opened in the vertlcal posltlon.
-7a-
65666-168
2067657
Figure 4 is a partially broken away view of a detail of the
attache case of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the case
after it has opened in the vertical position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Attache case 10 has an overall shape and construction similar
to prior art attache cases. As with such prior art cases, it
includes a lid shell 11 which defines a lid compartment 12 defined
by the space contained within the lid shell. The case further
includes a base shell similar in construction to the lid shell 11.
This base shell 14 defines a volume which comprises the main
compartment 17, which typically is larger than the lid compartment
12. The lid shell 11 and base shell 14 are hinged together along
their lower adjoining edges at 24 in a known manner. The lid shell
and base shell are selectively held together by latch hooks 18
which are selectively received in latch hook receivers 19 in the
base shell. The latch hooks 18 are operated by pivotally mounted
latch lever 16 which rotates the hooks away from hooking engagement
in receivers 19. This latching mechanism could include a locking
device such as an ordinary key lock or perhaps a combination lock,
as is well known in the luggage arts. The base shell includes a
carrying handle 21, here shown as being inset in a cavity along the
top side of the base shell. A more conventional handle arrangement
with the handle or shoulder strap attached to a surface on the top
side of the base shell is also contemplated.
The lid shell compartment is primarily occupied by a portfolio
20 which comprises a divider panel 22 of a generally thin but
2067657
rigid, aesthetically pleasing material, and bellows gussets 23 made
of a flexible cloth, leather,3 or leather-like material. These
bellows gussets have a generally triangular overall shape which
permits the panel 22 to pivot about its lower edge at the lower
side of the lid shell in the lid compartment to display the
contents thereof.
To either side of the portfolio is a hinge stay 25 of known
construction. This limits the range of pivoting of the lid shell
11 about hinge 24.
A pair of rod members 36 and 36 are attached along the upper
horizontal edge of the panel 22. These rod members 36 form
corresponding protruding ends beyond the sides thereof. The upper
edge of the panel 22 defines the height of the portfolio which is
substantially less than the overall height of the lid shell 11 and
the lid compartment 12 defined therein. Within the space between
the upper edge of the panel 22 and the upper edge of the shell
compartment are one or more lid containers 13. These lid
containers can take many forms such as zippered pouches made of
leather or fabric, but in the preferred embodiment they are defined
by boxes with simple spring-loaded, hinged doors which hinge about
their lower edges to permit access to the compartment 13 defined
therein. The importance of this novel arrangement will be set
forth below.
Similarly the main compartment 17 includes one or more base
containers 15. Like the lid containers 13, these containers can
take many forms but are shown as being defined by a generally box-
like construction with hinged lids which pivot about their
lowermost edges (when the case is the vertical position). Here
2067657
again, the significance of these compartments or containers and
their position within the base shell will be set forth with greater
detail.
The panel 22 is held in the position shown in Figure 1 by a
pair of portfolio catches 30 which engage the protruding ends of at
least one of the rods 36.
Referring to Figure 2, the details of this arrangement are
shown. The catch 30 comprises a box 31 which holds a first
pivoting member 32 for relatively free pivotal movement about the
axis shown. This first pivoting member includes a first hook 32a
which can selectively engage the rod member 36 as shown. The first
pivoting member 32 further includes a pendulum portion 33 which
responds to the pull of gravity. In the position shown in Figure
2, pendulum member 33 applies a counterclockwise rotating torque
about the axis to place the hook member 32a in firm engagement with
the protruding end of rod 36. A second box 38 is constructed
similar to box 31 and positioned directly opposite thereof within
the base compartment 17 and attached to the interior side walls of
the base shell 14. The first box and second box may include mating
surfaces 35 to help align these boxes and the members contained
therein relative to one another when the lid shell and base shell
are closed on one another.
A second pivoting member 34 is pivoted for free rotation to
the inside of the second box 38. This second pivoting member has
a second hook 34a which is integral with a second pendulum portion
39 which also responds to the pull of gravity by orienting itself
with gravity. A protruding arm 40 forms part of the pendulum
portion 39. As will be set forth, this protruding arm 40 can
2067657
engage and, through the force of gravity on the pendulum member 34,
rotate the first pivoting member 32 under certain conditions. The
second box 38 includes semi-cylindrical indentations to receive and
precisely position the rod members 36 when the lid shell and base
shell are closed on to one another.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the panel 22 is held in a closed
position by the hook portion 32a of first pivoting member 32.
Thus, the portfolio catch 30, and its corresponding mate 30 on the
other side of the case can be manually released from the portfolio
when the case is positioned in Figure 1 to permit access to the
contents of the portfolio. Of course, the contents of the lid
containers 13 and the base containers 15 can be easily had by
flipping their doors open using the finger holes shown.
When the lid shell and base shell are closed on to one another
and moved from the horizontal position shown in Figures 1 and 2 to
the vertical closed position shown in Figure 3, the first and
second pivoting members engage in one another to simultaneously
cause the first rotating member 32 to release its hooked engagement
from the end of the rod member 36 and to place the second hook
member 34a into an engaging relationship with second rod member 36.
This can best be seen with reference to Figure 4. Here, the second
pivoting member 34 has moved relative to the case in a clockwise
direction. The mating surfaces 35 of the first and second boxes
have positioned all the parts relative to one another precisely and
the semi-cylindrical cutouts on the front face of the second box 38
have held both rods 36 and 36 in precise alignment with the various
hook portions. Note that the second pivoting member 34 has rotated
to bring the protruding arm 40 to engage the pendulum portion 33 of
Il
2067657
the first pivoting member 32. While the pendulum member 33 would
tend to remain in the position shown in Figure 2, it is overpowered
by the greater mass of member 34 when the protruding arm 40 engages
it. Thus, the first hook 32a disengages from the end of rod 36.
If the case is opened from this vertical position wherein the
second pivoting member 34 and its corresponding hook 34a have
engaged the rod 36, the configuration in Figure 5 will occur. In
particular, the panel 22 is held by the second pivoting member 34
to close off most if not all of the base compartment 17 in the base
shell 14. Simultaneously, the bellows gussets 23 are pulled into
their open position to expose the contents of the portfolio 20.
The gussets 23 are sized to permit the lid shell to open a
substantial but limited degree. Thus, the degree to which the lid
shell pivots open from this vertical orientation is limited by the
bellows sides and not by the stays 25.
In this manner, the contents of the main compartment 17 are
held in position, making it unlikely that the contents will spill
down and prevent the case from shutting completely again. Also in
the position shown in Figure 5, access to the contents of the
portfolio has been made very convenient with the various sections
of the portfolio arrayed for access by the user from the top of the
case. Also, the contents of lid containers 13 and the base
containers 15 are readily accessible now since these containers are
located along the upper edge of the lid and base shells flanking
the open and arrayed contents of the portfolio section.
In this manner, the disclosed attache case has been made to be
responsive automatically and immediately to the differing needs of
the user, depending on whether the case is opened from the
12
2067S~7
horizontal position or whether the case is opened from the vertical
position. This novel functioning is done without the need for the
user to first open the case and decide whether the main packing
compartment 17 should be closed to access or inspection or whether
the portfolio section should be opened for inspection. Thus, the
disadvantages of the prior art cases are elegantly overcome. In
each instance, when the case is opened from the vertical position,
inadvertent spillage or visual access of the contents of the main
compartment 17 are substantially prevented.
It should be understood that other arrangements are
contemplated by the instant invention. While a pair of rods with
protruding ends 36 and 36 are shown, an alternative construction is
easily made where the hooks 32a and 34a need alternately engage
only one rod. This can be easily done if the protruding leg 40 is
offset slightly and the pivoting members 32 and 34 are offset from
one another to permit the hook portions to pass one another and
engage a different portion of the same rod 36. Also, while simple
pendulum weights are shown, other gravity sensing means are
contemplated. A mercury switch or some other orientation sensing
means could control electromechanical catches to accomplish the
same operation.
Also, while the orientation of the case is used to trigger the
varying functions of the portfolio latch members, other means are
within the scope of the invention. For example, a separate latch
operable from the outside before the case is opened to either cause
the panel to be fastened to the base shell or to be fastened to the
lid shell is clearly possible. Also, the alternative attaching or
hooking function could be triggered by the carrying handle 21. For
13
~067G57
example, a mechanical linkage between the handle 21 and the catches
could be provided such that if the handle 21 is in the vertical
position as shown in Figure 5, the portfolio is held to the base
shell as shown. However, if the handle 21 is in the position shown
in Figure 1, the panel is held in the closed position in the lid
shell.
While this invention has been described with reference to a
business case, the teachings could be easily applied to other types
of hand luggage where outside pockets or access panels are
inadequate or unavailable, but the user wishes to access the
contents of the case lid and/or contents of small compartments
arrayed along the upper portion of the case, while the case is in
a vertical orientation.
