U.S. patent application number 11/357725 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-23 for briefcase with pockets with magnetic closures.
Invention is credited to Shou Mao Chen, Shin-Fu Lin, Jay E. Myers.
Application Number | 20070193902 11/357725 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38372264 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070193902 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Myers; Jay E. ; et
al. |
August 23, 2007 |
Briefcase with pockets with magnetic closures
Abstract
A soft sided briefcase is disclosed which has typical
compartments and further includes external pockets with secure flap
closures. The pockets are affixed to the side of the briefcase, and
the flap closures are suitably hinged to a portion of the pockets.
Sections of the pockets as well as areas of the flaps include
cooperating steel plate members and permanent magnets, or both
having permanent magnets, to provide access faster than would be
possible via conventional zipper closures and is reasonably secure
in providing protective closure for internal contents.
Inventors: |
Myers; Jay E.; (Newport
Beach, CA) ; Lin; Shin-Fu; (Taipei, TW) ;
Chen; Shou Mao; (Taichia, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ORRICK, HERRINGTON & SUTCLIFFE, LLP;IP PROSECUTION DEPARTMENT
4 PARK PLAZA
SUITE 1600
IRVINE
CA
92614-2558
US
|
Family ID: |
38372264 |
Appl. No.: |
11/357725 |
Filed: |
February 17, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/320 ;
190/119; 206/818 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 2011/003 20130101;
A45C 13/26 20130101; A45C 5/06 20130101; A45C 13/36 20130101; A45C
13/1069 20130101; A45C 11/34 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/320 ;
206/818; 190/119 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00; A45C 13/10 20060101 A45C013/10 |
Claims
1. A soft sided case constructed of suitable material, such as a
strong fabric, plastic, leather or the like, and having suitable
compartments for carrying various articles, such as a laptop
computer, books, and other devices, and further comprising at least
one external pocket affixed to a side of the case for carrying
smaller items such as cell phones, portable communication devices,
calculators, pens, pencils and the like, and the pocket further
including an attached flap configured to be opened for internal
access and to completely enclose and cover the pocket, and the flap
including an internal stiffening member to configure the top of the
flap to overlay the top of the pocket, and sections of the flap and
the pocket including cooperating metal pieces and magnets, or both
including magnets, for mutually attracting the flap to the
pocket.
2. A case as in claim 1 wherein the stiffening member is a thin
gauge plastic strip.
3. A case as in claim 1 wherein the pocket includes metal inserts
attractable by permanent magnets, and the flap including permanent
magnets.
4. A case as in claim 1 wherein the members in the pocket and the
members in the flap comprise permanent magnets arranged to mutually
attract each other.
5. A case as in claim 1 including a pair of handles and a cover
attached to one handle, the cover including one or more magnets for
firmly enclosing the cover around both handles.
6. A soft sided case constructed of suitable material, such as a
strong fabric, plastic, leather or the like, and having suitable
compartments for carrying various articles, such as a laptop
computer, books, and other devices, and further comprising a
plurality of external pockets affixed to a side of the case for
carrying smaller items such as cell phones, portable communication
devices, calculators, pens, pencils and the like, and the pockets
each further including an attached flap configured to be opened for
internal access and to completely enclose and cover the respective
pocket, and each flap including an internal stiffening member to
configure the top of the flap to overlie the top of the respective
pocket, and sections of the flap and the pocket including
cooperating metal pieces and magnets, or both including magnets,
for mutually attracting each flap to the respective pocket.
7. A case as in claim 6 wherein the stiffening member is a thin
gauge plastic strip.
8. A case as in claim 6 wherein the pockets include metal inserts
attractable by permanent magnets, and the flaps including permanent
magnets.
9. A case as in claim 6 wherein the members in the pocket and the
members in the flap each comprise permanent magnets arranged to
mutually attract each other.
10. A case as in claim 6 including a pair of handles and a cover
attached to one handle, the cover including one or more magnets for
firmly enclosing the cover around both handles.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to luggage or cases, and more
particularly to soft side cases or briefcases such as for carrying
various items including laptop computers and other devices.
[0002] Typical cases of this nature are made from a strong cloth
such as ballistic nylon, leather or the like, and usually include
various compartments with openings closed by zippers, snaps or the
like. Many cases of this nature include external pockets for
carrying items like cellphones, portable communication devices,
calculators, pens, pencils and so on. These external pockets, if
they have any depth, are closed by zippers or secure snaps.
[0003] Carrying devices have been provided in the past with
magnetic closures, but typically of the pocketbook or purse type.
One example is a handbag shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,447 which has
a fastening mechanism that may be a magnetic closure mechanism.
Another example is a bag closure system shown in U.S. Pat. No.
6,678,923. However, these devices are not suitable for external
pockets on a briefcase or the like.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is directed to a portable carrying
case of the nature described above but with relatively large
external pockets having stiffened opening flaps and wherein the
flaps can be securely and quickly closed through an arrangement of
permanent magnets. In an examplary embodiment the case is in the
form of a briefcase having a pair of handles, and with several
compartments having external and internal zipper closures. External
and relatively deep three-dimensional pockets are securely and
integrally attached, and include flaps cooperating with sections of
the pockets for closing the pockets and are retained closed by the
magnets.
[0005] In the case of the present invention an exemplary embodiment
has two external three-dimensional pockets securely attached, as by
sewing, to a side of the briefcase. These pockets are gusseted to
provide full rectangular pockets, not just flat partially open
pockets as typically are found in a handbag or purse which have no
significant depth to the opening. One particular advantage to a
magnetic closure system is that the closure flaps close quickly and
positively snap closed as soon as they are moved toward the closed
position.
[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a new form of carrying case.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
new form of briefcase having pockets which are maintained closed by
permanent magnets suitably located with respect to the pockets.
[0008] These and other objects and features of the present
invention will become better understood through a consideration of
the following description and drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary briefcase
according to the present invention with a pair of external pockets
shown open.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the external
pockets closed.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2
illustrating the cooperative relationship of one pair of
magnets.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 2
particularly showing the curved shape of the flap 38.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a magnetic handle
attachment cover.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] Turning now to the drawings, a case in the form of a soft
sided briefcase 10 is illustrated, and having the usual sides 12
and 13 and ends 16 and 17 all integrally formed with a top 20. The
case 10 as shown has internal compartments closed via zippers 22
and 24 and dividing the case into several compartments as is well
known. The case 10 includes a pair of handles 28 and a handle
closure wrap 30. The case 10 also includes if desired a shoulder
strap 32.
[0015] According to the present invention, the case 10 includes one
or more three-dimensional pockets 36 and 38 attached to side 12 and
which are gusseted to provide full rectangular three-dimensional
pockets and front sections 36a, b and 38a, b, and having respective
closure flaps 40 and 42 for the pockets 36 and 38. The flaps 40 and
42 are hinged at 40a and 42a to the respective pockets 36 and 38.
As can be seen from FIG. 1, these pockets 36 and 38 are relatively
deep, and can readily hold various articles, such as cell phones,
electronic communication devices such as those sold under the
trademarks Blackberry and Trio, a calculator, pens, pencils and the
like. The pockets 36 and 38 can include internal dividers 44
through 48 to help maintain devices therein separated. The pocket
36 is also shown as including an internal pocket closed by a zipper
50. The pockets preferably are formed of two layers of material and
this plus the front sections ensure a relatively rigid pocket
structure.
[0016] According to the present invention, the pockets 36 and 38
are not only integrally fixed to the side 12 of the briefcase 10 to
provide quick and easy access to the contents of the pockets, but
they further utilize stiffened and configured flaps 40 and 42 and a
magnetic closure system as best seen in FIGS. 1 through 3 and 5.
The pocket 36 is illustrated as having five members 54a through 54e
which are either steel or permanent magnet inserts. Similarly, five
members 56a through 56e are shown in the cover flap 40 and which
represent permanent magnets or steel members. Two of these 54c and
56c are illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 3. The members 54 and
56 can comprise any suitable combination of steel inserts and
permanent magnet inserts. For example, the ones at 54 can be steel
inserts, and the ones at 56 permanent magnets. In the case of
thicker material from which the pockets 36 and 38 and flaps 40 and
42 are constructed, such as of leather, it can be desirable for all
of members 54 and 56 to be permanent magnets which are polarized
oppositely to properly attract those at 56 to those at 54 for
providing a firm and tight closure of the flap 40 to the pocket 36.
The arrangement of the magnets is such that when 54a and 56a and
54e and 56e come close together the flap 40 starts to immediately
snap closed.
[0017] The second pocket 38 similarly includes four either steel or
permanent magnet inserts 60a through 60b and a similar set 62a -
62d in the cover flap 42. In both of the external pockets 36 and
38, the steel and magnet members can be retained in the pocket and
flaps 40 and 42 and any suitable manner as by stitching them within
a sandwich of the material from which the pockets 36 and 38 and
flaps 40 and 42 are constructed, that is between the shell and
lining fabrics.
[0018] Another important structural feature of the pockets 36 and
38 and their respective flaps 40 and 42 is the inclusion of thin
plastic strips 64 and 66 which are curved as illustrated in FIGS. 3
and 4 to enable the tops 67 and 68 of the respective flaps 40 and
42 to be curved in a manner to fully overlap the top sides 69 and
70 of the respective pockets 36 and 38. These strips 64 and 66
comprise interlining material between the shell S and lining L
fabrics of the flaps 40 and 42 and preferably are formed of thin
gauge polyethylene plastic sheet. Thus, the flaps 40 and 42 provide
semi-rigid, fully overlapping edges on the top sides of both the
pockets 36, 38, and the pocket flaps 40, 42 to provide fully secure
closures. FIGS. 3 and 4 particularly illustrate the strip 64 in the
top 67 of the flap 40 surrounding permanent magnet 56c. The pockets
36 and 38 also are formed of two layers S and L of material to
ensure sufficient stiffness of them. Also pressure molded fabric
can be used.
[0019] FIG. 5 further illustrates a cover 30 for the upper ends of
the handles 26 and 28 which is attached to one of the two handles.
It too can be retained closed by a magnetic assembly much like
those previously discussed. One side of the cover 30 includes
members 70a-70c which may be steel members or permanent magnets,
and the other side includes members 72a through 72c which too may
be either permanent magnets or small steel plates.
[0020] While an embodiment of the present invention as been shown
and described, various modifications may be made without departing
from the scope of the present invention, and all such modifications
and equivalents are intended to be covered.
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