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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
CARRYING CASE OR BAG
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/1997/027778
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A carrying case or bag (10; 21; 30; 40) has within it a pocket (16; 22; 31; 41) which is of such a dimension as to be able to receive a mobile telephone unit (20; 32) and which is accessible from both the interior and the exterior of the case or bag. Thus the phone unit may be removed for use without it being necessary to open the case or bag.

Inventors:
NATHAN DAVID EDWARD (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB1997/000245
Publication Date:
August 07, 1997
Filing Date:
January 29, 1997
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
MODREC INTERNATIONAL LTD (GB)
NATHAN DAVID EDWARD (GB)
International Classes:
A45C3/02; A45C13/02; A45C15/00; A45C5/00; (IPC1-7): A45C15/00
Foreign References:
DE29503010U11995-04-20
DE9402113U11994-05-19
GB2178401A1987-02-11
GB2206865A1989-01-18
FR2480579A11981-10-23
DE9405006U11994-05-19
FR1479879A1967-05-05
US4236615A1980-12-02
US5409152A1995-04-25
DE9416500U11994-12-08
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Claims:
CLAI MS
1. A carrying case or bag ( 10; 21; 30; 40) characterised by having a pocket (16; 22; 31; 41 ) within it which is of a dimension adapted to receive a mobile telephone unit (20; 32) and which is accessible from both the interior and the exterior of the case or bag.
2. A case or bag according to Claim 1, characterised by gussets or folds (13, 14, 15) to enable it to be collapsed into a more flat condition and wherein the pocket (16) is mounted behind the face of the case.
3. A case or bag according to Claim 1, characterised by gussets or folds ( 13, 14, 15) to enable it to be collapsed into a more flat condition and wherein the pocket (16; 22) is mounted in or adjacent to a gussetted edge or end of the case.
4. A case or bag according to Claim 1, characterised by a rigid body and a hinged lid and wherein the pocket (31; 41 ) is mounted within the rigid body.
5. A case or bag according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pocket is provided with a retaining flap (34; 42).
6. A case or bag according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the access to the pocket (16; 22) from the exterior of the case or bag is provided by an elongate slot (17) .
7. A case or bag according to Claim 6, characterised in that the elongate slot is closed by a zip fastener ( 18, 25) .
8. A case or bag according to Claim 6, characterised in that the elongate slot is closed by one or more snapfastenings or by a button and buttonhole.
9. A case or bag according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the pocket ( 31 ; 41 ) is mounted so as to swing outwardly from the exterior surface of the case or bag.
10. A case or bag according to Claim 9, characterised in that the pocket (31; 41) is retained in its closed position by a hookandloop fabric (44, 45; 47, 48) .
11. A case or bag according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that an additional aperture (19; 24; 49) is provided, in the external fabric of the case or bag and in the region of the pocket, to allow sound to pass therethrough.
12. A case or bag according to Claim 11, characterised in that the additional aperture (19; 24; 49) is covered by an openweave or mesh material.
Description:
Carrying Case or Bag

The present invention is a carrying case or bag. Such products included business cases in the form of brief cases, attache cases and document cases and also bags designed for similar purposes, including hand-bags and travel bags.

Cases and bags of the foregoing types are available in a wide range of designs and have been adapted for various specific purposes, including for example for carrying laptop or notebook computers and for use for carrying writing materials and other such accessories. However no such product appears to be available which is able to meet the needs of a user of a mobile telephone. It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrying case or bag of this general type which is specifically adapted to the requirements of the owner of a mobile phone.

The carrying case or bag according to the present invention is characterised by having a pocket within it which is of a dimension adapted to receive a

mobile telephone unit and which is accessible from both the interior and the exterior of the case or bag.

In order to avoid undue repetition, cases or bags of the foregoing general type will hereinafter be referred to as "cases" but i r is emphasised that the expression is intended, where the context permits, to embrace also the similar products more commonly described as bags. The case according to the invention has the particular merit that a mobile phone securely supported in the interior pocket may be removed for use without opening the case. Thus the phone may be used, quickly and easily, while the user is in a public place without exposing the contents of t case, without the need to unlock the case if it has been locked, and particularly advantageously while the user is on the move. That is, he may carry the case in one hand and concurrently remove and use the phone with the other hand.

The pocket to receive the telephone is within the case and is distinguished from any case which may be provided with a pocket on its outside surface. Clearly such a phone located in an external pocket is more obstructive, more vulnerable to accidental

damage and more exposed to the risk of theft. In the present invention, the pocket is within the peripheral limits of the case and avoids these potential difficulties. Where the case is of the type of a briefcase, in particular having gussets or folds enabling it to be collapsed into a more flat condition, the pocket may be mounted behind the face of the case or preferably in or adjacent to a gusseted edge or end of the case. When the case is of the type of a briefcase or document case having a rigid body, of fixed or expanding dimensions and having a hinged lid, the pocket may be located within the body of the case or, more advantageously, within the lid so as not to reduce the capacity of the case body.

The pocket is preferably open-topped and mounted upon the inside face of an outer surface of the case. It need only cover a proportion of the length, for example between one half and three quarters of the length, of the phone unit. However a flap of flexible material to close the top of the pocket and assist in retaining the phone unit therein may be provided if desired.

Access to the pocket from outside the case is provided. The access takes the form of an opening,

for example an elongate slot, in the outer surface of the case. When the opening is an elongate slot, the slot may advantageously be closed by a zip fastener, which may extend generally vertically or horizontally relative to the case in the normal position of use of the latter. As a less preferred alternative, the slot could be closable with one or more snap- fastenings or by a button and buttonhole.

In another form of the invention, access tυ trie pocket from the outside of the case may be closable by means of a flap, which may be retained in the closed position by a button or by a hook-and-loop fabric such as that sold under the trade mark "Velcro". It is particularly preferred that an additional aperture be provided, in the external fabric of the case and in the region of the pocket, to allow the sound of the telephone ringing to be heard even when the pocket and case are both closed. Very preferably, the aperture is covered by an open-weave or mesh material.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate four preferred embodiments of the case according to the present invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates the first embodiment, in the form of a briefcase, with its lid or flap open;

Fig. 2 illustrates the briefcase of Fig. 1 with the flap closed;

Fig. 3 illustrate:- a second form of briefcase;

Fig. 4 illustrates the briefcase cl Fig. 3 with the phone Docket shown accessible from the exterior of the case;

Fig. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention, in the form of a rigid attache case, with its lid open;

Fig. 6 illustrates the attache case of Fig. 5, with its lid closed;

Fig. 7 illustrates an alternative form of rigid attache case; and Fig. 8 illustrates the phone pocket of the case of Fig. 7, to a somewhat larger scale.

The briefcase 10 of Figs. 1 and 2 is of a conventional expanding type with dividing panels 11, 12 spaced by gussets 13, 14, 15. In the space

between the panels 11 and 12, a soft, open-topped pocket 16 is secured by stitching, in the position shown in broken line in Fig. 1. Direct access to the pocket 16 from the end of the briefcase is provided by an elongate slot 17, which may be closed by a zip fastener 18. A mesh-filled panel 19 in the gusset 14 allows the sound of a telephone 20 within the pocket 16 to be heard when the case is closed. As shown in Fig. 2, the telephone 20 may be withdrawn from the pocket 16 via the slot 17 without the need to open the briefcase. Thus the telephone can be removed for use by one hand when the case is being carried in the other hand.

The briefcase 21 illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 differs from the briefcase 10 in that the pocket 22, which is of linen and is approximately one half the full height of the telephone (not shown), is located within a rear section 23 of the briefcase. A small eyelet 24, closed by a fine mesh, allows the sound of the telephone to be heard when the pocket is closed by the zip 25.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, the attache case 30 has a pocket 31 within the body of the case, which is of such a size as to retain a cellular phone 32. When the lid 33 of the case is open,

the phone 32 is readily removable from the pocket for normal use.

The case 30 is provided with an access flap 34, which can be folded outwardly about a line 35 to enable the user to remove the phone 32 while the case remains closed. When the flap 34 is closed, it is covered by a further flap 36, secured in its closed position by means of "Velcro" fabric.

Finally, the attache case 40 of Figs. 7 and 8 is similar in many ways to the case 30 but is of larger capacity. The cellular phone which the case 40 is adapted to receive (not shown) is locatable in a pocket 41 mounted upon the rear face of an access flap 42, which can swing outwardly about a line 43 to permit removal of the phone without opening the case. A pad 44 of "Velcro" hook-and-loop fabric on the inner face of the flap 42 engages a similar pad 45 on the body of the case and thereby retains the flap in a closed position when the phone is not in use. A further flap 46 overlies the upper end of the flap 42 and provides additional security by further "Velcro" pads 47, 48.

An area of gauze 49 in the flap 46 covers apertures 50, 51 in the case and in flap 42 respectively when the latter is in its closed position and allows the user to hear the telephone call signal.