Sealed protective case with liner and latch
View Patent ↗A protective case which includes two mating case components and a liner extending between a peripheral area for mating engagement to ensure a relatively sealed relationship when the case components are closed. A latch face is a single elongated element on the front and has two spaced interlocking components to cooperate with hooks in the opposite case component.
1. A carrying case comprising:
a generally rectangular body of surrounding material having a first component and a second component hinged together for opening and closing an interior space defined by the surrounding material, the first component having a first wall having a width dimension;
an elongated latch mounted exterior to the first wall, the latch having two side ends and at least one slot parallel to the side ends, the latch moveable from a locked position to an unlocked position;
a pair of outwardly extending ribs extending outward from adjacent portions of the outer surface of the first wall, the adjacent portions located on each side of each of the ribs in the width dimension;
at least one intermediate support extension extending from the first wall, the at least one intermediate support extension located between the pair of ribs, the intermediate support extension being received in the at least one slot on the latch in both the locked and unlocked positions of the latch;
an interlocking element on the latch and a cooperating element on the second component for engaging the interlocking element;
wherein the surrounding material includes an outside surface, and the latch extends on the outside surface beyond the perimeter of the first wall of the first component of the body, which wall perimeter is essentially a surface from one side end to another side end of the body; and
wherein the at least one intermediate support extension comprises at least one further rib having a longitudinal dimension that extends in the same direction as the pair of ribs.
2. A carrying case as claimed in claim 1 further including a valve on one of the first and second components and a liner, the liner having an opening, the valve and opening for allowing pressure equilibration between the space in the surrounding material and a space outside the surrounding material.
3. A carrying case as claimed in claim 1 further including a pair of second wall extensions extending from the second wall, the second wall extensions each being located beside a respective side end of the latch such that the latch is located between the second wall extensions, each second wall extension having an at least one bottommost point, the bottommost point being below the latch.
4. A carrying case as claimed in claim 1 further including a second interlocking element on the latch, such that the two interlocking elements are spaced towards respective side ends of the latch and the cooperating element on the second component engages the two interlocking elements.
5. A carrying case as claimed in claim 1 wherein both the first and second components are made of translucent or at least partially translucent material, and including a liner and wherein the liner is opaque.
6. A carrying case as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one intermediate support extension remains in a fixed position relative to the first wall as the latch is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position.
7. A carrying case as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the latch has a width dimension that extends in the width dimension of the first wall a distance greater than half the length of the first wall.
8. A carrying case comprising:
a body of surrounding material having a first component and a second component hinged together for opening and closing an interior space defined by the surrounding material, the first component having a first wall having a width dimension;
an elongated latch mounted to the first wall of the first component, the latch having two side ends spaced apart in the width dimension, and at least one slot located between the two side ends;
an interlocking element on the latch and a cooperating element on the body of surrounding material for engaging the interlocking element when the latch is in the locked position and for disengaging the interlocking element when the latch is in the unlocked position;
a pair of ribs on the outer surface of the first wall, the first wall having adjacent portions located on each side of each of the ribs in the width dimension, each of the ribs extending outward relative to the adjacent portions of the first wall, each rib located beside a respective side end of the latch;
at least one extension extending from the first wall, the at least one extension located between the pair of ribs, the at least one extension being received in the at least one slot on the latch in both a locked position and an unlocked position of the latch;
wherein the at least one extension comprises at least one further rib having a longitudinal dimension that extends in the same direction as the pair of ribs.
9. A carrying case as claimed in claim 8 wherein the elongated latch extends longitudinally for greater than about half the length of the front of the case.
10. A carrying case as claimed in claim 8 further including a valve on one of the first and second components and including a liner and an opening in the liner for allowing pressure equilibration between the space in the surrounding material and a space outside the surrounding material.
11. A carrying case as claimed in claim 8 wherein both the first and second components are made of translucent or at least partially translucent material, and including a liner and wherein the liner is opaque.
12. The carrying case of claim 8 further including a liner fitting in the space in the surrounding material.
13. A carrying case comprising:
a generally rectangular body of surrounding material having a first component and a second component hinged together for opening and closing an interior space defined by the surrounding material, the first component having a first wall having a width dimension;
an elongated latch mounted exterior to the first wall, the latch having two side ends and at least one slot parallel to the side ends, the latch moveable from a locked position to an unlocked position;
a pair of outwardly extending ribs extending outward from adjacent portions of the outer surface of the first wall, the adjacent portions located on each side of each of the ribs in the width dimension;
at least one intermediate support extension extending from the first wall, the at least one intermediate support extension located between the pair of ribs, the intermediate support extension being received in the at least one slot on the latch in both the locked and unlocked positions of the latch;
an interlocking element on the latch and a cooperating element on the second component for engaging the interlocking element;
wherein the surrounding material includes an outside surface, and the latch extends on the outside surface beyond the perimeter of the first wall of the first component of the body, which wall perimeter is essentially a surface from one side end to another side end of the body; and
wherein the at least one intermediate support extension comprises a pair of intermediate support extensions and wherein the at least one slot comprises a respective pair of slots.
14. A carrying case comprising:
a generally rectangular body of surrounding material having a first component and a second component hinged together for opening and closing an interior space defined by the surrounding material, the first component having a first wall having a width dimension;
an elongated latch mounted exterior to the first wall, the latch having two side ends and at least one slot parallel to the side ends, the latch moveable from a locked position to an unlocked position;
a pair of outwardly extending ribs extending outward from adjacent portions of the outer surface of the first wall, the adjacent portions located on each side of each of the ribs in the width dimension;
at least one intermediate support extension extending from the first wall, the at least one intermediate support extension located between the pair of ribs, the intermediate support extension being received in the at least one slot on the latch in both the locked and unlocked positions of the latch;
an interlocking element on the latch and a cooperating element on the second component for engaging the interlocking element;
wherein the surrounding material includes an outside surface, and the latch extends on the outside surface beyond the perimeter of the first wall of the first component of the body, which wall perimeter is essentially a surface from one side end to another side end of the body; and
wherein the at least one intermediate support extension comprises at least one further rib having a longitudinal dimension that extends in a direction that is substantially parallel to an elongated dimension of the pair of ribs.