Carrying case comprising a foldable handle

Claim 2

A lock mechanism for a carrying case of a type which comprises a generally box-like casing (1) accommodating therein various electric components and having a panel assembly (4) generally hin­gedly supported for movement in a direction close towards and away from the casing, and at least one lock mechanism (6,10-15)operableto lock the panel assembly (4) in position moved close to the canister, said lock mechanism comprising: an engagement member (6) secured to the panel assembly (4) and a release member (8) of one-piece construction made of synthetic resin and including a release button (14), a support tongue (10) formed integrally with and extending from the release button in a di­rection inwardly of the canister, a pawl member (9) integrally formed with and extending from one end of the support tongue (l0) remote from the release button (14) in a direction generally perpendicular to the support tongue (10), a pair of resiliently yieldable, generally pla­te-like arms (11) formed integrally with and extending from the re­lease button (l4) in a direction away from each other and also perpen­dicular to the support tongue (10), and a perforated fitting lug (12) formed integrally with one end of each of the resiliently yieldable arms (11) remote from the release button and lying in a plane perpen­dicular to the associated resiliently yieldable arm (11).

Claim 3

The lock mechanism as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the release mem­ber (8) is secured to the casing with set screw members (18) inserted through perforations (13) in the respective fitting lugs (12) and then screwed into the wall of the casing.

Claim 4

A handle assembly for a carrying case of a type which comprises a generally box-like casing accommodating therein various electric components and having a bottom opening, and a bottom lid secured from below to the casing to close the bottom opening thereof and formed with a generally U-shaped pocket during the molding of the bottom lid by the use of any known plastics molding technique, which assembly comprises: a foldable handle hingedly carried by the bottom lid for pivotal movement between a concealed position, in which the handle is housed within the U-shaped pocket without protruding from the bottom lid, and an exposed position in which the handle is exposed outside the peri­meter of the casing for the access to the hand of an opera­tor thereto; said U-shaped pocket including a pair of side grooves and a bridging groove continued to and extending between respective ends of the side grooves; said bottom lid being formed with a pair of slide decks positioned on respective sides of each side groove, a pair of stopper projections each located at one end of the associated slide deck that is remote from the bridging groove, and a thin elastic plate in fact-to-face relation­ship with each slide deck; and a handle including a pair of spaced arms, each of said arms having one end formed into a generally T-shaped configuration with bosses protruding therefrom in a direc­tion away from each other and perpendicular to the associat­ed arm, said handle being coupled to the bottom lid with the bosses in the arms having been inserted through the cutouts until they are engaged in between the respective pairs of the stopper projections after having slid along the respec­tive slide supports, said handle assembly so coupled to the bottom lid being pivotable about the common longitudinal axis passing through the bosses in the arms in a controlled manner with the bosses in the arms resiliently pressed by the thin elastic plates.

Claim 5

A handle assembly for a carrying case of a type which comprises a generally box-like casing accommodating therein various electric components and having a bottom opening, and a bottom lid secured from below to the casing to close the bottom opening thereof and formed with a generally U-shaped pocket during the molding of the bottom lid by the use of any known plastics molding technique, which assembly comprises: a foldable handle hingedly carried by the bottom lid for pivotal movement between a concealed position, in which the handle is housed within the U-shaped pocket without protruding from the bottom lid, and an exposed position in which the handle is exposed outside the peri­meter of the casing for the access to the hand of an opera­tor thereto; said U-shaped pocket including a pair of side grooves and a bridging groove continued to and extending between respective ends of the side grooves; said bottom lid being formed with a pair of slide decks positioned on respective sides of each side groove, a pair of stopper projections each located at one end of the associated slide deck that is remote from the bridging groove, and a thin elastic plate in fact-to-face relation­ship with each slide deck; and a handle including a pair of spaced arms, each of said arms having one end formed into a generally T-shaped configuration with bosses protruding therefrom in a direc­tion away from each other and perpendicular to the associat­ed arm, said handle being coupled to the bottom lid with the bosses in the arms having been inserted through the cutouts until they are engaged in between the respective pairs of the stopper projections after having slid along the respec­tive slide supports, said handle assembly so coupled to the bottom lid being pivotable about the common longitudinal axis passing through the bosses in the arms in a controlled manner with the bosses in the arms resiliently pressed by the thin elastic plates.

Claim 6

A carrying case of a type which comprises a generally box-like casing accommodating therein various electric components and having a panel assembly generally hingedly supported for movement in a direction close towards and away from the casing, a foldable handle assembly sup­ported for pivotal movement between concealed and projected positions, and at least one lock mechanism operable to lock the panel assembly in position moved close to the canister, said lock mechanism comprising: an engagement member secured to the panel assemb­ly; and a release member of one-piece construction made of synthetic resin and including a release button, a support tongue formed integrally with and extending from the release button in a direction inwardly of the canister, a pawl member integrally formed with and extending from one end of the support tongue remote from the release button in a direction generally perpendicular to the support tongue, a pair of resiliently yieldable, generally plate-like arms formed integrally with and extending from the release button in a direction away from each other and also perpendicular to the support tongue, and a perforated fitting lug formed integrally with one end of each of the resiliently yieldable arms remote from the release button and lying in a plane perpendicular to the associated resiliently yieldable arm.

Claim 7

A carrying case of a type which comprises a generally box-like casing accommodating therein various electric components and having a panel assembly generally hingedly supported for movement in a direction close towards and away from the casing, a foldable handle assembly sup­ported for pivotal movement between concealed and projected positions, and at least one lock mechanism operable to lock the panel assembly in position moved close to the canister, said lock mechanism comprising: an engagement member secured to the panel assemb­ly; and a release member of one-piece construction made of synthetic resin and including a release button, a support tongue formed integrally with and extending from the release button in a direction inwardly of the canister, a pawl member integrally formed with and extending from one end of the support tongue remote from the release button in a direction generally perpendicular to the support tongue, a pair of resiliently yieldable, generally plate-like arms formed integrally with and extending from the release button in a direction away from each other and also perpendicular to the support tongue, and a perforated fitting lug formed integrally with one end of each of the resiliently yieldable arms remote from the release button and lying in a plane perpendicular to the associated resiliently yieldable arm.

Claim 8

The carrying case as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said handle assembly comprises: a foldable handle hingedly carried by the bottom lid for pivotal movement between a concealed position, in which the handle is housed within the U-shaped pocket without protruding from the bottom lid, and an exposed position in which the handle is exposed outside the peri­meter of the casing for the access to the hand of an opera­tor thereto; said U-shaped pocket including a pair of side grooves and a bridging groove continued to and extending between respective ends of the side grooves; said bottom lid being formed with a pair of slide decks positioned on respective sides of each side groove, a pair of stopper projections each located at one end of the associated slide deck that is remote from the bridging groove, and a thin elastic plate in fact-to-face relation­ship with each slide deck; and a handle including a pair of spaced arms, each of said arms having one end formed into a generally T-shaped configuration with bosses protruding therefrom in a direc­tion away from each other and perpendicular to the associat­ed arm, said handle being coupled to the bottom lid with the bosses in the arms having been inserted through the cutouts until they are engaged in between the respective pairs of the stopper projections after having slid along the respec­tive slide supports, said handle assembly so coupled to the bottom lid being pivotable about the common longitudinal axis passing through the bosses in the arms in a controlled manner with the bosses in the arms resiliently pressed by the thin elastic plates.

Claim 9

A carrying case of a type which comprises a generally box-like casing accommodating therein various electric components and having a panel assembly generally hingedly supported for movement in a direction close towards and away from the casing, a foldable handle assembly sup­ported for pivotal movement between concealed and projected positions, and at least one lock mechanism operable to lock the panel assembly in position moved close to the canister, said handle assembly comprises: a foldable handle hingedly carried by the bottom lid for pivotal movement between a concealed position, in which the handle is housed within the U-shaped pocket without protruding from the bottom lid, and an exposed position in which the handle is exposed outside the peri­meter of the casing for the access to the hand of an opera­tor thereto; said U-shaped pocket including a pair of side grooves and a bridging groove continued to and extending between respective ends of the side grooves; said bottom lid being formed with a pair of slide decks positioned on respective sides of each side groove, a pair of stopper projections each located at one end of the associated slide deck that is remote from the bridging groove, and a thin elastic plate in fact-to-face relation­ship with each slide deck; and a handle including a pair of spaced arms, each of said arms having one end formed into a generally T-shaped configuration with bosses protruding therefrom in a direc­tion away from each other and perpendicular to the associat­ed arm, said handle being coupled to the bottom lid with the bosses in the arms having been inserted through the cutouts until they are engaged in between the respective pairs of the stopper projections after having slid along the respec­tive slide supports, said handle assembly so coupled to the bottom lid being pivotable about the common longitudinal axis passing through the bosses in the arms in a controlled manner with the bosses in the arms resiliently pressed by the thin elastic plates.

Claim 10

A carrying case of a type which comprises a generally box-like casing accommodating therein various electric components and having a panel assembly generally hingedly supported for movement in a direction close towards and away from the casing, a foldable handle assembly sup­ported for pivotal movement between concealed and projected positions, and at least one lock mechanism operable to lock the panel assembly in position moved close to the canister, said handle assembly comprises: a foldable handle hingedly carried by the bottom lid for pivotal movement between a concealed position, in which the handle is housed within the U-shaped pocket without protruding from the bottom lid, and an exposed position in which the handle is exposed outside the peri­meter of the casing for the access to the hand of an opera­tor thereto; said U-shaped pocket including a pair of side grooves and a bridging groove continued to and extending between respective ends of the side grooves; said bottom lid being formed with a pair of slide decks positioned on respective sides of each side groove, a pair of stopper projections each located at one end of the associated slide deck that is remote from the bridging groove, and a thin elastic plate in fact-to-face relation­ship with each slide deck; and a handle including a pair of spaced arms, each of said arms having one end formed into a generally T-shaped configuration with bosses protruding therefrom in a direc­tion away from each other and perpendicular to the associat­ed arm, said handle being coupled to the bottom lid with the bosses in the arms having been inserted through the cutouts until they are engaged in between the respective pairs of the stopper projections after having slid along the respec­tive slide supports, said handle assembly so coupled to the bottom lid being pivotable about the common longitudinal axis passing through the bosses in the arms in a controlled manner with the bosses in the arms resiliently pressed by the thin elastic plates.

Claim 11

The carrying case as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said lock mechanism comprises: an engagement member secured to the panel assemb­ly; and a release member of one-piece construction made of synthetic resin and including a release button, a support tongue formed integrally with and extending from the release button in a direction inwardly of the canister, a pawl member integrally formed with and extending from one end of the support tongue remote from the release button in a direction generally perpendicular to the support tongue, a pair of resiliently yieldable, generally plate-like arms formed integrally with and extending from the release button in a direction away from each other and also perpendicular to the support tongue, and a perforated fitting lug formed integrally with one end of each of the resiliently yieldable arms remote from the release button and lying in a plane perpendicular to the associated resiliently yieldable arm.