Abstract:
A carrying case with an internal suspension system is provided to reduce acceleration, shock, and the vibrational loads on an electronic device, and which is selectively adjustable to accommodate electronic devices of varying sizes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to carrying cases for delicate or fragile articles such as laptop computers and other electronic equipment, and more specifically a protection system that protects stored articles from the adverse affects of acceleration, shock, and vibrational loads.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Electronic devices such as laptop computers, DVD players, radio equipment, and non-electronic products, such as survey equipment, are very susceptible to acceleration and shock loads due to their internal circuitry and delicate componentry. As referred to herein, these devices are collectively referred to as “electronic devices.” The electronic devices discussed herein are frequently hand carried and prone to damage from acceleration, shock, or vibration loading that can occur when the devices are inadvertently dropped or impacted during transportation. Previous methods of protecting electronic devices have generally employed padding materials such as foam, rubber and/or other similar compliant materials positioned within the carrying case or attache. Although padding may be somewhat protective, the majority of shock loads associated with a dropped carrying case may still be transmitted to the electronic device since padding is somewhat compressible. In addition, padding materials may be ineffective from protecting an article from acceleration or vibrational loads.  
         [0003]     Isolation of an article generally provides improved protection to the electronic device and may include a separate padded compartment in the carrying case. These isolated storage areas are often attached to an internal wall of the carrying case and are usually made of a flexible material that acts somewhat like a spring to dampen shock and acceleration loads originating from outside of the case. Thus there is a significant need for an affordable shock resistant carrying case that can restrain and protect delicate electronic componentry from damage during impact or as a result of acceleration loading.  
         [0004]     One prior art method of isolating an electronic device is to add a storage compartment that is partially isolated from the rest of the carrying case. The isolated compartments allow the electronic device to be slid into the case and be oriented such that a portion of the device is at or near parallel with the bottom of the case, and thus suspended above a bottom portion of the case. Generally, the compartment may be equipped with conventional foam or other padding materials to protect the electronic device. In addition, the bottom surface of the compartment may employ flexible fabrics to isolate the electronic device from loads emanating from the bottom of the case that are associated with an impact. However, no case currently exists that provides a selectively adjustable storage compartment for protecting the electronic device in a carrying case in substantially all six directions. Thus, there is a long felt but unsolved need for a carrying case that isolates fragile electronic devices, such as laptop computers, in more than one direction, and that avoids the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     Accordingly, it is one aspect of the present invention to provide a cost effective and portable carrying case that provides protection from acceleration and shock loads to an electronic device positioned within the carrying case. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention a portable carrying case or attache is provided that employs a separate compartment for securing an electronic device and that has a suspension system that provides protection in a plurality of directions.  
         [0006]     It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a compartment in a carrying case that is capable of providing protection to an electronic device in substantially six directions of travel. More specifically, a combination of flexible materials and conventional padding may be used to absorb loads caused by impact from substantially any direction, thus providing more protection than traditional cases that depend solely on padding for protection.  
         [0007]     It is yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a lightweight, cost effective storage case. A shock absorbent or loads resistant case can be made of any number or combination of materials which dictate the weight of the finished product. A substantially indestructible and protective shock absorbent or load resistant case would generally not be feasible to construct because of the significant weight and cost. Thus, materials that are preferably used to protect and isolate electronic devices are generally light, and more specifically, materials such as nylon, Teflon®, elastic fiber, etc. are used. By altering the way these materials are used with each other, and with the addition of padding, an electronic device can be protected in substantially six directions of travel.  
         [0008]     It is yet another aspect of the present invention that the compartment that secures the electronic device be expandible. By using certain flexible and expandable materials, an added advantage of expandability emerges. Some cases that do not use flexible materials, or limit their use, commonly have carrying compartments of fixed volumes. A user of a case with a fixed volume may be forced to buy a new case when purchasing a new electronic device. Electronic devices vary in size and shape, and a compartment that is compliant with different electronic devices is of great utility to a user.  
         [0009]     It is still yet another aspect of the present invention to provide a case that includes a selectively adjustable storage compartment. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention employ a compartment that includes an adjustable internal panel in combination with adjustable side members that secure the electronic device. In addition, cushioned ribs may be employed that engage the electronic device. The adjustable side members in embodiments of the present include a selective fastening member for engagement to the internal panel. Thus a storage compartment is defined by the adjustable panel, the rear panel of the computer case with perhaps at least one cushioned rib protruding therefrom, and two adjustable side members. By selectively adjusting the location of interconnection of the adjustable side members to the adjustable internal panel, a user can selectively expand and contract the storage compartment to accommodate various sized electronic devices. More specifically, in one embodiment of the internal compartment is preferably adjustable to alter the horizontal dimension, vertical dimension, and depth of the compartment. Thus, the internal storage compartment can be selectively adjusted to secure a variety of different notebook computers with varying widths, heights and thicknesses. In addition, the adjustable internal panel may terminate and be hingedly interconnected to an inside corner of the computer case thereby providing some protection to the device against impacts, as described above. One skilled in the art should appreciate that further protection methods may be employed in conjunction with the adjustable storage compartment as primarily described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. For example. Internal gussets or suspension systems which may be interconnected to internal or external materials and framework may also be utilized.  
         [0010]     It is still a further aspect of the present invention that the carrying case and carrying compartment may be designed from inexpensive materials that are well-known in the art. These include nylon, rubber, plastics and other similar materials which are generally flexible and lightweight as opposed to more rigid.  
         [0011]     Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention a carrying case with an internal suspension system adapted for supporting and protecting an electronic device, is provided, comprising:  
         [0012]     an enclosure defined by a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom panel, a top panel and opposing side panels;  
         [0013]     a selective opening means interconnected to at least one of said top panel, said front panel and said rear panel to allow access to an internal portion of said enclosure;  
         [0014]     a support platform operably interconnected to an internal portion of said enclosure and elevated above said bottom panel, said support panel adapted to support an electronics device; and  
         [0015]     an adjustable lateral restraint means interconnected to an internal surface of said enclosure which is adapted to engage at least two opposing edges of said electronic device to substantially impede lateral movement and within said storage case.  
         [0016]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of storing an electronic device in a selectively adjustable case including:  
         [0017]     a portable storage enclosure with at least one opening is provided;  
         [0018]     inserting an electronics device into a cradle formed by a suspension platform interconnected to an interior of the carrying case, wherein the electronics device is supported above a bottom panel of the carrying case; and  
         [0019]     selectively adjusting a first lateral restraint member and a second lateral resistant member to enclose the electronics device and secure the restraint members to the support panel, wherein the electronics device is substantially impeded from inadvertent movement.  
         [0020]     The summary of the invention is neither intended nor should it be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present invention. The present invention is set forth in various levels of detail in the Summary of the Invention as well as in the attached drawings and the Detailed Description of the Invention and no limitation as to the scope of the present invention is intended by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, etc. as provided herein. Additional aspects of the present invention will become more readily apparent in the detailed description, particularly when taken together with the drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  with the front panel removed for clarity, and identifying internal components of an internal suspension system;  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  with the front panel removed for clarity and showing adjustable side members opened;  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a left partial cross-sectional view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  with a portion of the front panel removed for clarity; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  with the front panel removed to identify the internal components. 
     
    
       [0026]     To assist in the understanding of the present invention the following list of components and associated numbering found in the drawings is provided herein:  
                                             #   Component                                2   Electronic storage case       4   Front panel       6   Rear panel       8   Top panel       10   Bottom panel       12   Side panel       14   Zipper pull       16   Handle       18   Auxiliary storage compartment       20   Storage compartment       22   Cushioned rib       24   Adjustable support panel       26   First restraint member       28   Second restraint member       30   First fastening member       32   Second fastening member       34   Storage compartment lower surface       36   Electronic device       38   Gusset       40   Strap ring       42   Padding                  
 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a front elevation view of one embodiment of the present invention is provided herein. More specifically, an electronic device storage case  2  is provided that generally comprises a front panel  4 , a rear panel  6 , a top panel  8 , a bottom panel  10  and opposing side panels  12  positioned between the top panel  8  and the bottom panel  10 . Alternatively, the top panel  8  may be removed and the case  2  interconnected along an upper edge of the front panel  4  and rear panel  6 . Although generally designed to carry a notebook computer, the electronic device storage case  2  may be used to retain and safely store any type of electronic device that may be fragile and prone to breakage. The electronic device storage case  2  shown in  FIG. 1  generally includes one or more openings that allow access to the electronic storage case and insertion and removal of the electronic device. The storage compartment may be selectively accessed with the use of one or more zippers  14 , buckles, or other types of opening mechanisms commonly known in the art. Generally, the openings are included in the top panel  8 , but openings may also be positioned in the front panel  4 , rear panel  6 , or within one of the side panels  12 . The electronic storage case  2  may also include a handle  16  and at least one auxiliary storage compartment  18 . The auxiliary storage compartment  18  of one embodiment of the present invention may secure items like address books, compact discs, sunglasses, phones, PDAs, and other similar commonly used items.  
         [0028]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a front elevation view of one embodiment with the front panel omitted for clarity is provided herein. More specifically, a storage compartment  20  for receipt of an electronic device is provided. The storage compartment  20  is defined by the rear panel  6  that may include a plurality of cushioned ribs  22  emanating therefrom, an internal support panel  24 , and two adjustable restraint members  26  and  28 . The electronic device is thus supported on one surface by the adjustable internal support panel  24 , or another surface by the cushioned ribs  22 , and its left and right sides by the adjustable restraint members  26  and  28  respectively. A portion of the electronic device is also supported by a lower surface of the storage compartment  20  that also provides some impact isolation since it is spaced from the bottom panel  10  of the electronic storage case  2 . The electronic storage case  2  may also include padding  42  in a variety of locations to provide added protection. The internal support panel  24  in one embodiment includes a first fastening member  30  for selective interconnection to a second fastening member  32  interconnected to both adjustable side members  26  and  28 . These fastening members may comprise hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro® but other fasteners known in the art such as snaps, buckles or latches, etc. may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. In order to increase at least one dimension of the storage area, a user selectively disconnects the fastening members, transitions the adjustable support panel  24  towards the rear panel  6  of the case  2  to make the storage compartment  20  thinner or transition the internal support panel  24  away from the rear panel  6  to make the storage compartment  20  thicker and re-interconnect the fastening members. The first adjustable restraint member  26  and second adjustable restraint member  28  provide a means for securing the internal support panel  24  and substantially prevent the movement of the stored device in a direction transverse to the thickness of the electronic storage case  2 . Thus the dimension of storage area may be selectively adjusted to assure that the electronic device is securely retained to avoid unnecessary movement and to provide the flexibility to store electronic devices with different dimensions.  
         [0029]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , cross sectional and perspective views of one embodiment of the present invention are shown. More specifically, additional detail regarding the storage compartment is provided within the electronic storage case  2  will be appreciated. The storage compartment  20  is defined by cushioned ribs  22 , the internal support panel  24 , the adjustable restraint members  26  and  28 , and a storage compartment lower surface  34 . This lower surface provides a space between the storage compartment  20  and the bottom panel  10  of the electronic storage case  2  thereby at least partially isolating a stored electronic device  36  from the bottom panel  10  of the case to provide some shock isolation. Preferably there is a gap or spacing of at least about 1 inch, and preferably 2-3 inches to prevent the electronic device from impacting a solid surface if the storage case  2  is inadvertently dropped. In addition, the adjustable support panel  24  may be hingedly interconnected to a corner defined by the rear panel  6  and the bottom panel  10  of the electronic storage case  2 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that other interconnection methods can be employed to further isolate the electronic device  36  without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the front panel  4  of the case may be interconnected to the side panels of the case  2  by gussets  38 . Again, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these gussets  38  may be omitted to allow the front panel  4  to open to a greater extent thereby providing greater access to the interior or the case  2 . Although the handle  8  is primarily shown and described herein, other methods of securing the electronic storage case  2  to an individual, such as a strap (not shown) may be included that is selectively interconnectable to the electronic storage case  2  via a strap ring  40 .  
         [0030]     While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and variations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications are within the scope and spirit of the present invention.