Abstract:
A carrying case for neck ties comprises three panels which fold one over the other and include special loops to support the midpoint of the ties within the carrying case. The separate panels are connected by soft, living hinges. The carrying case is especially useful in smaller luggage cases of the type popular for airline carry on travel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a principal aspect the present invention relates to a carrying case for neck ties, and more particularly, to a carrying case for neck ties which enables the ties to be folded without unnecessary creasing in a compact manner enabling them to be stored in a relatively small item of luggage, such as an airline carry-on case. 
     Carrying cases for neckties have previously been available in combination with travel luggage. Typically, a carrying case for a necktie comprises an elongate panel with a fabric cover that has zipper access through the panel so that the tie may be placed with a single fold within the necktie case. With the advent of smaller and smaller sizes of luggage that may be carried onto airlines, there has developed a need for a tie case which will enable packing thereof within the smaller sizes of carry-on luggage. However, a problem that may result when attempting to fold a tie with multiple folds is the development of undesired creasing in the tie. Thus, there has developed the need for an improved neck tie carrying case which will provide protection for the tie yet enable folding of the tie with multiple folds without undesired creasing. Additionally, it is desired to have a neck tie case which enables use thereof in combination with smaller style luggage cases that are acceptable as carry on items for airline travel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention comprises a carrying case for neck ties which includes three panels each connected one to the other by a flexible living hinge wherein tie support rings or ring members are attached to one end panel by a ribbon member in a manner which permits the placement of multiple ties on the inside surface of the carrier. Retention straps and folding retention rings are also provided to hold the ties in place. The three panels may then be folded, one over the other, for storage and transport of the ties. A buckle is provided to close the panels and maintain them in the folded condition. Hanging straps are provided to support the open case. 
     Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved carrying case for neck ties which includes three panels made of generally semi-rigid material that are connected one to the other by means of very flexible hinge sections. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a necktie carrying case which may be folded with multiple ties therein in a manner which permits storage of the case in a protective fashion within smaller sizes of luggage. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a neck tie carrying case which provides for folding of multiple panels in a manner which protects the ties yet, when the panels are arranged in an unfolded or planar condition, will permit easy access to the ties. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a neck tie carrying case which is compact, easy to use, may be utilized to hold multiple ties, and which includes various means for hanging the carrying case with the ties in a folded condition or an unfolded condition. 
     These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the neck tie carrying case of the invention wherein the case is in the unfolded condition with the inside of the case exposed; 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the case of FIG. 1 wherein the panels comprising the case are shown in a partially folded condition; 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the carrying case of FIG. 1 wherein the semi-rigid panels comprising the case have been folded and buckled together in manner which protects the ties yet avoids creasing the ties; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the folded carrying case of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the figures, the necktie carrying case of the invention is comprised of a first or top, semi-rigid panel  10 , a connected middle or a second, semi-rigid panel  12  and a third, lower or bottom semi-rigid panel  14 . The panels  10 ,  12  and  14  are connected seriatim by flexible living hinges. Thus, a living hinge  16  connects panels  10  and  12 . A living hinge  18  connects the semi-rigid panels  12  and  14 . Preferably, the panels, for example,  10 ,  12  and  14  may be formed by encapsulating or sewing semi-rigid, flat boards forming the panels  10 ,  12  and  14  within a fabric cover. The fabric cover thus serves as the living hinge  16 ,  18  and the semi-rigid panels  10 ,  12  and  14  will be formed by the enclosed semi-rigid boards, for example, a polypropylene or polyethylene sheet formed in an appropriate shape encapsulated within the fabric sleeve. 
     Edge binding attached as a circumferential rib  20  may thus be sewn onto opposed sheets of fabric material to enclose sheets of the semi-rigid material and thereby maintain all of these materials assembled in relation, one to the other. Padding may be included within the sleeve t formed by the fabric. Thus, a thin layer padding may be fitted over the boards which form the panels  10 ,  12  and  14 . 
     The panels  10 ,  12  and  14  define a longitudinal axis  22  having associated therewith a longitudinal dimension for each of the panels  10 ,  12  and  14 . The middle panel  12  thus includes a longitudinal dimension between the hinge sections  16  and  18  along the axis  22 , namely, a dimension  24 . The lower panel or bottom panel  14  defines a longitudinal dimension  26 , which in the preferred embodiment, is equal to or slightly less than the longitudinal dimension  24  of the middle panel  12 . The reason for the relationship of the dimensions  24  and  26  will become apparent by reference to various figures wherein it is shown that the bottom panel  14  is folded over the middle panel  12 . Then, the upper panel or top panel  10  is folded over the folded middle panel  12  and bottom panel  14 . For this reason, the bottom panel  14  is foreshortened relative to the middle panel  12  or at least is no greater in longitudinal dimension  26  than the longitudinal dimension  24  of the middle panel  12 . The top panel  10  also includes a longitudinal dimension  28 . The longitudinal dimension of the top panel  28  may be equal to or less than, or greater than the longitudinal dimension of the middle panel  12 . In the preferred embodiment the longitudinal dimension of the top panel  28  is slightly lesser than that of the middle panel  12 . This facilitates the fastening or buckling of the panels  10 , 12 , 14  in the closed condition as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     In the preferred embodiment, a retainer strap  30  is positioned over the living hinge  16  connecting the top panel  10  and the middle panel  12 . A second retainer strap  32  is provided at the juncture defined by the other living hinge  18 . Optional wing flaps  34  and  36  are attached to the side edges of the top panel  10 . The flaps  34  and  36  preferably fold one other the other and may include fastening means or may be made from a material which provides for electrostatic or other attraction so that when the flaps  34  and  36  fold over each other, they will tend to adhere one to the other. The flaps  34  and  36  are thus attached to the side edges of the panel  10  on the opposite sides thereof below a top edge or crown  38  of panel  10 . 
     Optional flaps on wing members  40  and  42  are attached to their respective side edges  44  and  46  of the bottom or lower panel  14 . The flaps or wing members  40  and  42  have the same or similar construction as the flaps on wing members  34  and  36  affixed to the top panel  10 . 
     The carrying case includes an inside surface  50  with a ribbon member  52  sewn thereto and in a manner which enables the retention of a series of separated loop members  54 ,  56  and  58  in FIG.  1 . Thus, the ribbon member  52  is sewn as depicted in FIG. 1 with a stitch line  60  to thereby define a stitched section  62  which retains a loop member  54 . Ribbon member  52  is then stitched on the opposite side of the loop member  54 . In this manner, a number of loop members  54 , 56 , 58  are individually attached in serial order, one above the other to the inside surface  50  of the top panel  10 . The ribbon member  52  further includes a portion thereof which is sewn so as to hold a support ring  64  at the upper end or crown  38  of the top panel  10 . 
     The outside face  66  of the top panel  10  includes an optional zippered pocket  68  having a zipper  70  for access thereto. The pocket  68  may be utilized, for example, for the storage of collar stays and the like. At the upper end or crown  38  of the panel  10  on the outside face  66  there is attached a buckle  72  cooperative with a buckle member  74  which is attached by an adjustable strap  76  to the outside face of the middle panel  12 . The buckle members  72  and  74  are fastened together in order to hold the carrying case in a closed position. The strap  76  may also include a hanging loop  78  as shown in FIG. 4. A second hanging strap  80  may be provided at the opposite end of the middle panel  12 . Either strap  76  or  80  may be used to hang the carrying case or to connect it to retention members within the luggage. 
     Typically, a single tie is placed through a loop  54 , for example, as depicted in FIG. 1, and retained by the straps  32  and  30  as well as the wing members or flaps  34 ,  36 ,  40  and  42 . Each loop member  54 ,  56 ,  58  is designed to support and engage a single tie, for example, tie  90  in FIG.  1 . Then the bottom or lower panel  14  may be folded over the middle panel  12  depicted in FIG.  2 . The upper panel or top panel  10  may then be folded over the panels  12  and  14  as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     The loop members, for example, loop member  54  has a rectangular shape in the preferred embodiment so that there is provided a straight run, for example, run  80  in FIG. 2 which enables folding the midpoint of the tie over the run  80  as depicted in FIG.  2 . It is to be noted that the flaps, or wing members, such as flaps  34 ,  36  are optional features of the invention, but are preferred. Additionally, the support strap, such as strap  30  is an optional feature. Thus, various alternative features and embodiments of the invention are considered to be within the scope of the invention. The invention is therefore limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.