Expandable carrying case

A carrying case includes telescoping walls that can be attached one to the other in alternative positions of adjustment to permit expansion or reduction of the interior volume of the case.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a carrying case of the type having a hard 
perpipheral frame, such as a brief case or a suit case. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Brief cases and suitcases both are well known in the art which incorporate 
a main body of the case having a rigid peripheral wall, to which a lid 
having a rigid peripheral wall is hinged. A handle is provided for 
carrying the case, and, suitable locks are provided interconnecting the 
main body of the case and the lid. 
In a brief case in particular, the top and bottom walls of the case 
commonly are rigid and are attached respectively directly to the 
associated rigid frame of the main body and the lid. In a suitcase, the 
top and bottom walls of the case can either be rigid, or, optionally they 
can be formed from panels of a flexible fabric material which are 
respectively attached at their peripheral edges to the associated rigid 
frame of the case body and the lid. 
More particularly in a brief case construction, it is known to attach the 
bottom wall of the case body by means of an accordian pleated peripheral 
skirt attached to the rigid peripheral frame at one of its edges, and to 
the associated bottom wall at the opposite one of its edges, the 
peripheral skirt being flexible and permitting the interior volume of the 
brief case to be expanded by releasing members holding the bottom wall in 
a normal position in which it is closely adjacent the rigid peripheral 
frame, and by then extending the accordian pleated skirt. However, 
accordian pleated skirts are unsightly in appearance, both in the normal 
position of the bottom wall and its extended position, and also are 
readily subject to perforation, tearing or ripping in the event that the 
case is handled roughly. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention to eliminate the unsightly appearance of 
such accordian pleated skirts and the inherant structural weakness of such 
skirts, while at the same time providing a carrying case in the form of a 
brief case of a suitcase or the like that can be expanded in internal 
volume. 
According to the present invention, at least the bottom wall of the case is 
provided with a rigid peripheral frame that is telescopingly received 
within the rigid peripheral frame of the main body of the case, and which 
is movable relative to the rigid peripheral frame of the main body of the 
case to increase or decrease the internal volume thereof, securing means 
being provided for holding the rigid peripheral frame of the bottom wall 
in a desired adjusted position relative to the rigid peripheral wall of 
the main body of the case. 
In an identical manner, the top wall of the case optionally can be provided 
with a rigid peripheral frame that is telescopingly received within the 
rigid peripheral frame of the lid, and which is movable relative thereto, 
securing means being provided for holding the rigid frame of the top wall 
in a selected position of adjustment. 
Thus, a carrying case construction is provided in which the interior volume 
of the case can be expanded or reduced in dependence on the carrying needs 
of the case, this being in the absence of accordian pleats, and, in a 
manner which results in an extremely attractive appearance of the case, 
and, one which is structurally stronger than its accordian pleated 
counterpart. 
As related to a suitcase, which does not necessarily incorporate a lid but 
instead incorporates flexible top and bottom walls, the main frame of the 
case in an alternative embodiment is provided with opposed top and bottom 
walls or opposed end walls, or both, which can telescope one within the 
other in order that the periphery of the case can be expanded or 
contracted as desired, a plurality of top and bottom walls of different 
area being provided that can be attached to the main body of the suitcase 
by slide fasteners, the rigid walls of the main body of the case being 
provided with any convenient securing means for holding the telescoping 
sections in their desired position of adjustment. 
Thus, in this alternative embodiment of the invention the volume of the 
case can be increased or decreased at will by the user by the mere act of 
sliding the telescoping sections relative to each other to a desired 
volume of suitcase, and then attaching appropriate top and bottom panels 
to the thusly adjusted frame. 
The invention also has application in cases for the carrying of files, of 
in carrying cases known as pilots cases. In a further alternative 
embodiment, such a carrying case includes a bottom tray-like structure 
that is telescopingly received within an upper case structure and which 
can be secured to the upper case structure in any one of a number of 
selected positions, thus permitting the volume of the carrying case to be 
adjusted to meet specific requirements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a carrying case is shown, which typically 
is a brief case or a suitcase. 
As more clearly shown in FIG. 1, the carrying case incorporates a main body 
10 which includes a rigid peripheral frame, the main body conveniently 
being provided with a carrying handle 11, and being closed at one of its 
sides by a lid 12 incorporating a top wall of the case. 
The bottom of the case is closed by a bottom panel 13, and, a top panel 14 
provides a closure for the lid. 
As is indicated by chain dotted lines in FIG. 1, the purpose of the present 
invention is to permit the interior volume of the case to be expanded or 
reduced by moving the bottom panel 13 between its position shown in full 
lines and the position indicated in chain dotted lines 13a. Similarly, and 
if desired, provision is made for moving the top panel 14 between the 
position indicated and the position indicated by the chain dotted lines 
14a for the purpose of further expanding or reducing the internal volume 
of the case. 
The manner in which this movement of the bottom panel 13 is permitted is 
more clearly illustrated in the cross-sectional illustration of FIG. 2. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, the bottom panel 13 is secured at its periphery to 
a rigid frame 15 that is telescopingly received within the rigid frame of 
the main body 10. Thus, the bottom panel 13 is moveable away from or 
towards the main body 10 between the position indicated and an extended 
indicated by a chain dotted lines 13a. In that later position, the rigid 
frame 15 remains partially telescope within the rigid frame of the main 
body, the main body thus providing for the stability of the bottom panel 
13 and its rigid frame 15. 
Conveniently, a waterproof bellows 16 is provided internally of the main 
body 10 interconnecting the frame of the main body 10 and the rigid frame 
15 of the bottom panel 13, the waterproof bellows additionally acting to 
limit the extent to which the rigid frame 15 of the end panel 13 can be 
moved outwardly from the rigid frame of the main body 10. 
In order to prevent collapsing of the bottom panel 13 into the main body 10 
of the case, either the rigid frame 15 is provided with an outwardly 
extending peripheral lip 18, or, the functional equivalent of that 
peripheral lip 18 is provided by the bottom panel 13 itself in the event 
that the bottom panel 13 is a panel of a rigid material. 
Any convenient means can be provided for securing the bottom panel 13 and 
its rigid peripheral frame 15 in the retracted position relative to the 
main body 10. As illustrated, this is provided by straps 20 of a flexible 
material which are directly attached to the bottom panel 13 or the rigid 
peripheral frame 15 of the bottom panel at one end of the straps, the 
opposite end of the straps being provided with a press fastener 22 for 
cooperation with a corresponding press stud fast with the main body 10. 
Several such cooperating press studs can be provided in in-line series, 
thus permitting the adjustment of the bottom panel 13 and its rigid 
peripheral frame 15 to any one of a number of positions of adjustment. Any 
other convenient form of securing means can be employed, such as toothed 
rack attached to one or other of the frame members, and which is slidable 
within a channel attached to the other of those members, a detent being 
provided for locking the toothed rack in a selected position of adjustment 
relative to the associated channel member. 
While the invention has so far been described with reference to the bottom 
wall 13 of the case, it will be appreciated that the lid 12 can be of 
similar or identical construction, thus permitting the lid 14 to be 
expanded or retracted in the manner described with respect to the bottom 
wall 13. 
The construction so far described is of particular utility in a carrying 
case in which the opposed top and bottom panels are formed from a rigid 
material. Such, however, is not necessarily present in a suitcase 
construction in which the respective top and bottom panels are formed from 
a flexible fabric material. In this event, sections of the main body of 
the suitcase can be telescopingly arranged, such that the main body can be 
expanded or contracted to the size of any of one of a plurality of top and 
bottom panels of different area, and which are attachable to the main 
frame by conventional slide fasteners. 
This concept is diagramatically illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, in which the 
main body of the case, indicated generally at 10 is made up of four main 
frame members 30, 31, 32 and 33 which telescope one within the other at 
their respective ends, the respective main frame members 30-33 each being 
of generally of L-shape configuration. Alternatively, the members 30 and 
31 and the members 32 and 33 can be combined into a U-shaped member, in 
order to provide for lateral enlargement or reduction of the volume of the 
case, or, the main frame members 30, 33 and 31, 32 can be combined into a 
U-shaped member this providing for expansion or reduction of the volume of 
the case in a vertical direction only. 
Each of the main frame members 30-33 is provided with one element of a 
slide fastener extending along its opposite lateral edges, and of which is 
for cooperation with a mating slide fastener element of a selected size of 
end panel 34 to be attached to the opposite lateral edges of the main body 
10, as indicated diagramatically in FIG. 3, the slide fastener elements of 
the respective main body and end panels being indicated by the number of 
that member accompanied by the suffix a. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternative form of carrying case for files and 
the like is shown, the carrying case including a main upper portion 40 of 
box-like formation, and which is provided with closure flaps 42 and 43 and 
a carrying handle 44. 
The box-like top portion 40 has no bottom wall, but instead receives a 
tray-like portion 46 in telescoping relation therewith. In a manner 
similar to that previously described with reference to FIG. 2, straps 48 
or other securing members are provided for limiting movement of the lower 
tray structure 46 out of the top box-like structure 40, the straps being 
attachable to the top box structure 40 by press fasteners 49. 
By this structure, in common with the structures disclosed with respect to 
FIGS. 1-4, the case can be adjusted in internal volume by adjustment of 
the extent of telescoping of the lower tray member 46 within the upper 
box-like member 40. As previously described, preferably a bellows 
interconnection is provided between the upper edge of the lower tray 
section 46 and the top box-like member 40 to limit the extent to which the 
lower tray-like section is moveable out of the upper box-like section 40. 
Also, as previously described, a plurality of press studs can be provided 
in an in-line series on the inner surface of the upper box-like member 40, 
and, which are selectively engageable by a snap fastener carried by the 
respective straps 48. 
It will be appreciated that various modifications of the preferred 
embodiments described above can be made without departing from the scope 
of the appended claims defining the scope of the invention.