Abstract:
A case assembly is configured for organized carrying of toiletries in a leak-proof manner within a suitcase, and for subsequent displaying of the toiletries within the case on a vanity countertop, particularly on hotel/motel and other guest-like bathroom vanities. A contour of an exterior portion of the case assembly is configured to corresponding/match a contoured portion of the suitcase interior, and to have an extent matching a full depth of the suitcase, to optimize space occupied therein. The case assembly includes: a case; a seal member; a cover configured to enclose the opening in the case, in a closed position; a cover support arm permitting selective pivotal movements of the cover; a latch to secure the cover in a leak-proof manner, in the closed position; and a display arm pivotally coupled to the cover, and configured to support the opened case cover at a desired display angle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/297,407, filed on Jun. 5, 2014, all disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to improvements in luggage, and more particularly to a specially constructed suitcase that enables easier packing of garments and other items therein, and better access to the items once packed. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    For many travelers, packing a suitcase is a chore even when necessary for a highly anticipated vacation, and it often seems like there is no effective way to stow all of the personal items needed for the tip, in the suitcase. There are many websites and guides that offer tips for how to efficiently pack a suitcase, but even for a traveler who has sought out and utilized such advice, once the suitcase is packed, subsequent access to particular articles of clothing or other items is thereafter limited, without digging and rifling through what is often a densely and neatly packed piece of luggage. 
         [0004]    This is inconvenient if a traveler wishes to double-check, before leaving home, that a particular garment was actually packed. Furthermore, a similar problem is encountered when the traveler arrives at the destination. If the trip will be relatively brief, the traveler may not want to unpack all of the items from the suitcase into the dresser drawers in the hotel room, particularly if the person over-packed, and does not wish to have to repack everything at the time of departure. This situation is similarly encountered when visiting a relative and staying in a spare bedroom that has no dresser, or the dresser in the room is filled with the extra, out-of-season clothing of the homeowner-relative. 
         [0005]    All of these issues with respect to packing and unpacking the suitcase are further compounded by the lack of a suitable place for, and ready access to, an extra pair of dress shoes and/or running shoes, and for all of the toiletry items that must be safely stowed and transported on the trip as well (e.g., blow dryer, shampoo, conditioner, mouth wash, shaving cream, tooth paste, etc.). Since there is no dedicated place for these items, there is a tendency for them to be squeezed, if not crushed, during the packing process, and during the subsequent baggage handling that the suitcase undergoes. It is not uncommon for the cap on these liquid and semi-liquid toiletry items to become loosened, leading to soiling of the traveler&#39;s clean clothing or just the interior of the suitcase. In addition, there is no adequately organized approach for both transporting of these toiletry items in the suitcase, and for then subsequently transferring them to the vanity in the hotel room, once the suitcase is placed on a luggage rack and opened. Furthermore, there is no suitable means for displaying and/or organizing the toiletry items on the vanity of a hotel room, where they may be protected against handling by housekeeping personal who tend to handle and move things around to clean the vanity, possibly while using unclean hands. 
         [0006]    The easy access organizer suitcase of the present invention solves these problems of the prior art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The suitcase of the present invention may include a base shell portion and a second shell portion (or just a cover) pivotally coupled thereto, and which may be latched using a latch means when closed. The base shell may include wheels and an extendable handle for rolling of the suitcase on the ground instead of it needing to be carried, as is typical on suitcases, and it may also include stops on the bottom of the base shell to complement the wheels, to help support the suitcase in a stable upright position. 
         [0008]    A first partition may divide the second shell portion into first and second compartments. A second and a third partition may sub-divide the second compartment into first, second, and third sub-compartments, which may be suitably sized/configured to separately store two pairs of shoes, and a blow dryer therein. A flap that may be made of a transparent material may be used to releasably seal the shoes in the first and second sub-compartments using Velcro or other hook and loop type pieces of material. The flaps may serve to prevent any debris dislodged from the shoes from soiling the contents of the suitcase, and may eliminate the need for the traveler to place the shoes in a separate plastic bag. Fishnet may be used to secure the blow-dryer in the third sub-compartment, which may alternatively be used to store additional shoes or other items. 
         [0009]    The interior of the first compartment may therein receive a case that may be formed to have a correspondingly shaped periphery, and be of a suitable depth. Alternatively, the size and shape of the case may be such that it may only occupy a portion of the first compartment, and may not extend to each of its sides, or even any of the sides of the periphery that defines the first compartment. The interior of the case may be partitioned to form a plurality of selectively shaped sub-compartments, each of which may receive correspondingly shaped toiletry and/or cosmetic items therein. A cover may seal the case, to provide protection for the garments in the suitcase against any possible leakage from the liquid and semi-liquid toiletry/cosmetic items stored within the case. 
         [0010]    The case provides a safe and organized approach for both transporting of these toiletry items within the suitcase, and for then subsequently transferring them to the countertop of the vanity in a hotel room, all in one step. The cover may also be pivotally attached to the case, so that the cover may pivot, once unsealed, to a second position that permits the cover to support the case in an upright position, for convenient display and use of the toiletry items stored within the case when positioned upon the vanity countertop of a hotel room. Keeping the toiletry items within the display case on the vanity countertop provides hygienic protection against direct and unnecessary/undesired handling by hotel housekeeping personnel, who may be wearing gloves for cleaning of the bath tub, toilet, and sink, because such personnel may then just move the display case around, in order to clean the vanity, rather than touching and moving the traveler&#39;s individual toiletry items (e.g., the traveler&#39;s toothbrush, toothpaste, etc). 
         [0011]    When the suitcase may be used to travel to visit a relative, and the suitcase may be placed on the floor of a guest room, it may be placed near a wall, such that when the second shell portion is pivoted open, it may be generally upright, but angled slightly so that its upper edge may rest against the wall. Thus, the flaps and the fishnet for securing/sealing of the first, second, and third sub-compartments may be positioned to provide selective access from an upwardly disposed side of the second shell portion that is distal from the hinge, which may be convenient for when the person kneels/bends down to retrieve the shoes or blow dryer from the suitcase sub-compartments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is front view of a first embodiment of the suitcase of the present invention, shown in the closed position, where the second shell portion has been pivoted to be opposed to, and latched, with respect to the base shell portion. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a first side view of the suitcase of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a second side view of the suitcase of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the suitcase of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is the front view of the suitcase as seen in  FIG. 1 , but shown with the second shell portion having been unlatched and pivoted 180 degrees away from the base shell portion, to be in an open position that exposes the interior of both the base shell and the second shell. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the suitcase shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is the front view of the suitcase as seen in  FIG. 5 , but shown with the latch for the toiletry case assembly having been moved into the unlatched position, and the case assembly having been removed from the second compartment of the second shell portion. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7A  is an enlarged detail view of the bottom of the suitcase of  FIG. 5 , showing the latch means for securing the case assembly within the lower compartment of the second shell portion having been moved to the unsecured position, and with the case assembly shown therein prior to its removal. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8A  shows an alternate embodiment of the suitcase of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 8B  is a side view of the suitcase embodiment of  FIG. 8A , shown with the cover in a closed positioned, and secured thereat by a zipper. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the case assembly, after its removal from the second compartment of the second shell portion of the suitcase of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 9A  is a side view of the case assembly of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 9B  is an exploded view of the case assembly of  FIG. 9 , showing the removable tray positioned beside the case to reveal lower sub-compartments. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the case assembly of  FIG. 9 , with the case and cover being reduced in height, and with the case being formed without any integral stiffeners (sub-compartments) therein. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10A  is a side view of the case assembly of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 10B  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the case assembly of  FIG. 10 , being configured to releasably receive modular partition members therein. 
           [0028]      FIG. 10C  shows a front view and a side view of a partition member that may be used in the case assembly of  FIG. 10B . 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is the side view of  FIG. 9A , but shown reduced in size. 
           [0030]      FIG. 11A  is an enlarged detail view of the bottom of the case assembly of  FIG. 11 , showing the engagement of a portion of the cover with a portion of the case. 
           [0031]      FIG. 11B  is an enlarged detail view of the top of the case assembly of  FIG. 11 , showing the pivotal coupling of the cover to the cover support arm, and the pivotal coupling of the cover support arm to the top of the case. 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  shows the side view of the case assembly of  FIG. 11 , but is shown with the cover and cover support arm pivoted away from the closed position, and with the display arm pivoted away from its stowed position with respect to the cover. 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  shows the side view of the case assembly of  FIG. 12 , but with the cover and the display arm pivoted into a first display position, in which a portion of the display arm is engaged with a bottom portion of the case, to support the case at an acute angle with respect to vertical. 
           [0034]      FIG. 13A  shows the side view of  FIG. 13 , but with an alternate embodiment for the Velcro on the display arm, and with the cover and the display arm pivoted into a display position in which the case is nearly vertical. 
           [0035]      FIG. 13B  shows the side view of  FIG. 13A , but with the cover and the display arm pivoted into a display position in which the case is at roughly a 60 degree angle with the vanity countertop. 
           [0036]      FIG. 13C  shows a side view of the case assetibly of  FIG. 10 , but with the cover and the display arm pivoted into an alternate display position, and with the flange on the cover shown to be extended in length. 
           [0037]      FIG. 14  shows a side view of another alternate embodiment of the case assembly, showing the cover of the case assembly transitioning, using two pairs of arms, from a closed position into several open positions, one of which may support the case in an upright position. 
           [0038]      FIG. 15  is the case assembly of  FIG. 14  shown with the cover supporting the case in an upright position on a vanity countertop, with the top of the cover engaging a lip at the top of the back of the case. 
           [0039]      FIG. 15A  is an enlarged detail view of the case assembly of  FIG. 15 , showing the corner of the case engaging within an elongated groove in the display arm, to support the case at a desired display position. 
           [0040]      FIG. 16  a side view of another alternate embodiment of the case assembly, in which the cover is not pivotally coupled to the case, but may nonetheless support the case in an upright display position, by having a portion of the top of the cover be received within a recess at the back of the case. 
           [0041]      FIG. 17  is the case assembly of  FIG. 16 , shown with the cover supporting the case in an upright position on a vanity countertop. 
           [0042]      FIG. 18  illustrates the suitcase of  FIG. 5  having been positioned near the vanity in a hotel room, and further illustrates that the case assembly therein may be positioned on the vanity countertop in the display configuration, and that the tray of  FIG. 9A  may be removed from the case assembly and be separately positioned on the vanity countertop to also be displayed thereon. 
           [0043]      FIG. 19  shows an alternate embodiment of the suitcase of  FIG. 5 , in which partitioning of the upper compartment of the second shell may form sub-compartments that may be configured to receive extra pairs of shoes and/or a blow dryer. 
           [0044]      FIG. 20  is a top view of the suitcase of  FIG. 19 . 
           [0045]      FIG. 21  shows the suitcase of  FIG. 19  having been opened upon a floor of a guest room, with the second shell portion propped up against the wall. 
           [0046]      FIG. 21A  is a side view of the suitcase of  FIG. 21 . 
           [0047]      FIG. 22  shows the suitcase of  FIG. 19  having been opened upon a hotel luggage rack, with the second shell portion propped up against the wall. 
           [0048]      FIG. 22A  is a side view of the suitcase of  FIG. 22 . 
           [0049]      FIG. 23  shows an alternate embodiment of the suitcase of  FIG. 1 , configured to form a tri-fold arrangement with a base shell portion, a second shell portion, and a third shell portion, with each being shown in an open position. 
           [0050]      FIG. 24  is a top view of the suitcase of  FIG. 23 . 
           [0051]      FIG. 25  is a side view of the suitcase of  FIG. 23 , shown with all three shell portions in a closed position. 
           [0052]      FIG. 26  is a side view of the suitcase of  FIG. 25 . 
           [0053]      FIG. 27  is a top view of the suitcase of  FIG. 25 . 
           [0054]      FIG. 28  shows the suitcase of  FIG. 25  having been opened with the base shell portion resting upon the floor, with the third shell portion resting upon a hotel luggage rack, and with the second shell portion positioned therebetween and being substantially upwardly disposed. 
           [0055]      FIG. 29  is a side view of the opened suitcase of  FIG. 28 . 
           [0056]      FIG. 30  is the suitcase embodiment of  FIG. 23 , but which also includes the partitioning of the upper compartment of the second shell to form the shoe and blow-dryer sub-compartments shown for the suitcase embodiment of  FIG. 19 . 
           [0057]      FIG. 31  shows the suitcase of  FIG. 30  having been opened with the base shell portion resting upon the floor, with the third shell portion resting upon a hotel luggage rack, and with the second shell portion positioned therebetween and being substantially upwardly disposed. 
           [0058]      FIG. 32  is a side view of the opened suitcase of  FIG. 31 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0059]      FIGS. 1-5  show orthogonal views of a first embodiment of the suitcase of the present invention. Suitcase  101  shown therein may include a base shell portion  10  and a second shell portion  20 . The base shell portion  10  and the second shell portion  20  may be selectively attached together to permit the shell portions to pivotally move between the closed position shown in  FIG. 1 , in which an opening into the interior of each shell is opposed to and may cover the corresponding opening of the adjacent shell, and an open position, shown in  FIG. 5 . The base shell portion  10  and the second shell portion  20  may be pivotally attached using a strip of material that may flex. The strip of material may be sewn to both shell portions, or the strip of material may instead be formed integral therewith. The strip of material may appropriately flex to permit desired pivoting. Alternatively, one or more hinges may be used to permit the pivotal movement between the base shell portion  10  and the second shell portion  20 . Merely to be illustrative within the Figures herein, three hinges  41  are shown for the suitcase  101 . 
         [0060]    The base shell portion  10  and the second shell portion  20  of suitcase  101  may be latched in the closed position of  FIGS. 1 and 3  using one or more suitable latches  42 , such as the latch shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,299 to Axtell, or in U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,327 to Garmon, or in U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,236 to Atkinson, or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,392 to Gregg, with the disclosures of each being incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the first and second shell portions may be secured to each other using a zipper, or other securement means (e.g., Velcro). 
         [0061]    As seen in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 , the second shell portion  20  may have a partition  21  that may serve to divide the shell into an upper compartment  20 U and a lower compartment  20 L. The partition  21  may be a wall member that may be integrally formed with the shell portion  20 , or the wall member may be a separate part that may instead be secured within the interior of the second shell portion in the proper position, using a means for releasably or fixedly securing the wall to the shell, such as adhesive, mechanically fasteners, welding, Velcro, etc., or a combination of the those means. The second shell portion  20  and partition  21  may also be configured so that the partition may be repositionable within the shell, which may permit the interchangeable use of two different sized case assemblies within the lower compartment  20 L (e.g., case  49  shown in  FIG. 9  and case  49 A in  FIG. 10 ), and is discussed further hereinafter. 
         [0062]    The upper compartment  20 U may be open, and without any means for positively retaining the traveler&#39;s garments therein. Alternatively, it may be advantageous to incorporate a flap  221  that may be secured to a portion of the upper compartment  20 U, which may releasably cover the opening to the interior of the compartment, to facilitate ease in pivoting the second shell portion over the base shell portion, which may be resting upon the ground or on the traveler&#39;s bed while initially being packed. The flap  221  may be releasably secured to the second shell portion  20  using a zipper, or using Velcro (i.e., a hook material fixedly secured to the flap, which may be releasably secured to a loop material that is fixedly secured to the compartment of the second shell). The flap  221  may alternatively be releasably secured using snap fasteners (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,803 to Katayama, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference), or buttons, or any other suitable means of releasable securement. 
         [0063]    To provide access to the upper compartment  20 U from the exterior of the suitcase  101 , when the base shell portion  10  and the second shell portion  20  may be latched in the closed position (see e.g.,  FIG. 1 ), one or more flaps may be incorporated into the exterior of the second shell portion. In  FIG. 1 , two flaps  22 Ei and  22 Eii are shown in a position which may correspond to shoe sub-compartments that are discussed hereinafter. Flaps  22 Ei/ 22 Ei may also be releasably secured using any of the above noted means. A flap  121  may similarly be used to releasably cover the opening into the interior of the base shell portion  10 . 
         [0064]    The lower compartment  20 L may be adapted to releasably receive a specially configured case assembly  49  therein. The case assembly  49  is shown by itself within  FIG. 9 , after removal from the suitcase shown in  FIG. 5 , which may then appear as seen in  FIG. 7 . It should be noted that because of the density and weight of the items that may be carried within the case assembly  49  (e.g., shampoo, and other liquids/semi-liquids), it may be preferable for the case assembly to be adapted for transport within at least a portion of the lower compartment  20 L rather than the upper compartment  20 U, as it may offer greater stability for the suitcase  101  when being wheeled and otherwise handled by the user. Also note that for that same reason, the first shell  10  may instead be adapted to receive the case assembly  49  therein, so that it may be even closer to the wheels of the suitcase, for increased maneuverability and stability. This is shown by the suitcase embodiment  101 A in  FIG. 8A , which may include a base shell portion  10 A with a corresponding cover  10 B, where the base shell  10 A may receive a correspondingly shaped case assembly  49 B in a compartment therein. Case assembly  49 B is shown in  FIG. 10B . 
         [0065]    The case assembly  49  may be adapted for ease of placement within, and removal from, the lower compartment  20 L of suitcase  101  ( FIG. 5 ). In one embodiment, the case assembly  49  may be formed to have its periphery correspond to the peripheral shape of the full extent of the lower compartment  20 L (see  FIG. 7 ), and may also be formed of a suitable depth (i.e., being equal to or somewhat less than the height of the compartment). A suitable clearance fit may be used between the exterior dimensions of the case assembly, and the interior dimension of the lower compartment  20 L to accommodate such placement and removal. Alternatively, the size and shape of the case may be such that it may occupy only a portion of the compartment, and may not extend to each of the sides, or even to any of the sides of the periphery that defines the compartment. 
         [0066]    In order to positively retain the case assembly within the lower compartment  20 L, particularly when seeking to pivot the second shell portion  20  into a closed position with respect to the base shell portion  10 , a lip  21 L and a latch means may be incorporated into the lower compartment  20 L of the second shell. Note that a protrusion protruding only from the sides of the shell portion itself may obviate the need for a partition with a lip thereon that spans the entire width of the shell, in which case the case assembly  49  itself may serve to partition the shell. In addition, the lip, partition, and latch means may also be replaced by magnets that may be used to retain the case assembly within the appropriate portion of the second shell  20 . Where protrusions are used, each protrusion may be rectangular, or each protrusion may instead be a right angled protrusion, which may serve to both restrict sliding encroachment of the case assembly into the upper compartment  20 U, and to prevent egress of one end of the case assembly out of the lower compartment  20 L when used in combination with the latch means. 
         [0067]    As seen in  FIG. 7 , the lip  21 L may be formed to overhang the upstanding portion of the partition  21 . When the user seeks to place the case assembly  49  into the lower compartment  20 L, he/she may first insert the top  53  of the case therein, so that it may slide beneath the lip  21 L into close proximity (or actual contact with) the partition  21 . The user may next lower the bottom  54  of the case assembly into the lower compartment  20 L, and may then secure the latch means. In this embodiment, the latch means in combination with the lip  21 L may prevent egress of the case assembly out from the lower compartment  20 L. 
         [0068]    As seen in  FIG. 7A , the latch means may take the form of a latch arm  22  that may be pivotally coupled to the second shell portion  20 , by being pivotally coupled to a flange  23  that may protrude from the wall of the shell into its interior cavity. The flange  23  may be positioned at a height above the bottom of the second shell portion  20 , so that the latch arm  22  may be able to rotate and not strike the case assembly, when it is placed within the lower compartment  20 L. The latch arm  22  may have a small upstanding leg  22 L that may better enable a person to grasp and actuate the latch arm, to move it from the unlatched position shown in  FIG. 7A , to the latched position shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0069]    To maintain the latch arm  22  in the latched position of  FIG. 5 , the pivotal connection between the latch arm and the flange  23  may have a friction fit therebetween to prevent inadvertent movement of the latch arm, until a sufficient force is applied by the user. Instead of using a friction fit, a small protrusion  22 P on the bottom of the flange  22  may releasably engage a small corresponding recess  80 R on a portion of the case assembly  49 , and may serve as a detent. The protrusion  22 P and the recess  80 R may each be elongated in shape. Therefore, to provide suitable engagement as a detent, the height of the case assembly  49 , the positioning of the flange  23  above the bottom of the lower compartment  20 L, and the extent of the protrusion  22 P on the bottom of the flange may be appropriately coordinated. 
         [0070]    The case assembly  49  may include a case  50 , a cover  70 , and a means for releasably securing and sealing the cover over an opening into the interior of the case, when in a closed position, to prevent leakage of shampoo or other fluids therefrom. The means for releasably securing/sealing the cover upon the opening of the case may also functionally serve to reconfigure the case assembly to provide support, when in an open position, to position the case at a suitable viewing angle for display of the interior of the case, which may be a position between a substantially upright (vertical) position, and a horizontal position. 
         [0071]    The case  50  may be formed as a single unitary wall, and into a shape that generally matches the interior of the lower compartment  20 L. Alternatively, separate walls may be assembled and fixedly joined to form the case. As seen in  FIG. 12 , the wall or walls of the case may have a first side  51  that may create an opening into an interior cavity of the case, and a second side  52  that may be generally flat and may be intended to sit flush upon the bottom of the lower compartment  20 L of the second shell portion  20 . 
         [0072]    The case  50  and the cover  70  may be configured to be complementary and of a suitable elastomeric material, so that the engagement therebetween may itself serve as a means for sealing the case assembly against leakage. Alternatively, where a more durable and harder plastic material may be used for the case and/or the cover (e.g., ABS plastic), the periphery about the opening in the first side  51  of the case  50  may have a groove  53  that may be configured to receive a separate seal member  90  therein. The seal member  90  may be of sufficient height so that it may normally protrude out from the groove  53 . The seal member  90  may be made of an elastomeric material. It may furthermore be made of a food grade or a medical grade elastomer. The seal member  90  may be a continuous member without a beginning or an end, or it may have two ends which may be positioned in contact with each other when placed within the groove  53 . The ends of seal  90  may be bonded together therein to form a seal of greater integrity. 
         [0073]    The top  53  of the case  50  may be generally flat ( FIGS. 9 and 12 ), as it may be intended to be positioned in close proximity to the partition  21 , and the sides  55 / 56  of the case may each have a respective curved transition  55 T/ 56 T to the bottom  54  of the case, which may be so formed to match the side periphery of the second shell portion  20  of the suitcase  101 . A recess  54 R in the bottom  54  of the case  50  ( FIG. 9 ) may be used to facilitate easy grasping of the case by the user, when it is desired to remove the case from the form-fitting interior of the lower compartment  20 L. 
         [0074]    The case may be formed without any interior walls (e.g., case  50 A for case assembly  49 A in  FIGS. 10 and 10A ), and the user may freely and compactly place any needed toiletry items therein, to be sealed and safely transported by the case assembly, within the suitcase  101 . This may serve to better optimize use of the volume within the case assembly, and the suitcase as well. 
         [0075]    Alternatively, the case  50 , which may be an injection molded plastic part, may be so formed with a plurality of interior walls  55 A,  55 B,  55 C, etc., to create a plurality of partitions to form a plurality of selectively shaped sub-compartments. 
         [0076]    Each of the selectively shaped sub-compartments of case  50  may be particularly configured to respectively receive a correspondingly shaped toiletry item therein, as seen in  FIG. 9 . The sub-compartments may thus be generally shaped to store correspondingly shaped toiletry items that a traveler will likely need and desire to take on a trip, such as shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, mouth wash, toothpasth, a tooth brush, deodorant, dental floss, a back scrub brush, a bar of a specialty soap, a razor, etc. Note that the arrangement of toiletry items within case assembly  49  and its integrally formed walls, as seen in  FIG. 9 , may also be rearranged to better optimize the use of the space therein, and to reduce the size/volume necessary to contain such items, however, such rearrangement may tend to diminish the ready accessibility/visibility of the items within the display case when placed upon the vanity countertop. 
         [0077]    The case assembly  49 B shown in  FIG. 10B  may be similar to the case assembly  49 A in  FIG. 10 , except that its case  50 B may include grooves that may receive modular partition members  49 BP, so that the traveler may create custom sub-compartments in the interior of the case to suit the particular toiletry items that may be needed for a trip. A partition member  49 BG, which is shown in detail within  FIG. 9D , may additionally or alternatively be utilized, and may have central grooves that may receive short-transverse partition members  49 BS. Note that these grooves in the case  50 B may similarly be used in the second shell portion  20  to releasably receive the partition member  21 , which may permit the hereinabove described repositioning of the partition member to reconfigured the lower compartment to receive either case assembly  49  or the reduced height case assembly  49 A therein. 
         [0078]    The integrally formed sub-compartments of case  50  used for case assembly  49  may also be highly tailored to receive a particular item, such as, for example, the addition of a wall  57 C to the case ( FIG. 9 ), which may serve to create a toothbrush stand/holder, to retain the toothbrush therein in an upright and supported position. Also, for example, a pair of posts  57 Di/ 57 Dii may protrude outward from the interior of the second side  52  of the case  50  to provide releasable support for a traveler&#39;s razor. Other interior walls may be included merely to provide a restraint against undesired movement of the toiletry items contained therein. 
         [0079]    As seen in  FIG. 9 , for that portion of the case that may store the shallower depth toiletry items, such as for the tooth brush, dental floss, deodorant, and mouth wash, the case may be thereat be constructed to receive a small separable tray  59  to hold those items, and the tray may be removable from the case  50 , as seen in  FIG. 9B . A stiffener of the tray  59  may transition into a finger grip  57 F ( FIG. 9 ), to provide a means for easy removal of the tray from the remainder of the case. Removal of the separable tray  59  may expose additional shallower depth walls that may form additional sub-compartments that may be usable for the storage of cotton swabs or cotton balls. Other walls may create a sub-compartment beneath the tray that may form of a rack that may be sized and shaped to retain the traveler&#39;s prescription pill bottles, or possibly nail polish containers. An elastic strap  57 S may be secured to the case walls to stretch across a portion of the rack (or alternatively, an integral stiffener may be formed thereat), to provide for retention of the pill bottles and nail polish container. Another sub-compartment therein may form an open area that may be suitable for storing scissors, a comb, emery boards, etc. 
         [0080]    In one embodiment, the tray  59  may simply be a separate part that is completely removable from the case  50 . The back of the separate tray  59  may have a plastic arm pivotally secured thereto (see  FIG. 18 ), similar to that of a picture frame, to permit the tray to stand generally in an upright position on a vanity countertop, in which case the bottom of the tray may preferably not have a step therein. Alternatively, in another embodiment, a portion of the tray  59  (e.g., the top of the tray) may be pivotally secured to the top  53  of the case  50 , so that it may pivot to expose the lower compartments therein. 
         [0081]    To secure the case  50  against leakage, the cover  70  may be configured to enclose and seal the opening in the first side  51  of the case, to secure the interior cavity and sub-compartments therein. The cover  70 , which may be formed of a translucent plastic material, may have a protrusion  72  extending from a flange on each side of the cover, each of which may engage a corresponding protrusion on the periphery of the case  50 , similar to plastic food containers, such as Tupperware. Alternatively, the cover  70  may be pivotally supported at its upper end, and when the cover is pivoted into a closed position to engage and seal against the opening, or to compress and seal against the seal member  90 , it may be releasably secured thereat by a protrusion  72  extending from a flange  71  on cover  70  that may engage a corresponding protrusion  54 P on the bottom  54  of the case  50 , as seen in  FIG. 11A . The protrusions  72  and  54 P may take on different shapes, and are shown exaggerated in form merely to be illustrative within  FIG. 11A . 
         [0082]    To permit the cover  70  to additionally function to provide support for the case  50 , so that it may occupy an open position that is particularly oriented for display of the interior of the case, a special hinge arrangement for the cover may be utilized. A cover support arm  60  ( FIGS. 11B and 12 ) may have a first end  61  be pivotally coupled to the cover  70 , and a second end  62  may be pivotally coupled to the top  53  of the case  50  between its first and second sides ( 51  and  52 ), to permit pivotal movement of the cover from a closed position to one or more open positions. A first possible open position is shown in  FIG. 13C , in which the cover  70  may be pivoted 180 degrees so that it may be in contact with the second side  52  of the case  50 , with the flange  71  supporting the case in an angled display position. In this example, flange  71  of cover  70  may extend to be a little longer, so that the display angle may be less acute. 
         [0083]    To provide support for the case  50  to be at a display angle that may preferably be more upright (closer to a vertical orientation), and which may also be adjusted according to the person&#39;s subsequent preference, a different arrangement for the cover  70  may be utilized. The cover  70  may therefore also include a display arm  80  ( FIG. 11 ) that may have one end be pivotally coupled to the bottom of the cover. When the cover  70  is unsecured from its closed/sealed position with respect to the first side  51  of case  50  and is pivoted therefrom, as seen in  FIG. 12 , the upper end of the display arm  80  may be pivoted away from proximity to/contact with the cover. As seen in  FIG. 13 , the display arm may support the case  50  in a desired upright display position, through its engagement with the bottom corner of the case at its second side  52 . 
         [0084]    To prevent the case  50  from sliding relative to display arm  80  and to prevent the stand arrangement seen in  FIG. 13  from collapsing, several different means of engagement between the bottom (or the bottom corner) of the case and the display arm  80  may be used. Such sliding may be prevented simply by the weight of the loaded display case resting upon and contacting the display arm  80 , with the coefficient of friction therebetween being sufficient to inhibit sliding movement. In one embodiment, both the display arm  80  and a portion of the corner of the case may be made of a slip-resistant (e.g., rubberized) material, or may have a suitable coating thereon (e.g., a rubber coating) that may increase the coefficient of sliding friction therebetween. 
         [0085]    In another embodiment, the display arm  80  may have a single lip at its end, or it may have a series of V-shaped grooves extending laterally across the extent of the arm (e.g., into/out from the page, as seen in  FIG. 15A ), which may be configured to receive a corner of the case therein to prevent such sliding. The display arm  80  may extend a sufficient distance to peimit retention of the corner of the case  50  within a suitable grove that provides support for the case at a desired display angle. 
         [0086]    In yet another embodiment, Velcro may be used to secure the display arm  80  to the case bottom  54 , as seen in  FIG. 13 . A piece of hook material and a piece of loop material ( 81  and  58 ) may each be secured to either one of the display arm  80  and the case  50 . The length of the Velcro piece  81  on the display arm  80  may be sufficiently long to permit various adjustments to the display angle θ seen in  FIG. 13 . In another alternate embodiment, a significant portion of the length of the display arm  80  may have a piece of Velcro (hook material)  81  fixedly secured thereto, and the bottom of the case may have a corresponding piece of Velcro (loop material) fixedly secured thereto ( 58 ), to permit a range of display positions for the case, as seen in  FIG. 13A  which shows a substantially vertical position, and as seen in  FIG. 13B , where the case is roughly at a 60 degree angle with the vanity countertop. 
         [0087]    The display arm  80  may be free to pivot with respect to the cover  70 . Alternatively, a friction fit may be used at the pivotal connection therebetween, to limit such freedom of movement when in the stowed position of  FIG. 11 . In another alternative embodiment, a Velcro piece  74  may be fixedly secured to the cover  70 , which may be releasably secured to a corresponding Velcro piece  81  on the display arm  80 , when the display arm is moved into the stowed position of  FIG. 11 . 
         [0088]    The length of the cover support arm  60  is significant, and to provide stability to the case  50  when in the display position of  FIG. 13 , it should be chosen so that the first end  61  of the arm is in close proximity to the second side  52  of case  50 . If the length of the arm  60  is significantly greater, the case  50 , the cover support arm  60 , the cover  70 , and the display arm  80  may form a four bar linkage, and a secure display position for the case will not be assured. With the length of the cover support arm  60  formed so that its first end  61  may be pivoted to be in close proximity to the second side  52  of case  50 , as seen in  FIG. 13 , the case  50 , the cover  70  and the display arm  80  may form a triangular shape that provides stable support for the case, in a desired display position. In addition, it should be noted that the pivotal connection between the second end  62  of the cover support arm  60  and the top  53  of the case  50  is preferably proximate to a midpoint between the first and second sides ( 51  and  52 ) of the case. 
         [0089]    An alternative means for supporting the case in an upright position is shown by the embodiment within  FIGS. 14-15 , in which the cover may be supported at each end by a pair of arms that may permit translating and pivoting of the cover. In the display position, the top of the cover may be retained within a recess at the top of the back of the case, and the display arm may be engaged with the bottom of the case, as discussed hereinabove. 
         [0090]    Another alternative embodiment is shown within  FIGS. 16-17 , in which the cover is not pivotally attached to the case. In this embodiment, the cover may be removed from engagement over the opening of the case, and have an end be received within a corresponding recess at the back of the case, to provide support for a singular display position. 
         [0091]    Further improvements according to another suitcase embodiment of the present invention may be seen for suitcase  102 , which is shown within  FIGS. 19-20 , and which solves other organization problems with respect to the items in the traveler&#39;s suitcase. Two such problems relate to efficiently carrying extra pairs of shoes and a bulky blow dryer therein, and of accessing the items within the suitcase once the traveler is at the destination and the suitcase is opened. Quite often, a traveler will merely be driving or flying to another city, state, or country to visit and stay with relatives, and usually will be staying in a guest room that has an extra bed or a sleeper sofa. However, there is usually no place into which the traveler&#39;s items within the suitcase may be unpacked (i.e., no empty dresser drawers and no open closet space in the “guest” room). Therefore, the traveler is forced to live out of his/her suitcase, which is invariably placed on the floor, and he or she must necessarily use a bathroom that is located down the hall or in another part of the home. 
         [0092]    Suitcase  102  is constructed so that in addition to providing a means of easily and conveniently transporting all of the necessary toiletry items, using case assembly  49 , to such a remote bathroom each time, and of being able to conveniently display those items similar to its accessibility within the traveler&#39;s own medicine cabinet in their own home, it may furthermore lessen the disorganization therein and the need to rummage through the entire suitcase, by providing a dedicated place for the traveler&#39;s extra pairs of shoes (running shoes, casual shoes, and/or dress shoes . . . ) and/or for a blow dryer. 
         [0093]    Suitcase  102  may be constructed the same as suitcase  101  shown within  FIG. 5 , but in addition, the upper compartment  120 U may itself be subdivided. The second shell portion  120  may be particularly subdivided into sub-compartments that may be conveniently accessed when the first shell portion  110  is positioned on the floor of the guest room, and the second shell portion may be opened and leaning against the wall, to occupy less floor space while providing greater access to the contents, as seen in  FIGS. 21-21A . The suitcase  102  may also be similarly positioned and accessed when resting upon the luggage rack pictured within  FIG. 18 , and which is also shown in  FIGS. 22-22A . 
         [0094]    The upper compartment  120 U may thus be further subdivided to include a partition  125  and partition  126 , which may be oriented to be orthogonal to partition  121 , to create sub-compartments  122 ,  123 , and  124 . Partitions  125  and  126  may each be a wall member that is integrally formed with the shell portion  120 , or the partitions may each be a separate part that is fixedly secured within the interior of the upper compartment  20 U. In addition, rather than being fixedly secured, the partitions  125  and  126  may instead be formed of a flexible material, such as vinyl, cloth, cloth covered plastic, or leather, and/or may be releasably secured within the upper compartment  120 U using Velcro or snaps or the slots shown in  FIG. 10B , so that the user may be able to customize and transform the size and shape of the sub-compartments therein. 
         [0095]    As seen in  FIG. 19 , the partitions  125  and  126  may be oriented and positioned in the upper compartment  120 U so that the sub-compartments  122  and  123  may each be used to store a pair of shoes therein. Each compartment may be felt lined to safely transport expensive designer shoes. The option of being able to relocate partition  121  (see e.g., partition  21  in  FIG. 7  repositioned to become partition  21 A) and of using the smaller case assembly  49 A seen in  FIGS. 10 and 10A  to reduce the size of the lower compartment, may permit a user who has larger feet, and correspondingly larger shoes, to expand the length of the shoe sub-compartments. The flange on the end of the partitions  125  and  126 , as seen in  FIG. 19 , may have cloth-covered segmented sections that may have Velcro fixedly secured thereon, which may easily facilitate extending the length of the sub-compartments when the partition  121  may be adjusted to accommodate a different sized case assembly in the lower compartment  120 L. (Note, as stated hereinabove, the shoes stored in sub-compartments  122  and  123  may be accessed from outside the suitcase when the suitcase is closed, by using the exterior flaps  22 Ei and  22 Eii, seen in  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0096]    However, another problem encountered in the carrying of shoes in a suitcase, is that they may soil the clean clothes therein, and ordinarily may need to be placed in a separate plastic bag before being packed within the suitcase. Therefore, the second shell portion  120  may have respective flaps  122 F and  123 F be secured thereto (see  FIG. 21A ), to releasably enclose each of the sub-compartments  122  and  123 . A lower side of the flap  122 F may be fixedly secured to the second shell portion  20 , and may also be releasably securable on each of its other three sides, to permit quick access to the sub-compartments and the shoes therein. Releasable securing of the three sides of the flaps  122 F and  123 F may be through the use of a zipper, or it may instead be through the use of Velcro, or snap fasteners, etc. The flaps  122 F and  123 F may be made of a flexible translucent plastic, or another suitable material, that may have strips of the Velcro (hook or loop material) fixedly secured to at least three of its sides. 
         [0097]    When the traveler may seek to open one of the flaps by pulling on it to disengage the hook and loop materials, while the second shell is leaning against the wall ( FIG. 21A ), the second shell may tend to be pulled away from the wall, so that the traveler may need to use their other hand to restrain the second shell portion. To limit such movement of the second shell portion away from the wall, a strap  142  may releasably attach to the base shell  110  and to the second shell portion  120  (e.g., using a buckle or snap fasteners as seen in  FIG. 21A ), to bias the second shell to tend to remain positioned against the wall. The strap  142  may thus be made of an elastomeric material, or it may instead be made of a non-elastic material. 
         [0098]    To accommodate the above-described expansion of the sub-compartments  122 - 124  by the relocation of the partition  121 , the flaps  122 F and  123 F may have the Velcro on all four of its sides, and the length of the flaps may be longer than is required for the sub-compartments formed when the partition  121  is positioned for the lower compartment  120 L to receive the full height case assembly  49  therein. The excess length of the flaps may be used to cover the opening to the sub-compartments when they are increased in size and the low-height case assembly  49 A is instead utilized. 
         [0099]    In another embodiment, the inner surface of the bottom  123 FB of flap  123 F may be releasably secured to the shell  120  using Velcro or snaps, rather than being fixedly secured thereto, and the inner surface of the upper end  122 FT of flap  122 F may be releasably securable to the outside surface of the bottom  123 FB of flap  123 F. This would permit the user to completely remove the partition  125  from the suitcase  102  to create a single larger sub-compartment that would combine the space of sub-compartments  122  and  123 . This embodiment may be desirable for the situation where a traveler purchases a smaller sized suitcase  102 , but the traveler has very large feet and may wear, for example, size 13 shoes. Access to the compartment may then be through the top of the combined flaps  122 F and  123 F. 
         [0100]    Alternatively, a single flap may cover both openings for the sub-compartments  122  and  123 . Similarly, in another embodiment, a single flap may be used for the covering of all three of the sub-compartments ( 122 ,  123 , and  124 ) of the upper compartment  120 U, and may be fixedly secured at its bottom to the shell  120  (proximate to the hinges), and its three sides may be secured using Velcro. This embodiment may permit the traveler to remove partitions  125  and  126  shown in  FIG. 21  and re-orient one of them to extend in the other direction (e.g., parallel to partition  121 ), so that it creates only two sub-compartments in the upper compartment  120 U, which may then store two extra large pairs of shoes or even boots. 
         [0101]    Where individual flaps are utilized, as seen in  FIG. 21A , access may be through the tops of each of the flaps  122 F and  123 F, each of which may be disposed on the side of the sub-compartments being farthest from the hinge  41 . This would enable better access to the shoe sub-compartments  122  and  123 , when the second shell portion  120  is disposed against a wall, and the first compartment is resting on the ground/floor. 
         [0102]    The third sub-compartment  124  may also include a flap, similar to the flaps  122 F and  123 F of sub-compartments  122  and  123 , and it may be used to store a third pair of shoes. However, for sub-compartment  123  to be better adapted to carry a blow dryer therein, which does not similarly require the plastic flap to prevent the egress of debris therefrom, the third sub-compartment  124  may instead utilize an elastic fishnet restraint  124 N. The bottom end  124 NB of the fish net  124 N may be fixedly secured to the partition  126 , and the two sides of the fishnet  124 N may respectively be fixedly secured to the second shell portion  120  and the partition  121 . The top of fishnet  124 N being unrestrained may thus be elastically stretched, to permit the user to increase the gap for placement therein or removal therefrom of the blow dryer from the sub-compartment  124 . 
         [0103]    The first shell portion  110  and the second shell portion  120  of suitcase  102  in  FIG. 19  may each respectively have a handle  110 H/ 120 H pivotally attached thereto. The handles may provide better structural support for carrying of the suitcase, as each of the shell portions may roughly be evenly weighted. The handles  11011 / 12011  may snap together when the shell portions are closed, or they may be releasably joined together using Velcro. 
         [0104]    Further improvements according to another suitcase embodiment of the present invention may be seen for suitcase  103 , which is shown within  FIGS. 23-31 , and which solves other organization problems with respect to the items in the traveler&#39;s suitcase. Suitcase  103  provides even greater access to the traveler&#39;s packed items while at the destination, which may be a hotel that generally has a luggage rack to support the suitcase for easy access therein. Suitcase  103  may therefore be particularly configured to be opened in conjunction with the luggage rack (e.g.,  FIGS. 28 and 29 ), but, because of the particular arrangement of its hinges and flaps, may also be conveniently opened and accessed when sitting upon the traveler&#39;s bed or the floor of their home ( FIGS. 23-24 ). 
         [0105]    Therefore, suitcase  103  may include a base shell portion  310  having an opening defining an interior, a second shell portion  320  having an opening defining an interior, and one or more hinges configured to pivotally attach a first side of the second shell portion to a first side of the base shell portion, such that when the second shell is pivoted into a closed position with respect to the base shell, the respective openings are opposed to each other (i.e., facing each other at the faying surface between the shell portions). As such, the openings of the base shell portion  310  and the second shell portion  320  may thus operate to cover each other, when the base shell portion and second shell portion are in the closed position. 
         [0106]    Also, the suitcase  103  may include a third shell portion  330  having an opening defining an interior. The third shell portion  330  may be hingedly coupled to the second shell portion  320 , such that when the third shell is pivoted into a closed position with respect to the second shell, the respective openings are not facing each other, and may instead be on distal surfaces of the shell portions. 
         [0107]    To assist in retaining the garments and other items that have been packed in the third shell portion  330 , it may include a flap  330 F that may be releasably secured to the shell, the same as for suitcases  101  and  102 . In addition, the second shell portion  320  and the base shell portion  310  may also include a zippered flap ( 320 F and  310 F), or a buttoned flap, or a flap secured by Velcro, etc. 
         [0108]    When the base shell portion  310 , the second shell portion  320 , and the third shell portion  330  are pivoted into the respective closed positions, a strap  305  ( FIG. 25 ) may be used to retain the shell portions in such positioning. The strap  305  may have a first end with a clasp that may be releasably coupled to a loop  306  that may be fixedly secured to a first side of the base shell portion  310 , and a clasp on a second end of the strap that may be releasably coupled to a loop  307  that may be fixedly secured to a second side of the base shell portion. Alternatively (or additionally), one or more latches  342  may be used for releasably securing the second shell portion  320  to the base shell portion  310 , and for releasably securing the third shell portion  330  to the second shell portion  320 . It should be noted that the depth of each of the shell portions  310 ,  320 , and  330 , as seen in  FIG. 24  and throughout many of the other Figures, although illustrated therein to generally have the same depth, may instead be formed to have different depths. 
         [0109]    As seen in  FIG. 24 , the hinge(s)  341 A that may be used to pivotally couple the second shell portion  320  to the base shell portion  310 , may be fixedly secured to the shell portions at a depth that is substantially opposite from the portion of the shell that may be resting upon the floor/bed (i.e., is in proximity to the side of the shell portions with the openings into the respective interiors). Also, the hinge(s)  341 B that may be used to pivotally couple the third shell portion  330  to the second shell portion  320  may be fixedly secured to the shell portions at a depth that is substantially in proximity to the portion that is resting upon the floor/bed (i.e., the opposite depth from which the hinges  341 A are secured). This creates a tri-fold arrangement, in which a first fold—the folding of the second shell portion  320  with respect to the base shell portion  310 —is an inward fold, and where a second fold—the folding of the third shell portion  330  with respect to the second shell portion  320 —is an outward fold. 
         [0110]    This arrangement for the hinges  341 A and  341 B with respect to the base shell portion  310 , the second shell portion  320 , and the third shell portion  330 , may permit the tri-fold suitcase  301  to have the bottom surface of its base shell be positioned on the floor of a hotel room, to be in proximity to a luggage rack, as seen in  FIG. 28 . The width of the shell portions may be sized so that the second shell portion  320  may be configured to pivot open relative to the base shell portion  310  to be disposed substantially upright, when the third shell portion is positioned to sit atop the hotel luggage rack  400 . This may serve to maximize the traveler&#39;s access into the shell portions to be able to conveniently retrieve any single particular item stored therein, even if it may be disposed at the bottom of one of the shells, while tending to minimize the floor space that must be utilized. 
         [0111]    In an alternate embodiment of suitcase  301 , the second shell portion  320 A of suitcase  310 A ( FIG. 30 ), rather than having a zippered flap, may instead be configured with the same compartments and sub-compartments that were used for the suitcase  102  shown in  FIG. 22 . This may enhance the accessibility to the traveler of items stored in the sub-compartments, which may thus be easily accessible from an upwardly disposed side of each sub-compartment, as seen in  FIGS. 31 and 32 . 
         [0112]    When a traveler arrives at the hotel, he/she may wheel the suitcase  301  into the room and position it before the luggage rack  400 , and may unlatch and pivot open the shell portion(s) to be as seen in  FIG. 22 or 31 . The traveler may next remove the case assembly  49 , walk into the bathroom of the hotel room, open the sealed cover of the case assembly, and place the shampoo, conditioner, soap, and back scrub brush by the bath tub. The traveler may next convert the case  49  into the display stand and place it upon the vanity countertop as seen in  FIG. 18 , where it may display and protect the toiletry items therein until needed, and conveniently accessed by the traveler. 
         [0113]    When the traveler is packing to check out of the hotel room at the end of the stay, the reverse process may be followed to conveniently pack all of the personal toiletry items. Having a corresponding place in the case assembly  49  for each item may help to assure that the traveler does not forget any of the items that were brought on the trip. 
         [0114]    The examples and descriptions provided herein merely illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art and having the benefit of the present disclosure will appreciate that further embodiments may be implemented with various changes within the scope of the present invention. Other modifications, substitutions, omissions and changes may be made in the design, size, materials used or proportions, operating conditions, assembly sequence, or arrangement or positioning of elements and members of the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit of this invention.