Patent ID: 7028834

Claim:
A hard case for carrying a small article comprising: a plurality of elongated hard panels arrayed in a flat parallel side-by-side transverse arrangement and articulated together in a spaced manner to enable the panels to be folded up into a rectangular shape with end panels of the plurality of panels overlapped; an inner rectangular open top box including a bottom portion and side and end wall portions, the bottom portion of said open top box being fixed to one of the plurality of panels next adjacent to an end panel, one wall portion of the open top box being fixed to said next adjacent end panel; said open top box being foldable down horizontally to a flat configuration, and being foldable up vertically to an open top box configuration; the hard case in a first condition, when carrying a small article, having the open top box folded up vertically to its open box configuration with the panels folded around the box and the two end panels overlapped, and in a second condition, when not carrying a small article, the open box is folded down horizontally to its flat configuration with the panels wrapped around the flat box to form a flat, compact structure, configured and dimensioned to be carried in a person's pocket or pocketbook.