GB2311769A

GB2311769A - Document case

Info

Publication number: GB2311769A
Application number: GB9606952A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Charles Peters
Original assignee: Helix Ltd
Current assignee: Helix Ltd
Priority date: 1996-04-02
Filing date: 1996-04-02
Publication date: 1997-10-08
Also published as: GB9606952D0

Abstract

A document case 1 has a lid 2 swingable on lower part 3 to open and close the case. Front wall 3a has a downwardly depending portion 3b on which is mounted a lock barrel and push button 5a and defining a rib R. The arrangement is such that a forefinger of the hand can rest against the back of rib R whilst the thumb pushes on push-button 5a so that the case can be opened using one hand with said hand holding the case steady as the catch mechanism is operated. Other features include a stepped bottom portion to compartments formed in the case, curved strip divider partitions D1, D2 and D3 and a handle located in a recess of the lid 2 to facilitate stacking.

Description

DOCUMENT CASE This invention relates to a document case and is more particularly but not exclusively concerned with a portable filing receptacle.

Many different designs of document cases and filing receptacles have been previously proposed but it is believed that many of these designs tend to be disadvantageous in some respect or another related to, for example, costs and ease of production, maximum utilisation of available space, sufficient and easy access to, and display of the contents of, the case/receptacle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a document case which is improved in at least some respect or which alleviates one or more of the aforementioned, or other, problems associated with document cases.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a document case comprising an upper part, swingable from a closed position, upwardly relative to a front wall of the case, to thereby open the case the arrangement being such that said front wall is provided with finger support or grip means adjacent a push-button catch mechanism of the case so that the front wall of the case can be gripped or held by the hand that operates the push-button catch mechanism, simultaneously as the catch mechanism is operated.

Advantageously, by this aspect of the present invention the front wall of the case can be gripped and steadied usually by the forefinger engaging the said finger support or grip means as the thumb of the same hand operates the push-button catch mechanism leaving the other hand free to lift the upper part to open the document case.

The finger support or grip means may comprise a rib formed on the front wall, preferably, adjacent a generally horizontal ledge defined behind and slightly above the rib, so that the forefinger can seat on the ledge behind the rib whilst the thumb depresses a push-button of the push-button catch mechanism. The front wall portion may be formed with a generally vertical downwardly depending curved wall portion that defines said rib. The push-button catch mechanism may be provided on said curved wall portion and preferably, a key operated lock is mounted by (preferably under) the push-button catch mechanism and said key operated lock mechanism acts to free or interfere with the action of the catch mechanism depending upon the rotational position of a lock barrel of the lock. In a locked position, the key operated lock may have a strip plate temporarily disabling the push-button catch mechanism preventing the push-button from being pushed inwardly to release said upper part. Effectively, the push-button catch mechanism may be prevented from disengaging an integral tongue from a locking flange on said upper part of the document case. The push-button locking tongue may be integrally formed with a plastics member that can be flexed about an axis below the bottom of said barrel of the key operated lock, to unseat the tongue from said locking flange when the document case is unlocked.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is a provided a document case comprising a number of compartments for document files, the bottom portions of each compartment being at a different height level to one another so that, in use, the document files can rest on said bottom portions, so that the files in one compartment rest at a different height level to files in another compartment.

This second aspect of the present invention is extremely important since it allows a document case to be provided with a significant reduction in costs over a document case having a suspension filing system. Arranging for the bottom portions of the compartments to be at different height levels within the document case substantially obviates any need for a suspension filing system since the files in each compartment can be accessed more easily (because they are at different height levels to files contained in other compartments - or at least another compartment - and any names appearing on the files can be read off much more easily).

In one embodiment of the document case, four compartments may be provided each having a bottom portion at a different height level. Thus the bottom portions of the compartment may be partly defined by an integrally formed stepped platform piece (having three height levels) secured to the existing bottom of the document case (with the fourth, lowest level being defined by the front part of the existing bottom of the document case) or, alternatively, the stepped platform piece may be integrally moulded with the case. The bottom portions of each compartment are, preferably, generally horizontal although they may themselves be stepped or tapered.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a document case comprising compartments defined by divider partitions engaging retention means on opposed sidewalls of the document case said divider partitions being spaced from the bottom of the document case.

The retention means may be in the form of vertical slots provided, preferably, by flat forked shaped projections on the interior of opposed sidewalls of the document case. Providing the divider partitions in this manner in a strip form allows the document case to be divided up into a selected number of compartments (perhaps three of a set of four possible compartments) and is less troublesome than divider partitions that extend all the way down to the bottom of the document case. Preferably, the divider partitions have a slightly convexly curved front wall portion (thereby, advantageously, increasing stiffness without increasing wall thickness) against which the document files can rest but engage said vertical slots with flat vertical edge strips. Thus, the divider partitions can be easily gripped and pulled out of the slots to reconfigure the compartments if desired.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a document case comprising an upper part, swingable from a closed position, upwardly relative to a front wall of the case, to thereby open the case, the arrangement being such that the upper part has a recess housing a handle such that when the handle is released it seats in the recess without projecting beyond said upper part, thereby allowing another document case with a fat bottom to be stacked in a stable manner on said upper part, said handle comprising a flexible strip that can be pulled upwardly above the height of said upper part when the document case is lifted up by the handle.

The handle itself may be a curved rubber strip with end stops that retain the handle to the upper part when it is gripped and the document case lifted. Preferably, the handle has a thicker/stiffer section in a central region to reduce bending and pressure on the user's hand. The ends of the handle may be retained to the upper part by being received in slots on the bottom of said recess with said end pieces engaging stop means adjacent the slots when the handle is gripped and lifted, said handle flexing into a shape that extends above said upper part when said end pieces engage the stop means. Once the handle itself has been threaded through the slots at the bottom of the receiving recess in the upper part the end pieces engaging the stops prevent the handle from being pulled out of the slots and the recess.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a case having one or more of the following:1. A stepped bottom; 2. Compartments having bottom portions at different height levels; 3. Finger grip means on a wall thereof to allow the case to be steadied by the same hand that actuates a, preferably push-button, catch mechanism; 4. Reconfigurable compartments defined by divider partitions of strip-like form spaced from the bottom of the case; and/or 5. Divider partitions of a curved shape; 6. A non-projecting flexible handle (seated in a recess) that is pulled into a projecting shape on lifting the case; 7. A handle having a central thicker/stiffer section; 8. A storage area in a front wall of the case preferably (e.g. for pens and the like) located on each side of a locking mechanism and preferably on the inside of a curved front wall portion, and/or 9. The case having a lid joined to a lower part by a hinge preferably moulded into the lid and/or lower part, said hinge having an integral stop allowing assembly but restricting the lid to an opening angle of about 90" + 5.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a document case comprising a lower part and an upper part or lid releasably lockable thereto by a locking mechanism, said case including a button operated catch means operable to retain the upper part or lid to the lower part in a closed position, the arrangement being such that with the locking mechanism in an open position the upper part or lid can be retained to the lower part by said catch means and said locking mechanism can be operated to lock the case whilst the case is in the closed position, said button operated catch means being operable to open the case only whilst the locking mechanism is in an open position.

Many other advantageous features of the document case will be apparent from the following description and drawings.

An embodiment of a document case in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of the document case with an upper part or lid being in a closed position; FIGURE 2 shows a view similar to FIGURE 1 but with the upper part or lid in an open position; FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of the document case shown in FIGURE 1; FIGURE 4 shows a rear view of the document case; FIGURE 5 shows a side view of the document case looking in direction of arrow A in FIGURE 1; FIGURE 6 shows a view of the document case drawn on a larger scale taken on the section 6-6 of FIGURE 4; FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the lower part of the document case with the upper part having been cut away, drawn to a larger scale, and FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal section view taken through a handle of the document case.

Referring to the FIGURES of the drawings, a document case 1 has an upper part or lid 2 swingable on a lower part 3 from the closed position shown in FIGURE 1 about axis X-X (see FIGURE 4) to an open position, for example as shown in FIGURE 2. The front wall 3a of the lower part 3 of the document case 1 has an unusual shape, being of an attractive sculptured appearance.

Referring more particularly to FIGURES 1, 2, 5 and 6 the front wall 3a has a central, downwardly depending, curved wall portion 3b on which is mounted a key operated lock barrel 4 and the elongate push-button 5a of a pushbutton catch mechanism 5 (see FIGURE 2). The curved wall portion 3b extends vertically downwardly (see FIGURE 5) and defines a vertical rib R which is also curved. A generally horizontal ledge L is defined adjacent the rib R (with the rib depending downwardly below the ledge) and the rib R and ledge L together form finger support or grip means for a forefinger of the hand that operates the push-button 5a with the thumb. Accordingly, the forefinger can rest along the ledge L at the same time pushing outwardly from the front wall of the case 1 against the back of the rib R whilst the thumb of the same hand pushes generally in the opposite direction against the push-button 5a to open the case. Thus, in this manner the front wall 3 of the document case 1 is effectively held steady by the same hand that operates the catch mechanism 5 leaving the other hand free to lift the upper part 2 of the document case about hinge axis XX to open the case.

The curved front wall portion 3b extends downwardly from band B which extends all the way around the top of the lower part 3 proud of the lower part in a manner which should be evident from the FIGURES of the drawings.

The front wall 3a has a sculptured look in that convexly curved wall portion 3c curves downwardly and inwardly from the band B (to allow the forefinger to seat under ledge L and rib R) and a slightly flared wall portion 3d completes the front wall 3a.

Advantageously, the key operated lock 4 and pushbutton catch mechanism 5 provide a two tier level of security. The first level of security is provided merely by the catch mechanism 5 itself so that the lid 2 of the case can be retained to the lower part 3 and freed to be swung relatively thereto easily simply by operating the push-button 5a. The second level of security provides that operating a key in a key operated lock barrel 4 effectively temporarily disables the push-button catch mechanism preventing the push-button 5a from being pushed inwardly to release the lid 2 (thereby locking the case) until the lock is unlocked by the key.

This dual push-button catch mechanism 5 and key operated lock 4 system has been used by the Applicant on cash boxes and accordingly the content of UK Patent Application No. 2285967 is hereby referred to and incorporated by reference. As shown more particularly in FIGURE 7, the push-button catch mechanism 5 has a locking tongue 5b integral with the push-button 5a (see FIGURE 6) and in the closed position the locking tongue 5b will seat over a horizontal internally directed locking flange 2c to prevent the lid 2 from being opened. As the push-button 5a is depressed plastics member Sc (integrally formed with push-button 5a and locking tongue Sb) flexes about an axis below the bottom of the lock barrel 4a allowing the tongue 5b to become unseated from the locking flange 2c and thus allowing the upper part 2 to be swung to an open position.

However, on appropriate rotation of the lock barrel 4a using the key (not shown) a metal retaining strip plate 4b is rotated into position behind the locking flange 5b (see FIGURE 6) thereby preventing any flexing of the plastic member Sc to take place. Thus, the locking tongue 5b cannot be unseated from the locking flange 2c and the pushbutton 5a cannot be depressed. On rotation of the lock barrel 4a to unlock the document case, strip plate 4b is rotated to a non-interferring horizontal position, thereby freeing the locking tongue 5b for movement away from the locking flange 2c on flexing of plastics member 5c, in a manner which should be generally self-explanatory more particularly with reference to this arrangement on the Applicant's cash box as shown in Patent Application No.

2285967. The plate 4b could be notched (as shown in GB 2285467) and the notch could be arranged to engage means on the lid 2 (e.g. on locking flange 2c) if required.

The document case 1, as well as having an advantageous locking mechanism 4,5 and sculptured front wall 3a allowing the front wall to be held or gripped by the hand that operates the push-button 5a, has other advantageous features. For example, as seen more particularly from FIGURES 6 and 7 a storage area 3s for pens, stationery and the like is provided in the front wall 3a, behind the curved wall portion 3c, on each side of the lock mechanism. Also, the hinge (forming hinge axis X-X) is moulded into the lid/lower part 2,3 with integral stop means h5 allowing assembly but restricting the lid opening to about 90" to the lower part.

It is to be noted more particularly from FIGURE 6 that the document case 1 is notionally divided up into four compartments la, ib, ic and id for the reception of files (one shown in each compartment in chain dotted lines in FIGURE 6) in a manner that does not require a suspension filing system. Rather than requiring a suspension filing system (which is necessarily a quite expensive part of the document case 1) the bottom la', lib', lc' and ld' of each compartment (see FIGURE 6) is at a different height level, so that the bottom of the document case 1 is of the stepped form shown in FIGURE 6, with the height of the bottom of each compartment rising from the front wall 3a of the document case to the rear wall 3e. In this manner the files placed in compartment id at the back of the document case 1 will be at the highest level and any labelling at the top of the files in compartment id will be able to be read easily since the files in the neighbouring compartment ic will be lower. This arrangement allows the documents in a compartment to be easily sifted through without being mixed with documents from other compartments. Thus, as shown, the bottom portions la', lib', lc' and ld' are all arranged horizontally but this need not necessarily be the case. If desired the said bottom portions could themselves be stepped or tapered downwardly from back to front of the document case to allow a different height differential between any document files placed in the same compartments to further enhance access if this is thought necessary.

In the embodiment as shown, the bottom portions lib', lc' and ld' of the compartments lb, ic, id are defined by an integrally formed stepped platform piece P secured to the existing bottom 3f of the document case. The platform P has short upstanding wall portions W1, W2 and W3 to provide additional support for the document files and a downwardly depending wall portion W4 seats over an upwardly depending rib 3g to be fixed in position by any convenient means. Of course, the platform P could be integrally moulded into the bottom portion 3 of the document case 1.

The bottom portion la' of compartment la is formed by the bottom wall 3f of the document case 1.

A further advantageous feature of the document case 1 is the manner in which the four compartments are divided by means of three divider partitions D1, D2 and D3 each having a slightly curved front wall portion against which document files can rest. Advantageously, the curved shape of the partitions D1,D2,D3 increases stiffness without increasing wall thickness and allows more room for files, some of which can be pressed into a curved shape supported by said curved front wall portion. The divider partitions D1, D2 and D3 also have vertical edge strips E that seat in retention means (in the form of vertical slots S provided by flat forked shaped projections F) provided on the interior of the opposed sidewalls 3G and 31 of the document case in a manner which should be evident more particularly from FIGURES 6 and 7. Thus, three forked projections F are provided on the inside surface of sidewall 3G which oppose three forked projections F on the inside surface of the sidewall 31 to allow the divider partitions D1, D2 and D3 to be slid in and out of the slots S in an upward or downward direction; to allow the interior of the document case 1 to be divided up into a selected number of compartments (perhaps three instead of four) if one of the divider partitions is omitted. It will be apparent from the drawings that the divider partitions D1, D2 and D3 are spaced from the bottom portions lib', lc' and ld' of the respective compartments ib, ic and id.

It is also to be noted that the design of the document case 1 is advantageous in that other documents cases can be stacked on the upper part 2 since the handle H does not project proudly of the flat horizontal upper wall 2a of said upper part. Advantageously, the handle H is automatically retractable within the rectangular recess 2b provided in the top wall 2a when the handle is released.

A longitudinal cross section through the handle H and upper part 2 is shown in FIGURE 8.

The handle H itself rests loosely in the upper part 2 and comprises a flexible curved rubber strip with end stops H1 and H2 that retain the handle to the upper part 2 when it is gripped and the document case lifted.

Advantageously, the handle has a thicker/stiffer central section to reduce bending and thus pressure on the user's hand. The weight of the document case 1 causes the handle H to assume the shape as shown in the chain-dotted lines (extending above said upper part 2) with the lower portions of the end pieces H1 and H2 engaging stop means T on the underside of the upper wall 2a adjacent slots Y through which the handle passes.

It should be obvious that the end stops H1 and H2 were originally fed through the slots Y from above but that the shape of the stops H1 and H2 is such that they will not naturally pull back out of the slots Y (because they effectively hook onto the stops T moulded into the top wall 2a of the upper part 2 as should be evident from the FIGURES of the drawings).

Thus, the form of handle H and seating in the upper wall 2a of the upper part 2 is particularly neat and advantageous since the handle H does not remain proud of the upper wall 2a once it has been released and another document case can easily be stacked on top.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be unduly limited by the particular choice of terminology and that a specific term may be replaced by an equivalent or generic term. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions relating to the document case or parts thereof might be individually patentably inventive. The singular may include the plural and vice versa.

Claims

1. A document case comprising 'an upper part, swingable from a closed position, upwardly relative to a front wall of the case, to thereby open the case, the arrangement being such that said front wall is provided with finger support or grip means adjacent a push-button catch mechanism of the case so that the front wall of the case can be gripped or held by the hand that operates the pushbutton catch mechanism, simultaneously as the catch mechanism is operated.

2. A document case as claimed in Claim 1 in which the finger support or grip means comprises a rib formed on the front wall.

3. A document case as claimed in Claim 2 in which the rib is adjacent a generally horizontal ledge defined behind and slightly above the rib, so that the forefinger can seat on the ledge behind the rib whilst the thumb depresses a push-button of the push-button catch mechanism.

4. A document case as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the front wall portion is formed with a generally vertical downwardly depending curved wall portion that defines said rib.

5. A document case as claimed in Claim 4 in which the push-button catch mechanism is provided on said curved wall portion.

6. A document case as claimed in Claim 5 in which a key operated lock is mounted by the push-button catch mechanism and said key operated lock mechanism acts to free or interfere with the action of the catch mechanism depending upon the rotational position of a lock barrel of the lock.

7. A document case as claimed in Claim 6 in which the key operated lock is under the push-button catch mechanism.

8. A document case as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 in which in a locked position, the key operated lock has a strip plate temporarily disabling the push-button catch mechanism preventing the push-button from being pushed inwardly to release said upper part.

9. A document case as claimed in Claim 8 in which, in the locked position, the push-button catch mechanism is prevented from disengaging an integral tongue from a locking flange on said upper part of the document case.

10. A document case as claimed in Claim 9 in which the push-button locking tongue is integrally formed with a plastics member that can be flexed about an axis below the bottom of said barrel of the key operated lock, to unseat the tongue from said locking flange when the document case is unlocked.

11. A document case as claimed in Claim 1 and having finger support or grip means substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 1,3,5 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A document case comprising a number of compartments for document files, bottom portions of the compartments being at a different height level to one another so that, in use, the document files can rest on said bottom portions, so that the files in one compartment rest at a different height level to files in another compartment.

13. A document case as claimed in Claim 12 in which four compartments are provided each having a bottom portion at a different height level.

14. A document case as claimed in Claim 13 in which the bottom portions of the compartments are partly defined by an integrally formed stepped platform piece (having three height levels) secured to the existing bottom of the document case.

15. A document case as claimed in Claim 13 having a stepped platform piece defining bottom portions of the compartments and being integrally moulded with the case.

16. A document case as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15 in which the bottom portion of each compartment is generally horizontal or stepped or tapered.

17. A document case as claimed in Claim 12 and having bottom portions of compartments substantially as herein described with reference to the FIGURE 6 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A document case comprising compartments defined by divider partitions engaging retention means on opposed sidewalls of the document case, said divider partitions being spaced from the bottom of the document case.

19. A document case as claimed in Claim 18 in which the retention means is in the form of vertical slots.

20. A document case as claimed in Claim 19 in which the slots are provided by flat forked shaped projections on the interior of opposed sidewalls of the document case.

21. A document case as claimed in Claim 19 or Claim 20 in which the divider partitions have a slightly convexly curved front wall portion against which the document files can rest but engage said vertical slots with flat vertical edge strips.

22. A document case as claimed in Claim 18 and having divider portions and retention means substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 2,6,7 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A document case comprising an upper part, swingable from a closed position, upwardly relative to a front wall of the case, to thereby open the case, the arrangement being such that the upper part has a recess housing a handle such that when the. handle is released it seats in the recess without projecting beyond said upper part, thereby allowing another document case with a flat bottom to be stacked in a stable manner on said upper part, said handle comprising a flexible strip that can be pulled upwardly above the height of said upper part when the document case is lifted up by the handle.

24. A document case as claimed in Claim 23 in which the handle is a curved rubber strip with end stops that retain the handle to the upper part when it is gripped and the document case lifted.

25. A document case as claimed in Claim 23 or Claim 24 in which the handle has a thicker/stiffer section in a central region to reduce bending and pressure on the user's hand.

26. A document case as claimed in any one of Claims 23, 24 or 25 in which the ends of the handle are retained to the upper part by being received in slots on the bottom of said recess with said end pieces engaging stop means adjacent the slots when the handle is gripped and lifted, said handle flexing into a shape that extends above said upper part when said end pieces engage the stop means.

27. A document case as claimed in Claim 23 and having a handle substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURE 8 of the accompanying drawings.

28. A case having one or more of the following:1. A stepped bottom; 2. Compartments having bottom portions at different height levels; 3. Finger grip means on a wall thereof to allow the case to be steadied by the same hand that actuates a, preferably push-button, catch mechanism; 4. Reconfigurable compartments defined by divider partitions of strip-like form spaced from the bottom of the case; 5. Divider partitions of a curved shape; 6. A non-projecting flexible handle (seated in a recess) that is pulled into a projecting shape on lifting the case; 7. A handle having a central thicker/stiffer section; 8. A storage area in a front wall of the case preferably (e.g. for pens and the like) located on each side of a locking mechanism and preferably on the inside of a curved front wall portion, and/or 9. The case having a lid joined to a lower part by a hinge preferably moulded into the lid and/or lower part, said hinge having an integral stop allowing assembly but restricting the lid to an opening angle of about 90" + 5.

29. A document case comprising a lower part and an upper part or lid releasably lockable thereto by a locking mechanism, said case including a button operated catch means operable to retain the upper part or lid to the lower part in a closed position, the arrangement being such that with the locking mechanism in an open position the upper part or lid can be retained to the lower part by said catch means and said locking mechanism can be operated to lock the case whilst the case is in the closed position, said button operated catch means being operable to open the case only whilst the locking mechanism is in an open position.

30. A document case substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.