US3458094A - Cartop carrying case - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1969 E. c. WALLACE CARTOP CARRYING CASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1967 INVENTOR E L QWA was:

Pmzszwevg July 29, 1969 E. c. WALLACE 3,458,094

CARTOP CARRYING CASE Filed Dec. 22, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. Emu. Q.WAL1PC Mala-n) #T/Lam LrT'I'SEuEQ3 July 29, 1969 med Dec. 22'. 1967 E. C- WALLACE CARTOP CARRYING CASE 3 Shepts-Sheet 5 FIG 5 INVENT OR.

Elm. CWAL AQE emazmws' United States Patent ice 3,458,094 CARTOP CARRYING CASE Earl C. Wallace, Andrews, Ind., assignor to General Engineering & Manufacturing Corporation, Andrews, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Dec. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 692,914 Int. Cl. B60r 9/04, 11/00 US. Cl. 22442.01 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cartop carrying case which may be readily opened from a closed position to provide access to the entire interior of the case and simultaneously converting the same to a support for a mattress or a sleeping bag for camping purposes.

Background of the invention Field of the inventi0n.-The invention pertains to carrying cases or containers and more particularly to a vehicle roof supported case which may be opened to provide a horizontally extending support surface.

Description of the prior urn-Containers for mounting on vehicle roofs have heretofore been made in a variety of designs. For each design, special features were required to convert such containers into a flat supporting surface which could be used as a support for a mattress or sleeping bag for camping purposes. These features were of various degrees of complexity and various costs. Heretofore, it has not been possible to readily convert a vehicle roof top supported container into a flat supporting surface without the employment of undue complexities.

Summary The invention provides a cartop carrying container comprising a horizontally disposed bottom panel; a pair of upstanding side walls extending upwardly from two opposed edge portions of the bottom panel; first and second top closure members; hinge means for pivotally mounting the first top closure member to one of the respective ends of the side walls and for pivotally mounting the second top closure member to the opposite respective ends of the side walls whereby the first and second top closure members may be pivoted from a closed superposed position over the bottom panel to an openposition over the bottom panel to an open position forming oppositely extending extensions of the bottom panel; and first and second end closure members pivotally mounted to the top closure members respectively for closing engagement with the bottom panel and the side walls when the first and second top closure members are in a closed position.

It is an object of the invention to produce a carrying case, fabricated from light weight material, which is rigid in construction and compact in over-all dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to produce a carrying case which may be transported on any standard or compact passenger car or van, and may be readily opened to provide a support for a mattress or sleeping bag.

A further object of the invention is to produce a carrying case which is provided with means to render the interior thereof water-tight when in a closed position.

Still another object of the invention is to produce a carrying case which is readily and economically manufactured.

Brief description of the drawings Other objects and advantages of the invention will become manifest to those skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showing the carrying case thereof in a closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the carrying case in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the carrying case of the invention in an open position with a tent structure connected thereto in set-up condition.

Description of a preferred embodiment Referring to FIGURES 1-4 wherein like reference numerals designate similar components, there is illustrated a case or container 10 which is adapted to be carried on the top of a vehicle 12 by a pair of transversely extending horizontal support bars 14 having downwardly depending terminal portions 16 provided with padded ends (not shown) for engagement with the roof of the vehicle 12. The support bars 14 are pulled down tightly so that the terminal portions 16 securely engage with the roof of the vehicle 12 by the use of straps 18 secured to the terminal portions 16. Each of the straps 18 is provided with a hook 20 hooked to the drip rail 22 of the vehicle 12 in a conventional manner.

The case or container 10 includes a horizontally disposed bottom panel 24 affixed in supporting relation to the support bars 14. The bottom panel 24 is provided with a pair of upstanding side walls 26 and 28 which extend upwardly from two opposite side edge portions of the panel 24. To impart an adequate seal between the bottom panel 24, the side walls 26 and 28, and other components of the structure, the marginal edges are suitably contoured to form one portion of a seal. More particularly, it will be noted that at least three of the marginal edges of the side wall 28 are provided with a continuous rib-like beading 30. The side wall 26 is similarly contoured. As will become manifest hereinafter, the heading 30 cooperates to form an adequate seal and also imparts rigidity to the structure when the components are molded from a relatively thin walled plastic material, such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride. Other resinous plastic materials may also be utilized for forming the structure of the invention.

The container 10 further includes a pair of cooperating top closure members 32 and 34. Hinge means 36 are employed to pivotally interconnect the top closure 32 with the ends of the side walls 26 and 28. Similar hinge means 38 are employed to pivotally interconnect the top closure 34 to the opposite ends of the side Walls 26 and 28. The marginal edges of the top closure member 32 and 34 are formed with a continuous rib-like beading 40 and 42, respeotively. When the container or case 10 is in a closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the beading 40 of the top closure 32 overlaps the beading 42 of the top closure 34 to provide a tight seal therebetween to militate against the seepage of water therethrough while being transported from place to place or during storage.

It will also be noted that those portions of the beading 40 and 42 of the top closures 32 and 34, respectively which are most adjacent the beading 30 on the side walls 26 and 28 cooperate to form a sealing relation between the top closures 32 and 34 and the side walls 26 and 28 of the bottom panel 24. The top closure members 32 and 34 are maintained in a closed position by a pair of suitably disposed latch members 44.

The opposite ends of the assemblage thus far described are closed by end closures 46 and 48. The end closure 46 is hingedly secured to the top closure 32 by means of a hinge 50 which may be typically in the form of an elongate strip of a flexible material having opposite marginal edges secured by means of rivets, for example, to the top closure 32 and the end closure 46, respectively. Similarly, a hinge 52 is employed to hingedly secure the end closure 48 to the top closure 34. The end closure 46 is snapped into fixed closed position by having an indentation 54 formed on the under side thereof to cooperate with a similar corresponding indentation 56 formed in the marginal edge of the bottom panel 24, as clearly illustrated in FIGURE 4. The indentations 54 and 56 may extend the entire width of the respective elements or may be intermittently formed therealong.

FIGURE illustrates a possible use of the case or container for containing a mattress and an associated tent T which may be unfolded, removed from the interior of the case when it is in opened position, and erected as illustrated in the drawing.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment.

What I claim is:

1. A cartop carrying container comprising:

a horizontally disposed bottom panel;

a pair of upstanding side walls extending upwardly from two opposed edge portions of said bottom panel;

first and second top closure members;

hinge means for pivotally mounting said first top closure member to one of the respective ends of said side walls and for pivotally mounting said second top closure member to the opposite respective ends of said side walls whereby said first and second top closure members may be pivoted from a closed superposed position over said bottom panel to an open position forming oppositely extending extensions of said bottom panel; and first and second end closure members pivotally mounted to said top closure members respectively for closing engagement with said bottom panel and said side walls when said first and second top closure members are in a closed position.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said top closure members are provided with cooperating mating rib-like beading to provide a sealing relation when said top closure members are in closed position.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said end closures and said bottom panel are provided with cooperating detent means for releasably retaining said closure members in closed position.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second end closure members are pivotally mounted to respective ones of said top closure members by hinge means.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said hinge means is coextensive with its respective closure member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,138,307 6/1964 Priban.

FOREIGN PATENTS 139,511 3/1953 Sweden.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2204; 224-421

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