DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon a perusal of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of an adjustable carrying case for a string instrument;
FIG. 2 is a left side view of the case shown in FIG. 1 and with a shoulder strap removed;
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the case shown in FIG. 1 and with a shoulder strap removed;
FIG. 4 is an end view of the case shown in FIG. 1 and with a shoulder strap removed;
FIG. 5 is an expanded right side view of the case shown in FIG. 1 and with a shoulder strap removed;
FIG. 6 is a partially contracted right side view of the case shown in FIG. 1 and with a shoulder strap removed;
FIG. 7 is a partial expanded right side view of the case shown in FIG. 1 and with a shoulder strap removed; and
FIG. 8 is a partially contracted and partially expanded right side view of the case shown in FIG. 1 and with a shoulder strap removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An elongated carrying case 11 (FIG. 1) includes a narrow portion 12 for receiving the neck of a stringed instrument (not shown) and a wider portion 13 for receiving the instrument's body. Forming the case 11 are a top wall 15 and a bottom wall 16 joined by a primary side wall 17 having a substantially uniform width w (FIG. 6). A handle 18 is joined to the side wall 17. Removably attached to the bottom wall 16 are a pair of backpack straps 19. A zipper 21 having a pair of slides 22 allows separation of the top wall 15 from a portion of the side wall 17 allowing access to an instrument within the case 11.
The primary side wall 17 (FIGS. 2, 3, and 4) includes an upper wall portion 25 and a lower wall portion 26 having outer edges 28, 29 formed by engageable tabs of an expansion zipper 27 with an operating pull slide 24. Inner edges of the wall portions 25, 26 are joined, respectively, to outer edges 34, 35 of the top and bottom walls 15, 16. The upper wall portion 25 has an extensive length section 30 of uniform width and a substantially shorter end section 31 with an outwardly tapered edge 32 forming a triangular protrusion 33. Similarly, the lower wall portion 26 has an extensive length section 36 of uniform width and a substantially shorter end section 37 with an outwardly tapered edge 38 forming a triangular protrusion 39.
The triangular protrusions 33, 39 are laterally aligned and their apices are joined establishing at their juncture 44 a combined width W of the upper and lower wall portions 25, 26. End portions 45, 46 of, respectively, the upper wall portion 25 and the lower wall portion 26 opposite to the tapered end sections 31 and 37 overlap those end sections.
Disposed within the primary side wall 17 is a flexible auxiliary side wall 48 (FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8) also extending between and joining outer edges of the top wall 15 and the bottom wall 16. As shown in FIG. 8, the auxiliary side wall 48 has a substantially uniform width W substantially greater than the width w (FIGS. 2, 3 and 6) of the primary side wall 17. An upper edge 51 of auxiliary side wall 48 extends around the entire perimeter 34 of the top wall 15 of the carrying case 11 and a lower edge 53 of the auxiliary side wall 48 extends around the entire perimeter 35 of the bottom wall 16.
Attached to the narrow portion 12 of the case 11 is a cinching mechanism 58 including a cinching strap 59 and buckle 60. As shown in FIG. 5, the cinching mechanism 58 can be loosened to allow expansion of the narrow portion 12 of the case 11 after opening of the zipper 21. Alternatively, with the zipper 21 open, the cinching strap 59 can be tightened to exert a circumferential force on the narrow portion 12 and thereby reduce its circumference as illustrated in FIG. 8.
During use of the carrying case 11, the zipper 27 can be closed to contract the auxiliary side wall 48 and establish within the case 11 a first compartment 61 (FIG. 3) having a volume which will accommodate a relatively narrow instrument (not shown) having a width no greater than the given maximum width w. Conversely, opening of the zipper 27 allows separation of the top and bottom walls 15, 16 and expansion of the auxiliary side wall 48 resulting in the creation within the case 11 of a second compartment 62 with a larger volume which will accommodate a larger instrument (not shown) having up to a greater maximum width W as shown in FIG. 5. The case 11 also will compactly receive an instrument (not shown) having a body with a maximum width greater than w but no greater than W and a neck having a maximum width in a range between w and W. Such use is facilitated by opening of the zipper 27 and tightening of the cinching strap 59 around the narrow portion 12 of the case 11.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Patent Application
20080060956
