Patent Application
20210037937
This invention relates generally to a travel case for storing and organizing articles, in particular articles like watches and jewelry, and more particularly has reference to a watch roll travel case for storing and organizing watches for travel and housing an additional hidden container inside for storing other valuables like jewelry.
Watch roll travel cases are well known. They typically consist of a rigid outer housing in the form of a cylinder with a removable cuff or cushion inside for holding watches. The removable cushion fits securely inside the housing for storage, but can be removed from the housing to allow watches to be mounted on or removed from the cushion. A hinged lid formed in the sidewall of the housing allows access to the interior of the housing where the cushion is stored.
Persons who travel with watches of the type typically stored in a watch roll travel case often have jewelry or other small valuables to carry as well. Storing the jewelry for travel often requires the user to provide a separate jewelry storage case, which adds to the burden and cost of traveling, and also exposes the jewelry to an added risk of loss or theft because the extra case can be accidently misplaced while traveling and is often recognizable as a jewelry case by potential thieves looking for an easy target.
There is a need for a system that allows a traveler to safety and securely organize and store his or hers watches, jewelry and other valuables for travel in a way that is compact and convenient, where the valuables remain safely protected yet easily accessible, and which reduces the risk of loss or theft. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention relates to a new and improved travel case for organizing and storing watches, jewelry and other valuables, in the form of a watch roll with a hidden storage compartment for jewelry and other valuables inside a removable cushion or cuff which has the external look and feel of a conventional watch roll cuff to hide the fact that jewelry and other valuables besides watches are stored inside the case.
In one embodiment, the travel case includes an elongated housing with a sidewall, two ends and a hollow interior and a hinged lid disposed on the housing as part of the sidewall, the lid having open and closed positions and allowing access to the hollow interior of the housing when the lid is in the open position. An elongated cuff is configured to be removably disposed in the interior of the housing. The cuff has a circumferential exterior surface sized so that wrist watches can be securely wrapped therearound, and a longitudinal bore extending into the interior of the cuff. An elongated storage container is configured to be removably and slidably disposed in the longitudinal bore, the storage container having an open interior and a lid with open and closed positions that allow access to an open interior of the container when the lid is in an open position.
In a further embodiment, the housing, the cuff and the storage container each have a cylindrical shape, and the storage container and the longitudinal bore have the same diameter and length. The interior of the housing is preferably lined with fabric material and the housing preferably has a rigid sidewall. In yet another embodiment, the cuff and the storage container are covered in the same material.
In still another embodiment, the longitudinal bore extends axially through the cuff and is open at both ends. Preferably, the elongated cuff is formed of resilient material.
In yet another embodiment, the storage container is a clamshell container with two halves and a lid. A spring hinge or stitched hinge can be used for connecting the lid to the container, and the storage container preferably has a rigid exterior and a lining in the interior.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to
The housing 12 can be constructed from various materials, but is typically made of plastic, cardboard or similar rigid material wrapped in real or synthetic leather on the outside and lined on the inside with a soft suede, velvet, felt or flocked fabric lining to protect the contents inside the case 10 from scratches or other damage. While a rigid housing 12 is preferred for added protection, the housing could also be made of flexible leather or similar non-rigid material if desired. The case 10 is designed to be transportable and so is generally sized to easily fit in the hand of a user. A case 10 about eight inches long and about three inches in diameter would be typical, but the size can be varied to suit different needs and styles. It can be made shorter or longer, typically within a range of about two inches to about twenty four inches or more, and the diameter can vary from about one and a half inches to about eight inches.
The hinged lid 14 typically forms part of the sidewall 26 of the housing 12 when closed. The size of the lid 14 can vary, but it preferably extends for half the circumference of the sidewall 26 to provide a large enough opening for a user to easily insert and remove the cuff 18 from the interior 16 of the housing 12 yet retain the cuff securely inside the housing when the lid is open. The removable cuff 18, which is preferably made of resilient foam or similar compressible material covered in soft suede or other fabric that preferably matches the lining inside the housing 12, typically has a generally cylindrical shape and extends between base plates 28 on each end of the housing 12. The base plates 28 abut the ends of the cuff 18 to resist longitudinal movement when the cuff is nestled in place inside the housing 12. The cuff 18 preferably has a diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of the housing 12 to allow room for watches to be mounted on the exterior of the cuff in a manner to be described, and is sufficiently long to hold one or more watches. The lid 14 is preferably secured when closed by a strap 20 fixed to the lid at one end, extending circumferentially across the outer surface of the lid, and removably secured to the housing 12 at the opposite end after the lid is closed. The strap 20 shown in
As best shown in
As best shown in
The hard shell exterior of the container 32 provides protection for the contents inside, while a soft interior lining made of padded felt-like or similar material guards the contents against dust and scratches and reduces the noise from contents moving around inside the container 32. The exterior of the container 32, which is preferably made of plastic or other rigid material, can be optionally covered along its length and at both ends which a real or imitation leather, or alternatively, with a fabric material that matches the fabric covering on the cuff 18 itself, to further conceal the existence of the container 32 inside the cuff 18. If desired, dividers 46 as shown in
From the forgoing, it will be appreciated that a travel case incorporating the novel features of the present invention can be used to keep watches, time pieces, jewelry and other valuables secure and scuff/scratch free while at home and on the road. The case can store multiple watches in one place and keep them organized and protected. Moreover, the additional container 32 inside the cuff 18 is hidden from view so that a potential thief is unaware of its existence and can be fooled into thinking that the travel case is empty when no watches 30 are disposed on the cuff 18.
The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those that have been illustrated and described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims that follow.
