Travel case convertible as a work table
AssigneeMDG Holdings, LLC
InventorsRobert L. Bromley, Robert J. Gerth, Margaret D. Gerth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A travel case having features that allow the travel case to stand on four legs to form a horizontal surface suitable for use as a work table is disclosed. The travel case is adapted to operate in two modes including a default mode, and a props/table mode. In the default mode, the travel case is configured to function as a conventional travel case. In the props/table mode, the travel case is configured to stand on four legs, thereby allowing a case body to be used as an elevated horizontal support surface. The props/table mode is configured to facilitate ease of unpacking and packing of the travel case. The travel case comprises a flip switch to activate one of the default mode or props/table mode.
Claims15
A travel case, comprising:
- a case support assembly coupled to a case assembly for facilitating supporting the case assembly in an elevated position horizontally upon a surface, wherein the case support assembly comprises a left assembly and a right assembly, wherein the left assembly and right assembly is coupled to a flip switch, wherein the flip switch is configured to allow a user to change the operation of the case support assembly between a default mode and a props mode, wherein the props mode is activated by rotation of the flip button to an inverted orientation, wherein each of the left assembly and right assembly comprises:
- an outer tube defined by a c-shaped profile and a box shaped profile,
- a middle tube disposed within the c shaped profile, wherein the middle tube comprises a post to slidably lock and unlock with the outer tube,
- an inner tube disposed within the middle tube, wherein the inner tube has a flat portion that cooperatively engages to a flat portion of the middle tube, wherein the middle tube and inner tube are configured to coordinate subsequent to a rotation of the flip switch, wherein the inner tube comprises a post to slidably lock and unlock with the middle tube,
- a top leg set hingedly coupled to a top end of the outer tube, wherein the top leg set comprises a top stay having a first end pivotally coupled to a cam set of the outer tube and a second end slides on a top leg,
- a bottom leg set hingedly coupled to a bottom end of the outer tube,
- wherein the bottom leg set comprises a bottom stay having a first end pivotally coupled to the cam set of the outer tube and a second end slides on a bottom leg, wherein the top stay and the bottom stay are configured to extend or retract the top leg set and the bottom leg set, respectively, and
- the cam set slidably disposed within the box shaped profile of the outer tube comprises,
- a cam inner member having a concentric rack corresponding to a flat portion of the middle tube to facilitate a shuttle to slide therein,
- a cam middle member, and
- a cam cap member, wherein a follower of the top stay and follower of the bottom stay engages a closed track of the cam middle member and cam cap member,
- wherein the rotation of the flip switch disengages the inner tube from the middle tube and the middle tube from the outer tube, thereby enabling the middle tube coupled with the shuttle to travel down a shuttle track and push the cam set to move downward to unfold leg sets of each of the left and right assembly for facilitating supporting the case assembly in an elevated position horizontally upon the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.