Expandable computer tote
AssigneeTravelpro International, Inc.
InventorJacqueline N. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer tote convertible from a hand-carried attache case to a shoulder-carried backpack. As an attache case, the computer tote may be carried by retractable handles and a convertible compartment houses a shoulder harness and a backpack compartment in a small, compact manner. The convertible compartment can be opened so that the harness and backpack compartment can be unfolded. The backpack compartment expands the size of the case so as to allow additional items to be carried therein, and the shoulder harness facilitator carrying the expanded tote on a user's back. The computer case has numerous other interior and exterior zippered compartments including a computer compartment. The computer compartment is sized for securely containing a portable computer and is lined with padded board for protecting the computer.
Claims39
A convertible tote for carrying a portable computer having an expandable storage volume defined by a front, a back, opposite sides, a top and a bottom, comprising:
- a computer compartment forming part of said storage volume sized to contain said portable computer, said computer compartment being accessed through an opening at least at said top having a first closure mechanism for opening and closing said computer compartment;
- a convertible compartment connected to said computer compartment and separated therefrom by a partition substantially parallel to said front and said back, said convertible compartment having a peripheral closure mechanism extending along the perimeter of said back for opening and closing said convertible compartment so as to transform said tote between an attache case configuration and a backpack configuration;
- a handle at said top suitable for grasping by hand so as to carry said case at least when in said attache case configuration;
- and
- a backpack harness disposed within and deployable from said convertible compartment for shoulder carrying said tote when in said backpack configuration;
- wherein said convertible compartment is expanded in said backpack configuration such that said tote storage volume is greater in said backpack configuration than in said attache case configuration.
A tote convertible from an attache case configuration defining a first storage volume to a backpack configuration defining a second storage volume wherein said second storage volume is larger than said first storage volume, said tote having a front side, a back side, opposite end sides, a top side and a bottom side, comprising:
- a convertible compartment defined in part by said back side, said convertible compartment including collapsible sides joining said back side to said top, bottom and end sides, and having a closure member at the periphery of said back side that when fastened joins said back side to said top side, bottom and end sides to define said attache case configuration and when unfastened permits said back side to be extended laterally outward at said collapsible sides so as to define said backpack configuration, such that said back side is substantially parallel to said front side in said backpack configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.