Cassette carrying case
INTRODUCTION 
     This invention relates to cassette carrying cases and more particularly comprises a relatively inexpensive, well designed case for cassettes which provides maximum protection for the contents and maximum convenience for the user. 
     There are a variety of cassette carrying cases on the market, and most are quite expensive. The case of the present invention is designed for maximum convenience to the user by providing the following features: 
     (1) The case automatically latches closed when the cover is moved to the closed position; 
     (2) The case may be opened a full 180°, so as to lie flat on any supporting surface; 
     (3) The handle is incorporated into the case proper so that it does not interfere with the opening and closing of the case, and furthermore the handle provides an additional assurance against accidental opening of the case when the handle is grasped by the user; 
     (4) Latching devices are provided on the cover, which are in full view and readily accessible; 
     (5) The carrying case is also inexpensive to manufacture because it is composed of a minimum number of parts, and the parts may be quickly assembled, to make the case relatively inexpensive. 
     These and other features of this invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description read in connection with the accompanying drawing. 
    
    
     BRIEF FIGURE DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cassette carrying case of this invention and shown with the cover partly opened; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear view of the carrying case; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the carrying case taken along the section line 3--3 of FIG. 1 and showing the case closed in full lines and suggesting the case fully opened in broken lines; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of one of the latches of the carrying case, taken along the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the portion of the latch assembly carried in the cover, viewed from the rear of the case. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The cassette carrying case shown in the drawing includes a base 10 and a cover 12 secured together by a piano hinge 14. The base and cover are releasably secured in the closed position by a pair of latches 16 provided at the front of the case. 
     Base 10 and cover 12 together define a shell comprising the bottom and top walls 18 and 20 of the case, as well as side walls 22 and 24 and rear walls 26 and 28. A handle 29 is incorporated into the body of the case directly in panels 30 and 32. Panels 30 and 32 in the base and cover respectively converge toward one another in the direction of the front of the case as viewed in FIG. 1. Rather short front walls 34 and 36 extend toward one another from the front edges of the respective panels to complete the main shell structures of the base and cover. The base and cover may inexpensively and effectively be injection molded from a high impart styrene or other similar material capable of withstanding the normal abuses to which cases of this type are normally subjected. 
     Openings provided in the central portion of panels 30 and 32 as shown at 38 and 40 in FIG. 1 define the handle 29 of the case. Walls 42 and 44 while also defining the handle extend toward one another from the panels 30 and 32 immediately surrounding the openings 38 and 40, so that when the case is closed a tubular opening of generally rectangular shape is furnished at the front end of the case large enough to receive the hand of the carrier so as to provide a convenient handle grip for carrying the case about. 
     The piano hinge 14 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to be riveted to the rear walls 26 and 28 of the base and cover, respectively, by the rivets 50. The hinge cylinder 52 lies outside the case while the hinge plates 53 are disposed inside the case. The configuration of the piano hinge is such that the case may be fully opened so that the bottom and top walls 18 and 20 of the base end cover, respectively, lie in a common plane as suggested by broken lines in FIG. 3. This affords maximum convenient access to the inside of the case and allows it to be placed on a table, car seat or any other surface. 
     The base 10 is shown in FIG. 1 to carry a pair of upwardly extending partitions 60, each of which carries a plurality of dividers 62 that are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of the boxed cassettes suggested at C in FIG. 1. Additional dividers 64 are provided on the inner surfaces of each of the side walls 22 and 24 of the base (only one side can be seen in FIG. 1), aligned with the dividers 62 on the partitions 60 so as to be in a position to firmly engage the boxed cassettes stacked in parallel on the base. It is evident that such an arrangement will accommodate a maximum number of boxed cassettes in the area provided. The dividers are only of sufficient thickness so as to enable one cassette to be withdrawn from the case without disturbing the others stored in the case. A felt pad 66 preferably is secured to the inner surface of the top wall 20 of the cover, which pad bears against the edges of the cassette boxes as suggested in FIG. 3 when the case is closed so as to prevent the cassettes from rattling or moving about in the case. 
     The latches 16 provided in the front portion of the case includes a pair of generally rectangular wells 70 molded as an integral part of the base 10 in the panel 30. The wells 70 extend upwardly from the panel 30, and each well has a substantially vertical rear wall 72, upwardly inclined front wall 74 and side walls 76 and 78. The tops of the wells are closed by walls 80 having a central rectangular opening 82. The bottom of each well is closed by an imperforate plate 84 which may be ultrasonically welded or otherwise secured in place as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. For that purpose, each plate 84 carries a pair of pins 86 formed as integral parts of the plate that fit into sleeves 88 and 90, respectively, molded on the bottom surface of wall 80, on each side of the opening 82. It will also be noted particularly in FIG. 4 that the opening in sleeve 90 is enlarged at its upper end as shown at 92. The enlarged opening 92 receives a boss 94 formed in the well of the cover described below so as to align the cover and base properly with respect to one another when the case is closed so that the edges of the peripheral walls mate properly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. 
     A pair of wells 100 are formed in the cover, which are substantially identical in shape to the wells 70 formed in the base. Moreover, the wells 100 are aligned with the wells 70 so that when the case is closed, the opposed end walls of the wells engage one another. Each well 100 includes a substantially vertical rear wall 102, inclined front wall 104 and side walls 106 and 108. The wells 100 are closed by bottom wall 110. A slot 112 is formed at the intersection of bottom wall 110 and rear wall 102, and an opening 114 is provided centrally of the bottom wall in alignment with the opening 82 in the top or end wall 80 of the well 70. Yet another opening 116 is provided in bottom wall 110 to facilitate the formation of a shoulder or undercut 118 in the side wall 108, which shoulder serves to retain a compression spring 120 in place when the latch is assembled. In FIG. 4 it will be noted that a shallow seat 124 is provided in the panel 32 beyond the side walls 106 and 108 of well 100 to support the slide 130 of the latch. The slide 130 as shown in FIG. 5 includes a top wall 132 whose ends 134 sit in the shallow seat 124 in the panel 32. The width of the top wall is less than the width of the seat so that the slide may move from side to side in the well as explained in greater detail below. Rear wall 136 depends from the top wall 132 of the slide and lies against the rear wall 102 of the well 100. The central portion 138 of the wall 136 is separated by slits 140 from the rest of the rear wall 136 to form a tongue 142 having a hook-like undercut 144 at its lower end which is designed to engage the slot 112 at the base of rear wall 102 of well 100 so as to retain the slide 130 in the well. It is evident that the tongue 142 will hold the slide in the well but not interfere with the lateral motion of the slide because the tongue 144 is narrower than the slot 112. 
     A shallow recess 150 is formed in the top wall 132 of each slide to assist in actuation of the slides, and a flexible finger 152 depends from the bottom 154 of the recess, which finger has a hook-like barb 156 or undercut at its lower end that extends through the opening 114 in the well 100 of the cover. When the case is closed, the finger 152 also extends through the opening 82 in the top wall 80 of the well in the base, and when the slide is positioned as shown in FIG. 4, the barb 156 latches onto the margin of the opening 82 in well 70 in the base to retain the case in the locked position. The slide is biased to the locking position shown in FIG. 4 by spring 120 seated in the cavity 160 formed in the slide. The spring 120 bears against the end 162 of the cavity and the wall 108 of the well beneath shoulder 118 when the slide is assembled in the well so as to bias the slide to that position. However, the slide may very easily be moved to the left as viewed in FIG. 4 against the bias of spring 120 to unhook the barb 156 from the edge of the opening 82 so as to enable the case to be opened. It is apparent that to open the case, it is necessary to move both slides 130 outwardly (toward their respective sides of the case) so as to cause the barbs on the fingers to release the margins of the openings 82 in the top walls of the wells 70. On the other hand, when the case is to be closed and latched, the user need only move the cover 12 to the closed position. The tapered surfaces of the barbs 156 will slide on the margins of the openings 82 while the bosses 94 fit into the openings 92 in the sleeves of the lower wells. The undercut of the barbs 152 ultimately will pass beneath the margins of the openings 82 to affect a secure lock for the case. 
     From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the cassette carrying case of this invention may be manufactured quite inexpensively. The base and cover along with the latching slides and plates 84 may all be injection molded. Preferably a high quality piano hinge made of metal is used so as to provide a dependable and long lasting hinge for the case. The case may stand erect on its rear wall, as feet 170 are provided on the outer surface of the end walls. The feet 170 are longer than the diameter of the barrel portion of the panel hinge 14. Consequently, the case may stand on its rear wall without interference from the hinge and without the hinge marring the surface. The feet do not interfere with the full opening of the case because the feet on the cover and base are offset with respect to one another and opposed recesses 170&#39; are also provided as shown in FIG. 2. The case has a very substantial capacity; for example, it may conveniently be sized to accommodate 24 boxed cassettes in three rows of eight, and the cassettes are securely held in place in the case when the case is closed so that they will not rattle in the case or be jarred if the case is banged. Latches 16 allow the case to be conveniently opened with the case in the horizontal position of FIG. 1 as the latches are fully exposed on the upper surface of the cover. And the latches are such that the case automatically snaps shut when the cover is closed so that the case will not accidentally open or fail to latch and spill out its contents. And in manufacture, the latch slides 130 may very conveniently be mounted in the wells of the cover and are retained by the tongues 142. 
     Because numerous modifications have been made of this invention without departing from its spirit, it is not intended to limit the invention to the single embodiment illustrated and described. Rather, it is intended that the scope of the invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.