Access compartment having inwardly opening magnetic closure flap for carry case

Abstract

A magnetic closure device for a compartment of a carry case, the compartment having an access opening, the access opening having at least one first predetermined dimension. The flap is attached to the carry case and positioned inside the compartment, the flap having at least one dimension greater than the corresponding first dimension of the access opening to retain the flap inside the compartment and to thereby prevent movement of the flap outside the opening. The flap is hingedly attached at one end to the carry case and is arranged to move inwardly to provide access to the compartment through the opening. Mutually magnetically attractable devices are respectively attached to a wall portion of the compartment and to the flap in correspondingly opposed positions to retain the flap in engagement with the wall portion of the compartment to provide closure to the compartment, whereby the flap is manually movable inwardly to provide user access to the compartment. A carry case incorporating such flap is also disclosed, as well as a method of opening and closing the flap.

1 . A magnetic closure device for a compartment of a carry case, the compartment having an access opening, said access opening having at least one first predetermined dimension, which comprises:
 a) a flap attached to said carry case and positioned inside said compartment, said flap having at least one dimension greater than said corresponding first dimension of said access opening to prevent movement of said flap outside said opening, said flap being attached at one end to the carry case and being arranged to move inwardly to provide access to said compartment through said opening; and   b) mutually magnetically attractable devices respectively attached to a wall portion of said compartment and to said flap in correspondingly opposed positions to retain said flap in engagement with said wall portion of said compartment to provide closure to said compartment, said flap being manually movable inwardly to provide user access to said compartment.   
   
   
       2 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 1 , wherein said flap is constructed of an outer woven material layer which is complementary to the outer material layer of said carry case. 
   
   
       3 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 2 , wherein said outer material layer is woven polyester or nylon. 
   
   
       4 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 3 , wherein said flap further comprises an inner lining and an intermediate non-woven fibrous mat material sandwiched between said outer woven material layer and said inner lining. 
   
   
       5 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 4 , wherein the widthwise dimension of said flap is greater than the corresponding widthwise dimension of said compartment opening to prevent exiting of said flap from said compartment. 
   
   
       6 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 5 , wherein said flap is attached along an upper end to said carry case to form a bead-type hinge, said hinge including a coiled metal spring-like member extending over the widthwise dimension of said flap, said spring-like member being encased within a resilient generally tubular member, which is in turn, positioned within a woven material layer, said hinge thereby being structured and dimensioned to bias said flap outwardly toward an outer wall of said compartment. 
   
   
       7 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 6 , wherein said resilient generally tubular member is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and said flap includes a magnet attached at the free end thereof, and a correspondingly mutually magnetically attractive material device is attached to the adjacent outer wall of said compartment to thereby retain said flap in engagement with said adjacent wall to close the compartment. 
   
   
       8 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 7 , wherein said magnetic material is positioned on said flap and said mutually magnetic material device on said adjacent outer wall of said compartment is a mutually attractive magnet. 
   
   
       9 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 8 , wherein said magnets are rare earth magnets such as neodymium. 
   
   
       10 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 9 , wherein said flap includes an inner woven material liner, and said outer woven material liner of said flap combines with said bead-type hinge to bias said flap outwardly toward the closed position with respect to said compartment opening. 
   
   
       11 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 10 , wherein said flap further comprises at least one spring-like resilient material strip embedded therein along a dimension generally perpendicular to said widthwise dimension, and extending from said flap hinge toward said free end of said flap, to bias said flap toward the closed position. 
   
   
       12 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 11 , wherein said flap further comprises at least two of said resilient material strips positioned in generally spaced apart parallel relation with each other. 
   
   
       13 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 10 , wherein said flap further comprises at least one resilient material coil spring embedded therein along a dimension generally perpendicular to said widthwise dimension, and extending from said flap hinge toward said free end of said flap, to act as a spring to bias said flap toward the closed position. 
   
   
       14 . The magnetic closure device according to  claim 13 , wherein said flap further comprises at least two of said resilient material coil springs positioned in generally spaced apart parallel relation with each other. 
   
   
       15 . A carry case having an accessible compartment for storage of articles or the like, said compartment including a magnetic closure device; which comprises:
 a) a flap pivotably attached to said carry case and positioned inside said compartment, said flap having at least one dimension greater than said corresponding first dimension of said access opening to prevent movement of said flap outside said opening, said flap being attached at one end to the carry case and being arranged to move inwardly to provide access to said compartment through said opening; and   b) mutually magnetically attractable devices respectively attached to a wall portion of said compartment and to said flap in correspondingly opposed positions to retain said flap in engagement with said wall portion of said compartment to provide closure to said compartment, said flap being manually movable inwardly to provide user access to said compartment.   
   
   
       16 . The carry case according to  claim 15 , further comprising two or more of such accessible compartments and magnetic closure flaps. 
   
   
       17 . A method of opening and closing a closure device for an accessible compartment of carry case, the compartment having a pivotable closure flap positioned normally therein, said compartment having a dimension which is greater than a corresponding dimension of said closure flap to prevent exiting of said closure flap therefrom, said closure flap being hinged at one end and structured with said carry case to bias said closure flap outwardly toward a closed position in engagement with a wall of said compartment, said closure flap having attached at the free end portion thereof, a magnetic material device, and said adjacent wall of said compartment having a magnetically attractive material device attached thereto in opposed relation with said magnetic material of said closure flap, to retain said closure flap in a closed position with respect to said compartment, comprising:
 a) applying inward force to said flap to break the magnetic contact and to cause inward movement of said flap into said compartment for gaining access to the inside of said compartment; and   b) releasing said flap to permit it to return toward the closed position under the natural resilient bias of said flap until said mutually opposed magnets enter their respective magnetic fields to complete the closure of said flap when said flap engages the corresponding adjacent wall of said compartment.   
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said magnetic material on said flap is a magnet, and said magnetically attractive material on said adjacent wall of said compartment is a magnet of opposite polarity to said magnet on said flap. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein said magnets are rare earth magnets. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein said rare earth magnets are neodymium.