Carrying case system providing multiple levels of protection

Abstract

A protective transport system to provide protection for equipment is achieved by a cylindrical primary carrying case and a cylindrical protective case. These two components are designed to provide varying levels of protection, while also being easy to use and relatively light weight. The primary case is designed to closely receive the device being transported, and provide handling structures specific to that device. The protective case is designed to contain the primary case, and provide significant levels of protection when needed. Both cases allow easy access at an end of the cylinder to the device being carried.

1 . A dual case instrument carrying system for transporting an instrument in a manner most appropriate for a user's situation, the system comprising:
 a primary carrying case being substantially cylindrical and forming a housing for containing a pliable conforming material configured to closely surround and hold the instrument in a desired position and orientation thus providing a first level of protection for the instrument, the primary carrying case further having a protective shell which is partially rigid for surrounding and containing the conforming material and a fabric outer covering forming an exterior surface, the primary carrying case having a selectively coupled lid at a first end to allow the user to selectively open and close the case thereby providing access to the interior, the primary carrying case further being closed at a second end thereby forming a complete enclosure when the selectively coupled lid is attached;   a protective carrying case being substantially cylindrical, rigid and sized slightly larger than the primary carrying case, thereby allowing the primary carrying case to be inserted within the protective carrying case, the protective carrying case formed of a rigid supporting structure surrounded by a fabric material, the rigid supporting structure substantially stronger than the first rigid material capable of providing a second level of protection which is substantially higher than the first level of protection provided by the primary carrying case, the protective carrying case having a selectively attachable lid at a first end thereof, wherein the selectively coupled lid of the primary carrying case and the selectively coupled lid of the protective carrying case are aligned with one another when the primary carrying case is inserted into the protective carrying case; and   a plurality of straps attached to the fabric material of the second case, wherein the straps comprise a pair of back-pack like straps, a carrying handle, and a detachable shoulder strap.   
   
   
       2 . The dual case instrument carrying system of  claim 1  wherein the rigid support structure of the protective carrying case is capable of withstanding loads of greater than 500 pounds without compromising its structural integrity. 
   
   
       3 . The dual case instrument carrying system of  claim 1  wherein the rigid support structure of the protective carrying case is capable of withstanding loads of greater than 1,000 pounds without compromising its structural integrity 
   
   
       4 . The dual case instrument carrying system of  claim 1  wherein the selectively coupled lid of the primary carrying case is attached by a zipper. 
   
   
       5 . The dual case instrument carrying system of  claim 1  wherein the selectively coupled lid of the protective carrying case is attached by a zipper. 
   
   
       6 . The dual case instrument carrying system of  claim 1  wherein the primary carrying case is adapted to carry a trumpet. 
   
   
       7 . The dual case instrument carrying system of  claim 6  wherein the primary carrying case and the protective carrying case both have attachment connections for attaching accessories to the exterior of the case, the accessories are selected from music holding bags, mouthpiece holding bags, mute holders, and general pouches. 
   
   
       8 . A carrying case system for transporting articles, comprising;
 a primary case having a shell-like outer housing providing a first level of protection for articles contained therein, the primary case further having a conforming structure within the outer housing adapted to conform to and closely hold the articles, the primary case further having at least one attachment accommodation adapted to removably attach at least one accessory thereto, the primary case further having a lid attached to one end to allow access to the interior of the housing;   a protective rigid outer case sized to closely contain the primary case, the outer case having a rigid outer wall creating an interior housing which provides a second level of protection for the articles, wherein the rigid outer wall is capable of withstanding substantially more force than the shell-like outer housing of the primary case, the protective case further having at least one outer case attachment accommodation adapted to removably attach at least one accessory thereto, the protective case further having a lid attached to one end which is openable to allow access to the interior housing which is also aligned with the lid of the primary case when the primary case is housed within the secondary case such that the articles can be accessed without removing the primary case; the outer case further having at least one carrying handle; and   at least one accessory removably attachable to the primary case and the protective case, wherein the accessories must be removed to allow insertion of the primary case into the protective case.   
   
   
       9 . The carrying case system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one accessory includes a music holder. 
   
   
       10 . The carrying case system of  claim 8  wherein the article is a musical instrument and the at least one accessory includes a mouthpiece holder. 
   
   
       11 . The carrying case system of  claim 8  wherein the outer case is capable of supporting weights of over 500 lbs without compromising the structural integrity of the shell like outer housing. 
   
   
       12 . The carrying case system of  claim 8  wherein the outer housing of the primary case and the rigid outer wall of the outer case are both cylindrical. 
   
   
       13 . The carrying case system of  claim 12  wherein the primary case lid and the outer case lid are both zippered caps located at an end of the respective cylindrical housing, whereby the primary case lid and the outer case lid can simultaneously be opened when primary case is positioned within outer case. 
   
   
       14 . The carrying case system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one carrying handle comprises a single loop handle, and wherein the outer case further includes a set of backpack straps. 
   
   
       15 . The carrying case system of  claim 14  further having a detachable shoulder strap capable of attachment to either the primary case or the outer case. 
   
   
       16 . The carrying case system of  claim 8  wherein the at least one accessory includes an accessory bag. 
   
   
       17 . A carrying case system for providing dual levels of protection for at least one article contained within the carrying case system, the carrying case system comprising:
 a primary carrying case for housing the article to be transported, the primary case having a generally cylindrical outer wall which is partially flexible, one closed end and one open end, where the open end can be selectively closed with an openable lid, the primary case further having a pliable structure within the interior of the case for closely containing the article, the pliable structure being attached to both the cylindrical outer wall, the closed end and the openable lid, the primary case further having a plurality of attachment accommodations on an outer surface thereof to allow for the attachment of handles or accessories;   an outer case having a rigid cylindrical outer wall, a closed end and an open end, the outer case sized to receive the primary case within the rigid cylindrical outer wall, the rigid outer wall configured and sized to support weights of at least 500 lbs thereby providing additional protection for the articles, the outer case further having a selectively openable lid attached to the open end to accommodate opening of the outer case, the lid of the outer case and the lid of the primary case capable of being aligned to allow access to the articles within the case when the primary case is housed within the outer case, an outer surface of the outer case further having a carrying strap, a pair of backpack straps, and attachment clips to allow attachment of a shoulder strap, the outer surface further having a plurality of attachment accommodations to allow for the attachment of accessories, wherein the attachment accommodations of the outer case and the primary case are configured to allow for attachment of the same accessories; and   at least one accessory attachable to both the primary case and the outer case using the attachment accommodations provided on the outer surface thereof.   
   
   
       18 . The carrying case system of  claim 17  wherein the article is a musical instrument and the pliable material is configured to surround and closely contain the musical instrument. 
   
   
       19 . The carrying case system of  claim 17  wherein the lid to the primary case and the lid to the outer case are both attachable and selectively openable via zippers.