Document filing case with externally mounted sliding cover

Abstract

A document filing case comprises a filing case body with a sliding cover. The cover includes a closure flap and a connecting or mounting panel having at least one track follower that is engaged in a track formed in the back panel. Each track is formed as a longitudinal slot in the back panel extending parallel to the side edges thereof. A latch mechanism is mounted on the free edge of the closure flap and is releasably engageable with a catch mechanism on the outside surface of the front panel of the filing case body. The track follower permits longitudinal, sliding movement of the filing case cover and allows it to be drawn over the top of the filing case body, whereupon the latch mechanism on the closure flap is secured to the catch mechanism on the front panel of the filing case body.

1 . A document filing case comprising:
 a filing case body having an interior enclosure and an exterior bounded by front and back panels, a bottom, and opposing side panels wherein said enclosure has an open top and a closed bottom, and said front and the back panels each have a top, a bottom and opposing side edges, wherein said side panels extend between said opposing side edges of said front and back panels;   a filing case cover located entirely on said exterior of said filing case body and having a closure flap for extending entirely across said open top of said filing case body, and a mounting flap secured by an articulated hinge connection to said closure flap, and wherein said back panel of said filing case body defines at least one track having a top and a bottom and situated between said top and said bottom of said back panel; and   at least one track follower secured to said mounting flap and engaged in said track and movable toward said bottom of said track as said closure flap is withdrawn from said open top of said filing case body and movable toward said top of said track when said closure flap is drawn away from said back panel to completely cover said open top of said filing case body.   
     
     
         2 . The document filing case according to  claim 1  further comprising a pair of tracks and track followers as aforesaid, and said tracks are mutually parallel to each other and are aligned perpendicular to said top and bottom of said back panel. 
     
     
         3 . The document filing case according to  claim 2 , wherein said tracks are both formed as elongated, closed ended slots in said back panel, and said track followers are formed as structures that project from said mounting flap through said slots and said track followers have enlarged heads greater in width than said slots and reduced necks narrower in width than said slots, and said enlarged heads are located within said interior enclosure of said filing case body. 
     
     
         4 . The document filing case according to  claim 1 , wherein said closure flap has a width at least as great as the distance between said opposing side edges of said front and back panels. 
     
     
         5 . The document filing case according to  claim 1 , wherein said side panels are pleated and collapsible with accordion folds and further comprising divider panels located within said filing case body and between said front and back panels to define separate document storage pockets within said filing case body. 
     
     
         6 . The document filing case according to  claim 5 , wherein said filing case body is further comprised of a floor panel extending between said bottoms of both said front and back panels to form said bottom of said filing case body. 
     
     
         7 . The document filing case according to  claim 1  further comprising a catch mechanism located on said front panel on said exterior of said filing case body and a latch mechanism engageable with said catch mechanism and located on said closure flap. 
     
     
         8 . The document filing case according to  claim 7 , wherein said latch mechanism is also engageable with said top end of said back panel when said at least one track follower is at said bottom end of said at least one track. 
     
     
         9 . A document filing case comprising:
 a filing case body having front and back panels, each of which has a top end, a bottom end, and mutually parallel opposing side edges, and said back panel is provided with at least one cover engagement channel extending parallel to and located between said back panel side edges and said at least one channel has top and bottom channel ends, and wherein said bottom ends of said front and back panels are joined to each other to form a closed bottom, side panels extending between and joining said side edges of said front and back panels, whereby said filing case body has opposing closed sides, a closed bottom and an open top; and   a filing case cover movable between open and closed positions and having a closure flap that extends entirely across said open top of said filing case body and which wraps over at least said top end of said front panel when said filing case cover is in said closed position, and having a rear connecting panel joined in at least one articulated, hinged connection to said closure flap, and said rear connecting panel is located outside of said filing case body and has at least one channel follower that is engaged with and rides along the said at least one cover engagement channel in said back panel, whereby said channel follower is movable toward said bottom end of said channel when said filing case cover is in said open position and toward said top end of said channel when said filing case cover is in said closed position.   
     
     
         10 . The document filing case according to  claim 9  further comprising a pair of channels and channel followers as aforesaid and said channels are mutually parallel to each other and are aligned perpendicular to said top and bottom ends of said back panel. 
     
     
         11 . The document filing case according to  claim 10 , wherein said channels are both formed as elongated, closed ended slots in said back panel, and said channel followers are formed as structures that project from said mounting flap through said slots and said channel followers have enlarged heads greater in width than said slots and reduced necks narrower in width than said slots. 
     
     
         12 . The document filing case according to  claim 10 , wherein said closure flap is at least as wide as the distance between said opposing side edges of both said front and back panels. 
     
     
         13 . The document filing case according to  claim 9  further comprising a catch mechanism located on said front panel and a latch mechanism engageable with said catch mechanism and located on said closure flap. 
     
     
         14 . The document filing case according to  claim 13 , wherein said latch mechanism is also engageable with said top end of said back panel when said channel follower is at said bottom end of said channel. 
     
     
         15 . A document filing case comprising:
 a filing case body with front and back panels each having an interior surface and an exterior surface, opposing side panels extending between said front and back panels, said front and back panels both having bottom edges joined to each other and opposing top edges, whereby said filing case body has a bottom that is closed and an opposite top, and a filing case cover formed with a closure flap that can be extended across said top of said filing case body; and   a cover mounting flap secured to said cover closure flap by at least one articulated hinged connection, and said cover mounting flap resides in sliding contact with said exterior surface of said back panel of said filing case body, and further comprising a track follower on said cover mounting flap directed toward said back panel, and said back panel has a track engaged by said track follower and extending in opposing directions toward said top and toward said bottom edges of said back panel, whereby said filing case cover can be opened so that said closure flap of said filing case cover resides in face-to-face contact with said exterior surface of said back panel and closed so that said closure flap extends across said top of said filing case body to reside in face-to-face contact with said exterior surface of said front panel.   
     
     
         16 . The document filing case according to  claim 15  further comprising a pair of tracks and track followers as aforesaid, and said tracks are mutually parallel to each other and are both aligned perpendicular to said bottom and top edges of said back panel. 
     
     
         17 . The document filing case according to  claim 16 , wherein said tracks are both formed as elongated slots in said back panel, closed at both ends, and said track followers are formed as studs projecting from said mounting flap through said slots with enlarged heads greater in width than said slots and reduced necks narrower in width than said slots, and said enlarged heads reside within said the interior of said filing case body. 
     
     
         18 . The document filing case according to  claim 15  further comprising a catch mechanism located on said front panel on said exterior surface thereof and a latch mechanism engageable with said catch mechanism and located on said closure flap. 
     
     
         19 . The document filing case according to  claim 18 , wherein said catch mechanism is also engageable with said top end of said back panel when said channel follower is at said bottom end of said channel.