Medical slide case with hinged molded sections

Claim 1

In a case for the storage and transport of medical slides, generally planar sections of molded material integrally joined along one edge aspect of the respective sections, said juncture comprising a thin linear hinge element accommodating reversible movement of the sections from a planar case open condition to a planar case closed flat condition of the sections to thereby encapsulate a contained medical slide, each section comprising annular wall means having a planar upper edge generally defining a slide receiving cavity in each section, the cavities in each section being in congruent mirrored relation and adapted to receive said slide when the sections are in case open condition, the upper edges of the respective wall means on the respective sections being in close facing relation with each other when the sections are in closed condition, said wall means on at least one of said sections defining a second cavity adjacent said slide receiving cavity, said wall means having an interruption in the area of adjacency between the slide receiving cavity and the second cavity to accomodate finger insertion and edge engagement with a case received slide facilitating insertion and removal thereof, clasp means on the respective sections to maintain said sections in closed relation to each other, said clasp means comprising a web on each section formed in the plane of the section and extending outwardly from the annular wall means along an edge aspect thereof opposite the hinge element, each web on each section including an enlarged outward projection adapted for thumb engagement by the user for the application of rotative force on each section and about the hinge element to accomodate easy opening of the case, and flexible hook means carried by the web on each section for locking cooperation with a segment of the web on the other section.