Compact dual bell section trombone case

Claim 2

A trombone case comprising in combination: a body section including first and second padded generally triangular compartments for storing first and second bell sections, respectively, a base end portion of said first generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging an enlarged flared horn end portion of said first bell section, a generally pointed end portion of said first generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging a narrowed tubular portion of said first bell section opposite to the enlarged flared horn portion thereof, a base end portion of said second generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging an enlarged flared portion of said second bell section, and a generally pointed end portion of said second generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging a narrowed tubular portion of said second bell section opposite to the enlarged flared horn portion thereof, the base end portion of said first generally triangular compartment being adjacent to the pointed end portion of said second generally triangular compartment, and the base end portion of said second generally triangular compartment being adjacent to the pointed end portion of said first generally triangular compartment so that outer walls of said first and second generally triangular compartments approximately coincide with the sides of a parallelepiped, the distance between a front wall and a rear wall of said trombone case being substantially less than twice the width of the base end portion of either of said first and second generally triangular compartments; a well section bounding at least one of said first and second generally triangular compartments, said wall section having an elongated padded groove therein for receiving and snugly engaging a slide section which mates with either of said first and second bell sections, wherein said wall section having said elongated padded groove therein is diagonally disposed between said first and second generally triangular compartments and serves as a wall for each of said first and second generally triangular compartments; and a cover section closeable on said body section to enclose said first and second generally triangular compartments, said cover section having a padded interior surface.

Claim 3

The trombone case of claim 1 wherein the exterior of said trombone case, when said cover section is closed, has the general configuration of a rectangular parallelepiped, and wherein said body section includes a first panel that serves as a bottom of said first and second generally triangular compartments and as a bottom of said trombone case when said trombone case rests on a horizontal surface, said wall section having said elongated padded groove therein being substantially perpendicular to said first panel.

Claim 4

The trombone case of claim 2 including second, third, fourth and fifth panels which, respectively, serve as front, back, and end walls of said trombone case when said trombone case rests on said horizontal surface as recited in claim 2, said cover section being hinged to said third panel.

Claim 5

The trombone case of claim 3 wherein said wall section having an elongated padded groove therein includes a center panel with an elongated cutaway portion and resiliently padded panels attached to the opposed major surfaces of said wall section to form said padded groove in the region bounded by said cutaway portion.

Claim 6

The trombone case of claim 4 including a first handle attached to the outer surface of said second panel so that when said cover section is closed and said trombone case is rested on a horizontal surface so that said third panel rests on said horizontal surface said first handle is on the top surface of said trombone case and said wall section having said elongated padded groove therein is inclined relative to the horizontal surface whereby the slide section is held in said elongated padded groove so that its open ends are relatively elevated in order to prevent leakage of water into the interior of said trombone case and said handle is positioned to facilitate convenient carrying of said trombone case.

Claim 7

The trombone case of claim 5 including a relatively small accessory compartment between the base portion of said first generally triangular compartment and said fourth panel, said first generally triangular compartment being partly bounded by said second panel and said second generally triangular compartment being partly bonded by said third panel.

Claim 8

The trombone case of claim 6 wherein the walls and bottoms of said first and second generally triangular compartments are padded with resilient foam material and are lined with velvet-like material and the inside surface of said cover section is padded with resilient foam material and lined with velvet-like material.

Claim 9

The trombone case of claim 7 wherein said elongated padded groove is padded with resilient foam material and lined with said velvet-like material.

Claim 10

The trombone case of claim 8 including a second handle attached to the outer surface of the one of said fourth and fifth panels opposite to said accessory compartment, whereby said trombone case with said slide section held in said elongated padded groove can be carried by either said first handle or said second handle without danger of water spillage from the open ends of said slide section into the interior of said trombone case.

Claim 11

The trombone case of claim 1 wherein said first bell section is a "single" B-flat bell section and said second bell section is a B-flat bell section with an F attachment.

Claim 12

A trombone instrument and case assembly comprising in combination: a body section including first and second padded generally triangular compartments; first and second bell sections stored, respectively, in said first and second generally triangular compartments; a base end portion of said first generally triangular bell section receiving and snugly engaging an enlarged flared horn portion of said first bell section, a generally pointed end portion of said first generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging a narrowed tubular portion of said first bell section opposite to the enlarged flared horn portion thereof, a base end portion of said second generally triangular bell section receiving and snugly engaging an enlarged flared horn portion of said second bell section, and a generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging a narrowed tubular portion of said second bell section opposite to the enlarged flared horn portion thereof, the base end portion of said first generally triangular compartment being adjacent to the pointed end portion of said second generally triangular compartment, and the base end portion of said second generally triangular compartment being adjacent to the pointed end portion of said first generally triangular compartment so that outer walls of said first and second generally triangular compartments approximately coincide with the sides of a parallelepiped, the distance between a front wall and a rear wall of said trombone case being substantially less than twice the width of the base end portion of either of said first and second generally triangular compartments, a wall section bounding at least one of said first and second generally triangular compartments, said wall section having an elongated padded groove therein, wherein said wall section having said elongated padded groove therein is diagonally disposed between said first and second generally triangular compartments and serves as a wall for each of said first and second generally triangular compartments; a slide section which mates with either of said first and second bell sections stored in said elongated padded groove; and a cover section closeable on said body section to enclose said first and second generally triangular compartments, said cover section having a padded interior surface.

Claim 13

A trombone instrument and case assembly comprising in combination: a body section including first and second padded generally triangular compartments; first and second bell sections stored, respectively, in said first and second generally triangular compartments; a base end portion of said first generally triangular bell section receiving and snugly engaging an enlarged flared horn portion of said first bell section, a generally pointed end portion of said first generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging a narrowed tubular portion of said first bell section opposite to the enlarged flared horn portion thereof, a base end portion of said second generally triangular bell section receiving and snugly engaging an enlarged flared horn portion of said second bell section, and a generally triangular compartment receiving and snugly engaging a narrowed tubular portion of said second bell section opposite to the enlarged flared horn portion thereof, the base end portion of said first generally triangular compartment being adjacent to the pointed end portion of said second generally triangular compartment, and the base end portion of said second generally triangular compartment being adjacent to the pointed end portion of said first generally triangular compartment so that outer walls of said first and second generally triangular compartments approximately coincide with the sides of a parallelepiped, the distance between a front wall and a rear wall of said trombone case being substantially less than twice the width of the base end portion of either of said first and second generally triangular compartments, a wall section bounding at least one of said first and second generally triangular compartments, said wall section having an elongated padded groove therein, wherein said wall section having said elongated padded groove therein is diagonally disposed between said first and second generally triangular compartments and serves as a wall for each of said first and second generally triangular compartments; a slide section which mates with either of said first and second bell sections stored in said elongated padded groove; and a cover section closeable on said body section to enclose said first and second generally triangular compartments, said cover section having a padded interior surface.

Claim 14

The trombone instrument and case assembly of claim 11 wherein said first bell section is a "single" B-flat bell section and said second bell section is a B-flat bell section with an F attachment, whereby a trombonist can carry the components necessary to enable him to play either standard trombone music or trombone music wherein a bell section with an F attachment is required within a single conveniently sized case, thereby avoiding the need to carry two separate trombones in separate respective cases.