Special receptacle or package – For eyeglass or spectacle
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-22
2003-06-24
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For eyeglass or spectacle
C206S320000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581760
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to containers for holding objects or storing objects, and in particular, to a flexible lightweight reusable container, case, or receptacle for securely holding or storing objects such as eyewear, handheld electronic devices, pagers, cell phones, etc.
2. Related Art
Objects such as eyewear, handheld electronic devices, pagers, cell phones, etc., are often relatively fragile, and as such, are typically protected by providing a case or container for holding, carrying, and/or storing such objects. Over the years, various schemes have been suggested or adopted for ensuring that objects held or carried within the case or container are partially or completely protected. However, such schemes are subject to several important limitations.
For example, objects such as prescription or non-prescription eyeglasses are often provided to a user along with either a soft case, or a hard clamshell type case. Both types of cases have similar problems. For example, both soft cases and hard cases for eyewear are typically made from, or externally covered with, a smooth or semi-smooth material such as plastic or leather. Consequently, because such cases are relatively smooth, when one is placed in a loose pocket, such as a shirt or jacket pocket, the case tends to slip out of the pocket when a user bends over, runs, moves suddenly, or is otherwise active. As a result, damage to or loss of the object within the case is a frequent problem. Further, users often place such cases on a car dashboard while driving. Because such cases are relatively smooth, as described above, they tend to slide around and fall off of the dashboard as the car moves about. Clearly such problems apply to cases for many other types of objects, including, for example, handheld electronic devices, pagers, cell phones, etc.
An additional problem of conventional soft or hard cases is that they tend to be rather bulky. Consequently, while the object contained within such cases might readily fit within a pocket such as a shirt or pant pocket, the case itself is often either too large to fit within such pockets, or if it does fit, it can create an unsightly bulge within the pocket. Further, where objects are to be carried within purses or book bags, the conventional cases are also often considered to be too large or bulky to be used. Consequently, users often simply remove the object from the case and place the object itself directly within a pocket, purse, or book bag. Unfortunately, the object is then subject to being damaged or scratched either by the material of the pocket, purse or book bag, or by other items contained within the pocket, purse or book bag, such as, for example, zippers, buttons, keys, coins, etc.
Further, because conventional soft or hard cases tend to be bulky as described above, once a user removes an object from such cases, the user is then faced with the problem of what to do with the case. Thus, for example, in accordance with the reasons described above, the user is unlikely to place such a case in the user's pocket. Consequently, such cases are often misplaced or left behind after the user removes an object from the case.
In addition, both conventional soft and hard cases or containers for carrying small objects such as, for example, eyeglasses, handheld electronic devices, pagers, cell phones, etc., tend to be relatively rigid. Consequently, such cases or containers provide little if any protection against shock, such as when the case is dropped. In fact, with respect to hard cases, objects carried within such cases tend to bounce around within the case as the case is subjected to shock or vibration experienced when a user that is carrying such a case runs, jumps, falls, or drops the case. Such bouncing around within the case or container can be damaging to eyeglasses or sensitive electrical devices.
Therefore, in order to overcome the limitations of current cases and containers, what is needed is a case or container that is fabricated so as to avoid the problem of smooth or semi-smooth material coverings so as to prevent the container from slipping or falling from the user's pocket, and to prevent the container from falling off or sliding along surfaces such as a car dashboard, as described above. Further, such a container should be thin enough or small enough to be placed within a user's pocket, purse, or book bag, whether or not an object is contained within the case. In addition, the material forming the interior of such a container should protect items contained within, such as glass or plastic lenses, eyeglasses, or display screens from being scratched or otherwise damaged either by the material of a pocket, purse, or book bag in which the container is placed, or by other items within the pocket, purse, or book bag. Finally, such a container should provide a level of protection against shock and vibration for objects held within the container.
SUMMARY
The present invention involves a thin lightweight container, such as a case or receptacle, for holding or storing objects such as, for example, eyeglasses, handheld electronic devices, pagers, cell phones, etc. This container satisfies all of the foregoing needs. Specifically, the container is preferably thin enough that it can be easily inserted into a user's pocket when it contains an object as described above. The container can be manufactured from any conventional material such as, for example, a cloth, fabric, leather, rubber, plastic, or polymer material, or some combination thereof. Further, the material comprising the outer surface of the container is designed to provide a sufficient friction force when in a user's pocket, or in contact with a surface such as a car dash or a boat deck, to prevent or reduce the likelihood of the container slipping out of the pocket or sliding along or falling off of the surface. In addition, the material comprising the interior of the container is soft and flexible in order to protect items contained within, such as glass or plastic lenses, eyeglasses, or display screens, from being scratched or otherwise damaged by the container itself, by the material of a pocket, purse, or book bag in which the container is placed, or by other items within the pocket, purse, or book bag. Also, in one embodiment, the container is soft and flexible in order to prevent or reduce shock and vibration from being transmitted to objects contained within. Such shock or vibration can occur when a user that is carrying the case runs, jumps, falls, or drops the container, or when the container is placed on the dash of a moving car, or on the surface of a moving boat or other vehicle. Finally, the container of the present invention can be manufactured in any desired size or shape to provide storage for any particular object of any particular size.
In general, a container according to present invention is embodied in a flexible container sized to snugly fit particular objects. The container is generally shaped as a flattened tube, closed at one end, with an elastically restricted opening extending from an opposite end. The elastic restriction of the open end serves to prevent objects from inadvertently falling out of the container, regardless of the position or orientation of the container. Further, in one embodiment, the container includes a stiffener member along at least one longitudinal edge of the flattened tube for maintaining the general shape of the flexible container and further serving to provide additional protection for any objects held within the container by reducing potential longitudinal deformation of the container.
Specifically, the container of the present invention, being generally shaped as a flattened tube, has a generally rectangular profile. The elastically restricted open end extends from the generally rectangular profile of the container, and has a generally trapezoidal shape of decreasing dimension as it extends from the container. Consequently, the edge of the open end of the container has a smaller cross section than the rectangula
Bui Luan K.
Lyon & Harr
Watson Mark A.
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