Special receptacle or package – For an optical device or element – Binoculars
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-02
2001-10-23
Bui, Luan K. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For an optical device or element
Binoculars
C206S316100, C224S909000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305538
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective casings for articles. The present invention is particularly applicable to protective casings for articles which are commonly transported on a user's person, for example, such as binoculars, field spotting scopes, cameras, detachable camera lens, and personal audio equipment (such as stereo tape cassette players and personal compact disc players).
Description of Related Art
Certain types of protective casings for protecting articles therein are known.
In general, protective cases are known in which an article is inserted in a main portion of the case. The case is thereafter closed with a closing portion which is independent of the main portion or attached thereto. The closing portion is usually hingedly attached to the main portion, or is independent of the main portion and is press-fit thereto. See, for example, the binocular case disclosed by Hickler in U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,267.
Similarly, Campisi (U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,614) discloses a binocular pocket attached to a garment. Campisi's binocular pocket is made from a fabric pocket, and has a separate closure flap sewed thereto.
Easter (U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,191) discloses a binocular cover. Easter's cover is initially strapped around the binocular lenses. Next, the remainder of the cover, which is essentially a skirt having an elastic provided at a periphery thereof, is pulled over the binoculars. The elastic provided at the edge of the skirt constricts the opening of the skirt to retain the binoculars therein.
Alwitt (U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,974) discloses a “self-latching” camera case for a camera having a body and a lens protruding therefrom. The camera is initially inserted into a main holding pocket, which includes a portion for protrudingly receiving the camera lens. The camera case, as disclosed, includes a closure flap which extends from a side of the case opposite to the lens receiving portion. The flap is foldable over the opening of the main holding pocket, in a direction towards the lens receiving portion of the case. The closure flap has a slit formed therethrough. The closure flap is secured in its closed position by extending the lens receiving portion through the slit formed in closure flap.
In the above-noted examples, all of the disclosed devices rely on additional parts or relatively complex arrangements to close the respective casings—straps in Hickler, a hook and loop fabric closure in Campisi, an elastic band in Easter, and physical interengagement in Alwitt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a casing for an article which is made from a resiliently stretchable material. This use of a resiliently stretchable material enables the casing to be simply and reliably closable.
According to the present invention, a casing is provided which is characteristically made from a resiliently stretchable material. The casing has a plurality of wall portions which collectively define a space for insertingly receiving an article. The casing has an access opening, such as a slit, adjacent to, but spaced away from, an end of the casing. This opening is formed in only a portion of the periphery of the casing.
Because the casing is made from a stretchable material, the end of the casing adjacent to the access opening can be inverted, or turned “inside out”, at the access opening to permit an article to be inserted or removed from the casing. With the article disposed within the casing, the end of the casing adjacent to the access opening can be reinverted to its original form. In doing so, the end of the casing being reinverted is stretchingly pulled over a protruding end of the article therein so as to assuredly retain the article within the casing.
Thus, the casing according to the present invention relies on the intrinsic elasticity of the material from which it is made in order to effect closure of the casing. Thus, additional parts, such as hinges, straps, or the like, and complicated interengagements, such as in Alwitt, are not necessary. This simplicity directly leads to less expensive manufacture and increased ease of use.
The resiliently stretchable material used to manufacture the casing is also preferably sufficiently resiliently compressible so as to protect from external impact damage and shock.
Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and function of the related elements of structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2478267 (1949-08-01), Hickler
patent: 2868254 (1959-01-01), Saad
patent: 3281106 (1966-10-01), Bogdanovich
patent: 3782614 (1974-01-01), Campisi
patent: 4210186 (1980-07-01), Belenson
patent: 4232808 (1980-11-01), Gray
patent: 4421150 (1983-12-01), Masters
patent: 4431041 (1984-02-01), Leiserson
patent: 4545414 (1985-10-01), Baum
patent: 4629651 (1986-12-01), Davis
patent: 4865191 (1989-09-01), Easter
patent: 4923060 (1990-05-01), Breslau
patent: 5016797 (1991-05-01), Rowledge
patent: 5101974 (1992-04-01), Alwitt
patent: 5150824 (1992-09-01), Alvarez et al.
patent: 5170919 (1992-12-01), Desantis et al.
patent: 5205448 (1993-04-01), Kester et al.
patent: 5320261 (1994-06-01), Andersen
patent: 577582 (1994-01-01), None
Bui Luan K.
Heckerman William R.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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