Claims
- 1. A protective casing for an article, comprising:a first end wall; a second end wall; and a peripheral wall extending between said first and second end walls, said peripheral wall being provided with an access opening formed therethrough which is adjacent to, but spaced away from, said first end wall, wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall are made from a resiliently compressible and stretchable material, wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall collectively define a space in which the article is resiliently held, and wherein the first end wall and an adjacent portion of the peripheral wall are configured to be stretchingly inverted and allow for insertion of an article into a hollow space defined by the second end wall and an uninverted portion of the peripheral wall shaped similar to the article shape, and the first end wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall are also configured to be stretchingly reinverted so as to cover a corresponding and exposed end of the article, the reinverted first wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall being configured to resiliently adopt a shape substantially conformal with the end of the article.
- 2. The casing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first, second and peripheral walls are made from an elastomeric rubber.
- 3. The casing as claimed in claim 2, wherein said elastomeric rubber is neoprene rubber.
- 4. The casing as claimed in claim 1, further including a belt-engaging carrying portion.
- 5. The casing as claimed in claim 4, wherein said belt-engaging carrying portion is a loop formed by two parallel and laterally spaced apart slits formed in said peripheral wall and each lying along a direction extending between said first and second end walls.
- 6. The casing as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first end wall, said second end wall, and said peripheral wall is independent of the other said wall portions.
- 7. The casing as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one independent wall portion is joined to the other said wall portions by one of sewing and adhesive.
- 8. The casing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall, having said access opening formed therein, are formed by a single sheet of said resiliently compressible and stretchable material, said sheet having:a first front peripheral wall; a second end wall integral with said first front peripheral wall; a rear peripheral wall integral with said second end wall and opposite said first front peripheral wall; a first end wall integral with said rear peripheral wall; and a second front peripheral wall integral with said first end wall, said first and second front peripheral walls being spaced from one another so as to define said access opening therebetween.
- 9. The casing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall portion are integrally formed.
- 10. The casing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first end wall and the adjacent portion of said peripheral wall enclose a volume of said hollow interior space that is less than that enclosed by said second end wall and the adjacent portion of said peripheral wall.
- 11. A method of use for a casing for protecting an article held substantially conformally therein, the casing including:a first end wall; a second end wall; and a peripheral wall extending between said first and second end walls, said peripheral wall being provided with an access opening formed therethrough which is adjacent to, but spaced away from, said first end wall, wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall are made from a resiliently compressible and stretchable material, wherein said first and second end walls, and said peripheral wall collectively define a space in which the article resiliently held, the method of use comprising; with the first end wall and an adjacent portion of the peripheral wall being stretchingly inveiled, inserting an article into a hollow space defined by the second end wall and an uninverted portion of the peripheral wall to be shaped similar to the article shape; and stretchingly reinverting the first end wail and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall so as to cover a corresponding and exposed end of the article, the reinverted first wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall resiliently adopting a shape substantially conformal with the end of the article.
- 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first end wall and the adjacent portion of said peripheral wall enclose a volume of said hollow interior space that is less than that enclosed by said second end wall and the adjacent portion of said peripheral wall.
- 13. In combination,an article having an end; and a shaped casing for protecting the article, said casing including a first end wall, a second end wall and a peripheral wall extending between said first and second end walls, said peripheral wall being provided with an access opening formed therethrough which is adjacent to, but spaced away from, said first end wall, wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall are made from a resiliently compressible and stretchable material and said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall collectively define a space in which the article is resiliently held, and wherein the first end wall and an adjacent portion of the peripheral wall are configured to be stretchingly inverted and allow for insertion of an article into a hollow space defined by the second end wall and an uninverted portion of the peripheral wall shaped similar to the article shape, and wherein the first end wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall are also configured to be stretchingly reinverted so as to cover a corresponding and exposed end of the article, the reinverted first wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall being configured to resiliently adopt a shape substantially conformal with the end of the article.
- 14. A protective casing for an article, comprising:a first end wall; a second end wall; a belt-engaging carrying portion; a peripheral wall secured to, extending between and at least partially interconnecting said first and second end walls so as to collectively define a shape retaining hollow interior space in which the article is resiliently held and an access opening formed in said casing adjacent one of said first and second end walls directly exposing the interior space, said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall comprise a resiliently compressible and stretchable material, the article being accessible by stretchingly inverting said casing adjacent one of said first and second end walls and a portion of said peripheral wall away from a position that conformingly enclosed at least a portion of the article, and reinverting such stretched structure so as to again conformingly enclose and contain the article while maintaining the open state of the access opening.
- 15. The casing as claimed in claim 14, wherein said belt-engaging carrying portion is a loop formed by two parallel and laterally spaced apart slits formed in said peripheral wall and each lying along a direction extending between said first and second end walls.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/514,403, filed on Aug. 11, 1995, which was abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
577582 |
Jan 1994 |
GB |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/514403 |
Aug 1995 |
US |
Child |
08/887453 |
|
US |