PROTECTIVE COVER

Abstract

A protective cover comprises a protective window coupled to a front plate, a ring coupled to a fabric loop, wherein the fabric loop is coupled to a rear plate. A pocket is enclosed by a closure lid, wherein the closure lid is configured to close the pocket with an attachment mechanism. The protective cover may also include an attachment strap coupled to the rear plate.

Claims

1. A protective cover, comprising: a protective window coupled to a front plate; a ring coupled to a fabric loop, wherein the fabric loop is coupled to a rear plate; a pocket enclosed by a closure lid, wherein the closure lid is configured to close the pocket with an attachment mechanism; and an attachment strap coupled to a rear plate.

2. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the protective window comprises a conductive material, and wherein a touch screen device is accessed from the outside of the protective window.

3. The protective cover of claim 1, further comprising a tether, wherein the protective cover is configured to couple to the tether.

4. The protective cover of claim 3, wherein the tether is configured to couple to a bottle holder.

5. The protective cover of claim 3, wherein the tether is configured to couple to a cinch lock.

6. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein a band is coupled to the pocket, and wherein the pocket is coupled to a closure lid.

7. The protective cover of claim 6, wherein the closure lid is coupled to an attachment mechanism, and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one of a hook and loop attachment, adhesive, snap, tie, button, toggle, or magnet.

8. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the protective cover comprises a water-repellant material.

9. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the protective cover is at least partially fabricated out of 900 Denier Magnatuff Plus Polyester fabric.

10. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein the protective cover is coupled to a band inside the protective cover.

11. The protective cover of claim 10, wherein the band is comprised of elastic.

12. The protective cover of claim 1, further comprising a zipper.

13. The protective cover of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a hand strap or a leg strap.

14. The protective cover of claim 1, further comprising a first leg strap, a second leg strap and a third leg strap, wherein the first leg strap and the second leg strap are coupled to the attachment strap, wherein the first leg strap and the second leg strap are configured to include a receiving end of a clasp on one end of each strap and an attachment end of a clasp on the opposite end of each strap, and wherein the third leg strap is configured to attach to a harness.

15. The protective cover of claim 13, further comprising a lanyard, wherein the lanyard is configured to attach to at least one of a harness or a wrist.

16. A method comprising: unzipping a zipper to separate a front plate and a rear plate of a protective cover, wherein the front plate and the rear plate are connected to a top edge of the protective cover; placing a device inside the protective cover; arranging the device inside the protective cover; and zipping the zipper to attach and close the front plate and rear plate of the protective cover.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising inserting a cable into the device through a hole in the top edge of the protective cover.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising: securing a first end of a tether to a protective cover, wherein the tether is coupled to a ring; and cinch tying a second end of the tether to a bottle holder.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the ring is attached to at least one of a hook or a clasp coupled to the protective cover.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the bottle holder further comprises a ring, and wherein the ring may be configured to attach to at least one of the protective cover or a harness.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] A more complete understanding may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the Figures, and:

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a general front view of an exemplary protective cover according to various embodiments of the disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on protective windows according to various embodiments;

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on a zipper separating the clamshell design of the protective cover according to various embodiments;

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a general top view of an exemplary protective cover according to various embodiments;

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on the two halves of the clamshell design of the protective cover according to various embodiments;

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a general back view of an exemplary protective cover according to various embodiments;

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on a pocket and a closure lid according to various embodiments;

[0018] FIG. 8 illustrates a back view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on a rear hand and/or leg attachment strap according to various embodiments;

[0019] FIG. 9 illustrates a back view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on a series of hand and/or leg attachment straps according to various embodiments;

[0020] FIG. 10 illustrates a front view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on the attachment of the protective cover to a worker leg with a series of hand and/or leg attachment straps according to various embodiments;

[0021] FIG. 11 illustrates a side view of an exemplary protective cover focusing on the attachment of the protective cover to a worker leg with a series of hand and/or leg attachment straps according to various embodiments; and

[0022] FIG. 12 illustrates a bottle holder and tether according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The features and elements discussed herein may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated herein otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying figures and photographs. The detailed description of various embodiments herein refers to the accompanying drawings and pictures, which show various embodiments by way of illustration. While these various embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized, and that logical and mechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, the steps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented. Moreover, any of the functions or steps may be outsourced to or performed by one or more third parties. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component may include a singular embodiment.

[0024] The protective cover 100 helps to prevent and manage the risk of dropped objects. Dropped objects are an inherent workplace hazard. In fact, most people do not realize that falling tools are the second biggest killer in the workplace. The protective cover 100 allows for easy insertion of devices from three sides of the protective cover 100. The protective cover 100 may also allow for the convenient attachment of bottles that store gels or other liquids used in connection with the devices, as well as beverages for the workers. The attachment prevents workers from dropping bottles that otherwise would be handheld or stored in the pocket of a worker's pants or shirt. The protective cover 100 fits within workers' hands and/or around the worker's legs, to keep devices out of the way of the work path. The protective cover 100 allows simple access to the multiple devices often needed for work, as well as entertainment during down time from work. The protective cover 100 may save lives by preventing rope access technicians from dropping equipment while working-at-height and ground technicians from dropping objects. The disclosure may also save money by minimizing downtime and/or lost days away from work, as well as decreasing additional replacement costs for tools that have been dropped and damaged.

[0025] The disclosure relates to a durable protective cover 100 for any device, object or product. The protective cover 100 may include any cases, holsters, skins, jackets, and/or shells for protecting and/or holding a device. Protective cover 100 eliminates or reduces the potential for a dropped object while working-at-height. The protective cover 100 may be manufactured with any material such as, for example, textiles, metals and/or alloys. In various embodiments, the protective cover 100 is manufactured from nylon, canvas, and/or backed polyester. For example, the protective cover 100 may be manufactured from 900 Denier Magnatuff Plus Polyester (Magnatuff) which is a resilient 9001200 denier polyester fabric with a 1.5-ounce polyurethane back coating and water repellant finish. A denier may refer to a unit of weight by which the fineness of nylon, silk, or rayon yarn is measured and is equal to the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of the yarn.

[0026] In various embodiments, the protective cover 100 may be described in conjunction with protecting an electronic device such as an Olympus 38 DL Plus Thickness Gage (Thickness Gage), but one skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter with suitable configurations may apply to other devices (e.g., cellular phones, smart phones, electronic tablets, global positioning systems, and the like). The protective cover 100 may be configured to hold multiple devices at once. For example, the device may be used to hold both the Thickness Gage and a cellular phone. Any of the features discussed herein may be attached to any point on the protective cover 100, and the specific configurations are described as embodiments.

[0027] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective cover 100 may include a first protective window 105 and/or a second protective window 110 on a front plate 152 of the protective cover 100. Front plate 152 may refer to the material configured to generally be disposed adjacent to where the protective cover 100 is attached to a worker's hand or leg. Protective window 105 and protective window 110 may be comprised of plastic, glass, or any other transparent or translucent material. The protective window 105 may allow for conductivity through the material to interact with a device comprising a touch screen inside the protective cover 100, while also protecting the device inside (e.g., protecting a color transflective VGA display). Protective window 105 and protective window 110 may be configured to be clear to allow for easy visibility of the device inside the protective cover 100. Protective cover 100 may contain more protective windows to allow for the ability of accessing multiple devices at once.

[0028] With additional reference to FIGS. 3-5, and continued reference to FIG. 1, the protective cover 100 may include a rear plate 154. The protective cover 100 may be configured in a clamshell design, wherein a zipper 172 may surround right side edge 101, top edge 103, and/or bottom edge 104 of the protective cover 100 and end with a solid top edge 103, which may not include zipper 172. A clamshell design may refer to a container design consisting of two halves, joined by a hinge. In various embodiments, front plate 152 and rear plate 154 may comprise the two halves, and solid top edge 103 may comprise the hinge connecting the two halves together. Zipper 172 may be configured to attach both the front plate 152 and the rear plate 154 and close the two portions of the protective cover 100 together when zipped.

[0029] In various embodiments, the inside of the protective cover 100 (e.g., about one inch from bottom edge 104) may include an elastic band 171. Elastic band 171 may be attached on either end to right side edge 101 and left side edge 102.

[0030] A clamshell design may provide a secondary form of protection to prevent the device held inside the protective cover 100 from falling out, as at least one of front plate 152 and/or rear plate 154 may include a lip at the bottom edge 104. A lip may refer to any material comprising the bottom edge 104 (e.g., a strip of Magnatuff) that may be configured to catch the device with the lip, if zipper 172 is not fully zipped or fails to zip. Elastic band 171 may provide a tertiary method of protection to prevent the device held inside the protective cover 100 from falling out if zipper 172 fails to hold the device, especially when working-at-height. A strap 176 (e.g., Velcro) may serve as a fourth method of protection to prevent the device held inside the protective cover 100 from falling out if zipper 172 fails, the device falls out of the lip, and/or the device is not caught by elastic band 171. In various embodiments, strap 176 may replace zipper 172 as the primary method of protection to prevent the device held inside the protective cover 100 from falling out. In various embodiments, top edge 103 may be configured to include a hole 173 to allow for connectivity to a device being stored inside the protective cover 100 with cables, cords, and the like (e.g., a port for a transducer plug-in).

[0031] In various embodiments, the protective cover 100 may include one or more rings to attach straps, tethers, and the like to rear plate 154. The rings may be attached to the protective cover 100 with a sewn loop of fabric surrounding a portion of the rings. The sewn loop of fabric may be any material, metal, alloy, or other product capable of securely attaching the rings to rear plate 154. For example, the sewn loop of fabric may be Magnatuff.

[0032] In various embodiments, the rings may be D-rings. The D-rings may be nickel-plated and/or load tested up to 3000 pounds. One skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of rings may be used (e.g., loop rings, O rings, triangular rings, and the like). These rings may include lower right-side ring 115, upper right-side ring 120, lower left-side ring 125, and/or upper left-side ring 130. The sewn loops of fabric may include lower right-side fabric loop 117, upper right-side fabric loop 122, lower left-side fabric loop 127, and/or upper left-side fabric loop 132. Lower right-side ring 115 may be configured to attach to lower right-side fabric loop 117. Lower left-side ring 125 may be configured to attach to lower left-side fabric loop 127. Both lower right-side fabric loop 117 and lower left-side fabric loop 127 may be configured to be sewn to bottom edge 104. Upper right-side ring 120 may be configured to attach to upper right-side fabric loop 122. Upper left-side ring 130 may be configured to attach to upper left-side fabric loop 132. Both upper right-side fabric loop 122 and upper left-side fabric loop 132 may be configured to be sewn to top edge 103.

[0033] With reference to FIG. 6, the protective cover 100 may include a left side pocket 140. Left side pocket 140 may be configured to be attached to left side edge 102. Left side edge 102 extends the entire vertical length of the protective cover 100. Left side pocket 140 may be configured to hold calibration blocks and/or a transducer. A calibration block may refer to a reference block used to calibrate test equipment and sensitivity levels, to be used for thickness calibrations of various materials. A transducer may refer to an electronic device that converts energy from one form to another. Left side pocket 140 may be configured to hold other materials associated with the device or devices protected by the protective cover 100 (e.g., batteries, device charger, stylus, earbuds, and the like). Left side pocket 140 may comprise about half the length of left side edge 102.

[0034] With reference to FIG. 7, and continued reference to FIG. 6, left side pocket 140 may include a left side pocket closure lid 145 with attachment mechanism 150. Attachment mechanism 150 may comprise hook and loop attachment, adhesive, snaps, ties, buttons, toggles, magnets, and/or any other mechanism suitable for use in the protective cover 100 to attach left side pocket lid 145 to left side pocket 140. In various embodiments, left side pocket 140 may include a left side pocket band 135. Left side pocket band 135 may be configured to hold cables which may be configured to attach to the transducer stored in left side pocket 140.

[0035] With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, and continued reference to FIG. 6, the protective cover 100 may include a rear hand and/or leg attachment strap 155 located on the rear side of the protective cover 100. The rear side may refer to the material configured to generally be disposed where the protective cover 100 is attached to a worker's hand or leg. Rear hand and/or leg attachment strap 155 may be manufactured from any material, metal, alloy, or other product capable of allowing for the attachment to the worker's hand and/or leg in a manner that will provide support and enough friction and/or tension in the fabric as to not allow the protective cover 100 to slide off the worker's hand and/or leg. For example, the rear hand and/or leg attachment strap 155 may be manufactured from Magnatuff.

[0036] In various embodiments, rear hand and/or leg attachment strap 155 may tether to a lanyard 230. Lanyard 230 may be configured to attach to a worker harness or wrist. One end of lanyard 230 may include hook 232 configured to attach to upper right-side ring 120 and/or upper left-side ring 130. The opposite end of lanyard 230 may include clasp 234 configured to attach to a worker harness or wrist. Lanyard 230 may be manufactured from Magnatuff. Lanyard 230 may be manufactured from any material, metal, alloy, or other product capable of allowing for the attachment to the worker's harness and/or wrist in a manner that will provide support and will not break if the worker tugs or pulls on lanyard 230. Hook 232 and/or clasp 234 may be manufactured from metal or plastic (e.g., Quick-Disconnects, and the like). A Quick-Disconnect may refer to a quick disconnect fitting, which is also known as a quick release coupling.

[0037] With reference to FIGS. 10-11, with continued reference to FIG. 9, rear hand and/or leg attachment strap 155 may tether to a rope access leg kit 200. The rope access leg kit 200 may comprise a first strap 210 and a second strap 220 configured to wrap around the worker's leg. In various embodiments, rope access leg kit 200 may be configured to pull first strap 210 and/or second strap 220 through rear hand and/or leg attachment strap 155. Each end of first strap 210 may include a clasp 215, with the receiving portion of clasp 215 on one end of first strap 210, and the interlocking portion of clasp 215 on the opposite end of first strap 210. Each end of second strap 220 may include a clasp 225, with the receiving portion of clasp 225 on one end of second strap 220, and the interlocking portion of clasp 225 on the opposite end of second strap 220. Clasp 215 and clasp 225 may be manufactured from metal or plastic (e.g., Quick-Disconnects, and the like). Rope access leg kit 200 may also comprise a third strap 235 which may be configured to attach to a worker's harness. One end of third strap 235 may include hook 237 configured to attach to upper right-side ring 120 and/or upper left-side ring 130. The opposite end of third strap 235 may include clasp 236. Clasp 236 and/or hook 237 may be manufactured from metal or plastic (e.g., Quick-Disconnects, and the like). In various embodiments, first strap 210, second strap 220, and third strap 235 may be configured to be adjustable via a tightening and/or loosening mechanism. The combination of first strap 210, second strap 220, and third strap 235 is designed to allow for the snug attachment of the protective cover 100 to the worker's leg without having to worry about dropping the protective cover 100 and device the protective cover 100 may be holding, especially from a tall height.

[0038] In various embodiments, the protective cover 100 may include a right side strap 167 located on right side edge 101. Right side strap 167 may be manufactured from Velcro. Right side strap 167 may be manufactured from any material, metal, alloy, or other product capable of allowing for the tightening of right side strap 167. Cables used in connection with the transducer may be securely stored by forming a loop or bunching the cables, then tightening and securing right side strap 167 around the cables to prevent loose cables. Right side strap 167 may be configured to store other materials besides cables used in connection with the transducer (e.g., twine, rope, electrical cords, earbuds, and the like).

[0039] With reference to FIG. 12, the protective cover 100 may include a bottle holder 170. The bottle holder 170 may be configured to hold a bottle containing gel used in conjunction with a transducer, but one skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter with suitable configurations may apply to other bottles (e.g., beverage bottles). In various embodiments, the bottle holder 170 may include a cinch lock 175 attached to the bottle holder 170. Cinch lock 175 may be sewn to the bottle holder 170 as a protection to prevent bottle holder 170 from falling while working-at-height. As a secondary protection, cinch lock 175 may be configured to tighten around the neck of the bottle holder 170 to prevent bottle holder 170 from falling.

[0040] In various embodiments, bottle holder 170 may be sewn to tether 180. Tether 180 may be configured to attach to a ring 181 such that ring 181 may be girth hitched to a ring or harness. In various embodiments, ring 181 may be a nickel-plated D-ring. One skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of rings may be used (e.g., loop rings, O rings, triangular rings, and the like). A girth hitch may refer to a secure version of hitch knot used to attach a rope to an object, in this case, a ring. Ring 181 may be girth hitched to a ring or harness because bottle holder 170 may not be heavy, such that a hard connection point (e.g., carabiner or connector) typically used to hitch heavier objects may not be necessary. Ring 181 may be girth hitched to lower right-side ring 115 or lower left-side ring 125 to prevent tether 180 from tangling. Ring 181 may be moved around to other connections on the protective cover 100. Ring 181 may also be configured to attach to a ring or harness with a clasp, hook, or the like. Bottle holder 170, cinch lock 175, and/or tether 180 may be manufactured from Magnatuff, or another suitable material, metal, alloy, or other product. Tether 180 may be configured to attach to ring 185, which may be a nickel-plated D-ring. One skilled in the art will appreciate that other types of rings may be used (e.g., loop rings, O rings, triangular rings, and the like). Ring 185 may easily be attached and/or detached to the protective cover 100, whether through right side Velcro strap 167, clasp attachment, or harness attachment. For example, tether 180 may be twenty-four (24) inches long. The ability for ring 181 to girth hitch bottle holder 170 may allow for a worker to securely access the gel or liquid contained inside a bottle when working-at-height without the possibility of dropping and damaging or losing the bottle.

[0041] In various embodiments a device may be inserted into the protective cover 100. Zipper 172 may be unzipped to separate front plate 152 and rear plate 154. After unzipping, a device may be inserted from either right side edge 101, left side edge 102, and/or bottom edge 104. The lip formed at bottom edge 104 may serve to catch a device from falling out while the protective cover 100 is zipped closed. Elastic band 171 may be placed underneath the base of the inserted device to stop the device from shifting inside the protective cover 100 and/or to further protect the device from falling out of the protective device 100. The worker may align protective window 105 and/or protective window 110 with any screens and/or buttons the worker may wish to access prior to closing the protective cover 100. Once inserted and aligned, zipper 172 may be zipped to attach and close front plate 152 and rear plate 154 together.

[0042] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean one and only one unless explicitly so stated, but rather one or more. Moreover, where a phrase similar to at least one of A, B, and C or at least one of A, B, or C is used in the claims or specification, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Although the disclosure includes a method, it is contemplated that it may be embodied as computer program instructions on a tangible computer-readable carrier, such as a magnetic or optical memory or a magnetic or optical disk. All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described various embodiments that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present disclosure, for it to be encompassed by the present claims.

[0043] Any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact. Different cross-hatching is used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials. Surface shading lines may be used throughout the figures to denote different parts or areas but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials. In some cases, reference coordinates may be specific to each figure.

[0044] The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean one and only one unless explicitly so stated, but rather one or more. It is to be understood that unless specifically stated otherwise, references to a, an, and/or the may include one or more than one and that reference to an item in the singular may also include the item in the plural. All ranges and ratio limits disclosed herein may be combined.

[0045] Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase means for. As used herein, the terms comprises, comprising, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0046] Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to one embodiment, an embodiment, various embodiments, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.