U.S. patent application number 09/968715 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-25 for protective case for observation telescope.
This patent application is currently assigned to Swarovski Optik K.G.. Invention is credited to Holbl, Werner.
Application Number | 20020046790 09/968715 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7658481 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020046790 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Holbl, Werner |
April 25, 2002 |
Protective case for observation telescope
Abstract
A protective case for an observation telescope is of inflatable
design and fits closely against the outside wall (3) of the
observation telescope in the inflated state.
Inventors: |
Holbl, Werner; (Wien,
AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Robert J. Koch
Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP
801 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20004
US
|
Assignee: |
Swarovski Optik K.G.
Postfach 75 6067
Absam/Tirol
AT
|
Family ID: |
7658481 |
Appl. No.: |
09/968715 |
Filed: |
October 2, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
150/165 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 11/38 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
150/165 |
International
Class: |
B65D 065/02; B65D
085/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 2, 2000 |
DE |
DE 100 48 853.6 |
Claims
1. A protective case for an observation telescope, characterized in
that it is inflatable and adapted to fit against the outside wall
(3) of the observation telescope in the inflated state.
2. A protective case according to claim 1, characterized in that it
includes at least one air chamber (1).
3. A protective case according to either of the above claims,
characterized in that it includes a smooth sheathing (2) made of
robust, flexible material.
4. A protective case according to any of the above claims,
characterized in that it is formed as a tube with an inserting
opening on at least one end of the tube and adapted to be drawn
over the telescope in the longitudinal direction.
5. A protective case according to claim 5, characterized in that
the open end of the tube protrudes beyond the telescope.
6. A protective case according to any of the above claims,
characterized in that it has a gap (7) for passing through the
tripod leg (8) of the observation telescope.
7. A protective case according to any of the above claims,
characterized in that it has a longitudinal slit (18).
8. A protective case according to any of the above claims,
characterized in that it is made at least partially of transparent
or semitransparent material.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to protective cases. More
particularly, the present invention relates to protective cases for
portable devices, such as an observation telescope.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Technology
[0004] Portable devices, such as observation telescopes are used
often times in the open air, for example, for bird watching. They
are thereby exposed to numerous loads such as shock or impact
during transport, or environmental influences such as rain, sand or
sunlight.
[0005] Protective cases for observation telescopes, for example,
are therefore known which have a tubular form and are made of
textile materials or leather. A disadvantage of such conventional
cases is that it is awkward and time-consuming to put them on and
take them off the telescope. Therefore, conventional protective
cases are designed or suited only for long-term storage of an
observation telescope.
[0006] There are other conventional protective cases made of
textile materials or leather which have a tubular form and can be
partially opened on the eyepiece portion, the operating portion and
the objective portion of the observation telescope.
[0007] One disadvantage of these designed protective cases is that
their opened parts hang down during observation and thus disturb
the handling of the telescope or for example, in case of wind,
produce noise which can have a disturbing effect on the objects
under observation. Another disadvantage is that such protective
cases are also awkward to handle so that they cannot be quickly put
on and taken off.
[0008] In addition, as will be appreciated by one of the ordinary
skill in the art, conventional protective cases offer only
restricted protection from shock or impact loads on the observation
telescope.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is therefore based on the problem of
avoiding the above-mentioned disa offers good protection from
environmental influences and also from shock or impact.
[0010] The invention is based on the finding that the
above-mentioned problems can be solved by a protective case which
is of inflatable design and configured to fit closely against the
telescope in the inflated state.
[0011] According to the invention there is provided a protective
case which includes an inflatable air chamber of airtight material
which fits closely against the outside wall of the portable
device.
[0012] First, the inventive protective case provides very good
protection from shock and/or impact loads which are absorbed or
cushioned by the air cushion of the case. Secondly, it achieves
good protection from every kind of environmental influence such as
rain, sand or sunlight. In addition, as will be appreciated by one
of ordinary skill, the inventive protective case can be easily and
quickly put on and taken off the portable device since this may be
done in the uninflated state and the close fit of the case is
produced by inflation of the air chamber.
[0013] Another advantage of the protective case according to the
invention is that it can be stowed in very spacesaving fashion in
the uninflated state. The inventive protective case is thus
optimally suited for use with an observation telescope when animal
or bird watching.
[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, inventive
protective case preferably includes a plurality of air chambers.
This ensures that the form of the case in the inflated state can be
adapted very well to the outer form of the portable device.
[0015] According to another aspect of the invention, inventive
protective case preferably includes a smooth sheathing of robust,
flexible material. This material can be for example GORE-TEX.RTM.
or a like material. The protective case of this embodiment has the
additional advantages that the robust, flexible material protects
the air chambers from damage by outside influences, and the
smoothness of the surface of the sheathing prevents dirt deposits
on the case.
[0016] In a presently preferred embodiment, the protective case is
designed for use with an observation telescope.
[0017] According to one embodiment, the inventive protective case
has a tubular form, with preferably at least one end of the tube
being open. The open end of the tube can protrude beyond the
telescope. The open end of the tube can be made sealable. The open
end can be provided on the eyepiece side or the objective side.
Since the telescope has a greater diameter on the objective side,
at least the objective side of the tube is preferably open to
permit the telescope to be inserted. On the open side the objective
can thus e.g. be covered with a protective cap.
[0018] In accordance with another embodiment, the protective case
likewise has a tubular form, wherein the tube has a longitudinal
slit extending the full length of the tube or only partially. In
this embodiments the tube can be closed at both ends, or
alternatively, one or both ends can also be open and protective
caps provided therefor.
[0019] The inventive protective case is suitable for any portable
device, especially for observation telescopes of all kinds. In
particular, it is suitable both for observation telescopes in which
the optical principal axis and the eyepiece axis coincide, and for
observation telescopes in which the optical principal axis forms an
angle with the eyepiece axis.
[0020] In order to facilitate recognizability, but also for optical
reasons, the protective case can be made of transparent plastic or
possibly be of semitransparent or translucent design.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] In the following enabling disclosure, the inventive
protective case will be described with reference to the enclosed
drawing by the example of two embodiments for an observation
telescope in which the optical principal axis and the eyepiece axis
form an angle, wherein:
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a cross section through the protective case
according to the first embodiment with the observation telescope
therein;
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the protective case according to
FIG. 1; and
[0024] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the protective case
according to the second embodiment with the observation telescope
therein at the level of the objective portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] In the first embodiment, the inventive protective case is
formed by a multiplicity of air chambers (1) made of airtight
flexible-material such as rubber or plastic. The individual
chambers (1) are lined up close together on the inner surface of a
sheathing (2) and separated by partitions. The chambers (1) extend
annularly around the total circumference of the protective
case.
[0026] The sheathing (2) can be of smooth design. The protective
case is open on the side opposite the objective portion (4) of the
observation telescope and protrudes beyond the objective portion
(4) at a distance (a). The objective (4) is closed by a suitable
protective cap (5).
[0027] On the part of the protective case covering the underside of
the observation binoculars in the area of the objective portion (4)
a valve (6) is mounted. Said valve (6) permits the air chambers to
be filled and emptied. A gap (7) is likewise provided on the
underside of the protective case through which the tripod leg (8)
of the observation telescope protrudes outwardly.
[0028] The diameter of the protective case becomes smaller from the
open end on the objective portion (4) to the eyepiece portion (9)
of the telescope in accordance with the diameter of the observation
telescope. In the area of the eyepiece portion (9) the protective
case follows the bend of the eyepiece portion (9) relative to the
objective portion (4) and operating part (16) in accordance with
the angle between eyepiece axis (10) and optical principal axis
(11) of the telescope.
[0029] In the area of the protective case surrounding the eyepiece
(12) and the eyepiece portion (9) its diameter also becomes smaller
in accordance with the form of the observation telescope. The end
of the protective case (13) adjacent the eyepiece (12) is likewise
encompassed by the sheathing (2) of the protective case.
[0030] On the sheathing of the part of the protective case adjacent
the eyepiece there is a loop, cord (15) or the like (FIG. 2) in
order to hold the case (1) with the telescope disposed therein.
[0031] The sheathing (2) of the protective case is provided with
seams (17) as depicted in FIG. 2 which follow the form of the
observation telescope located in the case.
[0032] The protective case can also be made of partially or
completely transparent material. This permits the device located in
the case to be recognized partially or completely from outside.
[0033] The second embodiment of the inventive protective case is
constructed analogously to the above-described first embodiment,
the difference being that a longitudinal slit (18) extends over the
total length of the underside of the case. The air chambers (1) are
accordingly no longer constructed to be continuously annular in the
cross section of the case (1), but sickle-shaped. For holding the
protective case together along the longitudinal slit one can
provide for example hook and loop pile (Velcro) closures at right
angles to the longitudinal slit (18) which close the slit. This
embodiment allows the inventive protective case to be put on and
taken off especially fast since the longitudinal slit (18) provides
a large opening for inserting and removing the telescope into and
out of the case (1).
* * * * *