US3314464A - Protective cover - Google Patents

Description

April 18, 1967 R. VElLLEUX PROTECTIVE COVER Filed Sept. 25, 1964 I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,314,464 PROTECTIVE COVER Roger L. Veilleux, 36 Sisson Ave., Hartford, Conn. 06106 Filed Sept. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 399,199 1 Claim. (Cl. 150-52 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in protective covers and more particularly to protective covers of the kind which are especially suitable for enclosing, protecting and carrying books and the like.

The present invention is strong, durable, adjustable to large or small books and will accommodate varying numbers of volumes. Additionally, the protective cover of the present invention is moisture and weather resistant and may be embodied in transparent plastic material to facilitate identification of the volumes contained within.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a strong, adjustable protective cover which may be embodied in a simple and inexpensive article of manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective cover which is readily adjustable to accommodate varying members and sizes of books and similar articles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protective cover which encloses articles in a neat and compact package for carrying about.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention may be better understood from the description of a typical embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention enclosing three books of different sizes and shapes;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the protective cover of FIGURE 1 taken through section 2-2 and showing the manner in which snap fasteners are employed as an adjustable closure means; and,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of the protective cover of the present invention,

The objects of the present invention require a concept Which is capable of being executed in embodiments which are extremely simple in construction, economical in use of materials, and are capable of fabrication in minimum time by the use of conventional tooling and machinery.

Thus the present invention is comprised of no more than three pieces of flexible sheet material, preferably transparent synthetic plastic, and a plurality of co-acting fastening or closure means. The three pieces of sheet material comprise a generally rectangular base portion having two opposed flaps extending therefrom and being unitary with the base portion. The second and third pieces of sheet material form a second pair of flaps affixed to parallel margins of the base portion. If desired, for extra strength and durability the base portion and four flaps may be a single piece of sheet material such as a suitable gauge of polyvinyl chloride-acetate copolymer, for instance. In either case one flap is fitted with a first pair of fastening means, such as snap fasteners, one at each of its outer corners, and an opposing flap is fitted with -a plurality of second fastening means adapted to removably fasten with the first fastening means and positioned at spaced intervals in paired alignment with the first pair of fastening means to afford the desired degree of adjustability in accordance with the size and shape of articles which the protective cover encloses.

Among the materials which may be advantageously employed for the body of the protective cover of the present invention are polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonates, and polyvinyl acetate-chloride copolymer. Thicknesses of 4-20 mils may be satisfactory, depending upon the strength and flexibility of the sheet material selected. Polyvinyl chloride-acetate copolymer of about 7-15 mils thickness has been found to be particularly advantageous from the standpoints of cost, transparency, and durabiilty.

Feferring now to FIGURE 1, an embodiment of the protective cover of the present invention is shown generally at 10 in perspective view and fabricated of transparent material showing the books 11, 12 and 13 enclosed within. Flaps 14 and 15 extend from the base portion 16 and are fabricated of a single piece of sheet material extending from the outer edge of one flap, to the base portion, and to the outer edge of the opposed flap. A second pair of opposed flaps 17 and 18 are affixed suitably to the remaining parallel margins of the rectangular base portion 16, in this embodiment by stitching the flaps to the base. A first pair of fastening means 19a and 1% are aflixed at the outer corners of the unitary flap 14 and a plurality of removably co-acting snap fastening means are affixed to the second unitary flap in paired, spaced intervals as shown at 20a and 20b, 21a and 21b, 22a and 22b, 23a and 23b and 24a and 24b.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the adjustable manner in which the unitary flaps 14 and 15 together with the co-acting fastening means affixed to those flaps enclose and contain the books within the protective cover in a sung, compact, weather and moisture resistant enclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention illustrated in the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2 is readily adaptable to enclose a lesser number of books or articles as well as a number of smaller books or articles and-protect such smaller groupings with equal effectiveness.

The plan view of FIGURE 3 shows clearly how the unitary flaps 14 and 15 are fabricated from a single piece of sheet material including the base portion 16. This construction provides considerable strength and the second pair of flaps 17 and 18 may be provided from suitable lengths of the same width of material for an inexpensive article of manufacture. The second pair of flaps 17 and 18 may be affixed to the base portion 16 by thermal bonding, cementing or stitching such as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3. Preferably each of the flaps 14 and 15 extend outwardly from the base portion 16 not less than the dimension between the two parallel margins of the base portion to which the flaps 14 and 15 are aflixed. Similarly, it is preferred that the flaps 17 and 18 each extend outwardly from the base portion 16 not less than the dimension between the two parallel margins of the base portion to which they are aflixed.

As can be most clearly seen from FIGURE 3, the stitching 25 which attaches the flaps 17 and 18 to the base portion 16 at opposite parallel margins, is carried around the entire outer periphery of the unitary flaps 14 and 15 as well, to lend added strength to the protective cover 10. Preferably the flaps 17 and 18 are affixed to the base portion 16 so that the flaps 17 and 18 face inwardly as best seen in the perspective view of FIGURE 1. The inwardly facing flaps joined and affixed to the base portion form a corner-like configuration which prevents the weight of books and the like from inadvertently unfolding the flaps and allowing the contents to slip out.

When the cover 10 is not in use, the inwardly facing flaps 17 and 18 may be positioned to lie flat on the base portion 16 since they normally extend inwardly and lie flap against the base portion 16, thus permitting the cover 10 to be conveniently folded into a neat package without protruding end portions. In addition, the inwardly folding flaps 17 and 18 provide a connection to the base portion 16 that is not readily torn by repeated folding of the flaps as it is not necessary to fold the flaps 17 and 18 through 180 degrees in order to have these flaps flat against the base portion 16.

Alternatively the present invention may be embodied in a single sheet of material having all the four flaps unitary with the base portion. Though such an embodiment has added strength and durability, it cannot be manufactured as inexpensively as the embodiment shown in the illustrative drawings.

Those knowledgeable in the art Will appreciate that the present invention offers the advantages of being capa ble of embodiment in durable inexpensive forms which are adaptable to a variety of size and shape requirements in protecting articles such as books and the like from weather and undue wear as Well as providing a neat, cornpact enclosure which facilitates carrying such groups of articles.

Since many changes could be made in the described construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope or spirit of its concept, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

An adjustable protective cover of flexible synthetic plastic sheet material comprising a generally rectangular base portion defined by length and Width dimensions, a first pair of opposed flaps integrally formed With said rectangular base portion and extending from two parallel margins of said base portion in overlapping relationship, and a second pair of opposed flaps lying upon said base portion in flattened, substantially planar disposition in the empty condition of said cover so as to extend inwardly of said base portion in substantially planar, parallel relationship thereto, said second pair of opposed flaps in said empty condition having their inner edge portions overlapping and their outer edges closely adjacent said remaining parallel margins, said second pair of flaps being separately formed from said base portion and means spaced from but closely adjacent to said outer edges aflixing said second pair of flaps to said base portion, said second pair of flaps extending directly inwardly in planar relationship from the area of affixation in the closed condition of said cover, a first pair of fastening means afiixed to the inside of one of said first pair of flaps adjacent the free edge thereof, and a plurality of second fastening means removably engageable with said first fastening means affixed at spaced intervals along the side margins of said first pair of flaps in paired alignment with said first fastening means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,172,204 2/1916 Gerhardstein 150-52 2,353,932 7/1944 Schaffer 150-52 2,436,237 2/1948 Brandt 15052 2,650,444 9/1963 Coyle et a1. 15039 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

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