초록 ▼

A sheath is disclosed for covering a manually manipulated controller having at least one user accessible control thereon. The sheath is elongated and includes a nose portion and linear side portions forming a sheath perimeter removably secured to a carrier for dispensing the sheath therefrom. The s

A sheath is disclosed for covering a manually manipulated controller having at least one user accessible control thereon. The sheath is elongated and includes a nose portion and linear side portions forming a sheath perimeter removably secured to a carrier for dispensing the sheath therefrom. The sheath includes at least one shoulder segment having a scalloped first shoulder transition and a curved second shoulder segment. The scalloped first shoulder segment provides expansibility in excess of the expansibility of the curved second shoulder segment, thereby providing flexible material that is readily manipulated without tearing when the sheath covers the controller and the user manipulates the control covered by the sheath.

대표청구항 ▼

Having thus described the aforementioned invention, I claim: 1. A sheath for a manually manipulated controller having at least one accessible button control or rotary control, comprising: top and bottom flexible panels, said top panel including a contoured perimeter and said bottom panel including

Having thus described the aforementioned invention, I claim: 1. A sheath for a manually manipulated controller having at least one accessible button control or rotary control, comprising: top and bottom flexible panels, said top panel including a contoured perimeter and said bottom panel including a substantially like-configured perimeter; said contoured perimeter including a rounded first end portion having first and second opposite ends and having first and second linear side portions, said first side portion being an extension of said first end of said rounded first end portion, and said second side portion being an extension of said second end of said rounded first end portion; said contoured perimeter including third and fourth linear side portions, each having respective first and second ends, said third and fourth linear side portions ends being adjacently spaced apart from said first and second linear side portions; said contoured perimeter further including first and second shoulder portions interposed to extend from respective ones of said second end of said first linear side portion and said second end of said second linear side portion and defining a continuous transition between each of said second ends of said first and second linear side portions and said first ends of said third and fourth linear side portions; said panels being overlaid on one another with their respective contoured perimeters in register; means bonding said overlaid panels to one another along their respective overlaid rounded first end portions, along their respective linear side portions and along their respective shoulder portions; one of said first and second shoulder portions defining an uninterrupted transition between its respective linear side portions and the other of said first and second shoulder portions defining a scalloped transition between its respective linear side portions, whereby said scalloped transition exhibits expansibility in excess of the expansibility of said uninterrupted transition for the receipt therein of the at least one button control or rotary control of the manually manipulated controller when the controller is disposed within the sheath. 2. The sheath of claim 1, further comprising a carrier for receiving said sheath thereon, said sheath being releasably mounted to said carrier along at least a portion of said contoured perimeter of said sheath by said means bonding, whereby said sheath is removed from said carrier when the controller is disposed within the sheath. 3. The sheath of claim 1 wherein said third and fourth linear side portions being oriented generally parallel to each other, said first and second linear side portions being oriented generally parallel to each other, and said first and second linear portions are adjacently parallel and spaced apart by respective first and second shoulder portions from said third and fourth linear side portions. 4. The sheath of claim 1 wherein said first shoulder portion defines said scalloped transition extended between said first linear side portion and said third linear side portion. 5. The sheath of claim 1 wherein said second shoulder portion defines an uninterrupted curved transition extended between said second linear side portion and said fourth linear side portion. 6. The sheath of claim 1, wherein said controller is sized to be hand-held and includes at least one visually accessible punch button control, said at least one rotary control is side-mounted on said controller. 7. The sheath of claim 1 wherein said sheath is fabricated from a flexible transparent material selected from the group consisting of polyether urethane, metalacine plastic, and a sterilizable polymer material. 8. The sheath of claim 7 wherein said means bonding includes a bond produced by a heat weld or a sonic weld of said contoured perimeters in register of said panels along their respective overlaid rounded first end portions, along their respective linear side portions, and along their respective shoulder portions. 9. The sheath of claim 2 wherein said carrier includes a receiving surface for releasably securing said sheath to said carrier, said receiving surface is fabricated from paper stock having a gloss finish thereon. 10. The sheath of claim 9 wherein said receiving surface of said carrier is encapsulated with a polymer material to which said contoured perimeter of said sheath is releasably secured. 11. A sheath for covering a manually manipulated controller having at least one user accessible control or at least one rotary control thereon proximal to an insertion end, said sheath comprising: a first and a second sheath panel of flexible materials, each panel having like-configured dimensions including a contoured perimeter, a nose end having first and second curved sides, a second end in opposing relationship with said nose end, a first linear side portion being extruded from said first curved side and a second linear side portions being extruded from said second curved side of said nose end, said first and second panels being overlaid on one another with their respective contoured perimeters in register; a third and fourth linear side portion, each having respective first and second ends, said third linear side portion having said first end extended from said first shoulder portion, said fourth linear side portion having said first end extended from said second shoulder portion, said second ends of each third and fourth linear side portion being spaced apart and opposed from said nose end of said sheath; a first shoulder portion defining a scalloped transition between said first linear side portion and said third linear side portion; and a second shoulder portion defining an uninterrupted transition between said second linear side portion and said fourth linear side portion, whereby said first shoulder scalloped transition exhibits expansibility in excess of the expansibility of said second shoulder uninterrupted transition for the receipt therein of the at least control or the rotary control of the controller when disposed within the sheath. 12. The sheath of claim 11 wherein said scalloped transition includes: an arcuate first shoulder having a convoluted profile of material extended therefrom, said convoluted profile formed by a plurality of ridges disposed in a spaced apart orientation along said arcuate first shoulder, said ridges forming pouches therebetween when the insertion end of the controller is inserted in the sheath, whereby when said arcuate first shoulder is positioned to cover at least one control on the controller, said convoluted profile of material is stretchable over one or more controls on the controller, thereby allowing the user to manipulate the controls without tearing said sheath flexible material. 13. The sheath of claim 11 wherein said second shoulder portion includes said uninterrupted transition positioned laterally adjacent of said scalloped transition, whereby said uninterrupted transition and said scalloped transition provide a base diameter between said third and fourth linear side portions that is greater than a nose diameter between said first and second linear side portions thereby the insertion end of the controller is closely fitted within said nose end of said first and second sheath panels. 14. The sheath of claim 13, wherein said second shoulder portion curved portion further includes a scalloped transition having a convoluted profile of material extended therefrom, said convoluted profile formed by a plurality of ridges disposed in a spaced apart orientation along said second shoulder portion, whereby when the controller is inserted in said sheath said first and second shoulder portions are stretchable over one or more controls on the controller thereby allowing the user to manipulate the controls without tearing said sheath flexible material. 15. The sheath of claim 11 further comprising a carrier for receiving said sheath thereon, said sheath being releasably mounted to said carrier along at least a portion of said contoured perimeter of said sheath by said means bonding, whereby said sheath is removed from said carrier when the controller is disposed within the sheath, wherein said nose end includes a perimeter weld extended between said first and second shoulder portions, said perimeter weld is releasably secured to said carrier. 16. The sheath of claim 11 further comprising a carrier for receiving said sheath thereon, said sheath being releasably mounted to said carrier along at least a portion of said contoured perimeter of said sheath by said means bonding, whereby said sheath is removed from said carrier when the controller is disposed within the sheath, wherein said receiving surface of said carrier is fabricated from paper stock and includes a receiving surface being encapsulated with a polymer material to which said contoured perimeter of said sheath is bonded whereby said second end is not bonded to said carrier.