Patent ID: 7986872
Filing Date: 2011-07-26
Classification: A45C,B65D

Abstract:
1. A camera protection method comprising the steps of: establishing a handheld digital camera entirely within a removable protective covering for said camera, said camera having an overall largest cross-sectional size, said covering having a center portion that has a center portion inner diameter, and said cover having only two openings, one of which is a first opening defined by an elastically deformable cuff that is sized to allow passage therethrough of said camera, and the other of which is a second opening, wherein said elastically deformable cuff has: an unstretched cross-sectional size that is smaller than said overall largest cross-sectional size of said camera, a maximally stretched cross-sectional size that is larger than said overall largest cross-sectional size of said camera, and a cuff inner diameter when said cuff is elastically undeformed, wherein said cuff inner diameter is less than said center portion inner diameter, wherein said camera has two ends, an end to end camera length, and a length axis defined by said end to end camera length, wherein, when said covering is established around said camera, said covering has an end to end covering length, said end to end covering length greater than said end to end camera length, wherein said second opening of said only two openings is smaller than said first opening and does not allow passage therethrough of either end of said camera; passively retaining said camera in said covering for a first time while said covering is in a protective configuration around all of said camera, while supporting said camera from a strap of said camera, and while said strap passes through said second opening but not through said first opening, wherein said strap has two ends, one of which is a camera proximal end that is attached to said camera, wherein during said step of passively retaining said camera in said covering for said first time: at least a portion of said elastically deformable cuff is elastically undeformed, not around said camera and not around said strap of said camera, and said elastically deformable cuff exerts a retention force against said camera that retains said all of said camera entirely in said covering against said second opening, removing said camera from said covering by forceably, slidably moving said all of said camera along said length axis and through said elastically deformable cuff of said covering while said strap of said camera is through said second opening only and around a neck or wrist of a photographer performing said step of removing said camera; manually counteracting said retention force while performing said step of removing said camera from said covering; retaining, when said camera is outside of said covering, said covering: shooting a photograph with said camera while performing said step of retaining said covering around said camera proximal end of said strap of said camera, and while said covering is in contact with said camera and immediately adjacent said camera; wherein, during said step of shooting a photograph with said camera while performing said step of retaining said covering around said strap of said camera, said covering has a deformed length, and said deformed length is less than said length of said covering between said two openings when said covering is established around said camera, re-establishing said all of said camera in said covering by sliding said all of said camera back through said elastically deformable cuff; elastically deforming said elastically deformable cuff while performing said step of re-establishing said camera in said covering; and passively retaining said camera in said covering for a second time while supporting said camera from said strap of said camera, said strap passing through said second opening only, wherein, during performance of said step of removing said camera from said, covering both hands of a photographer performing said step of removing said camera are outside of said covering.