Abstract:
A protective covering for a hand-held device includes a resilient water-impermeable bag which is of one piece. The bag has a single opening through which the device can be inserted in the bag, and a layer of adhesive runs around the opening on the inside of the bag. The adhesive layer is covered by a nonadhesive strip which can be peeled off to expose the adhesive layer. When the bag is closed following removal of the nonadhesive strip, the adhesive layer forms a water-impermeable seal for the opening of the bag.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 09/233,895, filed Jan. 20, 1999 U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,535. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a protective covering for a hand-held device and, in particular, for a communications device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Portable cell phones, pagers and similar hand-held devices currently enjoy tremendous popularity. These communications devices are carried along virtually everywhere and, as such, are inevitably exposed to the elements and are also liable to be dropped in puddles or snow. 
     Since water can affect the operation of, and even ruin, a cell phone, pager, or other electronic device, protective coverings have been developed for such communications devices. However, none of these coverings forms an entirely satisfactory barrier to water. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to shield hand-held devices in general, and electronic communications devices in particular, from water more effectively. 
     The preceding object, as well as others which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the invention. 
     One aspect of the invention resides in a one-shot, i.e., single-use or disposable, protective covering for a hand-held communications device or similar device. The covering comprises a one-piece elastically deformable resilient bag with a single opening. The bag has an undeformed condition and an expanded condition, and the bag is designed to fully enclose the hand-held device when the bag is in the expanded condition. The bag is further designed so that the device is insertable in the bag only upon expansion of the bag from the undeformed condition, and the bag conforms to the shape of the device after its introduction in the bag&#39;s expanded condition. The covering additionally comprises a layer of adhesive on the bag arranged to permit substantially complete sealing of the opening in the expanded condition of the bag, and both the adhesive and bag are substantially water-impermeable. 
     In accordance with the invention, a protective covering for a hand-held device includes a bag for reception of the device. The bag is of one piece and has a single opening which can be substantially completely sealed by an adhesive. The bag, as well as the adhesive for sealing the opening, are substantially water-impermeable. By virtue of these features, the covering enables the hand-held device to be well-protected from water. 
     Inasmuch as the bag is elastic and designed so that the hand-held device can be inserted therein only when the bag is expanded, the bag can shrink onto the communications device and conform to the contour thereof. This makes it possible for individual elements of the device, e.g., operating keys and the like, to be recognizable from the outside. 
     Another aspect of the invention resides in a hand-held article, such as a communications article. The article comprises a protective covering free of openings, and the covering includes a water-impermeable elastically deformable bag as well as water-impermeable bonding material sealing the bag against water. The article also comprises a device inside the bag, and the bag elastically grips the device. 
     An additional aspect of the invention resides in a method of protecting a device. The method comprises the steps of elastically expanding a substantially water-impermeable bag, and inserting the device in the bag while performing the expanding step. The method further comprises the steps of elastically gripping the device with the bag when the device is in the bag, and sealing the bag with substantially water-impermeable bonding material while performing the gripping step. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will be forthcoming from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a communications device and a covering according to the invention for protecting the device, the covering being open to receive the device. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view in the direction of the arrows II—II of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the covering of FIG. 1 after the covering has been sealed following insertion of the communications device therein. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are exemplary perspective views of other devices and coverings according to the invention for protecting the devices. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral  10  identifies a typical communications device. The device  10  is exemplified by a cell phone but could also be a pager or any other device which can receive signals from a remote sender and/or transmit signals to a remote receiver, or an electronic or other device that could similarly be protected from moisture. Such articles could include, without limitation, GPS units, Walkman®-type radios and players, cameras, electronic day-timers, hand-held computers, flash lights, portable televisions, and medicine containers. 
     The cell phone  10  has an earpiece  12 , a mouthpiece  14 , a display screen  16 , a keypad  18 , an antenna  20  and a jack recess  22 . The cell phone  10  is in the process of being inserted in a protective covering  24 . The covering  24  includes an elastic or resilient bag or pouch  26  which is of one piece. The bag  26  can be elastically expanded or stretched from an undeformed condition, and the bag  26  tends to return to this condition when elastically expanded. 
     The bag  26  has an opening  28  which serves for insertion of the cell phone  10  in the bag  26 , and the opening  28  constitutes the sole opening of the bag  26 . The opening  28  adjoins a margin  30  of the bag  26 , and the margin  30  extends circumferentially of the bag  26  and circumscribes the opening  28 . Considering FIG. 2 in conjunction with FIG. 1, the inner surface of the margin  30 , that is, the surface of the margin  30  facing the opening  28 , is provided with a layer  32  of adhesive or bonding material. The adhesive layer  32  here runs the length of the margin  30  although this may not be necessary. The main design consideration for the adhesive layer  32  is that the latter be able to completely seal the opening  28  when the bag  26  is closed. 
     Upon closing the bag  26 , the adhesive layer  32  forms a permanent seal for the opening  28  so that the bag  26  cannot be opened without cutting or otherwise destroying the bag  26 . Accordingly, the protective covering  24  is a one-shot or disposable item, i.e., the protective covering  24  is used once and then discarded. 
     The bag  26  and the adhesive constituting the layer  32  are water-impermeable. Furthermore, the protective covering  24  is designed to enclose the cell phone  10  entirely when the bag  26  is sealed. Thus, since the bag  26  is a one-piece item and has only the one opening  28  which is completely sealed by the adhesive layer  32  when the bag  26  is closed, the protective covering  24  is capable of effectively shielding the cell phone  10  from water. 
     The adhesive layer  32  is covered with a nonadhesive strip or layer  34  which prevents the bag  26  from being sealed inadvertently. The strip  34  is provided with a tab  36  which can be grasped to peel the strip  34  from the adhesive layer  32 . 
     The protective covering  24  is designed so that it is not possible to insert the cell phone  10  therein without expanding the bag  26  from its undeformed condition. This insures that the bag  26  elastically grips the cell phone  10  and conforms to the contour thereof after the cell phone  10  has been placed in the bag  26 . FIG. 1 shows the bag  26  being held in an expanded condition for insertion of the cell phone  10  in the bag  26 . 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the protective covering  24  once the cell phone  10  has been placed in the bag  26  and the latter has been sealed by the adhesive layer  32 . The bag  26  has shrunk somewhat from the condition of FIG. 1 where the bag  26  was being forcefully expanded to a size sufficiently large to insert the cell phone  10  therein. However, the bag  26  is still in an expanded condition in FIG. 3 since the cell phone  10  is too large to permit the bag  26  to return to its undeformed condition. Since the tendency of the bag  26  is to shrink to the undeformed condition thereof, the bag  26  elastically grips the cell phone  10  and conforms to the contour of the same. Accordingly, the outlines of the earpiece  12 , the mouthpiece  14 , the display screen  16 , the keypad  18  and the antenna  20  of the cell phone  10  are visible in the bag  26 . 
     To permit identification of the keys of the keypad  18  for dialing purposes, the bag  26  is preferably semitransparent or transparent. Furthermore, the bag  26  should be capable of transmitting the sounds coming from the earpiece  12  as well as the sounds spoken into the mouthpiece  14 . The bag  26  is advantageously designed to transmit sound with little or no distortion or attenuation. The bag  26  should also be capable of transmitting the electrical signals necessary for the operation of the cell phone  10 . 
     By way of example, the bag  26  can be made of latex. Latex is resilient, capable of transmitting sound and electrical signals, and at least semitransparent in the form of thin sheets, 
     Assuming that the bag  26  is in its undeformed condition, a method of protecting the cell phone  10  from water is as follows. The bag  26  is elastically expanded at least in the area of the opening  28 . While the bag  26  is elastically expanded, the cell phone  10  is inserted in the bag  26  via the opening  28 . It was previously mentioned that the bag  26  can accommodate the entire cell phone  10 . In fact, the cell phone  10  can fit inside the bag  26  without obstructing the rim  30 , and the cell phone  10  is positioned in the bag  26  in this manner. Since, as indicated earlier, the cell phone  10  is too large for the bag  26  when the latter is in its undeformed condition, the bag  26  elastically grips the cell phone  10  and conforms to the contour thereof. 
     Once the cell phone  10  has been placed in the bag  26 , the tab  36  of the nonadhesive strip  34  is grasped to peel the strip  34  from the adhesive layer  32 . The opening  28  of the bag  26  is then completely sealed by the adhesive layer  32 . 
     The protective covering  24  effectively shields the cell phone  10  from water. This is so because the bag  26  is of one piece, is water-impermeable and has only one opening  28  which is completely sealed by the water-impermeable adhesive layer  32 . Furthermore, since the bag  26  is resilient and must be elastically expanded to accommodate the cell phone  10 , the protective covering  24  conforms to the contour of the cell phone  10 . This allows individual elements of the cell phone  10  to be recognizable from the outside of the protective covering  24 . 
     While the invention has been described in terms of a protective bag for a cell phone, it is clear that it can be applied in equivalent fashion to any other hand-held article in need of protection, as listed above by way of examples. For instance, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the protective bag  26  of the invention stretched and sealed over a portable radio  40  and an electronic day-timer  50 . 
     Various modifications are possible within the meaning and range of equivalence of the appended claims. For instance, the seal formed by the adhesive layer  32  can be replaced by a heat seal, a Zip-Lock® closure, or any other equivalent sealing means capable of guaranteeing waterproof closure.