Patent ID: 8177062

Claim:
A protective case for a retractable item, the protective case comprising: a case with a top, a bottom, a first end, and a second end, where the case is a hollow shell bisected to form a first case half and a second case half, where the first case half and the second case half each have an interior side along which the first case half and the second case half meet, and where the case is in a closed position when the interior side of the first case half abuts the interior side of the second case half; a case hinge connecting the first case half to the second case half at the first end of the case such that the first case half and the second case half may pivot relative to each other between the closed position and an open position; an item to be protected by the case, where the item to be protected by the case is a magnifying lens; a lens mount, where the lens mount girdles the lens; a tensioner, where the lens mount is secured to the lens via the tensioner; and at least two arms connecting the item to the second end of the case, where one arm connects the item to the second end of the first case half and one arm connects the item to the second end of the second case half, where the at least two arms are pivotally connected to the item and pivotally connected to the case, and where the tensioner is pivotally connected to the at least two arms via at least two lens mount hinges; where the item, the arms, and the case are sufficiently sized and positioned such that: the first case half and the second case half may be pivoted relative to each other and the arms may be pivoted relative to the item and to the case such that the first case half and the second case half may be brought into the open position, the item may be retracted into the case, the first case half and the second case half may be brought into the closed position, and the item and the arms may fit within the case while the case is in the closed position; and the first case half and the second case half may be pivoted relative to each other and the arms may be pivoted relative to the item and to the case such the first case half and the second case half may be brought into the open position, the item and the arms may be extended from the case, and the first case half and the second case half may be brought into the closed position.