A protective carrying case for an electronic device, especially a video cassette recorder, having upper and lower carrying case halves of high impact material with the video cassette recorder positioned therebetween. The upper and lower carrying case halves are integrally coupled to each other. First and second cover members rotatably connected to the upper and lower case halves are provided for affording access to the video cassette recorder cassette door and electrical connections respectively, the electrical connections passing through an integral barrier between the upper and lower carrying case halves for protectively isolating the video cassette recorder from a user thereof. A control panel allows a user access to at least a portion of the video cassette recorder's manual controls.
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1. A protective carrying case for an enclosed video cassette apparatus, comprising:
upper and lower carrying case halves, said video cassette apparatus positioned within said carrying case halves; means for securing said upper carrying case half to said lower carrying case half at a plurality of peripheral points thereof; first access means located on an exterior portion of one of said upper and lower carrying case halves for affording quick access to a cassette door of said video cassette apparatus and to permit rapid loading and unloading of a video cassette therethrough and into and out of said enclosed video cassette apparatus; second access means for additionally affording access to electrical connections of said video cassette apparatus; control panel access means for allowing access to at least a portion of the video cassette apparatus' controls, said control panel access means is substantially integral to a front portion of said carrying case; at least one of first feet support means coupled to a first side portion of said upper carrying case half and at least one of second feet support means coupled to a first side portion of said lower carrying case half for providing support and stability to said carrying case when said carrying case is rested on said first and second feet support means, said first feet support means are substantially proximate to said second feet support means when said upper and lower carrying case halves are connected together; at least one set of ventilation port means located in at least one of said upper and lower carrying case halves for permitting circulation of cooling air for said video cassette apparatus located therein; and handle means for allowing hand gripping of said carrying case and for also providing a locking together of said upper and lower carrying case halves, said handle means coupled to second side portions of said upper and lower carrying case halves which second side portions are substantially on the opposite side of said first side portions to which are coupled said first and second feet support means.
2. The protective carrying case of
3. The protective carrying case of
4. The protective carrying case of
retardant. 5. The protective carrying case of
high impact fire retardant plastic being Borg Warner JBA 92202. 6. The protective carrying case of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower carrying case halves have a textured finish thereto. 7. The protective carrying case of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower carrying case halves have a glossy finish thereto. 8. The protective carrying case of
9. The protective carrying case of
10. The protective carrying case of
halves. 11. The protective carrying case of claim 1 wherein said handle means further includes tamper-resistant hardware. 12. The protective carrying case of claim 11 wherein said tamper-resistant hardware comprises a screw requiring a non-conventional removal tool. 13. The protective carrying case of
14. The protective carrying case of
15. The protective carrying case of
16. The protective carrying case of
17. The protective carrying case of
said electrical connections comprise a 12 VDC power input lead. 18. The protective carrying case of
19. The protective carrying case of
20. The protective carrying case of
matching means to a 300 ohm signal output lead. 21. The protective carrying case of claim 1 wherein said control panel access means comprises an apertured aperture plate secured between said upper and lower carrying case halves. 22. The protective carrying case of claim 1 wherein said control panel access means comprises an apertured aperture plate affording access to all of said video cassette apparatus' manual controls. 23. The protective carrying case of claim 1 wherein said handle means are an integral portion of said upper and lower carrying case halves. 24. A method for protectably enclosing a video cassette apparatus, comprising the steps of: providing a carrying case comprising upper and lower carrying case halves; positioning said video cassette apparatus within said upper and lower carrying case halves; securing said upper carrying case half to said lower carrying case half at a plurality of peripheral points thereof; providing access through an exterior portion of said carrying case to a cassette door of said video cassette apparatus enclosed within said carrying case to permit rapid loading and unloading of a video cassette therethrough and into and out of said enclosed video cassette apparatus; providing access through another exterior portion of said carrying case to electrical connections of said video cassette apparatus; providing access through a further exterior portion of said carrying case to at least a portion of the controls of said video cassette apparatus; coupling at least one of first feet support means to a first side portion of said upper carrying case half and at least one of second feet support means to a first side portion of said carrying case lower carrying case half, said first and second feet support means providing support and stability to said carrying case when said carrying case is rested on said first and second feet support means, said first feet support means are substantially proximate to said second feet when said upper and lower carrying case halves are connected together; providing at least one set of ventilation port means located in at least one of said upper and lower carrying case halves for permitting circulation of cooling air for said video cassette apparatus located therein; and providing handle means for allowing hand gripping of said carrying case and for also providing a locking together of said upper and lower carrying case halves, said handle means coupled to second side portions of said upper and lower carrying case halves which second side portions are substantially on the opposite side of said first side portions to which are coupled said first and second feet support means. 25. The method of claim 24 including the step of providing third feet support means located between said first and second side portions of said upper and lower carrying case halves and connected to the exterior of said one of said upper and lower carrying case halves containing said one set of ventilation port means for enhancing cooling air circulation for said video cassette apparatus and for protecting the exterior surface of said one of said upper and lower carrying case halves. 26. The method of
portions. 27. The method of claim 25 wherein said handle means includes tamper-resistant hardware. 28. The method of
carrying case upper half. 29. The method of claim 25 wherein said step of providing access to the controls of said video cassette apparatus is carried out by means of an apertured plate. |
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With reference especially now to FIG. 7, a single one of tamper resistance screws 46 is shown. Tamper resistant screw 46 presents a screw head 48 having a pair of peripheral holes 50. By means of screw head 48 having peripheral holes 50, a special forked tool 52 is necessary in order to separate upper case portion 12 from lower case portion 14 by means of threadably disengaging tamper resistant screws 46.
Referring additionally now to FIG. FIGS. 9 and 10, a portion of lower case portion 14 is illustrated into which is mounted 12 volt power supply 58. Twelve volt power supply 58 is secured to lower case portion 14 at a plurality of mounting posts 82. A number of ventilation slots 80 underlie 12 volt power supply 58 and communicate between the interior portion of lower case portion 14 and lower surface 78 thereof. A number of mounting feet 84 are affixed to lower surface 78 to protect the surface onto which protective carrying case 10 may be placed as well as to enhance cooling air circulation through ventilation slots 80. By means of mounting posts 82, 12 volt power supply 58 will be accorded greater cooling air circulation therearound through ventilation slots 80 than if the lower portion of 12 volt power supply 58 were secured directly to the interior portion of lower lower case portion 14. As illustrated, the power supply and signal output cables to 12 volt power supply 58 and the encased VCR through lower cable storage cable storage chamber half 56 is made by means of cable slot 60 within power supply barrier wall 62.
Referring additionally to FIG. 12, the interior portion of upper case portion 12 comprising upper cable storage chamber half 54 is shown. In this illustration, cable access cover 20 has been removed. It can be seen, that by means of power supply barrier wall 62 and VCR barrier wall 76, a user of the encased VCR may be accorded access to the power supply and signal output cables of the device but is precluded from tampering with or being injured by the enclosed electrical and electronic equipment.
In the embodiment of protective carrying case 10 above described, all non-hardware portions thereof may be conveniently furnished as Borg Warner BJA 92202 Plastic. Such plastic is inherently fire retardant, durable and capable of sustaining severe impacts while protecting encased VCR. Moreover, this plastic may be readily textured to enhance its visual appearance while making smudges harder to detect visually. Moreover, this high impact plastic may be polished to give a glossy appearance. By use of the protective carrying case 10 above described, a VCR or other electronic device may be readily protected while being carried about. Moreover, when in use, ready access to all necessary controls may be easily effectuated as well as access to all electrical input and output connections and to the cassette loading and unloading portion. Protective carrying case 10 may be readily assembled to encase a VCR or other piece of electronic equipment yet is tamper resistant to unauthorized personnel. However, by means of an appropriate tool, protective carrying case 10 may be readily disassembled to allow access to the encased electronic equipment by qualified and authorized personnel.
While there have been described above the principles of the invention in conjunction with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.
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| Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
| Jan 10 1989 | Portavideo International, Inc. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
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| May 26 1995 | M284: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 8th Yr, Small Entity. |
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