PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE FOR TEST INSTRUMENT

• US 3,665,991 A
• Filed: 07/24/1970
• Issued: 05/30/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George W. Gillemot, John T. Thompson
• Original Assignee: George W. Gillemot, John T. Thompson
• Inventors: Gillemot, George W., Thompson, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leclair, Joseph R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garbe, Stephen P.
• Application Number:
  US05/057,912
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 150/52R,52J,52K 324/156 73/431
• US Class Current: 206/305
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/04 Housings; Supporting racks; Arrangements of terminals

Abstract

A weather-proof flexible enclosure for electrical test equipment commonly used in the field. The enclosure or casing has a builtin window of flexible transparent material with sufficient excess to permit the user to manipulate, from the exterior thereof, control elements on a panel of test equipment housed in the casing. Loops of strip material secured to the enclosure serve to reinforce the saem as well as to carry and to suspend it in the filed from any convenient support.

Claims

1. A protective enclosure for use about a field electrical test instrument of the type having a casing including an exposed panel equipped with manually adjustable control elements and visually readable indicia useful in testing electrical equipment in the field, said protective enclosure comprising a heavy duty flexible waterproof wrapper sized for snug assembly about and fully enclosing said instrument casing, said wrapper having a window in juxtaposition to said instrument control panel including a sheet of pliant transparent material arranged in pleated fulness with excess material closely overlying control elements on said panel which control elements are manipulatable through said pleated fulness, said transparent sheet and protective enclosure cooperating to protect testing equipment and its instrument panel in inclement weather without interferring with its use and the manipulation of its control elements, one face of said main body having an access opening, a shallow cup-like cover for said access opening hinged along one rim edge of said access opening, the interior surfaces of the sidewalls of said cover having a snug overlapping fit with the exterior sidewalls of said main body adjacent the rim of said access opening, fastener means normally holding the rim of said cover closed over said access opening, a second cover of flexible sheet material having one edge thereof hinged to said first mentioned cover along one edge portion of said window and of a size adequate to cover and protect said window when closed thereover, and releasable means for securing said second cover closed over said window when the latter is not in use.

2. A protective enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said fastener means comprises a multiplicity of pressure sensitive interlocking elements of flexible material.

3. A protective enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said fastener means comprises pairs of tapes of flexible material secured one to the rim portion of said access opening and one to the rim portion of said cover, said tapes being separably mateable to secure said cover closed.

4. A protective enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said releasable means for said second window comprises a multiplicity of pressure sensitive interlocking elements of flexible material.

5. A protective enclosure as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of a pair of flexible loops of strong strip material secured to the opposite upper end corners thereof and usable selectively as carrying hand grips for said protective enclosure and its contents and as means for suspending said protective enclosure from a wall bracket, the footsteps on a telegraph pole and the like type supports available in an outdoor operating environment.

6. A protective enclosure as defined in claim 5 characterizeD in that said pair of loops and the strip material thereof extend downwardly along the opposite ends and across the bottom of said protective enclosure so as to embrace three exterior sides of said enclosure to strengthen and reinforce the same.

7. A protective enclosure as defined in claim 5 characterized in that said window is located in a vertical sidewall of said protective enclosure located between said pair of carrying loops.

8. A protective enclosure as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the hinge for said cover is located between said carrying loops, and said hinge for said window cover being along the edge of said window closer to the top edge of said protective enclosure.