Waterproof enclosure for portable radio or tape player

• US 4,584,718 A
• Filed: 03/31/1983
• Issued: 04/22/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Productmasters Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Productmasters Incorporated
• Inventors: Fuller, Kip L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bookbinder, Marc E.
• Application Number:
  US06/482,233
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 206/811, 455/347, 455/351, 455/128, 455/89, 381/25, 381/69, 381/88, 179/107 E, 179/182 R, 179/182 A, 179/184, 179/186, 179/156 R, 179/115.5 BS, 367/132, 340/850, 181/149
• US Class Current: 455/351
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/025 Portable cases
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/086 Portable receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 Waterproofing of transmission device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/811 Waterproof

Abstract

A waterproof enclosure for a portable radio, tape recorder/player, or the like includes a flexible membrane with a finger control pocket adjacent the control knobs of the radio, an opening for inserting and removing the radio from the enclosure with a waterproof sealed cover to close the opening, and a waterproof seal around the earphone plug connector that extends through the flexible membrane. A waterproof earphone speaker is also provided, which has a conical waterproof boot fitted snugly over the speaker. Annular collars on the conical boot anchor the speaker in a person'"'"'s ear and seal water out of the ear and conical boot.

Claims

1. A waterproof enclosure for a portable radio, comprising:

waterproof enclosure housing means for containing and enclosing a portable radio that is equipped with control knobs, a portion of said enclosure housing means adjacent said radio control knobs being a flexible, water impermeable membrane that is easily deformable by an operator'"'"'s finger, wherein said flexible membrane is positioned a spaced distance away from said radio and includes a preformed, recessed pocket adjacent said control knob where said membrane approaches said control knob more closely than the portions of the membrane surrounding said recessed pocket and is knurled adjacent said control knob and sufficiently flexible to allow both up and down movement as well as lateral movement of said recessed pocket for manipulating the control knob; and

a waterpoof earphone comprised of a speaker component, electrical wire leads for connecting said speaker component to said radio, and waterproof boot means covering said speaker component and preventing water from contacting the connection of the wire leads to the speaker component, for mounting said earphone in a person'"'"'s ear in a waterproof manner, and for directing sounds produced by said speaker component into the person'"'"'s ear.

2. A waterproof enclosure for a portable radio, comprising:

waterproof enclosure housing means for containing and enclosing a portable radio that is equipped with control knobs, wherein said waterproof enclosure housing means has an opening and a removable waterproof cover, said cover including seal means for sealing said opening against influx of water into said waterproof enclosure housing means when said cover is in closed position, and wherein a portion of said enclosure housing means adjacent said radio control knobs is a flexible, water impermeable membrane that is positioned a spaced distance away from said radio adjacent said control knob and includes a preformed, recessed pocket adjacent said control knob and is easily deformable by an operator'"'"'s finger; and

a waterproof earphone comprised of a speaker component, electrical wire leads for connecting said speaker component to said radio, and waterproof boot means for covering said speaker component and preventing water from contacting the connection of the wire leads to the speaker component, for mounting said earphone in a person'"'"'s ear in a waterproof manner, and for directing sounds produced by said speaker component into the person'"'"'s ear.

3. The waterproof enclosure of claim 2, wherein said water proof enclosure housing means is comprised of a rigid box enclosure having front, rear, right side, and left side panels which define an interior chamber, a flexible membrane in the form of a box-shaped cover sized and shaped for fitting over and closing the top of said rigid box enclosure, said flexible membrane cover having a front, rear, right side and left side panels, sized and shaped for fitting tightly over the top ends of the corresponding front, rear, and side panels of said rigid box enclosure, and a flexible membrane top panel extending between said front, rear, and side panels of said flexible membrane for enclosing the top of said chamber in a waterproof manner.

4. The waterproof enclosure of claim 3, wherein said removable waterproof cover is sized and shaped for inserting into the bottom end of said rigid box enclosure and includes sealing means around its perimeter for sealing said cover against the bottom ends of said front, rear, and side panels.

5. The waterproof enclosure of claim 4, wherein a portion of said enclosure is transparent to provide visual access to the interior of the chamber.

6. A waterproof enclosure for a portable radio, comprising:

waterproof enclosure means for containing and enclosing a portable radio that is equipped with control knobs, wherein a portion of said enclosure housing means adjacent said radio control knobs is a flexible, water impermeable membrane that is easily deformable by an operator'"'"'s finger; and

a waterproof earphone comprised of a speaker component, electrical wire leads with plug connector means attached thereto for electrically connecting said speaker component to said radio, and waterproof boot means for covering said speaker component and preventing water from contacting the connection of the wire leads to the speaker component; and

wherein said plug connector means extends through said flexible membrane from the exterior to the interior of said waterproof enclosure means adjacent a corresponding jack receptable in said radio in such a manner that said flexible membrane and the periphery of said plug connector means that extends through said flexible membrane are joined in a fixed, waterproof, and immoveable manner to each other, and wherein said flexible membrane adjacent said plug connector means has sufficient flexibility to allow said plug connector means to be electrically connected to and disconnected from said radio while the waterproof joint connection between said membrane and said plug connector means remains intact.

7. Waterproof earphone apparatus for a portable radio and the like, comprising:

electrically driven speaker means for producing sound in respone to electrical impulses generated by the radio, including water impermeable insulated wire leads connected to said speaker means for conducting electrical impulses to the speaker means, and

a water impermeable boot for covering said speaker means and for mounting said speaker means adjacent a person'"'"'s ear and directing sound produced by said speaker means into a person'"'"'s ear, said water impermeable boot including an elongated flexible sleeve, the rear portion of which is positioned around the peripheral surface of said speaker means in such a manner as to seal the connection of said wire leads to speaker means from water, and the front portion of which encloses a hollow interior chamber extending forward from the periphery of the speaker means in a converging manner to an open distal end in a size and shape for insertion into a person'"'"'s ear, and including a plurality of annular collars protruding radially outwardly from the external surface of said front portion of said boot means for forming a waterproof seal between said boot means and the person'"'"'s ear.

8. The waterproof earphone apparatus of claim 7, including a resilient annular grommet positioned around said wire lead at its point of connection to said speaker means, said grommet being sealed with a waterproof adhesive to said speaker means and toe said wire lead, and wherein the rear end of said sleeve is sealed in a waterproof manner to the peripheral surface of said grommet.