Dry box with magnification window

• US 20060169607A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer

Abstract

A dry storage box formed of a pair of covers, a first one of the covers having structure for securing a normally handheld portable electronic device therein with a display and a control key pad of the electronic device facing toward an opening in the first cover; and a second one of the covers having an optical magnification mechanism positioned for viewing an interior portion of the first cover there through; and a latch mechanism for securing the second cover relative to the opening in the first cover with the magnification mechanism in a viewing relationship with the opening in the first cover.

Claims

1. An electronic device storage box, the storage box comprising:

a first cover having structure for securing a normally handheld portable electronic device therein and oriented with a display and a control key pad portions of the electronic device facing toward an opening in the first cover;

a second cover having an optical magnification mechanism positionable for viewing an interior portion of the second cover there through; and

a latch mechanism for securing the second cover relative to the opening in the first cover with the magnification mechanism arranged in a viewing relationship with the opening in the first cover.

2. The storage box of claim 1 wherein the first and second covers are further arranged in a mutually hinged relationship.

3. The storage box of claim 1, further comprising a substantially water-resistant circumferential seal mechanism arranged between the second cover and the opening in the first cover.

4. The storage box of claim 1 wherein the magnification mechanism is further arranged in a sliding relationship with the second cover.

5. The storage box of claim 1 wherein the magnification mechanism is further arranged in a hinged relationship with the second cover.

6. The storage box of claim 1 wherein the second cover further comprises an optically transparent window panel positionable for viewing an interior portion of the second cover there through.

7. The storage box of claim 6 wherein the optically transparent window panel further comprises a optically transparent resiliently pliable membrane.

8. The storage box of claim 7 wherein the optically transparent resiliently pliable membrane is integral with the optical magnification mechanism.

9. The storage box of claim 7 wherein the optically transparent resiliently pliable membrane is further arranged in a substantially water-resistant relationship with the second cover.

10. The storage box of claim 9 wherein the second cover is structured with a window aperture positioned for viewing an interior portion of the second cover there through;

and

further comprising a substantially water-resistant circumferential sealing mechanism arranged between the optically transparent resiliently pliable membrane and the window aperture of the second cover, the sealing mechanism comprising;

a peripheral swelling formed integrally with a relatively thinner central portion structured for viewing an interior portion of the second cover there through, the peripheral swelling being larger than the window aperture; and

a clamping mechanism structured for clamping the peripheral swelling of the membrane tightly against a surface of the second cover surrounding the window aperture.

11. The storage box of claim 9 wherein the second cover is structured with a window aperture positioned for viewing an interior portion of the second cover there through, and being structured with a circumferential ridge formed on an inner peripheral surface of the window aperture and extending into the window aperture;

and

further comprising a substantially water-resistant circumferential sealing mechanism arranged between the optically transparent resiliently pliable membrane and the window aperture of the second cover, the sealing mechanism comprising a peripheral swelling formed integrally with a relatively thinner central portion structured for viewing an interior portion of the second cover there through, the peripheral swelling being thicker than the circumferential ridge formed on the inner peripheral surface of the window aperture, and being structured with a circumferential groove sized to engage the circumferential ridge formed on the inner peripheral surface of the window aperture under compression.

12. An electronic device storage box, the storage box comprising:

first and second mating covers mutually rotatable along corresponding edges and forming a cavity structured to contain a normally handheld portable electronic device therein, one of the first and second covers being formed with a window aperture positioned for viewing the cavity formed by the first and second covers;

an optical magnifying lens coupled in viewing relationship with the window aperture; and

a latch mechanism structured for securing the first and second covers in a substantially sealed relationship.

13. The storage box of claim 12 wherein the magnifying lens is integral with window aperture.

14. The storage box of claim 12 wherein the magnifying lens is movable relative to the window aperture.

15. The storage box of claim 12, further comprising an optically transparent window panel coupled in viewing relationship with the window aperture.

16. The storage box of claim 15 wherein the optically transparent window panel is formed of a optically transparent resiliently pliable membrane coupled to the window aperture in a substantially sealed relationship.

17. An electronic device storage box, the storage box comprising:

first and second mating covers mutually hinged along corresponding edges and forming a cavity structured to contain a normally handheld portable electronic device therein, each of the first and second covers being formed with a lip portion peripheral to an opening thereinto, and one of the first and second covers being formed with a window aperture formed in a floor portion thereof and positioned for viewing the cavity formed by the first and second covers;

an optical magnifier coupled to an external surface of the cover that is formed with the window aperture formed in a floor portion thereof, the optical magnifier being positionable relative to the window aperture for optically magnifying a view of the cavity;

a latch mechanism structured for clamping together the respective peripheral lip portions of the first and second covers; and

a substantially water-resistant circumferential seal mechanism positioned between respective peripheral lip portions of the first and second covers.

18. The storage box of claim 17 wherein the optical magnifier is integral with window aperture.

19. The storage box of claim 17 wherein the optical magnifier is movable relative to the window aperture.

20. The storage box of claim 17, further comprising an optically transparent window panel coupled in a substantially water-resistant sealed relationship with the window aperture.