Protective cover for remote control devices

Abstract

A protective cover for remote control devices used for remotely operating televisions, VCR's, and music systems. The protective cover includes a thin, flexible main cover which is formed in a folded, elongate U-shaped configuration, interconnected at opposite pairs of longitudinal edges by a pair of flexible, expandable side panels. The main cover includes a transparent front through which the push buttons are visible and operable, a transparent top disposable adjacent the emitter cover through which the emitter of the remote control device can luminesce, a bottom panel, and a back panel. The remote control device is insertable into and removable from the protective cover using an extension of the top which forms a flap which is overlappable about a portion of the back of the protective cover to retain the remote control device, and secured using mating patches of a hook and loop fastener. Other versions of the protective cover do not utilize a flap, but rather include a zipper which is mounted to slit side zipper or back of the remote control device.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A protective cover for a remote control device, the remote control device being of the type having a casing with a transparent emitter cover, a plurality of push buttons which extend through the casing to manually control the functions of the remote control device, and an emitter which sends commands via an non-visible, infrared light which shines through an emitter cover to signal a device to be remotely controlled such as a television as to the desired commands, the protective cover comprising: 
 a thin, flexible main cover having a transparent front panel;    a pair of flexible side panels; and    wherein said main cover is disposed in a folded, generally elongate U-shaped configuration to form a transparent front through which the push buttons are visible and operable by depressing them, a transparent top end disposable adjacent the emitter cover through which the emitter can luminesce, a bottom panel, and a back panel, respective edges of said side panels being affixed to pairs of opposing longitudinal edges of said main cover to comprise respective opposite sides of the protective cover, the remote control device being insertable into the protective cover and the protective cover closable therearound so as to be operable therein while being protected by the protective cover.    
     
     
         2 . The protective cover according to  claim 1 , further comprising a foam pad connected to the outer back panel which provides cushioning for the remote control device.  
     
     
         3 . The protective cover according to  claim 2 , further comprising an inner back panel affixed to the outer back panel with the foam pad sandwiched therebetween.  
     
     
         4 . The protective cover according to  claim 3 , wherein the side panels are expandable and contractible fit remote control devices of differing thicknesses.  
     
     
         5 . The protective cover according to  claim 4 , wherein the respective side panels are expandable and contractible by each having formed therein at least one longitudinally extending crease which forms respective of said side panels into a V-shaped cross-section and which can extend when under lateral tension.  
     
     
         6 . The protective cover according to  claim 1 , wherein side panels are expandable and contractible fit remote control devices of differing thicknesses.  
     
     
         7 . The protective cover according to  claim 6 , wherein the respective side panels are expandable and contractible by each having formed therein at least one longitudinally extending crease which forms respective of said side panels into a V-shaped cross-section and which can extend when under lateral tension.  
     
     
         8 . The protective cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the main cover assembly and the side panels are joined together by an edging which is folded over to form a flattened U-shape and affixed together at a sewn circumferential edge seam.  
     
     
         9 . The protective cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the main cover includes an outer back panel which is opaque over most of its surface area.  
     
     
         10 . The protective cover according to  claim 9 , wherein the side panels are opaque.  
     
     
         11 . The protective cover according to  claim 9 , wherein a bottom of the protective cover is transparent.  
     
     
         12 . The protective cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is closable by using an extension of the front panel forms a closable flap which is wrapable over the remote control device contained within the protective cover and removably connectable to the outer back panel using a closing device.  
     
     
         13 . The protective cover according to  claim 12 , wherein the closing device comprises respective mating patches of a hook and loop fastener, one of said patches being affixed to the closable flap and the other being affixed to the outer back panel.  
     
     
         14 . The protective cover according to  claim 12 , further comprising a foam pad connected to the outer back panel which provides cushioning for the remote control device.  
     
     
         15 . The protective cover according to  claim 14 , further comprising an inner back panel affixed to the outer back panel with the foam pad sandwiched therebetween.  
     
     
         16 . The protective cover according to  claim 12 , wherein the side panels are expandable and contractible fit remote control devices of differing thicknesses.  
     
     
         17 . The protective cover according to  claim 12 , wherein the respective side panels are expandable and contractible by each having formed therein at least one longitudinally extending crease which forms respective of said side panels into a V-shaped cross-section and which can extend when under lateral tension.  
     
     
         18 . The protective cover according to  claim 12 , wherein the main cover includes an outer back panel which is opaque over most of its surface area.  
     
     
         19 . The protective cover according to  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is closable by using a zipper having a pair of interlockable tracks and a handled closure member, said zipper being affixed at a slit through at least one of the panels for inserting and removing the remote control device therethrough.  
     
     
         20 . The protective cover according to  claim 19 , wherein the panel having the slit to which the zipper is affixed is the outer back panel.  
     
     
         21 . The protective cover according to  claim 20 , further comprising a foam pad connected to the outer back panel which provides cushioning for the remote control device, and an inner back panel affixed to said outer back panel with said foam pad sandwiched therebetween.  
     
     
         22 . The protective cover according to  claim 20 , wherein the side panels are expandable and contractible fit remote control devices of differing thicknesses.  
     
     
         23 . The protective cover according to  claim 19 , further comprising a three-side panel which includes the pair of flexible side panels which are interconnected by a bottom panel.  
     
     
         24 . The protective cover according to  claim 23 , wherein the panel having the slit to which the zipper is affixed is the outer back panel.  
     
     
         25 . The protective cover according to  claim 24 , further comprising a foam pad connected to the outer back panel which provides cushioning for the remote control device, and an inner back panel affixed to said outer back panel with said foam pad sandwiched therebetween, said  
     
     
         26 . The protective cover according to  claim 24 , wherein the side panels are expandable and contractible fit remote control devices of differing thicknesses.  
     
     
         27 . The protective cover according to  claim 23 , wherein the panel having the slit to which the zipper is affixed is the three-side panel.  
     
     
         28 . The protective cover according to  claim 27 , wherein the three-side panel has a longitudinal length, and wherein the slit and the zipper extend substantially along an entirety of said longitudinal length.  
     
     
         29 . The protective cover according to  claim 27 , further comprising a foam pad connected to the outer back panel which provides cushioning for the remote control device.  
     
     
         30 . The protective cover according to  claim 29 , further comprising an inner back panel affixed to the outer back panel with the foam pad sandwiched therebetween.  
     
     
         31 . The protective cover according to  claim 27 , wherein the three-sided panel is expandable and contractible fit remote control devices of differing thicknesses.  
     
     
         32 . The protective cover according to  claim 31 , wherein the three-sided panel is expandable and contractible by having formed therein a pair of longitudinally extending creases formed therein closely adjacent along opposite sides of the zipper which forms said-three-sided panel into a modified V-shaped cross-section having a flattened apex which can extend when under lateral tension.  
     
     
         33 . The protective cover according to  claim 19 , wherein the main cover includes an outer back panel which is opaque over most of its surface area.