Isolation box for protecting reading material

Abstract

A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) for protecting an object from the environment and/or protecting a user from the object, the PRIB comprising: a housing comprising a container and a lid, wherein the container has structural integrity and at least a portion of the lid is transparent, and further wherein the housing forms an airtight and watertight isolation bay when the lid is mounted on the container; a port formed in the container; and a disposable flexible element mounted in the port in an airtight and watertight relationship, the flexible element being capable of assuming a concave configuration so as to permit a user to manipulate the object within the isolation bay without opening the lid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) for protecting an object from the environment and/or protecting a user from the object, the PRIB comprising:
 a housing comprising a container and a lid, wherein the container has structural integrity and at least a portion of the lid is transparent, and further wherein the housing forms an airtight and watertight isolation bay when the lid is mounted on the container;   a port formed in the container; and   a disposable flexible element mounted in the port in an airtight and watertight relationship, the flexible element being capable of assuming a concave configuration so as to permit a user to manipulate the object within the isolation bay without opening the lid.   
     
     
         2 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1  further comprising a book disposed in the isolation bay. 
     
     
         3 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 2  wherein the container is sized so that the book is retained at a specific open page when the lid is mounted on the container. 
     
     
         4 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1  further comprising a writing instrument and a writing medium disposed in the isolation bay. 
     
     
         5 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1  further comprising food and a food implement disposed in the isolation bay. 
     
     
         6 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 5  wherein the food implement comprises a knife. 
     
     
         7 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1  further comprising a playing implement disposed in the isolation bay. 
     
     
         8 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 7  wherein the playing implement comprises a game board. 
     
     
         9 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 8  wherein the playing implement comprises a deck of playing cards. 
     
     
         10 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1  further comprising at least four ports formed in the container, and further wherein each port has a disposable flexible element mounted in that port in an airtight and watertight relationship, the flexible element being capable of assuming a concave configuration so as to permit a user to manipulate the object within the isolation bay without opening the lid. 
     
     
         11 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1  wherein the PRIB is disposed on an easel. 
     
     
         12 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a floating base. 
     
     
         13 . A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) according to  claim 1  wherein the disposable flexible element comprises a glove. 
     
     
         14 . A portable reverse isolation box according to  claim 1  wherein the port comprises a threaded tubular projection, the disposable flexible element is everted with a portion extending through the port and a portion extending over the threaded tubular projection, and further wherein the disposable flexible element is captured to the threaded tubular projection with a ring cap mounted on the threaded tubular projection. 
     
     
         15 . Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the housing is formed out of a semi-rigid material. 
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the semi-rigid material comprises plastic. 
     
     
         17 . A method for utilizing a portable reverse isolation box (PRIB), the method comprising:
 providing a portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) for protecting an object from the environment and/or protecting a user from the object, the PRIB comprising:
 a housing comprising a container and a lid, wherein the container has structural integrity and at least a portion of the lid is transparent, and further wherein the housing forms an airtight and watertight isolation bay when the lid is mounted on the container; 
 a port formed in the container; and 
 a disposable flexible element adapted to be mounted in the port in an airtight and watertight relationship, the flexible element being capable of assuming a concave configuration so as to permit a user to manipulate the object within the isolation bay without opening the lid; 
   placing the object in the container;   mounting the lid on the container;   compressing the housing so as to reduce the volume of the isolation bay, and maintaining the housing in the compressed condition;   mounting the disposable flexible element in the port in an airtight and watertight relationship; and   releasing the housing so that the disposable flexible element is drawn into the interior of the isolation bay in a concave configuration.   
     
     
         18 . A method for utilizing a portable reverse isolation box (PRIB), the method comprising:
 providing a portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) for protecting an object from the environment and/or protecting a user from the object, the PRIB comprising:
 a housing comprising a container and a lid, wherein the container has structural integrity and at least a portion of the lid is transparent, and further wherein the housing forms an airtight and watertight isolation bay when the lid is mounted on the container; 
 a port formed in the container; and 
 a disposable flexible element adapted to be mounted in the port in an airtight and watertight relationship, the flexible element being capable of assuming a concave configuration so as to permit a user to manipulate the object within the isolation bay without opening the lid; 
   removing the disposable flexible element from the port; and   mounting a fresh disposable flexible element in the port.