Soft, elastic, pliable, antimicrobial envelope for cell telephones and other devices

Abstract

An antimicrobial envelope made of a soft, pliable and stretchable fabric and shaped and dimensioned to accept and snugly hold a cell phone of a range of sizes and configured to effect antimicrobial action. A flat, rectangular envelope has two overlapping layers of fabric joined at two longer sides and one shorter side and open at the remaining shorter side, and is made of a material that is stretchable to change length and width to snugly accept devices such as a cell phone and is enhanced with a metal or metal compound having antimicrobial properties. The material is sufficiently soft and pliable to avoid or reduce scratching of the device and to maintain therewith for antibacterial action even into depressions therein.

1 . An antimicrobial envelope made of a soft, pliable and stretchable fabric and shaped and dimensioned to accept and snugly hold a cell phone of a range of sizes and configured to effect antimicrobial action thereon, comprising:
 a flat, rectangular envelope having two overlapping layers of fabric joined at two longer sides and one shorter side and open at the remaining shorter side;   wherein said material is:
 stretchable to change length of the shorter sides from 3 or less inches when unstretched to 4 or more inches when stretched and to change length of the longer sides from 4 of less inches when unstretched to 5 or more inches when stretched, whereby the envelope is configured to accept a cell phone that has front and back surfaces having a height and width greater than those of the envelope; 
 enhanced with a metal or metal compound having antimicrobial properties; and 
 sufficiently soft and pliable at the sides facing each other to avoid or reduce scratching said cell phone and elastic to snugly fit said cell phone when slipped in the envelope and to maintain contact with the front and back surfaces and at least two side surfaces thereof for antibacterial action at said surfaces and to reach at least partway into depressions therein. 
   
     
     
         2 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , in which said fabric comprises a knitted fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , in which said fabric comprises a ribbed or terry knitted fabric. 
     
     
         4 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , in which said material comprises a ribbed knitted fabric. 
     
     
         5 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , in which said material comprises a knitted fabric having ribs elongated along the longer sides of the envelope. 
     
     
         6 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , in which said material comprises a woven fabric. 
     
     
         7 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , comprising a knit or weave of two or more yarns at least one of which is antibacterial. 
     
     
         8 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , in which said fabric is formed by knitting one or more antibacterial yarns into a ribbed knit. 
     
     
         9 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 1 , in which the open shorter side is shorter than the other shorter side and thereby facilitates retaining the cell phone in the envelope. 
     
     
         10 . A method of effecting antimicrobial action on a flat, rectangular electronic device comprising:
 providing a flat, pliable, soft envelope of two overlapping layers of a knitted or woven fabric enhanced with an antimicrobial metal or compound and stretchable in at least one direction from a size smaller in area than an area of said electronic device to an area matching that of the electronic device, wherein at least an inner side of said envelope is sufficiently soft to avoid or reduce scratching said electronic device and sufficiently soft and elastic to snugly fit the device when stretched and to maintain contact with surfaces of the device when the device is therein for antibacterial action at said surfaces and to reach at least partway into depressions in the device;   slipping the electronic device in said envelope through an opening in the envelope;   keeping the device in the envelope for a time period of several minutes or longer for antimicrobial action effected by said fabric on surfaces of the device in contact therewith; and   removing the device from the envelope after said time period.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the providing step comprises providing a flat envelope of a knitted fabric. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the providing step comprises providing a flat envelope of a ribbed or terry knitted fabric. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the providing step comprises providing a flat envelope of a stretchable woven fabric. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the providing step comprises providing a flat, rectangular envelope of said fabric joined at two longer sides and one shorter side and open at the remaining shorter side and wherein the open shorter side is shorter that the other short side. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , in which the providing step comprises providing a flat, rectangular envelope of said fabric that has a spongy inner side to facilitate contact with depressions or areas around projections of said device. 
     
     
         16 . A soft, stretchable, antimicrobial envelope shaped and dimensioned to accept and snugly hold a flat device of a range of sizes and configured to effect antimicrobial action thereon, comprising:
 a flat, rectangular envelope having two overlapping layers of fabric joined to each other except at an opening of the envelope for insertion of the device into the envelope;   wherein said fabric (i) is stretchable in each of two transverse directions to thereby change from an area smaller than an area of the device to an area matching the area of the device and snugly envelop the device, (ii) comprises a knitted or woven fabric of at least one yarn enhanced with one or more metals or compounds having antimicrobial properties, and (iii) is sufficiently soft at least at inner surfaces of the envelope to prevent or reduce scratching the device and to extend at least partway into openings of the device or areas surrounding projections from the device.   
     
     
         17 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 16 , in which said opening has a larger dimension smaller than a dimension of the device but is configured to stretch to allow insertion of the device into the envelope therethrough and thereafter to contract to a size smaller than the dimension of the device to thereby facilitate keeping the device in the envelope. 
     
     
         18 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 16 , in which said fabric is knitted fabric. 
     
     
         19 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 16 , in which said fabric is a ribbed or terry knitted fabric. 
     
     
         20 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 16 , in which said fabric is a woven fabric. 
     
     
         21 . The antimicrobial envelope of  claim 16 , in which said flat, rectangular envelope is credit card sized and configured to accept a credit card.