Restraining and protection device for neckstrap-suspended equipment

Abstract

A restraining and protection device for the protection and the restraint of neckstrap-suspended equipment used in the field, comprising a flexible waterproof cover 10 of sufficient size to envelope most surfaces of the equipment. Attached to or part of the cover 10 is a length of elastomeric material 20 running along the edge of the cover 10. Attached to or associated with the edge of the cover are two attach tabs 40A and 40B, which enable attachment of the device 100 to the user or the user's clothing. As the restraining and protective device 100 is placed over the equipment and attached to the user or user's clothing, the elastic action of the cover 10 edge keeps the equipment protected, camouflaged, and restrained from swinging. This is accomplished by combining the actions of the elastomeric material along the cover 10 edge and the attachment means used to maintain the restraint and protection device's 100 position on the user or user's clothing.

I claim:  
     
       1. A restraining and protection device adapted to restrain and protect equipment suspended by a flexible length of material completely and unbrokenly looped around the user's neck and acting as a neckstrap, the equipment being held in a non-swinging covered manner, in front of a user comprising: 
       (a) a covering made of flexible and stretchable material employing at an outer extremity of said covering, elastomeric material which is different than the covering, the elastomeric material stretching and contracting along its length and  
       (b) means for maintaining positional location of said covering on the user or user's clothing and  
       (c) said covering being of suitable size to provide restraint and protection of neckstrap-suspended equipment by means of an elastomeric and stretching action of said elastomeric material attached to the covering in combination with said means for maintaining positional location, thereby keeping said covering over said equipment and substantially restraining any significant swinging motion of said equipment.  
     
     
       2. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended  user equipment in combination with said user equipment, said user equipment including at least a first attachment point and a neckstrap connected to at least the first attachment point, the neckstrap providing a continuous loop from the first attachment point, around a neck of a user and back to the user equipment, such that the user equipment can be suspended from the neckstrap and such that the user equipment can be suspended in a free- swinging manner, the user also having shoulders and legs , the apparatus for restraining and protecting user equipment in combination with said user equipment comprising: 
       covering means for encasing at least a portion of the user equipment, the covering means being flexible and conformable to the shape of the equipment, the covering means having an extremity portion;  
       elastomeric  means for biasingallowing the extremity of the covering means toward itselfto stretch to a first length and also retract to a second length, the second length being less than the first length so that the extremity of  the covering means gathers toward itself and  forms a pocketstructure capable of receiving the user equipment; and  
       means for maintaining positional location of the covering means on a  the user as the user equipment hangs from the user by the neckstrap and as the , the means for maintaining positional location comprising:  
       
         at least a first connection means on the covering means; and  
       
         flexible strap means for encircling the user's body, the flexible strap means connected to the first connection means on the covering means, the flexible strap means and the covering means together having a length sufficient to encircle the user's body at a location below the user's neck and above the user's legs without encircling either of the user's shoulders such that the user  equipment is held within the pocket  structure formed by the covering means such that the user can readily remove the equipment from the pocket  structure formed in the covering means to use the equipment and such that the user can readily insert the equipment into the pocket  structure formed by the covering means such that at least a substantial portion of the equipment is covered by the covering means and any swinging motion of the equipment is at least partially restrained.  
     
     
       3. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the equipment comprises binoculars. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the covering means comprises a substantially water resistant material. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the covering means completely covers at least one side of the equipment. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the strap means for maintaining positional location  comprises a first strap and a second strap. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  6  wherein the strap comprises  straps comprise a stretchable material. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the means for maintaining positional location comprises clips  a clip connected to the covering means, the clips  clip being adapted to clip to the user's clothing. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the means for maintaining positional location comprises at least one tie tack hole. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the covering means comprises a single piece of material. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the elastomeric  means for allowing comprises a material which is different than the covering means and is provided adjacent to and about at least a portion of the extremity of the covering means. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the elastomeric  means for allowing comprises a material which is the same as the covering means and is integral with the covering means. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  12  wherein the covering means and the elastomeric  means for allowing comprises a stretchable and water proof material. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the covering means comprises a means for camouflaging. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap-suspended equipment as defined in claim  2  wherein the covering means comprises a stretchable material. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus for restraining and protecting binoculars which are hanging from a user's body by a neckstrap, the apparatus comprising: 
       covering means for encasing at least a portion of the binoculars which is facing away from the user's body when hanging by the neckstrap, the covering means being flexible and conformable to the shape of the binoculars, the covering means having an extremity portion;  
       elastomeric means, provided adjacent to and about substantially all of the extremity of the covering means, for biasing the extremity of the covering means toward itself so that the extremity of the covering means gathers toward itself and forms a pocket capable of receiving and holding the binoculars, the elastomeric means comprising a material which is different than the covering means and which is attached to the covering means; and  
       means for maintaining positional location of the covering means on a chest of the user as the binoculars hang from the user by the neckstrap and as the binoculars are held within the pocket formed by the covering means, the means for maintaining positional location comprises clips connected to the covering means, the clips being adapted to clip to the user's clothing and such that the user can readily remove the binoculars from the pocket formed in the covering means to bring the binoculars up to an eye of the user and such that the user can readily again insert the binoculars into the pocket formed by the covering means such that at least a the  portion of the binoculars which faces away from the user's body when suspended by the neckstrap is covered by the covering means and protected from ambient precipitation and any swinging motion of the binoculars as the user moves is at least partially restrained.  
     
     
       17. An apparatus for restraining and protecting binoculars hanging from a portion of a user's body by a neckstrap as defined in claim  16  wherein the covering means comprises a substantially water resistant material. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus for restraining and protecting binoculars hanging from a portion of a user's body by a neckstrap as defined in claim  16  wherein the means for maintaining positional location comprises a strap. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus for restraining and protecting binoculars hanging from a portion of a user's body by a neckstrap as defined in claim  16  wherein the means for maintaining positional location comprises clips connected to the covering means, the clips being adapted to clip to the user's clothing. 
     
     
       20. An apparatus for restraining and protecting user equipment in combination with said user equipment, said user equipment including at least a first attachment point and a neckstrap connected to at least the first attachment point, the neckstrap providing a continuous loop from the first attachment point, around a neck of a user and back to the user equipment, such that the user equipment can be suspended from the neckstrap and such that the user equipment can be suspended in a free- swinging manner, the user also having a torso, a waist, shoulders and legs, the apparatus for restraining and protecting user equipment in combination with said user equipment comprising:    
       
         covering means for encasing at least a portion of the user equipment, the covering means being flexible and conformable to the shape of the equipment, the covering means having an extremity portion;  
       
       
         means for allowing the extremity of the covering means to stretch to a first length and also retract to a second length, the second length being less than the first length so that the covering means forms a structure capable of receiving the user equipment; and  
       
       
         means for maintaining positional location of the covering means on the user as the user equipment hangs from the user by the neckstrap such that the user equipment can be completely removed from the covering means with no connection therebetween during use of the equipment, the means for maintaining positional location comprising:  
       
       
         at least a first connection means connected to the covering means; and  
       
       
         a flexible strap connected to the first connection means on the covering means, the flexible strap and the covering means together having a length sufficient to encircle the user's torso at a location below the user's neck and the above the user's waist such that the user equipment is held within the structure formed by the covering means such that the user can readily remove the equipment from the structure formed in the covering means to use the equipment and such that the user can readily insert the equipment into the structure formed by the covering means such that at least a substantial portion of the equipment is covered by the covering means and any swinging motion of the equipment is at least partially restrained, the flexible strap not having any connection to any attachment point on the user equipment. 
       
     
     
       21. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the user equipment comprises binoculars.   
     
     
       22. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the covering means comprises a substantially water resistant material.   
     
     
       23. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the covering means completely covers at least one side of the user equipment.   
     
     
       24. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the flexible strap comprises a stretchable material.   
     
     
       25. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the means for maintaining positional location comprises a clip, the clip being connected to the connection means on the covering means, the clip being adapted for clipping to the user's clothing.   
     
     
       26. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the covering means comprises a single piece of material.   
     
     
       27. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the means for allowing comprises a material which is different than the covering means and is provided adjacent to and about at least a portion of the extremity of the covering means.   
     
     
       28. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the means for allowing comprises a material which is the same as the covering means and is integral with the covering means.   
     
     
       29. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the covering means and the means for allowing comprises a stretchable and water proof material.   
     
     
       30. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the covering means is provided with a camouflage pattern.   
     
     
       31. An apparatus for restraining and protecting neckstrap- suspended equipment as defined in claim  20  wherein the covering means comprises a stretchable material.