Digital appliance cover

Abstract

A digital appliance cover article formed of a thermoplastic elastomeric film that compressively and conformably encloses a digital appliance. The cover defines a pocket with an opening that is offset from an edge of the cover, with overlapping edges at the opening, whereby the digital appliance is compressively and conformably enclosed by the digital appliance cover article when inserted through such opening and reposed in an interior volume of the cover article.

1 . A digital appliance cover article formed of a thermoplastic elastomeric film that compressively and conformably encloses a digital appliance, with the cover defining a pocket with an opening that is offset from an edge of the cover with overlapping edges at the opening, whereby the digital appliance is compressively and conformably enclosed by the digital appliance cover article when inserted through such opening and reposed in an interior volume of the cover article. 
     
     
         2 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric film comprises material selected from the group consisting of styrenic block copolymers, polyolefin blends, elastomeric alloys, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic copolyesters and thermoplastic polyamides. 
     
     
         3 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric film comprises thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         4 . A digital appliance cover, comprising superposed first and second panels of thermoplastic elastomeric film, wherein the first panel has a length dimension greater than that of the second panel, forming a flap that is overfolded and extends inwardly under and beyond an upper edge of the second panel, and with the overfolded first panel in registration with the second panel along side and bottom edges of the second panel, with the first and second panels being sealed to one another along said side and bottom edges of the second panel to form a pocket with an interior volume containing said flap, with the pocket having an opening bounded by said upper edge of the second panel, and wherein said overfolded first panel is sealed along at least a portion of its perimeter including side edges and a top edge of the overfolded first panel, such that the opening is generally aligned with but inwardly spaced from the top edge of the overfolded first panel, so that a digital appliance can be inserted through said opening into the interior volume of said digital appliance cover and reposed therein with the flap of the first panel underlying an upper edge portion of the second panel to enclose the digital appliance in the interior volume of the digital appliance cover. 
     
     
         5 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric film comprises material selected from the group consisting of styrenic block copolymers, polyolefin blends, elastomeric alloys, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic copolyesters and thermoplastic polyamides. 
     
     
         6 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomeric film comprises thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         7 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein the overfolded first panel is sealed along its side edges. 
     
     
         8 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein the overfolded first panel is sealed along its side edges and its top edge. 
     
     
         9 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , further comprising a handle attached to an edge thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 9 , wherein the handle is attached to the top edge of the overfolded first panel. 
     
     
         11 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 10 , wherein the handle comprises an outer overfolded portion of said overfolded first panel. 
     
     
         12 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 11 , wherein the handle has an opening therein for manual grasping of the handle. 
     
     
         13 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said seals comprise heat seals. 
     
     
         14 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said seals comprise RF welded seals. 
     
     
         15 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said seals comprise sonic welded, laser welded or infrared radiation welded seals. 
     
     
         16 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said seals comprise adhesive bonding seals. 
     
     
         17 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said seals comprise a solvent bonded seals. 
     
     
         18 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said flap and the upper edge portion of said second panel overlap by at least 0.25 inch (0.635 cm). 
     
     
         19 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said flap and the upper edge portion of said second panel overlap by a distance of from 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) to 2 inches (5.08 cm). 
     
     
         20 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said thermoplastic elastomeric film has a thickness in a range of from 0.00004 inch (0.0001 cm) to 0.010 inch (0.025 cm). 
     
     
         21 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said thermoplastic elastomeric film has a thickness in a range of from 0.0005 inch (0.0013 cm) to 0.002 inch (0.005 cm). 
     
     
         22 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said thermoplastic elastomeric film has a thickness in a range of from about 0.001 inch (0.0025 cm) to about 0.002 inch (0.005 cm). 
     
     
         23 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , dimensionally sized to compressively and conformably engage a digital appliance reposed in the pocket thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 23 , wherein the digital appliance cover is dimensionally sized to compressively and conformably engage an iPhone® cellular telephone reposed in the pocket thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 23 , wherein the digital appliance covers dimensionally sized to compressively and conformably engage an iPad® digital tablet reposed in the pocket thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said thermoplastic elastomeric film comprises at least one color in and/or on said film. 
     
     
         27 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said thermoplastic elastomeric film comprises a graphic pattern in and/or on said film. 
     
     
         28 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , wherein said thermoplastic elastomeric film comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of stabilizers, antioxidants, plasticizers, fillers, antimicrobial ingredients, dies, colorants and pigments. 
     
     
         29 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 1 , comprising a second opening of corresponding configuration, on a same or an opposite face of the cover. 
     
     
         30 . The digital appliance cover of  claim 4 , comprising a second opening of corresponding configuration, on a same or different one of said first and second panels.