Portable Light Restricting Enclosure

Abstract

A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light made up of left and right parallel side panels, each having a top, bottom, front and rear edge; a back panel removably secured to the rear edge of each of said left and right side panels, left and right parallel side flaps, each having a top, bottom, front and rear edge, said flaps being removably and hingedly attached to one of said left and right side panels and latchable to the outer surface of the same said left and right side panels, and upper and lower panels attached to top and bottom portions of each of said left and right side panels, respectively, the top and bottom portions attached with a plurality of straps to a support harness.

Description

SUMMARY

A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light made up of left and right parallel side panels, each having a top, bottom, front and rear edge; a back panel removably secured to the rear edge of each of said left and right side panels, left and right parallel side flaps, each having a top, bottom, front and rear edge, said flaps being removably and hingedly attached to one of said left and right side panels and latchable to the outer surface of the same said left and right side panels, and upper and lower panels attached to top and bottom portions of each of said left and right side panels, respectively, the top and bottom portions attached with a plurality of straps to a support harness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the claimed subject matter will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, slightly from above, of an embodiment of the claimed subject matter;

FIG. 2 is an inside plan view of an embodiment of the claimed subject matter;

FIG. 3 is an outside plan view of an embodiment of the claimed subject matter;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a harness to which an embodiment of the claimed subject matter is secured;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of a harness to which an embodiment of the claimed subject matter is secured; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, slightly from above, of an embodiment of the claimed subject matter attached to a magic arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 through 6 may be further understood by reference to the following list of items identified by reference numerals on the figures:

10—Enclosure

12—Upper panel

14—Left panel

16—Right panel

18—Lower panel

20—Left flap

22—Right flap

24—Strip of Hook or loop material

26—Grommet ring

28—Rear panel

30—Strap

32—Support Strap

34—Clip

36—Strap with hook and loop material

38—Slide adjustor

50—Harness

52—Shoulder support

54—D Ring

56—Nylon web strapping

58—Chest trap with closure

60—Metal plate for magic arm mount

62—Nylon mesh pocket

64—Zipper pulls

66—Invisible plastic zipper

68—Elastic strap

70—Enclosure apparatus with magic arm attached

72—Magic arm bracket

74—Magic arm apparatus

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, an embodiment of the enclosure 10 is constructed of a plurality of panels made of fabric, nylon, metal, plastic or the like which, when assembled, defines a portable collapsible, light reducing enclosure that can be attached to a harness worn by a user. The enclosure 10 can also be attached to a car seat or any other article that provides support to the enclosure, or it can be attached to a structure such as a wall that provides support to the enclosure. As such, embodiments illustrated may be portable or they may be stationary.

In its unassembled state, the individual components of the enclosure 10 and the harness 50 can be gathered together, stored in a bag or other container, and easily transported or stored.

To construct the enclosure, the left and right panels 14 and 16 are placed on their respective bottom edges at a predetermined distance equal to the width of the rear panel 28. The distance can be wide enough to accommodate an electronic computer or DVD player for use in a light restricted environment. The right edge and left edge of the rear panel 28 are then removably secured to the rear edges of the left and right panels 14 and 16, respectively.

The lower panel 18 is provided with a plurality of apertures 26 for attaching the straps 32 using releasable clips 34.

Straps 32 may be sewn into the upper and lower panels so that the clips 34 can be attached to harness 50, or straps 32 may be fed through rings 26, or any combination of the aforementioned. Rings 26, for example a grommet, may be constructed out of plastic or metal or any other suitable material. The edges of the panels are secured to one another with hook or loop or they may be sewn together. Other adjacent panels are secured to each other in a similar manner. The securing of the rear panel 28 with straps 36 to the left and right panels 14 and 16 defines a three sided rectangular enclosure.

The illustrated embodiment of enclosure 10 has six grommets or rings 26 so that the enclosure 10 can be balanced in front of the user during use. Other embodiments may have more than six rings 26 or less than six rings 26. The rings 26 can be made out of material such as rubber that does not scratch or affect the device being used in enclosure 10. Additionally, more than one strap 32 can be attached to one ring 26. The straps 32 may also be joined together to form a single strap 32 which can be attached to a single ring 26.

Straps 36 can be constructed of two inch wide hook and loop material such as Velcro brand material, and they can extend lengthwise several inches from the edge of the panels being attached, for example so that the straps 36 will overlap two to five inches across the adjacent panels.

The top panel 12 is attached between the top edge portions of panels 14 and 16 and over the top of rear panel 28. Similarly, the bottom panel 18 extends between the bottom edge portions of the left and right panels 14 and 16 and under the lower edge of rear panel 28. The top panel 12 and the bottom pane 18 are then secured to the left and right panels 14 and 16 and rear panel 12 using straps 36.

In this embodiment, the upper panel 12, left panel 14, right panel 16, lower panel 18, and rear panel 28 are constructed of corrugated plastic surrounding a 1/16″ thickness foam padding core, and the corrugated plastic is covered with a 600D weight ballistic nylon material. The panels can be padded further for more support. For example, lower panel 18 can be reinforced to support items with more weights, such as laptop computers.

Each panel used in the present embodiment is six inches by six inches in size. The exterior of the enclosure 10 may be coated with a light color or a reflective coating to reflect light. The interior of the enclosure may be made of dark fabric to assist in absorption of extraneous light.

Flaps 20 and 22 are releasably secured to left panel and right panel, respectively using a one inch by one inch hook and loop strip 24 sewn into the material of flaps 20 and 22. These hook and loop strips 24 attach to the complementary hook and loop strips 24 which are sewn into panels 14 and 16. When left unsecured, flaps 20 and 22 aid in restricting light from entering enclosure 10 when enclosure 10 is used an angle. Flaps 20 and 22 may be constructed of 600D weight ballistic nylon material or any other suitable material such as elastic. When not in use, flaps 20 and 22 can be secured with hook and look strips 24 to the sides of panels 14 and 16. Flaps 20 and 22 could also be attached to the harness 50 to assist with stabilization of the enclosure 10.

Elastic restraints 32, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, are secured at their ends to the side edges of the lower panel 18 and are used to secure the computer or other device to the lower panel 18 and the enclosure 10. The restraints 32 may be made of ¾″ elastic straps. Other embodiments may use additional restraints as needed.

Provided on the underside of lower panel 18 is a mounting bracket for a magic arm 72 made of metal plate and associated hardware.

Flaps 20 and 22 provided on the bottom edges of the left panel 14 and the right panel 16 help prevent light from entering the enclosure 10 from underneath the panels 14 and 16 when the enclosure 10 is tilted or used at an angle. The overlapping of the surfaces of the flaps 20 and 22 keeps extraneous light from entering the enclosure 10 through gaps in the panels that occur when the enclosure 10 is used at an angle. Flaps 20 and 22 may be folded up and away and affixed to strip 24 on left panel 14 and right panel 16 when not in use.

The mounting bracket 70 is located on the underside of lower panel 18 in such a position that once the magic arm 72 is secured to the enclosure 10, the position of the enclosure and magic arm allows the embodiment to be supported and moved at the same time.

An embodiment of the harness is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. It can be used to help support enclosure 10 during use. FIG. 4 is a front view of harness 50 showing the metal plate 60 for use with the magic arm apparatus. On or more clips 34 may be attached to any one or more D-rings 45 on harness 50. D-rings 54 may be made of metal, plastic or any suitable material and they may also be constructed in another shape such as a triangle ring. Rings 54 may be positioned anywhere on the external surface of the harness 50, such as the shoulder, so that the clips 34 and straps 32 are adequately supporting the enclosure 10.

The harness 50, when worn by a user, allows the user to view into the front of the enclosure 10 while it is being supported by harness 50, and harness 50 may be adjusted with the various straps and closures, such as elastic strap 68 and chest strap 58, so that the user is adequately supported. Nylon mesh pocket 62 is accommodated within harness 50 and it is accessed through zipper 66 and zipper pull 64. It may be used for storage of accessories or other materials and it provides easy access to these items without having to remove the harness 50. Harness 50 can be constructed of ballistic nylon with other suitable materials used to support the harness 50 with the associated weight of the enclosure 10 as well as the contents of the enclosure 10. The shoulders portions of harness 50 are made of rigid material to provide additional support to the user when the harness 50 is worn.

Embodiments of enclosure 10 use a harness 50 with a support belt and a low cut back portion so that the harness 50 will allow more freedom of movement around the user's neck area. Another feature of the harness 50 is a side buckle allowing the harness 50 to be unbuckled without interfering with an attached enclosure 10. Other embodiments of harness 50 include a hiking backpack that can accommodate one or more clips 34.

The enclosure 10 is secured to the harness using one or more of the plurality of straps 30 and clips 34. Straps 30 can be made of 1½ inch nylon webbing and the clip 34 may be 1½ inch constructed of plastic or the like. One or more clips 34 may be attached to one D-ring 54.

Slide adjustors 38 may be used to adjust the length of straps 32 to fit the needs of the user. These adjustors 38 may be constructed of plastic, metal or any other suitable material. Using adjustors 28, a user can hang the enclosure 10 low off the body so he or she could view over the top of the enclosure 10 while still being able to view into the front of the enclosure 10. In this way, a photographer using enclosure 10 with harness 50 can have a camera in front of the body in a useable position while at the same time being able to view a computer screen positioned below the camera inside of enclosure 10. He or she could take a photo and view the resulting photograph on the computer screen found in the enclosure 10 hanging directly below the camera.

In a similar fashion, the enclosure 10 may be hung from the user's body at a 90 degree downward angle so that the enclosure 10 and its contents are secured as well as viewable. The enclosure 10 can be hung in a similar way at any usable angle.

The panels may also be made from high-density foam covered with a high impact resistant laminate. An embodiment of enclosure 10 can be 19″ wide to accommodate a laptop computer with a 17″ screen, or it can be 17″ wide to accommodate a laptop computer with a 15″ screen. The wall thickness can be ⅝ inch thick or they can be smaller or larger. The exterior of the enclosure 10 may be made of any suitable material, such as the fabric customarily used to cover “soft” briefcases or the like, e.g., ballistic nylon fabrics and cottons or cotton blends with weights around or above 100 grams. Lighter weight fabrics may also be used in other embodiments. If desired, more than one panel could be formed from a single member such as a fabric member which extends over the bottom panel 18 of the foam pad 120.

A hood (not shown) may be attached to the outer edges of the top and bottom panels to help form a light tight environment. The hood may be constructed of a flexible light tight cloth or cloth-like material and attached to the enclosure in any suitable matter, such as with hook and loop material. Clamps may be attached to the top of enclosure 10 to provide support for the hood. An extendable lattice made of metal or plastic may also attached to enclosure 10 so that the hood is fixed over the user's head. In this way, another person could also view the front of the enclosure 10 while still allowing the hood to assist in keeping out extraneous light from the enclosure 10. Optionally, a mounting plate, illustrated in FIG. 3 as a magic arm bracket 72, may be provided to accommodate a magic arm apparatus 74 to support the enclosure 10. The bracket 72 is provided on the underside surface of the lower panel 18 of the enclosure 10 and it may be made out of metal, plastic, ceramic or any other suitable material. The bracket 72 may optionally be used to attach the enclosure 10 to any other supporting device such as a monopod or a tripod.

An example of the magic arm 74 is illustrated in FIG. 5. It is a commercially available two armed device, with a jointed, adjustable elbow that enables the user to support photo devices in a variety of ways so that the equipment can be used in a stable and convenient position. The magic arm apparatus 74, commonly can be attached to the enclosure 10 at one end and the other end may be attached to bracket 60 mounted on harness 50.

Embodiments of the enclosure may be of various sizes to accommodate the needs of the user and for the requirements of specific equipment. For example, the enclosure panels may be made wider, taller or longer to accommodate the specific dimensions of a computer and its associated viewing screen. The panels also be made to be adjustable so that two panels (acting together to serve the function of one panel) may be slidably moved back and forth and secured together with hook and loop materials to create larger or smaller panels according to the needs of the user. Embodiments of the claimed subject mater are collapsible and portable so as to permit the operator to use the enclosure at any location. A leash may also be attached to prevent the enclosure 10 from falling backwards.

In an example where a laptop computer is used in conjunction with the enclosure, the light restricted environment is created and the operator can view the computer viewing screen and make with the aid of a light restricted environment, make minute adjustments to images being displayed for review. Embodiments may also include a power source for charging or recharging equipment. It may also include ambient lighting to change the viewing attributes of the viewing screen.

Enclosure 10 can also be comprised of several enclosures with shorter or longer panels attached together to make a larger enclosure. The enclosure 10 can be modular and can be setup and broken down into separate parts and moved from one location to another.

Embodiments of the enclosure 10 may be constructed with materials that allow for use of devices in greater temperature extremes, for instance adding insulation and/or weather-proofing material to the enclosure 10 to accommodate a more suitable environment for electronic equipment in harsh weather.

The panels may also be constructed of sound dampening material to form a sound reducing environment. Enclosure 10 may also be used to restrict dust and sand from entering a device being used inside enclosure 10. For example, the enclosure 10 and harness 50 may be used together to form a portable yet stable laboratory for use in unstable environments or in environments that are unsuitable due to weather extremes.

Other embodiments of the enclosed can be used as secure, portable two-way interactive video conferencing shelters. Other embodiments may be used for personal privacy such as while using a computer such as on public transportation, trains or planes, for light sensitive laboratory use, and for other privacy uses such as in legal and business uses.

Although the invention has been described herein by reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that such embodiments are susceptible of modification and variation without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed. All such modifications and variations, therefore, are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light, comprising:

left and right parallel side panels, each having a top, bottom, front and rear edge;

a back panel removably secured to the rear edge of each of said left and right side panels;

left and right parallel side flaps, each having a top, bottom, front and rear edge, said flaps being removably and hingedly attached to one of said left and right side panels and latchable to the outer surface of the same said left and right side panels; and upper and lower panels attached to top and bottom portions of each of said left and right side panels, the top and bottom portions attached with a plurality of straps to a support harness.

2. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light, of claim 1, further comprising a hood removably attached to the top edge of each of said left, right, bottom and top panels, thereby creating a light-tight enclosure when said door is latched to the front edge of the other of said left and right side panels.

3. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light according to claim 1, further comprising a magic arm attachment.

4. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light according to claim 1, further comprising a power source for charging or recharging equipment inside of enclosure.

5. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light according to claim 1, wherein said panels are constructed of insulated materials that allow greater temperature extremes.

6. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light according to claim 1, wherein said harness is a car seat.

7. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light according to claim 1, wherein said harness is a wall.

8. A portable collapsible enclosure for reducing light according to claim 1, further comprising a leash to prevent said enclosure from falling back.