Protective casing having an improved closure

A method of use for a casing for protecting an article held substantially conformally therein, the casing including:

• a first end wall;
• a second end wall;
• and
• a peripheral wall extending between said first and second end walls, said peripheral wall being provided with an access opening formed therethrough which is adjacent to, but spaced away from, said first end wall,
• wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall are made from a resiliently compressible and stretchable material,
• wherein said first and second end walls, and said peripheral wall collectively define a space in which the article resiliently held,
• the method of use comprising;
• with the first end wall and an adjacent portion of the peripheral wall being stretchingly inveiled, inserting an article into a hollow space defined by the second end wall and an uninverted portion of the peripheral wall to be shaped similar to the article shape;
• and
• stretchingly reinverting the first end wail and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall so as to cover a corresponding and exposed end of the article, the reinverted first wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall resiliently adopting a shape substantially conformal with the end of the article.

In combination,

• an article having an end;
• and
• a shaped casing for protecting the article, said casing including a first end wall, a second end wall and a peripheral wall extending between said first and second end walls, said peripheral wall being provided with an access opening formed therethrough which is adjacent to, but spaced away from, said first end wall,
• wherein said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall are made from a resiliently compressible and stretchable material and said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall collectively define a space in which the article is resiliently held, and wherein the first end wall and an adjacent portion of the peripheral wall are configured to be stretchingly inverted and allow for insertion of an article into a hollow space defined by the second end wall and an uninverted portion of the peripheral wall shaped similar to the article shape, and wherein the first end wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall are also configured to be stretchingly reinverted so as to cover a corresponding and exposed end of the article, the reinverted first wall and the adjacent portion of the peripheral wall being configured to resiliently adopt a shape substantially conformal with the end of the article.

A protective casing for an article, comprising:

• a first end wall;
• a second end wall;
• a belt-engaging carrying portion;
• a peripheral wall secured to, extending between and at least partially interconnecting said first and second end walls so as to collectively define a shape retaining hollow interior space in which the article is resiliently held and an access opening formed in said casing adjacent one of said first and second end walls directly exposing the interior space,
• said first and second end walls and said peripheral wall comprise a resiliently compressible and stretchable material,
• the article being accessible by stretchingly inverting said casing adjacent one of said first and second end walls and a portion of said peripheral wall away from a position that conformingly enclosed at least a portion of the article, and reinverting such stretched structure so as to again conformingly enclose and contain the article while maintaining the open state of the access opening.