Padlock case

Claim 2

A case for containing and surrounding the body portion of a padlock to protect such body portion from deleterious substances, said case comprising, in combination, a case container having a plurality of walls forming an enclosing side wall member and at least one open end at one end of said side wall member, a case cover that mates with the open end of the container to form said case, opening defining means in said case and being sized and located for receiving the legs of of a padlock shackle whereby the body portion of a padlock can be contained within the case with the shackle protruding through the opening defining means in the case to the outside of the case, said case container and case cover substantially conforming in size and shape to the body portion of a padlock, and substantially enclosing the body portion of the padlock to be contained within the case, and lip means on at least one wall of said container for gripping a corresponding side of a padlock body portion.

Claim 3

The case set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said case container includes flexible but relatively non-stretchable walls.

Claim 4

The case set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said case container includes means adapted to center a padlock body portion within said case container.

Claim 5

The case set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said case container has an open upper end and includes a container flange on its upper end, said case cover also including a cover flange located so that said container flange is adapted to fit tightly into engagement with said cover flange.

Claim 6

The case set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the opening defining means is comprised of two round holes and each being sized to form a tight fit with a respective shackle leg of a padlock shackle.

Claim 7

The case set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said case cover and and case container are comprised of plastic material formed to define flexible walls in each of said case cover and case container.

Claim 8

The case set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said plurality of walls comprises a pair of opposed spaced apart walls, and said lip means comprises an individual lip on each of said opposed spaced apart walls which are sized and located to press against opposed portions of a padlock body portion to hold the padlock body portion snugly within the case container.

Claim 9

A case for containing and surrounding the body portion of a padlock to protect such body portion from deleterious substances, said case comprising, in combination, a case container having a plurality of side walls forming an enclosing side wall member and at least one open end at one of said side wall member, a case cover that mates with the open end of the container to form said case, opening defining means in said case and being sized and located for receiving the legs of a padlock whereby the body portion of a padlock can be contained within the case with the shackle protruding through the opening defining means in the case to the outside of the case, said container having an enclosing end wall which is substantially perpendicularly located with respect to said plurality of side walls, said case container and case cover substantially conforming in size and shape to the body portion of a padlock and substantially enclosing the body portion of a padlock to be contained within the case, and means on said enclosing wall to center a padlock body portion within said case container.

Claim 10

A case for containing and surrounding the body portion of a padlock to protect such body portion from deleterious substances, said case comprising, in combination, a case container having a plurality of side walls forming an enclosing side wall member and at least one open end at one of said side wall member, a case cover that mates with the open end of the container to form said case, opening defining means in said case and being sized and located for receiving the legs of a padlock whereby the body portion of a padlock can be contained within the case with the shackle protruding through the opening defining means in the case to the outside of the case, said container having an enclosing end wall which is substantially perpendicularly located with respect to said plurality of side walls, said case container and case cover substantially conforming in size and shape to the body portion of a padlock and substantially enclosing the body portion of a padlock to be contained within the case, and means on said enclosing wall to center a padlock body portion within said case container.

Claim 11

The case set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that said case container includes flexible but relatively non-stretchable side walls.

Claim 12

The case set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that said case container has an open upper end and includes a container flange on its upper end, said case cover also including a cover flange located so that said container flange is adapted to fit tightly into engagement with said cover flange.

Claim 13

The case set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the opening defining means is comprised of two round holes and each being sized to form a tight fit with a respective shackle leg of a padlock shackle.

Claim 14

The case set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that said case members are comprised of plastic material formed to define flexible side walls in each of said case members.

Claim 15

The case set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that lip means is provided on at least one of said plurality of side walls of said container for gripping a corresponding side of a padlock body portion.

Claim 16

The case set forth in claim 8 further characterized in that the opening defining means is comprised of two round beveled holes each sized to form a snug fit with a respective shackle leg whereby a body portion of a padlock can be contained within the case with the padlock's shackle protruding through the case to the outside of the case.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 further characterized in that the method comprises centering the padlock body portion in the container of the case.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 further characterized in that the method comprises gripping a sidewall of a body portion of a padlock to retentively retain same in the container of the case.

Claim 21

A case for containing and surrounding at least a portion of the body section of a padlock to protect the interior thereof from a deleterious environment, said case comprising a first case container section having a first continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of first side wall sections and a bottom wall extending across and connecting said first side wall sections, said first container section being sized and shaped so that said first side wall extends around and encloses a portion of said body section of the padlock and said bottom wall extends over a base wall of the padlock body section, said case comprising a second case container section having a second continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of second side wall sections and a top wall extending across and connecting said second side wall sections, said second container section being sized and shaped so that said second side wall section extends over a portion of the body section of the padlock and said top wall extends over a top wall of a body section of the padlock, opening defining means in said top wall and being sized and located for receiving the legs of a padlock shackle protruding through the opening defining means to the outside of the case, and means operatively associated with said bottom wall to aid in centering the padlock body section within the case.

Claim 22

A case for containing and surrounding at least a portion of the body section of a padlock to protect the interior thereof from a deleterious environment, said case comprising a first case container section having a first continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of first side wall sections and a bottom wall extending across and connecting said first side wall sections, said first container section being sized and shaped so that said first side wall extends around and encloses a portion of said body section of the padlock and said bottom wall extends over a base wall of the padlock body section, said case comprising a second case container section having a second continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of second side wall sections and a top wall extending across and connecting said second side wall sections, said second container section being sized and shaped so that said second side wall section extends over a portion of the body section of the padlock and said top wall extends over a top wall of a body section of the padlock, opening defining means in said top wall and being sized and located for receiving the legs of a padlock shackle protruding through the opening defining means to the outside of the case, and means operatively associated with said bottom wall to aid in centering the padlock body section within the case.

Claim 23

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that the means operatively associated with said bottom wall of said first container section comprises at least in part a plurality of spaced apart recesses in said bottom wall to receive fastener ends in said padlock body section.

Claim 24

The case set forth in claim 19 further characterized in that said bottom wall of said case snugly engages the base wall of said padlock body section when in said first container section.

Claim 25

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that said case container includes flexible but relatively non-stretchable side walls.

Claim 26

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that the opening defining means is comprised of two round holes and each being sized to form a tight fit with a respective shackle leg of a padlock shackle.

Claim 27

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that lip means is provided on at least one of said plurality of first side wall sections of said container for gripping a corresponding side of a padlock body portion.

Claim 28

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that the opening defining means is comprised ot two round beveled holes each sized to form a snug fit with aa respective shackle leg whereby a body portion of a padlock can be contained within the case with the padlock's shackle protruding through the case to the outside of the case.

Claim 29

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that the means operatively associated with said bottom wall at least in part comprises a pair of spaced apart bosses which engage said padlock body section.

Claim 30

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that lip means is located on at least one of said first side wall sections for gripping a correspponding side of the padlock body section.

Claim 31

The case set forth in claim 18 further characterized in that said plurality of first side wall sections comprises a pair of opposed spaced apart walls, and an individual lip on each on said opposed spaced apart walls which are sized and located to press against opposed portions of a padlock body portion to hold the padlock body portion snugly within the case container.

Claim 32

A case for containing and surrounding at least a portion of the body section of a padlock to protect the interior thereof from a deleterious environment, said case comprising a first case container section having a first continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of first side wall sections and a bottom wall extending across and connecting said first side wall sections, said first container section being sized and shaped so that said first side wall extends around and encloses a portion of said body section of the padlock and said bottom wall extends over a base wall of the padlock body section, said case comprising a second case container section having a second continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of second side wall sections and a top wall extending across and connecting said second side wall sections, said second container section being sized and shaped so that said second side wall section extends over a portion of the body section of the padlock and said top wall extends over a top wall of the body section of the padlock, and means forming a pair of openings in said top wall and being sized and shaped to receive the legs of a padlock shackle protruding through the openings to the outside of the case, said openings having a diametrical size spaced above the innermost surface of said top wall which is sized to snugly engage the legs of the shackle, and said openings having a diametral size at the innermost surface of said top wall which is larger than the diametral size spaced above the innermost surface of said top wall.

Claim 33

A case for containing and surrounding at least a portion of the body section of a padlock to protect the interior thereof from a deleterious environment, said case comprising a first case container section having a first continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of first side wall sections and a bottom wall extending across and connecting said first side wall sections, said first container section being sized and shaped so that said first side wall extends around and encloses a portion of said body section of the padlock and said bottom wall extends over a base wall of the padlock body section, said case comprising a second case container section having a second continuous side wall comprised of a plurality of second side wall sections and a top wall extending across and connecting said second side wall sections, said second container section being sized and shaped so that said second side wall section extends over a portion of the body section of the padlock and said top wall extends over a top wall of the body section of the padlock, and means forming a pair of openings in said top wall and being sized and shaped to receive the legs of a padlock shackle protruding through the openings to the outside of the case, said openings having a diametrical size spaced above the innermost surface of said top wall which is sized to snugly engage the legs of the shackle, and said openings having a diametral size at the innermost surface of said top wall which is larger than the diametral size spaced above the innermost surface of said top wall.

Claim 34

The case set forth in claim 28 further characterized in that means is operatively associated with said bottom wall to aid in centering the padlock body section within the case.

Claim 35

The case set forth in claim 28 further characterized in that a pair of spaced apart recesses are formed in said top wall and said openings are located in the region of said recesses.