Protective Identifying Shield and Protected Instrument Case

摘要

An encased electronic instrument of the type having a front panelbearing controls and visual displays that is clamped to the forwardperiphery of a box-like case, is provided with a resilientlydeformable and elastically stretchable identifying shieldsurrounding and overlying the front panel, and extending a givendistance rearwardly generally parallel to the outer surface of theinstrument case. The shield is preformed, with an outer peripheralband defining an open center having a shape slightly smaller than,but generally conforming to the outer shape of the front panel andthe rearwardly extending outer surfaces immediately adjacent to thefront panel. A first inwardly extending flange projects from theforward edges of the peripheral band in overlying relationship withthe outer edges of the front panel of the instrument, and a secondinwardly extending flange projects from the rearward edges of theperipheral band to enhance frictional engagement between the bandand the underlying outer surfaces of the instrument. The secondinwardly extending flange may also serve to retain the shield onthe front panel and to provide sealing between the panel and thecase, by being clamped between the rear surface of the front paneland the forward edges of the side surface portions of the case,replacing the sealing gasket previously described as being used inthe prior art. The material from which the shield is formed isresiliently deformable and elastically stretchable, so that it canbe stretch-fitted over the front panel of an instrument inperipheral elastically gripping relationship; the thickness of thebody of the shield is selected so that the force of unintendedimpacts with the outer surface of the shield will be absorbed inpart in the shield and will be transmitted in part to the abuttingsurface of a panel in which the instrument is mounted, and willalso be transmitted, with reduced intensity, to the outer surfaceof the instrument. The shield also serves to provide convenient andready visual differentiation among a plurality of clusteredinstruments, as in a control board, through the use of distinctivecolors which may be applied to the surface of the shield or whichmay be made an inherent part of the shield material. Visualidentification is further enhanced by molding distinctive words orsymbols into a visible surface of the shield.