HK1199635B - One piece co-formed exterior hard shell case with an elastomeric liner for mobile electronic devices - Google Patents

Description

One-piece outer hard case for mobile electronic device co-formed with elastomeric liner

The present invention is a division of the application entitled "one-piece outer hard cover for a mobile electronic device formed with an elastomeric gasket" filed on 28/1/2010 under application number 201080006846.6.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to handheld mobile electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants, mobile phones, laptop computers, or portable digital media players. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-component protective case for a mobile electronic device.

Background

There are a variety of housings for handheld electronic devices. They are divided into four main categories: elastomeric/rubber housings, rigid plastic housings, cut and sewn materials, and combinations thereof. Typically, the elastomeric shell is a unitary shell that can be easily stretched over the device due to the pliability of the material and then closely conforms to the shape of the device once installed. Rubber-like materials can provide very good resistance to falling and shock. The underside of these types of housings is an elastomeric material with a high surface coefficient of friction. This makes this type of case difficult to put into and take out of pockets and other compact locations. What is needed is a device that provides very good resistance to falling shocks of a resilient housing without having a high surface coefficient of friction, making it more convenient to use.

The rigid plastic housing is typically manufactured in more than one piece to allow the device to be slid into the housing before being closed in the housing with the second piece. Furthermore, they often have a cushion made of an elastic material, which contributes to cushioning the device. This may be co-molded with the assembly, permanently attached to the assembly, or movable relative to the assembly. The cut sewn shell is typically made from flat stock that is cut into patterns and then sewn into a shape into which the device can slide. The device is then held in place by friction or some form of strap. The underside of these devices may make it difficult to attach the device to a rigid housing, or in the case of a housing having a second piece for securing the device, it may increase the bulk of the device and housing combination, making it impractical. Furthermore, the manufacture of the shell that needs to be cut and sewn together adds significantly to the cost. What is needed is a shell that combines a hard outer shell and an elastomeric material that is easy to produce and requires minimal material in its production.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is an improvement over existing housings because it combines the best features of a rigid housing and a resilient housing, while it is only a single component, which is particularly useful from a consumer standpoint. The invention provides a hard protective shell. Such a hard protective housing allows maximum protection of the device from impacts with sharp objects. The hard protective case simulates the finished surface of existing phones, MP3/4 players, and other mobile electronic devices. Many users enjoy the feel of using a telephone and enjoy maintaining that feel, but still want to protect their equipment. The hard protective shell of the present invention has a low coefficient of friction. This allows the device to be easily slid into and out of the pocket without adhering or being significantly resistant to clothing. This is a major complaint of current elastic shell users.

The housing taught by the present invention has an internal resilient portion that provides shock protection for the device from dropping, falling, or other impacts. The inner resilient portion also ensures that the device and the housing fit together without play when the housing is a one-piece component. The housing is very firmly connected to the phone and feels very high quality and light.

What differentiates such housings is the geometry and manufacture of the housing. The outer hard housing part is formed to fit closely to the device with a small offset from the surface of the device. The outer hard shell surrounds the edge of the device in which the outer hard shell is formed. In order to enable the housing to be mounted on the device, the corners of the rigid housing are cut open. This allows each side wall to flex open upon insertion of the device and to return to its original shape once the device is in place. A unique aspect of such a shell is that in addition to the outer hard shell, there is an elastomeric material formed on the inside of the outer hard shell. The elastomeric material fills the gaps formed at the corners of the outer hard shell to flex the hard shell for installation. The elastomeric material is provided in this location because it has a much higher inherent deformability than the plastic or metal of the outer rigid shell and is able to stretch sufficiently so that the side walls of the outer rigid shell still flex open when installed. This forms a one-piece housing that surrounds the phone or other mobile electronic device even at the corners and prevents dust and fluid from entering the device in any event. The resilient pad may also be formed on a button of the phone, wherein the user only needs to press the resilient pad corresponding to the desired portion of the input part of the mobile electronic device.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handheld device protective case showing an outer hard shell layer with cut corners and an inner elastomeric layer of a protective containment case where the inner elastomeric layer fills in the cut corners of the outer hard shell layer;

fig. 2a and 2b are cross-sectional views of the protective case of the present invention showing a stop formed by the inner elastic layer for securing the device in the case;

FIG. 3 is a top orthogonal view of a handheld device protective case showing an outer hard shell layer with cut corners and an inner elastomeric layer of the protective containment case, wherein the inner elastomeric layer fills in the cut corners of the outer hard shell layer, and additional large elastomeric protrusions for securing the device;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the protective case of the present invention showing a large resilient tab for securing a device;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the protective case of the present invention prior to the device being secured therein;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the protective case attached to the sample device, showing a stop formed by the inner elastic layer for securing the device in the case; and

fig. 7a and 7b are perspective views of the present invention showing the chamfered outer hard shell layer and inner elastomeric layer of the protective containment case in a standby, secured position and in an extended, device insertion position.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description of the present invention of exemplary embodiments thereof, reference is made to the accompanying drawings (where like numerals represent like elements), which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, but other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

The invention will now be described with reference to fig. 1, which fig. 1 is a perspective view of a protective case 10 showing an outer layer 11 of the protective case, the outer layer of the protective case comprising two separate layers: a first outer hard shell layer 12 and a second inner resilient layer 13. The first outer hard shell layer 12 and the second inner elastomeric layer 13 combine to be separately attached to the handheld device 19 and combine at least one window 14, input/output access ports 15, 16 and 17, and molded elastomeric covers over the device buttons, accessible through holes 18 and 26 in the hard shell. Such a hard protective shell 12 allows maximum protection against impacts from sharp objects. The external hard shell layer 12 simulates the finished surface of existing phones, MP3/4 players, and other mobile electronic devices. Many users prefer the feel of using a telephone as is and prefer to maintain that feel, but still want to protect their device 19. The external hard shell layer 12 of the present invention has a low coefficient of friction. This allows the device to be easily slid into and out of the pocket without adhering to or being significantly resistant to the clothing material.

With further reference to FIG. 1, an outer hard shell layer 12 is attached to a second inner elastomeric layer 13. The outer hard shell layer 12 and the inner resilient layer 13 may be attached in a number of ways, such as gluing, chemical bonding, heating, heat treated chemicals, or any other means known in the art to permanently attach the outer hard shell layer 12 to the inner resilient layer 13. The inner resilient portion 13 provides shock protection for the device against dropping, falling, or other impacts. The inner resilient portion 13 also ensures that the device 19 and the protective case 10 fit together without play when the protective case 10 is a one-piece component. The protective case 10 is very firmly connected to the device 19 and feels very high quality and light.

Depending on the method of manufacture, other materials may be substituted for the hard plastic used for the outer hard shell layer 12 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. For example, if it is desired to manufacture a metal/elastomer combination for the protective case 10 without protrusions in the hard material, then in such an example, a simple bending process of metal may be considered for metal manufacture. The insert moulded inner resilient layer 13 will provide an undercut to secure the device. The metal or hard material will then only provide a frame for the inner layer of softer material and also provide a resilient stiffness to keep the device in the receiving space. The undercut would be formed in the elastomeric material, but the deflection allowing the device to be inserted into the protective case comes from the hard material, again, the corners of the case are cut away so that the sides are easily bent.

Fig. 2a and 6 are cross-sectional views of the protective case 10 of the present invention showing the stop 20 formed by the inner elastic layer 13 for securing the device 19 in the case. The protective case 10 is fitted to snap over the device 19 and incorporates a stop 20 to ensure a snug secure fit.

In an alternative embodiment shown in fig. 2b and 4, an additional large resilient projection 21 for securing the device 19 may be included in the protective shell 10. This illustrates a possible alternative embodiment in which the inner resilient layer 13 forms the structure that secures the protective case to the device 19, rather than providing undercuts in the outer hard shell layer 12 and corresponding side of the protective case 10. These structures may be stops 20 along the sides or top and bottom of the outer hard shell layer 12 as described, or it may be a large area as illustrated in fig. 2b and 4, where additional large resilient tabs 21 for securing the device 19 may be included in the protective shell 10 so that the device will slide underneath and thereby be secured with some undercut formed on the opposite end, whether molded in the outer hard shell layer 12 or the inner resilient layer 13.

As shown in fig. 3 and 5, the outer hard shell layer 12 defines a mating cavity 22 that fits over the device 19 and incorporates a stop 20 to ensure a snug secure fit. The handheld device 19 protective case shows the outer hard shell layer 12 with cut corners 23 and the inner elastomeric layer 13 of the protective containment case, where the inner elastomeric layer 13 fills in the cut corners 23 of the outer hard shell layer 12.

What differentiates such housings is the geometry and manufacture of the housing. The outer hard shell layer 12 is formed to mate with the device 19 with a small offset from the surface of the device. The outer hard shell layer 12 surrounds the edges of the device 19 in which the formed outer hard shell layer 12 is used. To enable the external hard shell layer 12 to be mounted on the device 19, the corners 23 of the external hard shell layer 12 are cut. This allows each side wall of the outer hard shell layer 12 to flex open upon insertion of the device 19 and to return to its original shape once the device 19 is in place. The unique aspect of the protective case 10 is that in addition to the outer hard shell layer 12, there is an inner elastomeric layer 13 formed on the interior of the outer hard shell layer 12. As shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, the inner elastomeric layer 13 fills the gaps formed at the corners 23 of the outer hard shell layer 12 to allow the outer hard shell layer 12 to flex during installation.

As shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, the inner resilient layer 13 is provided in this position because the inner resilient layer 13 has a much higher inherent deformability than the plastic or metal of the outer hard shell layer 12, and the inner resilient layer 13 is able to stretch sufficiently to allow the side walls of the outer hard shell layer 12 to flex open upon installation. This forms a one-piece protective case 10, which protective case 10 surrounds the device, even at the corners, and in any case prevents dust and fluid from entering the device. The inner elastic layer 13 may also be formed on the buttons of the device 19, wherein the user only needs to press the exposed inner elastic layer 13 corresponding to the desired portion of the input part of the mobile electronic device, as illustrated by the buttons 18 and 26 of fig. 1.

Fig. 7a and 7b are perspective views of the present invention showing the outer hard shell layer 12 with cut corners 23 and the inner elastomeric layer 13 of the protective containment case 10 in a standby, secured position 24 and in an extended, device inserted position 25.

It is to be understood that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly, and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the foregoing description are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Further, other areas may benefit from this approach, and adjustments to the design are also contemplated. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims (15)

1. A one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device, comprising:

a first portion forming an outer hard shell including a mating cavity formed therein for mounting the handheld mobile electronic device to the one-piece protective case;

a second portion co-molded with a mating cavity formed in the first portion and permanently secured to the mating cavity to form a co-molded, one-piece assembly;

the first portion comprises a protective outer layer formed of a hardened material; and

the second portion includes an elastomeric pad permanently secured to the inner surface of the first portion along a majority of the inner surface of the first portion to cover the inner surface of the first portion, wherein the first portion includes a gap and the co-molded elastomeric pad of the second portion permanently fills the gap of the first portion.

2. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second portion further comprises a detent for mounting a handheld mobile electronic device inside a mating cavity of the co-molded one-piece assembly.

3. A one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein said stop on said second portion extends along a length of a mating cavity formed by said first portion.

4. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a gap at one or more corners of the first portion, wherein the gap is permanently filled with a portion of the co-molded elastomeric material of the second portion.

5. A one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first portion is formed to mate with said handheld mobile electronic device at a small offset from a surface of said handheld mobile electronic device.

6. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first portion surrounds an edge of the handheld mobile electronic device.

7. A one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device as recited in claim 1, comprising a window for exposing at least a portion of one surface of an associated portion of said handheld mobile electronic device.

8. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, comprising at least one access port to allow use of a function on the handheld mobile electronic device.

9. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein a hardened material forming the first portion comprises plastic or metal.

10. A one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein said stop extends along a length of said mating cavity.

11. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the mating cavity comprises a bottom surface and one or more side surfaces lined with a flexible material, and further comprising an opening parallel to the bottom surface.

12. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 11, wherein the second portion comprises a protrusion extending into at least one side of the mating cavity, the protrusion for securing a handheld mobile electronic device to the protective case, the protrusion extending from a top of one or more of the side surfaces parallel to the bottom surface and extending completely around a perimeter of the opening.

13. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are permanently secured together by overmolding.

14. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the external hard shell and the mating cavity comprise a bottom surface and a side surface such that the bottom surface of the mating cavity covers at least a portion of the bottom surface of the inserted personal electronic device and the side surface of the mating cavity covers at least a portion of the side surface of the inserted personal electronic device, and wherein the external hard shell covers at least a portion of the bottom of the mating cavity and at least a portion of the side surface of the mating cavity.

15. The one-piece protective case for a handheld mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein the protrusion extends entirely around a perimeter of the opening.