Protective enclosure for an electronic device

• US 10,411,749 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2018
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Witter, Kevin W., Krajec, Matthew S., Nelson, Patrick J., Walker, Paul N., Boileau, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US16/127,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20190013834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 4555758, 4555751
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/00 Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/001 for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or MP3-players
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/003 for portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/02 Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/022 Containers made of shock-absorbing material B65D81/03 takes precedence; for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3813
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers

Abstract

A protective enclosure for use with an electronic device includes a cushion layer configured to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure; and a structural layer affixed to the cushioning layer, the structural layer having a back portion, a top portion, a right wall portion, and a left wall portion, the back portion having a first portion having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a second portion of the back portion, the first portion configured to allow a section of the protective enclosure to flex relative to the back surface of the electronic device during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective enclosure.

Claims

1. A protective enclosure for use with an electronic device having a front surface, a back surface, and side surfaces, the protective enclosure comprising:

a cushion layer configured to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure; and

a structural layer affixed to the cushioning layer, the structural layer having a back portion, a top portion, a right wall portion, and a left wall portion, the back portion having a first portion having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a second portion of the back portion, the first portion configured to allow a section of the protective enclosure to flex relative to the back surface of the electronic device during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective enclosure.

2. The protective enclosure of claim 1, wherein the cushion layer is further configured to cover at least a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

3. The protective enclosure of claim 1, wherein the left wall portion includes a first gap and the right wall portion includes a second gap.

4. The protective enclosure of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the back portion is positioned on the back portion between the first gap and the second gap.

5. The protective enclosure of claim 3, wherein the cushion layer includes a first expanded portion extending across the first gap and a second expanded portion extending across the second gap.

6. The protective enclosure of claim 1, wherein the first portion extends across only a portion of the back portion of the structural layer.

7. The protective enclosure of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises multiple portions extending across the back portion of the structural layer.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 1, wherein the protective enclosure is configured to provide an air gap between the protective enclosure and the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

9. A protective enclosure for use with an electronic device having a front surface, a back surface, and side surfaces, the protective enclosure comprising:

a cushion layer configured to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces and at least a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure; and

a bottom shell affixed to the cushioning layer, the bottom shell having a back portion, a top portion, a right wall portion, and a left wall portion, wherein the back portion has a thinner portion having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a thicker portion of the back portion, the thinner portion configured to permit a section of the protective enclosure to flex relative to another section of the protective enclosure during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective enclosure.

10. The protective enclosure of claim 9, wherein the thickness of the thicker portion of the bottom shell is 0.01″

or less more than the thickness of the thinner portion of the bottom shell.

11. The protective enclosure of claim 10, wherein the thickness of the thicker portion of the bottom shell is more than 0.01″

thicker than the thickness of the thinner portion of the bottom shell.

12. The protective enclosure of claim 9, wherein the left wall portion of the bottom shell includes a first gap and the right wall portion of the bottom shell includes a second gap, wherein the thinner portion is positioned between the first gap and the second gap.

13. The protective enclosure of claim 12, wherein the cushion layer includes a first expanded portion extending across the first gap.

14. The protective enclosure of claim 9, wherein the protective enclosure is configured to provide an air gap between the protective enclosure and the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

15. A protective enclosure for use with an electronic device having a front surface, a back surface, and side surfaces, the protective enclosure comprising:

a structural layer defining a cavity configured to receive the electronic device, the structural layer including a back portion and a plurality of wall portions, the back portion configured to cover at least a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure, and the wall portions configured to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces of the installed electronic device, the structural layer including a first portion having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a second portion of the back portion; and

a cushion layer positioned within the cavity of the structural layer, the cushion layer configured to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces and at least a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

16. The protective enclosure of claim 15, wherein the plurality of wall portions of the structural layer include a first wall having a first cutout and a second wall having a second cutout, wherein the first thinner portion of the structural layer is positioned between the first cutout and the second cutout.

17. The protective enclosure of claim 16, wherein the plurality of wall portions further includes a top wall and a bottom wall, wherein the thinner portion is positioned closer to the top wall than the bottom wall.

18. The protective enclosure of claim 15, wherein the cushion layer includes one or more openings each configured to allow access to a feature of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

19. The protective enclosure of claim 15, wherein the cushion layer includes one or more functional coverings each configured to cover and provide user access to a respective control button of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

20. The protective enclosure of claim 15, wherein the structural layer further comprises a camera opening configured to align with a camera of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.