PROTECTIVE CASE AND METHODS OF MAKING

• US 20120261289A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosenthal & Rosenthal, Inc.
• Original Assignee: G-Form, LLC
• Inventors: Wyner, Daniel M., Fox, Richard B., Cafaro, Thomas F., Garrard, Richard L., Macrina, Maria E., Thorn (née Rogers), Stephanie
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/320
• 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 11/26 Roll-up holders with pockets for separate articles
• 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: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer

Abstract

Disclosed is a protective case for an electronic device. The protective case has two layers, an inner cushion insert that surrounds a portion of the electronic device and an outer elastomeric shell. The cushion insert includes raised impact portions that extend through the cover, and that are capable of absorbing shocks from impacts.

Claims

1. A protective case for an electronic device, comprising:

a cover that conforms to and engages a portion of the electronic device, that cover having a back portion and a sidewall connected to the back portion, the cover comprising interconnected support members defined by a plurality of receiving apertures disposed in predetermined areas, the cover comprising a predetermined thickness;

a cushion insert comprising raised impact regions disposed adjacent to first recessed impact regions, the raised impact regions disposed in predetermined areas corresponding to the plurality of receiving apertures and having a predetermined thickness greater than the thickness of the cover;

wherein, when the protective case is assembled onto the electronic device, the plurality of interconnected support members engage with the first recessed impact regions, such that the cover conforms the cushion insert to the electronic device, and the raised impact regions engage with the plurality of receiving apertures, such that the raised impact regions extend above the outer surface of the cover.

2. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising one or more second recessed impact regions, wherein the thickness of the second recessed impact regions is less than the thickness of the first recessed impact regions.

3. The protective case of claim 2, wherein the raised impact regions comprise grooves in an upper surface thereof, such that the thickness of the grooves is less than the thickness of the raised impact regions, and greater than the thickness of the first recessed impact regions.

4. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the cushion insert comprises an impact absorbing material.

5. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the cushion insert comprises a multi-layer laminated material.

6. The protective case of claim 4, wherein the impact absorbing material is disposed between opposing upper and lower layers of a thermoplastic elastomeric (TPE) material.

7. The protective case of claim 5, wherein the laminated material further comprises a reinforcing layer disposed between the impact absorbing material and the lower layer of TPE material.

8. The protective case of claim 7, wherein the laminated material further comprises a fabric layer disposed adjacent to the lower layer of TPE material, opposite the impact absorbing material.

9. The protective case of claim 4, wherein the cushion insert is a rate dependent material.

10. The protective case of claim 9, wherein the rate dependent material is a polyurethane foam.

11. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the predetermined thickness of the raised impact regions is sufficient to absorb impacts and/or prevent shocks from the impacts from being transferred to the electronic device.

12. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the case comprises an elastomeric material with a durometer of about 80 Shore A to about 100 Shore A.

13. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the case comprises an elastomeric material with a durometer of about 95 Shore A.

14. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the elastomeric material comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane.

15. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the cover ranges from about 0.055″

to about 0.095″

.

16. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the first recessed impact regions ranges from about 0.025″

to about 0.045″

.

17. The protective case of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the second recessed impact regions ranges from about 0.010″

to about 0.030″

.

18. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the impact absorbing regions extend above the outer surface of the cover, when the case is in an assembled configuration.

19. The protective case of claim 7, wherein the reinforcing layer is porous.

20. The protective case of claim 7, wherein the reinforcing layer is a nonwoven fabric.

21. The protective case of claim 7, wherein the reinforcing layer is a hydro-entangled nonwoven.

22. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the cover is unitary.

23. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the cushion insert is unitary.

24. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the cover is co-molded with the cushion insert.

25. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the cover and the cushion insert are adhesively connected.

26. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the TPE layers are continuously bonded to the impact absorbing material.

27. The protective case of claim 5, wherein the cushion insert comprises a cushioning material disposed between and continuously bonded to opposing adjacent layers.

28. The protective case of claim 2, wherein, when the case is assembled, the cushion insert is folded on the second recessed impact regions and inserted into the cover such that the raised impact regions are aligned with the receiving apertures and the second recessed impaction regions are aligned with the corners of the case.

29. The protective case of claim 28, wherein, when the case is assembled, the raised impact regions are received into and at least partially through the receiving apertures and a portion of the raised impact regions extend above the upper surface of the cover.

30. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the case comprises an elastomeric material with a durometer ranging from about 80 Shore A to about 100 Shore A, and the case insert comprises a rate dependent polyurethane foam with a density ranging from about 5 to about 35 pounds per cubic foot.

31. A protective case for an electronic device, comprising:

a cover that conforms to and engages a portion of the electronic device, that cover having a back portion and a sidewall connected to the back portion, the cover comprising interconnected support members defined by a plurality of receiving apertures disposed in predetermined areas, the cover comprising a predetermined thickness of an elastomeric material having a durometer ranging from about 80 Shore A to about 100 Shore A;

a multi-layer cushion insert comprising raised impact regions disposed adjacent to first recessed impact regions, the raised impact regions disposed in predetermined areas corresponding to the plurality of receiving apertures and having a predetermined thickness greater than the thickness of the cover, the cushion insert comprising a multi-layer continuously bonded material comprising a rate dependent foam disposed between opposing layers of a thermoplastic elastomeric material (TPE), and a reinforcing layer disposed between the rate dependent foam layer and one of the TPE layers;

one or more second recessed impact regions having a thickness less than the thickness of the first recessed impact regions;

wherein, when the protective case is assembled onto the electronic device, the plurality of interconnected support members engage with the first recessed impact regions, such that the cover conforms the cushion insert to the electronic device, and the raised impact regions engage with the plurality of receiving apertures, such that the raised impact regions extend above the outer surface of the cover.

32. A protective case for an electronic device, comprising:

a cover having a back portion and a sidewall connected to the back portion that engages the electronic device, the cover comprising a material that conforms to a portion of the electronic device, the cover having a predetermined thickness;

a cushion insert comprising a rate dependent material, such that when the cushion insert is disposed in the cover, the cover conforms the cushion insert to the electronic device.

33. The protective case of claim 32, the cover further comprising interconnected support members defined by a plurality of receiving apertures disposed in predetermined areas.

34. The protective case of claim 32, the cushion insert further comprising raised impact regions disposed adjacent to first recessed impact regions portions, the raised impact regions disposed in predetermined areas corresponding to the plurality of receiving apertures and having a predetermined thickness greater than the thickness of the cover, the raised impact regions engaged with the plurality of receiving apertures such that the raised impact regions are coplanar with the outer surface of the cover, and the plurality of interconnected support members disposed in, and engaged with, the first recessed impact regions portions, when the cover conforms the cushion insert to the electronic device.