Cover for Electronic Device

• US 20140083883A1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Elias, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/320
• 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer

Abstract

A protective covering for an electronic device such as a tablet computer. In various embodiments, to protective covering may cover both front and rear surfaces of the electronic device, as well as from and rear surfaces of an associated keyboard. Additionally, certain configuration for the protective covering may operate to trigger a sleep mode for the keyboard.

Claims

1. A tablet computer accessory, comprising

a cover having an interior surface that attaches to a rear surface of a tablet computer and to the rear surface of a keyboard that is in communication with the tablet computer;

a first lateral hinge in the cover that allows the cover to fold such that a first end of the cover rotates about the first lateral hinge from an extended position towards a centerline of the cover;

a second lateral hinge in the cover that allows the cover to fold such that a second end of the cover rotates about the second lateral hinge from an extended position towards the centerline of the cover; and

a closure configured to disable the keyboard when a first closure component disposed on the first end of the cover meets a second closure component disposed on the second end of the cover, the first and second closure components configured to meet substantially at the centerline of the cover when the cover is folded about the first and second lateral hinges.

2. The tablet computer accessory of claim 1, wherein the cover has a closed configuration in which the first and second ends of the cover are rotated towards the interior surface of the cover such that the first and second closure components meet substantially at the centerline of the cover to enclose the tablet computer and the keyboard within the cover.

3. The tablet computer accessory of claim 1, wherein the cover has an open configuration in which the first and second ends of the cover are rotated away from the interior surface of the cover such that the first and second closure components meet substantially at the centerline of the cover and the tablet computer and the keyboard remain external to the cover.

4. The tablet computer accessory of claim 1, wherein the cover has a flat configuration in which the first and second ends of the cover are not rotated about the first and second hinges, the first and second closure components do not meet, and the key board is not disabled.

5. The tablet computer accessory of claim 1, further comprising

a central hinge in the cover that coincides with the centerline of the cover and that allows the cover to fold such that a first cover half is allowed to rotate relative to a second cover half about the central hinge.

6. The tablet computer accessory of claim 5, wherein

the first lateral hinge coincides with a midline of the first cover half such that the first lateral hinge divides the first cover half into a first cover section and a second cover section, the first cover section containing the first end of the cover;

the second lateral hinge coincides with a midline of the second cover half such that the second lateral hinge divides the second cover half into a third cover section and a fourth cover section, the fourth cover section containing the second end of the cover;

the keyboard being attached to the first cover section; and

the tablet computer attached to the second and third cover sections.

7. The tablet computer accessory of claim 6, wherein the tablet computer is fixedly attached to the second cover section and detachably attached to the third cover section.

8. The tablet computer accessory of claim 7, wherein the cover has a standing configuration in which the cover is folded away from the interior surface of the cover along the central hinge and the second lateral hinge such that the second, third and forth sections of the cover form a triangular support for the tablet computer.

9. The tablet computer accessory of claim 8, wherein when the cover is in the standing configuration, the cover is folded toward the interior surface of the cover along the first lateral hinge such that the keyboard is disposed at an angle relative to the tablet computer.

10. The tablet computer accessory of claim 8, wherein when the cover is in the standing configuration, the first and second closure components do not meet and the keyboard is not disabled.

11. The tablet computer accessory of claim 1, further comprising

a first magnet associated with the first closure component;

and

a second magnet associated with the second closure component;

wherein the first and second magnet act on each other to hold the first and second ends of the cover together when the first and second closure components meet at substantially the centerline of the cover.

12. The tablet computer accessory of claim 11, wherein when the first and second magnets act on each other, the first and second magnets also close a circuit that disables the keyboard.

13. The tablet computer accessory of claim 1, further comprising

a first conductive contact associated with the first closure component;

and

a second conductive contact associated with the second closure component;

wherein the first and second conductive contacts close a circuit to disable the keyboard when the first and second closure components meet at substantially the centerline of the cover.

14. The tablet computer accessory of claim 1, further comprising

a first conductive plate associated with the first closure component;

and

a second conductive plate associated with the second closure component;

wherein the first and second conductive plates create a capacitive circuit element that completes a circuit that disables the keyboard when the first and second closure components meet at substantially the centerline of the cover.

15. A method of disabling a keyboard, comprising

folding a cover about a first lateral hinge such that a first end of the cover rotates about the first lateral hinge from an extended position towards a centerline of the cover, wherein a tablet computer and a keyboard are attached to an interior surface of the cover;

folding the cover about a second lateral hinge such that a second end of the cover rotates about the second lateral hinge from an extended position towards the centerline of the cover; and

engaging a closure to disable the keyboard when a first closure component disposed on the first end of the cover meets a second closure component disposed on the second end of the cover at substantially the centerline of the cover.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising

enclosing the tablet computer and the keyboard within the cover by rotating the first and second end of the cover towards the interior surface of the cover.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising

rotating the first and second end of the cover away from an interior surface of the cover such that the tablet computer and the keyboard remain external to the cover.

18. A method of enabling a keyboard, comprising

unfolding a cover about a first lateral hinge such that a first end of the cover rotates about the first lateral hinge away from a centerline of the cover and towards an extended position, wherein a tablet computer and a keyboard are attached to an interior surface of the hinge;

unfolding the cover about a second lateral hinge such that a second end of the cover rotates about the second lateral hinge away from the centerline of the cover and towards an extended position; and

disengaging a closure to enable the keyboard when a first closure component disposed on the first end of the cover and a second closure component disposed on the second end of the cover move away from the centerline of the cover and disengage from each other.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising

removing the tablet computer and the keyboard from within the interior of the cover by rotating the first and second end of the cover away from the interior surface of the cover.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising

moving the keyboard and the tablet computer into operative alignment by rotating the first and second end of the cover towards the interior surface of the cover.