PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE FOR TOUCH SCREEN DEVICE

• US 20140183067A1
• Filed: 03/09/2014
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: CARNEVALI, JEFFREY D.
• Application Number:
  US14/201,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20140183067A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/37
• 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 13/005 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone

Abstract

A protective enclosure adapted to hold a touch screen device and allow operation of both the touch screen and actuators on a side of the device, the enclosure formed of a tray having a rim surrounding an interior device seating surface; a lid having a rim corresponding to the rim of the tray and surrounding a window aperture; a protective membrane having a transparent membrane forming an interior window positioned in the viewing aperture of the lid, and a continuous pliable seal adapted to be compressible between the corresponding rims of the lid and the tray; and a mechanism for clamping the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray with the pliable seal forming a continuous seal therebetween.

Claims

1. A protective enclosure for a device responsive to a tactile stimulus, the enclosure allowing operation of the device while the device is disposed in the enclosure, the enclosure comprising:

a tray comprising an interior device seating area and a rim around the device seating area, the tray adapted for receiving the device on the device seating area and oriented with a portion thereof responsive to a tactile input facing away from the device seating area; and

a lid movable relative to the device seating area of the tray between an open position and a closed position, the lid comprising;

a rigid rim around a viewing aperture, the aperture positioned for viewing an interior portion of the enclosure there through,

a substantially transparent sheet forming an interior window positioned in the viewing aperture of the lid and joined thereto, and

a continuous pliable seal positioned between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray when the lid is in the closed position relative to the tray, the pliable seal being spaced apart from the sheet of the lid; and

wherein the enclosure comprises a protective case adapted to hold the touch screen device and allowing operation of the touch screen of the touch screen device.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the substantially transparent sheet forming the interior window comprises a hard and noncompressible plastic membrane.

3. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the hard plastic membrane comprises one of. a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membrane, and a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material.

4. The enclosure of claim 3, wherein the pliable seal further comprises either a silicone material, or a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the pliable seal is further spaced part from the sheet forming the interior window by the rigid rim around the viewing aperture.

6. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein the sheet forming an interior window is further bonded to the rigid rim around the viewing aperture.

7. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a clamping mechanism structured for clamping the pliable seal between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray.

8. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein the clamping mechanism is structured for clamping the pliable seal between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray in a continuous substantially water-resistant seal.

9. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein the lid is hinged relative to the device seating area of the tray for moving between the open position and the closed position.

10. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a substantially watertight seal between the interior window and the rigid rim around the viewing aperture.

11. The enclosure of claim 10, wherein the substantially watertight seal comprises a substantially continuous joint between the peripheral edge of the interior window and the rigid rim around the viewing aperture.

12. The enclosure of claim 11, wherein the joint between the interior window and the rigid rim around the viewing aperture further comprises one of. an over-molded joint, an ultra-sonic weld joint, or a chemical weld joint.

13. An enclosure for a touch screen device that allows operation of a touch screen on the touch screen device while the touch screen device is disposed in the enclosure, the enclosure comprising:

a shell that is adapted to contain the touch screen device;

an aperture in the shell in such a position as to be disposed over the touch screen of the touch screen device when the touch screen device is disposed in the enclosure;

a protective membrane sized for substantially filling the aperture in the shell, the protective membrane comprising a noncompressible interior viewing and operating window panel that is adapted to allow tactile inputs to be communicated to the touch screen of the touch screen device, the protective membrane mounted in the aperture with a continuous seal between a peripheral edge of the interior window panel and the aperture in the shell; and

a continuous pliable seal formed of a compressible material, the pliable seal being spaced apart from the continuous seal between the interior window panel and the aperture in the shell and positioned for substantially sealing the shell around the touch screen device; and

wherein the shell comprises a protective case adapted to hold the touch screen device and allowing operation of the touch screen through the interior window panel of the protective membrane.

14. The enclosure of claim 13, wherein the continuous seal between the peripheral edge of the interior window panel and the aperture in the shell further comprises a substantially watertight seal joint comprising one of. an over-molded joint, an ultra-sonic weld joint, or a chemical weld joint.

15. The enclosure of claim 13, wherein the interior window panel of the protective membrane comprises a hard and inelastic plastic sheet.

16. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein the plastic sheet comprises one of. a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material, and a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material.

17. The enclosure of claim 13, wherein the shell further comprises a tray and a lid, wherein the aperture is formed in the lid, and wherein the lid is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the tray.

18. The enclosure of claim 17, wherein the tray further comprises an interior device seating surface and a rim around the device seating surface, the tray adapted for receiving the touch screen device on the device seating surface and oriented with a portion thereof responsive to a tactile input facing away from the device seating surface and toward the aperture in the shell when the lid is the closed position relative to the tray.

19. The enclosure of claim 18, wherein the lid further comprises a rim around the aperture, the rim of the lid substantially corresponding to the rim of the tray, and wherein the seal of the protective membrane is positioned between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray when the lid is in the closed position relative to the tray.

20. The enclosure of claim 19, further comprising a clamping mechanism structured for compressing the pliable seal between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray.

21. A protective enclosure for a touch screen device, the enclosure comprising:

a substantially rigid tray comprising a rim surrounding an interior device seating surface;

a lid comprising a substantially rigid rim surrounding a window aperture, the rim of the lid corresponding to the rim of the tray;

a protective membrane that is structured for viewing there through and is sized to fill the window aperture of the lid, the protective membrane comprising a thin interior window surrounded by a continuous seal joint formed between a peripheral edge thereof and the window aperture of the lid;

a continuous pliable seal that is adapted to be compressible between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray in a position spaced away from the continuous seal joint between the protective membrane and the window aperture of the lid; and

a clamping mechanism structured for clamping the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray with the continuous pliable seal forming a continuous substantially water-resistant seal therebetween.

22. The enclosure of claim 21, wherein the continuous pliable seal comprises one of. a silicone material, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material, a silicone material, a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) material, or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.

23. The enclosure of claim 22, wherein the interior window of the protective membrane comprises a noncompressible material.

24. The enclosure of claim 23, wherein the interior window of the protective membrane comprises one of. a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material, and a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material.

25. The enclosure of claim 22, further comprising a hinge between the lid and the tray, whereby the lid is moveable between an open position and a closed position relative to the tray.

26. The enclosure of claim 25, wherein the clamping mechanism is structured for clamping the lid in the closed position relative to the tray with the pliable seal compressed there between.