VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER WITH UNITARY BACK SHELL FOR BUTTON CONTROL AND BATTERY ACCESS

• US 20190118079A1
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Published: 04/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valve Corporation
• Original Assignee: Valve Corporation
• Inventors: BELLINGHAUSEN, JEFFREY, GOTTSCHALK, CLAIRE MICHELLE, HOPE, ERIC, KEYZER, JEFFREY, DALTON, SCOTT
• Granted Patent: US 10,722,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details

Abstract

A hand-held video game controller includes a controller body having a front and a back, with at least one front control on the front of the controller body. A removable and resilient unitary back shell is removably attached to the back of the controller body. At least one back control button underlies the unitary back shell, and is depressible by flexing of the unitary back shell into contact with that back control button. At least one battery compartment may underlie the unitary back shell, and may be accessible by removal of the removable unitary back shell.

Claims

1. A hand-held video game controller, comprising:

a controller body having a front and a back and a top edge;

at least two thumb controls on the front of the controller body, and at least two triggers located along the top edge of the controller body;

the controller body including a removable unitary back shell on the back of the controller body, the removable unitary back shell being resilient;

left and right back control buttons within the controller body and underlying the removable unitary back shell, and that are depressible by flexing the removable unitary back shell into contact with the left and right back control buttons; and

at least one battery compartment that is accessible by removal of the removable unitary back shell.

2. The hand-held video game controller of claim 1, wherein the controller body includes left and right handle portions.

3. The hand-held video game controller of claim 2, wherein the removable unitary back shell is centrally located between the left and right handle portions.

4. The hand-held video game controller of claim 2, comprising two battery compartments that are accessible only by removal of the removable unitary back shell, each of the two battery compartments being disposed in a corresponding one of the left and right handle portions.

5. The hand-held video game controller of claim 2, wherein the at least one battery compartment underlies the removable unitary back shell and is approximately centrally located between the left and right handle portions.

6. The hand-held video game controller of claim 1, wherein the removable unitary back shell is a single monolithic component.

7. The hand-held video game controller of claim 6, wherein the removable unitary back shell is an injection-molded plastic component.

8. The hand-held video game controller of claim 1, wherein the removable unitary back shell is removable by a latch mechanism.

9. The hand-held video game controller of claim 1, wherein the controller body includes an injection-molded plastic component.

10. The hand-held video game controller of claim 1, wherein the removable unitary back shell has a shell underside that includes left and right rearward projections configured to contact the left and right back control buttons.

11. The hand-held video game controller of claim 10, wherein the shell underside of the removable unitary back shell further includes a rearward fulcrum bulge, in contact with the controller body, and disposed between the left and right rearward projections.

12. The hand-held video game controller of claim 11, wherein the rearward fulcrum bulge is approximately centrally located between left and right edges of the removable unitary back shell.

13. A hand-held video game controller, comprising:

a controller body having a front and a back that is opposite the front;

a plurality of thumb controls on the front of the controller body;

the controller body including a removable unitary back shell on the back of the controller body, the removable unitary back shell being resilient;

a back control button within the controller body and underlying the removable unitary back shell, and that is depressible by flexing the removable unitary back shell into contact with the back control button; and

at least one battery compartment that is accessible by removal of the removable unitary back shell.

14. The hand-held video game controller of claim 13, wherein the at least one battery compartment underlies the removable unitary back shell.

15. The hand-held video game controller of claim 13, wherein removable unitary back shell is single monolithic component.

16. The hand-held video game controller of claim 13, wherein removable unitary back shell is removable by a latch mechanism.

17. The hand-held video game controller of claim 13, wherein the removable unitary back shell has a shell underside that includes a rearward projection configured to contact the back control button.

18. A hand-held video game controller, comprising:

a controller body having a front and a back that is opposite the front;

a plurality of thumb controls on the front of the controller body;

the controller body including a removable unitary back shell on the back of the controller body, the removable unitary back shell being resilient;

a back control button within the controller body and underlying the removable unitary back shell, and that is depressible by flexing the removable unitary back shell into contact with the back control button; and

at least one battery compartment that at least partially underlies the removable unitary back shell.

19. The hand-held video game controller of claim 18, wherein the removable unitary back shell is single monolithic component.

20. The hand-held video game controller of claim 18, wherein the removable unitary back shell has a shell underside that includes a rearward projection configured to contact the back control button.