Protective cover for device having touch screen

• US 7,495,895 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2006
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman; Anatoly
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson; Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US11/406,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20070247793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 455/90.3, 455/575.8
• US Class Current: 361/679.26
• 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 1/1656 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

Abstract

A protective cover for a device having a touch-sensitive screen, the cover being a substantially optically transparent flexible protective cover formed of a unitary combination of a mask portion substantially surrounded with a plurality of integrally interconnected curtain portions extending therefrom and forming therebetween a plurality of interconnected lip portions, the mask, curtain and lip portions forming a cavity therebetween with the lip portions surrounding a mouth opening thereinto; and the mask portion further having a relatively thicker frame portion surrounding a relatively thinner recessed integral window portion formed of a flexible membrane that is positioned over the device'"'"'s touch screen.

Claims

1. A protective cover for a device having a touch-sensitive screen, the cover comprising:

a protective cover formed of a substantially continuous flexible material, the protective cover comprising a mask portion substantially surrounded with a plurality of interconnected curtain portions extending therefrom and forming therebetween a plurality of interconnected lip portions, the mask, curtain and lip portions forming a cavity therebetween with the lip portions surrounding a mouth opening thereinto;

the mask portion further comprising a relatively thicker frame portion surrounding a relatively thinner recessed integral window portion formed of a substantially optically transparent flexible membrane; and

wherein the substantially continuous flexible material further comprises a substantially optically transparent material; and

the cover further comprises a unitary combination of the mask, curtain and lip portions with the curtain portions being contiguous with the mask portions, and different curtain portions being contiguous with corresponding ones of the lip portions.

2. The cover of claim 1 wherein the window and frame portions of the mask each further comprises a surface that is interior of the cavity, the interior surface of the window portion being substantially coplanar with the interior surface of the frame portion.

3. The cover of claim 2, further comprising a second integral window portion formed of a second flexible membrane having an interior surface that is offset from the interior surface of the frame portion.

4. The cover of claim 1 wherein the mask portion further comprises an access port formed therethrough.

5. The cover of claim 1 wherein one or more of the curtain portions further comprises an access port formed therethrough.

6. The cover of claim 5 wherein one or more of the curtain portions further comprises a sealing lid structured for substantially sealing the access port formed therethrough.

7. The cover of claim 1 wherein the cover further comprises an edge portion between the mask portion and one or more of the curtain portions, and piping extended along one or more of the edge portions.

8. The cover of claim 1 wherein:

the curtain portions further comprise front, rear and a pair of side curtain portions with the front and rear curtain portions being positioned on opposing ends of the pair of side curtain portions positioned between;

the lip portions extending from one or more of the side curtain portions are further structured to form a cutout within the corresponding side curtain portion; and

the cavity formed between the mask, side curtain and lip portions further comprises a pair of opposing pockets positioned at opposite ends of the cutout.

9. A protective cover for a device having a touch-sensitive screen, the cover comprising:

a substantially continuous sheet of substantially flexible elastomer material comprising a unitary cover having a mask portion surrounded by integral front, rear and side curtains formed substantially continuous with the mask portion and joined together by integral corner portions formed substantially continuous with the curtains, and a continuous integral lip portion formed substantially continuous with the curtains and extending inward thereof and forming a mouth opening therebetween;

a cavity formed by the mask, curtain and lip portions with the mouth opening being substantially opposite from the mask portion;

a viewing and operating window panel formed of a substantially continuous and relatively thin and substantially optically transparent flexible membrane in a portion of the mask that is exterior of the cavity and surrounded by a relatively thick flexible frame portion of the mask and substantially continuous with the frame portion, a substantially planar smooth exterior surface of the window panel that is exterior of the cavity being recessed relative to the frame portion, and a substantially planar smooth interior surface of the window panel that is interior of the cavity being substantially coplanar with the frame portion; and

an access hole formed through the frame portion of the mask adjacent to the window panel.

10. The cover of claim 9 wherein the sheet of elastomer further comprises a substantially optically transparent elastomer.

11. The cover of claim 10 wherein the front and rear curtains are contiguous with opposite front and rear ends of the masks;

the side curtains are contiguous with opposite sides of the mask portions;

the front, rear and side curtains are contiguous with the corner portions therebetween; and

the continuous lip portion is contiguous with the front, rear and side curtains.

12. The cover of claim 11 wherein the cavity further comprises a pair of pockets, a first one of the pair of pockets being formed between the mask portion in combination with the front curtain and first portions of the pair of side curtains adjacent thereto, and a second one of the pair of pockets being formed between the mask portion in combination with the rear curtain and second portions of the pair of side curtains adjacent thereto.

13. The cover of claim 11 wherein one or more of the pair of side curtains further comprises an access port formed therethrough.

14. The cover of claim 13, further comprising a sealing lid structured for substantially sealing the access port.

15. The cover of claim 11, further comprising a first edge portion formed between the mask portion and one or more of the front, rear and side curtains, and piping extended along one or more of the edge portions.

16. The cover of claim 15 wherein the piping is extended along the first edge portion formed between the mask portion each of one or more side curtains;

and

further comprising a second edge portion formed between the lip portions and a corresponding one of the side curtains;

the piping is extended along the second edge portion formed between the lip portions and a corresponding one of the side curtains; and

a quantity of the elastomer extended between the piping along the first edge portion formed between the mask portion and each of one or more side curtains and the piping along the second edge portion formed between the lip portion and the side curtain.

17. A method of protecting a device having a touch-sensitive screen by using a protective unitary cover formed in a sheet of substantially optically transparent flexible elastomer and having a mask portion surrounded by integral front, rear and side curtain portions joined together by integral corner portions, and a continuous integral lip portion extending inward of the curtain portions and forming a cavity therebetween having a mouth opening positioned opposite from the mask portion, and forming in a portion of the mask that is exterior of the cavity the mask portion a relatively thin and substantially optically transparent flexible membrane surrounded by a relatively thick flexible frame portion with the flexible membrane being formed having substantially planar smooth interior and exterior surfaces and the exterior surface being recessed relative to an exterior surface of the frame portion while the interior surface is substantially coplanar with an interior surface of the frame portion, the method comprising:

fitting one end of the device having a touch-sensitive screen through the mouth opening into the cavity formed by a substantially optically transparent flexible elastomer protective cover;

stretching the mouth opening sufficiently to receive a remainder of the device;

receiving the remainder of the device through the mouth opening into the cavity;

positioning a substantial entirety of the touch-sensitive screen into contact with the interior surface of the flexible membrane portion of the protective cover; and

relaxing the mouth opening about the device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising positioning a control surface of the device substantially in alignment with an access port formed through one of the mask portion and the front, rear and side curtain portions.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising substantially sealing the access port against liquid penetration.