Extruded housing for hand-held device with a cap for covering two or more adjacent sides

• US 8,430,256 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Allore, Joseph L., Weiss, Gary R., Wojack, Jason P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): POOS, MADISON LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/269,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 220/4.01, 220/4.02, 220/675, 361/679.01, 361/724, 361/727, 455/575.1
• US Class Current: 220/4.02
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/00 Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor extrusion blow-moulding B29C49/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/09 Articles with cross-sections having partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. pipes or channels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/11 comprising two or more partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. honeycomb-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03

Abstract

A housing for a hand-held electronic device is provided. The housing includes an extruded element having a length and a profile, the length corresponding to a distance that the extruded element extends in the direction of extrusion, and the profile corresponding to a cross-section of the element, which is perpendicular to the direction of extrusion. The housing further includes a cap, coupled to the extruded element, wherein the cap extends to cover substantial portions of two or more adjacent sides.

Claims

1. A housing for a hand-held electronic device comprising:

an extruded element having a length and a profile, the length corresponding to a distance that the extruded element extends in a direction of extrusion, and the profile corresponding to a cross-section of the element, which is perpendicular to the direction of extrusion; and

a cap, coupled to the extruded element, wherein the cap extends to substantially cover two or more adjacent sides of the extruded element;

wherein the sides of the extruded element includes a front side, a back side, a left side and a right side, each defining an outer boundary of the extruded element and extending along a direction consistent with the direction of extrusion;

where the back side is laterally offset from the front side, and the left side and the right side extend between the front side and the back side, the left side being laterally offset from the right side;

wherein the sides of the extruded element additionally includes a top side and a bottom side, where the bottom side is laterally offset from the top side, and where each of the top side and the bottom side extends between each of the front side and the back side, and the left side and the right side, the top side corresponding to a beginning of the extruded element and the bottom side corresponding to an end of the extruded element;

wherein the profile has a substantially continuous outer boundary, corresponding to an outer perimeter of the profile, which extends the length of the extruded element, defining a substantially tubular member having an internal space, which extends the length of the extruded element in the direction of the extrusion and has an opening at each of the beginning and the end of the extruded element; and

wherein at least one of the two or more adjacent sides for which substantial portions are covered by the cap includes one of the opening at the beginning of the extruded element or the opening at the end of the extruded element.

2. A housing for a hand-held electronic device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the two or more adjacent sides of the cap includes three adjacent sides, where two of the three adjacent sides, respectively, substantially cover the opening at each of the beginning and the end of the extruded element.

3. A housing for a hand-held electronic device comprising:

an extruded element having a length and a profile, the length corresponding to a distance that the extruded element extends in a direction of extrusion, and the profile corresponding to a cross-section of the element, which is perpendicular to the direction of extrusion; and

a cap, coupled to the extruded element, wherein the cap extends to cover substantial portions of two or more adjacent sides;

wherein the profile has a substantially continuous outer boundary, corresponding to an outer perimeter of the profile, which extends the length of the extruded element, defining a substantially tubular member having an internal space, which extends the length of the extruded element in the direction of the extrusion and has an opening at each of a beginning and an end of the extruded element;

wherein at least one of the two or more adjacent sides for which substantial portions are covered by the cap includes one of the opening at the beginning of the extruded element or the opening at the end of the extruded element; and

wherein the profile includes one or more arms, which extend from respective points along the substantially continuous outer boundary in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of extrusion.

4. A housing for a hand-held electronic device in accordance with claim 3, wherein along at least one of the two or more adjacent sides the cap extends from an end of the arm that is distal from the substantially continuous outer boundary to a point along the substantially continuous outer boundary a distance away from the respective point that the arm extends from the substantially continuous outer boundary.

5. A housing for a hand-held electronic device in accordance with claim 4, wherein space between the cap and the outer boundary define a pocket.