Cell phone protector case having the combination of an interior soft silicone shell and a hard exterior shell with aligned retaining members

• US 8,439,191 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valor Communication Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Valor Communication Incorporated
• Inventors: Lu, Min
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US13/656,221
• Time in Patent Office: 207 Days
• Field of Search: 206/38, 206/305, 206/320, 206/701, 361/679.01, 455/90.3, 455/575.1, 455/575.8
• US Class Current: 206/320
• 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 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks

Abstract

A cell phone protector case comprising a combination of an interior soft silicone shell and a first and second hard shell press fit retained on opposite surfaces and sides of the interior soft silicone shell with the hard shell having matching retaining closing member mating flanges.

Claims

1. A cell phone protector case to retain a cell phone, comprising:

a. a combination of an interior soft silicone shell and a front hard exterior shell and a rear hard exterior shell press fit retained on opposite surfaces and sides of the interior soft silicone shell with the front and rear hard exterior shells having matching closing member mating flanges;

b. said interior soft silicone shell having openings in its front surface and in its rear surface to conform to specific models of cell phones, the interior soft silicone shell is configured to securely and firmly grip the cell phone to be sure that it is securely retained within the cell phone protector case, the interior soft silicone shell including an exterior upper rim with extended rounded sidewalls along and on opposite ends of its upper rim and a comparable extended lower rim with extended rounded sidewalls along and on opposite ends of its lower rim to provide extra cushioning for the cell phone, the sidewalls of the interior soft silicone shell further contain flared silicone cushioning extensions which are interspersed between aligned exterior shell mating members to provide extra cushioning and protection for the cell phone, the cushioning extensions are aligned between aligned retaining members on two sections of the hard exterior shell press fit retained on opposite surfaces of the interior soft silicone shell;

c. the interior soft silicone shell having the upper rim, lower rim, parallel sidewalls, a rear surface and a front surface which surround an interior chamber with an open face in the front surface through which the cell phone and its operating buttons are visible and touchable;

d. the front hard exterior shell and the rear hard exterior shell which are designed to be press fit retained by the interior soft silicone shell by having matching mating members on sidewalls of the front and rear hard exterior shells to envelope the interior soft silicone shell to fit within the front surface and the rear surface as well as on the sidewalls;

e. the front hard exterior shell component is configured to be press fit retained to the front of the interior soft silicone shell so that a front surface of the interior soft silicone shell includes a flat upper surface which extends below the rim and has an interior ledge which abuts against the top rim of the interior soft silicone shell, the front hard exterior shell having an upper surface and an upper rim which are designed to conform in shape to the front surface of the interior soft silicone shell and abut against the ledge to form a press fit so that the front hard exterior shell is aligned with the interior silicone surface, similarly, the lower rim of the interior soft silicone shell having a lower interior surface and ledge which abuts against the lower rim of the interior soft silicone shell, the bottom of the front hard exterior shell including a bottom surface and a bottom rim which abut against the interior ledge of the interior soft silicone shell of the lower rim so that the lower surface fits within the lower surface of the silicone shell, the interior soft silicone shell also includes a button and the lower wall of the front exterior hard shell contains an opening which fits around the button to further securely retain the front hard exterior outer shell to the interior soft silicone shell;

f. the first sidewall of the front hard exterior shell includes mating flanges which are designed to fit within recesses of the sidewall of the interior soft silicone shell, the opposite sidewall of the front hard exterior shell including extending flanges designed to fit within the respective recesses of the interior soft silicone shell so that there is a press fit with recesses designed to receive cushioning protrusions from the interior soft silicone shell, the front hard exterior shell is designed to be press fit received onto the front and sidewalls of the interior soft silicone case;

g. the rear surface of the interior soft silicone shell having a recessed surface extending from the interior of the upper rim to the interior of the lower rim and a recessed ledge adjacent the interior of the upper rim and a recessed ledge adjacent the interior of the lower rim, the rear surface of the interior soft silicone shell is recessed to accommodate the rear hard exterior protective shell, the interior soft silicone shell having protrusions also extending from the second sidewall onto the rear surface of the interior soft silicone shell;

h. the rear of the hard exterior shell having openings to accommodate respective openings in the interior soft silicone interior shell, the rear hard exterior shell also having an upper rim and rounded ends designed to respectively fit against the upper rim and upper rounded ends of the interior soft silicone shell and a lower rim and rounded ends designed to respectively fit against the lower edge and the interior rim and lower rounded ends of the interior soft silicone shell, the rear hard exterior shell also including sidewalls with mating flanges designed to fit recesses on the wall of the interior soft silicone shell and rear recesses designed to receive cushioning protruding members from the interior soft silicone shell;

i. the rear hard exterior shell section has a tight press fit against the rear of the interior soft silicone shell and mating flanges from the two respective front exterior hard shell and rear exterior hard shell outer sections are aligned on the sidewalls of the inner soft silicone shell, the mating flanges from the front hard exterior shell and rear hard exterior shell sections are aligned with each other on the sidewalls of interior soft silicone shell and the protruding cushioning members further assist in the press fit retention; and

j. when the front hard exterior shell and rear hard exterior shell two outer hard shell sections are press fit retained within their respective positions within the interior soft silicone shell, they form a hard outer shell to complement the interior soft inner interior silicone shell, which the front and rear hard exterior outer shells are press fit retained onto and within the interior soft silicone shell and which hard front and rear hard exterior shells provide further protection to the cell phone protector case so that it can be easily slipped into and out of a pocket and also cushion a blow should the cell phone be dropped.

2. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the front and rear hard exterior shells are made out of material selected from the group consisting of hard plastic and metal.

3. A cell phone protector case to retain a cell phone, comprising:

a. a combination of an interior soft shell and a front hard exterior shell and a rear hard exterior shell press fit retained on opposite surfaces and sides of the interior soft shell with the front and rear hard exterior shells having matching aligned closing member mating flanges;

b. said interior soft shell having openings on at least one surface to conform to specific models of cell phones, the interior soft shell is configured to securely and firmly grip the cell phone, the interior soft shell including a recessed front surface and a recessed rear surface, the interior soft shell including an exterior upper rim with extended rounded sidewalls along and on opposite ends of its upper rim and a comparable extended lower rim with extended rounded sidewalls along and on opposite ends of its lower rim, a recessed front surface and a recessed rear surface resting below the upper and lower rim and their respective rounded ends, the sidewalls of the interior soft shell further contain cushioning extensions which are interspersed between aligned outer front and rear hard shell mating retaining members, the first and second sidewalls of the interior soft shell further include longitudinal gaps between the cushioning extensions;

c. the interior soft shell including the upper rim, the lower rim, and first and second sidewalls which are parallel to each other surround an interior chamber with an open face through which the cell phone is visible; and

d. the front exterior hard shell which is designed to be press fit retained by the interior soft shell by having matching mating flanges on the sidewalls of the front exterior hard shell, a front of the front exterior hard shell configured to rest on the recessed front surface and against the upper and lower rim and their respective rounded ends, and the rear of the exterior hard shell configured to rest on the recessed rear surface of the interior soft shell and against the upper and lower rims and their respective rounded ends, and the rear of the hard shell and having mating members on its sidewalls which match the mating flanges on the sidewalls of the front exterior hard shell.

4. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

a. the front hard exterior shell component is configured to be press fit retained to the front of the interior soft shell so that an upper surface of the interior soft shell includes a flat upper surface which extends below the rim and has an interior ledge which abuts against the exterior top rim of the interior soft shell, the front exterior hard shell having an upper surface and an upper rim which are designed to conform in shape to the interior upper surface and fit over the ledge to form a press fit so that the upper exterior hard shell is aligned with the interior soft shell surface, similarly, the lower rim of the soft shell having a lower interior surface and ledge which abuts against the lower rim of the interior soft shell, a rear interior bottom of the rear exterior hard shell phone protector case including a bottom surface and a bottom rim which fits over the interior ledge of the rear of the soft shell so that the rear interior hard lower surface of the exterior shell fits within the lower surface of the interior soft shell.

5. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 4, further comprising:

the front surface of the soft shell also includes a button and the lower wall of the front exterior hard shell contains an opening which fits around the button to further securely retain the front exterior hard outer shell to the interior silicone rim.

6. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

the first sidewall of the front exterior hard shell includes mating flanges which are designed to fit within recesses of the sidewall of the soft shell, the opposite sidewall of the front exterior hard shell section including extending flanges designed to fit within the respective recesses of the interior soft shell so that there is a press fit with recesses designed to receive cushioning protrusions from the soft shell, the front exterior hard shell is designed to be press fit received onto the front and sidewalls of the interior silicone case shell.

7. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

the front exterior hard shell having at least one opening to accommodate the at least one opening in the interior soft shell.

8. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 3, comprising:

a. the front and rear exterior hard shell have a tight press fit respectively against the front surface and rear surface of the interior soft shell and mating flanges from the respective front and rear exterior hard shells are aligned on the sidewalls of the interior soft shell, the mating flanges from the front and rear exterior hard shell shells are aligned with each other on the sidewalls of interior soft shell and the protruding cushioning members further assist in the press fit retention; and

b. when the front and rear hard shells are press fit retained within their respective positions within the interior soft shell, they form a hard outer shell to complement the interior soft shell, which hard outer shell is press fit retained onto and within the soft silicone interior shell and which hard outer shell provides further protection to the cell phone protector case so that it can be easily slipped into and out of a pocket and also cushion a blow should the cell phone be dropped.

9. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

the soft shell is made of material selected from the group consisting of silicone and rubber.

10. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

the front and rear hard exterior hard shells are each made out of material selected from the group consisting of hard plastic and metal.

11. The cell phone protector case in accordance with claim 3, further comprising:

a. the rear exterior hard shell is configured to be press fit retained to the rear of the interior soft shell so that a lower surface of the interior soft shell includes a flat upper surface which extends below the rim and has an interior ledge which abuts against the top rim of the interior soft shell, the rear exterior hard shell having an upper surface and an upper rim which are designed to conform in shape to the interior upper rim and fit over the interior ledge to form a press fit so that the exterior rear hard shell is aligned with the interior soft shell surface, similarly, the lower rim of the soft shell having a lower interior surface and ledge which abuts against the lower rim of the interior soft shell, the bottom of the rear exterior hard shell including a bottom surface and a bottom rim which fits over the interior ledge of the soft shell so that the lower surface of the rear exterior hard shell fits within the lower surface of the soft shell.