Conformable computer holder

• US 8,757,374 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Joseph Kaiser
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Joseph Kaiser
• Inventors: Kaiser, Jeffrey Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US13/109,341
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 206/320, 206/521, 206/522, 206591-594, 108 42- 44, 248/188.2, 248/346.03, 248/346.2, 248/363, 248/371, 248/444, 248/454, 248/917, 361/679.09, 361/679.55, 361/679.56
• US Class Current: 206/320
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/40 by means of coilable or bendable legs or spiral shaped legs
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle

Abstract

A computer holder has a protective case and a conformable backing which is attached to the case. The case holds the computer, and the backing can be formed as a soft membrane or as an accordion-like bellows. The backing is preferably made of a sewn fabric, leather and other similar soft materials, and may alternatively be made of injection molded silicone. The space within the backing can be selectively filled with small filling materials, a low viscosity fluid or a gas such as air. A two way valve, cap or handle can be attached to the backing to allow for a variation of the backing'"'"'s fill level and shape. The holder can also have a strap attached to the case and a pocket formed in the backing.

Claims

1. A holder for steadying a computer on a supporting surface, the computer having a front screen side, a back housing side and peripheral sides, comprising:

a case with an attachment portion connected to the computer and configured as a shell to

the computer housing, said shell having plurality of sides with a length size and a width size; and

a conformable backing connected to said case, wherein said conformable backing extends from more than one of said case sides away from the computer housing to a distal end, wherein said distal end is spaced from said case at a first distance when said case is in an angled position and a second distance less than said first distance when said case is in a flat position, wherein said conformable backing has a plurality of arrangements according to a plurality of positions of said case and the supporting surface in contact with said conformable backing, wherein said positions are comprised of a flat position, a horizontal position, a vertical position, and a diagonal position, wherein said conformable backing provides a fulcrum for the holder on the supporting surface and comprises a center of gravity between said distal end and the computer housing, wherein said center of gravity is proximate to said fulcrum, and wherein said conformable backing is comprised of a plurality of conformable sides in a converging arrangement toward the distal point, wherein said converging arrangement is comprised of a first section proximate to said case extending inwardly toward said center of gravity and is further comprised of a second section extending away from said case beyond said center of gravity to said distal end.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said case sides are comprised of at least one longitudinal side and a pair of lateral sides forming said shell, wherein said case is substantially adjacent the computer housing and wherein said case attachment portion is proximate to the periphery of the computer housing, wherein said shell extends across at least a portion of the computer housing and comprises a plurality access ports corresponding with utility ports and interface ports on the computer.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein said spaced distal end has a maximum distance approximately equal to said shell width size.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said case is fixedly connected to said conformable backing through at least one of an integral formation, a sewn attachment, and a glued attachment, and wherein said case attachment portion is selected from the group of attachment devices consisting of:

a magnetic attachment, a clip-on attachment, a slide-on attachment, a snap-on attachment, a hook and loop attachment, glue, tape and any combination thereof.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said conformable backing is connected to said case through a removable attachment, and wherein said case attachment portion is selected from the group of attachment devices consisting of:

a magnetic attachment, a clip-on attachment, a slide-on attachment, a snap-on attachment, a hook and loop attachment, glue, tape and any combination thereof, wherein said removable attachment is selected from the group of attachment devices consisting of;

a magnetic attachment, a clip-on attachment, a slide-on attachment, a snap-on attachment, a hook and loop attachment, a frame and any combination thereof.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein said conformable backing is selected from the group consisting of:

a membrane at least partially filled with a plurality of conformable solids, a membrane at least partially filled with a low viscosity liquid, a membrane at least partially filled with a gas, a membrane with a plurality of foldable bellows and at least partially filled with a gas, and any combination thereof, and wherein said conformable backing provides a fulcrum for the holder on the supporting surface and comprises a center of gravity within said membrane between said distal end and the computer housing, wherein said center of gravity is proximate to said fulcrum.

7. The invention of claim 6, wherein said conformable backing is further comprised of an outer membrane and a bladder within said outer membrane, wherein said bladder is at least partially filled with at least one of said conformable solids, said low viscosity liquid and said gas.

8. The invention of claim 6, wherein said at least conformable backing is further comprised of at least one of a valve, a cap and a handle, wherein said valve provides a first sealable pathway into said conformable backing for said gas to be introduced into and evacuated from said conformable backing, wherein said cap provides a second sealable pathway into said conformable backing for at least one of said liquid and said conformable solids to be introduced into and removed from said conformable backing, wherein said handle provides a mechanical advantage for adjusting said conformable backing, and wherein said second distance can be adjusted through a manipulation of said gas, liquid, solids and bellows according to said corresponding valve, said cap and said handle.

9. The invention of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a strap connected to said case, a pocket located between said case and said conformable backing, and a cover connected to said case, said cover having a folded position with a first portion covering the screen and a second portion covering said conformable backing and an unfolded position uncovering the screen and said conformable backing.

10. A holder for steadying a computer on a supporting surface, the computer having a front screen side, a back housing side and peripheral sides, comprising:

a case with an attachment portion connected to the computer and configured as a shell to the computer housing, said shell having a pair of longitudinal sides having a length size and a pair of lateral sides having a width size; and

a conformable backing connected to said case, wherein said conformable backing extends from said longitudinal sides and from said lateral sides to a distal end away from the computer housing in a converging arrangement toward a distal point beyond said distal end, wherein said distal end is spaced from said case at a first distance when said case is in an angled position and a second distance less than said first distance when said case is in a flat position, wherein said conformable backing extends relative to said longitudinal sides of said case, wherein said flat position is a substantially flattened position, wherein said conformable backing provides a fulcrum for the holder on the supporting surface and comprises a center of gravity between said distal end and the computer housing, wherein said center of gravity is proximate to said fulcrum, and wherein said conformable backing is comprised of a plurality of conformable sides in said converging arrangement.

11. The invention of claim 10, wherein said conformable backing is selected from the group of backings consisting of:

a membrane at least partially filled with a plurality of conformable solids, a membrane at least partially filled with a low viscosity liquid, a membrane at least partially filled with a gas, a membrane with plurality of foldable bellows, and any combination thereof, and wherein no portion of said backings flare outwardly away from said converging arrangement beyond said longitudinal sides and lateral sides of said case.

12. The holder of claim 10, further comprising a pocket between said distal end and at least one of said longitudinal sides and said lateral sides.

13. The holder of claim 10, wherein said conformable backing has a plurality of arrangements according to a plurality of positions of said case and the supporting surface in contact with said conformable backing, wherein said positions are comprised of a flat position, an elevated position, and an intermediate position, wherein said distal end is spaced from said case at a first distance when said case is in an elevated position, a second distance less than said first distance when said case is in a flat position, and a third distance less than the first distance and greater than the second distance when said case is in the intermediate position, said center-weighted center of gravity and fulcrum permitting said holder to transition from one of said positions to another of said positions while said holder supports the computer on the supporting surface.

14. The holder of claim 10, wherein said conformable sides in said converging arrangement are selected from the group of sides consisting of a longitudinal pair of said conformable sides, a lateral pair of said conformable sides, at least one longitudinal conformable side in combination with at least one lateral conformable sides, and said longitudinal pair of conformable sides in combination with said lateral pair of said conformable sides, wherein said conformable sides and said converging arrangement form a first conformable backing configuration with said case in said angled position relative to the supporting surface and a second conformable backing configuration with said case in said flattened position, wherein said angled position is formed between the supporting surface and at least one of said longitudinal conformable sides and said lateral conformable sides.

15. The holder of claim 13, wherein said conformable sides and said converging arrangement form a third conformable backing configuration, wherein said angled position is formed between the supporting surface and said longitudinal conformable sides in said first conformable backing configuration, and wherein said angled position is formed between the supporting surface and said lateral conformable sides in said third conformable backing configuration.

16. A holder for steadying a computer on a supporting surface, the computer having a front screen side, a back housing side and peripheral sides, comprising:

a case with an attachment portion connected to the computer and configured as a shell to the computer housing, said shell having pair of longitudinal sides having a length size and a pair of lateral sides having a width size; and

a conformable backing connected to said case, wherein said conformable backing comprises a plurality of outer sides;

wherein each of said outer sides extends inwardly from said longitudinal sides and from said lateral sides proximate to said case toward a center of gravity of said conformable backing and each of said outer sides further extends away from said case to a distal end spaced away from the computer housing in a converging configuration toward a distal point beyond said distal end, wherein said conformable backing has a plurality of arrangements according to a plurality of positions of said case and the supporting surface in contact with said conformable backing, wherein said positions are comprised of a flat position, a horizontal position, a vertical position, and a diagonal position, wherein said conformable backing provides a fulcrum for the holder on the supporting surface and comprises a center of gravity between said distal end and the computer housing, wherein said center of gravity is proximate to said fulcrum, and wherein said conformable backing, is comprised of a plurality of conformable sides in a converging arrangement toward the distal point, wherein said converging arrangement is comprised of a first section proximate to said case extending inwardly toward said center of gravity and is further comprised of a second section extending away from said case beyond said center of gravity to said distal end.

17. The invention of claim 16, wherein no portion of said outer sides of said conformable backing flares outwardly away from said center of gravity beyond said longitudinal sides and lateral sides of said case, wherein said distal end is spaced from said case at a first distance when said case is in an angled position and a second distance less than said first distance when said case is in a flat position.

18. The holder of claim 16, wherein said conformable sides in said converging arrangement are selected from the group of sides consisting of a longitudinal pair of said conformable sides, a lateral pair of said conformable sides, at least one longitudinal conformable side in combination with at least one lateral conformable sides, and said longitudinal pair of conformable sides in combination with said lateral pair of said conformable sides, wherein said conformable sides and said converging arrangement form a first conformable backing configuration with said case in said angled position relative to the supporting surface and a second conformable backing configuration with said case in said flattened position, wherein said angled position is formed between the supporting surface and at least one of said longitudinal conformable sides and said lateral conformable sides.

19. The holder of claim 16, wherein said conformable backing further comprises a pocket between said distal end and at least one of said outer sides.

20. A holder for steadying a computer on a supporting surface, the computer having a front screen side, a back housing side and peripheral sides, comprising:

a case with an attachment portion connected to the computer and configured as a shell to the computer housing, said shell having a pair of longitudinal sides having a length size and a pair of lateral sides having a width size; and

a conformable backing connected to said case, wherein said conformable backing extends from said longitudinal sides and from said lateral sides to a distal end away from the computer housing in a converging arrangement toward a distal point beyond said distal end, wherein said distal end is spaced from said case at a first distance when said case is in an angled position and a second distance less than said first distance when said case is in a flat position, wherein said distal end is spaced from said case at a first distance when said case is in an angled position and a second distance less than said first distance when said case is in a flat position, wherein said conformable backing has a plurality of arrangements according to a plurality of positions of said case and the supporting surface in contact with said conformable backing, wherein said positions are comprised of a flat position, a horizontal position, a vertical position, and a diagonal position, wherein said conformable backing provides a fulcrum for the holder on the supporting surface and comprises a center of gravity between said distal end and the computer housing, wherein said center of gravity is proximate to said fulcrum, and wherein said conformable backing is comprised of a plurality of conformable sides in a converging arrangement toward the distal point, wherein said converging arrangement is comprised of a first section proximate to said case extending inwardly toward said center of gravity and is further comprised of a second section extending away from said case beyond said center of gravity to said distal end.