Protective enclosure for electronic device

• US 8,922,985 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Richardson, Curtis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US14/031,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20140020947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/679.3
• 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 13/002 Protective covers
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/005 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/02 Interior fittings; Means, e.g. inserts, for holding and packing articles
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/36 Reinforcements for edges, corners, or other parts
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/001 for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or MP3-players
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/003 for portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2200/10 Transparent walls
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/00 Rigid or semi-rigid luggage collapsible or extensible luggage, bags or the like A45C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/02 specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage containers of polygonal cross-section provided with internal protecting elements for contents B65D5/50; devices to locate articles in containers B65D25/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/022 Containers made of shock-absorbing material B65D81/03 takes precedence; for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3813
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/05 maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents B65D81/022, B65D81/025, B65D81/03 take precedence
• 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 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 : Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 : Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3894 : Waterproofing of transmission device
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 : Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 : Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 : associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1033 : Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/02 : Details casings, cabinets or mounting therein for transducers covered by H04R1/02 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 : with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 : Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 : Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 : Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/061 : sealed by a gasket held between a removable cover and a body, e.g. O-ring, packing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/068 : having a pressure compensation device, e.g. membrane venting means H05K5/0213
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/069 : Other details of the casing, e.g. wall structure, passage for a connector, a cable, a shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 : Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24413 : Metal or metal compound
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24909 : Free metal or mineral containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 : Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31605 : Next to free metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31692 : Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31696 : Including polyene monomers [e.g., butadiene, etc.]

Abstract

A protective enclosure for an electronic device is provided. The protective enclosure includes a first case member, a second case member, a rigid plunger, and an electrical conductor. The second case member is hingeably attached to the first case member to form a shell that includes a watertight enclosure for the electronic device. The rigid plunger is adapted to transmit a mechanical motion from outside the shell to the electronic device inside the shell. The electrical conductor includes an electrical plug to mate to an electrical jack of the electronic device in the watertight enclosure to electrically connect the electronic device to a device outside the shell.

Claims

1. A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising:

a first case member comprising a perimeter portion and further having a surface portion comprising a front surface and a back surface;

a second case member comprising a perimeter portion and further having a surface portion comprising a front surface and a back surface, the second case member being hingeably attached to the first case member to form a shell for the electronic device, the shell having an open position in which the electronic device can be inserted into the shell and having a closed position that forms a watertight enclosure for the electronic device;

a rigid plunger disposed in an opening of one of the first case member and the second case member, the rigid plunger adapted to transmit a mechanical motion from outside the shell to the electronic device inside the shell; and

an electrical conductor affixed to the shell and comprising an electrical plug that includes a data communication cable and is internal to the shell to mate to a data port of the electronic device in the shell to electrically interface the electronic device to one or more devices external to the shell for conducting data signals between the electronic device and the one or more devices external to the shell.

2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the electrical jack of the electronic device comprises a headphone jack and the electrical plug of the electrical conductor of the protective case comprises a headphone plug to mate with the headphone jack of the electronic device to conduct audio signals from the electronic device to the one or more devices.

3. The protective case of claim 2, further comprising a headphone jack of the protective case that is positioned on one of the surface portion of the first case member or the surface portion of the second case member, the headphone jack of the protective case electrically connected to the electrical conductor.

4. The protective case of claim 3, wherein the headphone jack of the protective case comprises a watertight electrical pass-through.

5. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor further comprises a flexible cable enabling the electrical plug of the electrical conductor to be mated with the electrical jack of the electronic device before the electronic device is inserted into the shell.

6. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a music player.

7. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising a gasket that seals between the first case member and the second case member to form the watertight enclosure when the shell is in the closed position.

8. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising one or more latch mechanisms to secure the shell in the closed position.

9. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising one or more clips for attaching the protective case to another object.

10. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is held in a fixed position inside the shell such that the rigid plunger is aligned with a control button of the electronic device so that a force applied to the rigid plunger from the outside of the shell activates the control button of the electronic device inside the watertight enclosure.

11. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional rigid plunger disposed in an additional opening of the one of the first and the second case members, the additional rigid plunger aligned with an additional control button of the electronic device such that a force applied to the additional rigid plunger from the outside of the shell activates the additional control button.

12. A case for a mobile electronic device, the case comprising:

a rotatable hinge member;

a rear cover comprising a front surface, a back surface, and a perimeter portion, the rear cover being attached to the rotatable hinge member;

a front cover comprising a front surface, a back surface, and a perimeter portion, the front cover being attached to the rotatable hinge member opposite the rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover adapted to compress a gasket between the front cover and the rear cover when the case is in a closed position to form a watertight cavity, the gasket extending around at least a portion of one or more of the front cover and the rear cover, the front cover further comprising a plurality of rigid plungers each disposed for alignment with buttons of the mobile electronic device to transmit mechanical motions from outside of the case to the buttons of the mobile electronic device, respectively, inside the watertight cavity; and

an electrical cable affixed to the case and disposed in the watertight cavity, the

electrical cable interfacing with an electrical connector of the mobile electronic device to conduct electrical signals from the mobile electronic device to a location external to the watertight cavity.

13. The case of claim 12 wherein:

the electrical signals comprise audio signals;

the electrical connector of the mobile electronic device comprises a headphone jack; and

the electrical cable comprises an electrical plug compatible with the headphone jack of the mobile electronic device for conducting the audio signals.

14. The case of claim 13 further comprising audio headphones electrically connected to the electrical cable and adapted to receive the audio signals.

15. The case of claim 13 further comprising a second headphone jack accessible on one of the front surface of the front cover or the front surface of the rear cover, the second headphone jack being electrically connected to the electrical plug by the electrical cable.

16. The case of claim 12 wherein the mobile electronic device comprises a Moving Picture Experts Group Layer 3 (MP3) music player.

17. The case of claim 12 further comprising at least one clip for attaching the case to another object.

18. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the electrical cable is a data communication cable, and wherein the electrical signals comprise data.

19. A protective case for a portable music player, the protective case comprising:

a flexible seal;

a first case portion comprising a front surface, a back surface, and a perimeter having an inner surface and an outer surface and extending around at least a portion of a perimeter of the first case portion, the first case portion being configured to receive the portable music player;

a second case portion comprising a perimeter forming a proximal end, a distal end, and opposing sides, and further having a surface comprising a front and a back surface, the second case portion being hingeably attached to the first case portion opposite the first case portion such that the flexible seal is capable of being compressed between the first and the second case portions to form a watertight cavity for the portable music player when the portable music player is inserted between the first case portion and the second case portion and the protective case is in a closed position;

a plurality of rigid plungers disposed in respective openings of the second case portion and disposed to align with respective corresponding control buttons of the portable music player and configured to transmit a mechanical force applied at an external surface of the protective case to the respective corresponding control buttons of the portable music player to activate the control buttons of the portable music player when the portable music player is inside the watertight cavity;

headphones connected to one of the first case portion and the second case

portion; and

an electrical cable affixed to the protective case and configured to mate with a headphone jack of the portable music player when the portable music player is inside the watertight cavity and further configured to conduct audio signals received from the portable music player to the headphones.

20. The protective case of claim 19 wherein the first case portion comprises a first latching mechanism and the second case portion comprises a second latching mechanism configured to engage the first latching mechanism to secure the protective case in the closed position.

21. The protective case of claim 19 further comprising a plurality of additional rigid plungers disposed in the second case portion, the additional rigid plungers configured to transmit mechanical forces from outside the protective case to additional control buttons, respectively, of the portable music player inside the watertight cavity.