Protective cases for mobile electronic communication devices

• US 8,955,678 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pelican Products Incorporated (Pelican Products Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pelican Products Incorporated (Pelican Products Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Andrew, Gawlowski, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Reynolds, Steven A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, King M
• Application Number:
  US13/830,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 206/320, 206/811, 224/666, 361/679.02
• US Class Current: 206/320
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/00 Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation connecting metal parts or objects by metal-working procedures B21J, B23K; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes hand tools in general B25
• 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
• 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 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A protective case for a mobile electronic communication device having a user input interface includes a front cover configured to couple with a rear cover to define a volume for receiving the mobile electronic communication device, the front cover having an aperture aligned with the user input interface when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume; a transparent membrane provided between the front cover and the rear cover to be disposed over the user input interface when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume; and a compressible member arranged between the front cover and the membrane and separate from the front cover, the transparent membrane configured to provide a seal between the transparent membrane and the front cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

Claims

1. A protective case for a mobile electronic communication device having a user input interface, the protective case comprising:

a rear cover;

a front cover configured to couple with the rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover defining a volume for receiving the mobile electronic communication device when the front cover is coupled to the rear cover, the front cover having an aperture aligned with the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume;

a transparent membrane provided between the front cover and the rear cover to be disposed over the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover; and

a compressible member made of a material separate from the transparent membrane and arranged between the front cover and the membrane and separate from the front cover, the compressible member configured to provide a seal between the transparent membrane and the front cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the compressible member is attached to the transparent membrane.

3. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the transparent membrane is not attached to the front cover.

4. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the transparent membrane and the compressible member are removable from the front cover and the rear cover.

5. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the compressible member is arranged to seal against a first rear surface of the top cover around the aperture of the top cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

6. The protective case of claim 5,

wherein the rear cover has a peripheral wall having a top surface facing the front cover when the front cover is coupled to the rear cover;

wherein the rear cover includes a rib extending upward from the top surface of the peripheral wall and around at least a portion of the volume; and

wherein the rib is arranged to seal against a second rear surface of the top cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

7. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the second rear surface is arranged further from the top surface of the front cover than the first rear surface.

8. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the first rear surface is arranged closer to a center point of the protective case than the second rear surface.

9. The protective case of claim 1,

wherein the rear cover has a peripheral wall having a top surface facing the front cover when the front cover is coupled to the rear cover;

wherein the rear cover includes a rib extending upward from the top surface of the peripheral wall and around at least a portion of the volume; and

wherein the rib is arranged to seal against a rear surface of the top cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

10. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the protective case is configured to provide a first seal between the compressive member and a first surface of the front cover and a second seal between a rib portion of a peripheral wall of the rear cover and a second surface of the front cover.

11. The protective case of claim 10, wherein the second seal is arranged further from the top surface of the front cover than the first seal.

12. The protective case of claim 10, wherein the first seal is arranged closer to a center point of the protective case than the second seal.

13. The protective case of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one coupling member for coupling the front cover to the rear cover.

14. The protective case of claim 13, wherein the at least one coupling member is configured to force the front cover against the compressible member to enhance the seal between the transparent membrane and the front cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

15. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the compressible member is adhered to the transparent membrane with an adhesive.

16. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the compressible member comprises a foam material.

17. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the compressible member comprises a urethane material.

18. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the compressible member defines an aperture aligned with the aperture of the front cover and the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

19. The protective case of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the transparent membrane is configured to be received on at least a portion of the rear cover.

22. The protective case of claim 1,

wherein the transparent membrane comprises a body portion and at least one tab portion extending from the body portion;

and

wherein the at least one tab portion is configured to extend beyond a periphery of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

26. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic communication device is a separate unit from the protective case.

27. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device is a touchscreen display.

29. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the compressible member has a top surface that engages and seals against a surface of the front cover, and wherein the compressible member has a rear surface that engages the transparent membrane.

20. A protective case for a mobile electronic communication device having a user input interface, the protective case comprising:

a rear cover;

a front cover configured to couple with the rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover defining a volume for receiving the mobile electronic communication device when the front cover is coupled to the rear cover, the front cover having an aperture aligned with the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume;

a transparent membrane provided between the front cover and the rear cover to be disposed over the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover; and

a compressible member arranged between the front cover and the membrane and separate from the front cover, the compressible member configured to provide a seal between the transparent membrane and the front cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover;

wherein the transparent membrane comprises a body portion and at least one tab portion extending from the body portion; and

wherein the at least one tab portion is configured to extend over at least a portion of a peripheral wall of the rear cover.

21. The protective case of claim 20, wherein the at least one tab portion is received into a recess provided in the peripheral wall of the rear cover.

23. A protective case for a mobile electronic communication device having a user input interface, the protective case comprising:

a rear cover;

a front cover configured to couple with the rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover defining a volume for receiving the mobile electronic communication device when the front cover is coupled to the rear cover, the front cover having an aperture aligned with the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume;

a transparent membrane provided between the front cover and the rear cover to be disposed over the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover; and

a compressible member arranged between the front cover and the membrane and separate from the front cover, the compressible member configured to provide a seal between the transparent membrane and the front cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover;

wherein the transparent membrane comprises a body and at least one tab portion extending from the body portion, the transparent membrane including an opening through each of the least one tab portion;

wherein the rear cover includes at least one opening, each opening at a position to align with a corresponding one of the at least one opening of the transparent membrane when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover; and

wherein the front cover includes at least one protrusion at one or more positions to extend through a corresponding one of the at least one opening of the transparent membrane and into a corresponding one of the at least one opening of the rear cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

24. The protective case of claim 23, wherein the at least one opening of the rear cover is provided in a peripheral wall of the rear cover.

25. A protective case for a mobile electronic communication device having a user input interface, the protective case comprising:

a rear cover;

a front cover configured to couple with the rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover defining a volume for receiving the mobile electronic communication device when the front cover is coupled to the rear cover, the front cover having an aperture aligned with the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume;

a transparent membrane provided between the front cover and the rear cover to be disposed over the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover; and

a compressible member arranged between the front cover and the membrane and separate from the front cover, the compressible member configured to provide a seal between the transparent membrane and the front cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover;

wherein the transparent membrane includes at least one opening through the transparent membrane;

wherein the rear cover includes at least one opening, each at a position to align with a corresponding one the at least one opening of the transparent membrane when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover; and

wherein the front cover includes at least one protrusion at one or more positions to extend through a corresponding one of the at least one opening of the transparent membrane and into a corresponding one of the at least one opening of the rear cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.

28. A method of manufacturing a protective case for a mobile electronic communication device having a user input interface, the method comprising:

providing a rear cover;

configuring a front cover configured to couple with the rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover defining a volume for receiving the mobile electronic communication device when the front cover is coupled to the rear cover, the front cover having an aperture aligned with the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume;

providing a transparent membrane provided between the front cover and the rear cover to be disposed over the user input interface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover; and

arranging a compressible member made of a material separate from the transparent membrane between the front cover and the membrane and separate from the front cover, the compressible member configured to provide a seal between the transparent membrane and the front cover when the mobile electronic communication device is received in the volume and the front cover is coupled to the rear cover.