Protective enclosure for touch screen device

• US 9,010,537 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathew, Fenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKINLEY, CHRISTOPHER BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US13/602,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20120325723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 961 Days
• Field of Search: 206/777, 206/37, 206/701, 206/723, 206/811, 206/722
• US Class Current: 206/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer

Abstract

A protective enclosure for a touch screen device, the enclosure formed of a substantially rigid tray having a rim surrounding an interior device seating surface; a lid having a substantially rigid rim surrounding a window aperture, the rim of the lid corresponding to the rim of the tray; a pliable membrane having an interior window portion that is structured for viewing there through and is sized to project outwardly of the rim surrounding the window aperture of the lid; a continuous pliable seal adapted to be compressible between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray; and a clamping mechanism structured for clamping the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray with the pliable seal forming a continuous substantially water-resistant seal therebetween.

Claims

1. A protective enclosure for a device responsive to a tactile stimulus, the enclosure allowing operation of the device while the device is disposed in the enclosure, the enclosure comprising:

a tray comprising an interior device seating area and a rim around the device seating area, the tray adapted for receiving the device on the device seating area and oriented with a portion thereof responsive to a tactile input facing away from the device seating area; and

a lid movable relative to the device seating area of the tray between an open position and a closed position, the lid comprising;

a rim around an aperture, the aperture positioned for viewing an interior portion of the enclosure there through, and

a substantially transparent pliable membrane positioned in the viewing aperture of the lid, the membrane comprising an interior window portion that is projected outwardly of the rim around the aperture of the lid;

a continuous pliable seal positioned between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray when the lid is in the closed position relative to the tray;

wherein the enclosure comprises a protective case portion adapted to hold the touch screen device and allowing operation of the touch screen and of one or more actuators on a side of the touch screen device; and

wherein the device seating area of the tray is further adapted to position at least a portion of the touch screen device outwardly of the rim of the lid and through the aperture thereof, with the touch screen of the touch screen device and the one or more actuators thereof being positioned substantially outwardly of the rim of the lid and through the aperture thereof when the lid is in the closed position relative to the tray.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the membrane further comprises a skirt portion extended between the interior window portion thereof and the rim of the lid.

3. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the membrane further comprises the pliable seal.

4. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the membrane further comprises the pliable seal, and a skirt portion extended between the seal and the interior window portion thereof.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the device seating area of the tray is further projected outwardly of the rim thereof.

6. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a clamping mechanism structured for clamping the pliable seal between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray.

7. The enclosure of claim 6, wherein the clamping mechanism is further structured for clamping the pliable seal between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray in a continuous substantially water-resistant seal.

8. The enclosure of claim 6, wherein the lid is further hinged relative to the device seating area of the tray for moving between the open position and the closed position.

9. The enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a clamp operable between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray.

10. An enclosure for a touch screen device that allows operation of a touch screen on the touch screen device while the touch screen device is disposed in the enclosure, the enclosure comprising:

a shell that is adapted to contain the touch screen device, the shell comprising a tray and a lid;

an aperture in the lid of the shell in such a position as to be disposed over the touch screen of the touch screen device when the touch screen device is disposed in the enclosure, and wherein the lid is movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the tray;

a flexible membrane sized for substantially filling the aperture in the shell, the flexible membrane comprising;

a continuous pliable seal portion,

an interior window portion adapted to allow tactile inputs to be communicated to the touch screen, and

a skirt portion extended from the interior window portion adapted to allow tactile inputs to be communicated to one or more actuators on a side of the touch screen device;

the flexible membrane adapted to mount in the aperture with the interior window portion thereof being projected on the skirt portion outwardly of the aperture in the shell;

wherein the shell comprises a protective case portion adapted to hold the touch screen device and allowing operation of the touch screen and of one or more actuators on sides of the touch screen device through the flexible membrane; and

wherein the tray further comprises an interior device seating surface and a rim around the device seating surface, the tray adapted for receiving the touch screen device on the device seating surface and oriented with a portion thereof responsive to a tactile input facing away from the device seating surface, the tray further adapted for projecting the touch screen device at least partially outwardly of the aperture in the shell with the touch screen portion being exposed outwardly of the aperture in the shell within the flexible membrane, and the one or more actuators on the side of the touch screen device being at least partially exposed outwardly of the aperture in the shell within the flexible membrane for allowing operation of the touch screen and of one or more actuators on sides of the touch screen device through the flexible membrane.

11. The enclosure of claim 10, wherein the interior window portion of the membrane is oriented substantially transverse of the skirt portion.

12. The enclosure of claim 10, wherein the lid further comprises a rim around the aperture, the rim substantially corresponding to the rim of the tray, and wherein the seal portion of the flexible membrane is further positioned between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray when the lid is in the closed position relative to the tray.

13. The enclosure of claim 12, further comprising a clamping mechanism structured for compressing the pliable seal between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray.

14. The enclosure of claim 10, further comprising a clamp operable between the lid and the tray.

20. The enclosure of claim 14, wherein the lid further comprises a rim around the aperture, the rim substantially corresponding to the rim of the tray;

and

wherein the clamp further compresses the pliable seal between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray.

15. A protective enclosure for a touch screen device, the enclosure comprising:

a substantially rigid tray comprising a rim surrounding an interior device seating surface;

a lid comprising a substantially rigid rim surrounding a window aperture, the rim of the lid corresponding to the rim of the tray;

a pliable membrane comprising an interior window portion that is structured for viewing there through and is sized to project outwardly of the rim surrounding the window aperture of the lid;

a continuous pliable seal adapted to be compressible between the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray; and

a clamping mechanism structured for clamping the rim of the lid and the rim of the tray with the pliable seal forming a continuous substantially water-resistant seal therebetween; and

wherein the interior device seating area of the tray is further adapted to position at least a portion of the touch screen device outwardly of the rim of the lid and through the window aperture thereof, with the touch screen of the touch screen device and one or more actuators thereof being positioned substantially outwardly of the rim of the lid and through the window aperture thereof when the lid is in the closed position relative to the tray.

16. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein the pliable membrane further comprises the continuous pliable seal.

17. The enclosure of claim 16, wherein the pliable membrane further comprises a pliable skirt portion positioned between the interior window portion and the continuous pliable seal, the pliable skirt portion being sized to project outwardly of the rim surrounding the window aperture of the lid adjacent to the interior window portion.

18. The enclosure of claim 16, further comprising a hinge between the lid and the tray, whereby the lid is moveable between an open position and a closed position relative to the tray.

19. The enclosure of claim 18, wherein the clamping mechanism is further structured for clamping the lid in the closed position relative to the tray.