Case having a storage compartment for electronic devices

• US 9,049,283 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spigen Inc. (Spigen Korea Co., Ltd.), Spigen Korea Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Spigen Korea Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dae-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US14/562,621
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• Field of Search: 206 37- 39, 206/305, 206/320, 206/449, 206/468, 206/576, 361/679.01, 361/679.3, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 455/575.1, 455/575.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: A45C 2013/025 for holding portable computers or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2200/15 Articles convertible into a stand, e.g. for displaying purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• 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: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads

Abstract

A case, having a storage compartment, for an electronic device includes a soft protective case that protects the electronic device installed therein; a hard protective frame, configured to removably mount over the soft protective case wherein the hard protective frame comprises grooves; and a cover which has rails adapted to mate with and slidably mounted on the grooves so that the cover slides along the grooves to open and close the storage compartment.

Claims

1. A case, having a storage compartment, for an electronic device, comprising:

a soft protective case which comprises a back panel to cover a back portion of the electronic device, a raised wall formed on a bottom surface of the back panel to form the storage compartment, and a side wall extending from a top surface of the back panel along edges of the back panel for significantly covering a side portion of the electronic device;

a hard protective frame, configured to removably mount over the soft protective case wherein the hard protective frame comprises grooves; and

a cover which includes rails adapted to mate with and to be slidably mounted on the grooves so that the cover slides along the grooves to open and close the storage compartment,

wherein the soft protective case significantly covers a back portion of the electronic device with the top surface of the back panel and a side portion of the electronic device with the side wall of the soft protective case,

wherein the soft protective case is sufficiently flexible to accept insertion of the electronic device therein and sufficiently rigid to securely retain the inserted electronic device.

2. The case of claim 1, wherein the hard protective frame further comprises an aperture snugly fitting with an outer side of the raised wall of the soft protective case.

3. The case of claim 1, wherein the soft protective case is provided with a plurality of indentations formed on the side wall of the soft protective case and the hard protective frame has complementary structures to be received in the indentations.

4. The case of claim 1, wherein the hard protective frame is provided with an indentation structure and the cover is constructed to form a complementary structure to be received in the indentation structure of the hard protective case.

5. The case of claim 4, wherein the hard protective frame has a protuberance on an opposite side of the indentation structure of the hard protective frame to structurally support and reinforce the indentation structure of the hard protective frame, and

wherein the soft protective case has a complementary structure of an indentation to receive the protuberance of the hard protective frame.

6. The case of claim 1, wherein the number of the grooves is two and the grooves are formed on opposite side walls of the hard protective frame, and

wherein the number of the rails is two and the rails are formed on opposite side walls of the cover.

7. The case of claim 6, wherein the side walls of the hard protective frame and the side walls of the cover are slanted.

8. The case of claim 1, wherein width and length of the storage compartment is respectively slightly greater than those of a credit card.

9. The case of claim 8, wherein elastic tabs are formed on opposite sides of the raised wall of the soft protective case for securely holding the credit card.

10. The case of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the soft protective case further comprises a depression for easy access to a credit card stored in the storage compartment.

11. The case of claim 1, wherein the hard protective frame further comprises a locking protrusion and the cover further comprises a locking recess positioned to mate with the corresponding locking protrusion.

12. The case of claim 1, wherein the hard protective frame further comprises a cavity and the cover further comprises a mating protrusion positioned to mate with the cavity of the hard protective frame.

13. The case of claim 1, wherein the soft protective cover is made of thermoplastic polyurethane and the hard protective frame and the cover are made of polycarbonate.

14. The case of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal recess is formed on the bottom surface of the soft protective case along the outer side of the raised wall of the soft protective case,

wherein a longitudinal protrusion is formed on the hard protective frame along a boundary of the aperture, and

wherein the longitudinal protrusion of the hard protective frame snugly fits into and is received by the longitudinal recess of the soft protective case.

15. The case of claim 1, wherein the soft protective case comprises a long recess and the hard protective frame comprises a long protrusion such that the long recess of the soft protective case receives the long protrusion of the hard protective frame therein.

16. A case, having a storage compartment, for an electronic device, comprising:

a soft protective case which comprises a back panel to cover a back portion of the electronic device, and a side wall extending from a top surface of the back panel along edges of the back panel;

a hard protective frame, configured to removably mount over the soft protective case, wherein the hard protective frame comprises an aperture to form the storage compartment;

a cover to slide forward and backward with respect to the hard protective frame for opening and closing the storage compartment formed on a bottom surface of the soft protective case; and

a sliding means for sliding the cover forward and backward with respect to the hard protective frame.

17. The case of claim 16, wherein the sliding means comprises a pair of grooves formed on the hard protective frame and a pair of rails formed on the cover wherein the rails are configured to mate with and to be slidably mounted on the grooves.

18. The case of claim 16, wherein a raised wall is formed on a bottom surface of the soft protective case to form the storage compartment and the aperture of the hard protective frame surrounds the raised wall of the soft protective case.

19. The case of claim 16, wherein the soft protective case is provided with a plurality of indentations and the hard protective frame has complementary structures to be received in the indentations.

20. The case of claim 19, wherein the hard protective frame is provided with an indentation structure and the cover has a complementary structure received in the indentation structure of the hard protective case,

wherein the hard protective frame has a protuberance on an opposite side of the indentation structure of the hard protective frame to structurally support and reinforce the indentation structure of the hard protective frame, and

wherein the soft protective case has a complementary structure of an indentation to receive the protuberance of the hard protective frame.

21. The case of claim 16, wherein the case further comprises a standing leg which fits in an opening formed on a back portion of the hard protective frame wherein the standing leg is pivoted with the opening.

22. The case of claim 16, wherein the soft protective case comprises a long recess and the hard protective frame comprises a long protrusion such that the long recess of the soft protective case receives the long protrusion of the hard protective frame therein.