Docking sleeve with electrical adapter

• US 9,331,444 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: National Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH TAM T
• Application Number:
  US14/222,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 439/638, 439/929, 320/114, 320/115, 361/679.41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A docking sleeve having an elastomeric protective cover, or skin, adapted for partially enveloping a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone or tablet or another portable electronic device of the prior art having a port for a docking connector. The protective cover is a sheath molded of a suitable elastic or flexibly resilient elastomer in a size and shape to fit over and closely conform to the particular portable electronic device so that the cover fits the device like a surgical glove. An adapter is provided for electrically connecting to the female input/output socket of the particular electronic device, including a male plug having a plurality of electrical connectors extended internally of the sheath and arranged for mating with the female input/output socket of the device, and a plurality of contacts electrically coupled to different ones of the plurality of electrical connectors and exposed externally of the sheath.

Claims

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

a single-piece flexible protective shell comprising a panel and a skirt surrounding the panel, wherein the panel and skirt form a cavity therebetween, and the skirt forming a mouth opening that communicates with the cavity, wherein the shell is configured and arranged to at least partially cover one of a back or front face of the electronic device, at least partially cover each side face of the electronic device, and extend around a peripheral edge of another one of the front or back faces of the electronic device to secure the electronic device within the shell; and

an adapter fixedly positioned in the shell, the adapter comprising a male plug comprising a plurality of connectors extending into the cavity of the shell in an arrangement for mating with a female socket of the device, and a contactor comprising a plurality of contacts adjacent to an exterior of the shell and electrically coupled to one or more of the connectors of the plug.

2. The cover of claim 1, wherein the adapter is further fixedly positioned in the skirt of the shell.

3. The cover of claim 1, wherein the female socket of the device further comprises a female power and sensor socket;

and

wherein the male plug is further configured to mate with the female power and sensor socket of the device.

4. The cover of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contacts of the contactor are further arranged to couple with a connector of a docking station.

5. The cover of claim 4, wherein the connector of a docking station is further configured as a docking connector having a plurality of pins arranged therein;

and

wherein the plurality of contacts of the contactor are further arranged to couple with the pin arrangement of the docking connector.

6. The cover of claim 1, wherein the adapter further comprises an adapter body that is fixedly positioned in the shell, the adapter body further comprising both the male plug and the contactor.

7. The cover of claim 1, wherein the adapter further comprises an individual male plug and an individual contactor separated therefrom and electrically interconnected therewith.

8. The cover of claim 7, wherein the adapter further comprises one or more electrical conductors between the individual male plug and the individual contactor separated therefrom and electrically interconnecting at least one of the plurality of contacts of the contactor with a corresponding one of the connectors of the plug.

9. The cover of claim 8, wherein the one or more electrical conductors are further fixedly positioned in the shell.

10. The cover of claim 1, wherein the adapter is further configured as a pass-through adapter having electrical couplings between sequentially ordered pairs of the connectors of the male plug and corresponding contacts of the contactor.

11. The cover of claim 1, wherein the adapter is further configured as a converting adapter having electrical couplings between non-sequentially ordered pairs of the connectors of the male plug and contacts of the contactor.

12. The cover of claim 1, wherein the contactor of the adapter is further recessed in an outer surface of the shell.

13. The cover of claim 1, further comprising the electronic device being received within the cavity of the flexible protective shell through the mouth opening, and the plurality of connectors of the male plug being mated with the female socket of the device.

14. The cover of claim 1, wherein the mouth opening is further positioned substantially oppositely of the panel.

15. The cover of claim 1, wherein the panel further comprises an integral window formed of a substantially optically transparent flexible membrane.

16. The cover of claim 15, further comprising the electronic device being received within the cavity of the flexible protective shell through the mouth opening with a touch-sensitive screen of the device being in contact with the membrane of the integral window, and the plurality of connectors of the male plug being mated with the female socket of the device.

17. The cover of claim 15, wherein the flexible protective shell further comprises a second panel substantially opposite of the panel comprising the integral window and spaced away therefrom with the cavity arranged therebetween, and the skirt surrounding the second panel;

and

wherein the mouth opening is formed by the skirt between the panel comprising the integral window and the second panel opposite thereof.

18. The cover of claim 17, wherein the adapter is further fixedly positioned in the skirt of the shell substantially oppositely of the mouth opening.

19. A protective cover for an electronic device having a case formed of spaced apart front and back faces with side faces extended therebetween and a female input/output socket in one of the side faces, the cover comprising:

a single-piece flexible protective shell, said shell being complimentary in shape to said electronic device, the shell at least partially covering each of the side faces of the electronic device and one of the front or back faces of the electronic device and extending around a peripheral edge of an opposite one of the front or back faces of the electronic device to secure the electronic device within the shell; and

an electrical adapter structurally integral with the shell adjacent to the female input/output socket of the electronic device, the adapter comprising a male plug projected into an interior of the shell in an arrangement for mating with the female input/output socket of the device, and a contactor comprising a plurality of contacts electrically coupled to the plug and exposed to an exterior of the shell.

20. The cover of claim 19, wherein the female input/output socket of the device further comprises a female power and sensor socket;

and

wherein the male plug further comprises a plurality of electrical connectors configured to mate with the female power and sensor socket of the device.

21. The cover of claim 19, wherein the male plug further comprises a plurality of connectors extending into the interior of the shell.

22. The cover of claim 19, wherein the plurality of contacts of the contactor are further electrically coupled in sequentially ordered relationship with corresponding connectors of the male plug.

23. The cover of claim 19, wherein the plurality of contacts of the contactor are further electrically coupled in non-sequentially ordered relationship with corresponding connectors of the male plug.

24. The cover of claim 19, wherein the electrical adapter further comprises an adapter body that is structurally integral with the shell, the adapter body further comprising both the male plug and the contactor.

25. The cover of claim 20, wherein the male plug and the contactor of the electrical adapter are further spaced apart and electrically interconnected in the shell.

26. The cover of claim 25, wherein the electrical adapter further comprises an electrical conductor between the male plug and the contactor separated therefrom, the electrical conductor electrically interconnecting one of the connectors of the plug with a corresponding one of the plurality of contacts of the contactor.

27. The cover of claim 26, wherein the electrical conductor is further structurally integral with the shell.

28. The cover of claim 19, further comprising a dam formed in an outer surface of the shell, and wherein the contactor of the adapter is further recessed within the dam.

29. The cover of claim 19, wherein the shell further comprises an integral window formed of a substantially optically transparent flexible membrane.

30. The cover of claim 29, wherein the front face of said electronic device further comprises a touch-sensitive display screen, and wherein the integral window is further arranged in the shell in a position for at least partially covering the front face of said electronic device.

31. The cover of claim 30, wherein the shell further comprises a mouth opening adapted for receiving said electronic device into the shell, and wherein the integral window is further arranged in the shell in a position substantially oppositely of the mouth opening.

32. The cover of claim 30, wherein the shell further comprises a mouth opening adapted for receiving said electronic device into the shell, and wherein the mouth opening is further arranged in the shell in a position substantially oppositely of the male plug of the electrical adapter.

33. The cover of claim 19, further comprising the electronic device being inserted into the flexible protective shell through an opening thereinto with the peripheral edge of one of the front and back faces being exposed in the opening, and the adapter male plug being mated with the female input/output socket thereof.

34. The cover of claim 33, further comprising the protective shell being inserted into a docking cradle having a docking connector with a plurality of contacts, wherein the docking connector is joined to the contactor of the electrical adapter with one or more of the plurality of contacts of the docking connector being electrically coupled with contacts of the contactor.

35. A protective cover for an electronic device having a female input/output socket, the cover comprising:

a single sheet of substantially flexible elastomer formed into a unitary cover having a center panel and integral side skirts surrounding the center panel, and a continuous integral lip extending inward of the skirts and forming a mouth opening, wherein the unitary cover is configured and arranged to at least partially cover one of a back or front face of the electronic device, at least partially cover each side face of the electronic device, and extend around a peripheral edge of another one of the front or back faces of the electronic device to secure the electronic device within the unitary cover;

a cavity formed by the center panel, integral side skirts and integral lip; and

an adapter means for electrically connecting to the female input/output socket of the electronic device, the adapter means comprising a male plug comprising a plurality of electrical connectors extended into the cavity of the shell and arranged for mating with the female input/output socket of the device, and a plurality of contacts electrically coupled to different ones of the plurality of electrical connectors and exposed to an exterior of the cover.

36. The cover of claim 35, wherein the adapter means further comprises an adapter body that is structurally integral with the unitary cover, the adapter body further comprising both the plurality of electrical connectors of the male plug and the plurality of contacts.

37. The cover of claim 35, wherein the male plug and the plurality of contacts of the adapter means are further spaced apart in the unitary cover.

38. The cover of claim 37, wherein the adapter means further comprises one or more electrical conductors being electrically interconnected between the plurality of electrical connectors of the male plug and corresponding ones of the plurality of contacts.

39. The cover of claim 38, wherein the one or more electrical conductors are further is further structurally integral with the unitary cover.

40. The cover of claim 35, wherein the plurality of contacts are further coupled in sequentially ordered relationship with corresponding electrical connectors of the male plug.

41. The cover of claim 35, wherein the plurality of contacts are further coupled in non-sequentially ordered relationship with corresponding electrical connectors of the male plug.

42. The cover of claim 35, further comprising an integral dam formed in the cover, and wherein the plurality of contacts are further recessed within the dam.

43. The cover of claim 35, further comprising the electronic device being inserted through the mouth opening into the cavity with a portion of the device being exposed in the opening, and the male plug of the adapter means being inserted into the female input/output socket of the electronic device.

44. The cover of claim 35, wherein the center panel of the shell further comprises a window formed of a substantially optically transparent flexible membrane.

45. The cover of claim 44, further comprising the electronic device being inserted through the mouth opening into the cavity with a touch-sensitive screen of the device being positioned in contact with the window, and the male plug of the adapter means being inserted into the female input/output socket of the electronic device.

46. The cover of claim 44, wherein the center panel of the shell comprising the window is further positioned substantially oppositely of the mouth opening.

47. The cover of claim 44, wherein the unitary cover further comprises a second center panel substantially opposite of the panel comprising the window and spaced therefrom with the cavity arranged therebetween, and the skirt surrounding the second panel;

and

wherein the continuous integral lip forming the mouth opening is formed in the skirt between the panel comprising the integral window and the second panel opposite thereof.

48. The cover of claim 47, wherein the adapter is further fixedly positioned in the skirt of the shell substantially oppositely of the mouth opening.