Protective cases for mobile electronic communication devices

• US 9,559,739 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• 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): Chu, King M
• Application Number:
  US14/602,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 206/320, 361/679.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, the protective case comprising:

a front cover;

a rear cover configured to couple with the front cover; and

a liner having a peripheral wall, the liner being received by the rear cover, the liner defining a cavity, the cavity configured to receive the mobile electronic communication device, and the liner having a plurality of ribs along its peripheral wall, wherein;

the ribs are configured to contact the mobile electronic communication device when present in the volume of the cavity,

the liner has a rear surface extending across a bottom of the cavity and arranged to face a surface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is housed in the protective case, and the peripheral wall of the liner extends from the rear surface toward the front cover when the rear cover is coupled with the front cover,

each of the ribs extends a) from the rear surface to a top surface of the peripheral wall and b) inward from the peripheral wall of the liner toward the cavity, and

the liner and the ribs are made of an elastomeric material.

2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall has side walls and end walls, each side wall meeting at least one of the end walls at a corner, and wherein the ribs are located at the corner of the peripheral wall.

3. The protective case of claim 1, wherein each of the ribs extends in a direction perpendicular to the rear surface.

4. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the rear cover further comprises at least one opening at a sidewall of the rear cover, the sidewall being adjacent and parallel to the peripheral wall of the liner, and at least one door aligned with the at least one opening, the at least one door configured to selectively open to allow access to the at least one opening.

5. The protective case of claim 4, wherein the at least one opening is arranged to allow access to a headphone jack of the mobile electronic communication device.

8. The protective case of claim 1, wherein at least some of the ribs are evenly spaced apart along the peripheral wall.

9. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the ribs are linear protrusions.

10. The protective case of claim 9, wherein the peripheral wall has a height and a length longer than the height, and wherein each of the linear protrusions extends along the height of the peripheral wall.

14. The protective case of claim 1, wherein an end of each of the ribs facing towards the cavity is exposed to the cavity.

15. The protective case of claim 1, wherein:

the peripheral wall has a plurality of sides, the plurality of sides comprising two parallel sides and a connecting side that connects the two parallel sides; and

one of the plurality of ribs is located on each of the two parallel sides and the connecting side.

16. The protective case of claim 15, wherein the peripheral wall further includes a second connecting side that connects the two parallel sides, and one of the plurality of ribs is located on the second connecting side.

17. The protective case of claim 1, wherein each of the ribs extends from the peripheral wall of the liner in parallel.

18. The protective case of claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs extends across and along the corner of the peripheral wall.

19. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the cavity configured to receive the mobile electronic communication device is interposed between the rear surface of the liner and the front cover.

6. A protective case for a mobile electronic communication device, the protective case comprising:

a front cover;

a rear cover configured to couple with the front cover; and

a liner having a peripheral wall, the liner being received by the rear cover, the liner defining a cavity, the cavity configured to receive the mobile electronic communication device, and the liner having a plurality of ribs along its peripheral wall, wherein;

the ribs are configured to contact the mobile electronic communication device when present in the volume of the cavity;

the liner has a rear surface and the peripheral wall of the liner extends from the rear surface toward the front cover when the rear cover is coupled with the front cover,

each of the ribs extends a) from the rear surface to a top surface of the peripheral wall and b) inward from the peripheral wall of the liner toward the cavity,

the liner and the ribs are made of an elastomeric material, and

the liner comprises a plunger at the peripheral wall, the plunger configured to transmit a force applied to the plunger to a button of the mobile electronic communication device.

7. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the liner comprises a plunger at the peripheral wall, the plunger configured to transmit a force applied to the plunger to a power button of the mobile electronic communication device.

11. A method of manufacturing a protective case for a mobile electronic communication device, the method comprising:

providing a front cover;

configuring a rear cover configured to couple with the front cover; and

providing a liner having a peripheral wall, the liner being received by the rear cover, the liner defining a cavity, the cavity configured to receive the mobile electronic communication device, and the liner having a plurality of ribs along its peripheral wall, wherein;

the ribs are configured to contact the mobile electronic communication device when present in the volume of the cavity,

the liner has a rear surface extending across a bottom of the cavity and arranged to face a surface of the mobile electronic communication device when the mobile electronic communication device is housed in the protective case, and the peripheral wall of the liner extends from the rear surface toward the front cover when the rear cover is coupled with the front cover,

each of the ribs extends a) from the rear surface to a top surface of the peripheral wall and b) inward from the peripheral wall of the liner toward the cavity, and

the liner and the ribs are made of an elastomeric material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the peripheral wall has side walls and end walls, each side wall meeting at least one of the end walls at a corner of the peripheral wall, and wherein the ribs are located at the corner of the peripheral wall.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the ribs extends in a direction perpendicular to the rear surface.