Protective case with card storage

• US 9,756,916 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Lawson, Rebecca, Rayeski, Jonathan B., Holmes, Larry, Smith, William T., Fitzgerald, John P., Weller, Lucas B., Witter, Kevin W., Gronewoller, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): GEHMAN, BRYON P
• Application Number:
  US15/386,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20170112246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 206 38, 206 381, 206 39- 397, 206320
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 1/06 Wallets devices for the prevention of theft or loss of wallets A45C13/185; for holding keys A45C11/32; Notecases
• 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 11/182 Credit card holders
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/008 for making water- or air-tight
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/02 Interior fittings; Means, e.g. inserts, for holding and packing articles
• 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: A45C 2011/188 Media card holders, e.g. memory cards, SIM cards
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 33/26 combined with other objects
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer

Abstract

A protective case for use with an electronic device includes a cushion layer and a structural layer. The cushion layer is configured to cover at least a portion of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case. The structural layer is configured to surround at least a portion of the cushion layer. The structural layer includes a back portion, at least two side walls, a slot in the back portion for removably retaining a card, and a rack and pinion system configured for selectively ejecting the card, at least partially, from the slot.

Claims

1. A protective case for use with an electronic device, the protective case comprising:

a cushion layer; and

a structural layer configured to surround at least a portion of the cushion layer, the structural layer comprising;

a back portion;

at least two side walls connected to and extending from the back portion, wherein the back portion, the side walls, and the cushion layer are configured to cover at least a portion of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;

a slot in the back portion for removably retaining a card;

a rotatable dial accessible at an outer surface of the back portion of the structural layer; and

a rack and pinion system configured for selectively ejecting the card, at least partially, from the slot in response to rotation of the rotatable dial.

2. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the card is a credit card or an identification card and the slot is sized to fit the card.

3. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the rack and pinion system comprises

the rack engaged with the pinion, the rack configured to move in response to rotation of the pinion.

4. The protective case of claim 3 further comprising a second slot in the back portion for removably retaining a second card.

5. The protective case of claim 4 wherein the rack and pinion system further comprises:

a second pinion configured to rotate in response to rotation of the dial; and

a second rack engaged with the second pinion and configured to move in response to rotation of the second pinion to at least partially push the second card out of the second slot.

6. The protective case of claim 5 wherein the first pinion rotates in response to rotation of the dial in a first direction and the second pinion rotates in response to rotation of the dial in a second direction.

7. The protective case of claim 6 further comprising one or more clutches for preventing rotation of the first pinion when the dial is rotated in the second direction.

8. The protective case of claim 6 further comprising one or more clutches for preventing rotation of the second pinion when the dial is rotated in the first direction.

9. The protective case of claim 3 further comprising a shaft for transferring force from the rotatable dial to the pinion, wherein the shaft is attached to the pinion.

10. The protective case of claim 9 further comprising a first gear attached to the shaft, wherein the first gear engages a second gear of the rotatable dial for transferring the force from the rotatable dial to the pinion.

11. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the slot is sized to have an interference fit with the card.

12. A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising:

a shell configured to cover at least a portion of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;

a slot in a back portion of the shell for removably storing a card, wherein the card is one of a credit card, an identification card, and a driver'"'"'s license; and

an ejection mechanism configured for ejecting the card from the slot in response to an input from a user of the protective case at an outer surface of the protective case, the ejection mechanism including a rotatable dial accessible at an outer surface of the shell, a rack, and a pinion, wherein the pinion is configured to actuate the rack to eject the card in response to rotation of the pinion, the pinion configured to rotate in response to rotation of the rotatable dial.

13. The protective case of claim 12 further comprising a second slot, a second pinion, and a second rack engaged with the second pinion, wherein the second rack is configured to move in response to the rotation of the second pinion to at least partially push a second card out of the second slot.

14. The protective case of claim 13 wherein the first pinion rotates in response to movement of the ejection mechanism in a first direction and the second pinion rotates in response to movement of the ejection mechanism in a second direction.

15. The protective case of claim 12 further comprising a clutch system attached to the rotatable dial.

16. A protective case for use with an electronic device, the protective case comprising:

a structural layer having a back portion and two or more walls, the back portion and the two or more walls configured to surround at least a portion of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;

a slot at an outer surface of the back portion of the structural layer for removably storing a card, wherein the card is one of a credit card, an identification card, and a driver'"'"'s license; and

an ejection mechanism accessible at the outer surface of the structural layer, the ejection mechanism configured for at least partially ejecting the card from the slot in response to a force applied to the ejection mechanism, the ejection mechanism including a dial, one or more gears, and a finger that applies a force to a side edge of the card to at least partially eject the card from the slot when the force is applied to the dial of the ejection mechanism.

17. The protective case of claim 16 wherein the slot includes a soft material providing an interference fit between the slot and the card, wherein the soft material deflects when the card is inserted into the slot.

18. The protective case of claim 16 further comprising a second slot for removably storing a second card, wherein the first slot is separated from the second slot by a divider.