Electronic device cover

• US 9,788,620 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ideo Plastics Inc.
• Original Assignee: ideo Plastics Inc.
• Inventors: Parkinson, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): SKURDAL, COREY NELSON
• Application Number:
  US15/208,438
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• 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 13/008 for making water- or air-tight
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/001 for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or MP3-players
• 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

Abstract

A cover for forming a watertight enclosure enclosing an electronic device having a display includes: (a) a first member comprising: (i) a protective membrane operable to transmit touchscreen-type user input to the display; and (ii) a sealing mount attached to the protective member, the sealing mount defining a registration profile extending along the entire perimeter of the protective membrane, the sealing mount defining a stanchion projecting parallel and spaced-apart from the registration profile; and (b) a second member comprising: (iii) a rigid plastic frame; and (iv) a shell over-molded to the frame, the shell being made of a soft and elastomeric material and defining a compression profile extending along the entire perimeter of the shell, the shell at its compression profile being dimensioned for interlocking with the sealing mount at its registration profile so as to removably form a watertight seal between the first and second members.

Claims

1. A cover for forming a watertight enclosure enclosing an electronic device having a display, the cover comprising:

(a) a first member comprising;

(i) a protective membrane operable to transmit touchscreen-type user input to the display; and

(ii) a sealing mount attached to said protective member, said sealing mount defining a registration profile extending along the entire perimeter of said protective membrane, said sealing mount defining a stanchion projecting parallel and spaced-apart from said registration profile; and

(b) a second member comprising;

(iii) a second-member frame made of a rigid plastic material; and

(iv) a shell over-molded to said second-member frame, said shell being made of a soft and elastomeric material, said shell defining a compression profile extending along the entire perimeter of said shell, said shell at said compression profile being dimensioned for interlocking with said sealing mount at said registration profile so as to removably form a watertight seal between said first and second members.

2. The cover of claim 1 wherein said protective membrane is made of a material selected from the group consisting of:

glass, and plastic.

3. The cover of claim 2 wherein said registration profile comprises a core made of rigid plastic and an overlay portion made of silicone, said overlay portion being overmolded to said core, said core and said stanchion being integral to each other.

4. The cover of claim 2 wherein said sealing mount is made solely of silicone.

5. The cover of claim 4 wherein said sealing mount is thermally and chemically bonded to said protective membrane.

6. The cover of claim 1 wherein said first member comprises a first acoustic membrane attached to said protective membrane at a border region of said protective membrane, said first acoustic membrane comprising:

(i) an annular foam gasket, and

(ii) a membrane member disposed adjacent to said annular foam gasket,

and wherein said first acoustic membrane is operable to isolate sound and is dimensioned for alignment with an earpiece speaker of the electronic device, said gasket being operable to guide sound therethrough, said membrane member being selected from the group consisting of a waterproof member and a hydrophobic member.

7. The cover of claim 6 wherein said second member comprises a second acoustic membrane attached to said shell, said second acoustic membrane being operable to isolate sound, said second acoustic membrane comprising a second waterproof membrane member and at least one annular wall projecting from said second waterproof membrane member, said at least one annular wall being operable to guide sound therethrough, and wherein said second acoustic membrane is dimensioned for alignment with a mouthpiece microphone of the electronic device.

8. The cover of claim 7 wherein at least one of said first member and said second member comprises a third acoustic membrane being operable to isolate sound, said third acoustic membrane comprising a third waterproof membrane member and at least one annular wall projecting from said third waterproof membrane member, said at least one annular wall being operable to guide sound therethrough, and wherein said third acoustic membrane is dimensioned for alignment with an auxiliary microphone of the electronic device.

9. The cover of claim 8 wherein said second member defines a sound-isolation chamber dimensioned for placement into fluid communication with a speakerphone-mode speaker of the electronic device, said sound-isolation chamber being dimensioned to isolate sound emitted from said speakerphone-mode speaker and transmit said sound from the speakerphone-mode speaker into an acoustic chamber defined by the cover, said acoustic chamber extending between a rear side of the electronic device and at least one of said first member and said second member when the watertight enclosure is formed.

10. The cover of claim 1 wherein said second-member frame is translucent.

11. The cover of claim 10 wherein said second-member frame comprises a camera-flash frame, said camera-flash frame comprising a partition for acoustically isolating an auxiliary-microphone portion of said camera-flash frame from an acoustic chamber defined by the cover, said partition being over-molded to said second-member frame.

12. The cover of claim 11 wherein said second-member frame contiguously defines a first lens dimensioned for alignment with a rear-facing camera of the electronic device and contiguously defines a second lens dimensioned for alignment with a rear-facing flash of the electronic device, said camera-flash frame encasing said first and second lenses, said first and second lenses being operable to protect the rear-facing camera and the rear-facing flash.

13. The cover of claim 12 wherein said partition of the camera-flash frame is thermally and chemically bonded to said second-member frame.

14. The cover of claim 1 wherein said second member further comprises a rigid plastic cap attached to said shell such that an exterior portion of said rigid plastic cap protrudes outwardly from said shell and an interior portion of said rigid plastic cap engages a toggle switch of the electronic device when the watertight enclosure is formed.

15. The cover of claim 14 wherein said rigid plastic cap is thermally and chemically bonded to said shell.