Protective enclosure for an electronic device

• US 9,871,550 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Witter, Kevin W., Krajec, Matthew S., Nelson, Patrick J., Walker, Paul N., Boileau, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): GEHMAN, BRYON P
• Application Number:
  US15/297,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 206320, 206521, 206523, 455 903, 4555758
• 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 2011/001 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
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 5/02 Materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/022 Containers made of shock-absorbing material B65D81/03 takes precedence; for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3813
• 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: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers

Abstract

A protective enclosure for an electronic device includes a cushion layer and a structural layer. The cushion layer covers the back surface and side surfaces of the installed electronic device. The structural layer is disposed over the cushion layer and includes a back portion, a right side portion, and a left side portion. The structural layer includes a thinned region on the back portion. The thinned region has a thickness that is less than the thickness of the remainder of the back portion of the structural layer. The thinned region of the structural layer allows a section of the protective enclosure to bend away from the back surface of the electronic device for installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective enclosure.

Claims

1. A protective enclosure for an electronic device, the electronic device having a front surface, a back surface, and side surfaces, the front surface of the electronic device having a touchscreen, the protective enclosure comprising:

a cushioning layer configured to cover at least a portion of the back surface and at least portions of the side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure; and

a structural layer disposed over the cushioning layer, the structural layer comprising;

a back portion;

a right side portion;

a left side portion;

a first cutout along the right side portion; and

a second cutout along the left side portion opposite the first cutout along the right side portion;

wherein the back portion of the structural layer includes a thinned region, the thinned region extending across the back portion from the first cutout to the second cutout of the structural layer, the thinned region having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a remaining portion of the back portion of the structural layer, the thinned region permitting a section of the protective enclosure to flex relative to another section of the protective enclosure and relative to the back surface of the electronic device during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective enclosure.

2. The protective enclosure of claim 1, the cushioning layer having an opening that allows access to a feature on the back surface of the installed electronic device.

3. The protective enclosure of claim 2, the structural layer having an opening corresponding to the opening of the cushioning layer.

4. The protective enclosure of claim 3, the feature on the back surface of the installed electronic device being a camera.

5. The protective enclosure of claim 3, wherein the thinned region on the back portion of the structural layer is located farther away from a top surface of the installed electronic device than a location of the opening of the structural layer and the corresponding opening of the cushioning layer.

6. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the thinned region on the back portion of the structural layer is no more than 0.01 in. thinner than the remaining portion of the back portion of the structural layer.

7. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the thinned region on the back portion of the structural layer is no more than 0.02 in. thinner than the remaining portion of the back portion of the structural layer.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the cushioning layer is adhered to the structural layer.

9. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the structural layer is removably attachable to the cushioning layer.

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

a cushion member configured to cover at least portions of a back surface and side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case, the cushion member coupled with a shell member; and

the shell member comprising one or more side portions and a back portion configured to at least partially cover the cushion member of the protective case, the back portion of the shell member having a thinner region, the thinner region having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a remaining portion of the back portion of the shell member, the thinner region adapted to allow a first section of the back portion of the shell member to bend relative to a second portion of the back portion of the shell member in response to a force applied to one or more of the first portion and the second portion of the back portion such that the first portion and the second section of the back portion are not coplanar when the force is applied to facilitate installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective case.

11. The protective case of claim 10, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the back section are coplanar when the force is not applied.

12. The protective case of claim 10, wherein the one or more side portions of the shell member comprise a left side portion having a first cutout region on the left side portion and a right side portion having a second cutout region on the right side portion.

13. The protective case of claim 12, the thinner region of the shell member extending across the back portion of the shell member between the first cutout region and the second cutout region.

14. The protective case of claim 12, wherein a portion of the cushion member protrudes into at least one of the first cutout region and the second cutout region.

15. The protective case of claim 14, wherein the portion of the cushion member that protrudes into the at least one of the first cutout region and the second cutout region includes a control feature that aligns with a button of the installed electronic device.

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

a cushion member configured to receive and cover at least portions of a back surface and side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case, the cushion member coupled with a shell member; and

the shell member comprising a first side portion, a second side portion, and a back portion that at least partially cover the cushion member of the protective case, the first side portion of the shell member having a first cutout region, the second side portion of the shell member having a second cutout region that opposes the first cutout region on an opposite side of the back portion, the first and the second cutout regions adapted to allow a section of the back portion of the shell member and the cushion member to bend away from at least a portion of the back surface of the electronic device during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective case.

17. The protective case of claim 16 wherein the back portion of the shell member includes a thinned region along an interior of the shell member, the thinned region having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a remaining portion of the back portion of the shell member, the thinned region adapted to further allow the section of the back portion of the shell member and the coupled cushion member to bend away from the portion of the back surface of the electronic device during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective case.

18. The protective case of claim 16, wherein a portion of the cushion member protrudes into at least one of the first cutout region and the second cutout region of the shell member.

19. The protective case of claim 18, wherein the portion of the cushion member that protrudes into the at least one of the first cutout region and the second cutout region includes a control feature that aligns with a control of the installed electronic device.

20. The protective case of claim 16 wherein the cushion member and the shell member each include openings providing optical access to a camera of the installed electronic device.