Protective enclosure for an electronic device

• US 9,993,054 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Lay, Carlton R., Havens, Adam J., Gronewoller, Peter J., Weller, Lucas B., Gates, Lee B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HEIBER, SHANTELL LAKETA
• Application Number:
  US15/667,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 13/1069 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2200/15 Articles convertible into a stand, e.g. for displaying purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks

Abstract

A protective enclosure includes a structural member, a metallic tab, and a flexible member. The structural member is configured for receiving an electronic device and includes a front opening for accessing a touchscreen of the installed electronic device. The metallic tab is affixed to one of the side portions of the structural member. The flexible member has a front panel connected to a back panel by a hinge portion that is positioned adjacent to a side portion of the structural member opposite the metallic tab. The hinge portion is configured to enable movement of the front panel between a closed position and an opened position. The front panel includes a magnetic element affixed to an edge of the front panel such that the magnetic element of the front panel contacts the metallic tab when the front panel is in both the opened and closed positions.

Claims

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

a structural member configured for receiving and at least partially covering the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure, the structural member including a back configured to at least partially cover the back surface of the installed electronic device, the structural member further including a plurality of side portions configured to at least partially cover respective side surfaces of the installed electronic device, the structural member further including a front opening configured for accessing the interactive touchscreen of the installed electronic device;

a metallic tab affixed to one of the plurality of the side portions of the structural member; and

a flexible member having a front panel connected to a back panel by a hinge portion, wherein the back panel is affixed to and at least partially covers the back of the structural member, the flexible member affixed to the structural member such that the hinge portion of the flexible member is adjacent to a side portion of the structural member that is opposite the one side portion of the structural member to which the metallic tab is affixed, wherein the hinge portion configured to enable movement of the front panel, relative to the back panel, between a closed position and an opened position, wherein the front panel is configured to cover the touchscreen of the installed electronic device when the front panel is in the closed position and permit access to the touchscreen of the installed electronic device when the front panel is in the opened position, the front panel including a magnetic element affixed to an edge of the front panel that is opposite an edge of the front panel attached to the hinge portion such that the magnetic element of the front panel contacts the metallic tab when the front panel is in the closed position to removably retain the front panel in the closed position over the touchscreen, wherein the magnetic element also contacts the metallic tab when the front panel is in the opened position to removably retain the front panel in the opened position behind the back panel.

2. The protective enclosure of claim 1 further comprising a cushioning member affixed to the structural member, the cushioning member at least partially covering an interior surface of the structural member.

3. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the back portion of the structural member includes a camera opening that allows optical access to a camera of the installed electronic device.

4. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the back panel of the flexible member includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the back panel is affixed to the structural member and the second portion of the back panel articulates away from the structural member while remaining attached to the first portion of the back panel, and wherein the hinge portion of the flexible member is attached to the front panel and the second portion of the back panel.

5. The protective enclosure of claim 4 wherein the second portion of the back panel is configured to be removably retained against the back of the structural member with one or more temporary attachment features.

6. The protective enclosure of claim 5 wherein the one or more temporary attachment features includes a magnet.

7. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the front panel of the flexible member includes an opening for a speaker of the installed electronic device positioned to be proximate the speaker of the installed electronic device when the flexible member is in the closed position.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the flexible member includes a pocket for holding at least one of an identification card and a credit card.

9. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the structural member includes a cutout in the back for retaining at least one of an identification card and a credit card between the back panel of the flexible member and the back surface of the installed electronic device.

10. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein one of the side portions of the structural member includes a side opening for accessing a control feature of the installed electronic device.

11. A protective enclosure comprising:

a shell member configured for receiving and at least partially covering an electronic device when the electronic device is removably installed in the protective enclosure, the shell member including a front opening and an internal cushion layer, the cushion layer configured to at least partially cover a back surface of the installed electronic device, the shell member further including a plurality of side portions, one of the plurality of the side portions including a first clasping feature; and

a flexible member having a front panel and a back panel, the front panel connected to the back panel by a hinge portion, wherein the back panel is affixed to and at least partially covers a back of the shell member, the flexible member affixed to the shell member such that the hinge portion of the flexible member is adjacent a side portion of the shell member that is opposite the one side portion of the shell member including the first clasping feature, wherein the hinge portion permits movement of the front panel relative to the back panel, the front panel movable between a closed position and an opened position, wherein the front panel covers the front opening of the shell member when the front panel is in the closed position and permits access to the front opening of the shell member when the front panel is in the opened position, the front panel including a second clasping feature affixed to an edge of the front panel that is opposite an edge of the front panel attached to the hinge portion of the flexible member, the second clasping feature positioned to engage a first edge of the first clasping feature when the front panel is in the closed position to removably retain the front panel in the closed position, the second clasping feature also positioned to engage a second edge of the first clasping feature when the front panel is in the opened position to removably retain the front panel in the opened position.

12. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein the first clasping feature includes a metallic tab and the second clasping feature includes a magnet.

13. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein the first clasping feature includes a magnet and the second clasping feature includes a metallic tab.

14. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein the back panel includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the back panel is permanently affixed to the shell member and the second portion of the back panel is configured to articulate away from the shell member.

15. The protective enclosure of claim 14 wherein the second portion of the back panel is configured to be removably retained against the back of the shell member with one or more temporary attachment features.

16. The protective enclosure of claim 15 wherein the second portion of the back panel includes a metallic plate and the one or more temporary attachment features of the shell member includes a magnet that aligns with the metallic plate.

17. The protective enclosure of claim 15 wherein the second portion of the back panel includes a magnet and the one or more temporary attachment features of the shell member includes a metallic plate that aligns with the magnet.

18. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein the protective enclosure is configurable into a stand.

19. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein the flexible member comprises leather.

20. The protective enclosure of claim 11 wherein at least one of the side portions of the shell member includes a flexible control feature positioned to be proximate a control of the installed electronic device for actuating the control of the installed electronic device from outside the protective enclosure.