COVERING, PROTECTING, AND POSITIONING A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20140151248A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Flux, LLC, NewFlux, LLC
• Original Assignee: New Flux, LLC
• Inventors: Hurst, Jared, Holbrook, Troy A., Hutchinson, Steven R., Triplett, Tyson
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/45.23
• 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 2011/003 for portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2200/15 Articles convertible into a stand, e.g. for displaying purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/24 for spacing bases of containers from supporting surfaces, e.g. legs for pallets B65D19/40
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Technology associated with covering, protecting, and positioning portable electronic devices is described. In an example embodiment, a protective cover device includes a flap that is magnetically fastenable to a surface located on a backside of a portable electronic device. The protective cover device also includes a display protector attached to the flap and being positionable in a protective position to substantially cover a display of the portable electronic device. The display protector is articulatable to a position underneath a first side of the portable electronic device in which the flap and the display protector cooperatively prop up the portable electronic device in a landscape viewing position.

Claims

1. A protective cover device comprising:

a display protector configured to substantially cover a display of a portable electronic device when articulated to a protective position, the display protector being further configured to provide a contact surface to support the portable electronic device when articulated to a viewing position; and

an articulating member connected to the display protector, the articulating member configured to prop up the portable electronic device when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the articulating member including a magnetic fastener configured to magnetically detachably fasten to a compatible magnetic component locatable on a backside of the portable electronic device.

2. The protective cover device of claim 1, further comprising a locking portion connected to the articulating member and the display protector, the locking portion configured to magnetically secure the display protector in the viewing position.

3. The protective cover device of claim 2, wherein the locking portion includes one or more magnetic components that magnetically fasten to one or more compatible magnetic components included in the display protector to engage the locking portion.

4. The protective cover device of claim 2, further comprising a first joint connecting the display protector to the articulating member, the first joint including the locking portion.

5. The protective cover device of claim 4, wherein the articulating member includes a second joint situated substantially parallel to the first joint and between the first joint and the magnetic fastener.

6. The protective cover device of claim 5, wherein the articulating member includes an arm portion configured to pivot about the first joint relative to the display protector and a tilt portion configured to pivot about the second joint relative to the arm portion.

7. The protective cover device of claim 6, wherein the tilt portion includes the magnetic fastener.

8. The protective cover device of claim 6, wherein first joint, the arm portion, and the tilt portion are configured to cooperatively articulate the display of the portable electronic device from the protective position in which the display protector is configured to substantially cover the display to a viewing position in which the display protector is configured to support a bottom edge of the portable electronic device, the arm portion and the tilt portion are configured to support and angle a back side of the portable electronic device, and the locking portion of the first joint is configured to lock the display protector into the viewing position.

9. The protective cover device of claim 1, further comprising a back cover component configured to substantially cover the backside of the portable electronic device, the back cover component including the compatible magnetic component to which the magnetic fastener of the articulating member is configured to magnetically detachably fasten.

10. The protective cover device of claim 9, wherein the back cover component includes a surface configured to substantially cover the backside of the portable electronic device, the surface including the compatible magnetic component in a central region that corresponds to a central region of the portable electronic device.

11. The protective cover device of claim 1, wherein the compatible magnetic component is one of cross-shaped, circular, and polygonal.

12. The protective cover device of claim 9, wherein

the display protector includes one or more magnetic strips extending from a distal end of the display protector to a proximal end of the display protector that is connected to the articulating member, and

the back cover includes one or more magnetic fasteners situated along a peripheral edge of the back cover in a manner that allows the one or more fasteners to detachably magnetically fasten to the one or more magnetic strips included in the display protector when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position to support the peripheral edge.

13. The protective cover device of claim 1, wherein, when in the viewing position, the protective cover device is capable of being further situated in a privacy position by rotating the protective cover device counter clockwise substantially 90°

as measured between a horizontal reference surface and the display protector and turning the protective cover device substantially 180°

about an axis perpendicular to the horizontal reference surface.

14. The protective cover device of claim 1, wherein the contact surface comprises a non-scratching microfiber material suitable for protecting the display of the portable electronic device.

15. The protective cover device of claim 14, wherein the microfiber material has a texturized surface configured to facilitate micro-adjustments to a viewing angle of the display of the portable electronic device when propped up by the articulating member and supported by the contact surface of the display protector.

16. The protective cover device of claim 15, wherein the texturized surface of the microfiber material includes one or more of a ribbed surface texture and a tacky surface texture.

17. A method for making a protective cover device that includes a display protector configured to substantially cover a display of a portable electronic device when articulated to a protective position, the display protector being further configured to provide a contact surface to support the portable electronic device when articulated to a viewing position;

an articulating member connected to the display protector, the articulating member configured to prop up the portable electronic device when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the articulating member including a magnetic fastener configured to magnetically detachably fasten to a compatible magnetic component locatable on a backside of the portable electronic device; and

a back cover component configured to substantially cover the backside of the portable electronic device, the back cover component including the compatible magnetic component to which the magnetic fastener of the articulating member is configured to magnetically detachably fasten.

18. A protective cover device comprising:

a flap that is magnetically detachably fastenable to a surface located on a backside of a portable electronic device; and

a display protector attached to the flap and being positionable in a protective position to substantially cover a display of the portable electronic device, the display protector being articulatable to a position underneath a first side of the portable electronic device in which the flap and the display protector cooperatively prop up the portable electronic device in a landscape viewing position.

19. The protective cover device of claim 18, wherein the display protector is rotatable via the flap from the first side of the portable electronic device to a second side of the portable electronic device that is substantially perpendicular to the first side so the display protector and flap cooperatively prop up the portable electronic device in a portrait viewing position.

20. The protective cover device of claim 18, wherein the display protector is articulatable via the flap from the protective position to a position abutting and tangential to an uppermost side of the portable electronic device so the display protector and flap cooperatively prop up the portable electronic device in a privacy viewing position.

21. The protective cover device of claim 18, wherein the flap magnetically detachably fastens to a central region of the surface.

22. The protective cover device of claim 18, further comprising:

a back cover attachable to a backside of the portable electronic device, the back cover including the surface, the surface including one or more first magnetic components, the flap including one or more second magnetic components, the flap being detachably magnetically fastenable to the back cover via the first magnetic components and second magnetic components.

23. The protective cover device of claim 22, wherein

the display protector includes one or more magnetic fastening components extending along at least a portion of a contact surface configured to support a peripheral edge of the back cover, and

the back cover includes one or more magnetic fastening components situated along the peripheral edge of the back cover in a manner that allows the one or more magnetic fastening components included in the back cover to magnetically detachably fasten to the one or more fastening components included in the display protector.

24. The protective cover device of claim 18, wherein the surface forms the backside of the portable electronic device, the surface includes one or more first magnetic components, the flap includes one or more second magnetic components, and the flap detachably magnetically fastens to the portable electronic device via the first magnetic components and second magnetic components.

25. A protective cover device comprising:

a back cover for a portable electronic device, the back cover including a recessed cavity and a cross-shaped magnetic fastening component, the recessed cavity configured to accept and retain the back-side of the portable electronic device, the magnetic fastening component being included in that backside surface of the back cover and configured to magnetically detachably couple with one or more accessories for the portable electronic device.

26. The protective cover device of claim 25, comprising:

an articulating display cover component configured to magnetically detachably couple with the back cover via the cross-shaped magnetic fastening component.

27. The protective cover device of claim 25, wherein the one or more accessories include an articulating display cover component, a keyboard, a stylus, a wall mount, and a desktop mount.

28. A protective cover device comprising:

a display protector configured to substantially cover a display of a portable electronic device when articulated to a protective position, the display protector being further configured to provide a contact surface to support the portable electronic device when articulated to a viewing position; and

an articulating member connected to the display protector, the articulating member configured to prop up the portable electronic device when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the articulating member including a fastener configured to detachably fasten to a compatible fastening component locatable on a backside of the portable electronic device.

29. The protective cover device of claim 28, wherein the fastener and the compatible fastening component include one of a magnetic fastening component, a nano-suction adhesive, a nano-suction adhesive-compatible surface, a male connector, and a female connector.