Protective cover for cellular telephone or the like

• US 7,079,879 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sylvester, Jeffery A., Davis, Mitchell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US09/965,910
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/566, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.6, 455/575.8, 455/90.1, 455/90.3, 379/433.04, 379/437, 379/446, 379/451, 379/457, 224/148.6, 224/648, 224/651, 224/655, 206/96, 206/701
• US Class Current: 455/575.8
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/17 Hygienic or sanitary devices on telephone equipment for mouthpieces or earpieces H04R1/12

Abstract

A protective cover is provided for a telephone having a keypad and a display. The cover has a keypad portion for covering the keypad of the telephone to protect the telephone at the keypad, and a display portion for covering the display of the telephone to protect the telephone at the display.

Claims

1. A protective cover for a telephone having a keypad and a display, the cover comprising:

a keypad portion for covering the keypad of the telephone to protect the telephone at the keypad; and

a display portion for covering the display of the telephone to protect the telephone at the display,

the cover formed from a single longitudinally extending piece of a sheet of plastic comprising a bottom zone including the keypad portion and defining one longitudinal end of the piece, a back zone defining the other longitudinal end of the piece, and a top zone between the bottom zone and back zone and including the display portion, and

further comprising two lateral extensions on each lateral side of the piece, one pair of the extensions being on either lateral side of the top zone and the other pair of the extensions being on either lateral side of the back zone, the piece being folded along a generally transverse line between the top zone and back zone such that the respective lateral extensions on each lateral side encounter one another, the encountering extensions being secured to one another and thus running generally along sides of the telephone when the cover is mounted thereto.

2. The cover of claim 1 wherein the fold runs generally along a top face of the telephone when the cover is mounted thereto.

3. A protective cover for a telephone having a keypad and a display, the cover comprising:

a keypad portion for covering the keypad of the telephone to protect the telephone at the keypad; and

a display portion for covering the display of the telephone to protect the telephone at the display,

the cover formed from a single longitudinally extending piece of a sheet of plastic comprising a bottom zone including the keypad portion and defining one longitudinal end of the piece, a back zone defining the other longitudinal end of the piece, and a top zone between the bottom zone and back zone and including the display portion,

the cover further comprising two lateral extensions on each lateral side of the piece, one pair of the extensions being on either lateral side of the top zone and the other pair of the extensions being on either lateral side of the back zone, the piece being folded along a generally transverse line between the top zone and back zone such that the respective lateral extensions on each lateral side encounter one another, the encountering extensions being secured to one another and thus running generally along sides of the telephone when the cover is mounted thereto, the fold running generally along a top face of the telephone when the cover is mounted thereto,

the cover further including a securing device for securing the cover to the telephone, the securing device including a pair of wings that extend generally from either lateral side of the keypad portion and along sides of the mounted-to telephone, and a strap that interconnects distal ends of the wings at a rear face of the mounted-to telephone, wherein the bottom zone includes the wings of the securing device.