Protective enclosure and watertight adapter for an interactive flat-panel controlled device

• US 7,180,735 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Otter Products LLC
• Inventors: Richardson, Curtis R., Thomas, Brian P., Morine, Alan V., Kempel, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards; Anthony Q.
• Application Number:
  US11/077,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/679.56
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer

Abstract

A protective enclosure is disclosed for an interactive flat-panel control device. The protective enclosure is watertight, crush-resistant, and impact-resistant. An electrical adapter may disposed within the protective enclosure and covered with an elastomeric covering that permits a connector of the adapter to flex with respect to the lower shell of the enclosure so that the connector may easily be inserted into an interface jack of the electronic device. The elastomeric covering also provides a watertight seal that enables the protective enclosure to be submersibly watertight. While providing protection, the protective enclosure simultaneously allows smooth and accurate interaction with the interactive flat-panel controlled device. The protective enclosure has a protective membrane that permits RF and touch screen stylus inputs, as well as capacitance, such as from a finger, to be transmitted accurately to the flat-panel control. The hardness and texture of the protective membrane allows a stylus or finger to glide smoothly along the surface of the membrane without catching or sticking. The protective enclosure is further adapted to allow infrared and other communication signals while the device is secured inside the case. Further, electrical connections can be made through the case without affecting the protection afforded the electronic device inside. The protective enclosure may have a removable cable management belt clip that has a flange that retains and prevents entangling of an accessory cable for the interactive flat-panel control device.

Claims

1. A protective enclosure for a handheld electronic device having an interactive flat-panel control comprising:

an upper shell and a lower shell that are hingedly connected, said upper shell and said lower shell enclosing said handheld electronic device, said handheld electronic device being a separate unit from said protective enclosure, said handheld electronic device being insertable in and removable from said enclosure by hand, said shell being substantially submersibly watertight when closed, said enclosure having at least one hinge pivot stop that constrains opening of said upper shell to a maximum predetermined angle;

a protective membrane disposed within said upper shell, said protective membrane being at least partially transparent so that said interactive flat-panel control is visible through said protective membrane, said membrane being sufficiently thin and textured to permit significantly smooth interactive tactile control of said flat-panel control of said handheld electronic device;

an adapter disposed within said protective enclosure, said adapter having an internal connector that is capable of electrically connecting to said handheld electronic device, said adapter having an external connector that is capable of being electrically connected to an accessory for said handheld electronic device, said internal connector being electrically connected to said external connector so that when said accessory is electrically connected to said external connector said accessory is also electrically connected to said internal connector and to said handheld electronic device; and

an elastomeric covering that covers and substantially surrounds said internal connector and said external connector of said adapter, said elastomeric covering holding said internal connector and said external connector in place within enclosure, said elastomeric covering permitting said internal connector to tilt within a predetermined range of angles so that said internal connector easily connects to said handheld electronic device when said handheld electronic device is inserted into said protective enclosure within a range of predetermined angles, said elastomeric covering maintaining said protective enclosure substantially submersibly watertight when said handheld electronic device is enclosed within said protective enclosure.

2. The protective enclosure of claim 1 further comprising:

a belt clip that attaches to a back side of said protective enclosure, said back side of said protective enclosure being opposite said protective membrane, said belt clip having a deflectable clip release that engages with a retainer that is connected to said back side of said protective enclosure so that when said clip release is not deflected said belt clip securely attaches to said protective enclosure, said belt clip being releasable from said enclosure by deflecting said clip release so that it disengages from said retainer, said belt clip having a flange around which a user may wind a cable of an accessory of said handheld electronic device around said belt clip, said flange retaining said cable close to said enclosure and preventing said cable from becoming entangled.

3. The enclosure of claim 2 wherein said enclosure has an elevated protective rim substantially surrounding a perimeter edge of said interactive flat-panel control.

4. The enclosure of claim 3 wherein said enclosure is made of a rigid material and wherein said enclosure substantially surrounds said handheld electronic device and wherein said enclosure is larger that said handheld electronic device so that said enclosure is crush-resistant and said enclosure substantially protects said handheld electronic device from breakage caused by crushing forces.

5. An electrical adapter for a submersibly watertight protective enclosure for a handheld electronic device comprising:

at least one internal connector that is adapted to connect to an interface of said handheld electronic device, said internal connector adapted to be at least partially disposed within said enclosure and to connect to said interface within said enclosure when said enclosure is closed in a submersibly watertight manner;

at least one external connector that is adapted to connect to an accessory for said handheld electronic device, said external connector adapted to be at least partially disposed within said enclosure and to connect to said accessory that is outside of said enclosure when said enclosure is closed in a submersibly watertight manner;

cabling that is disposed within said enclosure that electrically connects said internal connector to said external connector; and

an elastomeric covering that at least partially surrounds and provides a watertight seal around a portion of said internal connector and said external connector and said enclosure so that said enclosure is submersibly watertight when said enclosure is closed, said elastomeric covering being flexible so that said internal connector may be deflected at an angle that facilitates connection of said connector to said interface of said electronic device.

6. A method of manufacturing a submersibly watertight enclosure with an accessory adapter for a handheld electronic device comprising:

providing a upper shell and a lower shell that form a protective enclosure, said upper shell and said lower shell being hingedly connected, said upper shell and said lower shell being capable of enclosing said handheld electronic device, said handheld electronic device being a separate unit from said upper shell and said lower shell, said handheld electronic device being insertable in and removable from said upper shell and said lower shell by hand, said shell being substantially submersibly watertight when closed, said enclosure having at least one hinge pivot stop that constrains opening of said upper shell to a maximum predetermined angle;

disposing an adapter at least partially within said protective enclosure, said adapter having an internal connector that is capable of electrically connecting to an interface of a handheld electronic device, said adapter having an external connector that is capable of being electrically connected to an accessory for said handheld electronic device, said internal connector being electrically connected to said external connector so that when said accessory is electrically connected to said external connector said accessory is also electrically connected to said internal connector and to said interface of said handheld electronic device;

at least partially covering said adapter with an elastomeric covering that forms a submersibly watertight seal around said adapter so that said enclosure is submersibly watertight when said enclosure is close, said elastomeric covering being flexible to that said internal connector may deflected at an angle to facilitate connection of said internal connector to said interface of said handheld electronic device.