Case for portable electronic device

• US 8,457,701 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vinci Brands LLC
• Original Assignee: Incase Designs Corporation (Incipio Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Diebel, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US12/847,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20110309728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 455575-5758, 206/701, D32/18, D32/01, D32/15, D32/26, D32/69, D32/72, D32/73, D13103-106, D13/110, D13/184, D14/509, D142031-2037, 361/679.56, 361/679.41, 379/455
• US Class Current: 455/575.8
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 1/38 Cutting-out; Stamping-out
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details

Abstract

A case for an electronic device protects the electronic device. The case has a lower case portion and an upper case portion, which assemble together to protect the electronic device. A back of the case can include a back opening to expose a camera lens and flash of the electronic device or first and second back openings. The first back opening exposes the camera lens. The second back opening exposes the flash.

Claims

1. A case for an electronic device comprising:

a first case portion comprising;

a first back sidewall, wherein the first back sidewall comprises a top edge; and

a lower sidewall, connected to the first back sidewall at an end opposite of the top edge, that will be positioned against a bottom side edge of the electronic device;

a second case portion comprising;

an upper sidewall that will be positioned against a top side edge of the electronic device when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion; and

an open side end, opposite the upper sidewall, wherein the second case portion slides onto the first case portion through the open side end;

a back opening, through a back of the case, comprising a length and a width, wherein the length of the back opening is greater than the width of the back opening; and

a ring, coupled to the back opening, comprising a length and a width, wherein the length of the ring is greater than the width of the ring, and the ring'"'"'s width is aligned with the opening'"'"'s width, and the ring'"'"'s length is aligned with the opening'"'"'s length,

the ring comprises an inner surface having a height at least a thickness of the back of the case from an interior side to an exterior side of the back of the case,

the inner surface of the ring is colored in its entirety in a black color, whereby the black color helps reduce glare from a flash to a camera of the electronic device,

wherein when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion, the first and second case portions meet at and form a seam which extends across the back of the case, and

when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion, a first open-shaped opening for the first case portion merges with a second open-shaped opening for the second case portion to form a front opening of the case through which a screen of the electronic device will be visible, the front opening having a closed shape.

2. The case of claim 1 wherein the length of the back opening is at least about 13 millimeters.

3. The case of claim 1 wherein first and second seam lines of the seam are visible from a front of the case, the first seam line being on one side of the front opening, and the second seam line being on an opposite side of the front opening.

4. The case of claim 3 wherein the first seam line is at one end of a bottom edge of the screen and the second seam line is at an opposite end of the bottom edge of the screen.

5. The case of claim 1 wherein the first case portion comprises the back opening.

6. The case of claim 1 wherein the second case portion comprises the back opening.

7. The case of claim 1 wherein a distance from the seam to the back opening is greater than a distance from the seam to the lower sidewall.

8. The case of claim 1 wherein a distance from the seam to the back opening is less than a distance from the seam to the lower sidewall.

9. The case of claim 1 wherein a first seam line of the seam extending across the back of the case is straight.

10. The case of claim 1 wherein a first seam line of the seam extending across the back of the case is curved.

11. The case of claim 1 wherein a shape of the back opening is an oval having the length and the width, wherein a difference between the length and the width is at least about 4 millimeters.

12. The case of claim 1 wherein the ring'"'"'s length and width increase in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case.

13. The case of claim 1 wherein the back of the case is flat.

14. The case of claim 1 comprising a bottom opening through the lower sidewall, wherein a shape of the bottom opening is a rectangle.

15. The case of claim 1 wherein the length of the back opening extends in a first direction, and the width of the back opening extends in a second direction, and

a shape of the back opening is asymmetrical about a first axis line passing through a middle of the shape in the second direction.

16. The case of claim 15 wherein the shape of the back opening is symmetrical about a second axis line passing through a middle of the shape in the first direction.

17. The case of claim 16 wherein the shape comprises:

a first shape portion having a first curve having a first radius; and

a second shape portion having a second curve having a second radius, wherein the second curve is opposite of the first curve, and the second radius is larger than the first radius.

18. The case of claim 1 wherein the back of the case comprises four corners, and the back opening is positioned closer to a first corner than second, third, and fourth corners.

19. The case of claim 1 wherein the ring comprises inner and outer perimeters, wherein the inner perimeter comprises an inner length greater than an inner width, the outer perimeter comprises an outer length greater than an outer width, the inner length is less than the outer length, and the inner width is less than the outer width, and

at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s outer length is greater than the opening'"'"'s length, and at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s outer width is greater than the opening'"'"'s width.

20. The case of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s outer width decreases in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the base layer, and the ring'"'"'s outer length decreases in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case.

21. The case of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s outer width is about constant in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the base layer, and the ring'"'"'s outer length is about constant in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case.

22. The case of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s outer width increases in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the base layer, and the ring'"'"'s outer length increases in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case.

23. The case of claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the ring is rounded.

24. The case of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s inner width increases in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case, and

at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s inner length increases in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case.

25. The case of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s inner width is about constant in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case, and

at least a portion of the ring'"'"'s inner length is about constant in a direction from the interior side to the exterior side of the back of the case.

26. A case for an electronic device comprising:

a first case portion comprising;

a first back sidewall, wherein the first back sidewall comprises a top edge; and

a lower sidewall, coupled to the first back sidewall at an end opposite of the top edge, that will be positioned against a bottom side edge of the electronic device;

a second case portion comprising;

an upper sidewall that will be positioned against a top side edge of the electronic device when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion;

an open side end, opposite the upper sidewall, wherein the second case portion slides onto the first case portion through the open side end;

an opening, through a back of the case, comprising a length and a width, wherein the length of the opening is greater than the width of the opening;

a left-hand sidewall connected to a second back sidewall of the second case portion;

a side opening through the left-hand sidewall;

a ring, coupled to the opening, comprising a length and a width, wherein the length of the ring is greater than the width of the ring, and the ring'"'"'s width is aligned with the opening'"'"'s width, and the ring'"'"'s length is aligned with the opening'"'"'s length,

the ring comprises an inner surface having a height at least a thickness of the back of the case from an interior side to an exterior side of the back of the case,

the inner surface of the ring is colored in its entirety in a black color, whereby the black color helps reduce glare from a flash to a camera of the electronic device; and

a cover comprising a mounting tab, coupled to the side opening, wherein the mounting tab extends across a width of the side opening, and integrated to the mounting tab are two button coverings extending on opposite sides of the mounting tab,

the cover at least partially covers the side opening,

when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion, the first and second case portions meet at and form a seam which extends across the back of the case, and

when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion, a first open-shaped opening for the first case portion merges with a second open-shaped opening for the second case portion to form a front opening of the case through which a screen of the electronic device will be visible, the front opening having a closed shape.

27. A case for an electronic device comprising:

a first case portion comprising;

a first back sidewall, wherein the first back sidewall comprises a top edge;

a lower sidewall, connected to the first back sidewall at an end opposite of the top edge, that will be positioned against a bottom side edge of the electronic device;

a first left sidewall, connected to a left edge of the first back sidewall, opposite the first right sidewall, comprising a flat outer surface;

a first right sidewall, connected to a right edge of the first back sidewall, comprising a flat outer surface; and

a second case portion comprising;

an upper sidewall that will be positioned against a top side edge of the electronic device when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion; and

an open side end, opposite the upper sidewall, wherein the second case portion slides onto the first case portion through the open side end; and

a second left sidewall, connected to a left edge of the second back sidewall, opposite the second right sidewall, comprising a flat outer surface;

a second right sidewall, connected to a right edge of a second back sidewall of the second case portion, comprising a flat outer surface;

an opening, through a back of the case, comprising a length and a width, wherein the length of the opening is greater than the width of the opening,

wherein when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion, the first and second case portions meet at and form a seam which extends across the back of the case, the first and second left sidewalls meet at and form a seam which extends across a left side of the case while the flat outer surfaces of the left sidewalls are planar with each other, and the first and second right sidewalls meet at and form a seam which extends across a right side of the case while the flat outer surfaces of the right sidewalls are planar with each other, and

when the second case portion is seated against the first case portion, a first open-shaped opening for the first case portion merges with a second open-shaped opening for the second case portion to form a front opening of the case through which a screen of the electronic device will be visible, the front opening having a closed shape; and

a ring, coupled to the opening, comprising a length and a width, wherein the length of the ring is greater than the width of the ring, and the ring'"'"'s width is aligned with the opening'"'"'s width, and the ring'"'"'s length is aligned with the opening'"'"'s length,

the ring comprises an inner surface having a height at least a thickness of the back of the case from an interior side to an exterior side of the back of the case,

the inner surface of the ring is colored in its entirety in a black color, whereby the black color helps reduce glare from a flash to a camera of the electronic device.

28. The case of claim 27 wherein the first case portion comprises the opening.

29. The case of claim 27 wherein the second case portion comprises the opening.

30. The case of claim 27 wherein the first back sidewall comprises a flat outer surface and the flat outer surfaces of the left and right sidewalls is perpendicular to the flat outer surface of the first back sidewall.