Device covering, protecting, and positioning a portable electronic device

• US 9,131,756 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New Flux, LLC, NewFlux, LLC
• Original Assignee: NewFlux, LLC
• Inventors: Hurst, Jared, Holbrook, Troy A., Hutchinson, Steven R., Triplett, Tyson
• Primary Examiner(s): GEHMAN, BRYON P
• Application Number:
  US14/098,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20140151248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 206/45.2, 206/45.23, 206/45.24, 206/320, 361/679.55, 361/679.59, 248/455, 248/458
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 that substantially covers a display of a portable electronic device when applied to the portable electronic device and articulated to a protective position, the display protector further providing a contact surface to support the portable electronic device when articulated to a viewing position; and

an articulating member connected to a proximal end of the display protector and propping up the portable electronic device when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the articulating member including a magnetic fastener that is magnetically detachably fastenable to a compatible magnetic component locatable on a backside of the portable electronic device, the display protector further including one or more magnetic strips extending from a distal end of the display protector to the proximal end of the display protector, the one or more magnetic strips being magnetically coupleable with one or more compatible magnetic components when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the one or more compatible magnetic components being situated along a peripheral edge of the display or a back cover component for 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, where in 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 the 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 the back cover component, the back cover component being 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 magnetically detachably fastenable.

10. The protective cover device of claim 9, wherein the compatible magnetic component includes an elongated surface to which the magnetic fastener of the articulating member is magnetically detachably fastenable and across which the magnetic fastener of the articulating member is slidably moveable while remaining securely magnetically fastened, and the back cover component includes a surface that substantially covers the backside of the portable electronic device when applied to the portable electronic device and includes 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 10, wherein the elongated surface of the compatible magnetic component is one of cross-shaped, circular, and polygonal.

12. The protective cover device of claim 1, wherein the compatible magnetic component locatable on the backside of the portable electronic device further includes one or more elongated portions extending from a center of the backside, the magnetic fastener being magnetically coupleable to and slidably moveable along the elongated portions.

13. The protective cover device of claim 1, wherein

the one or more compatible magnetic components include at least one magnetic component situated along a first peripheral edge of the display or the back cover component and being magnetically coupleable with the one or more magnetic strips when the display protector is in a portrait orientation, and

the one or more compatible magnetic components include at least one magnetic component situated along a second peripheral edge of the display or back cover component and being magnetically coupleable with the one or more magnetic strips when the display protector is in a landscape orientation.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. The protective cover device of claim 15, 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.

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

18. A method for making a protective cover device that includes a display protector that substantially covers a display of a portable electronic device when applied to the portable electronic device and articulated to a protective position, the display protector further providing a contact surface to support the portable electronic device when articulated to a viewing position;

and an articulating member connected to a proximal end of the display protector and propping up the portable electronic device when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the articulating member including a magnetic fastener that is magnetically detachably fastenable to a compatible magnetic component locatable on a backside of the portable electronic device, the display protector further including one or more magnetic strips extending from a distal end of the display protector to the proximal end of the display protector, the one or more magnetic strips being magnetically coupleable with one or more compatible magnetic components when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the one or more compatible magnetic components being situated along a peripheral edge of the display or a back cover component for the portable electronic device.

19. 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 connected to the flap at a proximal end of the display protector and being positionable in a protective position to substantially cover a display of the portable electronic device when applied to 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 and including one or more magnetic strips extending from a distal end of the display protector to the proximal end of the display protector, the one or more magnetic strips being magnetically coupleable with one or more compatible magnetic components when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position, the one or more compatible magnetic components being situated along a peripheral edge of the display or a back cover component for the portable electronic device.

20. The protective cover device of claim 19, 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.

21. The protective cover device of claim 19, 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.

22. The protective cover device of claim 19, wherein the flap magnetically detachably fastens to a central region of the surface.

23. The protective cover device of claim 19, 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.

24. The protective cover device of claim 23, wherein

the display protector includes a contact surface configured to support a peripheral edge of the back cover, and

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

25. The protective cover device of claim 19, 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.

26. A protective cover device comprising:

a back cover for a portable electronic device, the back cover including a recessed cavity and an elongated magnetic fastening component, the recessed cavity accepting and retaining the back-side of the portable electronic device, the elongated magnetic fastening component being included in a backside surface of the back cover and being magnetically detachably coupleable with a corresponding magnetic fastener of a protective cover device that protects a display of the portable electronic device, the corresponding magnetic fastener of an articulating display cover component being slidably moveable across an elongated surface of the elongated magnetic fastening component while remaining securely magnetically fastened to the elongated magnetic fastening component.

27. The protective cover device of claim 26, further comprising:

the articulating display cover component that is magnetically detachably coupleable with the back cover via the elongated magnetic fastening component, wherein the elongated magnetic fastening component has a cross-shaped surface and the fastening component of the articulating display cover component is magnetically coupleable to and slidably moveable across the cross-shaped surface.

28. The protective cover device of claim 27, wherein the articulating display cover component may include one of a keyboard, a stylus, a wall mount, and a desktop mount.

29. A protective cover device comprising:

a display protector that substantially covers a display of a portable electronic device when articulated to a protective position, the display protector further providing a contact surface to support the portable electronic device when articulated to a viewing position and including at least one magnetic region extending along at least a portion of a surface of the display protector, the at least one magnetic region being magnetically coupleable with at least one magnetic component situated along a peripheral edge of the display or a back cover of the portable electronic device to prop up the portable electronic device at a user-selected angle when the display protector is articulated to the viewing position; and

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

30. The protective cover device of claim 29, 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.