Screen protection using actuated bumpers

• US 9,571,150 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sanford, Emery A., Wu, Wei Guang, Carey, Sarah E., Lang, Matthew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US14/284,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.8, 361/679.01, 361/679.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An electronic device includes at least one screen. One or more bumpers are moveable between at least a stowed position where the bumper is flush or below the screen and a deployed position where at least a portion of the bumper projects above the screen. One or more sensors detect when the electronic device is subject to one or more drop events. When a drop event is detected, the bumper moves to the deployed position, protecting the screen. In various implementations, the bumper may be moveable by a push-push mechanism or a magnet assisted actuator mechanism. In other implementations, the bumper may include piezoelectric material to which voltage can be applied to move the bumper.

Claims

1. A system for screen protection, comprising:

an electronic device including at least one screen;

at least one bumper pivotally moveable through a housing aperture between at least a stowed position and a deployed position wherein at least a portion of the at least one bumper projects above the at least one screen in the deployed position; and

at least one sensor that is configured to detect when electronic device is subject to a drop event;

wherein the at least one bumper is configured to move from the stowed position to the deployed position when the at least one sensor detects that the electronic device is subject to the drop event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bumper is positioned at least partially around at least two sides of the at least one screen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bumper is spring biased toward the stowed position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bumper is moveable between the stowed position and the deployed position by at least one push-push mechanism that is connected to the at least one bumper and driven by at least one actuator.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one push-push mechanism includes a wedge with at least one cam that travels along at least one cam path when the wedge is pushed by the at least one actuator wherein the wedge pushes the at least one bumper when pushed by the at least one actuator.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of:

the at least one cam travels along the at least one cam path from a stowed cam path position to a first over-travel cam path position when the wedge is pushed by the at least one actuator and then from the first over-travel cam path position to a deployed cam path position when the wedge is no longer pushed by the at least one actuator, the wedge maintaining the at least one bumper in the deployed position when the at least one cam is in the deployed cam path position;

or

the at least one cam travels along the at least one cam path from the deployed cam path position to a second over-travel cam path position when the wedge is pushed by the at least one actuator and then from the second over-travel cam path position to the stowed cam path position when the wedge is no longer pushed by the at least one actuator, the wedge allowing the at least one bumper to be the stowed position when the at least one cam is in the stowed cam path position.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bumper is moveable between the stowed position and the deployed position by a wedge that is operable to contact the at least one bumper and is at least partially driven by at least one actuator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one actuator drives the wedge from a stowed wedge position to an intermediate wedge position, the wedge allowing the at least one bumper to be in the stowed position when the wedge is in the stowed wedge position.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein multiple magnetic elements attract to pull the wedge from the intermediate wedge position to a deployed wedge position, the wedge maintaining the at least one bumper in the deployed position when the wedge is in the deployed wedge position.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one actuator drives the wedge from the deployed wedge position to the stowed wedge position.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one actuator driving the wedge from the deployed wedge position to the stowed wedge position breaks the attraction between the multiple magnetic elements.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one bumper is incorporated into at least one case that couples to the electronic device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor is incorporated into the at least one case.

15. A system for screen protection, comprising:

an electronic device including a screen;

a bumper that comprises piezoelectric material and is moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position wherein at least a portion of the bumper projects above the screen in the deployed position; and

a sensor responsive to a drop event;

wherein, in response to an output from the sensor, the bumper is configured to move from the stowed position to the deployed position.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the bumper moves from the stowed position to the deployed position when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric material.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the bumper moves from the deployed position to the stowed position when the voltage is no longer applied to the piezoelectric material.

18. A system for display protection, comprising:

a device including a display;

a bumper configured to rotate through an aperture into a deployed position; and

a sensor that produces a signal when device is subject to a drop event;

wherein

the bumper rotates into the deployed position based on the sensor signal; and

an edge of the bumper projects above the display in the deployed position.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an external case that couples to the device, wherein;

the bumper is coupled to the external case.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the bumper is biased toward a stowed position; and

the edge of the bumper is below the display in the stowed position.