Protective enclosure for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10103769-B2
Application number	US-201715671238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2017
Priority date	Jan 7, 2014
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A protective enclosure for use with an electronic device includes a bottom shell, a first cushioning member, and a second cushioning member. The bottom shell includes a back portion and walls attached to the back portion to form a cavity for receiving and removably retaining the electronic device. The bottom shell also includes an aperture configured to provide direct access to the touch screen of the installed electronic device. The first cushioning layer is overmolded onto at least the inner surface of the of back portion of the bottom shell and configured to contact and cushion at least a back surface of the installed electronic device. The second cushioning layer is separate from the first cushioning layer and includes a perimeter cushioning member overmolded onto at least a portion of the walls of the bottom shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective enclosure for use with an electronic device having a touch screen, the protective enclosure comprising:
a bottom shell including a back portion and a plurality of walls attached to the back portion at a perimeter of the back portion to form a cavity for receiving and removably retaining the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure, the bottom shell further including an aperture bounded by the plurality of walls, the aperture configured to provide direct touch access to the touch screen of the installed electronic device, the bottom shell having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a first cushioning layer overmolded onto at least the inner surface of the back portion of the bottom shell, the first cushioning layer configured to contact and cushion at least a back surface of the installed electronic device when the electronic device is received within the cavity; and
a second cushioning layer that is separate from the first cushioning layer, the second cushioning layer including a perimeter cushioning member overmolded onto at least a portion of the plurality of walls of the bottom shell, the second cushioning layer configured to contact and cushion one or more sides of the installed electronic device when the electronic device is received within the cavity.

2. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the bottom shell is formed from a material that is more rigid than a material from which the first cushioning layer is formed and is more rigid than a material from which the second cushioning layer is formed.

3. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of walls of the bottom shell includes one or more cutouts.

4. The protective enclosure of claim 3 wherein a portion of the second cushioning layer extends through at least one of the one or more cutouts of the walls of the bottom shell.

5. The protective enclosure of claim 4 wherein the portion of the second cushioning layer that extends through the cutout includes a button pad for actuating a control button of the installed electronic device through the portion of the second cushioning layer and without directly contacting the installed electronic device.

6. The protective enclosure of claim 1 further comprising an opening extending through the second cushioning layer and through one of the plurality of walls of the bottom shell to provide access to a side of the installed electronic device from the outside surface of the bottom shell.

7. The protective enclosure of claim 6 wherein a second opening extends through the second cushioning layer and another one of the plurality of walls of the bottom shell to provide access to another side of the installed electronic device from the outside surface of the bottom shell.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 1 further comprising an opening extending through the first cushioning layer and the back of the bottom shell to provide optical access to a camera feature on a back surface of the installed electronic device.

9. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the first cushioning layer includes a plurality of ribs configured to contact a back surface of the installed electronic device to form a plurality of cavities between the first cushioning layer and the back surface of the installed electronic device.

10. The protective enclosure of claim 1 wherein the second cushioning layer includes an elevated protective rim that extends beyond the front surface of the installed electronic device.

11. The protective enclosure of claim 10 wherein the elevated protective rim removably retains the installed electronic device in the protective enclosure.

12. A protective enclosure for use with an electronic device having an interactive touch screen, the protective enclosure comprising:
an outer shell having a back portion and a plurality of walls attached to the back portion at a perimeter of the back portion to form a cavity for receiving and removably retaining the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure, the outer shell having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a first cushion member affixed to the outer shell at least at the inner surface of the of back portion of the outer shell, the first cushion member configured to contact and cushion at least a back surface of the installed electronic device when the electronic device is received within the cavity; and
a second cushion member affixed to at least a portion of the plurality of walls of the outer shell, the second cushion member configured to contact and cushion one or more sides of the installed electronic device when the electronic device is received within the cavity, wherein the second cushion member is not directly attached to the first cushion member.

13. The protective enclosure of claim 12 wherein at least one of the plurality of walls of the outer shell includes one or more cutouts.

14. The protective enclosure of claim 13 wherein a portion of the second cushion member extends through at least one of the one or more cutouts of the outer shell and includes a button pad for actuating a control button on a side of the installed electronic device through the portion of the second cushion member and without directly contacting the installed electronic device.

15. The protective enclosure of claim 12 wherein the outer shell includes a first cutout in a portion of a first of the plurality of walls and a second cutout in a second of the plurality of walls, wherein the first cutout is opposite the second cutout.

16. The protective enclosure of claim 15 wherein the back portion of the outer shell includes a thinned region between the first cutout and the second cutout, the thinned region of the back portion of the outer shell having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a remainder of the back portion of the outer shell.

17. The protective enclosure of claim 12 further comprising an opening extending through the second cushion member and one of the plurality of walls of the outer shell to provide access to a side of the installed electronic device from the outside surface of the outer shell.

18. The protective enclosure of claim 12 further comprising an opening extending through the first cushion member and the back of the outer shell to provide optical access to a camera feature on a back surface of the installed electronic device.

19. The protective enclosure of claim 12 wherein the first cushion member includes a plurality of ribs configured to contact a back surface of the installed electronic device to form a plurality of cavities between the first cushion member and the back surface of the installed electronic device.

20. The protective enclosure of claim 12 wherein the second cushion member includes an elevated protective rim that extends beyond the front surface of the installed electronic device and removably retains the installed electronic device in the protective enclosure.

Assignees

• Otter Products Llc

Inventors

• Witter Kevin W
• Krajec Matthew S
• Nelson Patrick J
• Walker Paul N
• Boileau Thomas D

Classifications

• H04B1/3888 Primary

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• H05K5/03

  Covers · CPC title

• A45C5/02

  Materials therefor · CPC title

• A45C11/00

  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 title