Protective enclosure for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10136716-B2
Application number	US-201815967053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A protective enclosure for an electronic device is provided. The protective enclosure includes a structural member, a cushioning member permanently affixed to the structural member, and a cavity. The structural member has a back portion and a plurality of side portions. The cushioning member has a top section, a bottom section, and one or more side sections. The cushioning member includes an upper edge configured to extend beyond the front surface of the installed electronic device. The cushioning member further includes a protective rim extending beyond the back surface of the electronic device and be in direct contact with the a portion of the back surface of the installed electronic device. The cavity is at least partially bounded by the protective rim of the cushioning member and extends between the inner surface of the structural member to the back surface of the installed electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective enclosure for an electronic device, the electronic device including a front surface, a back surface, and a plurality of side surfaces, the protective enclosure comprising:
a structural member having a back portion and a plurality of side portions, the back portion including an inner surface configured to face the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure and an outer surface;
a cushioning member permanently affixed to the structural member, the cushioning member having a top section, a bottom section, and one or more side sections, the cushioning member including an upper edge configured to extend beyond the front surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure, the cushioning member further including a protective rim configured to extend beyond the back surface of the electronic device and be in direct contact with a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure; and
a cavity at least partially bounded by the protective rim of the cushioning member, the cavity configured to extend between the inner surface of the structural member to the back surface of the installed electronic device.

2. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning member is affixed to the structural member by overmolding or co-molding.

3. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the structural member is formed from a transparent material wherein a substantial portion of the back surface of the installed electronic device is visible through the structural member.

4. The protective enclosure of claim 3 , wherein the structural member includes a textured or decorative element.

5. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the structural member includes a cutout region in one more of the plurality of side portions of the structural member, the cutout region configured to allow the protective enclosure to bend towards the back portion of the structural member to allow a portion of the installed electronic device to be exposed and removed from the protective enclosure.

6. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning member is configured to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

7. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning member is a perimeter cushioning member configured to define a perimeter area covering the plurality of side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

8. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning member is configured to not cover the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

9. The protective enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning member includes an interior section configured to cover a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure.

10. A one-piece protective enclosure for housing an electronic device, the electronic device including a front surface, a back surface, and a plurality of side surfaces, the one-piece protective enclosure comprising:
a cushioning member defining a perimeter of the one-piece protective enclosure and configured to cover the side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece protective enclosure, the cushioning member having a first protective rim configured to extend beyond the front surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece protective enclosure and a second protective rim configured to extend beyond the back surface of the electronic device and be in direct contact with a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece protective enclosure; and
a structural member affixed to the cushioning member and comprising a back portion configured to cover the second protective rim, the back portion of the structural member further covering a gap at least partially bounded by the second protective rim and configured to extend from an inner surface of the structural member to the back surface of the installed electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece protective enclosure.

11. The one-piece protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein structural member is configured not to make contact with the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece protective enclosure.

12. The one-piece protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the structural member is affixed to the cushioning member by overmolding, co-molding, adhesive, or ultrasonic welding.

13. The one-piece protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the back portion of the structural member is transparent.

14. The one-piece protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the first protective rim of the cushioning member is configured to extend from the plurality of side surfaces of the electronic device away from the back surface of the electronic device beyond the front surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece protective enclosure to protect the front surface of the installed electronic device from scratches or drops.

15. The one-piece protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the second protective rim of the cushioning member is configured to extend along the side surfaces of the electronic device and beyond the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece protective enclosure to protect the back surface of the installed electronic device from the inner surface of the back portion of the structural member.

16. The one-protective enclosure of claim 10 , wherein the cushioning member includes an interior section configured to cover a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-protective enclosure.

17. A one-piece multi-layered case for an electronic device, the electronic device including a front surface, a back surface, and a plurality of side surfaces, the one-piece multi-layered case comprising:
a cushioning layer configured to cover and cushion the side surfaces of the electronic device, the cushioning layer having a protective rim extending beyond and configured to be in direct contact with a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece multi-layered case;
a structural layer permanently affixed to the cushioning layer, the structural layer including a back portion extending around the protective rim of the cushioning layer and configured to cover the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece multi-layered case; and
a space formed in the cushioning layer and at least partially bounded by the protective rim, the space extending from the structural layer to the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece multi-layered case.

18. The one-piece multi-layered case of claim 17 , wherein the cushioning layer includes an interior section configured to cover a portion of the back surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the one-piece multi-layered case.

Assignees

• Otter Products Llc

Inventors

• Northrup Nathan
• Witter Kevin W
• Prestien James M
• Russell David C
• Johnson Erika E
• Krajec Matthew S

Classifications

• A45C2200/10

  Transparent walls · CPC title

• A45C11/24 Primary

  Etuis for purposes not covered by a single one of groups A45C11/02 - A45C11/22, A45C11/26, A45C11/32 - A45C11/38 · CPC title

• A45C13/001

  Accessories · CPC title

• A45C13/04

  Frames · CPC title

• H04B1/3888 Primary

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title