Protective case for mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10206470-B2
Application number	US-201715449865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2017
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A protective case can be used with a mobile device having front and back surfaces and side surfaces extending between the front and back surfaces, including a top side, a bottom side, a right side, and a left side, the mobile device having a screen on the front surface. The protective case can include a shell configured to engage and substantially surround at least three of the surfaces of the mobile device and preferably all or nearly all surfaces of the mobile device while still capable of allowing the user to functionally interact with biometric sensor (such as a fingerprint sensor) and/or not interfere with the intended functionality of the proximity sensors of the mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective case for a mobile device, the mobile device including a speaker and a microphone and having front and back surfaces and side surfaces extending between the front and back surfaces, including a top side, a bottom side, a right side, and a left side, the protective case comprising:
a substantially rigid middle frame configured to engage and substantially surround at least three of the surfaces of the mobile device, the middle frame comprising:
a body having a front edge and a back edge, wherein the body at least partially encloses an interior volume;
an aperture through the middle frame;
a selectively-permeable seal covering the aperture;
a gasket reinforcing the seal and providing a channel between the seal and a side surface of the mobile device, the gasket including a void extending from the first gasket edge next to the seal to the second gasket edge opposite the first edge and next to the side surface of the mobile device;
a channel formed along the middle frame extending from the aperture, the channel being positioned adjacent to the void in the gasket and providing a continuous path for airflow to an interior chamber; and
a plurality of inner ribs extending from the body toward the interior volume and configured to suspend or separate the side surfaces of the mobile device from the body, each of the inner ribs having a height, width, and depth; and

a back plate configured to engage and substantially surround at least a back surface of the mobile device, the back plate comprising:
a back panel; and
at least two raised sides extending from the back panel toward the interior volume, the raised sides being configured to suspend the mobile device, creating the interior chamber between the back surface of the mobile device and the back panel, one of the raised sides including a recessed portion that does not extend toward the interior volume and positioned where the channel meets the raised side;

wherein the height of each of the inner ribs of the plurality is at least 80 percent of the distance between the front edge and back edge of the body and the width is smaller than the height.

2. The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the interior chamber provides a continuous path for airflow between the speaker and the microphone.

3. The protective case of claim 2 , further comprising a button panel positioned in an aperture on the body and configured to engage one or more buttons on the mobile device and wherein at least one of the inner ribs on the body is positioned at one end of the button panel and projects inward from the button panel.

4. The protective case of claim 3 , wherein at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage the top side of the mobile device, at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage the left side of the mobile device, and at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage the right side of the mobile device.

5. The protective case of claim 2 , wherein at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage the top side of the mobile device, at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage the left side of the mobile device, and at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage the right side of the mobile device.

6. A protective case for a mobile device, the mobile device including a speaker and a microphone and having front and back surfaces and side surfaces extending between the front and back surfaces, including a top side, a bottom side, a right side, and a left side, the protective case comprising:
a middle frame configured to engage and substantially surround at least three of the surfaces of the mobile device, the middle frame comprising:
a body having a front edge and a back edge, wherein the body at least partially encloses an interior volume;
an aperture through the middle frame;
a selectively-permeable seal covering the aperture;
a gasket reinforcing the seal and providing a channel between the seal and a side surface of the mobile device, the gasket including a void extending from the first gasket edge next to the seal to the second gasket edge opposite the first edge and next to the side surface of the mobile device;
a channel formed along the middle frame extending from the aperture, the channel being positioned adjacent to the void in the gasket and providing a continuous path for airflow to an interior chamber; and
a plurality of inner ribs extending from the body toward the interior volume and configured to suspend or separate the side surfaces of the mobile device from the body, each of the inner ribs having a height, width, and depth;

wherein the height of each of the inner ribs of the plurality is at least 80 percent of the distance between the front edge and back edge of the body and the width is smaller than the height.

7. The protective case of claim 6 , further comprising a back plate configured to engage and substantially surround at least a back surface of the mobile device, the back plate comprising:
a back panel; and
at least two raised sides extending from the back panel toward the interior volume, the raised sides being configured to suspend the mobile device, creating the interior chamber between the back surface of the mobile device and the back panel, one of the raised sides including a recessed portion that does not extend toward the interior volume and positioned where the channel meets the raised side.

8. The protective case of claim 7 , wherein the interior chamber provides a continuous path for airflow between the speaker and the microphone.

9. The protective case of claim 8 , wherein at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage the top side of the mobile device.

10. The protective case of claim 9 , wherein at least two of the inner ribs on the body are configured to engage each of the right and left sides of the mobile device.

11. The protective case of claim 10 , further comprising a button panel positioned in an aperture on the body and configured to engage one or more buttons on the mobile device.

12. The protective case of claim 11 , wherein there is an inner rib positioned at one end of the button panel and projecting inward from the button panel.

13. A protective case for a mobile device, the mobile device including a speaker and a microphone and having front and back surfaces and side surfaces extending between the front and back surfaces, including a top side, a bottom side, a right side, and a left side, the protective case comprising:
a substantially rigid middle frame configured to engage and substantially surround at least three of the surfaces of the mobile device, the middle frame comprising:
a body having a front edge and a back edge, wherein the body at least partially encloses an interior volume;
an aperture through the middle frame;
a selectively-permeable seal covering the aperture;
a gasket reinforcing the seal and providing a channel between the seal and a side surface of the mobile device, the gasket including a void extending from the first gasket edge next to the seal to the second gasket edge opposite the first edge and next to the side surface of the mobile device;
a channel formed along the middle frame extending from the aperture, the channel being positioned adjacent to the void in the gasket and providing a continuous path for airflow to an interior chamber; and
a plurality of inner ribs positioned between the front edge and back edge of the body and extending outwardly from the body toward the interior volume and configured to suspend or separate the side surfaces of the mob

Assignees

• Incipio Llc

Inventors

• Fathollahi Andy
• Hemesath Timothy Alan
• Yung Kitty Yu-Ling
• Del Toro Carlos

Classifications

• H05K5/03

  Covers · CPC title

• A45F5/00

  Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping · CPC title

• H04M1/0202

  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 title

• A45C13/002

  Protective covers · CPC title

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title