Case for an electronic device with a coupling system to be coupled to a seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9302808-B2
Application number	US-201414284081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	May 22, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A case for an electronic device, which is shaped as a book and has: a rear cover, which is provided with a housing pocket to house the electronic device; a front cover, which is hinged to the rear cover; and a locking element, which is hinged to the rear cover and has an upper wall and a lower wall, which are parallel and opposite to one another. The locking element is equipped with a hook-shaped coupler which projects from the lower wall of the locking element. The front cover has a coupling hole, which is arranged at the coupler, when the locking element overlaps the front cover, and is adapted to receive, on the inside, the coupler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A case for a computer tablet, which is shaped as a book and comprises:
a rear cover, which is provided with a housing pocket to house the computer tablet;
a front cover, which is hinged to the rear cover by means of a first hinge; and
a locking element, which is hinged to the rear cover by means of a second hinge opposite to the first hinge, has an upper wall and a lower wall, which are parallel and opposite to one another, and is equipped with a coupler which projects from the lower wall of the locking element; and
wherein the locking element can be rotated around the second hinge to be positioned alternatively parallel to the rear cover and above a lower wall of the rear cover opposite to the housing pocket, or parallel to the rear cover and on the housing pocket;
wherein the front cover has a through coupling hole, which is arranged in correspondence to the coupler, when the locking element overlaps the front cover, and is suited to receive, on the inside, the coupler;
wherein the coupler is a hook that is hook-shaped and “L”-shaped;
wherein the coupling hole is suited to allow, in use, the hook-shaped and “L”-shaped coupler to pass through the coupling hole;
wherein the front cover comprises a fixed panel and a mobile panel, which is hinged to the fixed panel by means of a third hinge and has the coupling hole.

2. A case according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed panel and the mobile panel comprise respective holding elements, which are coupled to one another with a predetermined holding force, so as to hold the two panels in contact with one another.

3. A case according to claim 2 , wherein the holding elements are comprised of magnets.

4. A case according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed panel of the front cover is provided with two recesses, which are arranged on opposite sides of the mobile panel.

5. A case according to claim 1 , wherein the housing pocket is provided with a holding flap.

6. A case for a computer tablet, which is shaped like a book and comprises:
a rear cover, which is provided with a housing pocket to house the computer tablet;
a front cover, which is hinged to the rear cover by means of a first hinge; and
a locking element, which is hinged to the rear cover by means of a second hinge opposite to the first hinge, has an upper wall and a lower wall, which are parallel and opposite to one another, and is equipped with a coupler which projects from the lower wall of the locking element; and
wherein the locking element can be rotated around the second hinge to be positioned alternatively parallel to the rear cover and above a lower wall of the rear cover opposite to the housing pocket, or parallel to the rear cover and on the housing pocket;
wherein the front cover has a through coupling hole, which is arranged in correspondence to the coupler, when the locking element overlaps the front cover, and is suited to receive, on the inside, the coupler;
wherein the coupler is a hook that is hook-shaped and “L”-shaped;
wherein the coupling hole is suited to allow, in use, the hook-shaped and “L”-shaped coupler to pass through the coupling hole; and
wherein the locking element is “C”-shaped and is provided with a pushing flap, which has an inner edge, which is integral to the locking element, and an outer edge, which projects from the locking element and is arranged in an empty space delimited by the “C” shape of the locking element.

7. A case according to claim 6 , wherein the locking element comprises, on an inside, a reinforcement metal sheet, which directly supports the coupler and is fixed to the inner edge of the pushing flap.

8. A case according to claim 1 , wherein the front cover and the locking element comprise respective holding elements, which are coupled to one another with a predetermined holding force, when the locking element overlaps the front cover.

9. A case according to claim 8 , wherein the holding elements are comprised of magnets.

10. A case according to claim 9 , wherein the magnets of the front cover are positioned, with respect to the magnets of the locking element, in such a way that the magnetic coupling between the magnets of the front cover and the magnets of the locking element pushes the coupler supported by the locking element towards a position in which it engages more the coupling hole.

11. A case according to claim 1 , wherein the front cover is provided with a reinforcement metal sheet, which is arranged around the coupling hole.

12. A case according to claim 1 , wherein, when the coupler is inserted in the coupling hole, an initial part of the coupler, which projects upwards from the locking element, is in the coupling hole and a final part of the coupler, which is perpendicular to the initial part, is outside the coupling hole and rests on a surface of the front cover opposite to the locking element.

13. A method to couple a rear wall of a seat provided with a holding ring to a case for a computer tablet which is shaped like a book and comprises:
a rear cover, which is provided with a housing pocket to house the computer tablet;
a front cover, which is hinged to the rear cover by means of a first hinge; and
a locking element, which is hinged to the rear cover by means of a second hinge opposite to the first hinge, has an upper wall and a lower wall, which are parallel and opposite to one another, and is equipped with a coupler which projects from the lower wall of the locking element; and
wherein the locking element can be rotated around the second hinge to be positioned alternatively parallel to the rear cover and above a lower wall of the rear cover opposite to the housing pocket, or parallel to the rear cover and on the housing pocket;
wherein the front cover has a through coupling hole, which is arranged in correspondence to the coupler, when the locking element overlaps the front cover, and is suited to receive, on the inside, the coupler;
wherein the coupler is a hook that is hook-shaped and “L”-shaped; and
wherein the coupling hole is suited to allow, in use, the hook-shaped and “L”-shaped coupler to pass through the coupling hole;
the method comprising the steps of:
inserting the front cover into the holding ring of the seat;
rotating the rear cover around the first hinge, so as to lay the rear cover against the front cover;
rotating the locking element around the second hinge, so as to bring the coupler in correspondence to the coupling hole; and
inserting the coupler into the coupling hole, so as to cause the coupler to pass through the coupling hole and therefore to establish a stable mechanical connection between the two covers.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein:
the front cover comprises a fixed panel and a mobile panel, which is hinged to the fixed panel by means of a third hinge and has the coupling hole; and
the step of inserting the front cover into the holding ring comprises inserting, into the holding ring, only the mobile panel of the front cover, so as to interpose the holding ring between the mobile panel and the fixed panel of the front cover.

15. A case according to claim 1 , wherein:
when the case is coupled to a rear wall of a seat provided with a holding ring, the front cover is parallel to the rear cover and is positioned on a lower wall of the rear cover opposite to the housing pocket and the locking element is parallel to the rear cover and is positioned on the front cover and above the rear cover; and
when the case is uncoupled from the rear wall of the seat, the locking element is parallel to the rear cover and is positioned on the housing pocket and the front cover is

Assignees

• Ferrari Spa

Inventors

• De Angelis Salvatore

Classifications

• Y10S224/929

  Article carrier for electrical device · CPC title

• A45C11/00 Primary

  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

• B60R7/043

  mounted on or under a seat · CPC title

• B65D25/54

  Inspection openings or windows · CPC title

• Y10T29/49895

  Associating parts by use of aligning means [e.g., use of a drift pin or a "fixture"] · CPC title