Electronic tablet case with internal easel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9580209-B2
Application number	US-201313766278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2013
Priority date	Feb 14, 2012
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A storage component including a cover and an easel coupled to the cover. The easel includes a first portion and a second portion pivotally coupled together, wherein the easel is movable between a substantially flat configuration wherein the first and second portions are generally flat and coplanar, and a propped configuration wherein the first and second portions are arranged in a non-coplanar configuration and the first portion is oriented at an angle relative to the cover. The first portion of the easel in the propped configuration is configured to support an item thereon for display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage component comprising:
a cover; and
an easel coupled to said cover, the easel including a first portion and a second portion pivotally coupled together, wherein the easel is movable between a substantially flat configuration wherein the first and second portions are generally flat and coplanar, and a propped configuration wherein the first and second portions are arranged in a non-coplanar configuration and the first portion is oriented at an angle relative to said cover, and wherein the first portion of the easel when in the propped configuration is configured to support an item thereon for display, wherein the first and second portions each have at least one edge, and wherein at least part of each edge together define a support plane when the easel is in the propped configuration for supporting the item thereon for display, wherein the support plane is not parallel with said first portion of the easel when in the propped configuration.

2. The storage component of claim 1 wherein when the easel is in the propped configuration the easel is configured to support an item thereon for display against either the first portion in a first position or on the support plane in a second position, wherein the item generally faces a first direction when in the first position and generally faces a second direction when in the second position, wherein the first and second directions are generally perpendicular.

3. The storage component of claim 2 further comprising a biaxial hinge coupled to said easel to enable said item to move between said first position and said second position.

4. The storage component of claim 3 wherein said biaxial hinge enables pivoting about two generally perpendicular axes thereof.

5. The storage component of claim 1 wherein the edge of the first portion and the edge of the second portion define an angle therebetween when in the easel is in said substantially flat configuration.

6. The storage component of claim 5 wherein the edge of the first portion and the edge of the second portion are positioned immediately adjacent to each other.

7. The storage component of claim 1 wherein the first and second portions and said cover are each generally flat and planar.

8. The storage component of claim 1 further comprising a frame, wherein the frame is configured to support the item therein or thereon and be supported by the easel.

9. The storage component of claim 8 wherein the frame is releasably attachable to the easel.

10. The storage component of claim 9 wherein the frame is generally rectangular in top view and has attachment regions proximate to least three corners thereof, wherein the attachment regions are releasably attachable to the easel when the easel is in the substantially flat configuration, and wherein the attachment regions proximate to a maximum of two corners of the frame are releasably attachable to the storage at least one of the easel or cover when the easel is in the propped configuration.

11. The storage component of claim 1 further comprising said item, and wherein said item is an electronic tablet.

12. The storage component of claim 1 wherein said support plane is positioned at a non-perpendicular angle relative to a plane of said cover.

13. A storage component comprising:
a cover;
a supplemental cover pivotally coupled to the cover along a cover fold line; and
an easel coupled to said cover, the easel including a first portion and a second portion pivotally coupled together, wherein the easel is movable between a substantially flat configuration wherein the first and second portions are generally flat and coplanar, and a propped configuration wherein the first and second portions are arranged in a non-coplanar configuration and the first portion is oriented at an angle relative to said cover, wherein the first portion of the easel when in the propped configuration is configured to support an item thereon for display and, wherein the first and second portions are pivotally coupled along an easel fold line that is generally perpendicular to the cover fold line.

14. The storage component of claim 13 wherein the first and second portions each have a length extending generally perpendicular to the easel fold line, and wherein the lengths of the first and second portions are equal.

15. A storage component comprising:
a cover; and
an easel coupled to said cover, the easel including a first portion and a second portion pivotally coupled together, wherein the easel is movable between a substantially flat configuration wherein the first and second portions are generally flat and coplanar, and a propped configuration wherein the first and second portions are arranged in a non-coplanar configuration and the first portion is oriented at an angle relative to said cover, wherein the first portion of the easel when in the propped configuration is configured to support an item thereon for display, wherein the cover includes a rail coupled thereto and defining a gap thereunder, and wherein the easel includes at least one tab slidably positioned in the gap, and wherein the at least one tab is configured to slide within the gap when the easel is moved between the substantially flat configuration and the propped configuration.

16. The storage component of claim 15 wherein the first and second portions are pivotally attached to each other along an easel fold line, and wherein the at least one tab is slidable in a direction generally perpendicular to said easel fold line.

17. A storage component comprising:
a cover;
an easel coupled to said cover, the easel including a first portion and a second portion pivotally coupled together, wherein the easel is movable between a substantially flat configuration wherein the first and second portions are generally flat and coplanar, and a propped configuration wherein the first and second portions are arranged in a non-coplanar configuration and the first portion is oriented at an angle relative to said cover, and wherein the first portion of the easel when in the propped configuration is configured to support an item thereon for display; and
a frame, wherein the frame is configured to support the item therein or thereon and be supported by the easel, wherein the first and second portions have edges, and wherein at least part of the edges define a support plane when the easel is in the propped configuration, wherein the frame is movable between a first position wherein the frame is positioned substantially flat against the first portion, and a second position wherein the frame is positioned on or in the support plane, and wherein said frame is movable between the first position and the second position without entirely detaching the frame from a remainder of said storage component.

18. A method for manipulating a storage component comprising:
accessing a storage component including a cover and an easel coupled to said cover, the easel including a first portion and a second portion pivotally coupled together, wherein the first and second portions each have at least one edge; and
moving the easel between a substantially flat configuration wherein the first and second portions are generally flat and coplanar, and a propped configuration wherein the first and second portions are arranged in a non-coplanar configuration and the first portion is oriented at an angle relative to said cover, and wherein the first portion of the easel in the propped configuration is configured to support an item thereon for display, and wherein at least part of each edge together define a support pla

Assignees

• Blume Megan
• Yost Taryn
• Hayes Kathryn
• Africa Thomas J
• Worden Ross
• Acco Brands Corp

Inventors

• Blume Megan
• Yost Taryn
• Hayes Kathryn
• Africa Thomas J
• Worden Ross

Classifications

• B65D25/20 Primary

  External fittings (of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44) · 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

• A45C2200/15

  Articles convertible into a stand, e.g. for displaying purposes · CPC title

• A45C2011/003

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A45C11/003

  for storing portable computing devices, e.g. laptops, tablets or calculators · CPC title