Protective cushion cover for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9986802-B2
Application number	US-201314092120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Dec 29, 2008
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a protective cover for an electronic device that is made from an elastomeric material that simultaneously provides cushioning that would otherwise be provided by a softer, thicker material, while utilizing a single, denser material that provides a slim profile and has sufficient density to conform well to the electronic device and prevent the transmission of impacts with hard surfaces directly to the electronic device. Although a denser material is used for the protective cover, recesses are formed in thicker portions at impact points that create compressible ribs. The ribs provide softer, cushioned portions of the cover in the impact areas, which are capable of absorbing the shock and energy of impacts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising:
an elastomeric cover comprising a single piece of elastomeric material that conforms to the electronic device and forms a continuous perimeter extending around and contacting four sides of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case, the elastomeric cover including:
a back portion that is adjacent to a back of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;
a plurality of side portions attached to the back portion, each side portion adjacent to a respective side of the four sides of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;
a button actuator integrally formed in the elastomeric cover to transfer a force applied on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to a control button of the electronic device inside the elastomeric cover;
a front opening in the elastomeric cover that provides access to a touch screen interface of a front of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;
a raised impact area having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of one or more other areas of the elastomeric cover; and
a plurality of recesses formed in the raised impact area of the elastomeric cover, wherein the plurality of recesses soften the elastomeric cover in the selected area by reducing an average density of the elastomeric cover in the selected area of the elastomeric cover.

2. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a connector opening formed in the elastomeric cover for accessing an electrical connector of the electronic device when the electronic device is in the elastomeric cover.

3. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a speaker opening in the elastomeric cover that aligns with a speaker of the electronic device when the electronic device is in the elastomeric cover.

4. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a second button actuator formed in the elastomeric cover to transfer a second force applied on the outside surface of the elastomeric cover to a second control button of the electronic device inside the elastomeric cover.

5. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a smartphone.

6. The protective case of claim 1 wherein two or more of the plurality of recesses are separated by one or more ribs formed in the raised impact area of the elastomeric cover.

7. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a beveled portion adjacent to the front opening.

8. The protective case of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric cover comprises an elastomeric material having a hardness between 30 and 70 Shore A.

9. The protective case of claim 8 wherein the elastomeric material comprises silicone, synthetic rubber, or urethane.

10. A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising:
an elastomeric cover comprising a single piece of elastomeric material that conforms to the electronic device and forms a continuous perimeter extending around four sides of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case, the elastomeric cover including:
a back portion that is adjacent to a back of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;
a plurality of side portions attached to the back portion, each side portion adjacent to a respective side of the four sides of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;
a connector opening formed in the elastomeric cover for accessing an electrical interface of the electronic device inside the elastomeric cover;
a front opening in the elastomeric cover that provides access to a touch screen interface of a front of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case;
a button actuator integrally formed in the elastomeric cover to transfer a force applied on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to a control button of the electronic device when the electronic device is inside the elastomeric cover;
a raised impact area having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of one or more other areas of the elastomeric cover; and
a plurality of recesses formed in the raised impact area of the elastomeric cover, wherein the plurality of recesses soften the elastomeric cover in the selected area by reducing an average density of the elastomeric cover in the selected area of the elastomeric cover.

11. The protective case of claim 10 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a speaker opening in the elastomeric cover that aligns with a speaker of the electronic device when the electronic device is in the elastomeric cover.

12. The protective case of claim 10 wherein the electronic device is a smartphone.

13. The protective case of claim 10 wherein the electronic device is a tablet computer.

14. The protective case of claim 10 wherein two or more of the plurality of recesses are separated by one or more ribs formed in the raised impact area of the elastomeric cover.

15. The protective case of claim 10 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a beveled portion proximate the front opening.

16. A protective shell for an electronic device, the protective shell comprising:
an elastomeric cover that wraps around at least a portion of an outer surface of the electronic device and forms a continuous perimeter extending around four or more sides of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective shell, the elastomeric cover comprising a single piece of an elastomeric material, the elastomeric cover including:
a back portion and a plurality of side portions that are adjacent to the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective shell;
a first aperture in the elastomeric cover that provides access to a touch screen interface of a front portion of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective shell;
a plurality of button actuators integrally formed in the elastomeric cover, each button actuator configured to transfer a force applied by a user on an outside surface of the elastomeric cover to a respective control button of the electronic device; and
one or more raised impact areas having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of one or more other portions of the elastomeric cover, each raised impact area having a plurality of recesses, the plurality of recesses reducing an average density of the elastomeric material in the one or more raised impact areas and softening the elastomeric cover in the one or more raised impact areas.

17. The protective shell of claim 16 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a second aperture for accessing a connector of the electronic device when the electronic device is in the elastomeric cover.

18. The protective shell of claim 16 wherein the elastomeric cover further includes a third aperture that aligns with a speaker of the electronic device when the electronic device is in the elastomeric cover.

19. The protective shell of claim 16 wherein two or more of the plurality of recesses are separated by a rib formed in one of the raised impact areas of the elastomeric cover.

20. The protective shell of claim 16 wherein the elastomeric cover further includ

Assignees

• Otter Products Llc

Inventors

• Richardson Curtis R
• Johnson Jamie L
• Morine Alan V
• Willes Stephen
• Glanzer Matthew M

Classifications

• Y10T428/24537

  Parallel ribs and/or grooves · CPC title

• Y10T428/24512

  Polyurethane · CPC title

• H04B1/3888

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title

• Y10T428/2457

  Parallel ribs and/or grooves · CPC title

• Y10T428/24521

  with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface · CPC title