Padded decorative carrying cases for small electronic devices

Abstract

A carrying case for a portable electronic device includes padded front and back elements which are coupled together by two or more elastic side elements which permit the carrying case to be used to house electronic devices of slightly different dimensions. An outer surface of the front is substantially totally covered with bling which is pre-arranged in a pattern and is provided with an adhesive backing sheet for holding the bling to the outer surface permit the carrying case of the invention to be used to house electronic devices of slightly different dimension.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates broadly to carrying cases for small electronic devices. More particularly, this invention relates to padded decorative carrying cases for devices such as cell phones, iPods, or other portable digital music player although it is not limited thereto.

[0003] 2. State of the Art

[0004] Small electronic devices such as cell phones and iPods are presently ubiquitous and have spawned a large after-market accessory business. One portion of the after-market accessory business relates to stylizing and/or beautifying the electronic device. Thus, for example, the inventors hereof recently introduced to the marketplace "bling kits" which comprise numerous sequin-type elements, e.g., colored plastic elements with foil backings which are light-reflective (hereinafter "bling"), which may be stuck onto devices in any pattern desired by the user. These bling kits have become very popular particularly among the female users of the electronic devices. The bling kits are intended to be applied directly to the electronic device. Recently, other manufacturers have provided hard plastic decorative iPod covers which are pre-decorated with bling, where the covers have openings for viewing the iPod screen and manipulating the control pad. Because of the openings, the pre-decorated covers do not fully protect the iPod device.

[0005] While the prior art bling kits and decorative iPod covers present a more attractive package for the electronic device, they suffer from several shortcomings. In particular, the bling kits can take considerable time to apply to the iPod, cell phone or other device. In addition, because they are applied directly to the devices, it may be difficult or nearly impossible for the user to change designs; and the decoration does not act to totally protect the electronic device. The decorative iPod covers, while permitting design changes by changing the case, are specific in size and cannot be used with multiple devices. In addition, the iPod covers add additional bulk and do not protect the iPods from damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a carrying case for an electronic device which at once protects and stylizes/beautifies the electronic device holder.

[0007] In accord with this object, which will be discussed in detail below, the carrying case of the invention preferably includes two padded opposing elements (front and back) which are coupled together by two or more elastic side elements. An outer surface of the front side element is preferably totally covered with bling which is pre-arranged in a pattern and is provided with an adhesive backing sheet for holding the bling to the outer surface of the padded front side. The outer surface of the back side element is preferably provided with a belt clip which is preferably coupled to the back side in a manner which permits rotation of the clip relative to the back side.

[0008] It will be appreciated that the elastic side elements permit the carrying case of the invention to be used to house electronic devices of slightly different dimension.

[0009] It should also be appreciated that because the front and back elements of the carrying case are padded and do not have holes for viewing or manipulating the electronic device housed therein, they provide protection for the electronic device.

[0010] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of the invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of the first embodiment of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross section through the front element of the carrying case of FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of the invention.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Turning now to FIGS. 1-3, a cell phone carrying case 10 according to the invention includes padded opposing front 12 and back 14 sides which are coupled together by two elastic side elements 16, 18, and a bottom elastic element 19. The front, back and sides form a pocket 21 for the cell phone (not shown). The front and back elements are preferably substantially continuous (i.e., they do not have holes for viewing or manipulating the cell phone) and therefore act as a protective case for the cell phone. An outer surface of the front element 12 is preferably totally covered with bling 20 which is pre-arranged in a pattern (typically a geometric pattern with two, three, four, or more colored bling elements). As will be discussed hereinafter, the bling 20 is provided with an adhesive backing sheet 25 for holding the bling to the outer surface of the padded front 12. The outer surface of the back element 14 is provided with a belt clip 28 which is preferably coupled to the back side in a manner which permits rotation of the clip 28 relative to the back side.

[0017] As seen best in FIG. 2, the elastic side elements 16 and 18 preferably run more than half (e.g., three-quarters) the length of the carrying case 10 in order to permit a cell phone (not shown) to be securely held and protected in the carrying case 10. The elastic side elements are stitched or otherwise affixed to the front and rear elements 12,14, and permit the carrying case of the invention to be used to house electronic devices of slightly different dimensions. In addition, the bottom elastic element 20 which is also stitched to the front and rear elements helps connect the front and back elements 12,14 together while preventing the cell phone (not shown) from slipping out the bottom.

[0018] As seen best in FIG. 3, the front element 12 of the carrying case 10 is a multilayered element having an inner mesh layer 12a (typically between 1/1000 and 1/100 inch thick), a shock-absorbent foam layer 12b (typically between about 1/16 and 1/8 inch thick), and a plastic or leather outer layer 12c (typically between about 1/100 to 1/50 inch thick). The foam layer 12b is preferably a high density foam or a urethane or polyurethane or nylon foam. The three layers are laminated together by gluing or other known processes to form the front element which is about two inches wide and about 3.5 inches high. The rear element 14 which is about two inches wide and about 3.75 inches high is formed in the same manner.

[0019] As also seen in FIG. 3, directly atop the plastic or leather outer layer 12c is the adhesive backing sheet 25 (typically 0.001 inch to 0.005 inch thick) for holding the bling 20 to the padded front 12. The adhesive backing sheet 25 has adhesive on both of its sides. On top of the adhesive backing sheet 25 are the bling elements 20 each of which has a foil backing 32 on top of which a preferably round, colored reflective plastic element 34 is provided. The plastic elements 34 are each slightly rounded or faceted in profile, and have a thickness (with the foil backing) of approximately 0.05 although different thickness bling can be used. The plastic elements 34 are about 1/8 inch to 1/9 inch in diameter, although smaller diameter elements 40 (see FIG. 1) of approximately 1/20 inch in diameter are preferably used to fill in between the other elements around the edges of the front element 12. Several hundred (two hundred or more) bling elements are typically used to cover the entire front element 12.

[0020] In order to provide a finished look, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention of FIGS. 1-3, the plastic or leather outer layer 12c of the front element 12 is wrapped over and around the edges the shock-absorbent foam layer 12b and the mesh layer 12a and stitched in place with stitching 43. The bling 20 and adhesive 25 preferably follow at least some of the curvature of the plastic or leather outer layer 12c; i.e., the bling elements in this embodiment do not all reside in the same plane.

[0021] While the cell phone carrying case 10 of FIGS. 1-3 is seen to have front and back elements 12, 14 which are rounded at their bottom (FIG. 1), and a back element 14 which extends higher than the front element 12 (FIG. 2), the carrying case 10 could be arranged with identical front and back elements, and need not be in the exact shape as shown.

[0022] Turning now to FIGS. 4-5, a portable digital music player carrying case 110 includes padded opposing front 112 and back 114 sides which are coupled together by two elastic side elements 116,118. A bottom elastic or strap element 120 is provided as well as a top strap 121, with the front 112, back 114, side elements 116,118 and bottom element 119 forming a pocket 121. An outer surface of the front element 112 is preferably totally covered with bling 120 which is pre-arranged in a pattern. As with the first embodiment, the bling 120 is provided with an adhesive backing sheet 125 for holding the bling to the outer surface of the padded front 112. The outer surface of the back element 114 is provided with a belt clip 128 which is preferably coupled to the back side in a manner which permits rotation of the clip 128 relative to the back side.

[0023] As seen best in FIG. 5, the elastic side elements 116 and 118 preferably run more than half the length (e.g., about three-quarters) of the carrying case 110 in order to permit an MP3 player (not shown) to be securely held and protected in the carrying case 110. The elastic side elements permit the carrying case of the invention to be used to house electronic devices of slightly different dimensions. In addition, the bottom elastic or strap element 120 helps connect the front and back elements 112, 114 together while preventing the MP3 player (not shown) from slipping out the bottom. The bottom element 120 also preferably runs more than half the width of the carrying case 110 in order to permit the MP3 player to be securely held and protected in the carrying case 110. The top strap 121 further secures the MP3 player in the carrying case 110. The top strap 121, which is sewn or otherwise affixed to the front element 114, has a first snap element 121a which snaps onto a second snap element 121b affixed to the back element 114 above the belt clip 128.

[0024] The carrying case 110 are substantially rectangular (the corners may be rounded) and may have different dimensions. In one embodiment, the front and back elements 112, 114 are approximately 2.5 inches wide by 4.25 inches high. In another embodiment, the front and back elements 112,114 are approximately 1.875 inches wide by 3.6 inches high.

[0025] The front and rear elements 112, 114 of the carrying case 110 may be formed exactly as discussed with reference to FIGS. 1-3. Alternatively, they be multilayered elements formed in a different manner. For example, the front element 112 may have a felt fabric inner layer 112a (typically about 1/100 inch thick), a shock-absorbent cardboard multilayer 112b (typically between about 1/16 and 1/8 inch thick), and a plastic or leather outer layer 112c (typically between about 1/100 to 1/50 inch thick). The three layers are laminated together by gluing or other known processes to form the front element and/or may simply be stitched around the edges by stitching (not shown). The rear element 114 is preferably formed in the same manner.

[0026] Directly atop the plastic or leather outer layer 112c is the adhesive backing sheet 125 (typically 0.001 inch to 0.005 inch thick) for holding the bling 120 to the padded front 112. The adhesive backing sheet 125 has adhesive on both of its sides. On top of the adhesive backing sheet 125 are the bling elements 120 each of which has a foil backing on top of which a preferably round, colored reflective plastic element is provided. The plastic elements are each slightly rounded or faceted in profile, and have a thickness (with the foil backing) of approximately 0.05 inches, although different thickness bling can be used. The plastic elements are about 1/8 inch to 1/9 inch in diameter, although smaller diameter elements are preferably used to fill in between the other elements around the edges of the front element 112. Because the front element of the carrying case 110 is flat, the bling 125 are effectively located in a single plane.

[0027] With the provided carrying cases of FIGS. 1-5, it will be appreciated that the object of providing a carrying case for an electronic device which at once protects and stylizes/beautifies the electronic device holder is accomplished. In addition, if it is desired to change styles, that is easily accomplished either by obtaining a different case (and not having to obtain a different electronic device), or by peeling off the bling with the adhesive layer off of the case, and obtaining a pre-arranged bling and adhesive layer replacement which exactly fits on the carrying case and affixing the replacement on the case.

[0028] There have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of a decorated protective carrying case for small electronic devices. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Thus, while particular dimensions for the carrying cases and certain elements of the carrying cases have been disclosed, it will be appreciated that other sizes could be used as well. In addition, while particular types of materials have been disclosed, it will be understood that other materials could can be used. For example, and not by way of limitation, while certain foam materials and cardboard were described as providing padding, other materials such as sponge, layers of cloth, etc., can be used to provide the padding. Further, while the bling was described as being typically round elements and as being arranged in a geometric pattern, it will be appreciated that the bling can include different shaped elements (square, oval, hexagon, etc.), and that other decorative patterns can be used which are not necessarily in a regular geometric pattern. Also, while the bling was described as covering the entire front element, it will be appreciated that it could cover substantially (e.g., 90% or more) of the front cover, and patterns could be made by leaving out bling elements ("negative space"). Similarly, while the front and back elements were described as being continuous in that they do not have holes, it will be appreciated that they could have very small holes (i.e., they could be "substantially continuous") provided the holes do not affect the ability of the front and back elements to protect the device being housed. Further yet, while the carrying case was described as preferably including a rotatable belt clip, the carrying case could have a fixed belt clip, or not belt clip, or alternatively, could have a neck strap or other means for handling or attaching the carrying case. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed.

Claims

1. A carrying case for a small portable electronics item, comprising: a) a substantially continuous padded front element having a front face; b) a padded opposing back element; c) at least two opposed elastic side elements coupled to said front element and to said back element; d) a bottom element coupled to said front element and said back element; e) a plurality of bling elements substantially completely covering and affixed to said front face of said padded front element.

2. A carrying case according to claim 1, wherein: said bottom element is an elastic element.

3. A carrying case according to claim 1, further comprising: a belt clip coupled to said back element.

4. A carrying case according to claim 3, wherein: said belt clip is rotatably movable relative to said back element.

5. A carrying case according to claim 1, further comprising: an adhesive means for affixing said bling elements to said front face of said padded front element.

6. A carrying case according to claim 5, wherein: said plurality of bling elements are pre-arranged in a geometric pattern of at least two colors on said adhesive means.

7. A carrying case according to claim 6, wherein: said plurality of bling elements comprises at least two hundred elements.

8. A carrying case according to claim 7, wherein: each said bling element comprises a plastic element and a foil backing.

9. A carrying case according to claim 8, wherein: each said bling element is round.

10. A carrying case according to claim 1, wherein: said front element has a first height, and each of said at least two opposed elastic side elements has a respective second height at least half of said first height.

11. A carrying case according to claim 1, wherein: said padded front element comprises a multilayered element including a shock-absorbent layer.

12. A carrying case according to claim 11, wherein: said multilayered element includes an inner layer and an outer layer surrounding said shock-absorbent layer.

13. A carrying case according to claim 12, wherein: said inner layer is comprised of a fabric, and said outer layer is comprised of one of plastic and leather.

14. A carrying case according to claim 11, wherein: said shock-absorbent layer comprises one of foam and cardboard.

15. A carrying case according to claim 11, wherein: said padded front element has a front layer over said shock-absorbent layer, said front layer curving over an edge of said shock-absorbent layer such that an edge portion of said front layer curves out of a plane of a remainder of said front layer, and at least some of said plurality of bling elements are attached to said front layer at said edge portion such that said plurality of bling elements do not all reside in a single plane.

16. A carrying case according to claim 1, wherein: said plurality of bling elements includes at least 200 bling elements of a first larger diameter and at least a plurality of bling elements of a second smaller diameter.

17. A carrying case according to claim 1, wherein: said padded front element and said padded opposing back element have straight sides at respective top portions thereof and are rounded at respective bottom portions thereof.

18. A carrying case according to claim 1, wherein: said padded front element and said padded opposing back element are substantially rectangular, and said carrying case further comprises a top strap coupled to said front element and removably attachable to said back element.

19. A carrying case for a cell phone, comprising: a) a substantially continuous padded front element having a front face and a first height, said padded front element comprising an inner layer, a middle shock-absorbent layer, and an outer layer; b) a padded opposing back element; c) at least two opposed elastic side elements coupled to said front element and to said back element and having respective second heights at least half said first height; d) a bottom element coupled to said front element and said back element; e) at least two hundred bling elements of at least two different colors substantially completely covering and affixed to said outer layer of said padded front element; f) adhesive means for affixing said bling elements to said outer layer of said padded front element.

20. A carrying case for a portable digital music player, comprising: a) a substantially continuous padded front element having a front face and a first height, said padded front element comprising an inner layer, a middle shock-absorbent layer, and an outer layer; b) a padded opposing back element; c) at least two opposed elastic side elements coupled to said front element and to said back element and having respective second heights at least half said first height; d) a bottom element coupled to said front element and said back element; e) a top element coupled to said front element and removably attachable to said back element; f) at least two hundred bling elements of at least two different colors substantially completely covering and affixed to said outer layer of said padded front element; g) adhesive means for affixing said bling elements to said outer layer of said padded front element.