U.S. patent application number 14/157282 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-15 for portable electronic device protector with pop-up support.
The applicant listed for this patent is Cyber Acoustics, LLC. Invention is credited to Kwong Chi Kei, Joseph Westrup, Lui Suen Yuen.
Application Number | 20140131251 14/157282 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50680657 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140131251 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Westrup; Joseph ; et
al. |
May 15, 2014 |
PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROTECTOR WITH POP-UP SUPPORT
Abstract
A protector for portable electronic devices is disclosed
comprising an embossed, generally X-shaped frame, and including a
portfolio-style protective cover having a "pop-up" kickstand
propping element built into it.
Inventors: |
Westrup; Joseph; (Vancouver,
WA) ; Kei; Kwong Chi; (Hong Kong, CN) ; Yuen;
Lui Suen; (Hong Kong, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cyber Acoustics, LLC |
Vancouver |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50680657 |
Appl. No.: |
14/157282 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14078828 |
Nov 13, 2013 |
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14157282 |
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13012720 |
Jan 24, 2011 |
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14078828 |
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12860808 |
Aug 20, 2010 |
8281924 |
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13012720 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/756 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 2200/1633 20130101;
A45C 13/02 20130101; A45C 2200/15 20130101; A45C 2011/003 20130101;
A45C 2013/025 20130101; G06F 1/1628 20130101; A45F 2200/0525
20130101; A45F 2200/0516 20130101; A45C 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/756 |
International
Class: |
A45C 11/00 20060101
A45C011/00 |
Claims
1. A protector for generally rectangular electronic devices
comprising: (a) a four-legged frame; (b) the four legs of said
frame oriented in an X-shaped configuration relative to each other;
and (c) resilient corner-engaging arcuate lugs integral with each
of said four legs wherein said frame has embossed thereon a pattern
comprising multiples of at least one regular geometric shape
wherein said protector is incorporated into a foldable portfolio
that is provided with a prop for supporting said portfolio in an
open position, said prop itself being supportable with a
spring-loaded secondary prop.
2. The protector of claim 1 wherein said frame is X-shaped with
said legs intersecting each other.
3. The protector of claim 2 wherein said frame is webbed where said
legs intersect with each other.
4. The protector of claim 1 wherein said frame is O-shaped with
said legs oriented radially outwardly therefrom.
5. The protector of claim 4 wherein said O-shaped frame is
generally rectangular.
6. The protector of any of claims 2-5 wherein said frame is made of
thermoplastic polymer.
7. The protector of claim 6 wherein said polymer is thermoplastic
polyurethane.
8. A protector for an electronic device comprising: a. a top; b. a
bottom; c. a flexible spine joining said top to said bottom; d. a
retainer associated with said top to retain said device to said
top; e. a first prop attached to said top, deployable into an
extended position to support at least a portion of said top above a
supporting surface; f. a substantially stiff second prop deployable
into an extended position extending between said first prop and
said to hold said first prop in said extended position; g. wherein
said top and said first prop are each defined by margins, said top
and first prop each having a central area within said margins, a
flexible member extending between said central area of said top and
said central area of said first prop.
9. The protector of claim 8 wherein said flexible member prevents
deployment of said first prop beyond said extended position.
10. The protector of claim 8 wherein deploying said first prop to
the extent of said flexible member positions said second prop in
said extended position.
11. The protector of claim 8 wherein said flexible member is a
strap.
12. The protector of claim 8 including an elastic member extending
between said top and said second prop.
13. The protector of claim 12 wherein said elastic member urges
said second prop toward said extended position when said first prop
is deployed toward said extended position.
14. The protector of claim 12 wherein said elastic member urges
said second prop toward said flexible member when said second prop
is in said extended position.
15. A foldable protector for an electronic device comprising: a. a
substantially planar top foldably connected to a bottom; b. a first
prop attached to said to said first prop movable about a hinge from
a position substantially co-planar with said top to an extended
position out of said plane of said top; c. a second prop deployable
between a first position substantially co-planar with said top to
an extended position extending outwardly from said top; d. said
second prop when in said extended position extends between said top
and said first prop, holding at least a portion of said first prop
away from said top; e. an elastic member extending between said top
and said second prop.
16. The protector of claim 15, wherein said elastic member urges
said second prop toward said extended position when said first prop
is moved toward said extended position.
17. The protector of claim 15 wherein said second prop in said
extended position is substantially perpendicular to said plane of
said top.
18. The protector of claim 15 further including a flexible member
extending between said top and said first prop.
19. The protector of claim 18 wherein said flexible member limits
movement of said first prop away from said plane of said top.
20. The protector of claim 18 wherein said elastic member urges
said second prop toward said flexible member when said second prop
is in said extended position.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 14/078,828 filed
Nov. 13, 2013, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.
13/012,720 filed Jan. 24, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of
Ser. No. 12/860,808, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,924, the
priority of all of which is claimed pursuant to 35 USC 120.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The development of devices incorporating electronic devices
has been explosive over the past decade, resulting in many new
genres of battery-powered products such as so-called "smart
phones," electronic readers, and, more recently, the Apple
iPad.RTM.. All such devices are relatively lightweight and
portable, owing to the miniaturization of electronic components and
circuitry. One shortcoming of such small scale is that the
circuitry is relatively fragile and so subject to damage by, for
example, impact with a hard surface caused by dropping and/or
exposure to moisture. There is therefore a need in the art for
protection of such devices from such damage. This need is met by
the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] According to the present invention, there is provided an
improved protector for portable electronic devices that has a
number of unique and useful features that protect such devices from
damage and provide support for operating such devices from a
desktop or similar flat surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary cover of
the invention opened to receive an electronic device P such as an
Apple iPad.RTM..
[0005] FIG. 2 is a sectional taken through the plane 2-2 of FIG.
1.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the outside of the cover
shown in FIG. 1.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1 with
the electronic device P inserted into the cover and the top of the
cover partially open.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1
closed and secured over the electronic device.
[0009] FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1 with
the electronic device P inserted into the cover and the top of the
cover folded back and secured to the bottom of the cover.
[0010] FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the arrangement shown
in FIG. 6 illustrating the utility of a hand strap secured to the
inside of the top of the cover.
[0011] FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 1 with
the electronic device P inserted into the cover and the top folded
back on itself to tuck into a flap on the outside of the bottom of
the cover, so as to create a stand for the electronic device P.
[0012] FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of
the invention.
[0013] FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of
the invention shown attached to the back side of electronic device
P (shown in phantom).
[0014] FIGS. 11-13 are partial perspective views of the back side
of the four-legged frame of the invention showing its improved
structure.
[0015] FIGS. 14-15 are perspective views of lugs 24 providing
access to a portable electronic device having, e.g., a port for a
jack or an on/off switch.
[0016] FIGS. 16, 17 and 19 are various perspective views
illustrating an additional built-in "pop-up" kickstand feature
whereby an electronic device P incorporated into the protective
cover of the invention may be propped up and supported at various
angles relative to a tabletop or the like for ease in viewing the
device's screen. FIG. 18 is a side view of FIG. 17 taken through
the plane 18-18.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Referring to the drawings, wherein the same numerals
generally refer to the same elements, there is shown a cover 1
designed to accept an electronic device P, the cover comprising a
foldable portfolio 10 having a top 10a, a bottom 10b, and a spine
10c. The top 10a and bottom 10b preferably comprise a three-ply
lamination of a soft layer 11 such as felt on the inside of the
portfolio that is in contact with the electronic device P, a
durable outside layer 12 such as leather, and a stiff middle layer
13 to provide structural support to the top and bottom of the
cover. Spine 10c preferably comprises only two plies 11 and 12 so
as to maintain flexibility on opening and closing. Portfolio 10 is
preferably provided with longitudinal creases 14, 15 and 16 to
further facilitate flexing, with crease 16 being created by a
discontinuity in middle layer 13.
[0018] A prominent feature of cover 1 is a four-legged frame that
may be in a variety of configurations such as in an O-shape 20 as
seen in FIG. 1, an X-shape 30 as seen in FIG. 9, or a webbed
X-shape 40 as seen in FIG. 10. With respect to the frames 20, 30
and 40 it should be understood that the same may be used free
standing alone independently of any cover or portfolio, or may be
incorporated into a cover or portfolio by securing the same to, for
example, a bottom 10b, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9.
[0019] Frame 20, 30 or 40 is provided with four legs 22 integral
with the frame extending radially outwardly and oriented in an
X-shaped configuration relative to each other. Legs 22 terminate in
four resilient lugs 24 with two pairs of lugs diametrically opposed
to each other, the lugs being in an arcuate shape so as to capture
the four corners of electronic device P. A preferred material for
lugs 24 is silicone rubber. When frame 20, 30 or 40 is secured to a
cover such as shown in FIG. 1, lugs 24 hold device P securely in
place against bottom 10b. Lugs 24 also serve to absorb shock in the
event the electronic device P is struck or dropped onto a hard
surface, whether frame 20, 30 or 40 is incorporated into a
portfolio or not.
[0020] Top 10a is preferably provided at its corners with
reversible elastic straps 40 that may be secured to bottom 10b at
corresponding corners to secure cover 1 in a closed or open
position, best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. Preferably such
reversible straps 40 are attached to bottom 10b by sewing their
ends between layers 11 and 12. Top 10a is further provided with an
elastic handle strap 30 on its inside surface 11, which may be
deployed by the user to maintain a secure grip on the cover and
device P so as to decrease the likelihood of dropping the same.
[0021] Bottom 10b is preferably provided with a flap 50 designed to
capture the outside edge of top 10a when the same is folded back on
itself along crease 16 at an angle .theta. of about 90.degree. so
as to create an easel or stand for the entire arrangement, best
seen in FIG. 8.
[0022] Frame 20, 30 or 40 may also be secured to a resilient
backing (not shown), such as silicone rubber, by, e.g., gluing or
lamination, which combination may in turn be secured to a cover or
portfolio.
[0023] The preferred manufacturing technique of frame 20, 30 or 40
is injection molding of thermoplastic polymers, with thermoplastic
polyurethane (TPU) most preferred. Such a technique has been
discovered to have inherent drawbacks caused by uneven flow of the
molten polymer, chief among which are flow line marks, corner
deformations, discontinuities and warping, causing an average
rejection or failure rate of about 20%. The inventors have
discovered an improvement in the manufacturing process that results
in a substantial improvement in the failure rate, on the order of
75%, which at the same time imparts a substantial improvement in
tensile strength to the frame 20, 30 or 40, which in turn provides
greater protection for the portable electronic device when the
frame is applied to the device.
[0024] The improvement lies in the discovery that superimposition
of an embossed grid pattern on one or both sides of frame 20, 30 or
40 both reduces failure rate and imparts much greater tensile
strength to the frame, which leads to greater protection of the
portable electronic device.
[0025] The embossed grid pattern may be multiples of virtually any
regular geometric shape, such as a polygon, triangle, circle or
rectangle as illustrated in FIGS. 11-13, and is preferably imparted
to the frame by injection molding. Specifically, an injection mold
is cast of high temperature material such as steel having multiples
of the selected geometric shape in relief, resulting in a raised
design from about 0.3 to about 0.6, preferably about 0.5 mm. The
grid pattern may be cut into the mold by conventional tooling, by
laser or by etching, preferably by etching. The thermoplastic
polymer for the frame is then simply heated to its melting point
and injected into the injection mold by conventional injection
molding techniques, cooled to its set point, and removed from the
mold.
[0026] A lot of 30 frames 20 were made according to the above
procedure with TPU and having a honeycomb-like grid embossed on
their back sides comprising multiple hexagons, each approximately
0.5 mm high and 5 mm wide. The failure rate was reduced to 5%, an
improvement of approximately 75% from the failure rate norm of
about 20%. Several frames from this lot were selected at random,
sewn onto portfolios 10 fitted to Apple iPads.RTM., and subjected
to the standard Transit Drop Test (MIL-STD-810G, Method 516.6,
Procedure VI). The parameters and protocol for this test were as
follows: the drop surface was concrete with a 1/2'' steel plate
over the concrete and 2'' thick plywood over the steel plate; three
series of 10 drops each were conducted from heights of 4, 5 and 6
feet; each series of 10 drops was onto the four corners, four edges
and both faces of the combined folio/iPad.RTM.; following each of
the 30 drops, the device was inspected and its function checked by
booting up a Windows.RTM. software program. The results after all
drops were that the device retained its function and the device's
screen did not break or crack, but the device's corners had
scratches in the paint and minor dents after the 6 foot drops.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 11-15, an additional improvement in the
design of frame 20, 30 or 40 is one or more access ports in lugs
24, comprising either an aperture 60 or 61 in lug 24, or a
discontinuity to form a split or claw-like lug 62, that permits
access to a portable electronic device having, for example, port(s)
for jack(s) and/or an on/off switch. It is to be understood that
this includes the frame being provided with at least any of one or
two apertures 60 or 61; one or two claw-like lugs 62; or one
aperture 60 or 61 and one claw-like lug 62.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 16-19, there is shown another embodiment
of the invention illustrating a "pop-up" kickstand support. FIG. 16
is a top perspective view of portfolio 10 having a support 90 inset
into well 91 and connected to top 10a by hinge 90a. Support 90 is
manually liftable upwardly and away from well 91 and top 10a in the
direction shown by the curved arrow in FIG. 17 with the aid of
cutout 90b, into which a finger or thumb may be inserted. Well 91
is provided with a spring-loaded brace 92 that is hingedly attached
to well 91 at 92a and that pops up into supporting engagement of
support 90 by virtue of an, e.g., elastic band 93 exerting force in
the direction of the arrow shown parallel to band 93 when support
90 is lifted upwardly and away from well 91. Strap 94, shown folded
in FIG. 16 and fully extended in FIG. 17, is secured on one end to
well 91 and on the other end to support 90, and serves to limit the
maximum travel of support 90 when support 90 is opened in the
direction of the curved arrow in FIG. 17.
[0029] Once support 90 is fully open, as shown in FIGS. 18-19, top
10a is opened greater than 90.degree. in the direction shown by the
arrow in FIG. 19 so that bottom 10b and the leading edge of support
90 are both in contact with a planar surface such as a desk top or
table, so as to support device P and permit easy viewing of its
screen.
[0030] To return support 90 and elements 92, 93 and 94 to stowed
positions in well 91, brace 92 is pulled laterally away from
support 90 while simultaneously folding support 90 down in a
direction opposite to the curved arrow in FIG. 17 until it is
approximately flush with top 10a.
[0031] Thus, the protector of the invention may be secured to any
of a wide variety of portable, generally rectangular electronic
devices, including, without limitation, "smart phones," e-readers,
e-planners, e-calendars, and e-tablets such as the Apple iPad.RTM.
to protect the device while maintaining easy access to the device
by the user.
[0032] The terms and expressions which have been employed in this
specification are used therein as terms of description and not of
limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and
expressions to exclude equivalents of the features shown and
described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope
of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which
follow.
* * * * *