U.S. patent application number 14/806335 was filed with the patent office on 2016-01-28 for electronic device receptacle..
The applicant listed for this patent is Amber Gonzalez. Invention is credited to Amber Gonzalez.
Application Number | 20160021997 14/806335 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55165658 |
Filed Date | 2016-01-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160021997 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gonzalez; Amber |
January 28, 2016 |
Electronic device receptacle.
Abstract
A container to be used to keep clean or protect a personal
electronic device from the harmful things in the environment. The
device being placed inside the container, the container being
sealed, and the device remaining fully functional. There being
piercing areas on the container that are capable of maintaining a
seal around the things that might pass through the piercing area,
such as an antenna or power cord for instance. The container being
easy to use and optionally disposable.
Inventors: |
Gonzalez; Amber; (Hebron,
IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gonzalez; Amber |
Hebron |
IN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55165658 |
Appl. No.: |
14/806335 |
Filed: |
July 22, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62027999 |
Jul 23, 2014 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/191 ;
29/592.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45C 13/42 20130101;
A45C 13/008 20130101; A45C 13/021 20130101; A45C 11/22 20130101;
A45C 2011/002 20130101; H04B 1/3888 20130101; A45C 11/00
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A45C 11/00 20060101
A45C011/00 |
Claims
1. A receptacle for use with an electronic device, the receptacle
comprising: a flexible material; the flexible material forming a
container; the container having a receiving portion; the receiving
portion having an opening; the container having an inscription
area; the container having a sealer; the opening being sealable
with the sealer; the container having at least one piercing area;
the at least one piercing area being capable of sealably having
objects pierce through the at least one piercing area; the
container having a blow-up portion; the blow-up portion having a
blow-up stem; the blow-up stem being sealable and unsealable; the
blow-up stem being usable to inflate the blow-up portion.
2. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein the material is stretchable to
accommodate the size of the electronic device.
3. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein the material is disposable as
a recyclable material.
4. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein the inscription area can be
written on and erased as needed.
5. The receptacle of claim 1 wherein the container is capable of
floating in water when the blow-up portion is inflated with
air.
6. A method for protectably containing an electronic device, the
method comprising: (a) obtaining a sealable bag that has a float
which can be inflated by blowing air into a tube that then fills
the float with air; (b) placing the electronic device within the
sealable bag; (c) securing the electronic device within the bag by
closing the bag with a flap that is sealable; (d) filling the float
with air; (e) attaching any desired accessories to the electronic
device by passing the cords of the accessories through a
pierce-able area in the bag.
7. A method for making an electronic device floatable, the method
comprising: (a) obtaining a sealable bag that has a float which can
be inflated by blowing air into a tube that then fills the float
with air; (b) placing the electronic device within the sealable
bag; (c) securing the electronic device within the bag by closing
the bag with a flap that is sealable; (d) filling the float with
air; (e) attaching any desired accessories to the electronic device
by passing the cords of the accessories through a pierce-able area
in the bag.
8. A receptacle for use with an electronic device, the receptacle
comprising: a flexible material forming a container; the container
having a receiving portion; the receiving portion having an
opening; the container having a sealer; the container having at
least one piercing area; the container having a blow-up
portion.
9. A receptacle for use with an electronic device, the receptacle
comprising: a flexible material; the flexible material forming a
container; the container having a receiving portion; the receiving
portion having an opening; the container having an inscription
area; the container having a sealer; the opening being sealable
with the sealer; the container having at least one piercing area;
the at least one piercing area being capable of sealably having
objects pierce through the at least one piercing area; the
container having a blow-up portion.
10. The receptacle of claim 9 further comprising: the blow-up
portion having a blow-up stem; the blow-up stem being sealable and
unsealable. the blow-up stem being usable to inflate the blow-up
portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/027,999, filed Jul. 23, 2014,
the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] More and more people are using personal electronic devices
(PED's) such as cellular phones, laptops and tablets. The ubiquity
of these PED's have increased the convenience of being connected to
the internet. People can now be connected to the internet and to
the cellular networks pretty much twenty-four (24) hours a day any
day of the week. Along with the convenience of being connected with
PED's comes a greater chance for damage to these electronic
devices.
[0003] Because more and more people are using PED's in their daily
lives, these devices can be damaged or become dirty in a multitude
of ways. Cellular phones, for example, can be damaged in the work
place. Painters, electricians, carpenters and like will have
increased damage to their cellular phones while working on site.
Consumers on vacation may damage their cellular phones dropping
them in the water or in the sand or on the ground to name a few
examples. Industrial workers can harm their PED's through exposure
to harmful chemicals.
[0004] One approach to the problem is by placing the PED in a hard
container or pouch. However, this approach has the disadvantage of
either making the PED inaccessible while inside the container or
not fully covering the PED. Additionally, this approach does not
always keep the PED clean from dirt and debris, often including an
open face for operating the PED with many nooks and crannies where
dirt can get deposited. Another approach to the problem is through
the use of a zipping type plastic bag. However, this approach is
ugly, does not allow easy access to the phone, and does not easily
protect the phone from being dropped in water.
[0005] Information relevant to attempts to address these problems
can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,550,713 (Schwarz) issued on Oct. 8,
2013. However, this reference suffers from at least one or more of
the following disadvantages: 1) it does not have a sealable mouth,
2) it has no float.
[0006] The present invention may be installed onto a PED such that
functionality and operation of the PED is not limited or
encumbered. An embodiment may protect the PED from damage and
contaminants and may further provide a water-resistant enclosure.
Additionally, an embodiment may provide sufficient buoyancy to
enable the PED to float should it be dropped into water.
[0007] An embodiment may comprise flexible material, for example
plastic sheet, that is formed into a container for the PED. The
material may be waterproof and/or stretchable as well as flexible.
In an embodiment, the material may be disposable, recyclable or
both. The container may include an opening with a sealable,
watertight closure component. In use, the PED may be placed inside
the container through the opening and the container sealed by the
closure component.
[0008] The container may have an inflatable portion for increasing
buoyancy of the container. The inflatable portion could optionally
include a blow-up stem to facilitate inflation. The blow-up stem
being a flexible tube that lays flat against the container when not
in use and is closed but will open to allow air to pass when blown
into. The blow-up stem being any form that achieves the same
purpose of inflating the inflatable portion, e.g. a hole with a
valve.
[0009] For the foregoing reasons there's a need in the industry for
an apparatus that can easily keep clean or add protection from the
elements and the like, in a disposable way, to personal electronic
devices while maintaining useful functionality of the PED, e.g. one
would still be able to dial and text from a protected cellular
phone. Such a solution will greatly minimize the need for replacing
personal electronic devices that have been damaged or dirtied, for
example from dirt, debris, water, chemicals, or the like. Such a
solution will also minimize the cost involved in owning personal
electronic devices by prolonging their useful life.
SUMMARY
[0010] The present invention is directed to an apparatus, the
utility of which is to provide a disposable means that is easily
installed onto a personal electronic device and allows for
continued use of the functionality of the personal electronic
device. This utility provides a method and an apparatus for
protecting the PED from harm and filth and minimizing the cost of
ownership. Also, the PED would be able to float when used with the
apparatus.
[0011] One embodiment of the invention is a receptacle for use with
an electronic device comprising a flexible material, plastic sheet
for example. The material being stretchable to accommodate the size
of the electronic device. The material being waterproof as well.
The flexible material is capable of forming a container, like a bag
for example, having a receiving portion with an opening, this
portion would be where the electronic device is placed into the
container. The material being disposable and/or made from
recyclable material.
[0012] The container has an inscription area and a sealer. The
sealer is used to close an open end of the container and can be a
flap or any other closure means. The sealer could be resealable or
permanently sealed after it is used thereby requiring destruction
to remove the PED. The inscription area can be marked and erased,
it can be luminescent, this is handy for labeling the container
with identifying information such as a user's name. The opening is
sealable with the sealer. The container has at least one piercing
area which is capable of sealably having objects pierce through it.
This is useful for passing cords through the container that need to
be attached to the electronic device, headphones for a cell phone
to name one example. The container has a blow-up portion which has
a blow-up stem. The blow-up stem being sealable and unsealable and
used to inflate the blow-up portion. The inflated blow-up portion
allows the container to float which would protect the electronic
device from sinking in water or other liquids.
[0013] A method embodiment of the invention for protectably
containing an electronic device involves the steps of obtaining a
plastic sealable bag that has a float which can be inflated by
blowing air into a tube that then fills the float with air. Then
placing the electronic device within the plastic sealable bag and
then securing the electronic device within the bag by closing the
bag with a flap that is sealable. Then filling the float with air.
Once this is done a user can attach any desired accessories to the
electronic device by passing the cords of the accessories through a
pierce-able area in the bag.
[0014] Another method embodiment of the invention for making an
electronic device floatable comprises obtaining a plastic sealable
bag that has a float which can be inflated by blowing air into a
tube that then fills the float with air. Then placing the
electronic device within the plastic sealable bag, securing the
electronic device within the bag by closing the bag with a flap
that is sealable. After this a user can fill the float with air by
blowing into the tube then attaching any desired accessories to the
electronic device by passing the cords of the accessories through a
pierce-able area in the bag.
[0015] An embodiment of the invention, often referred to as an
amiwrap by the inventor, will allow a person to easily and quickly
cover a personal electronic device, such as a cell phone to name
one example, such that the device is sealed off from the
environment but yet is fully functional. For example, a person can
take the apparatus, cover their phone and yet be able to see the
phone and use the phone to talk to and hear callers. This will
greatly increase the life of a personal electronic device by
protecting it from harm due to the environment, dirt, liquids, and
chemicals to name a few examples. The containers will be dispensed
similarly as a roll of disposable trash bags are dispensed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with regard to the
following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings
where:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the apparatus embodying
features of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a view of the apparatus embodying features of
the present invention with a cellular phone being placed into the
apparatus.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a perspective side view of the apparatus
embodying features of the present invention with an accessory
headphone.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of the method embodying features
of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION
Overview
[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a perspective view of an embodiment of
the invention includes the container 1 which is made of a flexible
material having an inscription area 2 for a user to write messages.
A sealer 3 which is flap-like being attached to the container 1.
The container 1 having at least one sealable piercing area 4 where
a user can put an end of an accessory, such as a headset or plug,
through and the piercing area 4 will remain sealed around the
accessory cord. A personal electronic device 5, such as a cell
phone or small tablet computer for example, being situated within
the container 1. The container 1 has a blow-up portion 6 that is
inflatable through the use of a blow-up stem 7 which can be lifted
by a user and blown into.
[0022] A shown in FIG. 2, a view of an embodiment of the invention
with a cellular phone being placed into the apparatus includes a
container 100 with a cell phone 105 being placed inside. The
container 100 has an area that allows for piercing 106 the
container 100. Once the cell phone 105 is placed completely inside
the container 100 a sealer 104, which is like a flap that has
adhesive, will fold over and close the container 100. A stem 102
can be unsealed, blown into, and allow air to pass and inflate a
blow-up area 101. The user can then write her name in an
inscription area 103.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, a perspective side view of an embodiment
of the invention with an accessory headphone includes a container
204 with a cell phone 200 within. A sealer 206 closes the container
by folding over and sealing with adhesive 205 to the container 204.
A headphone 208 passes through a sealable piercing area 209. A user
writes some information with a pen or pencil 207 in an inscription
area 201, the writing can later be erased. A stem 203 can be
unsealed, blown into, and allow air to pass and fill a blow-up area
202 which would allow the container to float.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 4 a flow diagram of the method embodying
features of the present invention comprises the steps of obtaining
a plastic sealable bag that has a float which can be inflated by
blowing air into a tube that then fills the float with air 300.
Placing the electronic device within the plastic sealable bag and
then securing the electronic device within the bag by closing the
bag with a flap that is sealable 301. Then filling the float with
air 302. Once this is done a user can attach any desired
accessories to the electronic device by passing the cords of the
accessories through a pierceable area in the bag 303.
[0025] Although the present invention has been described in
considerable detail with the reference to certain preferred
versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, the
container may be formed from a single layer of plastic that is then
foldable and then sealable in various spots to form a bag. Another
example is where the container has considerable stretch in the
material to wrap around the electronic device more tightly than
shown in the figures. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the
appended claims should not be limited to the description of the
preferred versions contained herein. An alternative example could
include a way of making the piercing opening watertight or water
resistant with a special material suited for providing a seal
around the piercing object, e.g. an adhesive filled opening. An
alternative method version for example might start with placing the
electronic device in a PED container.
[0026] Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state "means
for" performing a specified function, or "step for" performing a
specific function, is not to be interpreted as a "means" or "step"
clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. .sctn.112, 6.
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