U.S. patent application number 14/675067 was filed with the patent office on 2016-06-23 for protective battery case to partially enclose a mobile electronic device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Mophie, Inc.. Invention is credited to Erik John Gjovik, Nguyen To.
Application Number | 20160181580 14/675067 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56027931 |
Filed Date | 2016-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160181580 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
To; Nguyen ; et al. |
June 23, 2016 |
PROTECTIVE BATTERY CASE TO PARTIALLY ENCLOSE A MOBILE ELECTRONIC
DEVICE
Abstract
A protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic
device can include a back wall, a right side wall, a left side
wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall. The protective battery case
can include a battery, which can be disposed in the back wall. A
device interface can be configured to engage a corresponding
interface on the mobile electronic device to deliver electrical
power from the battery to the mobile electronic device. A charging
interface can be configured to receive electrical power for
charging the battery. The protective battery case can include one
or more bumpers disposed on the inside of the protective battery
case such that the one or more bumpers abut against sides of the
mobile electronic device to provide cushioning and/or shock
absorption to protect the mobile electronic device.
Inventors: |
To; Nguyen; (Corona, CA)
; Gjovik; Erik John; (Aliso Viejo, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Mophie, Inc. |
Tustin |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56027931 |
Appl. No.: |
14/675067 |
Filed: |
March 31, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62093339 |
Dec 17, 2014 |
|
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|
62130553 |
Mar 9, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
429/100 ;
206/703 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M 2/1094 20130101;
H01M 2220/30 20130101; H01M 2/1066 20130101; Y02E 60/10
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01M 2/10 20060101
H01M002/10 |
Claims
1. A protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic
device, the protective battery case comprising: a lower case
portion comprising: a battery; a back wall configured to extend
across at least a portion of a back of the mobile electronic
device; a bottom wall configured to extend along at least a portion
of a bottom of the mobile electronic device; a lower right side
wall configured to extend along at least a portion of a lower right
side of the mobile electronic device; a lower left side wall
configured to extend along at least a portion of a lower left side
of the mobile electronic device; an open top side to facilitate
insertion of the mobile electronic device into the lower case
portion; a device interface extending from the bottom wall and
configured to electrically couple to a corresponding interface on
the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is
in the protective battery case, wherein the device interface is
electrically coupled to the battery and is configured to deliver
electrical power from the battery to the mobile electronic device;
a charging interface configured to receive electrical power and
electrically coupled to the battery for charging the battery; a
left side bumper extending along at least a portion of an inside of
the lower left side wall and at least a portion of an inside lower
left corner of the protective battery case and configured to abut
against at least a portion of the lower left side and at least a
portion of the lower left corner of the mobile electronic device,
wherein the left side bumper extends substantially up the inside of
the lower left side wall from the inside lower left corner towards
the open top side of the lower case portion; a right side bumper
extending along at least a portion of an inside of the lower right
side wall and at least a portion of an inside lower right corner of
the protective battery case and configured to abut against at least
a portion of the lower right side and at least a portion of the
lower right corner of the mobile electronic device, wherein the
right side bumper extends substantially up the inside of the lower
right side wall from the inside lower right corner towards the open
top side of the lower case portion; and an upper case portion
comprising: a top wall configured to extend along at least a
portion of a top of the mobile electronic device; an upper right
side wall configured to extend along at least a portion of an upper
right side of the mobile electronic device; an upper left side wall
configured to extend along at least a portion of an upper left side
of the mobile electronic device; and a top side bumper extending
along at least a portion of an inside of the top wall, at least a
portion of an inside upper right corner, and at least a portion of
an inside upper left corner of the protective battery case and
configured to abut against at least a portion of the top, at least
a portion of the upper right corner, and at least a portion of the
upper left corner of the mobile electronic device; wherein the
lower case portion and the upper case portion are configured to
removably couple together to at least partially enclose the mobile
electronic device; and wherein a front opening of the protective
battery case is configured such that a display of the mobile
electronic device is visible through the front opening, wherein the
left side bumper, the right side bumper, and the top side bumper
comprise an elastomeric and/or soft material configured to provide
impact absorption to protect the mobile electronic device.
2. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the battery is
disposed inside the back wall such that the battery is configured
to be behind the back side of the mobile electronic device.
3. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the protective
battery case is configured to house a smartphone and wherein the
protective battery case has an external shape that generally
corresponds to an external shape of the smartphone.
4. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the right side
bumper, the left side bumper, and the top side bumper comprise an
elastomeric material.
5. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the left side
bumper comprises a single integral bumper element that extends
along the at least a portion of the inside of the lower left side
wall and the at least a portion of the inside lower left corner of
the protective battery case, wherein the right side bumper
comprises a single integral bumper element that extends along the
at least a portion of the inside of the lower right side wall and
the at least a portion of the inside lower right corner of the
protective battery case, and wherein the top side bumper comprises
a single integral bumper element that extends along the at least a
portion of the inside of the top wall, the at least a portion of
the inside upper right corner, and the at least a portion of the
inside upper left corner of the protective battery case.
6. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the left side
bumper, the right side bumper, and the top side bumper have concave
inward facing surfaces.
7. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the left side
bumper, the right side bumper, and the top side bumper together
extend across at least about 50 percent of the side perimeter of
the inside of the protective battery case.
8. A protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic
device, the protective battery case comprising: a first case
portion comprising: a battery; a back wall configured to extend
across at least a portion of a back of the mobile electronic
device; a bottom wall configured to extend along at least a portion
of a bottom of the mobile electronic device; an open top side to
facilitate insertion of the mobile electronic device into the lower
case portion; a device interface configured to electrically couple
to a corresponding interface on the mobile electronic device when
the mobile electronic device is in the protective battery case,
wherein the device interface is electrically coupled to the battery
and is configured to deliver electrical power from the battery to
the mobile electronic device; a charging interface configured to
receive electrical power and electrically coupled to the battery
for charging the battery; a second case portion configured to
removably couple to the first case portion to provide a closed
configuration for housing the mobile electronic device, and
configured to decouple from the first case portion to provide an
open configuration to facilitate insertion of the mobile electronic
device into the protective battery case, the second case portion
comprising a top wall configured to extend along at least a portion
of a top of the mobile electronic device; and one or more bumpers
disposed at least at a lower right inside corner, a lower left
inside corner, an upper right inside corner, and an upper left
inside corner of the protective battery case such that the one or
more bumpers are configured to abut against at least a lower right
corner, a lower left corner, an upper right corner, and an upper
left corner of the mobile electronic device; wherein the one or
more bumpers comprise an elastomeric and/or soft material
configured to provide impact absorption to protect the mobile
electronic device; wherein the one or more bumpers are not exposed
on the outside of the protective battery case when the mobile
electronic device is in the protective battery case; wherein a
front opening of the protective battery case is configured such
that a display of the mobile electronic device is visible through
the front opening.
9. The protective battery case of claim 8, wherein the battery is
disposed inside the back wall such that the battery is configured
to be behind the back side of the mobile electronic device.
10. The protective battery case of claim 8, wherein the protective
battery case is configured to house a smartphone and wherein the
protective battery case has an external shape that generally
corresponds to an external shape of the smartphone.
11. The protective battery case of claim 8, wherein the one or more
bumpers extend across at least about 50 percent of the side
perimeter of the inside of the protective battery case.
12. The protective battery case of claim 8, wherein the one or more
bumpers comprise an elastomeric material.
13. The protective battery case of claim 8, wherein the one or more
bumpers have concave inward facing surfaces.
14. A protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic
device, the protective battery case comprising: a battery; an outer
shell comprising: a back wall configured to extend across at least
a portion of a back of the mobile electronic device; a bottom wall
configured to extend along at least a portion of a bottom of the
mobile electronic device; a top wall configured to extend along at
least a portion of a top of the mobile electronic device; a right
side wall configured to extend along at least a portion of a right
side of the mobile electronic device; a left side wall configured
to extend along at least a portion of a left side of the mobile
electronic device; a front opening through which a display of the
mobile electronic device is visible when the mobile electronic
device is in the protective battery case; a device interface
configured to electrically couple to a corresponding interface on
the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is
in the protective battery case, wherein the device interface is
electrically coupled to the battery and is configured to deliver
electrical power from the battery to the mobile electronic device;
a charging interface configured to receive electrical power and
electrically coupled to the battery for charging the battery; and
one or more bumpers configured to abut against the mobile
electronic device when the mobile electronic device is in the
protective battery case, the one or more bumpers configured to
support the top of the mobile electronic device, the right side of
the mobile electronic device, the left side of the mobile
electronic device, and the bottom of the mobile electronic device.;
wherein the one or more bumpers comprise an elastomeric and/or soft
material configured to provide impact absorption to protect the
mobile electronic device; wherein the outer shell completely covers
the one or more bumpers.
15. The protective battery case of claim 14, wherein the one or
more bumpers have concave inward facing surfaces.
16. The protective battery case of claim 14, wherein the one or
more bumpers cover at least a portion of a lower right inside
corner, at least a portion of a lower left inside corner, at least
a portion of an upper right inside corner, and at least a portion
of an upper left inside corner of the protective battery case.
17. The protective battery case of claim 14, wherein the one or
more bumpers extend across at least about 50 percent of the side
perimeter of the inside of the protective battery case.
18. The protective battery case of claim 14, wherein the one or
more bumpers comprise an elastomeric material.
19. The protective battery case of claim 14, wherein the battery is
disposed inside the back wall such that the battery is configured
to be behind the back side of the mobile electronic device.
20. The protective battery case of claim 14, wherein the protective
battery case is configured to house a smartphone and wherein the
protective battery case has an external shape that generally
corresponds to an external shape of the smartphone.
21. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the device
interface is positioned in a gap between the left side bumper and
the right side bumper such that a line from the portion of the left
side bumper at the inside lower left corner to the portion of the
right side bumper at the inside lower right corner intersects the
device interface.
22. The protective battery case of claim 1, wherein the left side
bumper extends at least half way up the inside of the lower left
side wall from the inside lower left corner towards the open top
side of the lower case portion, and wherein the right side bumper
extends at least half way up the inside of the lower right side
wall from the inside lower right corner towards the open top side
of the lower case portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/093,339, filed Dec. 17, 2014, and titled
BATTERY CASE, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
62/130,553, filed Mar. 9, 2015, and titled BATTERY CASE. The
entirety of each of the above-identified applications is hereby
incorporated by reference and made a part of this
specification.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Disclosure
[0003] This disclosure relates to battery cases for use with mobile
electronic devices.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Although various battery cases are available, there remains
a need for improved battery cases for use with mobile electronic
devices.
SUMMARY OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS
[0006] Certain embodiments are summarized below by way of example
and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
[0007] Various embodiments disclosed herein can relate to a
protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic device.
The protective battery case can include a lower case portion
comprising a battery, a back wall configured to extend across at
least a portion of a back of the mobile electronic device, a bottom
wall configured to extend along at least a portion of a bottom of
the mobile electronic device, a lower right side wall configured to
extend along at least a portion of a lower right side of the mobile
electronic device, a lower left side wall configured to extend
along at least a portion of a lower left side of the mobile
electronic device, and an open top side to facilitate insertion of
the mobile electronic device into the lower case portion. The lower
case portion of the protective battery case can include a device
interface that can extend from the bottom wall and can be
configured to electrically couple to a corresponding interface on
the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is
in the protective battery case. The device interface can be
electrically coupled to the battery and can be configured to
deliver electrical power from the battery to the mobile electronic
device. The lower case portion of the protective battery case can
include a charging interface configured to receive electrical power
and electrically coupled to the battery for charging the battery.
The lower case portion can include a left side bumper extending
along at least a portion of an inside of the lower left side wall
and at least a portion of an inside lower left corner of the
protective battery case and configured to abut against at least a
portion of the lower left side and at least a portion of the lower
left corner of the mobile electronic device. The lower case portion
can include a right side bumper extending along at least a portion
of an inside of the lower right side wall and at least a portion of
an inside lower right corner of the protective battery case and
configured to abut against at least a portion of the lower right
side and at least a portion of the lower right corner of the mobile
electronic device.
[0008] The protective battery case can include an upper case
portion, which can include a top wall configured to extend along at
least a portion of a top of the mobile electronic device, an upper
right side wall configured to extend along at least a portion of an
upper right side of the mobile electronic device, and an upper left
side wall configured to extend along at least a portion of an upper
left side of the mobile electronic device. The upper case portion
can include a top side bumper extending along at least a portion of
an inside of the top wall, at least a portion of an inside upper
right corner, and at least a portion of an inside upper left corner
of the protective battery case and configured to abut against at
least a portion of the top, at least a portion of the upper right
corner, and at least a portion of the upper left corner of the
mobile electronic device. The lower case portion and the upper case
portion can be configured to removably couple together to at least
partially enclose the mobile electronic device. A front opening of
the protective battery case can be configured such that a display
of the mobile electronic device is visible through the front
opening.
[0009] The battery can be disposed inside the back wall, and the
battery can be configured to be behind the back side of the mobile
electronic device. The protective battery case can be configured to
house a smartphone. The protective battery case can have an
external shape that generally corresponds to an external shape of
the mobile electronic device (e.g., the smartphone).
[0010] The right side bumper, the left side bumper, and the top
side bumper can include an elastomeric material. The left side
bumper, the right side bumper, and the top side bumper can have
concave inward facing surfaces. The left side bumper, the right
side bumper, and the top side bumper together can extend across at
least about 50 percent of the side perimeter of the inside of the
protective battery case.
[0011] The left side bumper can include a single integral bumper
element that extends along the at least a portion of the inside of
the lower left side wall and the at least a portion of the inside
lower left corner of the protective battery case. The right side
bumper can include a single integral bumper element that extends
along the at least a portion of the inside of the lower right side
wall and the at least a portion of the inside lower right corner of
the protective battery case. The top side bumper can include a
single integral bumper element that extends along the at least a
portion of the inside of the top wall, the at least a portion of
the inside upper right corner, and the at least a portion of the
inside upper left corner of the protective battery case.
[0012] Various embodiments disclosed herein can relate to a
protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic device.
The protective battery case ca include a first case portion that
has a battery, a back wall configured to extend across at least a
portion of a back of the mobile electronic device, a bottom wall
configured to extend along at least a portion of a bottom of the
mobile electronic device, an open top side to facilitate insertion
of the mobile electronic device into the lower case portion, and a
device interface configured to electrically couple to a
corresponding interface on the mobile electronic device when the
mobile electronic device is in the protective battery case. The
device interface can be electrically coupled to the battery and can
be configured to deliver electrical power from the battery to the
mobile electronic device. The first case portion can include a
charging interface configured to receive electrical power and
electrically coupled to the battery for charging the battery. The
protective battery case can include a second case portion
configured to removably couple to the first case portion to provide
a closed configuration for housing the mobile electronic device,
and configured to decouple from the first case portion to provide
an open configuration to facilitate insertion of the mobile
electronic device into the protective battery case. The second case
portion can include a top wall configured to extend along at least
a portion of a top of the mobile electronic device. The protective
battery case can include one or more bumpers disposed at least at a
lower right inside corner, a lower left inside corner, an upper
right inside corner, and an upper left inside corner of the
protective battery case such that the one or more bumpers are
configured to abut against at least a lower right corner, a lower
left corner, an upper right corner, and an upper left corner of the
mobile electronic device. A front opening of the protective battery
case can be configured such that a display of the mobile electronic
device is visible through the front opening.
[0013] The battery can be disposed inside the back wall, and the
battery can be configured to be behind the back side of the mobile
electronic device. The protective battery case can be configured to
house a smartphone. The protective battery case can have an
external shape that generally corresponds to an external shape of
the mobile electronic device (e.g., the smartphone).
[0014] The one or more bumpers can extend across at least about 50
percent of the side perimeter of the inside of the protective
battery case. The one or more bumpers can include an elastomeric
material. The one or more bumpers can have concave inward facing
surfaces.
[0015] Various embodiments disclosed herein can relate to a
protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic device.
The protective battery case can include a battery, a back wall
configured to extend across at least a portion of a back of the
mobile electronic device, a bottom wall configured to extend along
at least a portion of a bottom of the mobile electronic device, a
top wall configured to extend along at least a portion of a top of
the mobile electronic device, a right side wall configured to
extend along at least a portion of a right side of the mobile
electronic device, a left side wall configured to extend along at
least a portion of a left side of the mobile electronic device, and
a front opening through which a display of the mobile electronic
device is visible when the mobile electronic device is in the
protective battery case. The protective battery case can include a
device interface configured to electrically couple to a
corresponding interface on the mobile electronic device when the
mobile electronic device is in the protective battery case. The
device interface can be electrically coupled to the battery and can
be configured to deliver electrical power from the battery to the
mobile electronic device. The protective battery case can include a
charging interface configured to receive electrical power and
electrically coupled to the battery for charging the battery. The
protective battery case can include one or more bumpers configured
to abut against the mobile electronic device when the mobile
electronic device is in the protective battery case. The one or
more bumpers can be configured to support the top of the mobile
electronic device, the right side of the mobile electronic device,
the left side of the mobile electronic device, and the bottom of
the mobile electronic device.
[0016] The one or more bumpers can have concave inward facing
surfaces. The one or more bumpers can cover at least a portion of a
lower right inside corner, at least a portion of a lower left
inside corner, at least a portion of an upper right inside corner,
and/or at least a portion of an upper left inside corner of the
protective battery case. The one or more bumpers can extend across
at least about 50 percent of the side perimeter of the inside of
the protective battery case. The one or more bumpers can include an
elastomeric material.
[0017] The battery can be disposed inside the back wall, and the
battery can be configured to be behind the back side of the mobile
electronic device. The protective battery case can be configured to
house a smartphone, and the protective battery case can have an
external shape that generally corresponds to an external shape of
the mobile electronic device (e.g., the smartphone).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The following drawings and the associated descriptions are
provided to illustrate example embodiments of the present
disclosure and do not limit the scope of the claims.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an example embodiment of a
battery case for use with a mobile electronic device.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an example embodiment
of a battery case in a closed configuration.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view the battery case of FIG. 2
in the closed configuration.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the battery case of
FIG. 2 in an open configuration.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery case of FIG.
2.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of an example embodiment
of a battery case in a closed configuration.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the battery case of
FIG. 6 in an open configuration.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the battery case of
FIG. 6 in the open configuration.
[0027] FIG. 9 is a top-down view of a first case portion (e.g., a
rear case portion) of the battery case of FIG. 6.
[0028] FIG. 10 is a partial exploded view of the first case portion
of the battery case of FIG. 6.
[0029] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a
battery case with a side bumper removed.
[0030] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the side bumper removed
from the battery case of FIG. 11.
[0031] FIG. 13 schematically shows an example embodiment of a side
bumper that can be removably coupled to the housing of the battery
case.
[0032] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a bumper.
[0033] FIG. 15 is a side view of an example embodiment of a bumper
having a first height.
[0034] FIG. 16 is a side view of an example embodiment of a bumper
having a second height that is larger than the first height.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS
[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an example embodiment of a
battery case 100 for use with a mobile electronic device. FIG. 2 is
a front perspective view of an example embodiment of a battery case
100 in a closed configuration. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view
the battery case 100 of FIG. 2 in the closed configuration. FIG. 4
is a front perspective view of the battery case of FIG. 2 in an
open configuration. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the battery
case 100 of FIG. 2.
[0036] The battery case 100 (e.g., a protective case) can include a
first case portion 102 and a second case portion 104, which can be
configured to removably couple together. In the open configuration,
the battery case 100 can permit a mobile electronic device (e.g., a
cell phone such as an iPhone.RTM., other smartphone, or tablet
computer) to be inserted into, and/or removed from, the battery
case 100. In the closed configuration, the battery case 100 can be
configured to secure the mobile electronic device in place inside
the battery case 100. The battery case 100 can provide protection
to the mobile electronic device that is disposed therein.
[0037] The battery case 100 can include a back wall 106 that is
configured to extend across a back side of the mobile electronic
device when the mobile electronic device is in the battery case
100. The battery case 100 can include a top wall 108 that is
configured to extend across a top side of the mobile electronic
device when the mobile electronic device is in the battery case
100. The battery case 100 can include a bottom wall 110 that is
configured to extend across a bottom side of the mobile electronic
device when the mobile electronic device is in the battery case
100. The battery case 100 can include a left-side wall 112 that is
configured to extend across a left side of the mobile electronic
device when the mobile electronic device is in the battery case
100. The battery case 100 can include a right-side wall 114 that is
configured to extend across a right side of the mobile electronic
device when the mobile electronic device is in the battery case
100. The battery case 100 can include a front opening 116 through
which a display (e.g., a touchscreen configured to receive a user
input such as a touch input via a finger(s) or hand(s)) of the
mobile electronic device is visible when the mobile electronic
device is in the battery case 100.
[0038] The battery case 100 can include a battery 118, which can be
a supplemental battery different than a battery in the mobile
electronic device. The battery 118 can be disposed inside the back
wall 106, for example, such that the battery 118 is disposed
directly rearward of the mobile electronic device when the mobile
electronic device is in the battery case 100. By way of example,
the battery 118 can be seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5.
The back wall 106 of the battery case 100 can include a front
portion 106a (e.g., configured to be positioned closer to the
mobile electronic device) and a back portion 106b (e.g., configured
to be position further from the mobile electronic device), with a
cavity disposed between the front portion 106a and the back portion
106b. The battery 118 can be disposed inside the cavity between the
front portion 106a and the back portion 106b. In some embodiments,
other electrical components (e.g., one or more processors,
controllers, circuits, printed circuit boards, wires) can be
disposed in the cavity between the front portion 106a and the back
portion 106b. Various electrical components can be disposed in the
bottom wall 110, for example, such as to be positioned under a
bottom side of the mobile electronic device. The battery 118 can be
used to provide electrical power to the mobile electronic device,
such as to recharge the battery of the mobile electronic device, as
described herein.
[0039] The battery case 100 can include a device interface 120,
which can be configured to interface with an interface on the
mobile electronic device. For example, the device interface 120 can
be a Lightning.TM. connector, a Micro-USB connector, or other type
of electrical connector, which can be configured to engage a
corresponding Lightning.TM. port, Micro-USB port, or other
electrical port on the mobile electronic device. The device
interface 120 can be electrically coupled to the battery 118 (e.g.,
via electrical circuitry inside the battery case 100) so that
electrical power from the battery 118 can be transferred to the
mobile electronic device via the device interface 120. In some
embodiments, the device interface 120 can be an electrical
connector that extends upward from the bottom wall 110 of the
battery case 100, although other locations can be used, such as
extending inward from the left-side wall 112 or the right-side wall
114. The device interface 120 can be an internal interface disposed
on an inside of the battery case 100. In some embodiments, the
device interface 120 can be an electrical connector that is
positioned on a flexible electrical cable such that the electrical
connector can be positioned at various different orientations. In
some embodiments, the device interface 120 can be a wireless
charging interface, which can be configured to wirelessly charge
the mobile electronic device (e.g., via inductive charging).
[0040] The battery case 100 can include a charging interface 122,
which can be used to charge the battery 118 of the battery case
100, as described herein. The charging interface 122 can be a
Lightning.TM. port, a Micro-USB port, or other electrical port that
is configured to receive a corresponding Lightning.TM. connector,
Micro-USB connector, or other electrical connector that can deliver
electrical power (e.g., from a power source such as a wall outlet
or external battery). The charging interface 112 can be
electrically coupled to the battery 118 (e.g., via electrical
circuitry inside the battery case 100) so that electrical power can
be delivered from the charging interface 122 to the battery 118,
such as for recharging the battery 118. In some embodiments, the
charging interface 122 can be a wireless charging interface
configured to receive wireless charging signals for charging the
battery 118 (e.g., via inductive charging). In some embodiments,
the battery case 100 can be configured to use electrical power
received by the charging interface 120 to charge the mobile
electronic device first and to charge the battery 118 of the
battery case 100 when the mobile electronic device is fully charged
or when there is surplus electrical power not being used by the
mobile electronic device.
[0041] The charging interface 122 can be an external interface
disposed on an outside of the battery case 100. The charging
interface 122 can be disposed on a bottom side of the battery case
100, such as generally opposite the device interface 120, although
the charging interface 122 can be positioned at other locations
such as on the right external side or the left external side of the
battery case 100. The charging interface 122 can be electrically
coupled to the device interface 118 (e.g., via electrical circuitry
inside the battery case 100) so that electrical power can be
delivered from the charging interface 122 to the device interface
120, such as for passing electrical power through the battery case
100 to the mobile electronic device. In some embodiments, the
battery case 100 can be configured to use electrical power received
by the charging interface 120 to charge the mobile electronic
device first and to charge the battery 118 of the battery case 100
when the mobile electronic device is fully charged or when there is
surplus electrical power not being used by the mobile electronic
device.
[0042] The battery case 100 can include a charge indicator 124,
which can be configured to indicate a charge level of the battery
118. The charge indicator 124 can include a plurality of lights,
such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the number of lights that
are illuminated can indicate the amount of charge that the battery
118 has. For example, four lights can be used and one illuminated
light can correspond to about 25% charge, two lights can correspond
to about 50% charge, 3 illuminated lights can correspond to about
75% charge, and four illuminated lights can correspond to about
100% charge. In some embodiments, the charge indicator can use
different colors, the intensity of light, or a display with a text
or image representation to indicate the charge level of the battery
118.
[0043] The battery case 100 can include a user input element 126,
such as a button. The charge indicator 124 can provide an
indication of the battery charge level in response to input
received by the user input element 126. For example, the lights of
the charge indicator 124 can be turned off until the user provides
input to the user input element 126 (e.g., by pushing the button),
and in response to the input one or more of the lights of the
charge indicator 124 can illuminate for a time to communicate the
battery charge level information.
[0044] The battery case 100 can include a user input element 128,
which can be used to turn the charging from the battery 118 to the
mobile electronic device on and/or off. In some embodiments, the
user input element 128 can be a switch (e.g., a sliding or
push-down switch), which can have an "on" setting and an "off"
setting. When the switch is at the "on" setting, the battery case
100 can deliver electrical power from the battery 118 to the mobile
electronic device, such as via the device interface 120. When the
switch is at the "off" setting, the battery case 100 does not
deliver electrical power from the battery 118 to the mobile
electronic device. Accordingly, the user input element 128 can
enable the user to control when the battery case 100 charges the
mobile electronic device. Various other types of user input
elements 128 can be used to control the charging, such as, for
example, a button that can be the same button can be used for the
user input element 126 that controls the charge indicator 124 and
for the user input element 128 that controls the charging. For
example, the button can be pressed or held down for a first,
relatively shorter time (e.g., less than two seconds) to operate
the charge indicator 124, and the button can be pressed or held
down for a second, relatively longer time (e.g., more than two
seconds) to start or stop the charging. In some embodiments, the
battery case 100 can provide output to the user to indicate that
the charging has started or stopped (e.g., by flashing lights of
the charge indicator 124).
[0045] The battery case 100 can be configured to not interfere with
normal operation of the mobile electronic device when in the
battery case 100. For example, the front opening 116 can permit
viewing and/or providing input to the display (e.g., touchscreen)
of the mobile electronic device. The battery case 100 can include
one or more features (e.g., openings, button covers, and/or switch
covers) that are configured to provide access to one or more
corresponding features (e.g., buttons, ports, and/or switches) on
the mobile electronic device. For example, an opening 130a through
a wall of the battery case 100 can be disposed to align with an
input port (e.g., a headphone jack) on the mobile electronic
device. An opening 130b through a wall of the battery case 100 can
be disposed to align with a button or switch (e.g., a mute switch)
on the mobile electronic device to enable a user to operate the
button or switch through the opening 130b. Button covers 130c can
be disposed to align with buttons (e.g., volume buttons and/or an
on/off button) on the mobile electronic device to enable a user to
operate the buttons via the button covers. In some embodiments, the
battery case 100 can include a switch cover that is configured to
interface with a switch on the mobile electronic device to operate
the switch. One or more openings 130d can be disposed to transfer
sound from a speaker on the mobile electronic device out of the
battery case 100 and/or to transfer sound to a microphone on the
mobile electronic device. A camera opening 130e can be positioned
(e.g., through the back wall 106) to align with a camera and/or
camera flash on the mobile electronic device so that the camera of
the mobile electronic can operate while the mobile electronic
device is in the battery case 100.
[0046] The battery case 100 can have an external shape that
generally corresponds to the external shape of the mobile
electronic device. Accordingly, a battery case 100 designed for use
with a smartphone can have an external shape that generally
corresponds to the external shape of the smartphone. Accordingly,
the battery case 100 with the smartphone therein can be used in the
same manner as the smartphone without the battery case 100. For
example, the battery case 100 with the smartphone therein can be
placed in a user's pocket, can be held in a single hand with the
thumb operating the touchscreen, can comfortably be held to the
user's face when talking on the phone, etc.
[0047] The battery case 100 can be configured to transfer data to
and/or from the mobile electronic device while the mobile
electronic device is in the battery case. Accordingly, the mobile
electronic device can sync with or otherwise communicate with an
external computing device while in the battery case 100. For
example, a cable can connect the external computing device to the
charging interface 122 on the battery case 100. Data can be sent
from the external computing device via the cable to the charging
interface 122, and the charging interface 122 can be electrically
coupled to the device interface 120 (e.g., via electrical circuitry
in the battery case 100) such that the data can be transferred to
the mobile electronic device via the device interface 120. Data
from the mobile electronic device can be received by the device
interface 120, can be transferred to the charging interface 122,
and can be output from the charging interface 122 to the external
computing device via the cable. Although the discussion above
describe data being transferred to and/or from the battery case via
the same charging interface 122 that is used to receive electrical
power, in some embodiments, the battery case 100 can include a data
interface (e.g., an electrical port or connector configured to
receive data) that is different than the charging interface
122.
[0048] The battery case 100 can include a controller 132, which can
be used to implement various features and processes discussed
herein. The controller 132 can include one or more computing
devices (e.g., computer processors). The controller 132 can be
implemented using one or more general purpose computer processors,
which can be configured to execute computer-executable instructions
that can be stored on memory (e.g., non-transitory memory that is
not shown in FIGS. 1-5) to implement various features and processes
discussed herein. In some embodiments, the controller 132 can
include one or more specialized computing devices (e.g., integrated
circuits) which can be configured to implement various features and
processes disclosed herein. The controller 132 can be configured to
control the transfer of electrical power and/or data to and/or from
the mobile electronic device and/or an external computing device,
to control the charge indicator 124, to control charging of the
battery 118, etc.
[0049] The battery case 100 can include a housing that can provide
protection to a mobile electronic device that is disposed in the
battery case 100. The battery case 100 can be configured to permit
the mobile electronic device to be removably inserted into the
battery case 100 and to be removed from the battery case 100. In
some embodiments, the device interface 120 can couple to a
corresponding interface (e.g., an electrical port) on the mobile
electronic device when the mobile electronic device is inserted
into the battery case 100. In the closed configuration, the first
case portion 102 and the second case portion 104 can removably
couple, connect, and/or interface together to secure the mobile
electronic device in the battery case 100. In the open
configuration, the first case portion 102 and the second case
portion 104 can be configured to enable the mobile electronic
device to be removed from the battery case 100 and/or inserted into
the battery case. One or both of the first case portion 102 and the
second case portion 104 can include engagement mechanisms 134
configured to removably couple the first case portion 102 to the
second case portion 104. The engagement mechanisms 134 can include
snap fit elements, corresponding slots and protrusions, friction
fit elements, clasps, etc.
[0050] By way of example, with reference to FIGS. 2-5, in some
embodiments, the first case portion 102 can be a lower case portion
that includes the device interface 120. The first case portion 102
(e.g., the lower case portion) can have an open top side, as can be
seen in FIG. 4, which can enable the mobile electronic device to
slide into the first case portion 102. The lower case portion can
include the bottom wall 110, a lower portion of the left-side wall
112, a lower portion of the right-side wall 114, and/or a lower
portion of the back wall 106. The second case portion 104 can be an
upper case portion that can removably couple to the lower case
portion to secure the mobile electronic device in the battery case
100. The upper case portion can be detached from the lower case
portion to allow the mobile electronic device to be removed from
the battery case 100. The upper case portion can include the top
wall 108, an upper portion of the left-side wall 112, an upper
portion of the right-side wall 114, and/or an upper portion of the
back wall 106. A seam between the upper case portion and the lower
case portion can extend across portions of the battery case 100,
such as, for example, across the back of the battery case 100,
across a front of the back wall 106, across the left-side wall 112,
and/or across the right-side wall 114. In some embodiments, the
lower case portion can form a first open-polygon shape (e.g., a
rectangle with rounded corners and an open top side), the upper
case portion can form a second open-polygon shape (e.g., a
rectangle with rounded corners and an open bottom side), and the
first and second open-polygon shapes can align together when the
battery case 100 is in the closed configuration to form a
closed-polygon shape (e.g., a rectangle with rounded corners) that
defines the front opening 116 through which the display of the
mobile electronic device can be visible.
[0051] The battery case 100 can have various other configurations.
For example, with reference to FIGS. 6-8, in some embodiments, the
first case portion 102 can be a rear case portion and the second
case portion 104 can be a front case portion. FIG. 6 is a front
perspective view of an example embodiment of a battery case 100 in
a closed configuration. FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the
battery case 100 of FIG. 6 in an open configuration. FIG. 8 is a
rear perspective view of the battery case 100 of FIG. 6 in the open
configuration. Various features described in connection with the
battery case of FIGS. 2-5 can be implemented similarly in the
battery case of FIGS. 6-8, and vice versa. The rear case portion
can include the back wall 106 and at least a portion of the bottom
wall 110. The rear case portion can include an open top side so
that the mobile electronic device can be inserted into the rear
case portion when the battery case 100 is in the open
configuration. In some embodiments, the battery case 100 does not
include a seam across the back of the battery case 100. The second
case portion 104 can be a front case portion that is configured to
removably couple to the rear case portion after the mobile
electronic device is inserted into the rear case portion to secure
the mobile electronic device in the battery case 100. The front
case portion can be detached from the rear case portion to allow
the mobile electronic device to be removed from the battery case
100. The front case portion can include at least a portion of the
top wall 108, at least a portion of the bottom wall 110, at least a
portion of the left-side wall 112, and/or at least a portion of the
right-side wall 114. The front case portion can define a
closed-polygon shape (e.g., a rectangle with rounded corners) that
defines the front opening 116 through which the display of the
mobile electronic device is visible when the mobile electronic
device is in the battery case 100. The front case portion can
extend around the full perimeter of the battery case 100. The front
case portion can include a bottom wall outer portion that can
couple to a bottom wall inner portion on the rear case portion,
and/or right and left inner side wall portions (e.g., the right
side guide 136 and the left side guide 138) that can couple to
corresponding right and left outer side wall portions on the front
case portion. The battery case 100 can include engagement
mechanisms 134 for coupling the bottom portion of the rear case
portion to the bottom portion of the front case portion, for
coupling the right side portion of the rear case portion to the
right side portion of the rear case portion, for coupling the left
side portion of the rear case portion to the left side portion of
the front case portion, and/or for coupling the top portion of the
rear case portion to the top portion of the front case portion. The
various engagement mechanisms 134 on multiple different portions of
the battery case 100 can facilitate secure coupling of the front
case portion to the rear case portion.
[0052] As can be seen in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the first
case portion 102 (e.g., the rear case portion) can include a right
side guide 136, which can form part of the left-side wall 112 when
the battery case is in the closed configuration and a left side
guide 138 that can form part of the right-side wall 114 when the
battery case is in the closed configuration. The first case portion
102 can include inner portions of the left-side wall 112 and the
right-side wall 114, and the second case portion 104 can include
outer portions of the left-side wall 112 and the right-side wall
114. The right side guide 136 and the left side guide 138 can guide
the mobile electronic device as it is inserted into the rear case
portion, or as it is removed from the rear case portion, such that
the mobile electronic device slides along directions parallel to
the direction that the device connector 120 extends from the bottom
wall 110. FIG. 9 is a top-down view of the first case portion 102
(e.g., the rear case portion). As can be seen in FIG. 9, the right
side guide 136 and the left side guide 138 can have concave
surfaces that face inward to engage the mobile electronic device.
The right side guide 136 and the left side guide 138 can be
configured to impede the mobile electronic device from moving
forward, away from the back wall 106. Front portions of the right
side guide 136 and the left side guide 138 can be configured to
wrap partially around the mobile electronic device to hold the
mobile electronic device back (e.g., adjacent to the back wall
106).
[0053] The right side guide 136 and the left side guide 138 can
have a height (e.g., a length extending upward from the bottom wall
110) that is at least as tall as the height of the device connector
120, such that the mobile electronic device can be impeded from
moving or pivoting forward until the device interface 120 has fully
disengaged from the corresponding interface on the mobile
electronic device. The right side guide 136 and the left side guide
138 can have a height that is greater than the height of the device
interface 120, such as a height that is at least about 1.25 times,
at least about 1.5 times, at least about 2 times, at least about
2.5 times, at least about 3 times, at least about 4 times, at least
about 5 times, at least about 7.5 times, at least about 10 times,
at least about 15 times, or at least about 20 times the height of
the device interface 120. The right side guide 136 and the left
side guide 138 can have a height that is less than or equal to
about 50 times, less than or equal to about 25 times, less than or
equal to about 15 times, less than or equal to about 10 times, less
than or equal to about 5 times the height of the device interface
120, although values outside the above-identified ranges can also
be used in some implementations. In some embodiments, the right
side guide 136 and the left side guide 138 can have a height that
is at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 25%, at
least about 35%, at least about 50%, less than or equal to about
95%, less than or equal to about 90%, less than or equal to about
80%, less than or equal to about 70%, less than or equal to about
60%, less than or equal to about 50%, less than or equal to about
40%, and/or less than or equal to about 30% of the height of the
battery case 100, although values outside these ranges can be used
in some implementations.
[0054] The left-side wall 112 and the right-side wall 114 of the
battery case 100 of FIGS. 2-5 can function similar to the right
side guide 136 and the left side guide 138 to restrict movement of
the mobile electronic device to a direction that is parallel to the
direction of extension of the device interface 120 as the mobile
electronic device engages or disengages the device interface 120.
Accordingly, the disclosure herein relating to the right side guide
136 and the left side guide 138 can also apply to the left-side
wall 112 and the right-side wall 114 of other battery case 100
embodiments (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 2-5).
[0055] The battery case 100 can include one or more bumpers 140 on
one or more inside surfaces of the battery case 100, and the
bumpers 140 can be configured to abut against the mobile electronic
device when the mobile electronic device is in the battery case
100. The bumpers 140 can be made of silicone or any other suitable
elastomeric and/or soft materials. The bumpers 140 can be
configured to provide protection to the mobile electronic device by
insulating it from harder materials of the battery case 100 and by
providing shock absorption for impacts to the battery case. The
bumpers 140 can facilitate achieving a snug fit of the mobile
electronic device in the battery case 100 by compensating for minor
size differences (e.g., due to manufacturing tolerances or
different model sizes) between individual mobile electronic
devices. The bumpers 140 can have a desired or predetermined
coefficient of static or kinetic friction with the mobile
electronic device to substantially prevent or inhibit the mobile
electronic device from moving within the battery case 100 and/or
out of the battery case 100 until a sufficient force is applied to
the mobile electronic device (e.g., a user pulling or pushing the
mobile electronic device relative to the battery case 100 to, for
example, insert or remove the mobile electronic device into or from
the battery case 100). The bumpers 140 can be on the inner-facing
side of the back wall 106, on the inner-facing side of the
left-side wall 112, on the inner-facing side of the right-side wall
114, on the inner-facing side of the top wall 108, and/or on the
inner-facing side of the bottom wall 110, or any combination
thereof.
[0056] In some embodiments, an opening 130a can extend through the
bottom wall 110 to align with a feature (e.g., a headphone jack) on
the mobile electronic device. In some embodiments, the opening 130a
can be formed as a closed cylindrical hole. In some embodiments, a
side of the opening 130 can have a gap 142, as can be seen in FIGS.
7 and 10. FIG. 10 is a partial exploded view of the first case
portion 102 (e.g., the rear case portion). In some implementations,
the portion of the bottom wall 100 that includes the opening 130a
can have a thickness that is insufficient to provide a fully
enclosed side wall that surrounds the full perimeter of the opening
130a, and the gap 142 can be formed at a front portion of the
opening 130a. The gap 142 can be a slot that extends along a
vertical direction. An insert piece 144 can be disposed inside the
opening 130a. The insert piece 144 can be cylindrical in shape and
can have a circular cross-sectional shape. The insert piece 144 can
include one or more side walls that fully extend 360 degrees in the
horizontal plane (e.g., to form a cylinder with closed side walls).
The insert piece 144 can be open at the top and bottom, such that
an object (e.g., a head phone jack) can pass through the insert
piece 144. The insert piece 144 can be disposed inside the opening
130a, such that the insert piece 144 covers the gap 142 in the
opening 130a, which can provide reinforcement to the opening 130a
(e.g., to maintain the opening 130a at the desired size), and which
can facilitate reliable insertion and removal of an object (e.g., a
headphone jack) to and from the opening 130a (e.g., by providing an
inner surface to the opening 130a that does not have any gaps or
seams).
[0057] The insert piece 144 can be rigid (e.g., more rigid relative
to the battery case 100) and can be made of metal or rigid plastic
or various other suitably rigid materials. The insert piece 144 can
be formed separately from the housing piece that includes the
opening 130a, and the insert piece 144 can be inserted into the
opening 130a during assembly. In some embodiments, a lip can be
disposed at an end of the opening 130a (e.g., at the top end of the
opening 130a) to impede over-insertion of the insert piece 144. The
insert piece 144 can be secured in the opening 130a by an adhesive,
by a friction fitting, by a snap mechanism, by a clamp, or by any
other suitable securing mechanism, including adhesives. As can be
seen in FIG. 9, the insert portion 144 can extend forward (e.g.,
downward in the orientation of FIG. 9) past the front edge of the
opening 130a, past the gap 142, and/or past the front edge of the
housing piece that surrounds the opening 130a.
[0058] The battery case 100 can include side bumpers 146 on one or
more inside surfaces such that the side bumpers 146 are configured
to abut against one or more sides (e.g., the top side, bottom side,
left side, and/or right side, or any combination thereof) of the
mobile electronic device. The disclosure relating to the bumpers
140 can apply to the side bumpers 146. The one or more side bumpers
146 can be configured to support the mobile electronic device on
all four sides of the mobile electronic device. For example, in
some embodiments a side bumper 146 can extend around the full
perimeter of the inside of the battery case 100. In some
embodiments, the one or more side bumpers 146 can include cutouts,
recesses, or openings that align with features on the inside side
surfaces of the battery case 100 (e.g., the device interface 120,
the openings 130a and 130b, and/or the button covers 130c and
130d), or the side bumper 146 can be shaped to go around or
otherwise avoid the features on the inside side surfaces of the
battery case 100. The one or more side bumpers 146 can cover at
least about 10%, at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least
about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about
70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90%, less than or equal to
about 90%, less than or equal to about 80%, less than or equal to
about 70%, less than or equal to about 60%, less than or equal to
about 50%, less than or equal to about 40%, less than or equal to
about 30%, and/or less than or equal to about 20% of the side
perimeter of the inside of the battery case 100, although values
outside these ranges can be used in some implementations.
[0059] In some embodiments, the one or more side bumpers 146 can be
disposed at one or more of the inside/interior corners of the
battery case 100. As can be seen in FIG. 2, a side bumper 146 can
be disposed at a lower right inside corner of the battery case 100
to support a lower right corner of the mobile electronic device,
and a side bumper 146 can be disposed at an upper right inside
corner of the battery case to support an upper right corner of the
mobile electronic device. As can be seen in FIG. 4, a side bumper
146 can be disposed at a lower left inside corner of the battery
case 100 to support a lower left corner of the mobile electronic
device, and a side bumper 146 can be disposed at an upper left
inside corner of the battery case 100 to support an upper left
corner of the mobile electronic device. In some embodiments, a side
bumper 146 can extend along at least a portion of an inner right
side of the battery case 100 to abut against the right side of the
mobile electronic device, a side bumper 146 can extend along at
least a portion of an inner left side of the battery case 100 to
abut against the left side of the mobile electronic device, a side
bumper 146 can extend along at least a portion of an inner top side
of the battery case 100 to abut against the top of the mobile
electronic device, and/or a side bumper 146 can extend along at
least a portion of an inner bottom side of the battery case 100 to
abut against the bottom of the mobile electronic device.
[0060] As can be seen in FIG. 5, the one or more side bumpers 146
can have a concave surface (relative to the interior of the battery
case 100) that faces inward to abut against the mobile electronic
device. The concave surface can wrap around to a portion of the
front of the mobile electronic device, in some embodiments. The
concave surface of the one or more side bumpers 146 can support,
protect, and insulate the mobile electronic in the side directions
and in forward and/or backward directions as well. For example, if
an impact would tend to move the mobile electronic device forward
(e.g., away from the back wall 106), the front part of the concave
side bumpers 146 can absorb the force driving the mobile electronic
device forward.
[0061] In some embodiments, the battery case 100 can include a
right side bumper 146 configured to extend along a right inner side
of the battery case 100, and the right side bumper can cover the
right lower inside corner and/or can wrap around to extend
partially along a bottom inner side of the battery case 100. The
battery case 100 can include a left side bumper 146 configured to
extend along a left inner side of the battery case 100, and the
left side bumper 146 can cover the left lower inside corner and/or
can wrap around to extend partially along a bottom inner side of
the battery case 100. The right side bumper 146 and the left side
bumper 146 can be on the first case portion 102 (e.g., on the lower
case portion). The battery case 100 can include a top side bumper
146 configured to extend along a top inner side of the battery case
100. In some embodiments, the top side bumper 146 can cover the
right upper inside corner and/or the left upper inside corner of
the battery case 100. In some embodiments, the top side bumper 146
can wrap around to extend partially along a right inner side of the
battery case 100 and/or along a left inner side of the battery case
100. The top side bumper 146 can be on the second case portion 104
(e.g., on the upper case portion). Various different configurations
are possible. For example, a single, integral bumper element can be
used for each of the various side bumper 146 shown and described
herein (e.g., the right side bumper, the left side bumper, and/or
the top side bumper). In some embodiments, the various side bumpers
146 shown and described herein (e.g., the right side bumper, the
left side bumper, and/or the top side bumper) can include a
plurality of distinct bumper elements, which can abut each other,
or be spaced apart.
[0062] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a
battery case 100 with a side bumper 146 removed. FIG. 12 is a
perspective view of the side bumper 146 removed from the battery
case 100 of FIG. 11. The housing of the battery case 100 (e.g., the
lower case portion in FIG. 11) can include a recess 148 that is
shaped to receive the side bumper 146. The side bumper 146 can sit
in the recess, such that a portion of the side bumper 146 is
recessed down into the recess 148, as can be seen in the
cross-sectional view of FIG. 5). The one or more side bumpers 146
can be coupled to the housing by an adhesive, by over-molding, by
snap-fit mechanisms, by a friction fitting, by sonic welding, or
any other suitable securing mechanism. The housing (e.g., the lower
case portion in FIG. 11) can include one or more holes, openings,
or cutouts 150 which can facilitate securing of the side bumper 146
to the housing. The side bumper 146 can include a main body portion
152. The side bumper 146 can include one or more protrusions 154
that can be configured to insert into the corresponding one or more
holes 150 in the housing, to facilitate coupling of the side bumper
146 to the housing. The one or more protrusions can be T-shaped.
The one or more protrusions can have a neck portion and an end
portion, and the neck portion can be narrower than the end portion.
The corresponding hole 150 in the housing can have a size that is
smaller than the end portion. The end portion can compress to pass
through the hole 150 and the end portion can decompress to impede
the protrusion 154 from being pulled out of the hole 150.
[0063] In some embodiments, the side bumper 146 can be removably
secured to the housing. FIG. 13 schematically shows an example
embodiment of a side bumper 146 that can be removably coupled to
the housing of the battery case 100. The side bumper 146 can be
coupled to a base member 156, which can be made of a rigid material
(e.g., a rigid plastic), such as using an adhesive, by
over-molding, by a friction fitting, by sonic welding, or any other
suitable securing mechanism. The base member 156 can include one or
more engagement mechanisms 158 that are configured to removably
engage one or more corresponding engagement mechanisms 160 on the
housing of the battery case 100. The engagement mechanisms 160 can
be snap-fit engagement mechanisms, friction-fit engagement
mechanisms, clasps, or any other suitable engagement mechanisms.
The assembly of the side bumper 146 and the base member 156 can be
removably coupled to the housing of the battery case 100, and can
be removed or interchanged with other side bumper assemblies, for
example to provide different side bumpers with different sizes,
different amounts of hardness, or other different features.
[0064] As can be seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the
rear bumpers 140 can be secured between the front portion 106a and
the back portion 106b of the back wall 106. FIG. 14 shows a
perspective view of a bumper 140. The bumper 140 can include a main
body portion 162 and a securing flange 164. The securing flange 164
can be disposed between the front portion 106a and the back portion
106b of the back wall 106, and the main body portion 162 can extend
through a hole in the front portion 106a, such that the main body
portion of the bumper 140 extends forward of the back wall 106 so
that it can abut against a back of the mobile electronic device
(e.g., to prevent the mobile electronic device from directly
contacting the back wall 106).
[0065] Different sizes of bumpers 140 can be used. FIG. 15 is a
side view of an example embodiment of a bumper 140 having a first
height, and FIG. 16 is a side view of an example embodiment of a
bumper 140 having a second height that is larger than the first
height. Different mobile electronic devices, even of the same model
type, can sometimes have somewhat different dimensions (e.g.,
thickness or height or width), such as due to manufacturing
tolerances. Also in some instances a mobile electronic device can
be updated to a new model that has only slightly different
dimensions than a previous model. The different sizes of bumpers
140 can be used to accommodate between different sizes of mobile
electronic devices. For example, two housings for two battery cases
can have the same inner dimensions for housing mobile electronic
devices but can be configured to hold different sizes of mobile
electronic devices by using different bumpers 140. The side bumpers
146 can have different heights to accommodate different sizes of
mobile electronic devices as well. The bumpers 140 and 146 can be
configured to be removably coupled to the housing of the battery
case 100 (e.g., as discussed in connection with FIG. 13) so that
they can be interchanged with other bumpers 140 and 146 of
different size or having other different properties.
[0066] Various other configurations are possible for the battery
case 100. For example, in some embodiments, the battery case 100
can include a single-piece housing, instead of the two-piece
housing of FIGS. 1-8 that has the first case portion 102 and the
second case portion 104. The single-piece housing can include a
flexible portion that can be configured to flex to facilitate
insertion of the mobile electronic device into the battery case 100
and/or to facilitate removal of the mobile electronic device from
the battery case 100. For example, in some embodiments, the top
wall 108, the left-side wall 112, and/or the right-side wall 114
can be flexible to bend out of the way during insertion and/or
removal of the mobile electronic device into and/or from the
battery case 100. In some embodiments, the back wall 106 and/or the
bottom wall 110 can be rigid. The battery 118 can be disposed
inside the thickness of the back wall 106, for example, such that
the battery 118 is disposed directly rearward of the mobile
electronic device when the mobile electronic device is in the
battery case 100. In some embodiments, a battery case 100 with a
single-piece housing can have an open top side, such that the top
wall 108 is omitted to facilitate insertion and/or removal of the
mobile electronic device into and/or from the battery case 100. In
some embodiments, the device interface 120 can be movable to
facilitate insertion and/or removal of the mobile electronic device
into and/or from the battery case 100. For example, the device
interface 120 can pivot forward so that the mobile electronic
device can couple to the device interface 120 and the mobile
electronic device can be pivoted back into the housing as the
device interface pivots back. In some embodiments, the device
interface 120 can be on a movable portion that is configured to
move (e.g., slide) downward away from the top wall 108 to provide
sufficient space between the top wall 108 and the device interface
120 for the mobile electronic device to be inserted into the
housing. The movable portion can move (e.g., slide) upward such
that the device interface 120 engages the corresponding interface
(e.g., electrical port) on the mobile electronic device. For
removal of the mobile electronic device, the movable portion can
move (e.g., slide) downward to disengage the device interface 120
from the corresponding interface on the mobile electronic device.
When moved downward, there can be sufficient space between the top
wall 108 and the device interface 120 for the mobile electronic
device to be removed from the battery case 100. In some
embodiments, the battery case 100 can include two-piece housing, as
shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-8. In some embodiments, the housing
can include three or more pieces that removably couple
together.
[0067] Components that are shown or described as being part of the
first case portion 102 can be part of the second case portion 104,
and vice versa. For example, the battery 118 can be part of the
second case portion 104. The first case portion 102 and the second
case portion 104 can be configured to electrically couple when in
the closed configuration such that electrical power can be
transferred between the first case portion 102 and the second case
portion 104. For example, to charge the battery in the second case
portion 104, electrical power can be received by the charging
interface 122 on the first case portion 102, transferred via one or
more electrical connectors to the second case portion 104, and be
delivered to the battery 118. To charge the mobile electronic
device from the battery 118 in the second case portion 104,
electrical power from the battery 118 can be delivered via the one
or more electrical connectors to the first case portion 102, and
can be delivered via the device interface 120 to the mobile
electronic device. The various features described in connection
with the different embodiments of battery cases 100 can be combined
and interchanged into various combinations and sub-combinations.
Various features described herein can be omitted. For example, in
some embodiments, the right side guide 136 and the left side guide
138, the bumpers 140, and/or various other features described
herein can be omitted.
[0068] The embodiments discussed herein are provided by way of
example, and various modifications can be made to the embodiments
described herein. Certain features that are described in this
disclosure in the context of separate embodiments can also be
implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely,
various features that are described in the context of a single
embodiment can be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or
in various suitable subcombinations. Also, features described in
connection with one combination can be excised from that
combination and can be combined with other features in various
combinations and subcombinations. Various features can be added to
the example embodiments disclosed herein. Also, various features
can be omitted from the example embodiments disclosed herein.
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