U.S. patent application number 14/953367 was filed with the patent office on 2016-06-23 for case for an electronic device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ryoichi Mase. Invention is credited to Ryoichi Mase.
Application Number | 20160182116 14/953367 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45354895 |
Filed Date | 2016-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160182116 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mase; Ryoichi |
June 23, 2016 |
CASE FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE
Abstract
To provide a case with a flash guard for an electronic device
where the device is equipped with a camera and a flash that are
adjacent to each other and where the case has at least one hole in
the case body to expose the camera and flash and where the one hole
is a dark material in order to protect against flash flare from the
camera flash.
Inventors: |
Mase; Ryoichi; (Tokyo,
JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Mase; Ryoichi |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
45354895 |
Appl. No.: |
14/953367 |
Filed: |
November 29, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12939905 |
Nov 4, 2010 |
9232036 |
|
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14953367 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/575.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/0264 20130101;
H04B 1/3888 20130101; H04M 1/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04B 1/3888 20060101
H04B001/3888; H04M 1/02 20060101 H04M001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 28, 2010 |
JP |
2010-4757 |
Jul 2, 2010 |
JP |
2010-4899 |
Jul 9, 2010 |
JP |
2010-5065 |
Claims
1. A case for a mobile phone where said mobile phone is equipped
with a camera where said camera includes a camera lens and a flash
and where said camera lens and said flash are adjacent to each
other, said case comprising: a case body to at least partially
enclose said mobile phone; at least one hole in said case body to
expose said adjacent camera lens and flash, and a flash guard
formed by a shading area on said hole.
2. The case for a mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein said
at least one hole has a hole wall and where said hole wall is
funnel shaped so that said wall slants away from said camera lens
and said flash, where a narrow part of said funnel is near said
camera lens and said flash and where a wider part of said funnel is
near an outer portion of said case and said flash guard is formed
by said shading area on said hole wall.
3. The case for a mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein a
shading material is applied to said hole, and said shading material
is a dark colored paint or a coloring material.
4. The case for a mobile phone according to claim 1, where said
shading area is made from a dark colored textured or matte
material.
5. The case for a mobile phone according to claim 2, where said
shading area is made from a dark colored textured or matte
material.
6. The case for a mobile phone according to claim 2, wherein a
shading material is applied to said hole wall, and said shading
material is a dark colored paint or a coloring material.
7. A case for a mobile phone where said mobile phone is equipped
with a camera where said camera includes a camera lens and a flash
and where said camera lens and said flash are adjacent to each
other, said case comprising: a case body to at least partially
enclose said mobile phone; at least one hole in said case body to
expose said adjacent camera lens and flash, and a detachable flash
guard where said detachable flash guard comprises: an inner
circumference that is at least large enough to expose said camera
lens and said flash; an outer circumference that matingly fits into
said hole so that said detachable flash guard can be inserted and
removed from said hole; and a shading area, where said detachable
flash guard is either made from a shading material or said flash
guard is coated with a dark colored paint or a colored material to
form said shading area.
8. The detachable flash guard of claim 7 where said detachable
flash guard is made from a dark colored textured or matte
material.
9. The case for a mobile phone according to claim 7 where said
inner circumference of said detachable flash guard is a funnel
shaped wall such that it is slanted away from said camera lens and
said flash wherein a narrow part of said funnel is near said camera
lens and said flash and where a wider part of said funnel is near
an outer portion of said case.
10. The detachable flash guard of claim 9 where said detachable
flash guard is made from a dark colored textured or matte
material.
11. A method of protecting against flash flare from a mobile phone
flash caused by using a case for a mobile phone device with said
mobile phone where said mobile phone is equipped with a camera and
where said camera includes a camera lens and a flash and where said
camera lens and said flash are adjacent to each other, steps to
protecting against said flash flare comprising: creating said case
that at least partially encloses said mobile phone; forming a hole
with a hole wall in said case that is at least large enough to
expose both said camera lens and said flash; forming a flash guard
by having a shading surface on said hole wall; placing said camera
in said case; taking a picture with said camera using said camera
flash; and preventing said flash flare with said flash guard by
scattering, diffusing and absorbing a light from said flash with
said shading surface on said hole wall.
12. The method of protecting against flash flare of claim 11 by
said shading surface and further reducing said flash flare by
texturing or matting said shading surface.
13. The method of protecting against flash flare of claim 11 where
said hole is funnel shaped such that a wider part of said funnel is
at an outside portion of said case and where a narrower part of
said funnel is near said camera lens and said flash.
14. The method of protecting against flash flare of claim 13 by
said shading surface and further reducing said flash flare by
texturing or matting said shading surface.
15. A method of protecting against flash flare from a mobile phone
flash caused by using a case for a mobile phone device by using a
flash guard to protect against said flash flare, where said mobile
phone is equipped with a camera and where said camera includes a
camera lens and said flash and where said camera lens and said
flash are adjacent to each other, steps to protecting against said
flash flare comprises: creating said case that at least partially
encloses said mobile phone; forming a hole with a hole wall in said
case that is at least large enough to expose both said camera lens
and said flash; forming a detachable flash guard that is insertable
and removable from said hole where said flash guard has: an inner
circumference that is at least large enough to expose said camera
lens and said flash; an outer circumference that matingly fits into
said hole so that said flash guard can be inserted and removed from
said hole; and said detachable flash guard is a shading material or
is coated by a dark colored paint or a coloring material; inserting
said detachable flash guard into said hole; inserting said camera
into said case; taking a picture using said camera flash; and
diffusing, scattering and absorbing light from said camera flash by
said flash guard and preventing flash flare from light from said
camera flash.
16. The method of protecting against flash flare from a mobile
phone flash of claim 15 where said flash guard is further made from
a textured or matte material, preventing flash flare from light
from said camera flash by further scattering said light.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
section 119(a) of Japanese Utility Model Applications filed in the
Japan Patent Office on Jun. 28, 2010 and assigned serial number
2010-4757, Jul. 2, 2010 and assigned serial number 2010-4899, and
Jul. 9, 2010 and assigned serial number 2010-5065, the disclosure
of which is incorporated herein by reference and finally to U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 12/939,905 filed 2010 Nov. 4, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a case for an electronic device,
and specifically, to a case for an electronic device equipped with
a camera unit and a flash such that the case will prevent and guard
against flash flare.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Various types of cases have been designed mainly to enclose
and protect electronic devices, especially, portable electronic
devices such as mobile phones and portable music players. The cases
can protect the devices from being scratched and cracked.
[0004] The electronic devices could have many different buttons or
control devices, such as a touch screen panel, a back panel with a
camera lens and a flash, a volume control button, and a power
switch, just to mention a few. The cases must be designed to fit
and cover the device without hindering each button or switch, or
without impeding any function operatable from the device
surface.
[0005] For example, for a device with a camera that includes a
camera lens and a flash equipped on the back panel, the case must
have at least one hole in appropriate size to not become an
obstacle for taking pictures and using the flash. The camera lens
and flash hole should be aligned to keep the camera lens and flash
portions open and clear and at the same time should be small enough
to not expose any unnecessary or enlarged openings, thus providing
for both better appearance and for better device protection.
[0006] Because of the size of the device, the camera lens and flash
are often positioned close to each other. In many instances the
camera and flash are located on an approximately flat back panel of
the device. The flash and camera lens each can be positioned at a
bottom of a cylindrical hole below the back panel surface, so that
the back panel has an approximately level surface. In this
structure, when the back panel surface is translucent with or
without color, the flash light emitted from the flash spreads out
on the back panel surface, and the cylindrical or conical wall
surrounding the camera lens is designed to prevent the flash light
from reflecting back into the camera lens area by diffusing,
scattering or absorbing the light in order to prevent any adverse
effect on the resultant picture taken. However, when the device is
covered by a translucent or clear case, the light from the flash
tends to travel through the case and then reflects off of the
translucent or clear case to an edge surface of the camera lens
hole of the case. When this happens the light from the flash causes
an adverse effect on the resultant picture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The above-object of this invention can be solved by
providing a shading treatment to the case for the electronic device
with the camera lens and flash. The shading treatment, or flash
guard, can be used around the camera lens and flash hole on the
device case, thereby creating the shading area. The shading area,
or flash guard, can be provided at least on an internal
circumferential wall of the hole. The case can have either one or
more holes configured to reveal both the camera lens and the flash.
When the case has a single hole then the shading area can be on the
entire circumference of the hole. When the case has two separate
holes for the camera lens and the flash, then the shading area can
be provided to either one of the holes or both holes in order to
have a greater flash guarding effect. The flat surface of the hole
is generally in a circular, elliptical or cylindrical shape and the
depth of the hole as it extends from the electronic device's body
outwardly to the outer surface of the case can be flat or conical
in shape, and the shading treatment should be applied on the
internal circumferential wall of the hole. As noted, the shading
area can be extended to the back surface, or the device contacting
surface, of the case and propagates out from the camera lens and
flash holes. The shading area may be formed by applying a colored
paint or applying a paint material that gives the shading
effect.
[0008] Another aspect of this invention is to provide the case
where the shading area, or flash guard, has at least one shading
member, which is partially or entirely made of the shading material
that gives the shading effect or is coated by the shading color
paint or the paint material that gives the shading effect. This
shading member, or flash guard piece, can be separately and
individually manufactured and then integrated into the case, or it
may be integrally manufactured together with and on the case,
around the camera hole or the flash hole.
[0009] Another aspect of this invention is to provide the case
where the case has at least one hole exposing the camera lens and
the flash of the device and the shading area comprises at least one
detachable flash guard shading piece, approximately matching the
size of the hole or holes. The detachable shading piece has at
least one opening to expose the camera lens and the flash, and the
detachable shading piece is partially or entirely made of the
shading material that gives the shading, flash guarding effect, or
is coated by the shading color paint or the paint material that
gives the shading, flash guarding effect. The detachable shading
piece is ideally a cylindrical or conical ring shape but it can any
other shape. Also, the shading area can be formed by using a
sticker that partially or entirely is made of the shading material
that gives the shading effect or the shading area could be coated
by the shading color paint or the paint material that gives the
shading effect.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The above and other objects of the present invention will
become readily apparent by reference to the following detailed
description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the case with a separate
camera hole and flash hole and the device for the case
installation;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the case of FIG. 1 showing
the shading areas;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the case with the back
surface shading area covering both camera hole and flash hole;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the case of FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the case with the shading
part around the circumference of the camera and flash hole;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a cross section view of the case of FIG. 5;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the case with the shading
part in a larger area including both camera hole and flash
hole;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a cross section view of the case of FIG. 7;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the case with the case, the
detachable shading piece, and the device;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the case with the
detachable shading piece attached on the device;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the case with the
detachable shading piece to be attached in the device with the
cover;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a cross section view of the device with the
shading piece of FIG. 11;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another type of detachable
shading piece;
[0024] FIG. 14 is a cross section view of the device with the
shading piece of FIG. 14;
[0025] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another type of detachable
shading piece;
[0026] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the case, the device and
the shading sticker;
[0027] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the shading sticker on the
device;
[0028] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the case, the device and
another type of shading sticker;
[0029] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the case, the device and
another type of shading sticker; and
[0030] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the case, the device and
another type of shading sticker.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] In the following paragraphs, this invention and preferred
embodiments will be explained with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment
[0032] FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the first embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 1 is the perspective view of a case 40 with a camera hole 50
and a flash hole 60 and FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the case
40 of FIG. 1 showing shading treatment forming a flash guard
70.
[0033] An electronic device 10 for which the case 40 of this
invention is used has a cylindrical camera lens unit 20 and a
cylindrical flash unit 30. The case 40 covers the electronic device
10 for various purposes such as protecting the device from damage
and decorating the device 10 for a user's preference. The case 40
needs to have an opening or openings to expose the camera lens unit
20 and the flash unit 30 without obstruction so as to take a clear
picture. FIG. 1 discloses the individual camera lens hole 50 and
flash hole 60 in the case 40. The case 40 fits on the device 10 and
the camera lens hole 50 and the flash hole 60 correspond accurately
with the camera lens unit 20 and the flash 30 respectively on a
back panel 11 of the device 10. When properly installed the camera
lens hole 50 and the flash hole 60 are positioned to completely and
accurately expose the camera lens unit 20 and the flash unit 30
without obstruction.
[0034] FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the case 40 fitting and
partially enclosing the device 10. The case 40 in FIG. 2 shows the
shading treatment 70 divided into two areas, i.e., a camera lens
shading coating 71 and a flash shading coating 72. The camera lens
shading coating 71 is a shade treated area created by forming a
shading layer on a surface of a first cylindrical case wall 51 of
the camera lens hole 50. The flash shading coating 72 is a shade
treated area created by forming a shading layer on a surface of a
second cylindrical case wall 62 of the flash hole 60 that then acts
as a flash guard to prevent flash bounce. The shading treatment 70
here may be established by shade coating such as by applying
shading color paint or coating with shading materials. The shading
material may include metal, material with shading color, and any
material by itself or mixture thereof providing shading effects. It
could also be a textured or matte material or finish. The camera
lens unit 20 and the flash unit 30 are closely positioned, and when
the flash 30 emits light, the light spreads out on the back panel
11 of the device 4. However, the camera lens 21 is located at a
bottom part of the cylindrical camera unit 20, and the cylindrical
wall 22 thereof prevents the flash from traveling to the camera
lens 21. However, when the translucent case 4 is on the device 10,
the flash light emitted from the flash 30 bounces off the case
causing a flash bounce or flash flare whereby the light hits the
case 40 and spreads out thereon to adversely affect the resultant
image taken by the camera lens. Even if the case is made of
non-translucent rubber and plastics, the light from the flash
reflects upon the case and then upon the cylindrical surface of the
camera unit 20, which causes an adverse effect on the picture. The
flash shading treatment 70 creates a protective flash guard that
minimizes this negative light effect and prevents much of the light
from spreading to the camera 20 when the light is emitted from the
flash 30. It does this by using the dark, shading coating to
diffuse, scatter or absorb the light from the flash so that it does
not negatively affect photos. The matte material, if used, also
helps to prevent the light from reaching the lens area.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the case 40 with a covering
back surface shading coating flash guard 73 covering both camera
lens hole 50 and flash hole 60. FIG. 4 is a cross section view of
the case 40 of FIG. 3. Shapes and sizes of the shading area are not
limited, and an additional back surface shading area 73 can extend
from a camera shading part 74 and a flash shading, flash guarding
part 75 to form the back surface shading area 73 which is located
on a back surface of the case 40 around the holes 50 and 60. This
extra shading area further minimizes the traveling of the flash
light emitted from the flash 31 to the camera lens 21, especially
through any gap between the back surface of the case 40 and the
back panel 11 of the device 10.
Second Embodiment
[0036] A second embodiment will be explained with reference to
FIGS. 5-8. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the case 40, which shows
individual holes for the camera unit 20 and the flash unit 30 which
are covered by a camera shading part 74 and a flash shading part 75
respectively. The shading parts 74, 75 collectively form a flash
guard and they can be short cylindrical holes and can be made of
the shading material. Alternatively, the shading parts 74, 75 can
be coated or painted with the shading material. The finished
shading surface is preferably a matted surface to minimize the
flash reflection, and to guard or prevent the light from the flash
from negatively affecting any photos due to flash bounce or flash
flare. As shown in FIG. 6, a back surface of the case 40 should be
level with the bottom of the shading parts 74, 75 so as to not
damage the device 10. The shading parts 74, 75 can be integrated
with the case 40 either after individually manufactured or
integrated simultaneously by insertion into a corresponding and
matching hole in the case.
[0037] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the case 4 with one large
shading part 76 covering both the camera hole 50 and the flash hole
60 instead of having the two individual shading parts 74, 75.
Again, when the case 4 is clear or translucent there is a tendency
for light from the flash to negatively affect photos taken through
the adjacent camera lens. The light from the flash tends to bounce
off the translucent case and then causes ghosting or other adverse
lighting effects. This singular hole configuration can be used with
the camera lens and the flash adjacent to each other. In this
orientation the larger, singular hole encompasses both the camera
lens and the flash. The singular case hole can be an elliptical or
other shaped hole that will circle, surround and enclose both the
camera lens and the flash. This singular case hole has one large
shaded surface 76 that forms the shaded flash guard whereby this
flash guard prevents light from the flash from negatively affecting
or impacting any photos due to flash bounce or flare. When the case
does not have this shaded flash guard the flash tends to emit into
and then bounce off the translucent or clear case whereafter it
then enters the camera lens. By shading the surrounding area with
shading 76 this flash bounce can be either eliminated entirely or
sufficiently minimized. This flash guard formed by the singular,
shaded hole can have either straight or sloped sides and does not
need to be limited to any size or configuration. It can also be
made from a matte or textured material.
[0038] FIG. 8 is a cross section of FIG. 7. All other
characteristics are the same and the explanation of which will be
omitted.
Third Embodiment
[0039] A third embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS.
9-15. This example is the same as the second embodiment except that
a shading part is detachable from the case 40. FIG. 9 is a
perspective view of the case 40, showing a detachable, large
shading piece 77 and the device 10, and FIG. 10 is a perspective
view of the case 40 with the detachable, large shading piece 77
installed. The case 40 has an elongated hole 80, and the area
thereof should be sufficient to cover the camera lens unit 20 and
the flash unit 30. This detachable piece can be configured so that
it is either a singular piece with a singular hole cut out in the
center, as shown or it can be configured so that it is a singular
piece with separate holes cut out in the center for both the camera
lens and the flash. The detachable large shading piece 77 is made
of or coated with the shading color or the shading material and is
shaped to match the elongated hole 80 to fit therein. As shown in
FIG. 11, the detachable large shading part 77 can be attached on
the device 10 temporarily or it can be permanently affixed to the
case 40 around the camera lens hole 50 and the flash using a
mechanism such as an adhesive, snapping, fastenering, or clipping.
The cross section view of FIG. 12 shows that the detachable large
shading piece 77 has a cylindrical camera lens hole 77a and a
cylindrical flash hole 77b which are aligned to be placed over the
camera unit 20 and the flash unit 30. The detachable large shading
part 77 can be partially or entirely coated with the shading paint
or shading material or can be made by the shading material in order
to create the flash guard. It could also be made of a matte
material as described above.
[0040] As shown in FIGS. 13-15, a shading piece camera lens
cylindrical wall 77c and a shading piece flash cylindrical wall 77d
can project from the detachable large shading part 77. FIG. 13
shows the cylindrical holes raising and projecting from a shading
piece surface 77e of the shading part 77, and FIG. 14 is a cross
section of FIG. 13. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15, the shading
part 77 can be separated into a detachable camera lens shading part
77e and a detachable flash shading piece 77g. Obviously, the shapes
and sizes of the elongated hole 70 can be selected according to
each device and needs.
Fourth Embodiment
[0041] FIGS. 16-20 show another embodiment of the present
invention. In this embodiment, a shading sticker 78 is used instead
of the shading area or shading parts in the previous embodiments.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of this embodiment with an oval
shading sticker with openings for the camera and the flash; FIG. 17
is a perspective view of the device with the shading sticker 80 on
the device panel around the camera and flash; FIG. 18 is a cross
section view of the device 40 with the sticker 80 covering almost
the entire back panel 11 of the device; and FIG. 19 is a
perspective view of the case, the device and another square type of
shading sticker; and FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the case, the
device and another circular type of shading sticker. Sizes and
shapes of the shading sticker 80 can be decided depending upon
needs.
[0042] While the embodiments of the present invention disclosed
herein are presently considered to be preferred embodiments,
various changes and modifications can be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of
the invention is indicated in the appended claims, and all changes
that come within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended
to be embraced therein.
* * * * *