Cover for mobile telephone

Abstract

A cover for a mobile telephone, such as a smartphone, is provided. The cover includes a front board, a back board, and a spine that hingedly attaches to the front board and the back board. These three components cooperate to cover three sides of the mobile telephone. A cradle assembly affixed to the interior surface of the back board releasably grips the mobile telephone. A flap is hingedly attached to the front board and provides attachment means for removably attaching the flap to an exposed portion of the mobile telephone. The attachment means may optionally be magnetic, and attach to a magnetic portion of the mobile telephone. A portion of the flap material may be slip-resistant to permit the cover to assume a stable, inclined configuration in which a portion of the weight of the mobile telephone on the flap material prevents slippage.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 756,884, filed Jan. 25, 2013, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design Application No. 29 / 440,991, filed Dec. 28, 2012. The entire contents of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to telephonic communications, and more particularly to an accessory for a mobile telephone terminal that provides a protective structure that releasably grips the terminal and may be folded into a variety of useful operating configurations.BACKGROUND ART[0003]People often desire to use covers for their portable handheld electronic devices, especially for their cellular phones. Reasons for using covers include protection of the device, improvement of the appearance of the device, incorporation of a certain fashionable look over the device, and generation of variety in the way the device looks.[0004]The available ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]Illustrated embodiments of the present invention enable a user to use a mobile phone in multiple positions with ease. For example, in a closed position, the phone cover can cover the phone when greater protection is needed or when the phone is not being used. In an open position, the phone can be used with full functionality and without superfluous interfering parts, as the lower and upper parts of the phone cover can be compacted behind the phone and further stabilized by magnetism. In a supported-open position, the phone can be used without needing to free hands from other tasks. Disclosed openings of the phone cover enable functionality of various features of the phone without a need for removal of the phone cover. A magnetic fastening mechanism between the phone and the phone cover results in an integrated phone and phone cover that cooperate as a unit. Such integration makes the whole assembly more durable and less prone to slippage. The functional design ensures that there are no superfluous parts, resulting in a satisfying user experience. The integration between the phone cover and the phone, especially when such integration ensues from a distinctly positioned magnet of the flap and a magnet phone-anchor on a distinct side of the phone, ensures that the orientations of the phone and the phone cover are consistent and predictable. This prevents cases in which a user may open the phone cover to answer a call and find out that the phone is upside down, contrary to what would have been desirable.

[0008]The cover may include a liner that conceals the front board, the back board, the spine, and the flap. The liner may be made from fabric. An exterior surface of the liner may be decorated with a pattern, a logo, or a pleasing image. Advantageously, a portion of the liner that conceals the flap may be made from a slip-resistant material, so that the cover is capable of assuming a stable, weight-supported configuration in which an angle of inclination is preserved at least in part due to a portion of the weight of a releasably gripped mobile telephone on the slip-resistant material acting to prevent relative motion of the front board and the back board.

Problems solved by technology

The available phone covers have been designed with goals similar to those above in mind; however, upon careful testing, previously unappreciated disadvantages often manifest themselves.

For example, a part of the cover may inappropriately dangle after opening the cover; it may be difficult to use the phone without holding it in a hand; the positions that the phone can be used with the cover may be limited; certain features may be inaccessible in certain positions of the cover; or the fit between the phone and the phone cover may be weak or insecure.

Images