Force deflecting electronic device housing apparatus

Abstract

A force deflecting case for a portable electronic device includes a front case sized to receive the portable electronic device, a plurality of side walls extending from a rear surface along each side of the device, and a central opening in which a display screen or other functional component of the device is positioned. A rear case is positioned opposite the front case and includes a recessed front wall and a plurality of side walls extending upward along each side of the device. Each of the front and rear cases includes a plurality of bumper block connectors aligned to engage a plurality of removable bumper blocks. Each of the bumper blocks deflects an impact and secures the case around the portable device together. The front and rear cases include air gaps to allow the case to flex individually after being impacted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to smartphone cases, and more specifically to a case for portable electronic devices that includes functions for absorbing and deflecting impact forces from external objects. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section are provided only as background information in connection with this disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] The history of protective cases for portable electronic devices dates back to the early days of mobile phones. Because early phones were bulky and expensive, cases were mostly made of leather or hard plastic and designed to protect the phone from scratches and dents. In recent years, rigid and semi-rigid plastic and silicone hybrid cases have become popular. These cases are shaped and designed to securely attach to smartphones or other such devices along the back surface and all four sides, absorbing as much impact force as possible directly before transferring force to the device.

[0004] Unfortunately, even with advancements in materials technology, it is not uncommon for devices to crack or break after relatively minor impacts (such as drops), even with protective casings. This is because the way the casing absorbs the impact and transfers the force to the device has not changed.

[0005] This invention relates to a force deflection electronic device housing, which differs from conventional technology in many respects. This will become more apparent in the following description, especially when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention relates to a force deflection housing for a portable electronic device. One embodiment of the invention may include a front housing having a shape and size complementary to that of a portable electronic device such as a smartphone, a plurality of sidewalls extending outward from a rear surface along the sides of the portable device, and a central opening therein where a display screen of the portable device can be positioned. The front housing includes the central opening therein where the display screen of the device is positioned and the plurality of sidewalls extending outward from a rear surface along the sides of the device. A rear housing is also provided, having a recessed front wall for receiving the rear surface of the portable electronic device and a plurality of sidewalls extending upward along the sides of the device.

[0007] Each of the front and rear housings includes multiple buffer block connectors, which are aligned to form multiple uniform receiving seats for engaging the multiple buffer blocks. Each buffer block is made of a malleable and shock-absorbing material and is used to secure the front and rear housings together around the device and to deflect and absorb shocks.

[0008] The front and rear housings are made of materials that allow components to flex individually upon impact. Furthermore, the dimensions of the front and rear housings are specifically adapted to receive particular portable electronic devices and include air gaps that allow the housings to flex into.

[0009] This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The preferred embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise devices and tools shown.

[0011] Figure 1A This is a front view of the front housing of a protective shell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 1B This is a rear view of the front housing of a protective shell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the rear housing of a protective shell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the rear housing of the protective shell in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the protective shell in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5A This is a side view of the protective casing in operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5B This is a partial truncated view of the protective shell during operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a rear view of a protective casing according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Although the specification concludes with claims defining the inventive features considered novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood by considering the specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Detailed embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein as needed; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary, and the invention can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but only as the basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to use the inventive device in various ways in virtually any suitably detailed structure. Furthermore, the terminology and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.

[0020] definition As described herein, a “unit” refers to a series of identified physical components connected together and / or working together to perform a specified function.

[0021] As described herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “basically,” and “roughly” should be used interchangeably to describe the characteristics, shape, or measurement of a part within tolerance ranges, such as manufacturing tolerances, measurement tolerances, etc.

[0022] As described herein, the term “removably fixed” and its derivatives should be used to describe situations in which two or more objects are connected together in a non-permanent manner to allow the two or more objects to be repeatedly connected and separated.

[0023] As described in this document, the terms “complementary shape” and “complementary size” shall be used to describe the shape and size of a part that is the same or substantially the same as that of another identified part within tolerance ranges such as manufacturing tolerances and measurement tolerances.

[0024] As described herein, the term "connector" includes any number of different elements, either individually or together, designed to repeatedly join two items together in a non-permanent manner. Several non-limiting examples of connectors include, but are not limited to, threaded, twist-connect, and push-in connection devices; opposing hook and loop material strips (e.g., Velcro®); magnetic elements with specific attraction orientations or magnetic and metallic elements; and compression fasteners such as buckles, latches, snaps, and buttons. Each of the connectors and complementary connectors shown may be permanently attached to the shown portion of the device by a manufacturing process or, for example, by a permanent sealant such as adhesive.

[0025] As described herein, the terms “elasticity” and “shape memory” are used interchangeably to define the ability of a part to retain a particular shape and attempt to return to that shape after being bent, folded, twisted, or otherwise manipulated.

[0026] Figures 1A to 6An embodiment of a force deflection electronic device housing 10, which can be used to understand the inventive concept disclosed herein, is shown. In each figure, the same reference numerals are used for similar elements of the invention or elements having similar functions. For clarity, only reference numerals necessary for describing the respective figures are shown in the individual figures. For descriptive purposes, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and their derivatives should be used interchangeably with… Figure 4 This relates to the invention shown.

[0027] As shown in the figure, the protective device can generally include a front housing 11, a rear housing 21, and a plurality of removable buffer blocks 41. The housing is designed to receive and house a specific portable electronic device in a manner that provides an air gap, whereby the housing body flexes into the air gap upon impact with a foreign object. This feature reduces or eliminates the transfer of impact force to the electronic device. Although described or illustrated for smartphones, this is for illustrative purposes only, as the housing of the present invention can be shaped and sized to suit any type of portable electronic device seeking impact protection.

[0028] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An embodiment of the front housing 11 of the housing assembly 10 is shown. As shown, the front housing may include a generally rectangular member having a front surface 11a, a rear surface 11b, a top wall 11c, a bottom wall 11d, and a pair of side walls 11e and 11f. As shown, the rear surface 11b may be recessed relative to the walls 11c-11f to form a continuous lip adjacent to a large central opening 12.

[0029] As described above, each housing device 10 will be manufactured for a specific portable electronic device having a known size, such as the smartphone shown in the figure. Therefore, the walls of the front housing 11 will include a shape complementary to the external shape of the specific device (e.g., smartphone 1), and dimensions complementary to or slightly larger than the device (e.g., 0.1mm-3mm). Similarly, a lip formed by the rear surface 11b will engage the top edge of the device, and the central opening 12 will include a shape and dimensions complementary to the shape and size of the device's screen.

[0030] In one embodiment, a plurality of openings and / or recesses 13 may be provided along one or more walls 11c-11f of the front housing. Each recess may include a shape and size complementary to the shape and size of smartphone user interface components such as various buttons, charging ports, speakers, microphones or other such items.

[0031] In one embodiment, a plurality of upper buffer block connectors 14 may be positioned along each of the walls 11c-11f. Each of the upper buffer block connectors 14 may include a generally arrow-shaped protrusion 14a located at the center of and extending outward from a recess 14b on the respective wall. In a preferred embodiment, six or more upper buffer block connectors may be provided, with one connector located at each corner of the front housing and one connector located at the center along each side wall 11e and 11f. Although specific shapes and dimensions are described, any number of these or other types of connectors capable of removably engaging the buffer blocks described below may also be provided.

[0032] As described herein, the front housing 11 may be made of any number of different shock-absorbing and / or shock-deflecting materials, and may be semi-rigid, malleable, and / or have elastic properties. Several non-limiting examples include, but are not limited to, silicone, various plastics, and / or composite materials.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the front housing will be made of semi-rigid ABS plastic, which is specifically designed to bend / deflect along its long axis by a maximum of approximately 1% to 5% upon impact with a foreign object, then harden and eventually return to its original shape (e.g., the shape before the impact). Of course, other embodiments are contemplated, in which different materials such as various plastics or composites are utilized and different amounts of deflection are contemplated.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the rear housing 21 of the device 10 in this embodiment may further include a generally rectangular member having a front surface 21a, a rear surface 21b, a top wall 21c, a bottom wall 21d, and a pair of side walls 21e and 21f. As shown, each of the walls 21c-21f may extend upward from the front surface 21a to engage the outer edges of the raised walls 11c-11f of the front housing 11, respectively.

[0035] In one embodiment, one or more openings 22 may be provided along the rear housing. Each of the openings includes a shape, size, and position complementary to the shape, size, and position of a camera lens, sensor, LED, microphone, and / or speaker of a smartphone designed to engage with the housing. Furthermore, a plurality of openings and / or recesses 23 may be provided along the walls 21c-21f of the rear housing. Each of these recesses has a shape, size, and position complementary to one or more recesses on the corresponding walls 11c-11d of the front housing.

[0036] In one embodiment, a plurality of lower buffer block connectors 24 may be positioned along each of the walls 21c-21f. Each of the lower buffer block connectors 24 may be substantially identical to the upper buffer block connector 14 described above, and may be positioned along the lower body wall at a location complementary to the position on the front body walls 11c-11f.

[0037] In one embodiment, one or more resilient and malleable button inserts 25 may be positioned within one or more recesses 23 along the side of the smartphone 1 where a press-type button is located. The button inserts function to receive deflecting forces from the user to access the smartphone's buttons or other user interface components. When the case is assembled, the recesses 23 cover the lower half of each button insert, and the recesses 13 cover the upper half of each button insert, so that when the case is in use, the recesses 13 completely surround the periphery of the button inserts.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the rear housing will be constructed of the same semi-rigid and elastic material as the front housing, designed to flex along its long axis by a maximum of approximately 1% to 5% upon impact, and then return to its original shape. Of course, other embodiments are contemplated, in which different materials, different air gap spacing, and / or different amounts of flex are envisioned.

[0039] Therefore, the rear housing can alternatively be made of any number of different impact-absorbing and / or impact-deflecting materials relative to the front housing, and can be rigid, malleable, and / or elastic in nature. Several non-limiting examples include, but are not limited to, silicone, various plastics, and / or composite materials.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, the smartphone 1 can be positioned within the rear housing such that the rear surface of the smartphone rests against the front surface of the housing 21, and each of the walls 21c-21f is disposed adjacent to the side of the smartphone. As shown, the rear housing 21 will include a shape complementary to the shape of the smartphone 1, but will be slightly larger in size to provide a continuous separation or air gap 31 between the inner surfaces of the walls 21c-21f and the outer edge of the smartphone device 1.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the rear housing 21 will be specifically sized to provide an air gap of approximately 0.1 mm to 3 mm between the side of the rear housing and the side of the smartphone 1 or other electronic device. This feature is crucial for allowing the housing body to bend / flex upon impact without transferring the impact force to the device 1, as follows: Figure 5B As shown.

[0042] like Figure 4As shown, the front housing 11 can be positioned above the smartphone 1 and the rear housing 21 and lowered until the outer surface of the front housing wall is aligned with the inner surface of the rear housing wall and positioned to rest against the inner surface of the rear housing wall. At this time, the top edge of the smartphone will rest on the lip formed by the rear surface of the front housing, and the screen 1a of the smartphone will be accessible through the central opening 12 of the front housing.

[0043] When positioned in this way, the top surface 11a of the front housing 11 will be positioned above the top surface of the smartphone 1, the rear surface of the rear housing 21 will be positioned below the bottom surface of the smartphone, and the side walls of the front and rear housings will be positioned around each side wall of the smartphone.

[0044] Furthermore, when the front and rear housings are aligned in this manner, each notch 13 and 23 will be aligned to engage the aforementioned button insert 25, and each of the upper buffer block connectors 14 will be positioned above and adjacent to the lower buffer block connector 24.

[0045] In one embodiment, a plurality of removable buffer blocks 41 may be provided. Each buffer block may include any number of different shapes and sizes and may include an opening 41a along the rear surface into which the arrow-shaped protrusions of aligned upper buffer block receiver 14 and lower buffer block receiver 24 may be secured. Each buffer block may be used to secure the shell in a closed position and to provide impact deflection and impact force absorption for the shell, and will preferably be made of a resilient and elastomeric material (e.g., rubber, latex, or silicone) capable of compression to absorb the impact force of foreign objects.

[0046] As described herein, the buffer blocks can include any number of different shapes and sizes. In some embodiments, the buffer blocks can include different colors and / or novel designs, such as American footballs, soccer balls, alphabet letters, or other such shapes, to allow users to customize their device 10 with different buffer blocks tailored to their specific preferences and interests. In any case, the buffer blocks will be manufactured to include a height extending above the top surface of the front housing 11, below the bottom surface of the rear housing 21, and outwardly extending from the side walls of the front and rear housings, to function as shock absorbers respectively when the housing is dropped or otherwise impacted by a foreign object.

[0047] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An embodiment of the device 10 in operation is shown. As described above, when there is no stress on the device, the sidewalls of the front and rear housings are straight and parallel to each other at a position adjacent to the sidewall of the smartphone 1, and an air gap is located between the wall of the housing and the wall of the smartphone.

[0048] However, when the case is dropped or otherwise comes into contact with a foreign object, the internal air gap between the smartphone and the case housing, as well as the elastic shape memory of the case housing, allows the sidewalls of the front and rear housings to flex independently in order to absorb the impact force through deflection of the housing body material. More specifically, the front housing 11 and the rear housing 21 can each independently bend, flex, or otherwise move into the air gap and, as... Figure 5A The vertical direction shown (e.g., towards or away from the top and bottom surfaces of the front and rear housings) and as shown Figure 5B The device moves along the air gap in the horizontal direction shown (e.g., toward or away from smartphone 1). This feature largely and advantageously prevents the transfer of impact forces to the smartphone through the housing, and the force is completely absorbed by the flexural force of the front and / or rear housings through the space of the air gap.

[0049] Figure 5A An example of this capability is shown where the casing 10 and the phone are impacted by a foreign object 5 along the top wall of the casing. As shown, the impact force F causes the side walls 11f and 21f to bend in a direction F' perpendicular to the impact force. Because the air gap is positioned inside the casing and results in a separation distance from the smartphone, the deformation of the casing body does not impact the smartphone and the impact force is not transmitted to the device.

[0050] Figure 6 An embodiment of the housing 10 of the present invention is shown, the housing 10 further including a recess 61 along the rear surface 21b of the rear housing 21. As shown, the recess may include a pair of elongated metal strips 62 and a plurality of alignment grooves 63 for receiving and engaging modules that can communicate with electronic devices via wired or wireless means, so as to allow the device 10 to receive and engage any number of removable modules having any number of functional components, as described in co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 18 / 507,698, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In this respect, the modules may be pressure-fitted to the housing and / or magnetically attachable.

[0051] Further description of the manner and use of the invention should be apparent from the foregoing description. Therefore, no further discussion regarding the manner of use and operation will be provided.

[0052] As described herein, one or more elements of device 10 can be secured together using any number of known attachment means. Furthermore, although the above embodiments have been described as including individual single elements, the inventive concept disclosed herein is not so limited. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more individually identifiable elements can be together to form one or more continuous elements, through manufacturing processes such as welding, casting, or molding, or by using a single block of material that forms its identifiable portion with the aforementioned components through milling or machining.

[0053] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms (“a,” “an,” and “the”) are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, indicate the presence of said features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. Similarly, the term “consisting of” should be used only to describe those identified components. In each example where the apparatus includes certain elements, it will also inherently consist of each identified element.

[0054] All means or steps plus functional elements, their corresponding structures, materials, actions, and equivalents in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material, or action for performing a function in combination with other explicitly claimed elements. The description of the invention is for illustrative and descriptive purposes and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles and practical application of the invention and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention with various embodiments having various modifications suitable for the particular intended use.

Claims

1. A protective shell, comprising: The front housing has a top surface, a rear surface, a central opening, and a plurality of sidewalls extending vertically from the rear surface; The rear housing has a top surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of sidewalls extending vertically from the top surface; as well as Multiple buffer blocks are removably fixed to each of the front housing and the rear housing; The front housing is configured to receive and engage the front surface of the portable electronic device and position the screen of the portable electronic device within the central opening; The rear housing is configured to receive and engage the bottom surface of the portable electronic device, and The plurality of buffer blocks are configured to secure the front housing and the rear housing to the portable electronic device.

2. The shell according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of buffer blocks is removably fixed to each of the front shell and the rear shell.

3. The shell according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of buffer blocks is composed of a solid block of elastic and elastomeric material.

4. The shell according to claim 2, further comprising: Multiple upper buffer block connectors are positioned along the multiple sidewalls of the front housing.

5. The shell according to claim 4, further comprising: Multiple lower buffer block connectors are positioned along the multiple sidewalls of the rear housing.

6. The housing of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of lower buffer block connectors and the plurality of upper buffer block connectors comprises complementary shapes and sizes.

7. The housing of claim 5, wherein when the front housing and the rear housing are in a connection orientation, each of the plurality of lower buffer block connectors is positioned adjacent to one of the plurality of upper buffer block connectors.

8. The housing of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of removable buffer blocks is configured to engage each of the adjacent upper buffer block connector and lower buffer block connector.

9. The shell of claim 1, wherein each of the front shell and the rear shell is configured to flex upon impact with a foreign object.

10. The shell according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one interface notch is located along at least one of the plurality of sidewalls of the rear housing.

11. The shell according to claim 1, further comprising: At least one interface notch is located along at least one of the plurality of sidewalls of the upper housing.

12. The shell of claim 11, wherein when the front shell and the rear shell are in a connection orientation, each of the at least one interface recess on the front shell is aligned with each of the at least one interface recess on the rear shell.

13. The housing of claim 12, wherein each of the at least one aligned interface recess is positioned adjacent to a user interface component of the portable electronic device located within the front housing and the rear housing.

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