Protective shell

Abstract

The utility model discloses a protective shell. The protective shell is a one-piece whole body, and the one-piece whole body is formed by connecting at least two layers of material layers after the material layers are stacked. At least one material layer is a rigid layer, at least one material layer is a flexible layer, and the rigid layer forms a rigid area of the protective shell, or the overlapped part of the rigid layer and the flexible layer forms the rigid area of the protective shell; the part, not overlapped with the rigid layer, of the flexible layer forms a flexible area of the protective shell, and the hardness of the flexible area is smaller than that of the rigid area. According to the utility model, the rigid area and the flexible area are respectively arranged in the one-piece integral protective shell, and the rigid area is used as the main body of the protective shell to protect the whole electronic product; and the flexible area is relatively easy to deform, so that a user can conveniently use, for example, the protective shell is conveniently disassembled or assembled or a button of an electronic product is conveniently operated, and the control sensitivity is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of electronic equipment accessories, especially relates to a protective housing. BACKGROUND

[0002] Mobile phones, notebook computers and other electronic products are usually protected by protective housings. The existing protective housings usually include a cover plate and a frame extending from the cover plate, the cover plate and the frame are usually integrally formed, and the cover plate and the frame have the same hardness. One disadvantage of the existing protective housings is that they are relatively hard as a whole, making it inconvenient to install and remove the protective housings. In addition, the existing protective housings are relatively hard as a whole, so it is difficult to control the buttons of the electronic products through the mobile phone case. The existing protective housings usually have a through hole at the position corresponding to the button to expose the button of the electronic product for user operation, which results in that the button of the electronic product is not effectively protected. SUMMARY

[0003] One object of the utility model is to provide a protective housing to facilitate the installation and removal of the protective housing or the operation of the buttons of the electronic product, and to improve the control sensitivity.

[0004] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a protective housing, the protective housing is a one-piece whole, and the one-piece whole is formed by connecting at least two material layers stacked together; at least one material layer is a rigid layer, and at least one material layer is a flexible layer, the rigid layer itself forms a rigid area of the protective housing, or: the part where the rigid layer and the flexible layer overlap forms the rigid area of the protective housing; and: the part of the flexible layer that does not overlap with the rigid layer forms a flexible area of the protective housing, and the hardness of the flexible area is less than that of the rigid area.

[0005] In some embodiments, the protective housing includes a cover plate and a frame extending from the edge of the cover plate; the cover plate is a rigid area, and the frame is a whole or part of the flexible area.

[0006] In some embodiments, the frame includes the rigid area and the flexible area, the rigid area is provided with a through hole, and the flexible area is arranged in the through hole and connected with the edge of the through hole to form a one-piece whole.

[0007] In some embodiments, the protective housing includes a first material layer and a second material layer, the first material layer is a rigid layer and forms the rigid area; the second material layer is a flexible layer and covers the first material layer and the through hole, and the area of the second material layer covering the through hole forms the flexible area.

[0008] In some embodiments, the protective shell comprises a first material layer, a second material layer and a third material layer, the first material layer and the third material layer are both rigid layers, the first material layer is provided with a first opening, the third material layer is provided with a second opening corresponding to the first opening; the first material layer and the third material layer are connected to form a one-piece rigid area, the first opening and the second opening jointly form a through hole; the second material layer is a flexible layer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first opening and the second opening are the same in shape and size, and are arranged in direct overlap.

[0010] In some embodiments, the size of the second material layer is greater than that of at least one of the first opening and the second opening, and the second material layer is arranged between the first opening and the second opening.

[0011] In some embodiments, one of the first opening and the second opening is a large hole, and the other is a small hole, and the size of the second material layer is greater than that of the small hole.

[0012] In some embodiments, the size of the second material layer is the same as that of the large hole, and the second material layer is arranged in the large hole.

[0013] In some embodiments, the size of the second material layer is greater than that of the large hole, and the second material layer is arranged between the large hole and the small hole.

[0014] The protective shell is a one-piece whole, and the one-piece whole is provided with a rigid area and a flexible area, the rigid area serves as the main body of the protective shell and protects the whole electronic product, and the flexible area is easy to deform to facilitate disassembly and assembly of the protective shell or operation of the buttons of the electronic product, thereby improving the control sensitivity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed in the embodiment description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings according to these drawings without creative labor.

[0016] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the protective shell provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0017] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the protective shell provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure. Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the protective shell provided by an embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0018] Figure 3 The exploded schematic diagram of the material layer of the protective shell provided by the first embodiment of the present application is shown in the figure.

[0019] Figure 4 The exploded view of the material layer of the protective shell provided for the second embodiment of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 5 The exploded view of the material layer of the protective shell provided for the third embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 6 The exploded view of the material layer of the protective shell provided for the fourth embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 7 The exploded view of the material layer of the protective shell provided for the fifth embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 8 The exploded view of the material layer of the protective shell provided for the sixth embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 9 The schematic view of the combination of the electronic product and the protective shell provided for an embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model will be apparently and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the utility model, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the utility model, all the other embodiments obtained by the person skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the protection scope of the utility model.

[0026] It should be understood that the terms "comprising" and "including" as used in the specification and the appended claims indicate the presence of the recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0027] It should also be understood that the terms used in the specification of the utility model are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the utility model. As used in the specification and the appended claims of the utility model, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0028] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in the specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes these combinations.

[0029] Embodiment 1

[0030] For a better understanding, Figure 1 The present application provides a protective shell 100, which is a one-piece whole; it is formed by connecting at least two layers of materials. The connection formation mentioned here can have different connection methods, for example, it means that by heating or pressurizing, the relevant substances in at least two layers of materials melt, and flow to a specific position under the action of pressure or mold, and then solidify under the influence of temperature or pressure; It can also be that the two layers of materials are bonded together by adhesive and other materials and then solidified to achieve connection. The connection formation mentioned here causes at least two layers of materials to form a whole that cannot be disassembled without violent intervention. This whole that cannot be disassembled is also called "one-piece whole". Specifically, at least one layer of material is a rigid layer, at least one layer of material is a flexible layer, the rigid layer itself forms a rigid area 1 of the protective shell, or: the part of the rigid layer and the flexible layer overlapping forms the rigid area 1 of the protective shell; and: the part of the flexible layer that does not overlap with the rigid layer forms a flexible area 2 of the protective shell, and the hardness of the flexible area 2 is less than that of the rigid area 1. It should be noted that in this specification and claims, rigidity and flexibility are relative concepts, the hardness of the flexible area 2 is less than that of the rigid area 1; the hardness of the flexible layer after being made into a protective shell is less than that of the rigid layer after being made into a protective shell. It can be understood that the part overlapping with the flexible layer still embodies the characteristics of the rigid area 1 in terms of protection angle of the protective shell (mainly the outer surface).

[0031] For a better understanding, in a specific material selection embodiment, one layer of material is a layer of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with thermosetting resin (such as epoxy resin), defined as a rigid layer; another layer of material is a layer of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with thermoplastic resin (such as polyurethane), defined as a flexible layer. It can be understood that the hardness of the aramid fiber material layer pre-impregnated with epoxy resin after being made into a protective shell (or after forming) is greater than that of the aramid fiber material layer pre-impregnated with polyurethane after being made into a protective shell. In more specific embodiments, the material of the rigid layer can also be carbon fiber, glass fiber, etc. Artificial fiber materials, or metals, hard plastics, inorganic substances such as silicides, etc.; and the material of the flexible layer can also be silicone, latex, rubber, etc. In a special case, the materials of the rigid layer and the flexible layer can be the same, the only difference is that the thickness of the rigid layer is greater than that of the flexible layer, so that there is a relative comparison between the hardness of the rigid layer and the flexible layer.

[0032] For a better understanding, Figure 1 and Figure 2Further, the protective shell 100 comprises a cover plate 5 and a frame 6 extending from the edge of the cover plate 5. Understandably, when the protective shell 100 is fitted to the electronic product, the cover plate 5 is used to adhere to the front or back surface (generally the back surface) of the electronic product to protect the surface, and the frame 6 is used to protect the side surface of the electronic product and to ensure that the protective shell 100 is stably fitted to the electronic product. In this embodiment, the cover plate 5 is a rigid region 1, and the frame 6 is a flexible region 2 as a whole or in part (for example, the upper frame or the lower frame of the mobile phone), so that the flexible region can change the shape better than the rigid region, thereby facilitating the assembly and disassembly of the protective shell 100. In an alternative scheme, the frame 6 is a rigid region 1 as a whole or in part, and the cover plate 5 is a flexible region 2, and this scheme also facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the protective shell 100. For better illustration, in a specific embodiment, the cover plate 5, the left frame and the right frame of the frame 6 of a mobile phone shell are connected by a layer of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with epoxy resin and a layer of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with polyurethane, and the upper frame and the lower frame of the frame 6 are formed by only a layer of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with polyurethane. This mobile phone shell combines the rigid region and the flexible region, can better protect the mobile phone, can enhance the wrapping protection of the side surface of the mobile phone, and is easier to disassemble.

[0033] In a specific embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 The frame 6 is partially a flexible region 2, that is, the frame 6 comprises a rigid region 1 and a flexible region 2. Preferably, the rigid region 1 is provided with a through hole 10. The flexible region 2 is arranged at the through hole 10; and the flexible region and the edge of the through hole 10 are connected as a one-piece whole. In this embodiment, the edges of the through hole 10 are all rigid regions 1; and it is understood that the through hole 10 can also be a notch of the frame 6, for example, the through hole 10 is formed at the edge of the frame 6. It is understood that the through hole 10 can also be arranged at the cover plate 5; so that the flexible region 2 is formed at the through hole 10 of the cover plate 5.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3In the embodiment, the protective shell 100 comprises a first material layer 11 and a second material layer 21; the first material layer 11 is a rigid layer which forms the rigid area 1 after molding, and the second material layer 21 is a flexible layer. The first material layer 11 and the second material layer 21 are fixedly connected, for example, after hot pressing, to form a one-piece whole and together form the cover plate 5 and the frame 6. The first material layer 11 is provided with a through hole 10 at a predetermined position. The second material layer 21 covers the first material layer 11 and the through hole 10; the area of the second material layer 21 covering the through hole 10 forms a flexible area after molding; the area of the second material layer 21 overlapping the first material layer 11 is still a rigid area after molding. It can be understood that the second material layer 21 can cover the outer surface of the first material layer 11 or the inner surface of the first material layer 11.

[0035] Embodiment 2

[0036] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 In the embodiment, the protective shell 100 comprises a first material layer 11, a second material layer 21 and a third material layer 13, and the first material layer 11, the second material layer 21 and the third material layer 13 form a one-piece whole. The first material layer 11 and the third material layer 13 are both rigid layers, and the first material layer 11 and the third material layer 13 are stacked together to form a rigid area. The first material layer 11 is provided with a first opening 111, and the third material layer 13 is provided with a second opening 131 corresponding to the first opening 111; the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 together form the through hole 10. The second material layer 21 is a flexible layer.

[0037] In the embodiment, the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 are the same in shape and size and are arranged in direct opposition.

[0038] The size of the second material layer 21 is greater than the size of the first opening 111 and the second opening 131, so as to cover the through hole 10 to form the flexible area 2. The second material layer 21 is arranged between the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 and is connected with the first material layer 11 and the third material layer 13 to form a whole. Since a part of the second material layer 21 covers the first material layer 11 and the third material layer 13 in advance, the relative positions of the three can be stably maintained during the manufacturing process.

[0039] In one embodiment, the first material layer 11 and the third material layer 13 are layers of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with epoxy resin, and the second material layer 12 is a layer of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with polyurethane resin. In the manufacturing process, because the size of the layer of aramid fiber material pre-impregnated with polyurethane resin is larger than the size of the first opening 111 and the second opening 131, the adhesive properties of the epoxy resin and the polyurethane resin cause the two different material layers to adhere to each other, thereby achieving the effect of pre-positioning and maintaining the relative positions well, preventing deformation or displacement of the flexible region.

[0040] Embodiment 3

[0041] Please refer to Figure 5 The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment 2 is that the sizes of the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 are not the same. One of the first opening 111 and the second opening 131 is a large hole, and the other is a small hole. For example, the first opening 111 is a small hole, and the second opening 131 is a large hole. The second material layer 21 is arranged in the large hole. Because a part of the area of the second material layer 21 is covered in the second material layer 13 in advance, the relative positions of the two can be stably maintained during the manufacturing process. The large hole and the small hole described herein are relative size concepts. In a preferred embodiment, both the large hole and the small hole are rectangular holes, and the width of the large hole is comparable to the width of the small hole, but the length of the large hole is at least 1 / 10-1 / 5 longer than the length of the small hole.

[0042] The size of the second material layer 21 can be the same as the size of the large hole; the size of the second material layer 21 is larger than the size of the small hole.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 6 In an alternative embodiment, the first opening 111 is a large hole, and the second opening 131 is a small hole. The second material layer 21 is arranged in the large hole. Because a part of the area of the second material layer 21 is covered in the first material layer 11 in advance, the relative positions of the two can be stably maintained during the manufacturing process.

[0044] Embodiment 4

[0045] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in Figure 6 is that the size of the second material layer 21 is larger than the size of the large hole; then the second material layer 21 is arranged between the first opening 111 and the second opening 131, and is connected with the first material layer 11 and the third material layer 13 to form an integral whole. Because a part of the area of the second material layer 21 is covered in the first material layer 11 in advance, the relative positions of the two can be stably maintained during the manufacturing process.

[0046] Embodiment 5

[0047] Please refer to Figure 9, the combination of the electronic product 200 and the protective shell 100, the protective shell 100 is sleeved or wrapped on the outer surface of the electronic product 200, thereby forming the combination of the electronic product and the protective shell 500. The rigid area 1 of the protective shell 100 is used to protect the whole of the electronic product 200.

[0048] The outer surface of the electronic product 200 is provided with a sensing button. The flexible area 2 of the protective shell 100 is attached to the outer surface of the sensing button, which is used to protect the sensing button and facilitate the user to control the sensing button 210 by touching the flexible area 2. Preferably, the outer surface of the flexible area 2 is flush with or recessed inwardly relative to the outer surface of the rigid area 1 connected thereto, for example, the depth H of the recess is 0.1mm to 0.5mm. In this way, the recognizability of the flexible area 2 when touched can be improved, and the aesthetic appearance of the protective shell 100 will not be affected.

[0049] The depth H can be 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, etc.

[0050] Preferably, the thickness of the flexible area 2 is less than that of the rigid area 1 connected thereto, and preferably, the thickness of the flexible area 2 is 0.1mm to 1.2mm.

[0051] The thickness of the flexible area 2 can be 0.1mm, 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, 0.7mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 1.0mm, 1.1mm, 1.2mm, etc.

[0052] Preferably, the thickness of the flexible area 2 is greater than or equal to 0.2mm and less than or equal to 0.6mm. This thickness not only ensures the protection of the flexible area 2 to the corresponding functional key structure on the electronic device 200, but also does not affect the touch sensitivity of the functional key, such as the capacitive key.

[0053] The thickness of the flexible area 2 can be 0.2mm, 0.3mm, 0.4mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, etc.

[0054] Preferably, the shape of the flexible area 2 is oval, rectangular or round rectangular, and the size area is at least capable of covering the outer surface of the sensing button. For example, the maximum length of the rectangular or round rectangular flexible area 2 is 15mm to 50mm, and the maximum width is 2mm to 12mm.

[0055] The opening mentioned in the present application can be a full-enclosing through hole or a half-enclosing slot; the size of the opening refers to the size of the opening in the vertical plane of its axis.

[0056] In some embodiments, the sensing button is, for example, a capacitive sensing button.

[0057] In some embodiments, the electronic device is a mobile phone, the sensing button is a camera key, and the protective case is provided with a side wall for wrapping around a side of the mobile phone, and the flexible region 2 is arranged on the side wall; the flexible region 2 is arranged in correspondence with the camera key on the mobile phone, so as to operate the camera key through the flexible region. The camera key is electrically connected to a main control unit, such as a micro processing unit, of the electronic device, and the camera key can convert a pressing operation and / or a touch operation of the camera key by a user into an electrical signal and transmit the electrical signal to the micro processing unit, so that the micro processing unit controls a camera assembly and other related functional assemblies of the electronic device to work, thereby realizing at least one of functions such as opening and closing of the camera, adjustment of focal length, photographing, video recording, and the like.

[0058] In some embodiments, the flexible region 2 is formed with an identifiable part. The arrangement of the identifiable part can improve the efficiency and reliability of identification of the flexible region, thereby improving the operation efficiency and operation reliability of the electronic device. The identifiable part can be realized by protruding or recessing the flexible region relative to the rigid region, or can be realized by arranging the flexible region and the rigid region in different textures, different colors, different reflectivity, and the like. For example, a surface treatment such as fluorescent treatment can be performed on the outer surface of the flexible region 2, so that the user can first notice the flexible region. In a specific embodiment, a material layer of the flexible region is added with fluorescent agent, so as to help the user better notice the existence of the flexible region in a dark environment.

[0059] The above merely illustrates the specific embodiments of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, and these modifications or replacements shall be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A protective case, the protective case (100) being a one-piece unit, characterized in that, The one-piece whole is formed by connecting at least two layers of materials stacked; at least one of the material layers is a rigid layer, and at least one of the material layers is a flexible layer; the rigid layer itself forms a rigid area (1) of the protective shell (100), or the part of the rigid layer overlapping the flexible layer forms the rigid area (1) of the protective shell (100); And the part of the flexible layer that does not overlap the rigid layer forms a flexible area (2) of the protective shell, and the hardness of the flexible area (2) is less than that of the rigid area (1).

2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein, The protective shell (100) comprises a cover plate (5) and a frame (6) extending from the edge of the cover plate (5), wherein: The cover plate (5) is the rigid area (1), and the frame (6) is the flexible area (2) as a whole or in part.

3. The protective case of claim 2, wherein, The frame (6) comprises the rigid area (1) and the flexible area (2), the rigid area (1) is provided with a through hole (10), and the flexible area (2) is arranged in the through hole (10) and connected with the edge of the through hole (10) to form a one-piece whole.

4. The protective case of claim 3, wherein, The protective shell (100) comprises a first material layer (11) and a second material layer (21), the first material layer (11) is a rigid layer and forms the rigid area (1); the second material layer (21) is a flexible layer and covers the first material layer (11) and the through hole (10), and the area of the second material layer (21) covering the through hole (10) forms the flexible area (2).

5. The protective case of claim 3, wherein, The protective shell (100) comprises a first material layer (11), a second material layer (21) and a third material layer (13), the first material layer (11) and the third material layer (13) are both rigid layers, the first material layer (11) is provided with a first opening (111), and the third material layer (13) is provided with a second opening (131) corresponding to the first opening (111); the first material layer (11) and the third material layer (13) are connected to form a one-piece whole rigid area (1), the first opening (111) and the second opening (131) jointly form the through hole (10); and the second material layer (21) is a flexible layer.

6. The protective case of claim 5, wherein, The first opening (111) and the second opening (131) are the same in shape and size and are arranged in direct opposition.

7. The protective case of claim 6, wherein, The size of the second material layer (21) is greater than that of at least one of the first opening (111) and the second opening (131), and the second material layer (21) is arranged between the first opening (111) and the second opening (131).

8. The protective case of claim 5, wherein, One of the first opening (111) and the second opening (131) is a large hole, and the other is a small hole; the size of the second material layer (21) is greater than that of the small hole.

9. The protective case of claim 8, wherein, The size of the second material layer (21) is the same as that of the large hole, and the second material layer (21) is arranged in the large hole.

10. The protective case of claim 8, wherein, The size of the second material layer (21) is greater than that of the large hole, and the second material layer (21) is arranged between the large hole and the small hole.

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