Protective case for a mobile electronic device and mobile system

Abstract

Protective cover (30) for a mobile electronic terminal (20) with a touch-sensitive display device (21), comprising a rear cover (31), a side cover (32), wherein the side cover (32) has at least one circumferential rim (33) formed on a top surface of the protective cover (30), which is provided for circumferential gripping and / or bearing against the display device (21) of the terminal (20), and a receiving opening (34) by means of which the terminal (20) can be inserted and / or inserted into the interior of the protective cover (30).In order to design a protective cover (30) for an end device (20) in such a way that the accessibility and / or operability of the end device (20) is improved when using such protective covers (30) with at least virtually unimpaired protection, it is provided that the edge (33) has at least a first and at least a second edge section (330 - 331B), wherein the second edge section (331A, 331B) is designed in the manner of a wiping and / or gesture edge for wiping and / or sweeping with a finger (F) and is lowered compared to the first edge section (330).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a protective cover for a mobile electronic terminal according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and a mobile system according to the preamble of patent claim 7.

[0002] A wide variety of mobile electronic devices are used in both business and private areas. In addition to the widely used mobile phones and smartphones, these include tablets, smartwatches, eBook readers, audio players, and so on. Modern devices typically have at least one touch-sensitive display device, in particular a touchscreen, by means of which the device can be operated, in particular by touching it with one or more fingers. Various functions of the device can be triggered by a swipe or a gesture with one or more fingers.

[0003] Generic terminals are relatively sensitive and cost-intensive to construct, which is why the use of so-called protective cases for such mobile electronic terminals has become established in order to protect such terminals, for example, in the event of an accidental fall to the ground and / or to at least cushion impacts. Such protective cases are described, for example, in the documents US 20160249472 A1 and US 20170359096 A1. Accordingly, protective cases for mobile electronic terminals, in particular smartphones, with a touch-sensitive display device, in particular a touchscreen, are known, which, among other things, have at least one rear panel cover for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a rear panel of the terminal. Furthermore, such protective cases comprise at least one side panel cover for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a side panel, in particular a lateral periphery, of the terminal.The at least one side wall cover further comprises at least one circumferential edge formed on an upper side of the protective cover, in particular the side wall cover, which edge is provided for circumferentially gripping and / or resting against the display device of the terminal device. Furthermore, such a protective cover comprises at least one receiving opening, in particular at least partially surrounded and / or enclosed by the edge, by means of which the terminal device can be inserted and / or placed into the interior of the protective cover. In other words, the terminal device is at least substantially encased and / or protected by such a protective cover, wherein the display device, in particular the touchscreen, remains at least largely accessible and / or operable for operation with one or more fingers.

[0004] However, protective cases designed in this way have proven to be rather disadvantageous when used on mobile devices that have a relatively large display and / or a display that is at least almost borderless on its circumference, particularly relative to the housing of the device. This is because, to protect the display and / or to attach the protective case to the device, the display edge is at least largely or completely covered by the edge and / or is inaccessible for operation with one or more fingers. This also has the disadvantage that functions that are actually triggered by swiping and / or gestures across the display edge cannot be accessed or used, or can only be used to a limited extent. Furthermore, manufacturers of such devices cannot implement any additional functions that can be accessed via the display edge, or can only implement them to a limited extent, taking existing protective cases into account.

[0005] The object underlying the invention is therefore to design a protective cover for a mobile electronic terminal such that, when using such protective covers, the accessibility and / or operability of the terminal, in particular of the display device, is improved while at least almost unimpaired protection.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the edge, in particular of the protective cover, has at least a first and at least a second edge section, wherein the second edge section is designed in the manner of a wiping and / or gesture edge for wiping and / or sweeping over with a finger and is lowered relative to the first edge section.

[0007] As a result of this measure, a protective cover is created by means of which, on the one hand, a terminal device, in particular the display device and / or the display edge, can be at least largely enclosed and / or covered circumferentially by the protective cover, and, on the other hand, the terminal device, in particular the display device and / or the display edge, can be operated with one or more fingers at least almost unhindered. In particular, it is provided that the display device and / or the display edge can be swiped over with one or more fingers at least almost seamlessly, starting from the second edge portion.

[0008] According to the invention, wiping and / or stroking the second edge portion and / or the display device is preferably understood to mean a wiping and / or stroking movement with one or more fingers. In other words, the one or more fingers are drawn in a touching manner over the second edge portion and / or the display device. Alternatively or additionally, wiping and / or stroking can be understood to mean the execution of a touch gesture. Thus, a wiping and / or gesture edge preferably defines at least a portion of the second edge portion which, together with the display device, is swept over with the finger in a wiping and / or stroking process. Alternatively or additionally, the wiping and / or gesture edge can also be referred to as a wiping and / or gesture contour.

[0009] The second edge section is preferably formed onto the side wall cover. Furthermore, the side wall cover is preferably designed in the manner of a wall surrounding the protective case and / or is provided for lateral protection of the terminal device, in particular the housing side walls. Alternatively or additionally, the second edge section can be positively and / or materially connected to the side wall cover and / or to the back wall cover. Likewise preferably, the second edge section and the back wall cover can be connected to one another via the side wall cover. Furthermore, the side wall cover is preferably designed at least substantially perpendicular to the back wall cover and / or formed perpendicularly onto the back wall cover.

[0010] Furthermore, the protective cover according to the invention is preferably formed in one piece. A protective cover made of a flexible material, such as plastic, rubber, silicone, TPU, or the like, is particularly preferred. It is also preferred that the protective cover be able to be pulled at least partially over the terminal device.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the protective cover according to the invention, the second edge section has a lower and / or sloping edge height compared to the first edge section. Viewed from the display device and / or the back panel cover, the edge height of the second edge section is thus smaller than the edge height of the first edge section. In other words, when the end device is inserted, the second edge section is arranged closer to the display device and / or the display edge than the first edge section. This has the advantage that in order to perform a swipe and / or stroke gesture on the display device and / or the display edge, a relatively particularly small transition (between the protective cover and the end device) can be overcome with the finger.

[0012] In a further development of the protective cover according to the invention, a second edge height associated with the second edge section is at least 0.25 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm or more, smaller than a first edge height associated with the first edge section. Such an embodiment has the advantage that, on the one hand, a small transition is created between the protective cover and the terminal device, in particular the display device and / or the display edge, and, on the other hand, the terminal device, in particular the display device and / or the display edge, continues to be protected by the protective cover, in particular by the second edge section.

[0013] In another preferred embodiment of the protective cover according to the invention, the second edge section has a contour that slopes downwards towards the interior and / or the receiving opening. In other words, the edge height of the second edge section can be designed to slope downwards from the outer circumference towards the interior of the protective cover and / or towards the display device, in particular the display edge. Thus, the second edge section is designed, at least in sections, in the manner of a ramp with a gradient that slopes downwards towards the interior of the protective cover and / or towards the display device. With such an embodiment, a protective cover is created which offers maximum protection for the terminal device with improved accessibility of the display device, in particular the display edge, for the finger of an operator.

[0014] In another development of the protective cover according to the invention, the second edge section has a different surface quality than the first edge section, preferably with lesser roughness and / or a different feel. The second edge section can preferably be made of and / or coated with a different material than the first edge section. Alternatively or additionally, the second edge section can have one or more recesses, cutouts and / or projections which influence the roughness and / or feel of the second edge section. A roughness that is less than that of the first edge section is particularly advantageous for performing wiping and / or stroking movements with the finger over the second edge section.A different haptic can be particularly advantageous for the haptic differentiation between the different edge sections, so that the terminal, in particular the display device, can be operated even without a visual inspection and thus more quickly.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment of the protective cover according to the invention, the second edge portion is positioned along the edge such that the display device of the terminal device, in particular a smartphone, can be actuated with a finger by swiping and / or stroking the second edge portion, in particular in a direction toward the interior of the protective cover and / or the receiving opening. Furthermore, the second edge portion can be designed such that one or more fingers are guided at least partially along the second edge portion toward the interior of the protective cover and / or the receiving opening.

[0016] According to the invention, a protective cover for a mobile terminal is preferred which has different edge heights along the edge surrounding the display device and / or the display edge of the terminal.

[0017] The object underlying the invention is further achieved by a mobile system comprising a mobile electronic terminal, preferably a smartphone, with a touch-sensitive display device, in particular a touchscreen, and a protective cover for the terminal, wherein the protective cover is designed according to at least one of the embodiments described above. Regarding the advantages and modifications of the mobile system according to the invention, reference is first made to the advantages and modifications of the protective cover according to the invention.

[0018] The mobile system comprises a mobile electronic terminal with a touch-sensitive display device, in particular a touchscreen. The terminal is preferably designed in the manner of a smartphone, a tablet, a smartwatch, an e-book reader or audio player, or another electronic device with a touchscreen. Furthermore, the mobile system comprises a protective cover, preferably of the type mentioned above, which has at least one rear panel cover for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a rear side of the terminal. Likewise, the protective cover has at least one side panel cover for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a side panel, in particular a lateral periphery, of the terminal.The sidewall cover further comprises at least one circumferential edge formed on an upper side of the protective cover, in particular the sidewall cover, which is intended for peripherally gripping and / or resting against the display device of the terminal device. Furthermore, the protective cover comprises a receiving opening, in particular surrounded and / or enclosed at least in sections by the edge, by means of which the terminal device can be inserted and / or placed into the interior of the protective cover and / or through which the display device of the terminal device is released for operation with one or more fingers.

[0019] In a further development of the mobile system according to the invention, the second edge section, in particular the second edge height, is lowered and / or designed relative to the first edge section in such a way that the terminal, in particular the display device, is encompassed and / or enclosed, in particular protected, on the circumference side by the second edge section.

[0020] Furthermore, a mobile system according to the invention is preferred in which a transition formed between the terminal device, in particular the display device, and the second edge portion is at least virtually stepless. Alternatively or additionally, the transition between the second edge portion and the terminal device, in particular the display device, can be designed in such a way and / or have such a small step that it is not perceptible, or at least barely perceptible, by an operator, particularly haptically.

[0021] In another preferred embodiment of the mobile system according to the invention, the protective cover has a plurality of second edge sections, preferably positioned at different positions along the edge. It is provided that different functions of the terminal can be triggered or executed by swiping and / or stroking over the respective second edge sections. Thus, at least one of the second edge sections can be provided for triggering or executing a first terminal function, and at least one other second edge section can be provided for triggering or executing a second terminal function.

[0022] It is further preferred that the plurality of second edge sections have a different surface quality from one another, so that the different second edge sections can be distinguished by the operator, particularly preferably in a haptic manner.

[0023] According to the invention, a mobile system with a terminal and a protective cover is preferred, in which the protective cover has different edge heights along the edge surrounding the display device and / or the display edge of the terminal.

[0024] Further details of the invention can be found in the example description and the drawings. The drawings show Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a mobile system with a protective cover according to the invention and a mobile electronic terminal in a perspective exploded view; Fig. 2A the mobile system Fig. 1 in which the terminal device is placed in the protective cover in a perspective view; Fig. 2B shows an enlarged view of a second edge portion according to the invention; Fig. 2C shows another second edge portion according to the invention in an enlarged view; Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a mobile system with a protective cover according to the invention and a mobile electronic terminal in a perspective view; Fig. 4A the mobile system in full section and in an enlarged view from below; Fig. 4B the mobile system Fig. 4A with the second edge section according to the invention in a detailed view; and Fig. 4C a second embodiment of the second edge portion according to the invention in a detailed view.

[0025] In the following description, the same reference symbols are used for the same items.

[0026] In the Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a mobile system 10 with a mobile electronic terminal 20 and a protective cover 30 according to the invention. The terminal 20 is shown in a state in which the protective cover 30 is removed or not covered. It can be seen that the terminal 20 is designed as a mobile telephone or smartphone and is equipped with a touch-sensitive display device 21, in particular a touchscreen. Alternatively and / or additionally, the mobile terminal 20 can also be designed as a tablet, smartwatch, eBook reader, audio player, or the like.

[0027] In addition to the display device 21, the terminal device 20 optionally comprises a detection device 22, in particular a camera, a charger connection 23, one or more loudspeakers 24, a microphone and / or control buttons 25, e.g. for controlling the volume of the loudspeakers 24 and / or for switching the terminal device 20 on or off.

[0028] Furthermore, the terminal 20, in particular the housing of the terminal 20, has, in addition to a rear side or rear wall not shown in the figures, also side walls 25 arranged laterally or circumferentially. The side walls 25 are designed in the manner of a circumferential frame.

[0029] The also in the Fig. The protective cover 30 shown in Figure 1 comprises, among other things, a rear wall cover 31, which, in particular when the terminal device 20 is in use, is provided for at least partially covering and / or enclosing the rear side of the terminal device 20. Furthermore, the protective cover 30 comprises a side wall cover 32, in particular a circumferential cover and / or molded onto the rear wall cover 31. The side wall cover 32 is provided for at least partially covering and / or enclosing the side wall 25, in particular the lateral periphery or frame, of the terminal device 20. On and / or along the side wall cover 32, at least one circumferential edge 33 is formed, which is arranged on an upper side of the protective cover 30, in particular the side wall cover 32, and is provided for circumferentially encompassing and / or resting against the display device 21 of the terminal device 20.The protective cover 30 further comprises a receiving opening 34, which is in particular surrounded and / or enclosed at least in sections by the edge 33, by means of which the terminal device 20 can be inserted and / or inserted into the interior of the protective cover 30.

[0030] In addition, the protective cover 30 optionally has at least one cutout 35, arranged here for example on the underside, by means of which the charger connection 23, which is also optional here, and / or the one or more optional loudspeakers 24 are released and / or accessible even when the terminal device 20 is inserted.

[0031] In the Fig. 2A shows the mobile device 20 inserted into the protective cover 30. As can be clearly seen here, the protective cover 30 is precisely adapted to the device 20. The protective cover 30 is a single piece and made of a flexible material, in particular silicone. Alternatively and / or additionally, the protective cover 30 can also be made of multiple pieces and / or of another material, such as plastic, elastomer (rubber), TPU, or the like.

[0032] According to the invention, the edge 33 has at least one first edge section 330 and at least one second edge section 331A, 331B. In the exemplary embodiment shown, several, in particular two, second edge sections 331A, 331B are formed along the edge 33, wherein the protective cover 30 can alternatively also comprise only a single second edge section 331A, 331B. The second edge sections 331A, 331B are each formed in the manner of a wiping and / or gesture edge or wiping and / or gesture contours for wiping and / or sweeping over with a finger and are lowered relative to the first edge section 330.

[0033] The second edge portions 331A, 331B are positioned along the edge 33 such that the display device 21 of the terminal device 20, in particular smartphones, can be actuated by swiping and / or stroking over the second edge portions 331A, 331B with a finger.

[0034] In the Fig. 2B shows an enlarged view of the second edge portion 331A, particularly the lateral or right-hand one. A finger F of an operator of the terminal device 20 can also be seen here. The finger F is initially located at position FA to the right of the protective cover 30 and / or the terminal device 20. To trigger and / or execute a defined function of the terminal device 20, the finger F is guided from position FA over the second edge portion 331A in the swiping and / or stroking direction FR1 to position FB and thus onto the display device 21, particularly a display edge 210.

[0035] In the Fig. 2C shows an enlarged view of the other second edge portion 331B, located in particular at the upper edge 33. A finger F of the operator can also be seen for illustrative purposes. Finger F is initially located at position FC above protective cover 30 and / or terminal device 20. To trigger and / or execute a defined, in particular different, function of terminal device 20, finger F is guided from position FC over the other second edge portion 331B in the swiping and / or stroking direction FR2 to position FD and thus onto display device 21, in particular a display edge 210.

[0036] By means of such swipe and / or stroke gestures performed via the second edge portion 331A, 331B, functions implemented on the terminal 20 can be triggered, which can only be triggered via the display edge 210. In particular, it can be provided that different functions of the terminal 20 can be triggered or executed based on the different second edge portions 331A, 331B shown here.

[0037] For the sake of completeness, the Fig. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the mobile system, in particular of the protective cover 30 according to the invention. The protective cover 30 has a further cutout 36, in particular a control panel cutout, on the upper half of the right-hand side of the protective cover 30, by means of which the control buttons 25 of the inserted terminal 20 are exposed. The cutout 36 extends over the edge 33, in particular the first edge section 330, and partially over the side panel cover 32. With such a cutout 36, the display edge 210 is exposed for operation by means of swiping and / or stroking gestures, but is not protected from impacts or other external influences.

[0038] For the sake of simplicity and brevity, the following are the Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B described together.

[0039] In the Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B shows enlarged views of the mobile system in a sectional view (full section), from which further details of the second edge section 331A, here on the right, can be seen. It can be clearly seen that the display device 21, in particular the display edge 210, is encompassed and / or enclosed circumferentially and in a protective manner by the second edge section 331A. The second edge section 331A further has a lower and / or sloping edge height compared to the first edge section 330. As can be seen from the Fig. 4B, a second edge height H2 assigned to the second edge section 331A is smaller than a first edge height H1 assigned to the first edge section 330. In particular, it is provided that the second edge height H2 is at least approximately 0.25 to 0.5 mm smaller than the first edge height H1. Alternatively or additionally, the second edge height H2 can also be at least up to 1 mm or 2 mm smaller than the first edge height H1. The edge heights H1, H2 are dimensioned here, for example, starting from the display device 21, although any other dimensioning points on the protective cover 30 and / or on the terminal device 20 would also be conceivable as an alternative.

[0040] Alternatively or additionally, the contour of the second edge portion 331A can also be formed according to the indicated dotted line, which indicates a second edge portion 331A with a contour sloping toward the interior and / or toward the receiving opening 34. In particular, it is provided that a transition formed between the terminal 20, in particular the display device 21, and the second edge portion 331A is at least virtually stepless and / or at least barely perceptible to the touch.

[0041] Furthermore, the second edge portion 331A can also be formed according to the Fig. 4C. Here, the second edge portion 331A is formed in a protective manner against the display device 21, in particular the display edge 210.

[0042] Although not visible in the figures, it can be provided according to the invention that the second edge portion 331A has a different surface finish than the first edge portion 330. In particular, it can be provided that the second edge portion 331A has a lower roughness and / or a different feel than the first edge portion 330. Furthermore, even with multiple second edge portions 331A, 331B, it can be provided that the surface finish differs between the second edge portions 331A, 331B.

[0043] It is understood that the features mentioned in the previously described embodiments are not limited to these specific combinations and are also possible in any other combinations. Furthermore, it is understood that the geometries shown in the figures are merely exemplary and are also possible in any other configurations. List of reference symbols 10 Mobile system 20 Mobile electronic device 21 Display device 210 Display margin 22 Recording device 23 Charger connector 24 speakers 25 side wall 30 protective cover 31 Rear panel cover 32 side wall cover 33 rand 330 First marginal section 331A, 331B Second marginal section 34 Receiving opening 35 Excerpt 36 Excerpt F fingers FA-FD positions of the finger FR1, FR2 Wiping and / or stroking direction H1 First edge height H2 Second edge height QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 20160249472 A1

[0003] US 20170359096 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Protective case (30) for a mobile electronic terminal (20), preferably a smartphone, with a touch-sensitive display device (21), in particular a touchscreen, comprising; - a rear panel cover (31) for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a rear side of the terminal device (20); - a side wall cover (32) for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a side wall (25), in particular a lateral periphery, of the terminal device (20), wherein the side wall cover (32) has at least one circumferential edge (33) formed on an upper side of the protective cover (30), in particular the side wall cover (32), which is provided for peripherally encompassing and / or resting against the display device (21) of the terminal device (20); and - a receiving opening (34), in particular surrounded and / or enclosed at least in sections by the edge (33), by means of which the terminal (20) can be inserted and / or introduced into the interior of the protective cover (30); characterized by in that the edge (33) has at least a first and at least one second edge section (330 - 331B), wherein the second edge section (331A, 331B) is designed in the manner of a wiping and / or gesture edge for wiping and / or stroking with a finger (F) and is lowered relative to the first edge section (330). [2] Protective cover (30) according to claim 1, characterized by that the second edge portion (331A, 331B) has a lower and / or sloping edge height (H2) compared to the first edge portion (330). [3] Protective cover (30) according to claim 2, characterized bythat a second edge height (H2) assigned to the second edge section (331A, 331B) is at least 0.25 mm, preferably at least 0.5 mm or more, smaller than a first edge height (H1) assigned to the first edge section (330). [4] Protective cover (30) according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the second edge portion (331A, 331B) has a contour sloping towards the interior and / or the receiving opening (34). [5] Protective cover (30) according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the second edge portion (331A, 331B) has a different surface quality than the first edge portion (330), preferably with less roughness and / or a different feel. [6] Protective cover (30) according to at least one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, characterized bythat the second edge portion (331A, 331B) is positioned along the edge (33) such that the display device (21) of the terminal (20), in particular smartphones, can be actuated by wiping and / or passing over the second edge portion (331A, 331B) with a finger (F). [7] Mobile system (10) comprising; - a mobile electronic terminal (20), preferably a smartphone, with a touch-sensitive display device (21), in particular a touchscreen; and - a protective cover (30), preferably according to the preamble of the preceding claims, with at least one rear wall cover (31) for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a rear side of the terminal device (20), at least one side wall cover (32) for at least partially covering and / or enclosing a side wall (25), in particular a lateral circumference, of the terminal device (20), wherein the side wall cover (32) has at least one circumferential edge (33) formed on an upper side of the protective cover (30), in particular the side wall cover (32), which is provided for circumferentially encompassing and / or resting against the display device (21) of the terminal device (20), and a receiving opening (34), in particular surrounded and / or enclosed at least in section by the edge (33), by means of which the terminal device (20) can be inserted and / or inserted into the interior of the protective cover (30); characterized bythat the protective cover (30) is designed according to at least one of the preceding claims. [8] Mobile system (10) according to claim 7, characterized by that the second edge section (331A, 331B), in particular the second edge height (H2), is lowered and / or designed relative to the first edge section (330) in such a way that the terminal (20), in particular the display device (21), is encompassed and / or enclosed, in particular protected, on the peripheral side by the second edge section (331A, 331B). [9] Mobile system (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims 7 or 8, characterized by that a transition formed between the terminal (20), in particular the display device (21), and the second edge portion (331A, 331B) is at least almost stepless. [10] Mobile system (10) according to at least one of the preceding claims 7 to 9, characterized bythat the protective cover (30) has a plurality of second edge sections (331A, 331B), preferably positioned at different positions along the edge (33), wherein it is provided that different functions of the terminal (20) can be triggered or executed by wiping and / or sweeping over the respective second edge sections (331A, 331B).

Images