Tablet case

Abstract

A protective case for an electronic device includes a case body with a front surface, a rear surface, a cavity between the front and rear surfaces for reception of an electronic device, a window at the front surface for viewing a display screen of an electronic device received in the cavity, and a bumper extending around the perimeter of the case body. The bumper has a bifurcated forked configuration with a pair of prongs that are oriented to extend away from one another, with a first prong oriented to extend further forward of the front surface of the case body and the second prong oriented to extend further rearward of the rear surface of the case body.

Description

[0001] TABLET CASE

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to cases for tablet computer devices and other like electronic devices that include a display screen.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Protective cases for tablet shaped devices are typically adapted to protect such electronic devices from damage due to unintended drops and resulting impacts, for example, from a user unintentionally dropping the device during use. The present invention seeks to improve upon the protective capabilities of such tablet cases.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A protective case for an electronic device comprises a case body comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a cavity between the front and rear surfaces for reception of an electronic device, a window at the front surface for viewing a display screen of an electronic device received in the cavity, and a bumper extending around the perimeter of the case body, forming a side that connects the front and rear surfaces. The bumper has a bifurcated forked configuration with a pair of prongs that are oriented to extend away from one another, with a first prong oriented to extend further forward of the front surface of the case body and the second prong oriented to extend further rearward of the rear surface of the case body.

[0008] The prongs of the bifurcated bumper define outermost perimeters of the case body, with the first prong defining an outermost perimeter of the front surface of the case body and the second prong defining an outermost perimeter of the rear surface of the case body. The front surface of the case body comprises a surface that slopes forward in a region between the window and the first prong of the bifurcated bumper, such that the window is positioned in a recess at the front surface of the case body. The rear surface of the case body comprises a surface that slopes rearward in a region between a center region of the rear surface and the second prong of the bifurcated bumper, such that the center region of the rear surface is positioned in a recess at the rear surface of the case body. The recesses formed at the front surface and the rear surface of the case body are rectangular, isosceles trapezoidal recesses, as defined between the perimeter established by the prong at the respective side of the case body and a center region of the respective surface of the case body.

[0009] I The bifurcated bumper comprises a groove extending between the first and second prongs, the groove being relatively recessed in comparison to the relative protruding first and second prongs and being parabolic in cross-sectional shape, with a vertex of the parabolic shape corresponding with a nadir at an inner edge of the groove. One or more interactive elements are positioned within the groove. The interactive elements may include one or more access ports for reception of an electronic device accessory and / or one or more actuating elements for manipulating one or more operable elements of an electronic device that is received in the cavity of the case body.

[0010] The protective case may further include one or more textured surfaces along one or more surfaces thereof for facilitating enhanced gripping of the protective case. The one or more textured surfaces may be provided along surfaces of the bumper and may be provided as stylized characters, such as alphanumeric characters and musical notes, which may provide additional educational value.

[0011] The protective case further includes an internal frame with a cavity therein for reception of an electronic device, the internal frame having a relatively greater rigidity than the case body and being dimensioned for reception within the cavity of the case body. A plurality of mating fasteners are provided for securing the internal frame within the cavity of the case body, the plurality of fasteners including first fasteners within the cavity of the case body and second mating fasteners on the internal frame. The plurality of fasteners comprises mating pairs of protrusions and through- holes, the protrusions are provided within the cavity of the case body and the through-holes are provided on the internal frame. The protrusions and through-holes are configured such that the protrusions on the case body extend through the through-holes in the internal frame, with the protrusions extending into the cavity within the internal frame. The protrusions extend a sufficient distance into the cavity of the internal frame to effectively support an electronic device within the cavity of the internal frame with a space between external surfaces of the electronic device and internal surfaces of the internal frame, the protrusions being adapted to provide a shock absorption mechanism for the electronic device while housed within the cavity of the internal frame.

[0012] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention; are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification; illustrate embodiments of the invention; and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Further features and advantages of the invention can be ascertained from the following detailed description that is provided in connection with the drawings described below:

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a front elevation view of a protective case for an electronic device, with an electronic device received therein;

[0015] FIG. 2 shows a rear elevation view of the protective case in FIG. 1 ;

[0016] FIG. 3 a shows an exploded view of the protective case in FIG. 1, illustrating a multicomponent internal frame, a case body, and a handle;

[0017] FIG. 3b shows a close-up transparent view of a rear of the protective case in FIG. 1, illustrating a connection of the handle to the case body;

[0018] FIG. 3 c shows a close-up partial cross-section view of the protective case in FIG. 1 showing fasteners for securing the internal frame within the case body;

[0019] FIG. 3d shows a front elevation view of the protective case in FIG. 1, with omission of a tablet device therein, illustrating positions of fasteners for securing the internal frame within the case body;

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a side elevation view of the protective case in FIG. 1 ;

[0021] FIG. 5 shows a close-up view of an upper end of the side elevation view in FIG. 4;

[0022] FIG. 6 shows a top plan view of the protective case in FIG. 1 ; and

[0023] FIG. 7 shows a side elevation of the protective case in FIG. 1 with the handle oriented in multiple positions.

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The following disclosure discusses the present invention with reference to the examples shown in the accompanying drawings, though does not limit the invention to those examples.

[0026] The use of examples or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential or otherwise critical to the practice of the invention, unless otherwise made clear in context.

[0027] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless indicated otherwise by context, the term “or” is to be understood as an inclusive “or.” Terms such as “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. when used to describe multiple devices or elements, are so used only to convey the relative actions, positioning and / or functions of the separate devices, and do not necessitate either a specific order for such devices or elements, or any specific quantity or ranking of such devices or elements.

[0028] The word “substantially”, as used herein with respect to any property or circumstance, refers to a degree of deviation that is sufficiently small to not appreciably detract from the identified property or circumstance. The exact degree of deviation allowable in each circumstance will depend on the specific context, as would be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.

[0029] Use of the terms “about” or “approximately” are intended to describe values above and / or below a stated value or range, as would be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art in the respective context. In some instances, this may encompass values in a range of approximately + / — 10%; in other instances, there may be encompassed values in a range of approximately + / -5%; in yet other instances values in a range of approximately + / -2% may be encompassed; and in yet further instances, this may encompass values in a range of approximately + / -1%.

[0030] It will be understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated 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, unless indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

[0031] Recitations of value ranges herein, unless indicated otherwise, serve as shorthand for referring individually to each separate value falling within the respective ranges, including the endpoints of the range, each separate value within the range, and all intermediate ranges subsumed by the overall range, with each incorporated into the specification as if individually recited herein.

[0032] Unless indicated otherwise, or clearly contradicted by context, methods described herein can be performed with the individual steps executed in any suitable order, including: the precise order disclosed, without any intermediate steps or with one or more further steps interposed between the disclosed steps; with the disclosed steps performed in an order other than the exact order disclosed; with one or more steps performed simultaneously; and with one or more disclosed steps omitted.

[0033] FIGS. 1-6 show an example of a tablet case 100 according to the present invention. Tablet case 100 includes a flexible outer shell 101 and a stiff internal frame 102. The internal frame 102 includes a first cavity 103 for securely housing a tablet device 104, and the outer shell 101 includes a second cavity 105 for reception of the internal frame 102 and the tablet device 104 housed therein. In the illustrated example, the internal frame 102 includes an upper frame 102a and a lower frame 102b that are adapted to matingly engage one another to form the internal frame 102. In other examples, the internal frame 102 may be made of three or more pieces, and in some examples the internal frame 102 may be provided as a single body of monolithic construction.

[0034] The frame components 102a / 102b may be adapted for selective mating engagement to enable selective assembly and disassembly of the internal frame 102. That is, the frame components 102a / 102b may be configured such that a user may selectively engage the two components to assemble the internal frame 102 and selectively disengage the two components to disassemble the internal frame 102 without requiring any destructive change to either component 102a / 102b. In some examples, the lower and upper frames 102a / 102b may be adapted to preclude selective disengagement such that disassembly of the internal frame 102 requires a destructive change to at least one of the frame components 102a / 102b.

[0035] The individual frame components 102a / 102b are adapted to closely correspond with the dimensions and shape of the tablet device 104. In the illustrated example, the lower frame 102b is formed as a flat panel for engaging a rear side of the tablet device 104 and the upper frame 102a is formed as an outer rim for abutting a forward edge of the tablet device 104 and providing a central window 106 for viewing of a display screen on the tablet device 104. Optionally, when the tablet device 104 has one or more user operable elements (e.g., user operable switches, buttons, and / or dials; user interfaces such as display screens, cameras, and / or microphones; and / or accessory ports such as power ports, audio ports, input device ports, and / or memory ports; etc.), the frame components 102a / 102b may be provided with corresponding through-holes that enable access to those operable elements while the tablet device is contained within the internal frame 102. In the illustrated example, the upper frame 102a is provided with a first, front facing lens portal 107 positioned at a horizontal midline along an upper border for aligning with a front facing camera lens 108 on the tablet device 104, and the lower frame 102b is provided with a second, rear facing lens portal 109 positioned at an upper corner for aligning with a rear facing camera lens 110 on the tablet device 104. The upper and lower frames 102a / 102b also cooperate to form a number of through- holes 111 along sidewalls of the internal frame 102 to enable access to a plurality of operable elements along the sidewalls of the tablet device 104.

[0036] The frame components 102a / 102b are preferably made of a relatively resilient material to firmly support the tablet device 104 held therein. Polycarbonate is one non-limiting example of a suitably stiff material for use in forming the frame components 102a / 102b, which provides a further benefit in having favorable electrical insulation. Other suitable materials that may be used in place of polycarbonate include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), with or without nylon-reinforcement.

[0037] The outer shell 101 comprises a case body 112 of monolithic construction with and a window 116 at a front surface 115 thereof. The window 116 opens to the second cavity 105 within the case body 112 for reception of the internal frame 102 and tablet device 104. As shown in FIG. 3b, the handle 113 extends through a pivot housing 117 at a rear surface 114 of the case body 112 and attaches to the internal frame 102 by extending into an internal recess 118 in the lower frame 102b where it is secured by a pair of pivotable bolts 119. This pivotable connection of the handle 113 to the internal frame 102 enables the handle 113 to rotate 180° between first and second positions (e.g., 0° and 180°) in both of which the handle 113 is flush with the rear surface 114. The direct connection of the handle 113 to the internal frame 102 provides a desirable rigidity for the handle 113 to adequately support the tablet case 100 while enabling selective rotation of the handle 113 relative to the tablet case 100.

[0038] FIG. 3 c shows an optional configuration for securing the internal frame 102 within the outer shell 101 via a plurality of mating fasteners 124 / 125. In the illustrated example, fasteners are provided as a plurality of protrusions 124 and a plurality of mating through-holes 125. Protrusions 124 are positioned along an internal perimeter of the second cavity 105 of the case body 112 of the outer shell 101 and oriented to extend inwardly into the second cavity 105. The plurality of through- holes 125 are positioned along external perimeters of both the upper and lower frame components 102a / 102b, with the through-holes extending from openings at the outer surfaces of the frame components 102a / 102b to openings at the first cavity 103 of the internal frame 102.

[0039] As seen in FIG. 3 c, protrusions 124 and through-holes 125 are positioned at corresponding locations to engage with one another and are shaped to engage via a tight press-fit configuration that promotes fixation of the internal frame 102 within the outer shell 101 and resists separation thereof. This may be achieved, for example, by forming the protrusions 124 with a relatively wide head 124b affixed to the free end of a relatively narrow shaft 124a (e.g., a mushroom shape) and forming the through-holes 125 with a through-hole diameter that permits insertion of the head 124b therethrough in a first direction while resisting extraction of an inserted head 124b in an opposite second direction.

[0040] Optionally, protrusions 124 and through-holes 125 may be sufficiently dimensioned such that, when protrusions 124 are fully inserted into through-holes 125, the heads 124b extend beyond interior surfaces of the frame components 102a / 102b to occupy otherwise free space of the first cavity 103 and press against exterior surfaces of a tablet device 104 that is received within the first cavity 103. With this configuration, tablet device 104 is effectively suspending within the first cavity 103 by the heads 124, with a slight spacing between exterior surfaces of the tablet device 104 and interior surfaces of the frame components 102a / 102b. This effective suspension of the tablet device 104, together with the resilient and flexible material of the heads 124 (as part of the case body 112), effectively provides a shock absorption mechanism for further protecting the tablet device 104 from impact forces.

[0041] FIG. 3d shows tablet case 100 with internal frame 102 secured within outer shell 101, with omission of a tablet device 104. As seen in this view, pairs of mating fasteners 124 / 125 are provided around the interfacing perimeters of the internal frame 102 and outer shell 101. Optionally, pairs of mating fasteners 124 / 125 may also be provided along internally interfacing surfaces of the internal frame 102 and outer shell 101. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3d, internal frame 102 may have a number through- holes 125 that extend through a rear wall of the lower frame 102b and the case body 112 may have a number of protrusions 124 that extend from an internal surface to protrude into the second cavity 105, with the protrusions 124 and through-holes 125 aligned to matingly engage one another when the internal frame 102 is received within the second cavity 105 of the case body 112. Pairs of mating fasteners 124 / 125 may also be positioned at other locations within the case body 112 and frame components 102a / 102b, such as perimeters defining the lens portals 107 / 109, as well as any other accessory openings that may be present in the tablet case 100.

[0042] Handle 113 is adapted for selective use as a case stand and a carrying handle, whereby the handle 113 may be positioned at a number of intermediate angles (e.g., 40°, 45°, 60°, 75°, 90°, 130°, etc.), between the first and second positions (e.g., 0° and 180°), relative to the rear surface 114. In one example, as shown in FIG. 7, the handle 113 may adapted for selective positioning at four separate positions: (A) a 0° position, where the handle 113 lies approximately flush with and resides substantially within the boundaries of the rear surface 114 of the case body 112, enabling the case body 112 to lie substantially flat on a rear side thereof; (B) a first intermediate position at an angle a in a range of (0° < a < 180°), for example 40°, that enables support of the case body 112 at a first relatively steep-angled position for hands-free viewing the display screen of the tablet device 104; (C) a second intermediate position at an angle 0 in a range of (0° < 0 < to 180°), for example 130°, that enables support of the case body 112 at a second relatively shallow-angled position for touch-based interaction with the display screen of the tablet device 104; and (D) a 180° position, where the handle 113 lies approximately flush with though extends beyond a boundary of the rear surface 114 of the case body 112, facilitating carrying of the case body 112. A bifurcated forked bumper 120 is provided around the entire perimeter of case body 112. The bumper 120 includes two prongs 121 (121a / 121b) oriented to extend away from one another with a concave parabolic-shaped groove 122 formed between the two prongs 121a / 121b. In the illustrated example, the prongs 121a / 121b are each oriented at approximately 35° from a centerline, though on opposite sides thereof, to provide an approximate angle of 70° between the prongs 121a / 121b. The prongs may be oriented at other angles, for example, in a range of 20° to 60° from the centerline. The prongs 121a / 121b may be oriented symmetrically, in a mirror fashion on opposite sides of the centerline of the groove 122, such that the two prongs extend for equal though opposingly oriented distances and at equal though opposing angles relative to the centerline 122. However, in the illustrated example, the prongs 121a / 121b are configured asymmetrically about the centerline 122 such that the prongs 121a / 121b extend for different distances from the centerline 122. Specifically, the second prong 121b, positioned proximate the rear side of the case body 112, extends for a relatively shorter distance from the centerline 122 as compared to the relatively longer first prong 121a that is positioned proximate the front side of the case body 112, which extends for a relatively longer distance from the centerline 122.

[0043] In addition, along at least one edge of the case body 112, there is less variance in the distance between the centerline 122 and the outermost edge of the second prong 121b as compared to a greater variance in distance between the centerline 122 and the outermost edge of the first prong 121a along that same edge. An example of this may be seen in FIG. 2, along the edge most proximal to the free end of the handle 113 when the handle 113 is in a stored position (e.g., 0° relative to rear surface 114). As seen in FIG. 2, the first prong 121a extends a relatively shorter distance from the centerline 122 at the corners of the edge and a relatively longer distance at the center point of the edge, creating a slightly arced edge; whereas second prong 121b extends an approximately constant distance from the centerline 122 along the entire edge, creating a substantially flat edge. The substantially flat edge provided by rearward second prong 121b facilitates a more stable resting of the case 100 when the case body 112 is made to stand in a screen- viewing position by support of the handle 113.

[0044] A peak of the first prong 121a defines an outermost perimeter of the front surface 115 of the case body 112, and a peak of the second prong 121b defines an outermost perimeter of the rear surface 114. The peak of the first prong 121a is positioned further forward of the perimeter to the window 116 at the front surface 115 of the case body 112, with the front surface 115 of the case body 112 sloping forward from the window 116 perimeter to the peak of the first prong 121a. Similarly, the peak of the second prong 121b is positioned further rearward of a central region perimeter of the rear surface 114 of the case body 112, with the rear surface 114 of the case body 112 sloping rearward from the central region perimeter to the peak of the second prong 121b.

[0045] The relative positioning of the prongs 121a / 121b and the sloping surfaces of the front and rear surfaces 115 / 114 results in the front surface 115 being recessed from the outermost perimeter defined by the first prong 121a and the rear surface 114 being recessed from the outermost perimeter defined by the second prong 121b. This provides the outer shell 101 with a shape in which the front surface 115 of the case body 112 has a first rectangular, isosceles trapezoidal recess defined between the perimeter of the first prong 121a and the window 116 and the rear surface 114 of the case body 112 has a second rectangular, isosceles trapezoidal recess defined between the perimeter of the second prong 121b and the central region perimeter of the rear surface 114.

[0046] The first trapezoidal recess at the front surface 115 of the case body 112 provides a clearance between the outermost perimeter of the front surface 115 and a display screen of a tablet device 104 housed within the second cavity 105 of case body 112, thereby reducing a likelihood of damage to the display screen of the tablet device 104, for example, when the tablet case 100 is resting face down on a surface. Though not shown in the illustrated example, the second trapezoidal recess at the rear surface 114 of the case body 112 may optionally provide sufficient clearance between the outermost perimeter of the rear surface 114 and the central region of the rear surface 114 such that the handle 113 may be contained entirely within such clearance, enabling the tablet case 100 to rest flat on a surface when placed on a backside with the handle 113 at a stored position (e.g., one of the first and second flush positions of 0° or 180°).

[0047] The case body 112 is made of a resilient and flexible material capable of deforming to absorb stress forces applied thereto and elastically returning to the pre-stressed, as well as sufficiently flexible to provide an effective gripping surface for a child’s hands. Silicone (Shore 60 A) is one non-limiting example of a suitably flexible and resilient material for use in forming the case body 112, as this provides a favorable balance of impact absorption, resiliency, and grip-friendliness. Another suitable material that may be used in place of silicone is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The prongs 121a / 121b are thus capable of deforming to absorb stress forces applied to the case body 112 to thereby minimize the transmission of those forces to the tablet device 104 housed therein. The prongs also provide a suitably thin and grip-facilitating surface area for a child’s hands. Case body 112 may be made to further facilitate gripping by children’s hands by providing textured surfaces 126 along the outer surfaces of the prongs 121a / 121b. The textured surfaces 126 may take any shape and form and may be provided along the surface of one or both of prongs 121a / 121b. In the example illustrated in the drawings, textured surfaces 126 are provided as stylized letters of the alphabet and musical notes that may provide further educational value to child users.

[0048] The first prong 121a absorbs forces applied toward the front surface 115, the second prong 121b absorbs forces applied toward the rear surface 114, and the first and second prongs 121a / 121b cooperate to absorb forces applied to the sides of the case body 112. This configuration of the bumper 120 enables enhanced protection of the tablet device 104 from forces applied toward the front or rear of the case body 112, for example, due to stacking heavy objects on the tablet device 104; and from forces applied toward the sides of the cased body 112, for example, due to dropping the tablet device 104.

[0049] Optionally, when the tablet device 104 has user operable elements, and the internal frame 102 is provided with corresponding through-holes 111 to enable access to those operable elements, the outer shell 101 may then be provided with one or more interactive elements 123 that further facilitate access to those operable elements. Interactive elements 123 may include access ports and / or actuating elements. Access ports may be provided as through- holes in case body 112 that align with through-holes 111 in the internal frame 102 to thereby permit user access directly to operable elements of the tablet device 104. Actuating elements may be provided as intermediate actuating surfaces that overlay the through-holes 111 in the internal frame 102 and contact corresponding operable elements of the tablet device 104 such that a user’s manipulation of an actuating surface is effective to manipulate a corresponding operable element of the table device 104. FIG. 3a shows several examples of interactive elements 123 in the form of access ports positioned around a periphery of the case body 112. FIG. 3a also shows an example of an interactive element 123 in the form of an actuating element that inserts between the case body 112 and the internal frame 102, in alignment with one or more through-holes 111 in the internal frame 102, with protrusions for insertion through access ports 123 in the case body 112, such that a user may apply force to a protrusion of the interactive element 123 with the applied force then transmitted to an operable element on a tablet device 104 (e.g., a power or volume button) that is positioned on an opposite side of the through-hole 111.

[0050] The outer shell 101 is configured such that one or more interactive elements 123 reside in the groove 122 of the bifurcated bumper 120. This enables easy user access to the interactive elements 123 while reducing a likelihood of unintentional operation or damage. Conventional tablet devices with interactive elements exposed along one or more surfaces or edges present a risk of unintended operation and or damage. For example, when stowing a conventional device (e.g., in a backpack, luggage, storage receptacle, etc.) there is a risk that a button on the device could be unintentionally actuated by contact with another surface, such as actuation of a power button to turn the device on which could then lead to draining of the power source. As another example, if such a conventional device is stowed while an accessory is inserted in an accessory port (e.g., power cable in a power port, memory device in a memory port, etc.) there is a risk of damage to the accessory and / or the accessory port if excessive force is applied against the accessory (e.g., rough handling of a backpack or luggage; forceful insertion of the device into a receptable, etc.). The bifurcated bumper 120 of the inventive tablet case 100 addresses those risks posed to conventional devices. By positioning the interactive elements 123 within the recessed groove 122, flanked on opposite sides by the protruding prongs 121a / 121b, the tablet case 100 reduces exposure of the interactive elements 123 and reduces a likelihood of unintentional operation and damage.

[0051] The bifurcated bumper 120 may also provide protection to accessories stowed at interactive elements 123. For example, if an interactive element 123 in the form of a memory port is provided within the recessed groove 122, then protruding prongs 121a / 121b will provide protection to a memory device inserted into that memory port. Similarly, if an interactive element 123 in the form of a power port is provided within the recessed groove 122, then protruding prongs 121a / 121b will provide protection to a power adapter inserted into that power port, and any power cord attached to the power adapter may be wrapped around the case body 112 within the recessed groove 122 thereby providing convenient and protected storage of the power cord. If the tablet device 104 is operable with one or more user accessories (e.g., a stylus, a handheld microphone, a handheld image capture device, etc.), then an interactive element 123 in the form of an accessory clip for stowing the user accessory may be provided within the recessed groove 122 such that protruding prongs 121a / 121b protect the user accessory when stowed at the accessory clip.

[0052] The bifurcated bumper 120 thus provides beneficial protection in that, even if the tablet case 100 is dropped, forcefully inserted into a stowed state, or otherwise mishandled, the prongs 121a / 121b absorb and / or deflect excessive forces that could otherwise trigger or damage the tablet device 104 and / or any accessories attached thereto.

[0053] Although the present invention is described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the foregoing disclosure addresses exemplary embodiments only; that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments; and that the scope of the invention may encompass any combination of the disclosed embodiments, in whole or in part, as well as additional embodiments embracing various changes and modifications relative to the examples disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims and equivalents thereto. Though the examples illustrated and discussed above address a protective tablet case for a tablet device, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to a case for a tablet device and is instead applicable to protective cases for electronic devices generally, including though not limited to tablets, phones, monitors.

[0054] To the extent necessary to understand or complete the disclosure of the present invention, all publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned herein are expressly incorporated by reference herein to the same extent as though each were individually so incorporated. No license, express or implied, is granted to any patent incorporated herein.

[0055] The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein, but is instead characterized by the appended claims, which in no way limit the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A protective case for an electronic device comprising: a case body comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a cavity between the front and rear surfaces for reception of an electronic device, a window at the front surface for viewing a display screen of an electronic device received in the cavity, and a bumper extending around the perimeter of the case body, wherein the bumper has a bifurcated forked configuration with a pair of prongs that are oriented to extend away from one another, with a first prong oriented to extend further forward of the front surface of the case body and the second prong oriented to extend further rearward of the rear surface of the case body.

2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the prongs of the bifurcated bumper define outermost perimeters of the case body, with the first prong defining an outermost perimeter of the front surface of the case body and the second prong defining an outermost perimeter of the rear surface of the case body.

3. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the case body is further characterized by at least one of: a) the front surface of the case body comprises a surface that slopes forward in a region between the window and the first prong of the bifurcated bumper, such that the window is positioned in a recess at the front surface of the case body; or b) the rear surface of the case body comprises a surface that slopes rearward in a region between a center region of the rear surface and the second prong of the bifurcated bumper, such that the center region of the rear surface is positioned in a recess at the rear surface of the case body.

4. The protective case of claim 1, wherein at least one of the front surface or the rear surface of the case body comprises a trapezoidal recess as defined between one of the prongs of the bifurcated bumper and a center region of the respective surface.

5. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the bifurcated bumper comprises a groove extending between the first and second prongs, the groove being relatively recessed in comparison to the relative protruding first and second prongs.

6. The protective case of claim 5, wherein the case body comprises one or more interactive elements positioned within the groove.

7. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the one or more interactive elements comprise one or more access ports for reception of an electronic device accessory.

8. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the one or more interactive elements comprise one or more actuating elements for manipulating one or more operable elements of the electronic device.

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