Abstract:
A shell case for use with a pad style computer can have a rotating disc at its bottom. This disc can have a strap which connects to a user&#39;s hand to allow the user to rotate and/or hold the computer at a desired position with one hand, thereby allowing the other hand to do other things, such as type on the keypad. Meanwhile the holding hand does not quickly tire out as it is not typically grasping the computer as would often occur without the use of a case.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/355,752 filed Jun. 17, 2010, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a computer case for use with computers such as laptops or pad style computers which incorporate a handgrip whereby user can securely retain the case with one hand while possibly utilizing the user&#39;s other hand to operate the device such as to touch a touchscreen, move a mouse, type on a keyboard, etc. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cases exist for laptop computers. In fact, the new pad style computer trademarked the iPad™ from Apple Corporation is the subject of various cases which each can provide a cover which can protect the screen when not in use. Normally these cases are folio-style in nature and often made of leather or other similar folio materials. However, when the cover is pulled away to allow access for the user to access the pad, the potentially non-symmetric weight of the open flap makes it difficult for the user to hold on to the case and operate the pad style computer which is heavily dependent upon a touch screen. Accordingly, an improved computer case is believed to be desirable over prior art configurations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improved case for use with computers. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved case for use with computers particularly pad style devices. 
     It is another object of many embodiments of the present invention to provide a hand retainer connected to a case for use with computers so that the user can one-handedly hold the computer preferably with many embodiments preferably not requiring the user to grip the hand retainer in a constantly contracted or gripped manner. 
     Accordingly, in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, a computer case is provided which preferably provides a hand retainer connected to a bottom side of the case. An upper side of the case opposite the handle preferably securely connects to a bottom of a computer such as a pad style computer. A user can place at least a portion of his or her hand through at least a first loop if not a first loop with a thumb through a second loop so that with the preferred hand retainer so, the user need not grip constantly the hand retainer to assist in keeping the case on the hand. The user can thus utilize the computer over a period of time without having a hand strain due to having to grip the computer. 
     In some embodiments, it is possible that the computer will be held in a non-symmetrically weighted configuration about the user&#39;s hand with the hand retainer installed. In some embodiments it may be possible to provide the hand retainer with the device symmetrically weighted about the user&#39;s hand. 
     Other embodiments may be directed towards a slide-on frame for use with an Ipad style computer to provide the appearance of a picture frame about the Ipad. The picture frame has a base to support the frame as well as an internal cavity for receiving the touch style computer. 
     Furthermore, at least two different versions of rotating handle supported cases are shown and described herein. Although the preferred embodiments have rotating capabilities, in other embodiments at least one if not both of these embodiments or others could be made so they do not rotate relative to the pad style computers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a back perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a back perspective view as shown in  FIG. 1  with a user&#39;s hand connected thereto; 
         FIG. 3  is a back plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the strap removed; 
         FIG. 4  is a top exploded view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 3  with the rotating disc removed; 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed view of detail B shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a detailed view of Detail D shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view of a first alternatively preferred embodiment of the present invention with the disc removed; 
         FIG. 10  is a side plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  taken along the line E-E; 
         FIG. 12  is a bottom plan view of the disc used with the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9-12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a front plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 9  with a computer installed; 
         FIG. 16  is a back plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a side plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a front plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 19  is a side plan view of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-8  and  18 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a case  10  of the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, a hand retainer  12  is illustrated connected to a bottom or back  14  of the case  10 . The case has a shell or housing  16  preferably possibly coupled to a cover in some embodiments. In such embodiments the housing  16  can connect to a computer  94  and/or cover at a front and the shell  16  at a rear of the back  53  of the shell  16 . A cover, if installed, can protect a screen and/or other portions computer  94  particularly in a pad style configuration. 
     The hand retainer  12  of a first illustrated embodiment is in the form of a first or knuckle strap  20  and a second thumb strap  22  wherein the user inserts at least a portion of his or her hand  24  through the knuckle strap  20  and may place at least a portion of a thumb through the thumb strap  22 , if provided. In this manner, the hand  24  need not be in a gripping configuration but can be positioned with the palm against the bottom  14  of the case  20  such as is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Accordingly, the user&#39;s hand should not quickly tire from such a configuration since the user does not continually have to be gripping the computer  94 , particularly an unbalanced one. 
     The knuckle strap  20  and/or thumb strap  22  can be made of any suitable material such as a fabric material or could possibly be resilient such as elastic or other material. The straps  20 , 22  could lay flat when not in use in some embodiments. The bottom  14  may be a fabric or could be any other suitable material such as leather, plastic, metal or other suitable material as could be the cover. The hand retainer  12  is shown disposed substantially the middle of the bottom  14 , but could be provided elsewhere for other embodiments. Thus having the hand retainer  12  is a particularly attractive option so as to be able to hold the case  10  with the computer  94  attached thereto and/or other support thereof without having to continuously strain the muscles in the hand by gripping the side of the computer  94  or other structure. 
     The straps  20 , 22  may not be utilized in all embodiments and either one or both could be utilized in some embodiments. Straps  20 , 22  are shown passing through first, second and third passages  26 , 28 , 30  through disk  32 . Passages  26 , 28 , 30  need not necessarily penetrate disk  32  is all embodiments. Disk  32  can receive the palm of a hand  24  such as is shown in  FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, disk  32  may be rotated relative to housing  16  as will be described in further detail below. 
     Disk  32  may be centrally located relative to the housing  16  or otherwise provided. Disk  32  may have a lip  34  which is received in a slot  36  of the housing  16  thereby facilitating rotation. As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , the passages  28 , 30  as well as  26  (obscured from view) may pass through the disk to allow the straps  20 , 22  to pass through to allow for adjustability. One who is skilled in the art would understand the straps could be adjustable as shown in the figures. The illustrated straps  20 , 22  are hook and loop fasteners which may provide for adjustability as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the shell housing  16  may provide a plurality of cutouts such as first cutout  38 , second cutout  40 , third cutout  42 , fourth cutout  44 . These cutouts  38 , 40 , 42 , 44  in the various upwardly extending sides such as sides  46 , 48 , 50 , 52  may allow for the accessing of various connections and/or other components of the pad style computer such as volume control, speakers, power connections, data connections, etc. Cutouts  38 , 40 , 42 , 44  may be desired in other portions of the housing  16  such as in the bottom  14  if desirable. Other pad style computers may prefer connections or access on the back of those style computers. Sides  46 , 48 , 50 , 52  are shown upwardly extend such as substantially perpendicularly relative to back  53 . 
       FIG. 5  may be useful to show the first cutout  38  in the side  46  as well as provide a cross section of the disc slot  36  which is shown as a circumferential slot bounded by extensions  54 , 56  as may be better understood with reference to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 4  also shows overhang  58  which may be located at one or even at each of the corners of the housing  16  which is useful to retain the pad style computer to the housing  16 . Overhanger(s)  58  may extend over top portions of computer  94  when installed and may be located at various portion(s) of side(s)  46 , 48 , 50 , 52  in various embodiments. The overhang(s)  58  continually extends inwardly relative to the side(s)  46 , 48 , 50 , 52 . The overhanger(s)  58  at least assist in retaining computer  94  between the overhang(s)  58  and the back  53  of the housing  16  when the computer  94  is installed. The back  53  and sides  48 , 50 , 52 , 54  are preferably at least substantially rigid. Overhang(s)  58  may be rigidly and/or integrally connected to side(s)  48 , 50 , 52 , 54  and/or back  53 . 
     A cross section of the disk  32  shown in  FIG. 7  with detail D being shown in  FIG. 8  for  FIG. 7 . Detail D shows the lip  34  extending relative to the disk  32  circumferentially to engage the disc slot  36  thereby providing retention yet rotation of the disk  32  relative to the housing  16  as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. The first slot  26  is also shown in the disk  32  for receipt of the retainer  12  as described above. In use, the operator can put a hand  24  through the retainer  12  as described above such as by inserting it into the knuckle strap  20  and/or thumb strap  22  with the computer  94  connected to the housing  16  such as shown in  FIG. 19 . 
     The disk  32  is shown extending a distance beyond a first extension  54  which in some embodiments is the bottom most portion of the housing  16 . The disk  32  may have a concave surface both internally and externally which may cooperate with the curved back of a pad style computer since the Ipad® and/or provide a more comfortable location for the palm of a hand or other side portion of a hand and fingers to contact. Disk  32  is preferably round but can take other shapes in other embodiments as long as the rotating feature was similarly addressed. 
       FIG. 9  shows a first alternatively preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a shell case  100  is shown from a top plan view with the disc portion  102  removed. This case  100  is preferably made out of plastic material, but other materials could be utilized with other embodiments. The shell  104  may have components that are at least somewhat resilient and/or movable to facilitate the insertion of the disc  102  as will be discussed below. 
     Arms  106  are spaced apart and contact an upper portion of the disc  102  when installed, while a bottom portion of the disc around its periphery  108  contacts the lower lip  110 . This construction allows the disc  102  to rotate in the slot  112  created between the arms and the lip  110  for rotational embodiments. 
     Disc  102  is shown as having planar bottom  114  in this embodiment, and could be acid etched or have other finishes. Other discs  102  can be curved, or have other shapes, such as for the first embodiment described above and others. Periphery  108  may be recessed relative to disc center  116  in at least some embodiments. Grid  118  can be useful to provide support to the disc  102  for at least some embodiments, and is illustrated as an integrally molded portion thereof, although other embodiments could take on other configurations. 
     Lower lip  110  is shown downwardly extending relative to bottom  120  to spaced the disc  102  below the back of a computer, when installed as will be discussed below. Other embodiments may have other constructions. 
     Overhangs  122  are shown in  FIG. 10-12  and are spaced apart. In the first embodiment, the overhangs appear to have longer constructions and extend substantially over a front face of the computer when installed. In the embodiment of  FIGS. 10-12 , the overhangs are relatively small and are located at corners  124 , 126 , 128 , 130 , although other embodiments could have them located in additional and/or different locations. Overhangs cooperate with corners of the computer, when installed, to retain the case  100  to the computer as will be discussed below. 
     Cutouts  132 , 134 , 136 , 138 , 140  allow for access of cords into ports in the computer when installed, speakers, microphones, chargers, communication devices, buttons, switches, and or other functional capabilities. 
       FIG. 15  shows the overhangs  122  over a front side  142  of computer  144  which at least assist, if not completely, retain the case  10  to the computer  144 . The screen  146  is preferably completely visible as is the operational button  148  on at least one manufacturer&#39;s computer  144 . 
       FIG. 17  shows buttons or communication ports on the computer  144  which are accessible through cutout  136 .  FIG. 16  also shows access through the cutout  136  as well as to speaker or microphone through cutout  140  and other ports or access locations with computer  144 . Disc  102  is shown connected to shell  104 . Band  150  is shown connected to the disc  102 . Hook and loop fasteners are shown connecting band  150  to itself for adjustability, but other mechanisms could be utilized in other embodiments. 
     Overhangs  122  can extend from one or more sides  152 , 154 , 156 , 158 . The illustrated overhangs extend out cantileveredly from the sides  152 , 154 , 156 , 158  and at least substantially perpendicularly thereto. Sides can curve or otherwise be perpendicular to back  160  of shell  104 . Overhangs  122  and back  160  are shown as being somewhat, if not actually, parallel. 
     By providing a plastic case  100 , the case  100  has been found to be sufficiently rugged as well as relatively light weight. Other embodiments could utilize different materials for different purposes. 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.