Abstract:
A mobile telephone comprising: an engine assembly comprising a display and a plurality of switches; and a flexible cover overlying, without an intermediate rigid cover, and snugly fitting the engine assembly and comprising an aperture aligned with the display and an integrated keypad, for user input, aligned with the plurality of switches.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is for entry into the U.S. national phase under §371 for International Application No. PCT/IB03/01880 having an international filing date of Apr. 22, 2003, and from which priority is claimed under all applicable sections of Title 35 of the United States Code including, but not limited to, Sections 120, 363 and 365(c), and which in turn claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to European Patent Application No. GB 0216474.7 filed on Jul. 16, 2002. 
   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to a cover for a hand-portable appliance and the hand-portable appliance with the cover. It particularly relates to a cover for a mobile phone and a mobile phone with cover. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   There has been a trend in the mobile phone industry towards giving users the ability to alter the appearance of their phone. One way of adapting the phone&#39;s external appearance is to fit a leather sack-like cover over the exterior of the phone. These external covers protect the exterior plastic cover from damage and allow some adaptation of the phone&#39;s appearance, however, they significantly increase the bulk and weight of the phone. Another way of adapting the phone&#39;s external appearance is to provide user replaceable rigid plastic covers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,218. The replaceable covers have proven to be very popular and the phone is now becoming a fashion accessory which is worn and/or displayed by a user. 
     FIG. 1   a  shows an example of a prior art phone  2  comprising an engine assembly  10  enclosed by a removable rigid plastic front cover  4  and a removable rigid plastic back cover  8 . A loose keypad  6  overlies switches  14  (key domes) of the engine assembly  10  and is held is place by the rigid plastic front cover  4  in the assembled phone  2 . The components of the prior art phone  2 , and the engine assembly in particular, are schematically illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The engine assembly  10  is in physical connection with the keypad  6  as shown by arrow A. The engine assembly  10  comprises a plurality of keyboard switches  14  electrically connected to a processor  20 , a battery  30  electrically connected to at least the processor  20  for power distribution to other circuitry, a SIM card  28  electrically connected to the processor  20 , a display  12  electrically connected to the processor  20 , a memory  26  electrically connected to the processor  20 , radio transceiver circuitry  24  for communicating in a cellular communications network is electrically connected to the processor  20  and an audio part  22  is electrically connected to the processor  20 . The audio part  22  provides an electrical signal to the speaker  16  and receives an electrical signal from the microphone  18 . The inter-operation of these parts to operate as a cellular mobile phone is well known to persons skilled in the art, who will additionally appreciate that although a GSM compliant engine assembly  10 , as in this example, has a SIM card  28  it may not be present in engine assemblies for other cellular communication standards. 
     FIG. 1   b  shows an alternative design of covers for the phone  2 . In this example, the rigid plastic back cover  8  is permanently attached to the engine assembly  10  and is not removable. The rigid plastic front cover  4  is removable and a loose keypad  6  is located between it and the engine assembly  10  when the phone  2  is assembled. 
   The rigid plastic covers  4  and  8  are three-dimensional and provide a recognisable shape to the phone. They additionally may protect the engine assembly  10  against damage and water ingress and are easily made by injection moulding. For these reasons rigid covers, and plastic covers in particular, are universally used to enclose the engine assembly  10 . 
   The inventor has realised that it would be desirable to have a greater range of fashionable phones. In particular, the inventor has realised that it would be desirable to allow a user greater choice in adapting the appearance of their phones. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a mobile phone comprising: an engine assembly comprising a display and a plurality of switches; and a flexible cover overlying, without an intermediate rigid cover, and snugly fitting the engine assembly comprising an aperture aligned with the display and an integrated keypad, for user input, aligned with the plurality of switches. 
   The flexible cover may be three dimensional and used to define the appearance and/or shape of a phone. Embodiments of the invention therefore provide for a greater range of fashionable phones without compromising the size or weight of the phone. Embodiments of the invention overcome the existing prejudice in the technical field in favour of using rigid plastic covers. The absence of a rigid plastic cover, provides the user with better tactility as the flexible cover may be deformable in response to a user&#39;s touch. 
   The flexible cover may be made from fabric, leather, elastomeric material or any other flexible material which is sufficiently durable and attractive to a user. The engine assembly and flexible cover may have corresponding projections and receptacles so that in the assembled mobile phone, the flexible cover is correctly aligned on the engine assembly. The flexible cover may have a substrate on its interior surface to improve its waterproof and/or shock-absorbing properties. This material may be elastomeric. 
   The inventor has additionally recognised similarities between the training/running shoe industry and the mobile phone industry. Trainers were initially bought by serious athletes, but they are now an established fashion accessory and their fashionable appearance is important. Likewise, the inventor has realised that mobile phones were initially bought by businessmen, but that they are now starting to become fashion accessories. The inventor has recognised that this trend will continue for mobile phones. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible cover is made in accordance with the same techniques used in the training/running shoe industry. Thus the flexible cover may appear similar to a training/running shoe. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  illustrate prior art user replaceable plastic covers for a mobile phone; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a prior art phone; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of a flexible cover; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a cut away portion of the flexible cover of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a mobile phone comprising an engine assembly and a flexible cover; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration of a mobile phone comprising an engine assembly and a flexible cover; and 
       FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  illustrate the construction of a flexible cover in a manner similar to a sports shoe. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 3  illustrates a flexible cover  40  which is sized to fit snugly over an engine assembly  10  for a mobile phone. The engine assembly  10  comprises substantially all of the phone&#39;s circuitry. The flexible cover  40  is formed from flexible material that is shaped to define an internal cavity  44 . 
   An insertion aperture  46  through the material of the flexible cover  40  provides access to the internal cavity  44 . The insertion aperture  46  is used to insert an engine assembly into the internal cavity  44 . The flexible cover  40  has a display aperture  42  through the material of the flexible cover  40 . When the engine assembly is fully inserted into the cavity  44  of the flexible cover  40 , the display  12  of the engine assembly  10  is visible through the display aperture  42  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The flexible cover  40  has one or more speaker apertures  52  through the material of the cover to the internal cavity  44 . When the engine assembly  10  is fully inserted into the cavity  44  of the flexible cover  40 , the speaker aperture(s)  52  are aligned with the speaker  16  of the engine assembly  10 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The flexible cover  40  has a microphone aperture  54  through the material of the flexible cover  40  to the cavity  44 . When the engine assembly  10  is fully inserted into the cavity  44  of the flexible cover  40 , the microphone aperture  54  of the flexible cover  40  is aligned with the microphone  18  of the engine assembly  10 . 
   The flexible cover  40  has a plurality of key portions on which indicia are carried. The plurality of key portions forms a keypad which is integrated into the material of the flexible cover  40 . The keypad includes a three column by 4 row array  48  of separate key portions which correspond to the normal 3 by 4 array of keys on a mobile phone for data entry. The keypad also includes a plurality of key portions  50  located between the array  48  of key portions and the display aperture  42 . These key portions correspond to the functional keys and/or soft keys commonly found in mobile phones. Each one of the key portions of the keypad is associated with at least one of the key board switches  14  of the engine assembly  10 . Thus, when the engine assembly  10  is fully inserted into the cavity  44  of the flexible cover  40 , each one of the key portions of the flexible cover  40  directly overlies at least one keyboard switch  14  of the engine assembly  10 . Thus, if a user depresses a key portion of the flexible cover  40  it actuates a keyboard switch  14  of the engine assembly  10 . 
   The flexible cover  40  is sized and dimensioned so that it fits very closely and snugly to the engine assembly  10  and forms a decorative enclosure for the engine assembly  10 . The flexible cover  40  is therefore analogous to a “skin”. The flexible cover  40  preferably has direct contact with the engine assembly  10 . A plastic cover does not intercede between the fabric cover  40  and the engine assembly  10 . 
   The flexible cover  40  may be made from a mouldable elastomer, from fabric or from embossed leather. The flexible cover  40  may have stitching, zips, poppers or velcro. Preferably, the flexible cover  40  is designed so that the insertion aperture  46  may be closed after the engine assembly  10  has been fully inserted into the cavity  44 . The closure of the insertion aperture  46  may be provided by tie up laces (as in a shoe), a zip, poppers or velcro. 
   The flexible cover  40  may be formed from one piece of fabric or leather. Alternatively it may be constructed in a similar fashion to a sports shoe for example with polyurethane printing of logos and indicia onto the surface of the flexible cover  40 .  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  illustrate in more detail the construction of a flexible cover in a manner similar to a sports shoe. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7   a , the flexible cover  40  described in relation to  FIG. 3 , has layered fabric (or leather) portions  70  and  72  attached to it to form the sports shoe type cover  40 ′ (see  FIG. 3 ). The flexible cover  40  acts as a substrate for the fabric (or leather) portions. A rear fabric (or leather) portion  72  is attached to the rear of the flexible cover  40 . In this embodiment it has limbs  72   a  which extend around the sides of the flexible cover  40 . One of these limbs  72   a  extends over the microphone aperture  54  of the flexible cover  40 . It has an aperture  74  which is aligned with the microphone aperture  54  when the rear fabric (or leather) portion  72  is attached to the flexible cover  40 . As seen in  FIG. 7   b , two side fabric (or leather) portions  70  are attached to the sides of the flexible cover  40 . These side portions  70  may overlap the rear portion  72  as shown generally by reference numeral  76  in  FIG. 7   b.  In this example, one of the side portions  70  has a display window  71  attached to it which is positioned over the display aperture  42  in the flexible cover  40 . The portions  70 ,  72  may have designs and/or stitching  75  applied to them, before they are attached to the flexible cover  40  to change their aesthetic appearance. The fabric or leather portions  70 ,  72  may be attached to the elastomeric flexible cover  40  by stitching or adhesive. The assembled shoe-like flexible cover  40 ′ is illustrated in  FIG. 7   b . The portions  70 ,  72  that have been added to the flexible elastomeric cover  40  including the side portions  70  and rear portion  72  and display  71  are indicated using hatching in the figure. In this example, portions  78  of the underlying flexible cover  40  are exposed in gaps between the attached fabric portions  70 ,  72 . 
     FIG. 4  illustrates a cut away portion of one embodiment of the flexible cover  40  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The relationship of  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 3  can be understood by imagining slicing the flexible cover  40  in half lengthways (across its depth) and turning over the uppermost portion of the flexible cover  40 . Thus,  FIG. 4  illustrates the interior of the cavity  44  of the flexible cover  40 . An elastomeric sheet  64  is permanently attached to the interior of the flexible cover  40  in the region corresponding to the key portions. The elastomeric sheet  64  is a moulded substrate and has a plurality of elastomeric projections  62 . There is at least one projection  62  associated with each key portion. The engine assembly  10  has a corresponding plurality of receptacles in its upper surface (illustrated in  FIG. 1   b ). When the engine assembly  10  is fully inserted into the flexible cover  40  each one of the elastomer projections  62  is received in one of the corresponding receptacles of the engine assembly  10 . Each receptacle in the engine assembly  10  is located at a keyboard switch  14 . Thus, when the engine assembly  10  is fully inserted into the flexible cover  40  the elastomer projections are received in the receptacles and aligned with the keyboard switches  14 . This ensures, in the assembled phone  2 , that when a key portion is pressed it actuates a keyboard switch.  14 . The reception of the projections  62  in the receptacles also aligns the display aperture  42  with the display  12 , the speaker apertures  52  with the speaker  16  and the microphone aperture  54  with the microphone  18 . 
   According to another embodiment of the invention, the elastomeric sheet  64  may extend over the entire interior of the flexible cover  40 . This provides an additional shock absorbing layer to the exterior material of the flexible cover  40  and also provides additional waterproofing. In some embodiments, the elastomeric sheet  64  may extend over the display aperture  42  to increase the waterproofing. 
   The flexible cover  40  may be replaced by a user. For example one flexible cover  40  may be interchanged with another flexible cover to change the appearance of the phone. 
   Although the present invention has been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to particular examples, it should be appreciated that various modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. 
   Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.