Cell phone protector case having the combination of a soft exterior shell and an interior hard shell

A cell phone protector case including a combination of an interior hard shell and an exterior soft shell with three protrusion visible on each side o the rear surface of the exterior soft shell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of cell phone protector cases and in particular, cell phone protector cases which are designed to facilitate utilization of the cell phone while at the same time providing a protective covering to the cell phone so that the cell phone is not damaged if it is inadvertently bumped or dropped.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There are numerous designs for various cell phone protector cases that are known in the prior art. The following 10 patents and published patent applications are the closest relevant prior art:

2. United States Published Patent Application No. 2010/0062816 to Hsin Yuan Yu on Mar. 11, 2010 for “Mobile Phone Protective Cover” (hereafter the “Yu Published Patent Application”);

5. U.S. Pat. No. 8,204,561 issued to Ryan Hill Mongan et al. on Jun. 19, 2012 for “One Piece Co-Formed Exterior Hard Shell Case With An Elastomeric Liner For Mobile Electronic Devices” (hereafter the “Mongan Patent”);

6. U.S. Pat. No. 8,245,842 issued to Steven Chi Vun Bau on Aug. 21, 2012 for “Protective Case Having A Hybrid Structure For Portable Handheld Electronic Devices” (hereafter the “Bau Patent”);

7. United States Published Patent Application No. 2012/0217257 to Shao-Chieh Ting on Aug. 30, 2012 for “Sleeve Structure For A Hand-Held Electronic Device” (hereafter the “Ting Published Patent Application”);

9. Chinese Patent No. CN201418453Y issued to Min Lu on Mar. 10, 2010 for “Novel Flexible Glue And Plastic Combined Protective Sleeve” (hereafter the “Lu Chinese Patent”);

The Rostami Patent deals with disclosing the concept of having a hard interior layer and a soft exterior layer but it has the requirement of a cavity into which one of the layers is inserted into a second layer cavity best shown inFIG. 2as number54. The independent claims of invention read as follows:1. A protective case for a two-segment portable telephone comprising: a first segment, including a fitted cavity formed therein for mounting the associated segment of the portable telephone to the protective case; a second segment, separable from said first segment, including at least one fitted notch for mounting the associated segment of the portable telephone to the protective case; said first and second segments made up of: a protective inner layer composed of a hardened plastic; and a soft outer layer permanently affixed to the outside of said protective inner layer.The Lefebvre Patent discloses a “Multilayer Composition”. It discloses:“The invention relates to a multi-layer acrylic composition having at least two impact modified layers. The outer layer is an acrylic layer containing impact modifiers having a particle size of less than 225 nm, and the impact modifiers in the inner thermoplastic layer have a particle size of greater than or equal to 225 nm. The invention also relates to multi-layer composites having the multi-layer acrylic composition on one or both sides. The multi-layer acrylic composition can also include blends of acrylic and fluoropolymers.”

The Yu Published Patent Application discloses the combination of a plastic shell and a soft interior lining.

The Cheng Patent discloses inFIG. 1a main body11and an outer covering12. The main body11is of rigid material and provides mechanical strength. The outer cover which really only encircles the periphery of the main body provides soft tactile appeal and protects the housing and enclosed components from external shock.

The Mongan Patent for discloses a protective case11comprising two separate layers, a first external hard shell layer12and a second interior elastomeric layer13. The only independent claim of this patent is claim1which reads as follows:“A one-piece case for enclosing a personal electronic device comprising: a flexible inner layer co-molded with an exterior hard layer and permanently affixed together to form a co-molded one-piece assembly; wherein the co-molded one-piece assembly is sufficiently flexible to accept insertion of the personal electronic device and sufficiently rigid to securely retain the inserted personal electronic device, wherein: the flexible inner layer includes a bottom surface, side surfaces joined to the bottom surface and extending upward therefrom, and a fitted cavity configured to accept and retain the inserted personal electronic device such that the bottom surface covers at least a portion of a bottom surface of the inserted personal electronic device and the side surfaces cover at least a portion of a side surface of the inserted personal electronic device; the exterior hard layer includes a bottom surface and side surfaces sized and shaped to substantially cover an exterior of the bottom and side surfaces of the flexible inner layer and a cut away portion that is permanently filled with a portion of the co-molded flexible inner layer.”

The Bau Patent discloses the concept of a “Protective Case Having A Hybrid Structure For Portable Handheld Electronic Devices”. The relevant portion of the patent reads as follows:

“Reference is made toFIGS. 1-20.FIG. 11shows the example of an electronic device in the form of a smart phone10(in the illustration, the electronic device resembles an Apple iPhone) held by a protective case12in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The protective case12exposes the display screen of the phone10, which could be a touch sensitive screen for user interaction (e.g., user selections by tapping on the icons displayed on the screen). The commercial product implementing the present invention under this embodiment is generally referred to as the “Rebel” product. It comprises a 2-piece rear protective structure; including a tough but soft cover piece (the “glove” or “skin”)14and a hard frame16.

The tough but soft glove14protects the phone's highly polished back from getting scratched. It snugly covers the entire back panel and the perimeter of the phone10, like a skin, and exposes screen at the front of the phone10. The glove14is of unitary, one-piece or monolithic structure. The glove14is partially covered with a hard plastic flexible exoskeleton frame16that grips from the back of the phone10and around the phone's edges and corners, thereby completely protecting the housing of the phone.

The Ting Published Patent Application discloses a “Sleeve Structure For A Hand-Held Electronic Device”. Referring to the abstract, the patent application discloses:“A sleeve structure for a hand-held electronic device is assembled by a hard back cover and a soft plastic collar to enclose a hand-held electronic device, especially a tablet personal computer or a mobile phone. The hard back cover is made by Arcly and an entire surface manifests a pattern of diamonds to facilitate holding by a hand and increase fanciness and brightness. An inner surface of the back cover can be glued and attached with a laser reflection sticker which is printed with a pattern or can be processed with electroplating, depending on a shape design of the tablet personal computer or the mobile phone, thereby achieving fanciness and brightness. In addition, the soft plastic collar to enclose peripheries can prevent from scratching.”

The Chen Chinese Patent is for a mobile phone protective case possessing soft gum. Specifically, the patent discloses:“The utility model relates to a protective shell of a mobile phone, in particular to a mobile phone protective shell with soft glue, which comprises a hard plastic protective shell (1) matched with the shape of the mobile phone; the utility model is characterized in that: the protective shell (1) has a laminate structure; the surface of the protective shell is covered with a soft glue film (2). The mobile phone protective shell with soft glue is comfortable in handle and uneasy to slip from hands, and, in particular, provided with the soft glue film matched with a hidden arrow shape in a keyboard position, thereby preventing dust and sweat and being convenient for key-press operation and more suitable for practicality.”The Lu Chinese Patent was published in 2009 and discloses:“A novel flexible glue and plastic combined protective sleeve is characterized by the inclusion of a body1containing an electronic product, wherein the body1is formed by combining a plastic cover2and a flexible glue cover3, the plastic cover2is a rigid plastic part, the flexible glue cover3is a soft flexible glue part, the plastic cover2adopts a plastic material to inject a required pattern, the flexible glue cover3takes a shape stamped by a soft flexible glue material and matched with profile of the such electronic products as a protected mobile phone, a MP3, MP4 and the like, the concave-convex pattern of a molding die is formed on the external surface of the flexible glue cover3, the plastic cover2takes a shape matched with the concave-convex pattern on the surface of the flexible glue cover3, thereby ensuring that the surface of the body1is flat and artistic after combination. A button position for clamping the appearances of such electronic products as the mobile phone, MP3, MP4, a camera, a mobile hard disk, a mobile computer and the like is arranged on the plastic cover2. The utility model is capable of being produced industrially, and has the advantages of low cost and convenient use.”Chinese Patent No. CN202311747U discloses:“The utility model provides a mobile phone a protective sleeve, which comprises a lower cover and the lower cover of the upper cover is connected with, the main body of the lower cover is a plane, the upper cover and the sheath body comprises a soft material on the inner shell includes surrounding four sides of the mobile phone with the states the side to encircle and the side wall of the upper shell, said upper shell is hollow. Lower cover of the mobile phone of the utility model the protective sleeve is not susceptible to elastic deformation of the material, is the protection of the back of the mobile phone of the front face of the drain on the outside as much as possible. In the process and in use, the force of the side of the mobile phone, the mobile phone will not fall off, effectively protecting the mobile phone.”

There is a significant need for an improved cell phone protector case which has an interior hard shell and a soft exterior shell to provide added protection for the cell phone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a cell phone protector case comprising a combination of an soft exterior shell and an interior hard shell.

In detail, the present invention is a cell phone protector case comprising:a. the combination of an interior hard shell and a soft exterior shell made out of material selected from the group consisting of silicone and soft rubber, the interior hard shell is comprised of an interior cell phone protector section and a matching retaining section, the interior cell phone protector section includes a first gap, a second gap and a third gap on its left sidewall and a first gap, a second gap and a third gap on its right sidewall, on the left sidewall spaced within the first gap is a first locking protrusion, spaced between the second and third gaps is a second locking protrusion, and spaced adjacent the third gap is a third locking protrusion, on the right sidewall spaced within the first gap is a first locking protrusion, spaced between the second and third gaps is a second locking protrusion, and spaced adjacent the third gap is a third locking protrusion;b. on the left sidewall the first locking protrusion extends from the left sidewall onto a rear surface of the cell phone protector section, the second locking protrusion extends from the left sidewall onto the rear surface of the cell phone protector section, and the third locking protrusion extends from the left sidewall onto the rear surface of the cell phone protector section;c. on the right sidewall the first locking protrusion extends from the right sidewall onto a rear surface of the cell phone protector section, the second locking protrusion extends from the right sidewall onto the rear surface of the cell phone protector section, and the third locking protrusion extends from the right sidewall onto the rear surface of the cell phone protector section;d. the respective second locking protrusions are parallel to each other and the respective third locking protrusions are parallel to each other;e. a matching retaining section includes matching protruding receiving members to receive and retain a respective protruding locking member from the cell phone protector section, the matching locking section has a left wall with a second protrusion receiving section with an opening to receive and retain the second locking protrusion from the left sidewall of the cell phone protector section, and a third protrusion receiving section with an opening to receive and retain the third locking protrusion from the left sidewall, the matching locking section has a right wall with a second protrusion receiving section with an opening to receive and retain the second locking protrusion from the right sidewall and a third protrusion receiving section with an opening to receive and a retain a third locking protrusion from the right sidewall;f. the matching locking member has an opening surrounded by its sidewalls, an upper wall and a lower wall;g. a soft exterior shell which is press fit retained onto the interior hard shell and its components, the soft exterior shell is made out of material selected from the group consisting of silicon and soft rubber, the soft exterior shell has a first sidewall having an exterior sidewall surface, a front surface and an interior side surface, the soft exterior shell has a second sidewall having an exterior sidewall surface, a front surface and an interior side surface, the soft exterior shell has a lower sidewall having an exterior sidewall surface, a front surface and an interior side surface, the soft exterior shell has a top sidewall having an exterior sidewall surface a front surface and an interior side surface, the four walls extend to a rear wall having an exterior surface2and an interior surface;h. on the soft exterior shell, the respective interior sidewall surfaces and interior surface of the rear wall form a pocket into which is press fit retained the interior hard shell with its rear surface pressed against interior surface and exterior sidewall surfaces respectively pressed against the interior sidewall surfaces of the soft exterior shell;i. the rear wall of the soft exterior shell has openings so that each of the three protrusions from the left and right sidewalls of the hard interior shell are visible through respective matching openings extending through the rear surface of the soft exterior shell; andj. the rear surface and sidewalls of the soft outer shell have a multiplicity of bumps thereon.

The cell phone protector case further comprises the interior hard shell case and its components are made of hard plastic.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIGS. 1 through 12, the present invention cell phone protector case having the combination of an interior hard shell made out of material selected from the group consisting of hard plastic, polyvinyl and polyurethane and a soft exterior shell made ut of material selected from the group consisting of silicone and soft rubber is illustrated in the assembled form without the cell phone contained therein inFIGS. 1 through 3.

The present invention comprises two primary components. The first significant component is the interior hard shell which is numbered100which itself comprises two sub-components, an interior cell phone protector section110and a matching retaining section200which locks the cell phone900into the interior cell phone protector section110. The interior cell phone protector section220includes three spaced apart gaps112,114and116on its left sidewall150to accommodate control members on the left side of the cell phone and three space apart gaps132,134an136on its right sidewall160to accommodate control members on the right side of the cell phone. Spaced within gap112is locking protrusion122. Spaced between gaps114and116is locking protrusion124. Spaced adjacent one end of gap116is locking protrusion126. Spaced between gaps132and134is locking protrusion142. Spaced between gaps134and136is locking protrusion144. Spaced adjacent gap126is locking protrusion146.

Locking protrusion122extends from sidewall150onto rear surface170of cell phone protector section110. Locking protrusion124extends from sidewall150onto rear surface170. Locking protrusion126extends from sidewall150onto rear surface170. Locking protrusion142extends from sidewall160onto rear surface170of cell phone protector section10. Locking protrusion144extends from sidewall160onto rear surface170. Locking protrusion146extends from sidewall160onto rear surface170. Locking protrusion124is parallel to and aligned with locking protrusion144. Locking protrusion126is parallel to and aligned with locking protrusion146. Locking protrusion122is slightly offset from locking protrusion142.

The rear surface170further comprises openings172,174and176to accommodate a camera and other operating components of a cell phone900. Lower wall180includes an opening182to accommodate a charger. Upper wall190includes at least one opening192to accommodate an operating component to a cell phone.

Matching retaining section200includes matching protruding receiving members to receive and retain a respective protruding locking member from the cell phone protector section110. The locking section200has a left wall250with a second protrusion receiving section224with an opening225to receive and retain locking protrusion124and a third protrusion receiving section226with an opening227to receive and retain locking protrusion126. The locking section200has a right wall260with a second protrusion receiving section244with an opening245to receive and retain locking protrusion144and a third protrusion receiving section246with an opening247to receive and retain locking protrusion146. In this way, the cell phone900is locking into cell phone protector section110by matching locking section200. The bottom or lower wall280has gap282to match gap182. Upper wall290includes an opening229to match gap192.

Through the hard interior shell component100including sections110and200as previously described, the cell phone900is retained in a secure and locked position. The matching locking member200has an opening210surrounded by walls250,260,280and290so that the operating touch screen910of the cell phone900is accessible.

The second major component of the present invention is a soft exterior shell300which is press fit retained onto the interior hard shell100and its components110and200.

The soft exterior shell300is made out of material selected from the group consisting of silicon and soft rubber. The soft exterior shell has a first sidewall350having an exterior sidewall surface352, a front surface354and an interior side surface356. The soft exterior shell has a second sidewall360having an exterior sidewall surface362, a front surface364and an interior side surface366. The soft exterior shell has a lower sidewall380having an exterior sidewall surface382, a front surface384and an interior side surface386. The soft exterior shell has a top sidewall390having an exterior sidewall surface392, a front surface394and an interior side surface396. The four walls350,360,380and390extend to a rear wall370having an exterior surface372and an interior surface376.

The respective interior sidewall surfaces356,366,386and396and interior surface376of rear wall370form a pocket320into which is press fit retained the interior hard shell100with rear surface170pressed against interior surface376and exterior sidewall surfaces352,362,283and392respectively pressed against interior sidewall surfaces356,366,386and396.

Rear wall370has openings so that protrusions from the interior retaining member110are visible through the rear surface372. Locking protrusion122is visible through opening362in rear wall370. Locking protrusion124is visible through opening364in rear wall370. Locking protrusion126is visible through opening366in rear wall370. Locking protrusion142is visible through opening368in rear wall370. Locking protrusion144is visible through opening374in rear wall370. Locking protrusion144is visible through opening374in rear wall370. Locking protrusion146is visible through opening378in rear wall370.

Although the rear surface372can be smooth, it is a significant advantage to have a multiplicity of bumps or ridges400on the rear372of rear wall370to provide improved gripping and to assure that the cell phone protector case100will not fall out of a pocket in which it is carried.

The exterior soft shell370can include matching openings to match openings in the interior hard shell case such as opening375to match openings172,174and176; opening377to match opening182and opening379to match opening192.