Abstract:
A mobile phone case that is characterized by an on-board electrical heating element which is exposed through the mechanical action of a retractable cover. The heating element utilizes resistive heating by inducing electrical current through a small coil housed on the back of the phone case. The heating coil is powered by an internal battery and when activated, is used to ignite common materials normally accomplished by the use of a traditional butane lighter. The cover that shields the element is simultaneously used to activate a switch on an internal circuit to allow power to be sent to the heating coil and heat to a temperature high enough for wick-lick and paper materials to ignite. The cover and phone case material is designed with materials to prevent burning of the case and so heat is only transferred to the intended object.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to the field of mobile phone cases, and more specifically, to mobile phone cases having a heating capability. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The mobile phone has become the mainstream of telecommunications, replacing traditional wired technology. For carrying a mobile phone, many people place the mobile phone in a mobile phone case. There is a large variety of mobile phone cases on the market today and most changes that have evolved in mobile phone cases have involved personalized and customized phone accessories. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Embodiments are disclosed relating to a technologically advanced mobile phone case. Systems and devices for a mobile phone case, enclosing a battery and a heating element are provided. 
         [0004]    According to embodiments disclosed herein, a mobile phone case preferably includes a battery, control circuitry, switches, a charging receptacle, an adapter, and a resistive heating element. The preferred adapter is configured to connect to a charging port on a mobile phone housed within the case. Preferably a switch on the case can be activated to allow the battery enclosed within the case to provide electrical power through the adapter to charge the mobile phone battery. In addition to this switch, two other switches may be located on the case: a spring-return slide switch and a momentary switch. The preferred slide switch, when in a closed position, covers up the resistive heating element. When the momentary switch is activated and the slide switch is moved to expose the heating element, the battery can power the heating element to provide thermal heat to ignite, for example, tobacco products, such as a cigarette or other combustible products, such as candles and wicks. Thus, the battery can provide an electrical charge to the mobile phone battery or it can provide electrical power to operate the heating element. 
         [0005]    In an exemplary embodiment, the mobile phone case may also include a timer circuit that limits the time that the heating element will be activated despite the simultaneous use of the momentary switch and the slide switch. Preferably the timer circuit will automatically stop powering the heating element after a specified amount of time. In turn, a user continuously depressing the momentary switch and holding the slide switch open cannot compromise the safety of the heating element or power the element for a continuous period if both switches are activated by accident. This embodiment provides three backups for safely operating the device and preventing accidental operation when in a pocket or purse. 
         [0006]    According to another exemplary embodiment, the heating element is attached to a cartridge, which is movably attached to the mobile phone case. As such, users can swap in a replacement cartridge, should the original heating element or cartridge fail. 
         [0007]    Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combinations of features as may be generally recited in the claims and later in the specification. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a mobile phone case and heating element, according to an exemplary embodiment, including a cigarette being ignited by the heating element of the case. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded front view of the mobile phone case of  FIG. 1  with a heating element cartridge door in an open position according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a heating element cartridge that holds a heating element which may be used with the mobile phone case of  FIG. 1  according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a partially exploded front view of the mobile phone case of  FIG. 1  including an exemplary mobile phone. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the mobile phone case of  FIG. 1  with an exemplary mobile phone. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of a circuit capable for use with the mobile phone case of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of a future embodiment of a circuit cable for use with the mobile phone case of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mobile phone case  100  including a heating element  110  according to an exemplary embodiment. Case  100  is configured to house a mobile phone  400  ( FIG. 5 ) having a charging port and a rechargeable battery. In addition to its technological features described below, case  100  is useful to protect the mobile phone from inadvertent user drops and scratches. According to an exemplary embodiment, case  100  is configured to fit any Apple iPhone® predating the Apple iPhone®  5 . In this embodiment, mobile phone  400  is illustrated as an Apple iPhone 4®. In alternative embodiments, case  100  is configured to fit mobile phones including, but not limited to, a RiMM Blackberry®, a Samsung Galaxy®, an HTC Evo®, a Motorola RAZR®, a Palm Centro®, or an Apple iPhone® 5. Moreover, case  100  can be configured to house future mobile phones without changing the essence of the present invention. 
         [0016]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , according to a further exemplary embodiment, a charging receptacle  150  is electrically connected to phone case  100  by means of a circuit board  260  ( FIG. 2 ) and is configured to charge a rechargeable battery  240  ( FIG. 2 ) enclosed internally within case  100 . According to an exemplary embodiment, charging receptacle  150  is a thirty ( 30 ) pin dock connector found on Apple iPhones® predating the Apple iPhone® 5. According to an alternative embodiment, charging receptacle  150  is a Apple Lightning® connector used with the Apple iPhone® 5. According to other alternative embodiments, charging receptacle  150  is any type of charging receptacle used with smartphones, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a mini-USB, and a micro-USB. 
         [0017]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , in order to operate heating element  110  for igniting materials such as a cigarette  170 , a slide switch  120  moves back and forth in directions indicated by arrow  121 . Movement of slide switch  120  to the open position shown in  FIG. 1  exposes heating element  110  through an opening  160 . This in turn also completes the heating circuit by using a slide-contact in slide switch  120 , that physically interacts with circuit board  260  ( FIG. 2 ) enclosed inside case  100 . Slide switch  120  may automatically return to the closed position in a direction opposite of that in  FIG. 1  by means of a spring-loaded mechanism so that the user must hold slide switch  120  down for reasons of safety. Simultaneously however, a momentary switch  130  must be depressed to operate heating element  110 . Depressing momentary switch  130  in conjunction with moving slide switch  120  into the open position acts as a safety mechanism to prevent inadvertent activation of heating element  110 . Thus, the user cannot activate heating element  110  by separately opening slide switch  120  or pressing momentary switch  130 . According to an alternative embodiment, momentary switch  130  is a toggle switch, whereby the user can move the toggle switch to a closed position and only needs to move slide switch  120  into the open position to activate heating element  110 . According to another alternative embodiment, switch  130  may be a rocker switch. According to a further alternative embodiment, switch  130  may be a push-button switch. And, according to another alternative embodiment, switch  130  may be a selector switch. 
         [0018]    In an alternative embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 , case  100  may utilize a circuit containing a timer-activated switch  135  integrated with circuit board  260  ( FIG. 2 .) that prohibits heating element  110  from being activated for a length of time longer than a specified/pre-programmed amount of time despite momentary switch  130  being depressed and slide switch  120  being held in the open position. This is an additional safety mechanism that can be used to make the present invention even safer for its users. 
         [0019]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , a selector switch  140  controls charging of the mobile phone battery. According to an exemplary embodiment, selector switch  140  is a two-position switch configured to operate between an ON and an OFF position. When selector switch  140  is moved to the OFF position, rechargeable battery  240  ( FIG. 2 ) enclosed within mobile phone case  100  does not provide electrical power through an adapter  230  ( FIG. 2 ) to the mobile phone battery. When the selector switch  140  is in the ON position, rechargeable battery  240  ( FIG. 2 ) enclosed within mobile phone case  100  provides electrical power through adapter  230  ( FIG. 2 ) to recharge the mobile phone battery. According to an alternative embodiment, switch  140  may be a toggle switch. According to another alternative embodiment, switch  140  may be a push-button switch. According to an yet another alternative embodiment, switch  140  may be a rocker switch. Finally, this supplemental charging function may be used for auxiliary power in emergency situations when battery  240  of mobile phone  400  has depleted its normal charge, or it may be used to extend the original battery life by ideally doubling the normal charge capacity of mobile phone  400 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  also shows a cutout  215  in case  100  to allow for the use of an existing camera built into mobile phone  400 . In an alternative embodiment, other cutouts may be placed in case  100  where needed to accommodate for other phone features, such as microphones, headphone jacks, speakers, light sensors, volume control buttons and other components applicable to modern-day smart phones. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  illustrates how case  100  fits together and how the internal components of case  100  interact with each other according to an exemplary embodiment. According to an exemplary embodiment, mobile phone case  100  is split into a first piece  210  and a second piece  220 . First piece  210  and second piece  220  slide over the mobile phone and according to an exemplary embodiment, are snap connected to each other by pushing the pieces together in the direction of arrow  211 . In alternative embodiments, the two pieces may be tight slip-fitted together. In an alternative embodiment, phone case  100  may be a single unit, not capable of being split into top and bottom pieces. In that embodiment, case  100  is pressed over the mobile phone. According to an exemplary embodiment, case  100  is plastic (or polymer) based. According to an alternative embodiment, case  100  may be metallic based. 
         [0022]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , according to an exemplary embodiment, battery  240  is a lithium-polymer (LiPo) battery. According to a further exemplary embodiment, battery  240  is rechargeable. According to another exemplary embodiment, battery  240  is capable of supplying one (1) to five (5) Amps of electrical current to heating element  110  ( FIG. 1 ) to preferably provide coil temperatures in the range of one thousand ( 1000 ) to two thousand ( 2000 ) degrees Fahrenheit required to combust cigarette  170  ( FIG. 1 ), as well as other tobacco products, paper, leaves, tinder, or wick materials within 1 or 2 seconds. This method of lighting materials is more efficient than burning traditional lighter fuels, cleaner, and also eliminates the need for disposable products, in turn saving the user money in a long term situation as well as protecting the environment. Resistive heating elements are also not prone to the negative effects of a traditional lighter such as wind conditions, as well as wet conditions which could aid campers or backpackers more useful and reliable lighting tools in survival situations. This embodiment makes heating element  110  reusable by simply recharging battery  240  when depleted, using standard mobile phone chargers. In an alternative embodiment, battery  240  may be any lithium-based battery capable of being recharged and capable of supplying one (1) to five (5) Amps to heating element  110  ( FIG. 1 ). Not shown in  FIG. 2  for clarity but illustrated in  FIG. 4 , is a cover  280  ( FIG. 4 ) used to enclose battery  240  and circuit board  260  within case  100 . Cover  280  can be removed to allow for a replacement battery to be installed. In an alternative embodiment, battery  240  may be permanently enclosed within case  100 , such that a user could not replace it. In yet another alternative embodiment, battery  240  may be permanently secured to circuit board  260 , such that a user could not replace it. 
         [0023]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , adapter  230  is used to connect to the charging port on the mobile phone. According to an exemplary embodiment, adapter  230  is a thirty (30) pin connector configured to connect to Apple iPhones® predating the Apple iPhone® 5. According to an alternative embodiment, adapter  230  may be a Apple Lightning® connector used to connect with a Apple iPhone® 5. According to alternative embodiments, adapter  230  may be USB-based, such as a mini-USB or a micro-USB and configured to attach to other mobile smartphones. Other mobile smartphones include, but are not limited to, all variations of RiMM Blackberry®, Samsung Galaxy®, HTC Evo®, Motorola RAZR®, and Palm Centro®. As mentioned above, when selector switch  140  is moved into the ON position shown in  FIG. 1 , rechargeable battery  240  supplies electrical power through adapter  230  to provide a charge to the battery in the mobile phone  400 . And, as also described above, battery  240  can be recharged using charging receptacle  150  while simultaneously charging the internal battery of mobile phone  400  as well. In an alternative embodiment, adapter  230  may be configured to charge battery  240  separate from the internal battery of mobile phone  400 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 &amp; 4 , according to an exemplary embodiment, a heating element cartridge  300  is removably located in a receptacle  340 , preferably by being press-fit into receptacle  340  and attached to circuit board  260  by direct contact. Heating element cartridge  300  is preferably accessed through a door  250  which opens and closes in direction of arrow  251 . Door  250  may be provided to cover and secure heating element cartridge  300  ( FIG. 3 ) in phone case  100 . Door  250  is preferably accessible from the inside of phone case  100  where the back wall of mobile phone  400  sits against case  100 . According to an exemplary embodiment, when door  250  is in the open position, cartridge  300  ( FIG. 3 ) may be removed and replaced by seating it in receptacle  340  ( FIG. 4 ) if cartridge  300  or heating element  110  were to fail by physical misuse or other means. In an exemplary embodiment, the inside face of door  250  includes a high-temperature plastic insulator, such as a polyimide, or ceramic insulator, such as alumina. According to an exemplary embodiment, door  250  is press-fit or snap connected to the case  100 . According to an alternative embodiment, door  250  may be secured by means of a screw or other similar anchoring methods. According to another alternative embodiment, door  250  may be hinged to case  100  and can swing open and closed without being completely removed. According to an alternative embodiment, phone case  100  does not include door  250 . In this embodiment, cartridge  300  ( FIG. 3 ) is not removable and replaceable and its back wall may independently act as an insulator to mobile phone  400 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary embodiment depicting the removable and replaceable heating element cartridge  300 . According to an exemplary embodiment, cartridge  300  holds heating element  110 . According to a further exemplary embodiment, heating element  110  is a resistive heating element, where the generation of heat is directly proportional to the resistance in the conducting material that comprises heating element  110 . According to exemplary embodiment, heating element  110  is secured to frame  320 . Heating element  110  is preferably suspended in open air across a cavity  330  in frame  320 . Cavity  330  separates heating element  110  from frame  320  to allow for proper heating of heating element  110  and to limit the transfer of heat to frame  320 . In this embodiment, frame  320  is made of a high temperature plastic insulator capable of withstanding the temperatures required to ignite cigarette  170  ( FIG. 1 ) and other similar materials. According to another exemplary embodiment, heating element  110  is nickel-chrome based. According to an alternative embodiment, heating element  110  may be a Kanthal® iron-chromium-aluminum alloy. As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 3 , heating element  100  is spiral shaped. In an alternative embodiment, heating element  110  may be serpentine shaped. In another alternative embodiment, heating element  110  may be shaped in other orientations not mentioned to provide the most efficient form of heat transfer. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , electrical contacts  310  allow electrical current from rechargeable battery  240  to flow through heating element  110  when the switches  120  &amp;  130  are activated as described previously. According to an exemplary embodiment, electrical contacts  310  are aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In an alternative embodiment, electrical contacts  310  may be copper, gold, or a similar high electrical conductivity metal. According to an exemplary embodiment, the coil wire ends of heating element  110  are crimp-connected to terminal contact strips  310 . In an alternative embodiment, the coil ends may be soldered to contacts  310 . In an alternative embodiment, the coil ends may be brazed to contacts  310 . When cartridge  300  is seated into receptacle  340 , contacts  310  are electrically connected to heating element  110  with battery  240  via conductors  270  ( FIG. 2 ) making heating element  110  operational. A high conductivity, low resistance metal is preferred for use as contacts  310 . This allows the surface-to-surface contact between contacts  310  and circuit board  260  enclosed within case  100  to maintain electrical conductivity and minimize self-heating of contacts  310  through ohmic dissipation. 
         [0027]    According to an alternative embodiment, electrical contacts  310  are soldered to circuit board  260  connected to battery  240 . In this embodiment, cartridge  300  is fixed in case  100  and cannot be removed or replaced. Furthermore, according to other alternative embodiments, contacts  310  can be brazed or connected by any other means of electrical connection to circuit board  260  connected to battery  240 . In these embodiments, cartridge  300  is fixed within case  100 . 
         [0028]      FIGS. 2 &amp; 4  are an exploded view that illustrates assembly of case  100 . In an exemplary embodiment, door  250  can swing open and closed so that cartridge  300  can be seated into receptacle  340  and allow electrical contacts  310  to make contact with conductors  270  ( FIG. 2 ) on circuit board  260 . Once this piece is secured, first piece  210  is removed so that a mobile phone can be inserted into second piece  220  and connected to adapter  230 . First piece  210  is then replaced and the heating element  110  is operated by activating both switches simultaneously. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is an assembled front view showing case  100  housing mobile phone  400  and ready for operation. 
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration of an exemplary circuit used to power heating element  110 . In this embodiment, it is noted that the components in  FIG. 6  depict the main switches, conductors, battery, and other important electrical components described thus far, relating to the heating circuit, but are not limited to, integrated circuits, microchips, capacitors, resistors, rectifiers, transistors, thyristors, semiconductors and other more complex circuitry required for the charging circuit. In this exemplary embodiment, when slide switch  120  and momentary switch  130  are in a closed-circuit position, as well as timer-switch  135 , the circuit is completed. Rechargeable battery  240  will then allow power to heating element  110  via conductors  270  and heating can occur as outlined in previous sections. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , in an alternative embodiment, the circuit shown functions the same way as the circuit shown in  FIG. 6 , but with the inclusion of a heating mode switch  145  ( FIG. 7 ). In this alterative embodiment switch  145  can add or remove a resistor  146  ( FIG. 7 ) into the heating circuit to provide low and high heating modes. This would allow the option for battery life to be saved when lighting light-duty materials such as cigarettes, and would also be able to provide sufficient thermal power when lighting heavy-duty materials such as cigars, and wax candles. This alterative embodiment may provide an external switch on case  100  similar to the two-position switch  140  described in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0032]    In operation, the user picks up cell phone case  100  and separates first piece  210  and second piece  220 . The user then slides mobile phone  400  into second piece  220 . Once mobile phone  400  is properly seated and secured over adapter  230 , first piece  210  is replaced and slides over mobile phone  400 . In order for the user to ignite cigarette  170 , preferably a thumb can be used to move slide switch  120  in a direction shown by arrow  121  to expose heating element  110 , while also using another finger to simultaneously depress momentary switch  130 . Once this sequence is complete, heating element  110  will heat to a usable temperature and glow to indicate successful operation. The user may then hold the end of cigarette  170  up to heating element  110  through opening  160  will simultaneously inhaling cigarette  170 . The result is a lit cigarette  170  with the use of no combustible fuels or disposable products. 
         [0033]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to example embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention is not limited to a particular embodiment, but extends to various modifications, combinations, and permutations that nevertheless fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.