Patent Publication Number: US-9833050-B1

Title: Reversible protective sleeve for electronic device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a nonprovisional utility application of the provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/153,254 filed in the United States Patent Office on Apr. 27, 2015 and claims the priority thereof and is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a sleeve for a portable electronic device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a protective multiply reversible sleeve for a portable electronic device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     People love their portable electronic devices. These devices, such as smart phones, tablets, E-readers and laptops, travel everywhere with their owners. However, these devices are also fragile. Most have screens that easily crack or shatter. 
     These devices are often dropped, banged and knocked about. Their very portability makes them vulnerable to damage during transport, especially since these devices are constant companions. 
     Most people place their devices in protective covers such as jackets or sleeves. From the very beginning, people wanted to make these protective jackets and sleeves into fashion accessories. From the very first “skin” for cellular phones, designers saw the potential to use the surface of these protective devices as a canvas for expression. 
     People quickly fell in love with their “skins” and covers and made multiple purchases, swapping the protective covers so that different designs displayed depending on the owner&#39;s mood, clothing ensemble or situation. These protective covers did not just protect the portable electronics but became fashion accessories. 
     Rather than purchase multiple covers, some people purchased covers that were reversible, giving the owner two choices to display. To increase the number of choices, people had to purchase multiple covers. 
     While these covers may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes and advantages of the present disclosure as disclosed hereafter. 
     In the present disclosure, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned. 
     While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein. 
     The present disclosure addresses at least one of the foregoing disadvantages. However, it is contemplated that the present disclosure may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claims should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed hereinabove. To the accomplishment of the above, this disclosure may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the disclosure. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     An aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide a protective sleeve for electronic devices that is multiply reversible. Accordingly, an aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure provides a protective sleeve having a plurality of members, each having a different singular appearance that can be turned inside out to expose a surface with another different singular appearance. 
     Another aspect of an example embodiment in the present disclosure is to provide a protective sleeve that has a plurality of appearances. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a sleeve having four members and three compartments that can continually be turned inside out, changing the appearance of the sleeve with each turn. 
     Accordingly, the present disclosure describes a protective multiply reversible sleeve for an electronic device that provides a plurality of appearances. The sleeve has four members, each member having a flap and a panel with an opening between. The four panels form three compartments. The compartments can be turned inside out producing a different appearance every time the compartment is inverted, transforming the sleeve. The members are adjacent to each other, with the flap of one member opposite the panel of another member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example embodiment of a multiply reversible protective sleeve for an electronic device. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the example embodiment of the reversible protective sleeve for an electronic device beginning an inversion process. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the example embodiment of the reversible protective sleeve for an electronic device in the inversion process. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the example embodiment of the reversible protective sleeve for an electronic device ending the inversion process. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the example embodiment of the reversible protective sleeve for an electronic device showing a new surface appearance. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the example embodiment of the reversible protective sleeve for an electronic device showing an electronic device therein. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the example embodiment of the reversible sleeve cut along a center longitudinal axis. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a plurality of members comprising the example embodiment of the reversible sleeve. 
     
    
    
     The present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various example embodiments. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure is thorough, complete and fully conveys the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a reversible protective sleeve  10  for an electronic device. The sleeve  10  is reversible, that is, an appearance of the sleeve  10  is reversibly changeable while maintaining the ability to protect the electronic device. Further, the sleeve is multiply reversible, transforming the appearance not just twice by a single inversion, but through multiple inversions. 
     The sleeve  10  accomplishes the change in appearance through a plurality of members that easily slip inside each other, exchanging positions within the sleeve and displaying different surface appearances on the sleeve exterior, transforming the appearance of the sleeve  10  with each exchange. 
     Shown is a first member  20  with a panel  32  and flap  22 , the panel and flap overlapping an opening  28  towards the center of the opening. The panel  32  has a top  32 T, a bottom  32 B and a pair of sides  32 S. The flap  22  has a top  22 T, a bottom  22 B and a pair of sides  22 S. The first member  20  has a continuous edge formed by the panel bottom  32 B, the panel sides  32 S, the flap sides  22 S and the flap top  22 T. The panel and flap do not overlap at the flap sides  22 S and panel sides  32 S but only towards the center of the opening  28 . The flap  22  can tuck behind the panel  32  or reversibly, the panel  32  can tuck behind the flap  22 . 
     The other members are identically constructed, each with a continuous edge. The continuous edges of the members are bound together by a seam  12 , coupling the members together as described hereinbelow. The seam can be formed by heat sealing, stitching, gluing, bias binding or other methods of seaming materials, the method of forming the seam not being a limitation. 
     In the illustration, the flap  22  of the first member  20  has a first surface  24  with a first singular associated appearance and the panel  32  of the first member  20  has a first surface  34  with a second singular associated appearance. In the illustration, the two surfaces have the same singular appearance. This should not be construed as a limitation. 
     The surfaces of each member of the sleeve and of each flap and each panel comprising one member can have a singular associated appearance, each one different, but also the panels and flaps can have surfaces with matching appearances within each member or some combination thereof. 
     Each flap as described below has a pair of opposing surfaces back to back, each surface capable of presenting its own singular associated appearance and each panel has a pair of opposing surfaces back to back, each surface capable its own singular associated appearance. Both surfaces of the flap may have the same associated appearance and both surfaces of the panel may have the same associated appearance. 
     It is understood that each flap having two surfaces and each panel having each surfaces is capable of matching the surfaces of other flaps, other flap surfaces other panels and other panel surfaces. In the embodiment that uses nonwoven materials, the two surfaces of each flap may have the same appearance and the two surfaces of each panel may have the same appearance. 
     In one example embodiment, the members are constructed from neoprene and laminated with nylon/spandex, the nylon/spandex capable of infinite variations in appearance such as solid colors and limitless patterns. Other materials that have the same resiliency and stretch as these materials are envisioned as part of the inventive concept. 
     In another example embodiment, the neoprene members have colors and dyes added directly to polymer, creating members that have the same appearance on both back to back surfaces. Other similar materials such as other polyester-polyurethane copolymer that have sufficient stretch and resiliency as neoprene are envisioned as part of the inventive concept. 
       FIG. 2  through  FIG. 4  show a user  100  transforming the sleeve  10 . A second member  40  is pulled through the opening  28  of the first member  20  and folded over the sleeve  10 , providing a singular appearance to the sleeve by displaying an associated appearance of a first surface  54  of the panel  52  of the second member  40  and an associated appearance of a first surface  44  of the flap  42 , the second member, forming a first outer compartment and further displaying an associated appearance of a second surface  36  of the panel of the first member  20  and an associated appearance of a second surface  26  of the flap  22  the first member forming a second outer compartment. 
       FIG. 5  shows the transformed sleeve  10  with a first surface  44  of the flap  42  of the second member  40  and the first surface  54  of the panel  52  of the second member  40  forming an opening  48 . One of ordinary skill understands that this transformation can be continued as described hereinbelow, the sleeve  10  having an even number of members. 
     The following transformations are not shown in separate illustrations, but  FIGS. 2 through 4  show the process that is repeated. With each repetition, the sleeve  10  changes in appearance. The third member is pulled through the opening of the second member and folded over the sleeve, providing an singular appearance to the sleeve by displaying an associated appearance of a first surface of the panel of the third member and an associated appearance of a first surface of the flap of the third member, forming a first outer compartment and further displaying an associated appearance of a second surface of the panel of the second member and an associated appearance of a second surface of the flap of the second member forming a second outer compartment opposite the first. 
     The fourth member is pulled through the opening of the third member and folded over the sleeve  10 , providing a singular appearance to the sleeve by displaying an associated appearance of a first surface of the panel of the fourth member and an associated appearance of a first surface of the flap of the fourth member, forming a first outer compartment and further displaying an associated appearance of a second surface of the panel of the third member and an associated appearance of a second surface of the third member forming a second outer compartment. 
     The first member is pulled through the opening of the fourth member and folded over the sleeve  10 , providing an original singular appearance to the sleeve by displaying an associated appearance of a first surface of the panel of the first member and an associated appearance of a first surface of the flap of the first member, forming a first outer compartment and further displaying an associated appearance of a second surface of the panel of the fourth member and an associated appearance of a second surface of the fourth member forming a second outer compartment, the sleeve returning to the original singular appearance as shown in  FIG. 1   
       FIG. 6  shows an electronic device  102  inside the sleeve  10 , the seam  12  joining the members together, the electronic device sitting in a first outer compartment  14  formed by the joined members  20 ,  40 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the construction of an example embodiment of the sleeve  10  having at least four members. The sleeve  10  has the first member  20 , the second member  40 , the third member  60 , and the fourth member  80 . The first member  20  has the flap  22  showing the first surface  24  and the panel  32  showing the first surface  34 . 
     The second member  40  has the flap  42  showing the first surface  44  and the panel  52  showing the first surface  54 . 
     The third member  60  has the flap  62  showing the first surface  64  and the panel  72  showing the first surface  74 . 
     The fourth member  80  has the flap  82  showing the first surface  84  and the panel  92  showing the first surface  94 . 
     To construct the sleeve, the second member  40  is placed adjacent to the first member  20 , the first surface  44  of the second member flap  40  is opposite the second surface (not visible) of the first member panel  32  and the first surface  54  of the second member panel  52  is opposite the second surface (not visible) of the first member flap  24 . 
     The third member  60  is placed adjacent to the second member  40 , the first surface  64  of the third member flap  60  is opposite the second surface (not visible) of the second member panel  52  and the first surface  74  of the third member panel  72  is opposite the second surface (not visible) of the second member flap  44 . 
     The fourth member  80  is placed adjacent to the third member  60 , the first surface  84  of the fourth member flap  80  is opposite the second surface (not visible) of the third member panel  72  and the first surface  94  of the fourth member panel  92  is opposite the second surface (not visible) of the third member flap  64 . 
     The continuous edges of the members as described hereinabove are bound together by a seam  12 , coupling the members together. 
     Described and shown was the reversible sleeve having at least four members, but a greater even number of members is possible within the inventive concept. 
       FIG. 7  shows a cross-section down the center long axis of the sleeve  10 , showing how the four members form three compartments, two outer compartments  14 ,  18  and an inner compartment  16  that is concealed. Starting from the left side of the drawing, the first flap  22  has two surfaces, the first surface  24  and the second surface  28 . The panel has two surfaces, the first surface  34  and the second surface  36 . Between the flap  22  and panel  32  is the opening  28 . 
     The second panel  52  is opposite the first flap  22  and the second flap  44  is opposite the first panel  32 , forming an outer first compartment  14 . The second panel  52  has two surfaces, the first surface  54  and the second surface  56  and the second flap  42  has two surfaces, the first surface  44  and the second surface  46 . There is an opening  48  between the second flap  42  and the second panel  52 . 
     The third panel  72  is opposite the second flap  42  and the third flap  64  is opposite the second panel  52 , forming an inner second compartment  16 . The third panel  72  has two surfaces, the first surface  74  and the second surface  76  and the third flap  62  has two surfaces, the first surface  64  and the second surface  66 . There is an opening  68  between the third flap  62  and the third panel  72 . 
     The fourth panel  92  is opposite the third flap  62  and the fourth flap  84  is opposite the second panel  72 , forming an outer third compartment  18 . The fourth panel  92  has two surfaces, the first surface  94  and the second surface  96  and the fourth flap  82  has two surfaces, the first surface  84  and the second surface  86 . There is an opening  88  between the fourth flap  62  and the fourth panel  72 . 
     The appearance of the sleeve  10  changes every time one of the outer compartments is turned inside out, but three compartments are always available to be used for storing an electronic device or article, the inner compartment  16  generally concealed. 
     All three compartments are useful for protecting an electronic device. Three similarly sized electronic devices could be stored, one in each separate compartment. The size of the sleeve is adjustable to fit a wide variety of electronic devices from smart phones, tablets, “phablets” and laptops. 
     It is further understood that the structure of the multiply reversible sleeve as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  can be made from many different types of pliant materials and fabrics and can used in other contexts, such as for pillow shams, pillow cases, duvet covers, placemats and similar bedding articles and furniture accessories. The multiply reversible sleeve functions in the same manner with the same structure regardless of the articles that are within the sleeve that are being covered or protected. Size and intended purpose are not limitations of the multiply reversible sleeve. 
     It is further understood that when an element is referred hereinabove as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. 
     Moreover, any components or materials can be formed from a same, structurally continuous piece or separately fabricated and connected. 
     It is understood that, although ordinal terms, such as, “first,” “second,” “third,” are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Thus, “a first element,” “component,” “region,” “layer” or “section” discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings herein. 
     Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like, are used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It is understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     Example embodiments are described herein with reference to cross section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, example embodiments described herein should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions as illustrated herein, but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated or described as flat may, typically, have rough and/or nonlinear features. Moreover, sharp angles that are illustrated may be rounded. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region and are not intended to limit the scope of the present claims. 
     In conclusion, herein is presented a multiply reversible protective sleeve for electronic devices. The disclosure is illustrated by example in the drawing figures, and throughout the written description. It should be understood that numerous variations are possible, while adhering to the inventive concept. Such variations are contemplated as being a part of the present disclosure.