Patent Publication Number: US-2007115621-A1

Title: Appearance altering overlay

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention generally relates to accessories for portable electronic devices and more particularly to customizable attachments for use with the housings of portable electronic devices.  
      2. General Background and State of the Art  
      A typical portable electronic device such as a laptop computer includes a multi-piece plastic or metallic housing enclosing a primary input section such as a keyboard and a primary output section such as a display screen. Such housing may also enclose slots for a battery pack, optical disc drive, and a range of connector slots. A common construction is the two section clam shell laptop. The lower section or base houses the key board, battery pack, connector slots, and optical disc drive. The upper section encloses the display screen. Both sections are connected via at least one hinge. When closed together, the display screen is protected between the upper and lower sections. The back side of the upper section is typically a plastic or metal rear cover plate that covers up the rear portion of the display screen and protects the screen when the case is closed. A company logo is generally displayed on rear cover plate. Common colors include silver, chrome, grey, black, and white. The rear panel is typically opaque. While a company may put out different product line versions, most of the changes from version to version address the functionality and size of the internal electronic components of the device to produce faster processing speeds, smaller case profiles, and lighter weight components. However, each model is substantially like the others in appearance. While the color of the line may also be periodically modified, the user is still stuck with the device&#39;s cosmetic appearance as purchased. In addition, the company logo is typically prominently placed on the rear cover plate.  
      However, it will be appreciated that with the increased use of laptops, and in particular for presentation purposes, an advertising avenue is not being fully exploited. Often, the presenter will set up the laptop in a visible section of the room and couple the laptop to a projector or other display device. Thus, the back side of the laptop remains in view before the captive audience during the entire presentation. Some simplistic attempts to customize the laptop&#39;s appearance have been attempted to take advantage of this space. One example is provided by individuals who generally tape a sheet of paper or place a sticker on the rear cover plate of the laptop bearing their company logo or other related advertising feature. However, the durability of these materials and their less than professional appearance call into question their usefulness.  
      Another approach is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,033 and related U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,282, both to Andre&#39; et al. The approach in these patents is to provide a reconfigurable attachment plate for a laptop. A bezel formed on the rear surface of the upper housing of the mobile computer includes a mounting surface for receiving an intermediate attachment plate. The attachment plate and bezel are releasably connected via a complementary set of complex fingers and slots formed in their respective mating surfaces. A panel is then fixedly retained to the attachment plate. To exchange the panel, the entire attachment plate-panel integrated unit must be removed from the bezel. This complex mating pattern of the attachment plate and bezel creates a significant manufacturing cost and limits the attachment plate to be connected to only those rear cover plates with the complemental fasteners. In addition, there is no means of adjusting the width of the attachment plate and thus the attachment plate will only fit on the game sized laptops.  
      Other attempts at covering devices such as those found in U.S. Patent. No. D469,120; U.S. Patent. No. D389,818; U.S. Patent. No. D373,348; and U.S. Patent. No. D349,893 are generally flexible plastic covers and useful only as dust covers. Those dust covers found in these patents that merely drape over the electronic device and not secured thereto are impractical to use during transport or use of a mobile electronic device such as a laptop as the covers would fall off of the device. Those dust covers found in these patents that include attachment bands are also impractical since the bands would either obscure the viewing screen (U.S. Patent. No. D373,348) or inhibit opening of the device (U.S. Patent. No. D389,818) when installed.  
      What is needed and heretofore unavailable is an appearance altering overlay providing a variety of end user customizable options with the capability to conform to a variety of mobile electronic device dimensions without inhibiting the use and/or transportation of the device while remaining relatively inexpensive to manufacture.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an appearance altering overlay, for use with a portable electronic device having a display screen arranged in a protective housing having an external finished surface defining a first appearance, is provided with a covering body with a substantially rigid region and an interior surface constructed to overlie the finished surface in a close fitting arrangement and an exterior surface with an outwardly facing display section defining a second appearance. The overlay may further have first and second connectors with respective retention members projecting from the ends of the covering body and operable to releasably retain the covering body on the protective housing. The connectors are constructed to be releasably retained on the protective housing in a non-obstructional position relative to the display screen while aligning the display section of the covering body to cover up at least some of the finished surface so as present the second user customizable appearance instead of the first appearance provided by the manufacturer. The overlay may be mounted on the portable electronic device during use or transport.  
      In one aspect of the present invention, the display section of the overlay may include at least one pocket with a viewing window for the storage of user selected materials for further customization of the overlay. An optional closure device may be incorporated into the pocket.  
      Another feature of the present invention is the provision of at least one expandable region either in a retention member or the covering body wherein the overlay may be expanded to accommodate a variety of portable electronic device dimensions.  
      Other aspects of the present invention will become apparent with further reference to the following drawings and specification.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1A  is an upper left perspective diagram illustrating an exemplary appearance altering overlay in accordance with the present invention prior to installation on a conventional portable electronic device;  
       FIG. 1B  is a similar view as shown in  FIG. 1A  with the overlay partially mounted on the portable electronic device;  
       FIG. 1C  is a similar view as shown in  FIG. 1A  with the overlay completely mounted on the portable electronic device;  
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged scale front end view of the overlay mounted on the portable electronic device as shown in  FIG. 1C ;  
       FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of a conventional portable electronic device in a working position including the overlay of  FIG. 1  mounted thereon with an alternative image;  
       FIG. 4  is a front view, in reduced scale, of the portable electronic device and overlay of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the appearance altering overlay of  FIG. 1A  depicting the partial insertion of a sheet of advertising material into a slot opening of a pocket of the overlay;  
       FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the appearance altering overlay of  FIG. 5  illustrating the pocket of  FIG. 5  with a closure device;  
       FIG. 6B  is a close-up projection view illustrating an exemplary closure device for the pocket in  FIG. 6A ;  
       FIG. 6C  is a close-up projection view illustrating another exemplary closure for the pocket in  FIG. 6A ;  
       FIG. 7  is an upper left perspective view of a third embodiment of an appearance altering overlay in accordance with the present invention wherein the overlay includes a flexible region;  
       FIG. 8  is an upper left perspective of a fourth embodiment of an appearance altering overlay in accordance with the present invention with the overlay separate from the portable electronic device on the left hand side of the drawing and with the overlay mounted on the portable electronic device on the right hand side of the drawing;  
       FIG. 9  is top view of an alternative embodiment of the appearance altering overlay in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 10  is a front view of the conventional portable electronic device with the overlay of  FIG. 9  mounted thereon and including alternative fasteners;  
       FIG. 11  is a top view of another embodiment of the appearance altering overlay in accordance with the present invention with the connectors in an unstretched condition;  
       FIG. 12  is a bottom end view of the overlay in  FIG. 11 , the top end view being substantially identical;  
       FIG. 13  is a top view of an exemplary portable electronic device in a closed configuration with the overlay of  FIG. 11  mounted thereon and the connectors in a stretched condition;  
       FIG. 14  is a bottom end view of the device and overlay of  FIG. 13 ;  
       FIG. 15  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of appearance altering overlay in accordance with the present invention with the central region of the overlay in an unstretched condition;  
       FIG. 16  is a bottom end view of the overlay of  FIG. 15 , the top end view being substantially identical;  
       FIG. 17  is a top view of an exemplary portable electronic device in a closed configuration with the overlay of  FIG. 15  mounted thereon and the central region of the overlay in a stretched condition; and  
       FIG. 18  is a bottom end view of the overlay and portable electronic device of  FIG. 17 .  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring initially to the illustrations in  FIGS. 1A-1C , an exemplary appearance altering overlay, in accordance with the present invention and generally designated  20 , is depicted in three stages of assembly including complete separation, intermediate installation, and complete installation on a conventional portable electronic device, generally designated  22 , such as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) laptop computer. In  FIGS. 1A-1C  and  2 , the portable electronic device is shown in a closed configuration commonly assumed during transport or storage. In  FIGS. 3-4 , the portable electronic device is shown in an open configuration commonly assumed during use.  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1A-4 , the conventional portable electronic device  22  is in the form of a rectangular two-piece clam shell construction comprised of a lower housing  24  connected via an elongated back side hinge  25  ( FIG. 3 ) to an upper housing  26 . The lower housing  24  provides a flat base  28  for resting the device on a flat surface or on the user&#39;s lap. This base is normally hidden from view when the device is in use and typically includes an access door for the battery pack. Projecting upwardly from all four sides of the base is a lower side wall  27  that spans the periphery of the base and terminates in an uppermost edge  29  ( FIGS. 3-4 ).  
      Arranged centrally in the lower housing  24  is a set of input devices, such as a keyboard  30  and touchpad  32 , positioned such that the input surfaces are exposed and facing upwardly when the electronic device is opened up and placed on its base  28  ( FIGS. 3-4 ). The lower housing  24  also encloses and protects several conventional components omitted from the figures including circuit boards, optical and magnetic storage drives, and a power source, i.e. a battery pack. Several openings are located around the peripheral side wall  27  of the lower housing to accommodate interface ports (not shown) providing a means of communication between internal and external components or accessories. The rear hinge  25  of the electronic device is typically a single hinge spanning the entire width of the device and sufficiently resistant to rotation such that the upper housing  26  may be rotated relative to the lower housing through a range of angles of approximately zero to 135 degrees and maintained in a fixed position at any angle in this range.  
      The upper housing  26  of the portable device  22  is typically rectangular and includes a central recess to receive a display device such as an LCD display or other conventional display device. A border  34  on the forward facing side of the upper housing, as viewed in  FIG. 4 , spans the periphery  35  of the display device viewing screen  36  and positions the screen centrally within the upper housing. The display screen  36  is arranged to face forwardly when the portable device is in the open position and presented to the user as in  FIG. 4 . In the closed position, the display screen is protected between the housings  24  and  26  and recessed sufficiently to avoid impact from the raised input surfaces of the input devices  30  and  32 .  
      With continued reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the outermost surface  38  of the upper housing  26  is a finished surface that commonly includes the manufacturer&#39;s logo (not shown). This finished surface  38  of the upper housing  26  is conventionally constructed of a rigid plastic material and often provided with a protective coating. The finished surface is the normally rearward facing surface of the upper housing, relative to the portable device user, when the portable device  22  is in an open position. The OEM finished surface is thus highly visible from the back side when the portable device  22  is in use and also during transport when the portable device is closed. In either state, the finished surface generally dominates the exterior appearance of the device  22 . For example, during an event in which the device  22  is used to control an electronically generated presentation, this rear surface  38  of the upper housing  26  generally faces the audience so the presenter can view the display screen  36 . In meetings, personnel seated opposite a user are presented with the rear side finished surface  38  appearance when the device is in use. In almost any event where a captive audience is held and the device  22  is used, the audience will be viewing this finished surface  38  while the user views the display screen  36  and controls the presentation or reads from the display screen.  
      In addition, when the portable device  22  is closed, the appearance of the finished surface  38  of the upper housing  26  is the predominant visible feature of the portable device  22 . While an OEM may provide different product lines of portable devices  22  incorporating different exterior appearances, each model in a line is conventionally manufactured to appear the same. Even between different product lines there are generally consistent features such as the color and placement and style of the company logo. Conventionally, this top surface  38 , as viewed when the portable device is closed and placed on a support surface, is quite plain in appearance and common colors are black, gray, and white. This finished surface  38  is generally flat and rectangular but may include contours as well such as around the logo.  
      The finished surface  38  is connected to the outermost edge of the border  34  by a continuous upper housing sidewall  33 . Where the sidewall  33  meets the border  34 , an edge is formed  31 . When the upper and lower housings  24  and  26 , respectively, are closed together, the uppermost edge  29  and lowermost edge  31  of the housings  24  and  26 , respectively, meet to create a central seal line  37  around the periphery of the portable device  22 . The lower and upper housings  24  and  26  are formed of a rigid plastic that may be coated to resist scratching and scuffing. The housings protect the internal components of the portable device  22 . The outer edges of the housings are generally rounded off. The inner edges  29  and  31  typically have a more severe transition, i.e. a relatively more defined or sharper edge, than the outer edges.  
      Advantageously, the overlay of the present invention provides a means to alter this standardized OEM appearance in an economical manner with the added flexibility of adapting to multiple configurations of portable electronic device housings. Use of the overlay conveniently allows end users to customize their laptops and express themselves without being limited by the OEM designs. In addition, end users may take advantage of the space on the rear of the portable device to advertise their services since this dominant viewing surface will often get significant viewing time before a captive audience.  
      With continued reference to  FIGS. 1A-4 , the appearance altering overlay  20  includes a covering body  40  coextensive with a generally rectangular shaped central section  42  bounded by a free front edge  44 , a free back edge  46 , and left and right edges,  48  and  50 , respectively, as viewed in  FIG. 1A . In this exemplary embodiment, the opposing sets of edges are parallel to one another. When the overlay  20  is mounted on the portable device  22 , the front edge  44  becomes the top edge and the back edge  46  becomes the bottom edge as viewed in  FIG. 3  with the portable device in an operating position. The bottom or rear edge is generally defined as the edge that is closest to the hinge  25  when the overlay  20  is mounted on the portable device  22 .  
      The covering body  40  is preferably formed of a relatively thin but rigid plastic material but other suitable materials will occur to one of ordinary skill. The covering body includes an interior surface  52  that is constructed to be placed in close fitting arrangement with the finished surface  38  of the portable device  22 . When the overlay  20  is mounted on the portable device  22 , the interior surface  52  may directly abut the finished surface or may be closely spaced such that a relatively small gap is present between the two surfaces  38  and  52 . Thus, while the interior surface  52  is shown planar in  FIGS. 1A and 2  for use with a substantially planar finished surface  38 , should the finished surface include contours or other raised or depressed features, the interior surface would preferably be molded or otherwise suitably constructed to accommodate such features or include a sufficient gap to pass over such finished surface features during installation. The interior surface is preferably formed to complement the portion of the finished surface  38  that it covers although this is not a necessity.  
      On the flip side of the covering body  40  is an outwardly facing surface  54  including a display section  56 , outlined in dashed lines, disposed within the exterior surface. The display section may be coextensive with the entire exterior surface of the covering body  40  or merely comprise a portion thereof. This display section is preferably constructed to be an indicia receiving surface wherein a desired design or image  91  may be silk-screened or otherwise suitably imprinted onto or adhered to its surface. In  FIG. 3 , the design includes both an image and text and is rotated relative to the image in  FIG. 1A  to present a right side up image when the portable device is opened as in  FIG. 3 . In addition, the display section may be smooth, raised, and/or textured and generally provides a surface for advertising or customizing the appearance of the portable device  22 . The plastic overlay  20  may be dyed or otherwise colored with any color or combination of colors suitable for such process. The covering body  40  may also be transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque.  
      With reference to  FIGS. 1A-1C  and  2 , projecting downwardly from the left edge  48  of the covering body  40 , a generally C-shaped hook  58  forms a first connector. The lower most edge of the hook forms a retention lip  60 . In a similar manner, a C-shaped hook  62  projects downwardly from the right edge  50  of the covering body and forms an opposing second connector. The lower most edge of the second hook  62  also terminates in a retention lip  64 . The concave curvatures of the C-shaped hooks face one another. The hooks and covering body cooperate to form a generally channel shaped overlay  20 . Both connectors span the length of their corresponding left and right edges of the covering body  40 . With the overlay  20  mounted on the portable electronic device  22 , these hooks  58  and  62  cooperate to resist lateral movement of the overlay in relation to the device  22 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the retention lips hook under opposing sides of the lowermost edge  31  of the upper housing  26  of the portable device  22  and cooperate to resist upward removal of the overlay  20  in relation to the upper housing  26  when mounted thereon. Both the hooks and covering body of the overlay are preferably manufactured of a rigid plastic and dimensioned for a snug fit with the upper housing  26  of the portable device  22 . The hooks  58  and  62  are preferably constructed to be resilient and include a small degree of flex capability so that the hooks  58  and  62  may bend outwardly, if necessary, such that their respective retention lips  60  and  64  may pass over the outside edge  33  of the upper housing and then snap back into place underneath the lowermost edge  31  and squeeze inwardly to resist significant sliding movement of the overlay in relation to the portable device once the overlay is fully mounted thereon. The overlay  20  is frictionally retained to the upper housing  26  of the portable device  22  but can be removed with sufficient effort by the user. Such construction facilitates “snapping” the overlay in place onto the upper housing. Alternatively, the overlay may be slid over the upper housing as viewed progressively in  FIGS. 1A-1C  and described in further detail below.  
      For those portable devices  22  incorporating an upper housing  26  slightly larger than the width between the retention lips  60  and  64  of opposing hooks  58  and  62 , respectively, the retention lips may actually flex outwardly and dig into opposing regions of the sidewall  33  of the upper housing  26 . A similar situation may occur if the distance between the corresponding covering body edge  48 ,  50  and retention lip  60 ,  64  is less than the height of the upper housing sidewall  33 . Given that most OEMs construct their portable electronic devices in a single product line with identical dimensions, it will be appreciated that the overlay  20  may be constructed to closely fit over such known dimensions to maximize the closeness of fit between the overlay and the upper housing. In addition, the flex capability of the hooks enables the overlay to fit on a variety of dimensions. As discussed below, other embodiments of the present invention provide even more flexibility in this regard.  
      In operation, referring to  FIGS. 1A-4 , the user selects the desired overlay  20  with the desired color, pattern, or design  91  for placement on a portable electronic device  22  to change its outward appearance. The portable device may be placed in the open or closed configuration. With both hands, the user grasps the overlay  20  with the exterior surface facing upwards and then aligns the left and right hooks  58 ,  62  with the corresponding left and right sides of the upper housing  26  of the portable device  22  ( FIGS. 1A-2 ). The user then slides the overlay onto the upper housing with the retention lips  60 ,  64  curling under and sliding along opposing regions of the lowermost edge  31  of the upper housing  26 . This is continued until the rear edge  46  of the overlay is generally aligned with the back edge  95  of the upper housing  26  ( FIGS. 1A-4 ). In this position, the top edge  44  of the overlay  20  is aligned with the front edge  97  of the upper housing and the interior surface  52  of the overlay is in close proximity with or abutting the finished surface  38 .  
      With the overlay  20  fully mounted on the upper housing  26  of the portable device  22  ( FIGS. 1C and 4 ) the appearance of the finished surface  38  is hidden from view and replaced with the exterior surface  54  and display section  56  of the overlay to present an alternative appearance dictated by the choice of the user. It will also be appreciated that, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the hooks  60  and  64  are located outside the peripheral edge  35  of the display screen  36  and do not obstruct the viewing screen  36  in any manner. In addition, the portable electronic device may be closed in the normal manner ( FIGS. 1C and 2 ). It will be appreciated that the overlay is generally reversible so that the image may be selectively positioned by the user depending on the anticipated audience viewing position as indicated by the alternate positions of the exemplary images  91  shown in  FIGS. 1C and 3 .  
      While mounted on the upper housing  26 , the overlay  20  resists removal due to the frictional resistance between the hooks  58  and  62  and the peripheral sidewall  33  and lowermost edge  31  of the upper housing. However, removal of the overlay may be accomplished by grasping the overlay with a couple of fingers on at least one hand to draw the overlay toward the user as the thumb of that hand in use pushes the front region  66  of the upper housing sidewall  33  ( FIG. 1A ). Alternatively, the reversible overlay may also be slid off the back of the upper housing as in  FIG. 1B . Once the overlay is withdrawn a few inches from the upper housing, as shown, for example, in  FIG. 1B  as partially withdrawn from the rear edge  95  of the upper housing, the leading edge, in this illustration rear edge  46 , may be grasped by one of the user&#39;s hands and drawn completely away from the upper housing  26  while the user&#39;s other hand presses against the closest sidewall region of the upper housing and holds the portable device  22  in place. Given the ease of exchanging overlays, it will be appreciated that a user could purchase a number of different overlays  20  and swap them out quite easily thus customizing the portable device with a countless number of expressions.  
      With the aforementioned principles of the present invention in mind,  FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of the present invention wherein like components are numbered alike. This alternative appearance altering overlay, generally designated  120 , includes a covering body  140  and central section  142  with a free front edge  144 , free back edge  146 , and left and right edges  148  and  150 , respectively. The covering body in this overlay is modified to include a pocket  170  with a transparent viewing window  172  and an opening along the top edge  174  of the pocket to provide additional customization options. The pocket is constructed to receive substantially flattened articles such as the exemplary photograph designated  176 , shown partially inserted into the pocket  170  in  FIG. 5 . The photo may be viewed through the viewing window  172  when placed inside the pocket. Other suitable flattened articles will occur to one of ordinary skill and may be inserted into the pocket. In addition, the pocket may include a conventional expanded region or folded accordion sides (not shown) to accommodate thicker articles. This overlay  120  includes connectors  158  and  162  constructed in a similar fashion as the connectors  58  and  62  of the previous overlay  20  and may be mounted on and removed from the portable electronic device  22  in the same manner.  
      In the exemplary overlay  120  illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the pocket  170  does not include a closure device. However, as illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-6C , wherein like components are numbered alike, the top edge of the pocket  174  has been modified to include a closure device  280  as illustrated in the exemplary embodiment of the overlay generally designated  220 . Exemplary closure devices  280  in the form of a tongue and groove closure  280   a  ( FIG. 6B ) or a hook and loop type fastener  280   b  ( FIG. 6C ), may be used to prevent inadvertent removal of the inserted article  176 . Other suitable closure devices will occur to one of ordinary skill.  
      While the covering body of the overlay has been described in previous examples as a substantially rigid plate, the covering body may also include a flexible region  390  such as that illustrated in the exemplary embodiment generally designated  320  shown in  FIG. 7 . The flexible region  390  comprises approximately half the width of the covering body  340  and is positioned about an intermediate point of the covering body and further extends from the front edge  344  to the rear edge  346  of the covering body. To either side of the flexible region  390 , left and right outer regions designated  351  and  353 , respectively, are rigid. These outer regions span generally from the outer edges of the flexible region  390  to the outer edges  348  and  350  of the covering body  340 . The flexibility of the flexible region  390  extends from the exterior surface  354  to the interior surface  352  of the covering body  340 . The display section  356  may encompass both flexible and rigid regions so that the image  391  may appear in both regions. The connectors  358  and  362  are constructed as described for the previous overlay  20  connectors  58  and  62 . With such centralized flexibility, the user may align the overlay  320  on top of the upper housing  26  of the portable electronic device  22  with the interior surface opposite the finished surface  38  of the device  22 . The user may then simply press the overlay  320  downwardly onto the upper housing  26  to flex the middle flexible region  390  of the overlay and drive the retention lips  360 ,  364  of the hooks  358 ,  362 , respectively, outwardly and over the sidewall  33  of the upper housing. The resilient retention lips of the hooks will snap back into place once the lowermost edge  31  of the upper housing is cleared. The overlay may be removed as described with the first embodiment.  
      A rapid slap-on appearance altering overlay  420  is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . This overlay includes a central section  440  with a display section  442  as modified with a pocket  470  and viewing window  472  along the lines of those discussed in connection with  FIGS. 5 and 6 A- 6 C above. Instead of hooks, releasable adhesive strips  470   a ,  470   b ,  470   c ,  470   d  are disposed in each of the four corners of the covering body on the interior surface  452 . Each adhesive includes removable protective paper  471  that is removed before use. The user may peel off the protective paper of each adhesive strip  470   a - d  and place the overlay  420  on the finished surface  38  of the portable device to cover the finished surface  38  by aligning the front edge  444  with the leading edge  97  of the finished surface  38  and the rear edge  446  with the trailing or bottom edge  95  of the finished surface resulting in an overlay  420  covering the finished surface  38  of the portable electronic device  22  as shown on the right hand side of  FIG. 8 . A selected article  176  may be inserted through the pocket opening  174  into the pocket and may be viewed through the pocket viewing window  172  thereby substituting the finished OEM appearance of the upper housing with the appearance selected by the user and positioned in the pocket. The overlay  420  may be removed by peeling it off the finished surface  38 .  
      As ownership of multiple laptops or upgrading to a new model with different dimensions is a common occurrence, the user may desire to purchase an appearance altering overlay with even more flexible adjustable width features as will now be discussed in reference to  FIGS. 9-18 .  
      With specific reference to  FIGS. 9-10 , another exemplary embodiment of an appearance altering overlay, according to the present invention and generally designated  520 , is illustrated. The overlay includes a generally planar covering body  540  with a coextensive central section  542  defining an exterior surface  554  including a display section  556  designated in dashed lines. The covering body includes a front edge  544 , a free back edge  546 , a left side edge  548 , and a right side edge  550 . The covering body  540  of this embodiment includes an interior surface (not shown) constructed similarly to earlier described embodiments for a close fitting arrangement with the finished surface  38  ( FIG. 1A ) of the portable electronic device  22 . Within the display section  556 , a pocket  570  with a viewing window  572  is provided to hold articles to further customize the appearance of the overlay  520 . Secured to the top edge  544  and left and right side edges  548 ,  550  of the covering body using conventional fabric to plastic adherence methods is an expandable skirt  582  constructed of a suitable fabric material. The skirt is approximately ½ to ¾ of an inch high from the secured edge  584  to the free edge  586 . The skirt includes a peripheral elastic region  588  so that the skirt may be stretched over the upper panel  26  of the laptop. As the lowermost peripheral edge  546  of the covering body does not include a skirt portion, the edge of the overlay  520  will not interfere with opening or closing the upper housing  26  by bunching up near the portable device hinge  25 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 10 , two versions of optional left and right retention bands  590  and  592 , respectively, may be sewn into the free edges of the skirt  582  near the upper corners  583 ,  585  as viewed in  FIG. 10 . The left side retention band  590  as viewed in  FIG. 10  is a two-piece component with a first strap  590   a  fixed to the edge  549  of the skirt running parallel to the right edge  550  of the covering body  540 . A second strap  590   b  is fixed to the edge of the skirt  543  running parallel to the top edge  544  of the covering body  540 . The free ends of the straps include complementary fasteners  592  such as the hook and loop variety, snaps, buttons, or other suitable fastening device to fastener the straps  590   a ,  590   b  together. Alternatively, a single component band such as the right hand retention band  592  may be fixed to the free edges  543  and  551  of the skirt  582  across a corner  585 . The retention bands are preferably elastic. It is preferred that the covering body  540  and skirt  582  are sized at least slightly smaller in width and height in an unstretched state than the known dimensions of an OEM upper housing  26  of the portable device  22  so as to ensure a snug fit when the skirt  582  is stretched over the upper housing. The retention bands  590 ,  592  may be used to further inhibit the cover from being removed inadvertently but are an optional feature. It is preferred that the skirt  582  and bands  590 ,  592  do not obscure the display screen  36  and are secured external to the peripheral edge  35  of the display screen while the device is open and in use as shown in  FIG. 10 . In addition, the skirt is preferably dimensioned so as not to inhibit the closing of the device  22 .  
      In use, with exterior surface  554  facing outwards, the user may slip the overlay  520  over the upper housing  26  until the bottom edge  546  approximately aligns with the hinge  25  of the device  22 . The elastic skirt  588  may be stretched during the procedure to accommodate a larger housing dimension. The skirt may then be adjusted to center the covering body  540  on the finished surface  38  of the upper housing thus covering up the finished surface and substituting a new user defined customized appearance. The lower peripheral edge of the skirt will constrict and wrap around the lowermost edge  31  of the upper housing so as to resist removal of the overlay from the upper housing but without obstructing the display screen  36 . The user may also open the pocket  570  and insert the desired article for viewing through the viewing window  572 . It will be appreciated that a two-sided skirt with elastic regions on the left and right sides of the covering body would also be suitable.  
      Turning now to  FIGS. 11-14 , yet another embodiment of an appearance altering overlay, in accordance with the present invention and generally designated  620 , is illustrated wherein like components are numbered alike. The overlay includes a rectangular covering body  640  having a central section  642  bounded by an upper free edge  644 , a lower free edge  646 , a left side edge  648 , and a right side edge  650 . The covering body includes an interior surface  652  constructed to fit closely over at least a portion of the finished surface  38  of the upper housing  26  of the device  22 . In this exemplary embodiment, the covering body is approximately two-thirds the width of the finished surface  38 . On the opposite side of the covering body is an exterior surface  654  with a central display section  656 . In this exemplary embodiment, the display section is coextensive with the exterior surface of the covering body. A pocket  670  for receiving user selected materials that can be presented through a viewing window  672  is adhered to the exterior surface  654  within the display section  656  thereby adding another customizing option for the user. A user may insert a substantially flattened article through the top opening  674  of the pocket where the article may be viewed through the viewing window. Other suitable shapes for the covering body will occur to one of ordinary skill and the exemplary rectangular shape is not meant to be limiting.  
      On the opposing left and right hand sides  648  and  650 , respectively, as viewed in  FIG. 11 , is a left connector  657  and a right connector  659 . The left connector  657  includes an elastic extension band  661  with one end  663  connected to a portion of the left edge  648  of the covering body  640  at an intermediate position and a second distal end  665  connected to a C-shaped hook  658  terminating in a retention lip  660 . The hook may be made of plastic and covered with a rubber material to grip the plastic edges of the upper housing  26  in an improved manner. The right connector  659  is constructed identically to the left connector and also includes an elastic extension band  671  terminating in a hook  662  with a retention lip  664 . The right connector is attached to and projects from the right edge  650  of the covering body such that the connectors project from the covering body in opposite directions.  
      In use, with  FIGS. 11-12  representing the overlay  620  in an unstretched state and  FIGS. 13-14  representing the overlay in a stretched state, the covering body  640  is placed over the outer surface  38  of the upper housing  26  of the portable electronic device  22  in a closed configuration. The hook  660  from the left connector  657 , for example, is then positioned over the left hand edge of the upper housing and with the retention lip  660  contacting the undersurface of the border  34  around the display screen  36  and against the lowermost edge  31  of the upper housing so that it will resist movement to the right as pictured in  FIG. 14 . The user may then grasp the hook  662  of the right connector  659  and stretch the extension band  671  of the right connector until the retention lip  664  of the hook  662  is disposed beyond the right hand edge of the upper housing  26  as viewed in  FIG. 13 . The hook is then lowered onto the upper housing and the retention lip  664  is placed in contact with the border  34  around the display screen  36 . The hook  662  is then released so that the retention lip engages the undersurface  34  of the upper housing and against the lowermost edge  31  of the upper housing as shown in  FIG. 14 . In this position, the hooks releasably engage opposing sides of the upper housing. It will be appreciated that the retention lip of either hook may contact the sidewall  33  of the upper housing if the thickness of the upper housing is greater than the height of the hook. With the hooks set, the covering body  640  should be substantially centered on the finished surface  38  with the exterior surface  654  facing outwards ( FIGS. 13-14 ). In this exemplary embodiment, the covering body  640  only covers a substantial portion of the finished surface  38  but still alters the overall appearance provided by the finished surface  38  of the portable electronic device  22 .  
      To remove the exchangeable laptop cover  620  from the portable device  22  in a closed configuration, the user may grasp or pinch the free edges of the hook  662  of the right connector  659  and pull outwardly until the hook clears the outer edge of the sidewall  33  of the upper housing  26 . The right connector may then be lifted up and toward the center of the finished surface. The entire covering body  640  may then be removed by sliding the entire appearance altering overlay  620  to the left so as to remove the left hook  658 . It will be appreciated the more than one hook per side may be used or the hook may run the entire length of the respective edge of the covering body  640  where it is attached. The connectors may also project from the covering body in other than an orthogonal angle such as in an “X” or “Y” pattern for example.  
      In a variation of the prior embodiments, another embodiment is illustrated in  FIGS. 15-18 . This appearance altering overlay, generally designated  720 , includes a covering body  740  divided into a left plate  740   a , a right plate  740   b , and an intermediate elastic region  741  connecting the two plates together. The plate include commonly aligned free front edge  744 , a free back edge  746 , and each plate includes an external outside edge  748  (left hand edge) and  750  (right hand edge). The side edges  748 ,  750  of each plate  740   a ,  740   b  are constructed with C-shaped left and right side connectors  758  and  762 , respectively, forming hooks that terminate in retention lips  760  and  764 , respectively, as in the overlay embodiment generally designated  20  ( FIG. 1 ) discussed above. However, the covering body  740  of this embodiment includes an intermediate elastic region  741  allowing the covering body to expand to cover a variety of upper housing widths. The elastic region has left and right outer edges  781  and  783 , respectively, secured to the respective inner edges  785  and  787  of the left and right plates  740   a  and  740   b  using conventional fabric to plastic fastening methods. The center section  741  is preferably constructed of an elastic fabric. Each side plate  740   a ,  740   b , includes a pocket  770   a ,  770   b , respectively, with its own viewing window  772   a ,  772   b  for displaying articles inserted through a top opening  774   a ,  774   b , respectively, therein.  
      This overlay  720  may be installed or uninstalled in the same manner as with the previous embodiments  20  and  620  depending on the width of the upper housing  26 . If the overlay  620  does not need to be stretched, then it may be slid over the upper housing and engaged with the lowermost edge  31  as with the overlay  20  described above. If the overlay  720  is smaller in width than the upper housing, then it may be mounted as described in conjunction with the previous overlay  620  resulting in a stretched central section  741 .  FIGS. 15-16  illustrated the overlay  720  in an unstretched state and  FIGS. 17-18  represent the overlay in a stretched state and mounted on the upper housing  26  of a portable electronic device  22 . It will be appreciated that more than one elastic region may be used within the confines of the covering body. For example, the covering may be variegated or striped with multiple elastic bands separating rigid sections. In addition, the logo or image may be imprinted on both the rigid and elastic sections so that the display section may encompass both rigid and elastic regions. The logo or image may not be visible until the covering body is stretched out and secured to the laptop cover as shown in  FIG. 17 .  
      In the above-described exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that the connectors may be constructed to align the centerlines of the covering body with the centerlines of the finished surface or may be constructed to shift the centerlines of the covering body in relation to the centerlines of the finished surface so as to cover an off-center region of the finished surface. It will further be appreciated that the covering body may be constructed with other suitable shapes and is not meant to be limited by the shape of the finished surface.  
      In the preceding detailed description, the invention is described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.