Patent Publication Number: US-2003223119-A1

Title: Water and dust resistant laptop case

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of bags and cases for delicate electronic equipment, and in particular to a new and useful laptop case assembly which is water and dust resistant, and has a privacy feature as well.  
       [0002] As laptop computers have become more powerful, portable and versatile, they have been brought out of the safe, dry and generally dust-free environment of the home or office, and into environments that are hostile to electronic equipment, such as on a boat where the laptop can be used in conjunction with a GPS (Global Positioning System), or at a construction site for use with construction plans and schedules. In such environments, the laptop would be exposed to water and/or dust which would likely damage this delicate piece of equipment.  
       [0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,297 to Weill et al. discloses a protective cover for a notebook or laptop computer with a top portion for accommodating a notebook display, and a bottom portion for accommodating the keyboard portion of the notebook computer. The notebook computer is inserted, while closed, into the cover via a back end member, which has a sealable opening and a sleeve.  
       [0004] U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,001 to Akins discloses a cover for a portable computer including a top cover and a base cover. In one embodiment, the upper section is pivotally connected to the base section. The base section has rear and side walls and a plurality of openings aligned with components of the portable computer such as a mouse PS/2 port, a power switch, and other ports and buttons.  
       [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,896 to Gremban discloses a case for housing a laptop computer, with an attached visor and side shade panels. A product sold under the trademark “Private Eye” appears to correspond to this patent. Top and side shade panels hinged to the case back make the laptop display easier to read.  
       [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,723 to Myles et al. discloses a protective carrying bag which allows a user to carry as well as operate a portable computer without removing the computer from the bag. The bag has opposing front and back walls and an opening in the front wall for viewing access to the display of the laptop computer lying within the bag.  
       [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,574 to Chang discloses a protective housing for a portable computer comprising two pivotally jointed shells for encasing the computer. The housing is configured to accommodate the CPU and display in only one shell. The second shell houses other peripherals such as a portable printer. The walls of the second shell are designed to interlock with those of the first shell to provide a compact rectangular housing when the shells meet and the housing is closed for transport and storage.  
       [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,993 to Song discloses a portable and water-resistant computer cover formed by upper and lower rectangular trays joined by a zipper. The computer remains attached to and partially enclosed by the trays while being operated, and may be connected to external devices and cables via apertures formed in at least one of the trays. Elastic flaps equipped with snap fasteners cover the apertures when not in use.  
       [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,718 to Erler et al. shows a portable computer housed in an impact attenuating case with a sealed keyboard for protection against harsh environments. Top and bottom coverings are affixed to the display and base sections of a portable computer. The keyboard assembly is formed by a plastic key tray, a contiguous sheet of water impervious resilient elastomeric material and a keyboard circuit board. The key tray, sheet of material, and circuit board are fastened together as a subassembly, seated in the base portion of the laptop and secured from above by a keyboard bezel. The sheet of membrane material has a plurality of in-molded raised dimples that are formed beneath each key, serving as a spring that ensures biasing apart of keys in a relaxed state. When a user depresses a key, the dimple is compressed which brings the key in close proximity to the key circuit board, where its motion is detected.  
       [0010] Patents also exist that disclose foldable and removable visors and hoods for protecting a laptop from environmental conditions while providing shade for the display.  
       [0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,566 to Tao discloses a visor for notebook computers, comprising a bracket for mounting the visor, a top panel hinged to the bracket, and side panels hinged to the top panel and bracket.  
       [0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,546 to Giulie discloses a detachable and foldable visor for use on a laptop. The visor has a central top panel and foldable side panels adapted to extend across the top and sides of the monitor. The side panels can be folded along a plurality of parallel axes with respect to the central top panel for adaptability to monitors of different width. The visor is held on a laptop display by mounting tabs connected to the inside of the side panels which retain a flexible material such as a rubber band to hold the visor onto the monitor.  
       [0013] U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,711 to Duff discloses a foldable shade for a laptop, in the form of a four sided collapsible box with an open front end for allowing viewing of a display.  
       [0014] U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,531 to Howell et al. shows a notebook computer with an integrated visor. The display panel of the notebook computer is housed by a cover pivotally connected to the base for movement between an open and closed position. A visor is provided at the outer edges of the cover, which is comprised of right and left flanges extending in a direction perpendicular to the display panel of the notebook computer.  
       [0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,823 to Wong discloses a laptop hood provided in the form of a sheet with panels, flaps, fold lines, and an opening through which a laptop display may be viewed. The single sheet can be folded into a three dimensional operational configuration or a compact non-operational storage configuration. The laptop hood allows the laptop keyboard to remain outside of the hood compartment area. Side panels enable the hood to stand freely. A front panel of the configuration can be flipped up to the roof of the hood leaving an opening for viewing the display and can be flipped down to enclose the laptop for storage.  
       [0016] Several patents also disclose keyboard covers that protect a keyboard. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,825 to Nichol et al. discloses an opaque computer keyboard cover for covering only the alphanumeric keys. The cover is thermo-molded and flexible, so that pressure on the molded keys activate individual keys on the keyboard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,497 to Stanley teaches a computer keyboard cover configured to conform to the general size and shape of the computer keyboard.  
       [0017] Other patents disclose other protective devices for laptops and computers in general. All of the know prior art is distinguishable from the present invention in important ways.  
       [0018] A patent search conducted for the applicant raveled the forgoing and addition patents of interest.  
       [0019] For convenience all of the patents are here listed:  
                                                   U.S. Pat. No.   Inventor(s)                          5,096,317   Phillippe           5,115,345   Hobson et al.           5,121,253   Waintroob           5,214,574   Chang           5,233,468   NcNulty           5,237,453   Jones           5,243,463   Waintroob           5,400,903   Cooley           5,527,122   Carter           5,551,497   Stanley           5,682,993   Song           5,697,718   Erler et al.           5,717,566   Tao           5,810,491   Muller et al.           5,835,342   Hunte           5,877,896   Gremban           5,887,723   Myles et al.           5,905,546   Giulie et al.           5,931,297   Weill et al.           5,988,823   Wong           6,046,754   Stanek           6,050,825   Nichol et al.           6,084,711   Duff           6,149,001   Akins           6,273,623   Chao           6,353,531   Howell et al.           6,354,210   Chao                      
 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020] It is an object of the present invention to provide a laptop case which effectively and efficiently protects the laptop from water and dust specifically, and generally allows the laptop to be used in outside or harsh environments such as on a boat or at a construction site. A privacy feature is also provided by the invention.  
       [0021] Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide a water and dust resistant laptop case that has a housing with a base and a cover connected to the base at a rear wall of the base. A height adjustment mechanism in the base sets a vertical position of the laptop in the base and slots are provided in rear and a pair of side walls of the base for connecting power and/or peripherals to the laptop. A clear display shield inside the cover can be brought in front of or over the laptop display when the laptop is open. A visor assembly is pivotally connected to the cover near a top edge of the cover for movement between a storage position that is substantially parallel to the cover and a shading position extending outwardly from the cover. The visor assembly can be held in the shading position and provide both protection and privacy for the user. A flexible keyboard shield also extends over the keyboard of the laptop.  
       [0022] The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0023] In the drawings:  
     [0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laptop case according to the present invention, in the open position with the laptop open, its display covered by a clear display shield and a visor assembly fully deployed in preparation for installing a keyboard shield over the laptop keyboard;  
     [0025]FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the case in a closed position for the case and laptop;  
     [0026]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the case and laptop open and illustrating another embodiment of the invention;  
     [0027]FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of another embodiment of the invention;  
     [0028]FIG. 5 is a front section through a laptop case base, illustrating another embodiment of the height adjustment means of the invention; and  
     [0029]FIG. 6 is a partial side elevation of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0030] Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals are used to refer to the same or functionally similar elements, the invention embodied in FIG. 1 comprises water and dust resistant laptop case generally designated  10 , having a housing  12  with a base or base portion  14  and a cover or cover portion  16 .  
     [0031] Base  14  has a bottom wall  18 , a front wall  20 , a rear wall  22  and a pair of side walls  24  and  26 . The walls, which are made of suitably flexible but strong, water and dust resistant material such as CORDURA (a trademark) Nylon fabric, define a storage space for a laptop  30 . Laptop  30  has a body  32  with a keyboard  34  and a lid  36  with a display  38 , hinged to the body and movable, in a know way, between an open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, and a closed position shown in FIG. 2.  
     [0032] The housing cover  16  is connected to the base  14  at the top edge of the rear wall  22 , where the flexible material between the base and cover form a fold line so that the cover can have a closed position over the base as in FIG. 2, for closing the storage space, and an open position as in FIGS. 1 and 3, extending upwardly from the rear wall of the base.  
     [0033] Height adjustment means  40  are provided in the storage space for adjusting a vertical position of the laptop. In FIG. 2 these means are formed by a set, e.g. three, of nested rectangular trays that are rigid and have flat tops for supporting the laptop and downwardly extending sides or legs of different heights. The user of the case selects the tray of appropriate height to support the laptop in the base. Laptops with thicker bodies will need lower trays so that the keyboard  34  is just below the top edge of base  14  when the lid  36  is open as in FIG. 1.  
     [0034] In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the height adjustment means are in the form of a single tray  42  with an up-or downwardly extending perimeter provided with one type of mating fastening tape, e.g. VELCRO (a trademark) hook or loop tape. This tape mates with another loop or hook tape provided on the inside surfaces of front and side walls  20 ,  24  and  26 , to hold the laptop body at the correct height inside the base  14 . Alternative means for adjusting the height of the laptop body may be provided which may vary in type and strength depending on the size, weight and shape of the laptop.  
     [0035] Slot means are also provided to define access slots in at least one, but preferably all of the rear wall  22  and pair of side walls  24 ,  26 , for connecting at least one power and/or peripheral to the laptop body. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the slot means are in the form of a double zippered slot  44 , ending before the case corners, and having a pair of zipper pulls  46  that act in opposite directions to open and close any selected length and location of the slot for the passage of cords, cables, hardware parts or the like, schematically shown by cable  48 . Sewn on weather flaps  50  at the side walls  24  and  26  are provided over the slots to help keep out rain and dust.  
     [0036] In FIG. 3 the slot means are VELCRO tape closed slots  52  between overlapping parts of the side walls  24 ,  26 , that allow a cable  54  to pass from the laptop to a location outside the case  10 .  
     [0037] A clear, flexible plastic display shield  60  is attached at its top horizontal edge  62 , to the inside surface of cover  16 . A pair of vertical zippers  64  and  66  or VELCRO fastening tapes or other fasteners, operate between the side edges of shield  60  and the inside surface of cover  16  via a pair of zipper pulls  65  and  67 . Pulls  65 ,  67  are raised to release the shield  60  so that with the laptop lid  36  raised as in FIGS.  1  or  3  the shield can be brought up over the lid  36  and in front of the display  38 . The pulls  65 ,  67  are then drawn down again to trap the laptop lid between the cover  16  and the shield  60 . The lower edge  63  of shield  60  is left free to accommodate the laptop body  30  extending forwardly of the laptop lid  36 . VELCRO tabs or tapes  61 , or other fastening means are fixed to and extending downwardly from the lower edge  63  of shield  60  and can be pulled down and fastened to mating VELCRO tapes  70  provided on the inside, upper surfaces of the side walls  24  and  26 , to help smooth and flatten the shield and hold it taught even in windy conditions. Laptop display  38  is clearly visible through the shield  60 .  
     [0038] To address the potential problem of sun glare that would make the display  38  hard to see, the invention includes a visor assembly generally designated  80 , that is pivotally connected to the top edge of cover  16 , at a fold of fabric extending continuously between the visor assembly and the cover. This top edge of the cover is adjacent the front wall  20  of the base  14  when the cover is in the closed position of FIG. 2.  
     [0039] The visor assembly has a storage position shown in FIG. 2 that is substantially parallel to the cover and over the shield  60 . The visor assembly  80  also has a shading position shown in FIG. 1, extending outwardly from the top edge of the cover when the cover is in the open position. Fixing means, such as a pair of friction hinges  82 ,  84 , are provided between the cover  16  and the visor assembly  80  for holding the visor assembly in the shading position. Such hinges allow the assembly to be pulled up and down in the direction of arrows A in FIG. 1, but hold the assembly in the position selected. A company known as Torqmaster International of Stamford, Conn. (www.torqmaster.com) makes a suitable hinge for this purpose.  
     [0040] The visor assembly may include only a main rigid visor panel  84  as a single sun shield, or include bifurcated and rigid side panels  86  and  88 , pivoted to the side edges of panel  84  and movable to the position shown in FIG. 1 to shield the sides of the case and block not only the sun, but also provide privacy, divert water spray and blowing dust. Each side panel has bend  87  and  89  so that it can be folded in the direction of arrows B, to a size that fits within the area under cover  16  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Strategically located fasteners, such as male and female snaps  90  are provided on the visor panels so that when they are fold up against the inside of cover  16 , they stay there. Straps, elastic bands, VELCRO tapes or other fastening means may be used instead to hold the visor assembly in its full (FIG. 2) or partly (FIG. 3) stowed positions.  
     [0041] A clear or translucent, flexible, removable and water proof keyboard shield generally designated  92  is designed to extend and be hold over the keyboard  34  of the laptop body  30  when the laptop is open. Keyboard shield  92  has a main section  94  which may include customized, vacuum molded key and touch pad areas, and an upwardly extending perimeter  96  on all four sides of the rectangular main section  94 . Fastening tapes such as VELCRO loop tapes are provided on the outside surface of the front and side sections of the perimeter  96 , and mate with the corresponding hook tape  70  that is also provided on the inside, upper surface of the front case wall  20 .  
     [0042] The rear section of perimeter  96  can extend under or over the lower edge  63  of clear shield  60  to help keep water and dust away from the laptop parts (FIG. 1). The other three sides help exclude water and duct via the VELCRO attachment. This attachment also allows the keyboard shield to be pulls taught and smooth over the keyboard  34 . In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the keyboard shield perimeter extends downwardly and also has outside surface tapes to mate with the margin tape  70  on the side and front walls  24 ,  26  and  20  of the case base  14 .  
     [0043] Non-custom, perfectly flat keyboard shields may also be provided or a set of custom shields  92  can come with the case of the invention to suit various laptop types. The flexibility of the flat shields allow one laptop key to be pressed without pressing adjacent keys on the keyboard  34 . The shield or shields may be stored under the trays  40  as in FIG. 2. Polyurethane can be used as the material for the keyboard shield.  
     [0044] Although the keyboard shield can be attached at three sides, it is at least detachably connected at its perimeter to the pair of side walls  24 ,  26 . In an alternate form of the invention, a keyboard shield is not provided at all, or is of the type which engages over the laptop body and keyboard but is not connected to the housing walls.  
     [0045] Some or all of the walls of the case base  14  and cover  16  may be padded to further protect the laptop.  
     [0046] Loops of fabric  98  are sewn onto the bottom or sides of the case base  14 , near some or all of the corners of the case. Fixing straps  100  that have one end connected to a reference surface such as the work surface of a boat, by a screw-on male snap  102 , are threaded onto each loop  98 . The opposite end of each strap  100  has a female snap  104  that snaps to the male snap  102  after the strap has been bent around the loop  98  as shown in FIG. 3. This secures the case  10  to the boat surface, or to any other surface to which the straps  100  are connected. Different securing means may be provided according to the invention, as long as they hold the laptop in place even if the surface to which the laptop is secured, moves.  
     [0047]FIGS. 4, 5 and  6  illustrate another embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 4 only one of the usual two side visor panels  110  is shown extending down from the main or top visor panel  112  to which panel  110  is connected at a fold of fabric  114 . As with the other embodiments of the invention, panel  110  includes top and bottom semi-rigid panel parts connected to each other at a bend line  116 . In order to allow the angle C between the top panel  112  and the case cover  118  to be adjusted, a flexible double walled fabric  120  is attached to the lower edge of panel  110  and has one or more fasteners, such as snaps  122 , that are fastened to snaps  124  on the outside surface of the case base  160 . An elastic pull cord  128  with locking buttons  130  extends in a tunnel sewn into the fabric  120  along a serpentine path between the two layers of fabric. The opposite ends of the cord  128  extend out through spaced slots in the outer layer of fabric and can be pulled taught and locked by the buttons  130  to gather any excess fabric. Sides  132  of the cover  118  overlap and help cover any small spaces between the inside edges of side panels  110  and the back of the cover that may form depending on the angle C.  
     [0048]FIGS. 4 and 6 also show a clear shield assembly  140  that can be detached from the inside surface of cover  118 , via a set, e.g. three, of tabs with snaps  142  that are snapped to snaps  144  in cover  118 . The inventor has found that this removable shield assembly is easier to engage over the laptop lid. The assembly has a clear plastic shield  146  fixed at the top edge to an opaque, e.g. black nylon and semi-rigid back panel  148 . Side zippers  150  attach the side edges of panels  146 ,  148 , and form an enclosure that is large enough to receive a laptop lid and its display. The shield assembly may then be re-snapped to the cover or left free standing over the laptop lid. Instead of snaps, other fasteners such as VELCRO tape can be used to attach the clear shield assembly to the housing cover.  
     [0049]FIGS. 5 and 6 show an alternate embodiment for the height adjusting means of the invention. Rather than the tray means of FIGS. 2 and 3, one or more pairs of VELCRO fastener attached bands  152  and  154  extending from opposite inside walls of the case base  160 , and extend under the laptop body and hold it up in the base. The extend of overlap in a VELCRO attached overlap area  155  between the bands  152 ,  154 , sets the height, and for added security a thin but rigid base panel  162  may rest on the bands to support the laptop body. One pair of broad bands  152 ,  154  may be enough, of two pairs or three pairs, space across the case base  160 . The same bands  152  and  154  may be used over the closed laptop to hold it in the case base  160  for storage and transport.  
     [0050] Other height adjustment means may alternatively be used such as multiple sets of four small cylinders of different lengths that can be placed under the four corners of the laptop body to hold it up in the case base  160 .  
     [0051] VELCRO fastening tapes  170  are provided over the tops of the bands  152  and  154  for the keyboard shield attachment as in the other embodiments of the invention.  
     [0052] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.