Patent Publication Number: US-2012028691-A1

Title: Case For A Portable Electronic Device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to cases for portable electronic devices and, more particularly, to waterproof and insulated cases for portable electronic devices. 
     When an electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, is subjected to cold temperatures (e.g., when a mobile telephone is left in a car or carried on an outdoor excursion during the winter months), the device could be adversely affected functionally and/or structurally (e.g., the user interface could freeze, the battery could lose its charge, and/or moisture could build up on circuitry). Additionally, when a user carries an electronic device into a wet environment (e.g., outside in the rain or on a fishing trip), the device could be exposed to moisture from the environment, which could adversely affect the device functionally and/or structurally. 
     There is a need for a case that adequately protects an electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, from adverse affects associated with cold temperatures and moisture. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a case for an electronic device such as a mobile telephone generally includes a waterproof exterior material and a thermally insulating interior lining to define a closable interior space in which the electronic device can be housed in a watertight and thermally insulated manner. 
     In another embodiment, a case for an electronic device generally includes a waterproof body and a flap connected to the body. The body includes a transparent front wall, and the body defines a closable interior space in which the electronic device can be housed in a watertight manner. The flap is configured to be moved between a closed position in which the flap covers the front wall and an open position in which the flap does not cover the front wall such that the electronic device can be at least one of viewed and operated through the front wall. 
     In yet another embodiment, a case for an electronic device generally includes a body and a flap connected to the body. The body includes a waterproof exterior material, a thermally insulating interior material lining the exterior material, and a transparent front wall. The flap is waterproof and at least partially thermally insulated, and the flap is configured to be moved between a closed position in which the flap covers the front wall and an open position in which the flap does not cover the front wall such that the electronic device can be at least one of viewed and operated through the front wall. 
     Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the above-mentioned aspects. Further features may also be incorporated in the above-mentioned aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to any of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects, alone or in any combination. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a case with a flap in a closed position and a mobile telephone housed therein; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the case of  FIG. 1  with the flap in an open position; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the case of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the case of  FIG. 3  taken along the plane of line  4 - 4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a section view of the case of  FIG. 3  taken along the plane of line  4 - 4  when the flap is in the open position of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged portion of the case of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, a case for a portable electronic device according to one embodiment is indicated by the reference numeral  100 . The illustrated case  100  comprises a body  200  and a flap  300  connected to the body  200 . The flap  300  has a “closed” position ( FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  5 , and  6 ) (i.e., a position in which the flap  300  is down such that a portable electronic device housed therein is not accessible for use) and an “open” position ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ) (i.e., a position in which the flap  300  is up such that the portable electronic device is accessible for use). While the case  100  is illustrated herein as being configured for use with a mobile telephone  400 , it is understood that the case  100  may be configured for use with other suitable portable electronic devices and remain within the scope of this invention. 
     The body  200  includes a front wall  202 , a back wall  204 , a bottom wall  206 , a top wall  208 , a first side wall  210 , and a second side wall  212  that define an interior space  230  sized to receive the mobile telephone  400 . The back wall  204 , the top wall  208 , the bottom wall  206 , and the first and second side walls  210 ,  212  have an exterior material  214  and an interior material  216  lining the exterior material  214 . In the illustrated embodiment, the exterior material  214  is a flexible, waterproof, breathable material (e.g., a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material, such as a fabric sold under the trademark “Gore-Tex”), and the interior material  216  is a thermally insulating material (e.g., a down insulation or a synthetic fiber insulation, such as a polar fleece material or a material sold under the trademark “Thinsulate”). In one embodiment, the interior material  216  has a thickness of between about ¼″ and ½″. In another embodiment, the interior material  216  has a thickness of about ⅜″. In other embodiments, the interior material  216  may have any suitable thickness that enables the case  100  to function as described herein. Alternatively, the exterior material  214  may not be flexible and/or may not be breathable (e.g., the exterior material  214  may be a nylon material, a leather material, a vinyl material, a hard plastic material, or a rigid, rubber material). As used herein, the term “waterproof” refers to a material that does not permit passage of a liquid therethrough (i.e., a material that can be submerged in a liquid without passage of the liquid therethrough). 
     The bottom wall  206  includes a suitable first fastening device  218  (e.g., buckle, a snap, or a plurality of hooks or loops of a hook-and-loop fastener) for securing the flap  300  in the closed position. The top wall  208  has a closable aperture (e.g., a zipper  220 ) for easy insertion and/or removal of the mobile telephone  400  from the case  100 . Because the exterior material  214  is flexible, a user can easily pull apart the body  200  at the aperture when the zipper  220  is open in order to insert the mobile telephone  400  into, or remove the mobile telephone  400  from, the interior space  230 . In some embodiments, the zipper  220  is configured to seal the aperture in a watertight fashion to prevent water from entering the interior space  230  when the mobile telephone  400  is housed within the case  100 . In other embodiments, the aperture may be located on any suitable wall of the case  100  (e.g., on one of the side walls  210 ,  212  or on the bottom wall  206 ) and may have any suitable mechanism for reclosing the aperture. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, a metal clip  222  is connected to each side wall  210 ,  212  proximate the top wall  208  to enable attachment of a strap to the case  100  (e.g., attachment of a strap that enables the user to carry the case  100  via his/her shoulder). The clips  222  are spaced apart so as to not interfere with the flap  300  when the flap  300  is moved between the closed position and the open position, as described in more detail below. It is understood that the case  100  may be configured with any suitable carrying mechanism that facilitates more easily carrying the case  100  (e.g., a plastic belt clip). 
     The front wall  202  is suitably connected (e.g., via a sewn connection or an adhesive connection) to the exterior material  214  and/or the interior material  216  at the top wall  208 , the bottom wall  206 , and the side walls  210 ,  212  to form a watertight seal that prevents water from entering the interior space  230 . The front wall  202  is set back from the exterior material  214  to form a lip  224  that defines a recess  226  in the body  200 . In alternative embodiments, the front wall  202  may not be set back from the exterior material  214  (e.g., the front wall  202  may be flush with the exterior material  214 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the front wall  202  is fabricated from a relatively thin, waterproof material that is substantially transparent (e.g., a PTFE material) to enable a user to view and/or operate the device (i.e., operate an interface of the mobile telephone  400  by punching a key pad and/or viewing a graphical user interface of the mobile telephone  400  through the front wall  202 ). In some embodiments, the front wall  202  may be fabricated from a material that enables a user to operate a touch-sensitive graphical user interface of the mobile telephone  400  (e.g., the front wall  202  may be fabricated from a thin plastic film that facilitates a predetermined amount of heat transfer therethrough to enable operation of the touch-sensitive graphical user interface using a finger). 
     The illustrated flap  300  includes an upper segment  302 , an intermediate segment  304 , and a lower segment  306 . The flap  300  is connected to the top wall  208  (e.g., via a sewn attachment or an adhesive attachment) such that the flap  300  can be moved between the closed position and the open position. The lower segment  306  of the flap  300  includes a suitable second fastening device  308  (e.g., buckle, a snap, or a plurality of hooks or loops of a hook-and-loop fastener) that is configured to engage the first fastening device  218  of the body  200  to detachably secure the flap  300  in the closed position. In other embodiments, the body  200  and/or the flap  300  may have any suitable fastening device(s) located on any suitable portion of the body  200  and/or the flap  300  to enable the flap  300  to be opened/closed as desired. Alternatively, the case  100  may not include the flap  300  but, rather, may completely enclose the mobile telephone  400  such that the user must remove the mobile telephone  400  from the case  100  to use the mobile telephone  400 . 
     The upper, lower, and intermediate segments  302 ,  304 ,  306  have an exterior material  310  that is waterproof and may be flexible and/or breathable (e.g., the exterior material  310  of the flap  300  is the same as the exterior material  214  of the body  200 , as described above). However, unlike the body  200 , only the intermediate segment  304  of the exterior material  310  is lined with a thermally insulating interior material  312 . In the illustrated embodiment, the thermally insulating interior material  312  of the flap  300  is the same as the thermally insulating interior material  216  of the body  200 , and the material  312  is sized to fit within the recess  226  of the body  200  (e.g., is sized with dimensions that are similar to those of the recess  226  such as, for example, sized with a thickness that is the same as the thickness of the interior material  216 ), as described in more detail below. In other embodiments, the entire exterior material  310  of the flap  300  (e.g., the upper segment  302 , the intermediate segment  304 , and the lower segment  306 ) may be lined with the thermally insulating interior material  312 . Alternatively, any suitable portion of the exterior material  310  may be lined with the interior material  312  such that the case  100  functions as described herein. 
     In the open position, the flap  300  does not cover the zipper  220  (i.e., does not inhibit a user from inserting or removing the mobile telephone  400  from the case  100  via the zipper  220 ). In the closed position, the upper segment  302  of the flap  300  overlaps at least a portion of the zipper  220 , thereby providing additional protection against liquid entering the aperture and against accidental removal of the mobile telephone  400  from the case  100  (e.g., in the event that the user forgets to zip the zipper  220  yet remembers to close the flap  300 ). Additionally, when the flap  300  is in the closed position, the interior material  312  contacts the lip  224  and the front wall  202  of the body  200  to provide a thermal seal of the recess  226  and prevent heat transfer through the front wall  202 . 
     Accordingly, when an electronic device, such as the mobile telephone  400 , is housed within the above-described case  100  and is subjected to cold temperatures (e.g., when the mobile telephone  400  is housed within the case  100  and is left in a car or carried on an outdoor excursion during the winter months), the case  100  inhibits adverse functional and/or structural affects of the cold on the mobile telephone  400  (e.g., the case  100  inhibits the user interface from freezing, inhibits the battery from losing its charge, and/or inhibits moisture from building up on the mobile telephone&#39;s circuitry). Additionally, when an electronic device, such as the mobile telephone  400 , is housed within the above-described case  100  and is carried into a wet environment (e.g., outside in the rain or on a fishing trip), the case  100  inhibits the mobile telephone  400  from being exposed to moisture, thereby inhibiting the adverse affects that moisture can have on the function and/or structure of the mobile telephone  400 . 
     When introducing elements of the present invention or the embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing[s] shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.