Abstract:
A case for a portable digital media player includes a front surface being substantially uninterrupted and formed of a transparent, flexible material. Therefore, the front surface completely covers but allows use of a display and a control of the portable digital media player, during use.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a portable digital media player case providing protection against damage. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Portable digital media players, such as the Apple iPod, have become increasingly popular and therefore a number of cases have been proposed to protect such devices. 
         [0005]    A case sold by Speck Products under the designation Flip Stand is clear, permitting the user of the portable digital media player to see through the case. However, cutouts are provided in the case for controls and display, such as the click wheel and display screen of an iPod. The Micro Shield case of the company XtremeMac is similarly clear and also has openings formed therein for controls. The Claro case by iskin again has openings in a clear case for operation of the controls. Finally, the company Agent  18  markets a case for the iPod Nano which also has an open control area. 
         [0006]    A common disadvantage of all of the prior art cases is that they do not protect all of the controls and displays against damage. Such damage may come from liquids or solids which may accidentally enter through openings or from shocks due to normal handling or unintended or accidental misuse that can affect the portable digital media player. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a portable digital media player case, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which completely encloses all sensitive portions of a portable digital media player, such the controls and display. 
         [0008]    With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a case for a portable digital media player. The case comprises a front surface being substantially uninterrupted and formed of a transparent, flexible material. The transparent, flexible material may, for example, be polycarbonate. 
         [0009]    The substantially uninterrupted front surface protects the portable digital media player from damage due to handling and shocks and prevents liquids and debris from entering the case. The transparent, flexible material allows the portable digital media player to be operated with the case closed. Another way to explain the case according to the invention, is that the front surface which is substantially uninterrupted and formed of a transparent, flexible material, completely covers the display and the control of the portable digital media player, such as the display screen and the click wheel of an iPod, during normal use of the portable digital media player and the case. 
         [0010]    In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the front surface is movable between a closed position and an open position. The front surface is interrupted in the open position and substantially uninterrupted in the closed position. Thus, during normal use, when the case is closed, the front surface is substantially uninterrupted, providing the advantageous protection from damage. 
         [0011]    In accordance with an added feature of the invention, a base and a slider engage one another at the front surface. The base and the slider are mutually separated in the open position and mutually sealed in the closed position. The base and slider provide access to the portable digital media player when separated, but protect it when sealed. 
         [0012]    In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the base and the slider are mutually sealed and separated at a parting line in the front surface. Materials such as polycarbonate effectively seal at the parting line, preventing entry of unwanted substances. 
         [0013]    In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the base has tracks and the slider has pins engaging and sliding in the tracks. The tracks each have an end with a stop preventing the slider from falling off the base in the open position. Tracks each have an L-shaped end permitting the slider to be lifted off the base. The slider is movable about the pins in the tracks into a pivoted position, permitting the portable digital media player to be inserted into and removed from the case. Therefore, great flexibility in opening and closing the case are provided, so that easy access to the portable digital media player is accomplished. 
         [0014]    In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the base and the slider are formed of the transparent, flexible material. This permits the display of the portable digital media player to be seen and permits the control of the portable digital media player, such as the click wheel of the iPod, to be operated, through the substantially uninterrupted front surface. 
         [0015]    In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there are provided top, bottom and side surfaces. At least one of the surfaces has at least one opening formed therein for accessing a switch, a port or a jack of the portable digital media player, such as the hold switch and the headphone jack of the iPod. 
         [0016]    Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0017]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a portable digital media player case, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
         [0018]    The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic, front-elevational view of a portable digital media player case according to the invention, in a closed position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a top-plan view of the case in the closed position according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a bottom-plan view of the case in the closed position according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a side-elevational view of the case in the closed position according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the case in the closed position according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a front-elevational view of the portable digital media player case according to the invention, in a slid open position; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a side-elevational view of the case in the slid open position according to  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the case in the slid open position according to  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the portable digital media player case according to the invention, in a rotated open position; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is an exploded, perspective view of the portable digital media player case according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]    Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to  FIGS. 1-5  thereof, there is seen a portable digital media player case  1  according to the invention in a closed position. The case  1  includes a slider  2  and a base  3  which abut and seal against each other at a parting line  13  in the closed position. The base  3  extends over the back, part of the sides and part of the front of the case, while the slider  2  extends over the remainder of the front and the remainder of the sides of the case. A finger grip  4  is provided for pushing the slider  2  open. 
         [0030]    As is seen in  FIG. 1 , the slider  2  and the base  3  together form a front surface  14  which is continuous, solid and unbroken when closed at the parting line  13 . More specifically, the front surface  14  is substantially uninterrupted in the closed position. The term “substantially uninterrupted” means not only that there are no openings for controls or displays in the front surface  14 , but that that no liquid or debris can enter through any part of the front surface, including the parting line  13 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows that a rectangular opening  10  is provided at the top of the base  3  to allow access to a hold switch of an iPod.  FIG. 3  shows a U-shaped opening  11  in the slider is  2  for access to a headphone jack of an iPod. It is understood that the openings  10  and  11  can be provided in different locations or more or fewer openings can be provided as needed for the particular portable digital media player being used. An optional decorative indentation or crease  12  can be seen in  FIG. 1  to extend from the slider  2  to the base  3 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 6-8  show the case  1  with the front surface  14  having been moved into an open position. More specifically, the slider  2  has been pushed and slid downward on tracks  5  of the base  3  to open at the parting line  13  and reveal a click wheel  16  of an iPod  15  in the case  1 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 9  illustrates how the slider  2  can be pivoted upward after being slid open, such as for removal of the iPod  15  from the case  1 . A display screen  17  of the iPod  15  within the case  1  can also be seen in this figure. 
         [0034]    In the view shown in  FIG. 10 , the slider  2  has been removed from the base  3  by disengaging pins  6  on the slider  2  from L-shaped portions  7  of the tracks  5 , along the direction of a broken line  8 . It is also noted that part of the L-shaped portions  7  form stops  9  preventing the slider  2  from being pushed down too far and accidentally removed from the base  3 . 
         [0035]    The case  1  is formed of a transparent, flexible material such as clear polycarbonate. This allows the user of the portable digital media player  15  to operate the click wheel  16  and view the display screen  17  while the case  1  is closed around the portable digital media player. The case is therefore able to protect the portable digital media player from damage due to handling, shocks and harmful substances, such as liquids and solids which may accidentally impinge on the case.