Patent Description:
There has been a continuous rise in the usage of portable devices across the globe, especially when relaxing on holiday. According to a study by Expedia™, the amount of usage of mobile devices is attributed to the influx of social media platforms such as Facebook™ and Instagram™. A large scale problem faced by many users of a mobile device is the difficulty in viewing their mobile device in direct sunlight. The average vacationer spends nine hours of a one-week-long trip browsing social media, many of these hours are spent laying in direct sunlight with the Sun's intensity shining directly in their eyes, causing problems for viewing their screen without the glare.

Many of these users tend to turn up their screen's brightness. The disadvantage of this is that it causes an enhanced drain on the device battery operating time - approximately <NUM>% less operating time when at its brightest compared to when the phone is running at its lowest brightness setting. Other users resort to removing their sunglasses to look at their phone, because the lenses can be too dark for the user to clearly view their screen. An issue with this is that this exposes the eyeball to potential damage. Of the three types of light that the sun produces-visible, infrared, and ultraviolet-UV is the most damaging to structures within the eye, especially when reflected off sand, snow or water. The cells of the cornea, the transparent outer layer of the eye, will blister and crack when overexposed to UV light. Therefore this risk should be ideally be reduced. Some users may adapt alternative body positions including hunching over, which causes unnecessary stress on their neck or back, or even moving to a shaded area for short periods of time just to use their mobile device.

Unlike a book that can be held above the user between the user and the sun, portable devices typically have a surface area that is not adequate to stop sunlight from penetrating the user's eyes. Sunlight instead is able to pass around the sides/over the top of the phone, penetrating the user's eye.

Mobile phone accessories and the like that attach to the electronic device are known, <CIT>. describes a dual-purpose mobile phone shell. The mobile phone shell body is manufactured into a structure, which can be stretched and is particularly provided with a handle; and thus, the mobile phone shell body can be used as a fan. However, the shell described therein utilises a fan, with no consideration given to providing shade to user during use of the device. Additionally, said fan is fixed in relation to the phone and cannot be repositioned to suit the screen viewing orientation or sun direction.

One example of an accessory that is intended to provide shade is shown in <CIT>. This shows a mobile device shade apparatus that includes a case defining a pocket and at least one panel configured to travel in and out of the pocket to transition between a stowed state and a deployed state, wherein in the deployed state that at least one panel extends from and is rotatable with respect to an edge of the case. The apparatus also includes a coupler configured to couple the case to a mobile device, such as a cell phone or tablet, as examples. However, this device focusses solely on casting shade over the electronic device screen, akin to countersinking the display like a shade for a car dashboard, with no regard given to user's holding the device between themselves and the sun. Accordingly, such shade acts to reduce glare and reflections from the mobile device screen only.

The present invention aims to at least ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages faced by users of portable devices in the sunlight.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shade for a portable device having an electronic display, said shade comprising: a plurality of blades configured to splay open to form a planar or fanned surface for blocking sunlight; and a mount for securing the planar surface substantially adjacent to the electronic display to position the blades to provide a shading surface when the planar surface is placed between a user and a light source.

The shade of the present invention provides for a shade designed to mount and connect to a portable display device such as a mobile phone, e-book reader, tablet device, handheld gaming device, laptop, notebook or the like.

The use of blades allow the shade to form a planar surface easily, with the blades fanned out when shade against sunlight is needed, and to be collapsed when the planar surface is not needed.

The planar surface advantageously provides for an increased footprint of the device when held against the sun. Accordingly, if a device with the shade is placed between a user and the sun a larger area of the user's face is cast in shadow making for more comfortable reading of the screen of the device by the user.

The planar surface may be provided with motifs, designs or the like. This provides an additional level of customisation to a user, allowing creative expression similar to a mobile phone cover or the like.

In some embodiments, the shade may be configured to form the planar surface by rotating the fan blades relative to each other about a rivet. In some embodiments the blades may comprise additional blades configured to splay outwards from the blades to form the planar surface between blades.

In one embodiment the blades may be vertically offset to lie on top of each other in a closed position, such that a surface of each fan blade can substantially overlap with the surface of other fan blades. This configuration allows the shade to take up minimum space when not needed. A clip may be provided on an end of a blade to lock the blades against the rivet in this closed configuration.

In an embodiment, the planar surface may lie adjacent to a display of the portable display device. As noted above, this can provide an increased shading surface than the shade cast by the device alone. In such embodiments the planar surface may be considered as a visor.

Typically the planar surface and the display form a continuous shading surface for shading the eyes of a user from a light source when placed between the user and the light source. This ensures that there are no gaps through which sunlight can pass onto a user's face when the shade and device are held between the user's face and a light source (typically the sun).

It can be appreciated that the planar surface may be rotatable such that the surface is configured to form an angle with the display of the portable electronic device. This can allow a user to adjust the angle of the shade to maximise the shading surface if the user is viewing the device at an angle relative to the sun.

In another embodiment the fan blades of the planar surface may be displaced relative to each other, such that a surface area of each fan blade substantially does not overlap with any other fan blade.

In one embodiment, the planar surface may form a hemicircular shape. Typically the hemicircular shape spans <NUM> degrees of a circle. In further embodiments the shape may span between <NUM> and <NUM> degrees of a circle. In an alternative embodiment the planar surface may form a substantially rectangular shape.

Typically the plurality of blades may each comprise a hole at one end of the blades. Accordingly, the blades may be connected to each other via the rivet inserted into the holes. A washer may be placed between an uppermost of the blades and a head of the rivet. The use of a washer can increase the coefficient of friction between the blades and the rivet to aid the blades staying in the planar position.

The mount may comprise a ball joint for rotating the blades and therefore the planar surface relative to the electronic display device. This can allow the blades and therefore the planar surface, and therefore at least part of the shading surface to be positioned between the user and the sun when the user is unable to reposition themselves, such as when the user is lying on a sunbed or the like.

The mount may be or comprise a suction cup, said suction cup configured to be removably attached to a back surface of the portable display device. Additionally or alternatively the mount may be integrated with a protective case of the like.

Typically a length of the blades may be tailored to match a width of the portable display device. For example, when the blades form a hemicircle, the diameter of the hemicircle may be substantially equal to the width of the device. Alternatively, a wider diameter of hemicircle may be used.

In order to maintain the planar shape, the blades may comprise an interlocking groove to receive a corresponding interlocking nub of an adjacent blade. This effectively lock the blades against each other.

The blades may further comprise an end stop to prevent over rotation of the blades. This can act to ensure that the blades are retained in the planar position and ensure that gaps are not present between the blades when fanned out.

In some embodiments the mount provides a finger rest. This can allow a user to hold the device and fan using the mount, for ease of use.

Embodiment of the invention shall now be described in detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:.

It should be noted that the Figures are diagrammatic and not drawn to scale. Relative dimensions and proportions of parts of these Figures have been shown exaggerated or reduced in size, for the sake of clarity and convenience in the drawings. The same reference signs are generally used to refer to corresponding or similar feature in modified and different embodiments.

<FIG> shows a part of the shade <NUM>, comprising a plurality of fan blades <NUM>. Each blade is typically a segment of a circle. Each blade typically comprises a segment having an angle of approximately <NUM> degrees. In the example shown, four blades <NUM> are shown, however it can be appreciated that more or less blades <NUM> may be used as needed. The base of the blade <NUM> further comprises a circular pivot point <NUM>.

As noted, in one embodiment, each fan blade <NUM> has a <NUM>-dimensional cone like geometry like the ones shown <FIG>. However, it can be appreciated the fan blades can take any suitable geometry such as, for example, rectangular shaped blades <NUM>.

The pivot point <NUM> contains an aperture <NUM> through which a blade retainer rivet <NUM> is inserted from one side of the blade <NUM> to connect the blades together and to a mount <NUM>. This can be seen in <FIG>, which shows an expanded view of the components that comprise the shade <NUM> and in more detail in <FIG>. The blade retainer rivet <NUM> comprises a disk <NUM> with elongated shaft <NUM> protruding from the centre of the disk, as shown in <FIG>.

To connect all the fan blades <NUM> together, the shaft <NUM> of the retainer rivet <NUM> is inserted through all the apertures <NUM> of the blades <NUM> from one side as shown in <FIG>. In order to lock the blades <NUM> together, the remaining tip of the shaft <NUM> that extends beyond the end of the apertures <NUM> is then inserted into an end <NUM> of an arm lever <NUM>. The part of the level arm <NUM> that contains the end <NUM> makes contact with the pivot point <NUM> of the upper most blade 2a as shown in <FIG>. A rubber washer <NUM> is inserted between pivot point <NUM> of the upper most blade 2a and the arm lever <NUM> to provide a higher coefficient of friction between the arm lever <NUM> and the upper most blade. This aids the fanning shape shown in <FIG> to stay open.

In some embodiments, the fan blades <NUM> can be configured into a closed (<FIG>) or an open position (<FIG>) by the rotation of the fan blades <NUM> relative to each other by the user about the pivot point <NUM>. When in the closed position each fan blade <NUM> overlaps with all other fan blades <NUM>. The fan blades <NUM> can be configured into an open position by rotation of the blades <NUM> relative to each other about the pivot point <NUM> by the users, such that the fan blades <NUM> are displaced relative to each other as shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, the fan blades <NUM> span a total area subtending an angle of <NUM> degrees in the open position. This arrangement is found to be sufficient to block substantially all of the sunlight that would otherwise enter the user's macular, thus allowing the user to read from a screen of the device properly.

As well as the arm lever <NUM>, the mount <NUM> further comprises a suction cup housing <NUM> to which the arm lever <NUM> is connected. The suction cup housing <NUM> houses a suction cup tension link <NUM>. The tension link <NUM> comprises a hollow cylindrical top <NUM> and a hollow rectangular base <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. The cylindrical top <NUM> comprises an opening <NUM> that allows the tension link <NUM> to be connected to the arm lever <NUM> and the cup housing via a pin <NUM> in a manner shown in <FIG>.

In some embodiments, the rectangular base <NUM> is further configured to be attached to suction cup <NUM>. This is achieved by inserting a suction cup head <NUM> (shown in <FIG>) into the rectangular base <NUM> and securing the head <NUM> to the base <NUM> by using a pin <NUM>, in a manner shown in <FIG>. The suction cup <NUM> further comprises a suction disk <NUM> configured to be removably attached to a back of an electronic display device, such that the shade <NUM> is secured to the device. Collectively, this allows the mount <NUM> to attach the shade <NUM> to the device.

<FIG> show a shade <NUM> according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the blade comprises blades <NUM> arranged about a common pivot point <NUM> that is further connected to a mount <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an exploded view of the shade <NUM> of <FIG>. In this figure, the blades <NUM> are interconnected with a rivet <NUM> or pin that acts to retain the blades together against a corresponding hole <NUM> in the mount <NUM>. The rivet allows for relative rotation of the blades <NUM> about the rivet <NUM>.

The mount <NUM> is provided with a suction cup <NUM> having a lever arm <NUM> and tension link <NUM> that acts to secure the suction cup <NUM> to a device in an analogous manner to described in relation to the previous figures.

The blades <NUM> are further provided with end stops <NUM> that act to provide tactile and physical ends such that adjacent blades <NUM> are held in a planar position when the blades are fanned open. Accordingly, an edge of a blade <NUM> abuts the end stop <NUM> of an adjacent blade to hold the blades in relative position.

<FIG> shows the shade <NUM> as mounted to a mobile phone <NUM> or other electronic device, such as a mobile phone, e-Book reader, portable gaming console or even a laptop or notebook. In this figure the shade <NUM> is shown in the planar position with the blades <NUM> fanned open to provide a shading surface. As can be seen, the shade <NUM> lies adjacent to the electronic device <NUM> when fanned open. The mount provides a hand or finger grip for a user <NUM> to allow the user <NUM> to grip the shade <NUM> and electronic device <NUM> in a single hand, as shown in <FIG>. This allows the user to comfortably hold the shade <NUM> and device <NUM> between their face and the sun (or other light source) to cast a shadow over the face of the user to allow for easy reading of the screen of the device.

High pressure plastic moulding injection are used to form the blades and the mount. The materials that can be used for the manufacture of the components include, but are not restricted to, ABS, polycarbonate and polyethylene.

From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to the skilled person. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art of shades, and which may be used instead of, or in addition to, features already described herein.

Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub combination.

Claim 1:
A shade (<NUM>) for a portable device (<NUM>) having an electronic display, said shade comprising:
a plurality of blades (<NUM>) configured to splay open to form a planar surface for blocking sunlight; and
a mount (<NUM>) for securing the planar surface to the portable device substantially adjacent to, and aligned substantially parallel with, the electronic display to position the blades to increase the footprint of the portable device (<NUM>), for shading the eyes of a user (<NUM>) from a light source when the device is placed between the user and the light source and wherein the mount comprises a grip to allow the user to grip the shade (<NUM>) and the device (<NUM>) in a single hand.