Patent ID: 7158376

Claim:
A protective enclosure for a tablet PC having an interactive flat-panel control comprising: a shell that is capable of enclosing said tablet PC, said tablet PC being a separate unit from said protective enclosure, said tablet PC being insertable in and removable from said enclosure by hand, said shell being substantially crush-resistant and having an elevated protective rim around a perimeter portion of said interactive flat-panel control of said tablet PC so that when said tablet PC is disposed in said enclosure, said interactive flat-panel control of said tablet PC is recessed with respect to said protective rim of said shell so that said elevated protective rim protects said interactive flat-panel control from breakage; and a protective membrane that is integrally fixed to a shock-absorbing cushion, said shock-absorbing cushion being fixed to said shell, said shock-absorbing cushion forming a seal between said shell and said protective membrane so that said protective enclosure is substantially watertight, said protective membrane is disposed over said interactive flat-panel control of said tablet PC when said tablet PC is disposed in said enclosure, said protective membrane having a back side that has a substantially planar smooth surface that is adjacent to said interactive flat-panel control of said tablet when said tablet PC is disposed in said enclosure so that inputs on a front side of said protective membrane are communicated to said interactive flat-panel control through said protective membrane, said protective membrane being at least partially transparent such that said interactive flat-panel control is visible through said protective membrane, said shock-absorbing cushion pressing said protective membrane flatly against said interactive flat-panel control of said tablet PC so that smooth stylus strokes and inputs may be transmitted accurately to said interactive flat-panel control.