PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10439667-B1
Application Number: US-201816056309-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Fabric cases for electronic devices

Abstract:
A fabric case for an electronic device may include a back panel having a periphery and a sidewall that extends around the periphery. The back panel and the sidewall may be joined monolithically or may be joined using seams. A monolithic fabric case may be formed by knitting rows of loops to create a sidewall, knitting rows of loops to create a back panel, and joining the loops of the sidewall with the loops of the back panel as the back panel is being knitted. A fabric case with seams may be formed by attaching a fabric sidewall to a fabric back panel using a seam such as a chain stitch. The sidewall may be a seamless tube of fabric that extends continuously around the back panel. The seamless tube may be folded to create interior and exterior walls. A stiffener may be interposed between the interior and exterior walls.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fabric case for an electronic device, comprising:
 a knit back panel having a periphery; and 
 a knit peripheral wall that extends around the periphery of the knit back panel, wherein the knit back panel and the knit peripheral wall are monolithically joined. 
 
     
     
       2. The fabric case defined in  claim 1  wherein the knit peripheral wall comprises a first row of loops, wherein the knit back panel comprises a second row of loops, and wherein the first row has a portion that extends perpendicular to the second row. 
     
     
       3. The fabric case defined in  claim 2  wherein the first row has an additional portion that extends parallel to the second row. 
     
     
       4. The fabric case defined in  claim 2  wherein the first row of loops comprises a first left loop and a first right loop, wherein the second row or loops comprises a second left loop and a second right loop, wherein the first left loop and second left loop are captured together on a left edge of the knit back panel, and wherein the first right loop and second right loop are captured together on a right side of the knit back panel. 
     
     
       5. The fabric case defined in  claim 4  wherein the knit back panel comprises a third row of loops including a third left loop and a third right loop, wherein the first left loop and second left loop are captured by a third left loop in the third row of loops, and wherein the first right loop and the second right loop are captured by a third right loop in the third row of loops. 
     
     
       6. The fabric case defined in  claim 1  wherein the knit peripheral wall comprises a first plurality of rows of loops, wherein the knit back panel comprises a second plurality of rows of loops, and wherein each loop in a top row of the first plurality of rows of loops is joined with an associated loop in the second plurality of rows loops. 
     
     
       7. The fabric case defined in  claim 6  wherein each row in the first plurality of rows extends around the periphery of the knit back panel. 
     
     
       8. The fabric case defined in  claim 1  wherein the knit peripheral wall extends perpendicular to the knit back panel. 
     
     
       9. A case for an electronic device, comprising:
 a fabric panel having a periphery; 
 a fabric sidewall that extends around the periphery, wherein the fabric sidewall comprises an exterior layer and an interior layer; and 
 a stiffener interposed between the interior layer and the exterior layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The case defined in  claim 9  further comprising a chain stitch that joins the fabric panel and the fabric sidewall. 
     
     
       11. The case defined in  claim 10  wherein the interior layer and the exterior layer of the fabric sidewall are captured in the chain stitch. 
     
     
       12. The case defined in  claim 10  wherein the fabric case has interior and exterior surfaces, wherein the fabric panel has a first end that is captured by the chain stitch and the fabric sidewall has a second end that is captured by the chain stitch, and wherein the first and second ends are located on the exterior surface of the fabric case. 
     
     
       13. The case defined in  claim 10  wherein the fabric case has interior and exterior surfaces, wherein the fabric panel has a first end that is captured by the chain stitch and the fabric sidewall has a second end that is captured by the chain stitch, and wherein the first and second ends are located on the interior surface of the fabric case. 
     
     
       14. The case defined in  claim 10  wherein the fabric case has interior and exterior surfaces, wherein the fabric panel has a first end that is captured by the chain stitch and the fabric sidewall has a second end that is captured by the chain stitch, and wherein only one of the first and second ends is located on the exterior surface of the fabric case. 
     
     
       15. The case defined in  claim 9  wherein the stiffener comprises plastic. 
     
     
       16. The case defined in  claim 9  wherein the fabric sidewall comprises a seamless tube of fabric that extends continuously around the periphery of the fabric panel. 
     
     
       17. The case defined in  claim 16  wherein the seamless tube of fabric is folded. 
     
     
       18. A method for forming a fabric case for an electronic device, comprising:
 knitting a peripheral sidewall; 
 knitting a back panel; and 
 while knitting the back panel, attaching the peripheral sidewall to the back panel. 
 
     
     
       19. The method defined in  claim 18  wherein the peripheral sidewall comprises a first loop held by a first needle and the back panel comprises a second loop held by a second needle, and wherein attaching the peripheral sidewall to the back panel comprises transferring the first loop from the first needle to the second needle. 
     
     
       20. The method defined in  claim 19  wherein knitting the back panel comprises knitting a row of loops, wherein the row of loops captures the first and second loops together.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/551,177, filed Aug. 28, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to fabric, and, more particularly, to forming fabric for structures such as cases for electronic devices. 
     Electronic devices such as cellular telephones, computers, and other electronic equipment are sometimes used in conjunction with external cases. A user may, for example, place an electronic device in a removable plastic case to protect the electronic device from scratches. Removable cases may also be used to personalize electronic devices. 
     Plastic cases may be satisfactory in certain situations, but some users may desire a case with different aesthetics. As a result, fabric cases have been developed. 
     There are challenges associated with forming fabric cases for electronic devices. If care is not taken, fabric cases may not wear well, may be bulky, or may have an undesirable appearance. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved removable cases for electronic devices. 
     SUMMARY 
     A fabric case for an electronic device may include a back panel having a periphery and a sidewall that extends around the periphery. The back panel and the sidewall may be joined monolithically or may be joined using seams. 
     A monolithic fabric case may be formed by knitting rows of loops to create a sidewall, knitting rows of loops to create a back panel. As the back panel is knitted, loops of the sidewall may be joined with loops of the back panel. This may include moving the sidewall loop from a first needle to a second needle so that the sidewall loop and the back panel loop are momentarily held on the same needle. This results in the sidewall loop and the back panel loop being captured together as the next row of the back panel is knitted. This process is repeated until all of the loops in the last row of the sidewall have been joined with the outer edge loops of the back panel. 
     A fabric case with seams may be formed by attaching a fabric sidewall to a fabric back panel using a seam such as a chain stitch. The chain stitch may capture a first end of the sidewall and a second end of the back panel. Both ends may face the exterior or interior of the fabric case, or one end may face the exterior and the other may face the interior. 
     The sidewall of a fabric case may be a seamless tube of fabric that extends continuously around the back panel. The seamless tube may be folded to create interior and exterior walls. 
     A stiffener may be interposed between the interior and exterior walls. The stiffener may be formed from plastic or other suitable material. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device to which a removable case has been attached in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is s perspective view of an illustrative removable electronic device case in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a removable case with peripheral walls monolithically formed with a back panel in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a removable case with peripheral walls that are attached to a back panel with seams in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram of an illustrative knitting system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing how peripheral walls of a case may be monolithically joined with a back panel during a knitting process in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating how loops of a peripheral wall portion may be joined with loops of a back panel portion during a knitting process in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating how peripheral wall loops and back panel loops may be collected on the same needle hook in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a point paper representation of an illustrative knitting pattern that may be used to produce a fabric case having a peripheral wall and a back panel that are monolithically joined in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional side view of a removable case having a peripheral wall that encloses a stiffener in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional side view of a removable case having a peripheral wall that encloses a stiffener and having unfinished ends that are captured by a stitch in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a seamless knit fabric that may be used to form peripheral walls of a case of the type shown in  FIG. 5  in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the seamless knit fabric of  FIG. 13  after the fabric has been folded and shaped to form peripheral walls in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional side view of the peripheral wall fabric of  FIG. 13  in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 16  is a side view of two fabric portions joined by a chain stitch in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 17  is a side view of two joined fabric portions of a case in which both fabric edges face the interior of the case in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 18  is a side view of two joined fabric portions of a case in which one fabric edge faces the interior of the case and the other fabric edge faces the exterior of the case in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 19  is a side view of two joined fabric portions of a case in which both fabric edges face the exterior of the case in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices may be provided with cases such as fabric cases. The fabric cases may be removable external cases. When a user desires to protect an electronic device from scratches or other damage, the user may place an electronic device within a case. When the user wishes to use a different case to change the appearance of an electronic device, the electronic device may be transferred from one case to another. If desired, fabric may be incorporated into an electronic device housing or may be used in forming other fabric-based structures. Arrangements in which fabric is used in forming removable external cases are sometimes described herein as an example. 
     The fabric for a removable case may be woven, knitted (e.g., weft knitted or warp knitted), or braided, or may be formed using other strand intertwining techniques. For example, fabric can be knitted using a knitting machine. 
     An electronic device of the type that may be provided with a removable case that has been formed using intertwined strands is shown in  FIG. 1 . In the example of  FIG. 1 , device  10  includes a display such as display  14  mounted in housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Housing  12  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     Display  14  may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer of conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based touch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is not touch-sensitive. Display  14  may include an array of pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic pixels, an array of plasma pixels, an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels or other light-emitting diodes, an array of electrowetting pixels, or pixels based on other display technologies. 
     Display  14  may be protected using a display cover layer such as a layer of transparent glass or clear plastic. The display cover layer may form a planar front face for device  10 . The rear of housing  12  may have a parallel planar surface. Housing sidewalls may run around the periphery of housing  12 . Device  10  may have a rectangular outline (e.g., a rectangular footprint when viewing the front face of the device) or may have other suitable footprints. 
     Openings may be formed in the display cover layer. For example, an opening may be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate a button such as button  16 . An opening may also be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate ports such as speaker port  18 . Openings may be formed in housing  12  to form communications ports (e.g., an audio jack port, a digital data port, etc.), to form openings for buttons, etc. 
     Electronic device  10  may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 1 , device  10  is a portable device such as a cellular telephone, media player, tablet computer, or other portable computing device. Other configurations may be used for device  10  if desired. The example of  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of device  10  of  FIG. 1  in a configuration in which device  10  has been mounted in a removable case. As shown in  FIG. 2 , removable case  20  may have walls that run around the periphery of device  10 . If desired, case  20  may form a cover with a hinged portion, a structure with a pocket into which device  10  may slide, or other enclosure that receives device  10 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , case  20  surrounds device  10 , but does not cover display  14 . This type of arrangement, which may be desirable for devices such as cellular telephones, watches, and tablet computers, allows display  14  to be viewed by a user without opening a cover flap or moving any portion of case  20 . If desired, however, case  20  may be provided with pockets, flaps, hinged portions, straps, and other structures. The configuration of  FIG. 2  is merely illustrative. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of case  20  of  FIG. 2  in a configuration in which device  10  is not present (i.e., a configuration in which case  20  has been removed from device  10 ). As shown in  FIG. 3 , case  20  may have four straight segments each of which runs along and covers a respective one of the four straight peripheral edges of the rectangular housing of device  10 . Corner portions of the case join the straight segments together to form a case with a rectangular ring shape. Corners  20 C may be rounded when viewed from above (i.e., when case  20  has a footprint with rounded corners) or may have other shapes. Central opening  22  may have a rectangular shape (e.g., a rectangular shape with rounded corners) or other shape suitable for receiving electronic device  10  when electronic device  10  is mounted within case  20 . 
     Case  20  may have one or more portions formed from fabric  42 . Fabric  42  may be soft (e.g., case  20  may have a fabric surface that yields to a light touch), may have a rigid feel (e.g., the surface of case  20  may be formed from a stiff fabric), may be coarse, may be smooth, may have ribs or other patterned textures, and/or may be formed as part of a device that has portions formed from non-fabric structures of plastic, metal, glass, crystalline materials, ceramics, or other materials. 
     The strands of material in fabric  42  may be single-filament strands (sometimes referred to as fibers or monofilaments), may be yarns or other strands that have been formed by intertwining multiple filaments (multiple monofilaments) of material together, or may be other types of strands (e.g., tubing). Monofilaments for fabric  42  may include polymer monofilaments and/or other insulating monofilaments and/or may include bare wires and/or insulated wires. Monofilaments formed from polymer cores with metal coatings and monofilaments formed from three or more layers (cores, intermediate layers, and one or more outer layers each of which may be insulating and/or conductive) may also be used. 
     Yarns in fabric  42  may be formed from polymer, metal, glass, graphite, ceramic, natural materials as cotton or bamboo, or other organic and/or inorganic materials and combinations of these materials. Conductive coatings such as metal coatings may be formed on non-conductive material. For example, plastic yarns and monofilaments in fabric  42  may be coated with metal to make them conductive. Reflective coatings such as metal coatings may be applied to make yarns and monofilaments reflective. Yarns may be formed from a bundle of bare metal wires or metal wire intertwined with insulating monofilaments (as examples). 
     Strands of material may be intertwined to form fabric  42  using intertwining equipment such as weaving equipment, knitting equipment, or braiding equipment. Intertwined strands may, for example, form woven fabric, knit fabric, braided fabric, etc. 
     A cross-sectional view of case  20  of  FIG. 3  taken along line  24  and viewed in direction  26  is shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , case  20  may have peripheral portions such as peripheral wall portions  32  and a rear wall portion such as back panel  34 . Back panel  34  may cover the rear side of electronic device  10  when device  10  is within case  20 . Peripheral walls  32  may include vertical sidewalls  30  that join respective upper horizontal wall portion  28 . Peripheral walls  32  may extend around the periphery of device  10  when device  10  is installed within case  20 . The cross-sectional shape of case  20  of  FIG. 4  (i.e., the shape in which horizontal walls  28  are perpendicular to vertical walls  30 ) is merely illustrative. If, for example, device  10  has edges with a curved cross-sectional shape, the profile of peripheral walls  32  may have a corresponding curved shape (e.g., sidewall  30  may bow outwards). In some arrangements, horizontal portion  28  of walls  32  may be omitted. If desired, the fabric of case  20  may be formed from strands that are elastic to accommodate and/or conform to devices  10  with a variety of different edge profiles and footprints. The example of  FIGS. 3 and 4  is merely illustrative. 
     If desired, horizontal portion  28  (sometimes referred to as a lip) may include a cord that runs completely or partially around the perimeter of case  20 . The cord may be located on the exterior of case  20  or may be located within case  20  (e.g., may be covered by fabric). 
     Back panel portion  34  may be formed from a layer of plastic or metal or may be formed from a layer of fabric. Rear portion  34  may cover some or all of the rear of device  10  and may be attached to portions  32  or woven or formed as an integral portion of portions  32 . In the example of  FIG. 4 , peripheral walls  32  and back panel  34  are formed from fabrics that are joined monolithically (e.g., without joints or seams). A monolithic case of the type shown in  FIG. 4  may be formed by gradually joining loops of the peripheral wall fabric with loops of the back panel fabric as the back panel fabric is knitted. This process is described in greater detail in connection with  FIGS. 7-10 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative case  20  in which peripheral walls  32  and back panel  34  are formed from fabrics that are joined using seams such as seam  38 . Seam  38  may be a chain stitch formed using a linking strand, or may be any other suitable type of stitch, seam, or attachment member. When peripheral walls  32  and back panel  34  are formed separately and then subsequently joined, different methods and techniques may be employed in the formation of each piece, if desired. For example, peripheral walls  32  may be flat knit single layer structure, a warp knit fabric, a weft knit fabric, a seamless tube of fabric, one or more strips of fabric that are joined to form a rectangular outline, a spacer fabric, or other suitable fabric type. Back panel  34  may be a flat knit structure, a warp knit structure, a weft knit structure, a spacer fabric, one or more strips of fabric that are joined to form a panel, or other suitable fabric type. Examples involving non-monolithic fabric cases of the type shown in  FIG. 5  are discussed in connection with  FIGS. 11-19 . 
     Knitted fabric such as knitted fabric  42  of  FIGS. 3, 4, and 5  may be formed using any suitable knitting equipment. An illustrative knitting system for forming fabric  42  is shown in  FIG. 6 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , knitting equipment such as knitting system  58  may include a yarn source such as yarn source  60 . Yarn source  60  may include a creel with spools of yarn  68 . Knitting elements  70  may be used to knit yarn  68  into knitted fabric  42 . Knitted fabric  42  may be gathered on drums or other take-down equipment  66 . 
     Knitting elements  70  may include yarn guide structures such as feeders  62  that guide yarn  68  towards needles and other equipment  64 . Equipment  64  may include latch needles or needles of other types. In some arrangements, equipment  64  may include multiple beds of needles such as a front needle bed and a back needle bed. Equipment  64  may include yarn positioning structures that move yarn  68  from one bed to another bed. Equipment  64  may also include hooks or other cam structures and other structures for manipulating the positions of needles. The needles, feeders, and other knitting elements  70  may be implemented as separately adjustable components or the functionality of two or more of these tools may be combined in equipment  64 . Equipment such as feeders  62  and needles  64  (i.e., knitting elements  70 ) may sometimes be referred to as knitting equipment. 
     The use of a knitting system such as knitting system  58  of  FIG. 6  to knit fabric  42  is sometimes described herein as an illustrative example. Other techniques for forming fabric  42  may be used, if desired. 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram showing various stages of an illustrative knitting process for forming a monolithic case of the type shown in  FIG. 4 . Knitting equipment of the type shown in  FIG. 6  may be used to carry out the steps shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The knitting process begins with forming peripheral wall portion  32 . Peripheral wall  32  may be formed from rows of knitted loops (e.g., 10-12 rows of knitted loops, 10-15 rows of knitted loops, 5-15 rows of knitted loops, greater or less than 15 rows of knitted loops, or other suitable number of rows of knitted loops). Row 1 of peripheral wall  32  may be knitted first, then row 2, and so on, until finally row N is knitted. Row N corresponds to the final row of loops in peripheral wall portion  32 . Row N of peripheral wall  32  will be joined with back panel  34  (e.g., at locations  72  of  FIG. 4 ). Row 1 of peripheral wall portion  32  forms the upper edge of case  20  (e.g., the edge of portion  28  of  FIG. 4 , or the top edge of vertical portion  30  if portion  28  is omitted). 
     Following formation of peripheral wall  32  (e.g., after forming row N), the process of knitting back panel  34  begins by knitting row N+1, which is the first row of back panel  34 . Following row N+1, row N+2 may be knitted, and so on, until finally row N+M is knitted. As each row of back panel  34  is knitted, the loops of top row N of peripheral wall  32  may be joined with the outer edge loops of back panel  34  (e.g., the loops at the opposing ends of each row of back panel  34 ). In particular, the loops of row N of left wall portion  32 L may be joined with the loops along left edge  34 L of back panel  34  at locations  40 L. The loops of row N of right wall portion  32 R may be joined with the loops along right edge  34 R of back panel  34  at locations  40 R. The loops of row N in locations  120  are closest to the first row of back panel  34  (row N+1) and are the first loops to be joined with back panel  34 . The loops of row N in locations  44  are the last loops to be joined with back panel  34 . 
     Arrows  46 ,  48 ,  50 ,  52 , and  54  show how the location of peripheral wall  32  changes throughout the knitting process. Initially, peripheral wall  32  is knitted as a single elongated strip at location  46 . The length of the elongated strip that forms peripheral wall  32  may be equal to the perimeter of back panel  34  (e.g., in arrangements where peripheral wall  32  wraps around the entire perimeter) or the length may be less than the perimeter of back panel  34  (e.g., in arrangements where peripheral wall  32  only extends partially around the perimeter of back panel  34 ). As the loops of row N are joined with subsequent rows of back panel  34 , peripheral wall  32  is gradually pulled in towards edges  34 L and  34 R of back panel  34  (e.g., peripheral wall  32  is gradually pulled in direction  56  from location  46 , to location  48 , to location  50 , to location  52 , and finally to location  54  in which peripheral wall  32  is fully integrated with back panel  34 ). 
     When peripheral wall  32  is fully attached to back panel  34 , the rows of loops that form peripheral wall  32  may have some portions that extend perpendicular to the rows of loops that form back panel  34  and some portions that extend parallel to the rows of loops that form back panel  34 . For example, when peripheral wall  32  is in final location  54  and fully attached to back panel  34 , the rows of loops that form back panel  34  may extend in direction  118 . The rows of loops that form peripheral wall  32  may have first and second portions that extend in direction  116  (e.g., along the left and right sides of case  20 ) and third and fourth portions that extend in direction  118  (e.g., along the top and bottom sides of case  20 . 
     The opposing ends  56  of peripheral wall strip  32  may be joined in any suitable fashion. Ends  56  may be joined to back panel  34  with seams or stitches, may be joined to each other, or may otherwise be integrated with back panel  34 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the order in which loops of peripheral wall  32  are joined with the loops of back panel  34 . Following the formation of the N rows that make up peripheral wall  32 , the knitting process of back panel  34  begins with row N+1. Row N+1 has left outer loop L 1 ′ and right outer loop R 1 ′. Row N has left loop L 1  and right loop R 1 . Initially, loop L 1  is offset by one needle from loop L 1 ′. Similarly, loop R 1  is offset by one needle from loop R 1 ′. Yarn positioning structures may be used to transfer loop L 1  from its needle to the needle holding L 1 ′. Loop R 1  may be transferred from its needle to the needle holding R 1 ′. Following these transfers, loop L 1  and loop L 1 ′ will be held on the same needle, and loop R 1  and loop R 1 ′ will be held on the same needle. This results in loop L 1  and loop L 1 ′ being captured together on one edge of back panel  34  (e.g., left edge  34 L) and loop R 1  and R 1 ′ being captured together on the opposing edge of back panel  34  (e.g., right edge  34 R) when row N+2 is formed. This process is then repeated for the next row of back panel  34 . Loop L 2  (e.g., one loop over from loop L 1 ) is moved from its needle to the needle holding loop L 2 ′. Loop R 2  (e.g., one loop over from loop R 1 ) is moved from its needle to the needle holding loop R 2 ′. When the next row of loops in back panel  34  is formed, loop L 2  and loop L 2 ′ will be captured together on the left edge of back panel  34  and loop R 2  and R 2 ′ will be captured together on the right edge of back panel  34 . When the last row of back panel  34  is knitted (e.g., row N+M), loop LM will be captured together with loop LM′ on the left edge of back panel  34 , and loop RM and RM′ will be captured together on the right edge of back panel  34 . After the last loops of peripheral wall  32  are joined with the edges of back panel  34 , peripheral wall  32  will extend around the perimeter of back panel  34 , thereby forming case  20 . 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating how left and right loops of peripheral wall  32  may be transferred to join loops of back panel  34  during the knitting process described in connection with  FIGS. 7 and 8 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , left loop L 1  of row N is transferred to the needle holding left loop L 1 ′ of row N+1, and right loop R 1  of row N is transferred to the needle holding right loop R 1 ′ of row N+1. When row N+2 is formed, loops L 1  and L 1 ′ are captured together, and loops R 1  and R 1 ′ are captured together. 
       FIG. 10  is a point paper representation of a knitting pattern that may be used to carry out the knitting process described in connection with  FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 . In this type of diagram, each dot represents one needle and each horizontal row of dots represents a row of needles (e.g., a needle bed). In the example of  FIG. 10 , there are two needle beds, a front bed (labeled F) and a back bed (labeled B). Each pair of rows of dots (one front row F and one back row B) represents a stitch forming process. When read from bottom to top, the diagram of  FIG. 10  represents the succession of several stitch-forming processes, showing a complete repeat of the knitting cycle. The arrows between each pair of rows represent a direction of movement of loops between each step. For simplicity, the diagram of  FIG. 10  does not show the knitting cycle that is used to form the first N rows of peripheral wall  32 . Instead, the diagram of  FIG. 10  shows the knitting cycle that is used to form back panel  34  and to join the loops of peripheral wall  32  to back panel  34 , which begins after the first N rows of peripheral wall  32  are knitted. 
     Row  74  of  FIG. 10  shows a first stitch forming process of the repeat fabric structure. Loops of left peripheral wall portion  32 L, right peripheral wall portion  32 R, and rear wall  34  are located on respective needles in front needle bed F. 
     Row  76  shows how the loops of left peripheral wall portion  32 L and right peripheral wall portion  32 R may be transferred from front needle bed F to back needle bed B. The loops of back panel  34  may remain on front needle bed F. 
     Row  78  shows the stitch-forming process following the loop movement of row  76 . The loops of left wall portion  32 L and right wall portion  32 R are on back needle bed B, while the loops of back panel  34  are on front needle bed F. 
     Row  80  shows how the loops of left peripheral wall portion  32 L may are each moved one needle to the right, while the loops of right peripheral wall portion  32 R are each moved one needle to the left. 
     Row  82  shows the stitch-forming process following the loop movement of row  80 . The loops of left wall portion  32 L and right wall portion  32 R remain on back needle bed B, and the loops of back panel  34  remain on front needle bed F. One loop on left peripheral wall portion  32 L rests on a back needle directly opposite a front needle holding a left edge loop of back panel  34 . One loop on right peripheral wall portion  32 R rests on a back needle directly opposite a front needle holding a right edge loop of back panel  34 . 
     Row  84  shows how the loops of left peripheral wall portion  32 L and right peripheral wall portion  32 R may be transferred from back needle bed B to back needle bed F. The loops of back panel  34  may remain on front needle bed F. 
     Row  86  shows the stitch-forming process following the movement of row  84 . Loops of left peripheral wall portion  32 L, right peripheral wall portion  32 R, and rear wall  34  are located on front needle bed F. One loop on left peripheral wall portion  32 L shares a front needle with a left edge loop of back panel  34 . One loop on right peripheral wall portion  32 R shares a front needle with a right edge loop of back panel  34 . Each pair of loops that share a needle will be captured together when the next row of back panel  34  is knitted. 
     This process is repeated for each row of back panel  34  until back panel  34  is complete and peripheral wall  32  is fully attached to back panel  34  (e.g., until all of the loops of row N of peripheral wall  32  are joined with the outer edge loops of back panel  34 ). 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  are cross-sectional side views of illustrative cases  20  of the type shown in  FIG. 5 . In this type of example, peripheral wall  32  and back panel  34  are formed separately and subsequently attached to one another. Because wall  32  and back panel  34  are formed separately, wall  32  and back panel  34  may have different fabric constructions, if desired. For example, peripheral wall  32  may be a flat knit single layer structure, a seamless tube of fabric, one or more strips of fabric that are joined to form a rectangular outline, a spacer fabric, or other suitable fabric type. Back panel  34  may be a flat knit structure, a warp knit structure, a weft knit structure, a spacer fabric, one or more strips of fabric that are joined to form a panel, or other suitable fabric type. 
     If desired, one or more stiffening structures may be incorporated into case  20  to provide structure, rigidity, and/or impact protection. As shown in  FIG. 11 , for example, peripheral wall  32  may enclose one or more stiffening structures such as stiffener  88 . Stiffener  88  may be a single structure that extends continuously around the perimeter of device  10  when device  10  is placed within case  20 , or stiffener  88  may be formed from multiple segments that extend partially or completely around the perimeter of device  10 . Stiffener  88  may, for example, be located at the corners of case  20  (e.g., corners  20 C of  FIG. 3 ), may be located along one, two, three, or four sides of case  20 , and/or may be located in back panel  34 . Stiffener  88  may be a layer of plastic (e.g., polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or other suitable plastic), an additional fabric layer (e.g., a tightly woven or knitted fabric with some stiffness and rigidity), a layer of metal, ceramic, or other material, or other suitable stiffening layer. Stiffener  88  may be inserted after wall  32  is formed, may be inserted after wall  32  is attached to back panel  34 , or may be inserted during the knitting process (or other yarn intertwining process) that is used to form wall  32 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 11 , peripheral wall  32  is formed from a single layer of fabric  42  that has been folded over to create interior wall  321  and exterior wall  32 E. Stiffener  88  may be interposed between interior wall  321  and exterior wall  32 E. A seam such as seam  90  may be used to attach the bottom portion of interior wall  321  to the bottom portion of exterior wall  32 E. Seam  90  may, for example, include a chain stitch (e.g., a monofilament or multifilament chain stitch). If desired, a second seam such as seam  92  may be used to join peripheral wall  32  with back panel  34 . 
       FIG. 12  shows an arrangement similar to that of  FIG. 11 , except that a single seam such as seam  94  may be used to capture interior wall  321 , exterior wall  32 E, and rear panel  34  together. Seam  94  may be a chain stitch or other suitable type of stitch. 
       FIG. 12  also shows how stiffener  88  may be curved or may have one or more curved portions. Stiffener  88  may, for example, have a side profile that matches the side profile of device  10 . Stiffener  88  may extend behind device  10  when device  10  is in case  20 , or stiffener  88  may only be located on the sides of device  10  when device  10  is in case  20 . 
     Peripheral wall  32  may, if desired, be formed from a seamless tube of fabric.  FIGS. 13, 14, and 15  show how a seamless tube of fabric may be used to form peripheral wall  32 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , fabric  42  may a continuous loop of fabric. Rather than being constructed as a flat layer with two edges that are later joined, fabric  42  may be constructed (e.g., knitted) in the form of a tube, in which the strands that make up fabric  42  extend continuously around longitudinal axis  96 , with no edges or seams observable by a viewer. Fabric  42  may, for example, be a flat knit, single-layer tube. 
     In some arrangements, fabric  42  may be left as shown in  FIG. 13  (e.g., unfolded) and attached to back panel  34  to form a single-layer, seamless wall  32 . In other arrangements fabric  42  may be folded to provide wall  32  with multiple layers. For example, fabric  42  may be folded along midline  98  to form an interior layer  321  and exterior layer  32 E of  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
       FIG. 14  shows a perspective view of fabric  42  of  FIG. 13  after fabric  42  is folded along line  98  and shaped into the desired shape (e.g., a rectangular shape matching the outline of device  10  or other suitable shape). 
       FIG. 15  shows a cross-sectional side view of fabric  42  of  FIG. 14  taken along line  100  and viewed in direction  102 . As shown in  FIG. 15 , fabric  42  may be folded along its midline to produce interior wall  321  and exterior wall  32 E. If desired, a stiffener or other structure may be placed in gap  104  between interior wall  321  and exterior wall  32 E. Peripheral wall  32  may then be attached to back panel  34 . 
       FIG. 16  shows an illustrative chain stitch  106  that may be used to attach portions of fabric  42  of case  20  together. This type of chain stitch may, for example, be used to attach wall  32  to back panel  34  (e.g., at seam  92  of  FIG. 11 ), to attach interior wall  321  to exterior wall  32 E (e.g., at seam  90  of  FIG. 11 ), and/or to attach interior wall  321 , exterior wall  32 E, and back panel  34  together (e.g., at seam  94  of  FIG. 12 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 16 , yarns  68 - 1  and  68 - 2  may be joined using chain stitch yarn  68 - 3 . Yarn  68 - 1  may be part of a first fabric portion (e.g., wall  32 ) and yarn  68 - 2  may be part of a second fabric portion (e.g., back panel  34 ). Chain stitch yarn  68 - 3  may be a monofilament or multi-filament strand that forms a series of loops. Each loop of yarn  68 - 3  may pass through a loop in yarn  68 - 1  and a loop in yarn  68 - 2 . Each loop of yarn  68 - 3  may be threaded through a preceding loop in yarn  68 - 3  to hold the stitches in place. This type of chain stitch is sometimes referred to as linking and may be formed using a dial linking machine, if desired. 
       FIGS. 17, 18, and 19  show how the edges of the fabric portions that are joined by chain stitch  106  may protrude slightly from chain stitch  106 . In some arrangements, it may be desirable to hide the protruding edges of fabric from view. In other arrangements, these fabric edges can be made visible and can become part of the overall look and feel of case  20 . 
       FIG. 17  shows how both end  34 E of back panel  34  and end  32 E of peripheral wall  32  may face interior  114  of case  20 , so that a viewer such as viewer  108  viewing case  20  in direction  110  does not see ends  34 E and  32 E on exterior side  112  of case  20 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 18 , end  34 E of back panel  34  faces exterior  112  of case  20 , while end  32 E of peripheral wall  32  faces interior  114  of case  20 . Viewer  108  viewing case  20  in direction  110  may be able to see end  34 E of back panel  34  on the exterior side  112  of case  20 . If desired, the arrangement of  FIG. 18  may be switched such that end  32 E of peripheral wall  32  faces exterior  112  and end  34 E of back panel  34  faces interior  114 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 19 , both end  34 E of back panel  34  and end  32 E of peripheral wall  32  face exterior side  112  of case  20  such that both ends are visible to viewer  108  viewing case  20  in direction  110 . 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180806
Publication Date: 20191008
Grant Date: 20191008
Priority Date: 20170828
Inventors: LU, Jessica J.
PODHAJNY, DANIEL A.
SUNSHINE, Daniel D.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04B1/3888", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2403/03", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0217", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2101/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/03", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2101/08", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2101/20", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2101/08", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B1/3888", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2101/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2101/20", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D10B2403/03", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "D03D1/0035", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/0217", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2200/1633", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05K5/03", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C2011/002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C2011/003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/003", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F2200/1633", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/003", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/001", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/002", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A45C11/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B1/3888", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 68102045