US 10,117,487 B2Granted

Encasement with dispensed seal

AssigneeOtter Products, LLC

InventorsTofigh J. Khodapanah, Minna L. Ranjeva

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Abstract

A protective encasement for an electronic device includes members that clasp together and a dispensed seal disposed on an inside surface of one of the members to form a watertight barrier between the member and a surface of the installed electronic device. The dispensed seal may comprise an elastomeric material dispensed on and adhered to the inside surface of the encasement. A first overlap region of the dispensed seal may overlap a second overlap region of the dispensed seal at an overlap point to form a closed loop. The closed loop may have a substantially uniform thickness to form the watertight barrier. The first and second overlap regions may each have reduced thicknesses that are less than the uniform thickness, but a combined thickness of the overlap regions at the overlap point substantially equals the uniform thickness to complete the closed loop of the seal.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A protective encasement for an electronic device having a display, the protective encasement comprising:

a first member including a perimeter portion;
a second member including a perimeter portion that corresponds with the perimeter portion of the first member;
a channel disposed proximate the perimeter portion of one of the first member and the second member;
a wall disposed proximate the perimeter portion of another of the first member and the second member;
a first clasping feature proximate the wall and a second clasping feature proximate the channel, the first and second clasping features interfacing to removably clasp the first and second members together to removably encase the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective encasement;
and
a dispensed seal disposed on an inside surface of the first member to form a watertight barrier between the first member and a surface of the installed electronic device when the first and second members are removably clasped together, the dispensed seal comprising an elastomeric material dispensed on and adhered to the inside surface of the first member, the dispensed seal comprising a first end and a second end, wherein a first overlap region of the dispensed seal overlaps a second overlap region of the dispensed seal at an overlap point to form a closed loop, the closed loop having a substantially uniform seal thickness to form the watertight barrier between the first member and the surface of the installed electronic device when the first member is removably clasped to the second member, wherein the first and the second overlap regions each have reduced thicknesses that are less than the uniform seal thickness, wherein a combined thickness of the first overlap region and the second overlap region at the overlap point substantially equals the uniform seal thickness to complete the closed loop having the substantially uniform seal thickness, and wherein at least one of the first end and the second end of the dispensed seal have a ramped configuration that is not part of the closed loop.

4 more elements

A protective cover for an electronic device having a display, the protective cover comprising:

a shell member removably attachable to a second shell member using one or more clasping features;
and
a bead of elastomeric material adhered to an inside surface of the shell member to form a gasket on the inside surface of the shell member, the gasket configured for providing a watertight barrier between the shell member and another surface when the electronic device is installed in the protective cover, the gasket comprising a first end, a second end, a first overlap region, a second overlap region, and a primary region that is between the first overlap region and the second overlap region, the first overlap region of the gasket overlapping the second overlap region at an overlap point to form a closed loop that includes the primary region of the gasket, the primary region having a substantially uniform thickness to form the watertight barrier, the first and second overlap regions each having respective thicknesses such that a combined overlapped thickness of the first overlap region and the second overlap region at the overlap point substantially equals the thickness of the primary region to form the closed loop having the thickness of the primary region, the bead of elastomeric material dispensed onto the shell member while in a flowable state, wherein at least one of the first end and the second end of the gasket have a ramped configuration that is not part of the closed loop.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/206,369Filed 11 Jul 2016 · continuation in part
Priority: 30 Jan 2015
Published: US 2016/0316875 A13 Nov 2016
Granted: 6 Nov 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A45C 13/008
Details; Accessories: for making water- or air-tight
A45C 11/00
Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups a45c1/00-a45c9/00
A45C 11/002
Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00: for storing portable handheld communication devices, e.g. pagers or smart…
F16J 15/02
Sealings: between relatively-stationary surfaces

Family

Application62/110,368Us provisional application · filed 30 Jan 2015
Application62/152,770Us provisional application · filed 24 Apr 2015
Application15/012,263Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 1 Feb 2016
US 2016/0316875 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Nov 2016
US 9,986,806 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 10,117,487 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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