Devices and accessories employing a living hinge

#The invention relates to an apparatuses and accessories incorporating living hinges. The invention particularly relates to such apparatuses and accessories used with electrical devices.

#In the past, cases used with electronic devices have primarily been employed for the purpose of protecting the device from its environment. For example, even with solid-state devices, it can be desirable to protect such devices from impacts. Thus, cases for such devices often included padding of one type or another to dampen the acceleration deceleration resulting from dropping such a device. Similarly, devices that were sensitive to moisture would have cases that excluded or at least mitigated moisture reaching the device.

#More recently, such cases now are employed to both protect the devices and to free the hands of the users. In today's society, multitasking is no longer an option it is a requirement. For example, it is common to see people jogging or bicycling and using electronic devices that clip to their clothing or equipment.

#The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device having two modules in the open position;

#FIG. 2 illustrates an electronic device within a case in the open position;

#In one aspect, the invention is an electronic device comprising two modules separated by a living hinge. The term electronic device means such devices having a view screen and in some embodiments a keyboard component including, but not limited to cell phones, smartphones, some Tablet computers, laptop computers, iPod (a trade designation of the Apple® corporation) or other small music players, and the like.

#The term “living hinge” means, for the purposes of the disclosure, a thin flexible hinge (flexure bearing) joining two components, as opposed to a mechanical hinge such as a pin hinge. In some embodiments it is made from the same material as the two pieces it connects. Where it is made from the same material as the components it connects, it may be of the same or differing thickness an even be just a natural bend point in a continuous material.

#The embodiments of the devices and systems of the disclosure include a magnet and/or a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic component. The ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic component may be made of iron or other conventional ferrimagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials. In may also be a composite. Exemplary composites include combinations of aluminum, nickel, and cobalt compound with iron. Such composites may be made by sintering metals or by mixing the metallic components with a resin and injection molding. Mixtures of iron oxide and ceramic components such as barium and strontium carbonate may be used to make ceramic magnets for use as the Ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic components useful with the application. For the purposes of this application, rare earth magnets, such as but not limited to samarian and neodymium based magnets, are ferrimagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials and may be used to prepare the Ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic components useful with the application. Any magnetic material or material that is attracted to magnets may be used to prepare the Ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic components useful with the application.