Protective enclosure and watertight adapter for an interactive flat-panel controlled device

An electrical adapter for a submersibly watertight protective enclosure for a handheld electronic device comprising:

• at least one internal connector that is adapted to connect to an interface of said handheld electronic device, said internal connector adapted to be at least partially disposed within said enclosure and to connect to said interface within said enclosure when said enclosure is closed in a submersibly watertight manner;
• at least one external connector that is adapted to connect to an accessory for said handheld electronic device, said external connector adapted to be at least partially disposed within said enclosure and to connect to said accessory that is outside of said enclosure when said enclosure is closed in a submersibly watertight manner;
• cabling that is disposed within said enclosure that electrically connects said internal connector to said external connector;
• and
• an elastomeric covering that at least partially surrounds and provides a watertight seal around a portion of said internal connector and said external connector and said enclosure so that said enclosure is submersibly watertight when said enclosure is closed, said elastomeric covering being flexible so that said internal connector may be deflected at an angle that facilitates connection of said connector to said interface of said electronic device.

A method of manufacturing a submersibly watertight enclosure with an accessory adapter for a handheld electronic device comprising:

• providing a upper shell and a lower shell that form a protective enclosure, said upper shell and said lower shell being hingedly connected, said upper shell and said lower shell being capable of enclosing said handheld electronic device, said handheld electronic device being a separate unit from said upper shell and said lower shell, said handheld electronic device being insertable in and removable from said upper shell and said lower shell by hand, said shell being substantially submersibly watertight when closed, said enclosure having at least one hinge pivot stop that constrains opening of said upper shell to a maximum predetermined angle;
• disposing an adapter at least partially within said protective enclosure, said adapter having an internal connector that is capable of electrically connecting to an interface of a handheld electronic device, said adapter having an external connector that is capable of being electrically connected to an accessory for said handheld electronic device, said internal connector being electrically connected to said external connector so that when said accessory is electrically connected to said external connector said accessory is also electrically connected to said internal connector and to said interface of said handheld electronic device;
• at least partially covering said adapter with an elastomeric covering that forms a submersibly watertight seal around said adapter so that said enclosure is submersibly watertight when said enclosure is close, said elastomeric covering being flexible to that said internal connector may deflected at an angle to facilitate connection of said internal connector to said interface of said handheld electronic device.