US 8,245,842 B2Granted

Protective case having a hybrid structure for portable handheld electronic devices

AssigneeSwitcheasy Limited

InventorSteven Chi Vun Bau

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A protective case for handheld devices with improved protection characteristics, durability, convenience of use, and functionalities without compromising aesthetics. The protective case includes a “glove” or “skin” piece of a softer material that substantially covers and grips the entire back of the electronic device, by wrapping over the edge of the electronic device (without obscuring the display/touch screen on the front of the device). One or more separate complementary frame pieces, braces and the like made of a hard material are attached over the glove piece, extending over a substantial area of the glove piece, thereby creating a robust interlocking hybrid structure. Openings are provided in the protective case to allow for user interaction with the device, including access to the interfaces (e.g., screens, buttons, sockets, etc.) provided on the device.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A protective case for a portable handheld electronic device, comprising:

a first protective component, sized and configured to extend to fit snugly over at least a portion of a back and at least a portion of the perimeter of the electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a display screen and at least one socket provided on the perimeter of the electronic device, wherein a window and at least one opening are provided on the first protective component, wherein the window is located on the first protective component to expose the display screen of the electronic device and said at least one opening is located on the first protective component to provide external access to said at least one socket provided on the perimeter of the electronic device, when the first protective component is fitted over the back of the electronic device, wherein the first protective component is sized and configured to extend to cover the entire back of the electronic device, and wherein the first protective component is sized and configured to extend to cover substantially entire perimeter of the electronic device;
and
a second protective component, sized and configured to extend to cover at least a portion of the first protective component, wherein the second protective component comprises a plurality of fingers extending to cover the first protective component over at least a portion of the perimeter of the electronic device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/459,395Filed 29 Jun 2009 · continuation in part
Priority: 27 Jun 2008
Published: US 2010/0096284 A122 Apr 2010
Granted: 21 Aug 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B65D 85/00
Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
H04B 1/3888
Portable transceivers: arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
B65D
Containers for storage or transport of articles or materials
H04B
Transmission

Family

Application61/133,365Us provisional application · filed 27 Jun 2008
Application61/188,084Us provisional application · filed 5 Aug 2008
Application29/312,006Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Sep 2008
US 2010/0096284 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Apr 2010
US D610,807 S1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,245,842 B2This patent

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