US 9,432,074 B2Granted

Protective case for mobile device with reinforcing support member

AssigneeIncipio, LLC

InventorAndy Fathollahi

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A protective case for a mobile device having a co-molded multi-layered construction having a first layer that generally forms the external back face surface of the case. A second layer generally forms the perimeter bumper of the case. The first layer is comprised of material that has a hardness and/or rigidity that is greater than the second layer. The layers are configured to interact with one another so that they are capable of distributing impact forces to mitigate damage to the mobile device. One or more reinforcing support members in the form of a beam or rod are provided and extend internally and longitudinally near the sides of the case and preferably near the long sides of a rectangular shaped case. The reinforcing support members are formed of even harder or more rigid materials, such as metal alloy or cured fiber reinforced composite rods or beams, relative to the first and second layer and are capable of providing additional support and rigidity to the mobile device to stop or mitigate unintentional or undesired bending of the mobile device.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A rectangular shaped protective case for a mobile electronic device configured to be user removable from said mobile electronic device, wherein said mobile device includes a height that is defined as the distance between a front face and a back face of the mobile device, a perimeter defined by top, bottom, right, and left sides residing between the front and back faces, and corners defined at the intersecting regions of the sides, said protective case comprising:

a bottom shell portion made of a first material that is dimensioned to cover at least a portion of the back face of the mobile device;
an upper portion that is co-molded to the bottom shell that is made of a second material that is less rigid or hard than the first material, wherein the upper portion is configured to cover at least a portion of the perimeter region of the front face of the mobile electronic device;
and
one or more longitudinally extending reinforcing support members being housed within the bottom shell portion and made of a third material that is more rigid than either the first or second material, wherein said reinforcing support members extend lengthwise generally parallel to the long sides of the protective case.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/865,233Filed 25 Sep 2015 · us provisional application
Priority: 26 Sep 2014
Published: US 2016/0094263 A131 Mar 2016
Granted: 30 Aug 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

B29C 45/14065
Incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. injection moulding around inserts or for coating articles: positioning or centering articles in the…
B29C 45/14631
Incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. injection moulding around inserts or for coating articles: coating reinforcements
B29C 45/1671
Making multilayered or multicoloured articles: with an insert
B29C 45/1676
Making multilayered or multicoloured articles: using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part