US 9,806,754 B1Granted

Universal cell phone hand holding and safety device case

OwnerTodd Hodgeinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Cases, devices, and methods for protecting and holding portable handheld devices, such as cell phones and smart phones, in separate protective cases having outwardly extending resilient bumper corner eye lit rings which cushion the case and function as bumpers when the portable electronics device are dropped. The outwardly extending bumpers/eye lit rings can also support lanyards and keychain rings, and the like, so that the cases with portable electronics devices can be easily and safely held in one's finger, about their wrist, or on their neck. A central ring can be formed from an upper middle portion of the case for allowing the forefinger of a user to be inserted therein with the back of the hand supporting the case, and the lanyard wrapped about the user's wrist. The novel cases can also be used to safely protect other types of portable electronic devices, such as tablets and laptop computers, and the like, in similar manners. Portable electronic device housings can be initially manufactured and built with the outwardly extending resilient rings offering safe protection from being dropped and for being held, carried or worn.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A case for safely holding and supporting portable electronic devices, comprising:

a back panel adapted for substantially covering a back of a portable electronics device;
an upper wall substantially perpendicular to a top edge of back panel adapted for substantially covering a top of the portable electronics device;
left and right side walls substantially perpendicular to left and right side edges of the back panel adapted for substantially covering left and right sides of the portable electronics device;
a bottom wall substantially perpendicular to a bottom edge of the back panel adapted for substantially covering a bottom of the portable electronics device, wherein the back panel, the left and the right side walls, and the bottom wall form the case for the portable electronics device, with the case having an upper left corner and an upper right corner and a lower left corner and a lower right corner;
an upper left corner bumper ring extending from the upper left corner of the case;
an upper right corner bumper ring extending out from the upper right corner of the case;
a lower left corner bumper ring extending from the lower left corner of the case;
a lower right corner bumper ring extending from the lower right corner of the case;
and
an upper center extending ring having a circular opening directly molded to and extending upward from the case between the upper left corner and the upper right corner, the upper center extending ring having a planar surface across a front face of the upper center extending ring being parallel to the back panel of the case, wherein the upper left corner ring, the upper right corner ring, the lower left corner ring, the lower right corner ring and the upper center extending ring are molded from a resilient material.

7 more elements

A method of protecting a portable electronics device from being dropped or lost, comprising the steps of:

providing a case for a portable electronics device having a back wall, sides, an upper left bumper corner, an upper right bumper corner, a lower left bumper corner, a lower right bumper corner and a center ring having a circular opening directly molded to and extending upward from the case between the upper left bumper corner and the upper right bumper corner, the center ring having a planar surface across a front face being parallel to the back wall of the case, the case being molded from a resilient material;
providing a lanyard strap with a key ring;
attaching the key ring to one of the upper left corner bumper, the upper right corner bumper, the lower left bumper corner and the lower right bumper corner;
and
safely supporting the case with the portable electronics device adapted for support in one hand wherein a forefinger can pass through the center ring extending up from the case with the case resting against a user's palm, and the lanyard strap adapted to be wrapped about the one hand of a user, so as to prevent the case with the portable electronics device from being dropped, and becoming lost.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/348,609Filed 10 Nov 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 13 Nov 2015
Granted: 31 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

H04B 1/385
Portable transceivers: transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
A45C 11/00
Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups a45c1/00-a45c9/00
A45F 5/00
Holders or carriers for hand articles
H04B 1/3888
Portable transceivers: arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers