US 9,871,550 B2Granted

Protective enclosure for an electronic device

AssigneeOtter Products, LLC

InventorsKevin W. Witter, Matthew S. Krajec, Patrick J. Nelson, Paul N. Walker, Thomas D. Boileau

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A protective enclosure for an electronic device includes a cushion layer and a structural layer. The cushion layer covers the back surface and side surfaces of the installed electronic device. The structural layer is disposed over the cushion layer and includes a back portion, a right side portion, and a left side portion. The structural layer includes a thinned region on the back portion. The thinned region has a thickness that is less than the thickness of the remainder of the back portion of the structural layer. The thinned region of the structural layer allows a section of the protective enclosure to bend away from the back surface of the electronic device for installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective enclosure.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A protective enclosure for an electronic device, the electronic device having a front surface, a back surface, and side surfaces, the front surface of the electronic device having a touchscreen, the protective enclosure comprising:

a cushioning layer configured to cover at least a portion of the back surface and at least portions of the side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective enclosure;
and
a structural layer disposed over the cushioning layer, the structural layer comprising:
a back portion;
a right side portion;
a left side portion;
a first cutout along the right side portion;
and
a second cutout along the left side portion opposite the first cutout along the right side portion;
wherein the back portion of the structural layer includes a thinned region, the thinned region extending across the back portion from the first cutout to the second cutout of the structural layer, the thinned region having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a remaining portion of the back portion of the structural layer, the thinned region permitting a section of the protective enclosure to flex relative to another section of the protective enclosure and relative to the back surface of the electronic device during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective enclosure.

7 more elements

A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising:

a cushion member configured to receive and cover at least portions of a back surface and side surfaces of the electronic device when the electronic device is installed in the protective case, the cushion member coupled with a shell member;
and
the shell member comprising a first side portion, a second side portion, and a back portion that at least partially cover the cushion member of the protective case, the first side portion of the shell member having a first cutout region, the second side portion of the shell member having a second cutout region that opposes the first cutout region on an opposite side of the back portion, the first and the second cutout regions adapted to allow a section of the back portion of the shell member and the cushion member to bend away from at least a portion of the back surface of the electronic device during installation and removal of the electronic device from the protective case.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/297,784Filed 19 Oct 2016 · continuation
Priority: 7 Jan 2014
Published: US 2017/0041037 A19 Feb 2017
Granted: 16 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

H04B 1/3888
Portable transceivers: arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
A45C 5/02
Rigid or semi-rigid luggage: materials therefor
A45C 11/00
Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups a45c1/00-a45c9/00
A45F 5/00
Holders or carriers for hand articles

Family

Application61/924,423Us provisional application · filed 7 Jan 2014
Application14/591,537Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jan 2015
Application15/040,713Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Feb 2016
US 9,295,174 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Mar 2016
US 2017/0041037 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Feb 2017
US 9,503,147 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0195938 A1Published application
US 2016/0164565 A1Published application
US 9,871,550 B2This patent

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