Patent Application
20230225473
None
Mobile phones have continued to see dramatic increase in usage since their introduction, never more rapid than in recent years. Indeed, according to some sources, including the online research of Statista, as of December 2021 there were over 6 billion smartphone users in the world. This means that over 80% of the world's population owns a smart phone. In the United States, according to the Pew Research Center, over 97% of Americans now own a cellular phone of some kind. The relative percentage of those cellular phones classified as smart phones has risen from 35% in 2011 to over 85% in 2021.
Accompanying such dramatic increase in popularity of cell phones has also been the desire, indeed the need, to carry the cell phone with the owner during the large majority of a person's day. In fact, most cell phone owners keep their cell phones with them nearly at all times during the day. Moreover, as cell phones have become more sophisticated, they have become capable of doing things that were not possible even just a short time in the past. Nowadays, a smart phone can not only communicate via text message and voice call, but can also send and receive electronic mail, make video calls, take photos and videos of extremely high quality, translate speech in real time, interface with any web site available, and conduct personal and business transactions online, including acting as a payment source. As a result, users tend to always carry their phones with them. As a further result, users sometimes desire to only carry their phones with them, to the exclusion of their wallets, but still desire to carry with them other items, such as their driver's license, credit cards, identification cards, secure-access cards, insurance cards, and the like (all of these types of items, and all similar items commonly carried in wallets and mobile device cases, are hereinafter referred to simply as “cards”). Users tend to prefer that such cards be placed inside a card-holding device to protect the cards, and to prevent losing the cards. Obviously, wallets have been used for such purposes for decades, if not hundreds of years. However, as stated above, a growing trend is that people tend to only want to carry with them one item, and that item tends to be the smart phone.
As such, some smart phone products have been developed to house these cards. These products tend to fall into two categories. A first category is a wallet or portfolio-style (that is, a “folding” case) cell phone holder that houses a cell phone on one side and credit cards on the opposite side. An example of this prior art device is shown in
One of the many problems with products of the first category is that cards tend to fall out of the card slots. This is especially problematic where the card slots are open in a direction that is not blocked by some physical structure. And, because many of the wallet-style cell phone holders are made of leather, the tendency of cards to fall out of the holder increases over time and with use, as the slots for the cards get broken in, worn, and tend to expand. Further, many cards are of different sizes and thicknesses, and thicker cards tend to stretch the slots and enclosures more so than thinner cards. Then, when a thinner card is placed in a slot that has previously housed a thicker card, the thinner card tends to escape more easily. Although wallet-style phone holders have many benefits, including the general ability to provide more space for cards, cash, and the like, many users have lamented the loss of cards that have slipped out of their slots. Similar problems exist for the pouch category as well, especially if the slots wear or break-in over time and therefore become loose. And, pouches that are adhered to the back side of a phone provide no protection or cover for the phone itself.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art to provide a phone case, and in particular, a wallet-style phone case, that also carries multiple card-like items, yet prevents the cards from falling out.
The herein-described embodiments address these and other problems associated with the art by providing a phone case with a locking feature to prevent credit cards from falling out.
A mobile device case embodiment is disclosed comprising a first flap having at least one card slot therein, wherein the at least one card slot is configured to receive at least one card insertable into the at least one card slot in an insertion direction; a second flap configured to receive a mobile device; a central portion connecting the first flap to the second flap in a foldable arrangement in which the first flap can be folded about a fold axis and can be moveable through a range of positions from at least a first, unfolded position to at least a second, folded position; and a retainer configured to be coupled to each of the first flap and the second flap, wherein when the retainer is coupled to both the first flap and the second flap, at least a portion of the retainer is in blocking alignment over the at least one card slot in the insertion direction, wherein the insertion direction is parallel to said fold axis.
A mobile device case embodiment is disclosed comprising: a first flap; a second flap; a central portion foldably connecting the first flap to the second flap along a fold axis; and a retainer having a first end fixedly coupled to the first flap and a second end removably coupled to the second flap; wherein the first flap includes at least one card slot oriented in a direction that is not parallel to the fold axis and is configured to receive a card; and wherein the second end of the retainer further comprises a first securement structure that is engageable to a second securement structure that is coupled to the second flap; and wherein at least a portion of the retainer is physically situated over at least a portion of the at least one card slot.
A method of preventing a credit card from escaping a mobile device case is disclosed, the method comprising: providing a foldable wallet-style mobile device case, wherein the case includes a first flap and a second flap separated from the first flap by a central portion along a fold axis, and wherein the first flap includes at least one card slot oriented in a direction that is not parallel to the fold axis, and wherein the first flap includes a retainer having a first end coupled to the first flap and a second end not coupled to the first flap, and wherein the retainer is situated on the first flap above the at least one card slot in a direction parallel to the fold axis; coupling a mobile device to the second flap; inserting a card into the at least one card slot; closing the case by folding the first flap onto the mobile device; and securing the second end of the retainer to the second flap.
A mobile device case is disclosed comprising: a first flap having a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge; a second flap having a first edge, an second edge, and a third edge; a central portion foldably connecting the first flap to the second flap along a fold axis, the fold axis being between the third edge of the first flap and the third edge of the second flap; wherein the first flap includes at least one card slot oriented in a direction that is not parallel to the fold axis and is configured to receive a card; and wherein a card is inserted into the card slot from a first position closer to the central portion to a second position closer to the third edge of the first flap.
These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto. For a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the Drawings, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments of the invention. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description, and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described herein. Rather, the invention should limited only by the claims appended hereto. However, various embodiments have been selected to be discussed herein to illustrate exemplary, non-limiting implementations of the inventive concepts. The embodiments discussed hereinafter are directed in part to a case for a mobile device having a retainer to prevent loss of cards therefrom.
Turning now to the embodiments disclosed and claimed herein,
The inner flap surface 22 of the first flap 20 includes a pouch surface 23. Pouch surface 23 is mated to the inner flap surface 22 about three sides: along a top 22a, an outer edge 22b, and a bottom 22c. In this manner, a pouch opening 24 exists, creating an interior space 25 between the inner flap surface 22 and the pouch surface 23, bounded by the top 22a, outer edge 22b, and bottom 22c, but open at the pouch opening 24. This interior space 25 is preferably larger than the interior spaces for the various cards (described below). Items such as cash, receipts, other paper items, or even other or additional cards, for example, can be placed within the interior space 25.
Additionally, the pouch surface 23 (or, if no pouch exists, then alternatively the inner flap surface 22) further includes one or more card slots 26 therein. Each card slot 26 is an opening into a card interior space 27. The card slot 26 shown in this embodiment is sized to accept standard forms of cards, but could be altered in dimension for custom or different items, if desired.
The second flap 40 includes a top edge 40a, an outer edge 40b, and a bottom edge 40c. These first, second, and third edges are shown in
The central portion 50 in the embodiment shown is generally of a relatively flexible material to allow the first flap 20 to fold over top the second flap 40. The central portion 50 can be (but need not be) of the same material as the first flap 20 and second flap 40, and can be continuous (that is, the same material can comprise the first flap 20, central portion 50, and second flap 40, all in one piece), or it can be separately joined to the first flap 20 and second flap 40 (such as, for example, at seams). The central portion 50 also can be of a different material than that of the first flap 20 or second flap 40. This might be the case, as one example, where the first flap 20 and/or second flap 40 is made from a rigid or semi-rigid material. In such case, a flexible material will comprise the central portion 50, and the central portion 50 will be joined to the first flap 20 at a first seam 51, and will be joined to the second flap 40 at a second seam 52. As stated above, the case 10 shown in
In the open position as shown in
Also in the open position of this embodiment, items can be placed inside the interior space 25 of the pouch between the inner flap surface 22 and the pouch surface 23. Placing items therein is accomplished by inserting them horizontally from the right to the left (as viewed in
With reference again to
The strap portion 31 has a length that is dimensioned so as to adequately span the necessary thickness of the case 10 during use, accounting for the thicknesses of the material of the first flap 20 and second flap 40, the mobile device, the cards, and anything else desired to be housed in the card interior space 27 and the interior space 25. In the embodiment shown, the strap portion 31 has a length of approximately 1.25 to 1.5 inches. Obviously, the strap portion 31 could be any length between approximately one half inch to approximately 9 inches, but preferably would be between approximately 1 inch to approximately 6 inches, and more preferably would be between approximately 1 inch to approximately 2 inches. Similarly, the strap portion 31 theoretically could be larger than 9 inches, for example if the retainer 30 were desired to not just lap over the top portion of the case 10 (as shown in
With additional reference to
To use the case 10 of the embodiment shown, the retainer 30 is disengaged, if previously engaged, from the second flap 40, and the case 10 is folded to an open position. As described above, the method of disengagement depends on the type of securement structures 35, 44 employed for the case 10. A mobile device is secured to the second flap 40 in a manner that is common in the industry for wallet-style mobile device cases, as described above. Preferably, the case 10 includes one or more cutouts 43 that correspond with the camera that is part of the mobile device. One or more cards is inserted into the card slots 26 by engaging an edge of the card into the card slot 26 and then moving the card in a direction parallel to the fold axis 53 until the card is fully seated within the card interior space 27. If desired, one or more cards, or cash, is inserted into pouch opening 24 by moving the card or cash in a direction perpendicular to the fold axis 53 until the card or cash is adequately contained within the interior space 25. Then, once the desired cards and other items have been inserted into the respective locations of the first flap 20, the case 10 is folded to a closed position. In this position, the cards within the card slots 26 make surface contact with the face of the mobile device that is secured on second flap 40. Now, the retainer 30 is engaged to the second flap 40 by bringing the second end 33 of the strap portion 31 onto the outer flap surface 41. The securement portion 34 is then brought into proximity to the second securement structure 44 to engage or couple the first securement structure 35 to the second securement structure 44. Once secured in this manner, the cards are prevented from inadvertently falling out of the case 10, even when case 10 is held upside down.
As stated above, additional embodiments of the case 10 are also contemplated. As described above with respect to the embodiment shown in
In a second embodiment of the case 10, as shown in
A second variation of this second embodiment, shown in
A second variation of this second embodiment, shown in
A fourth embodiment (not shown) exists that is a mirror image of the first embodiment (
A fifth embodiment is shown in
While several embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
It is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” “in communication with,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The foregoing description of several embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
