Patent Grant
10340970
Portable electronic devices (PEDs), such as PDAs, computers, MP3 players, music players, video players, smart phones, GPS receivers, telematics devices, cell phones, satellite phones, pagers, monitors, etc., are being very widely used, and are being deployed in industrial as well as office environments. PEDs are being used in industrial environments for data collection, such as service information on an airplane, or for data delivery such as maps for fire fighters and other emergency personnel. When PEDs are deployed in such industrial applications, the data that is collected and displayed on the PED can be extremely valuable and can be lifesaving.
The industrial environments impose harsh conditions that typical PEDs are not designed to accommodate. For example, damage can be done to the PED through rough handling and dropping. Further, industrial chemicals, grease, water, dirt, and grime may damage or destroy a functioning PED and inhibit the use of the PEDs valuable data.
It is common to hold the PEDs inside a protective case for transport. However, PEDs are usually removed for use since most cases used for transport are not interactive. Interactive cases are also useful for non-industrial applications to provide protection for PEDs.
In one aspect, a protective cover is disclosed for an electronic device having an interactive touch screen display, at least one control button, a camera feature, and an electrical interface. The protective cover includes a protective shell having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a plurality of side members defining a perimeter of the protective shell. The protective cover also includes a cushioning member coupled with at least the inner surface of the protective shell. The cushioning member is configured for cushioning the electronic device when the electronic device is disposed in the protective cover. The protective cover also includes a first opening defined by the perimeter of the protective cover. The first opening is configured to align with and expose at least a portion of the interactive touch screen display when the electronic device is disposed in the protective cover. The protective cover also includes a second opening configured to align with the camera feature of the electronic device when the electronic device is disposed in the protective cover. The protective cover further includes an access port in at least one of the plurality of side members of the protective cover. The access port is positioned to be proximate the electrical interface of the electronic device when the electronic device is disposed in the protective cover.
In another aspect, a protective enclosure for a mobile computing device is provided. The protective enclosure includes a first case member, a second case member, a plurality of pliable areas, an electrical connector, audio headphones, and a headphone cable. The first and second case members each have an exterior surface, and interior surface, and a perimeter portion. The second case member is removably attachable to the first case member with one or more latching mechanisms. The attachment of the second case member to the first case member forms a protective interior of the protective enclosure for receiving the mobile computing device. The plurality of pliable areas are disposed in the first case member and/or the second case member, and each align with a corresponding control button of the mobile computing device. The pliable areas transmit at least a portion of a force applied at an external surface of one of the pliable areas to the corresponding control button of the mobile computing device to actuate the corresponding control button of the mobile computing device when the mobile computing device is in the protective interior of the protective enclosure.
The electrical connector is attached to the interior surface of the second case member, and is structured to mate with a corresponding electrical connector of the mobile computing device when the mobile computing device is inside the protective enclosure. The audio headphones are connected to the exterior surface of one of the first case member and the second case member via a headphone cable. The headphone cable electrically interconnects the audio headphones to the electrical connector of the protective enclosure such that audio signals generated by the mobile computing device inside the protective interior are transmitted through the electrical connector of the mobile computing device through the electrical connector of the protective enclosure and through the headphone cable to the headphones outside the protective enclosure.
In another aspect, the disclosure describes a protective case for a portable electronic device, including first and second case portions, a pliable molded surface, an electrical connector, and audio headphones. The first case portion may have an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a perimeter portion. The second case portion may also have an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a perimeter portion, and may be removably attachable to the first case portion to form a protective shell. Such protective shell may include a cavity for the portable electronic device inside the shell, the cavity defined by at least a portion of the interior surface of the first case portion and at least a portion of the interior surface of the second case portion.
The pliable molded surface may be disposed in an opening of one of the first case portion and the second case portion, and may align with a corresponding control button of the portable electronic device. The pliable molded surface may transmit a mechanical pressure applied at an exterior surface of the pliable molded surface to the control button of the portable electronic device to actuate the control button of the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is inside the shell.
The electrical connector may be attached to the interior surface of the first or second case portion, and may mate with an electrical interface of the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is inside the shell. The audio headphones may have a headphone cable connected to the exterior surface of the first or second case portion. The headphone cable may be electrically interconnected through a wall of the first or second case portion to the electrical connector of the protective case. This interconnection permits electrical audio signals generated by the portable electronic device inside the shell to be transmitted from the electrical interface of the portable electronic device through the electrical connector and through the headphone cable to the headphones.
In another disclosed aspect a protective case for a portable electronic device may include a protective shell, audio headphones, and a headphone cable. The protective shell may include a first case portion, a second case portion, a pliable surface, and an electrical pass-through. The first case portion and the second case portion may each have an exterior surface and an interior surface. The second case portion may be removably attachable to the first case portion, where attachment of the second case portion to the first case portion forms a protective cavity for the portable electronic device.
The pliable surface may be disposed in an opening of one of the first case portion and the second case portion. The pliable surface may align with a control feature of the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is inside the protective cavity. The pliable surface may also be structured to transmit at least a portion of a mechanical force applied at an external surface of the protective shell to the control feature of the portable electronic device to actuate the control feature.
The electrical pass-through provides electrical access to a headphone jack of the portable electronic device from outside the protective shell when the portable electronic device is inside the protective cavity in the protective shell. The audio headphones are affixed, and electrically connected, to the headphone cable. The headphone cable electrically connects the audio headphones to the headphone jack of the portable electronic device inside the protective shell through the electrical pass-through such that audio signals from the portable electronic device inside the protective shell are conducted to the audio headphones through the headphone cable.
In yet another example, a protective case for use with a portable electronic device includes a protective shell including a cavity for receiving the portable electronic device and a pliable surface disposed in an opening of the protective shell. The pliable surface being adapted to transmit at least a portion of a mechanical force applied at an external surface of the protective shell to the control feature of the installed portable electronic device to actuate the control feature of the installed portable electronic device. The protective case also includes an electrical pass-through disposed in a wall of the protective shell for accessing an electrical connector of the installed portable electronic device from outside the protective shell and an electrical cable configured to electrically connect a peripheral device to the electrical connector of the installed portable electronic device through the electrical pass-through.
In the drawings,
Embodiment 100 is designed to hold a conventional personal digital assistant (PED) in a protective case. A PED, such as a Palm Pilot, Handspring Visor, Compaq Ipaq, Hewlett Packard Jornada, or similar products, use a touch screen for display and data entry. The touch screen display comprises either a color or black and white liquid crystal display with a touch sensitive device mounted on top of the display. The display is used for displaying graphics, text, and other elements to the user. The touch screen is used with a stylus 108 to select elements from the screen, to draw figures, and to enter text with a character recognition program in the PED. The stylus 108 generally resembles a conventional writing implement. However, the tip of the writing implement is a rounded plastic tip. In place of a stylus 108, the user may use the tip of a finger or fingernail, or a conventional pen or pencil. When a conventional writing implement is used, damage to the touch screen element may occur, such as scratches.
For the purposes of this specification, the term PED shall include any electronic device that has a touch screen interface. This may include instruments such as voltmeters, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and any other hand held, bench top, or rack mounted instrument that has a touch screen interface. Hand held devices, such as cell phones, satellite phones, telemetric devices, and other hand held devices are also to be classified as PEDs for the purposes of this specification. The term PED shall also include any computer terminal display that has a touch screen interface. These may comprise kiosks, outdoor terminal interfaces, industrial computer interfaces, commercial computer interfaces, and other computer displays. Additionally, the term PED may comprise barcode scanners, hand held GPS receivers, and other handheld electronic devices. The foregoing description of the term PED has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the teachings of this specification.
In addition, the PEDs typically have a handful of additional buttons as part of the user interface. These buttons are generally on the front of the device, near the touch screen element. The additional buttons may be used as shortcut buttons to instantly call up a certain program on the PED, may comprise a method of scrolling, may be used to select items from a list, or may have any function that the designer of the PED software may assign to the button or set of buttons. The button size, layout, and function may vary for each manufacturer and model of PED.
Further, PEDs typically have at least one method of connecting to another computer. This may be through a direct electrical connection, such as through a wire cable or fiber optic, or through another medium such as infrared communication or through a radio communication.
Additionally, the PEDs typically have an electrical source. The electrical source may be a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery or solar cells. The electrical source may be a remote source of electricity that is transmitted to the PED through a wire cable or through other methods of electrical transmission.
Further, PEDs may have indicator lights, such as status lights for power, communication, battery status, or other functions. The lights may be located on any of the sides of the PED and may be viewable on one or more sides.
Front case 102 and rear case 104 form a protective cover for the PED. The protective cover may be designed for rugged industrial use, recreational use, commercial use, or many other uses. An industrial use may require the protective cover to be watertight, chemically resistant, protect the unit when dropped, and be crush proof. A typical application may be for fire fighters to use a PED for a display of maps for directions to an emergency scene or for a building plan at the scene of a fire. Another example may be a maintenance mechanic in a chemical plant using a PED to record maintenance records in the plant that processes. A recreational use may require the cover to be watertight, afford some protection against dropping and being crushed, float in water, and be dust resistant. A recreational use may be to take the PED during kayaking, diving, or other water sport activity. Further, the case may be used when the PED is taken camping, hiking, or other outdoor activity. A commercial use may additionally require the protective cover to be elegant, but may also require the cover to be replaceable so that scratches and other signs of wear and tear can be easily and cheaply replaced.
The protective cover for the PED may take on many embodiments. The embodiment 100 comprises a front case 102 and rear case 104 that are joined by a hinge 114 and a clasp mechanism that is on the side of the cases opposite the hinge 114. Other embodiments may have a small door into which the PED slides, or the protective cover may not completely enclose the PED and only cover the face where the user interface exists, leaving one or more sides of the PED exposed. Those skilled in the art may use other designs of protective covers without deviating from the scope and intent of the present invention.
The protective cover may be constructed of rigid plastic, metal, flexible rubber, or any other type of material that could be adapted to afford the protection of the PED desired for the application. For example, a metal cover may be used in an application where an elegant style is necessary but watertightness is not. A flexible rubber cover may be selected for an application in a wet environment. A rigid plastic cover may be selected for an application where dropping the PED is a concern. Those skilled in the art may use other types of materials and constructions without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.
The PED may be mounted in the protective cover using many different mounting techniques. For example, the PED may be mounted using open or closed cell foam inserts in the protective cover. In another embodiment, the PED may be mounted by attaching the PED to the cover with a fastener. In another embodiment, the PED may be mounted by snapping into the protective waterproof cover. In another embodiment, the PED may be held in place by resting in molded features of two halves of a protective case that clamps onto the PED. Those skilled in the art may use other types of locating and holding mechanisms without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.
The overmolded grommet 106 of the present embodiment is constructed by injection molding a thermoplastic polymerized rubber (TPR) over the front case 102. The grommet 106 has molded features 116 and 118 adapted to retain the stylus 108. Features 116 and 118 capture the stylus 108 during transportation, but allow the user to remove the stylus 108 to operate the PED. In other embodiments of the present invention, the stylus 108 may be constrained to the PED with a tether or lanyard, or the constraining features may be incorporated into other components that make up the protective cover. Further, the stylus 108 may not be present in the embodiment, rather, the PED be adapted to be used with the user's fingernail or with another implement similar to the stylus 108.
The membrane 110 of the present embodiment is constructed by thermoforming a sheet of thin plastic. The plastic is selected to be thin enough that the deformation of a stylus conducts the touch to the touch screen, but thick enough to have enough rigidity that the stylus does not catch and rip the membrane. Additionally, the membrane 110 should have enough thickness to endure scratches and other wear and tear without breaking and sacrificing the protective function. Polyvinylchloride material at 0.010 inches to 0.015 inches thickness gives acceptable results. Alternatively, membrane 110 may be constructed by injection molding or other methods. Alternative materials may be used by those skilled in the art to achieve the same results while maintaining within the spirit and intent of the present invention.
The membrane 110 in the present embodiment may be translucent or at least partially transparent, so that the images displayed on the PED may be visible through the membrane 110. The membrane 110 may be tinted or colorized in some applications. For example, a protective cover designed as a decorative cover may incorporate a colorized membrane 110. Further, the membrane may be selectively colorized and the opaqueness may vary. For example, the protective membrane may be printed or painted in the areas not used for the touch screen. A printing process may incorporate a logo, graphics, or labeling for individual buttons for the PED. The printing process may further incorporate features, such as text or graphics, that are used by the software on the PED for a purpose such as simplifying data input or for designating an area on the touch screen for a specific function, such as a help function. The printing or painting processes used on the membrane 110 may be purely decorative and may be for aesthetic purposes only. The printing process may also comprise logos or graphics for the brand identity of the PED cover. Other processes, such as colorizing the raw material for the membrane 110 or adding other components to the raw material, such as metal flakes or other additives, may be used to change the optical features of the membrane 110.
The optical performance of the membrane 110 may be changed or enhanced by changing the texture of the area of the touch screen. For example, the membrane may be frosted on the outside to hide scratches or may be imprinted with a lens or other features that change the optical characteristics of the membrane 110. The membrane 110 may have optical features that are used in conjunction with the software of the PED. For example, all or a portion of the membrane may comprise a lens that magnifies an image to a user. When the user touches the image on the membrane 110 and the touch is transferred to the touch screen, the software in the PED may have to compensate for the positional differences between the image and actual area that was touched by the user. In another example, if a specific portion of the membrane 110 had a specific optical characteristic, the software of the PED may be constructed to display a specific graphic for the area for an intended effect.
The membrane 110 in the present embodiment has a recessed portion 120 and a raised portion 122. The recessed portion 120 may be adapted to press flat against the touch screen area of a specific PED. The raised portion 122 may be adapted to fit over an area of the specific PED where several buttons are located.
The raised portion 122 allows the user to operate the buttons on the PED. The raised portion 122 is adapted such that the buttons on the PED are easily operated through the protective membrane 110. The raised portion 122 may have special features to aid the user in pressing the buttons. For example, the raised portion 122 may comprise a dimpled area for the user's finger located directly over the button. Further, a feature to aid the user may comprise a section of membrane 110 defined by a thinner area around the section, enabling the user to more easily deflect the section of membrane over the button. The area of thinner material may comprise a large section or a thin line. Further, tactile elements, such as small ribs or bumps may be incorporated into the membrane 110 in the area of the buttons so that the user has a tactile sensation that the user's finger is over the button. The tactile element may be particularly effective if the button was a power switch, for example, that turned on the PED.
The configuration of the membrane 110 may be unique to each style or model of PED, however, the front case 102 and rear case 104 may be used over a variety of PEDs. In the present embodiment, the changeover from one PED variety to another is accomplished by replacing the membrane 110 without having to change any other parts. The present embodiment may therefore be mass-produced with the only customizable area being the membrane 110 to allow different models of PEDs to be used with a certain front case 102 and rear case 104.
The hand strap 112 in the present embodiment allows the user to hold the embodiment 100 securely in his hand while using the PED. The hand strap 112 may be constructed of a flexible material, such as rubber or cloth webbing, and may have an adjustment, such as a buckle, hook and loop fastener, or other method of adjustment. In other embodiments, a hand strap may be a rigid plastic handle, a folding handle, or any other method of assisting the user in holding the embodiment. Further, the embodiment may be adapted to be fix-mounted to another object, like a piece of machinery, a wall, or any other object. A fix-mounted embodiment may have other accoutrements adapted for fixed mount applications, such as receptacles for a stylus adapted to a fix-mount, specialized electrical connections, features for locking the PED inside the case to prevent theft, or designs specifically adapted to shed water when rained upon.
The replacement of the membrane 110 is accomplished by removing o-ring 302, pushing the membrane 110 from the overmolded gasket 106, snapping a new membrane 110 into place, and replacing the o-ring 302. The ease of replacement of the present embodiment allows a user to quickly replace a damaged membrane 110, allows a user to upgrade their case to a newer model PED, and may allow a user to select from various membranes 110 for the particular application. One embodiment may have a single case packaged with a small variety of several types of membranes 110. In such an embodiment, the user may purchase the packaged set, select the membrane 110 that suits the user's particular PED, and install the selected membrane 110 with ease.
The protective cover of the present invention may have direct connections through the cover for connecting through the case. Such a connection is known as pass through. The connections may be for power, communication, heat dissipation, optical transmissions, mechanical motion, or other reasons.
Electrical connections may require an insulated metal conductor from the PED through the wall of the protective cover so that a flexible cable may be attached or so that the PED in its protective case may be placed in a cradle for making the electrical connection. Inside the protective cover, the electrical connections may be made with a flexible cable that is plugged into the PEDs electrical connector before the PED is secured in the protective cover. Alternatively, a fixed connector may be attached to the protective cover and the PED is slid into contact with the fixed connector. Another embodiment may be for a compliant, yet fixed mounted electrical connector to be rigidly mounted inside the protective cover. A compliant, yet fixed mounted electrical connector 1830 may comprise spring loaded probes, commonly referred to as pogo pins. Another embodiment may comprise spring fingers that engage the PEDs electrical contacts. On the outside of the protective cover, the electrical contacts may be terminated into a fix-mounted connector adapted to receive a cable from a computer. The connector may be designed to receive a cable that plugs directly into the PED or it may be adapted to receive a different connector. Further, the electrical connection to the PED may be permanently attached to a cable that extends out of the protective cover. Another embodiment may be to have a small trap door that opens in the protective cover to allow access to the electrical connections. While the trap door exposes the PED to the elements the cover is designed to protect against, a direct electrical connection may eliminate a potential cabling connection problem. Connections for fiber optics can be handled in similar fashions as the electrical connections. An embodiment with a power connection may comprise the use of inductive coils, such as inductive coil 1840, located in proximity to each other but on opposite sides of the protective cover. Those skilled in the art of may devise other embodiments for connecting through the protective cover without deviating from the scope and intent of the present invention.
Through the air communications, such as infrared and over the air radio frequency (RF) communications may pass through the protective cover. The material for the front case 102 and rear case 104 may be selected to be clear plastic, such as polycarbonate. The infrared transceiver of the PED can communicate through a clear plastic case to another infrared transceiver outside of the case. Further, the appropriate selection of material for the protective case can thereby enable various RF transmissions, such as cellular phone communications or other wireless communication protocols.
An infrared transmission through the protective case of an embodiment of the invention may be accomplished by making the entire protective case out of a clear material. Alternatively, a selected area of the protective case may be clear while the remainder of the case is opaque. The selected area may be constructed of a separate piece that allows the infrared light through the protective case. Alternatively, the selected area may be constructed of a portion of the protective case that was manufactured in a way so as not to be opaque, such as selectively not painting or plating the area of a plastic protective case. Further, the clear material through which the transmission occurs may be tinted in the visual spectrum but be translucent or at least partially transparent in the infrared spectrum of the device.
A protective case may allow RF transmissions to and from the PED while the case is closed. Such a case may be constructed of a non-metallic material. In some embodiments, the material of the protective case may be tuned to allow certain frequencies to pass through the protective cover and tune out other frequencies, through loading the material used in the protective cover with conductive media or through varying the thickness of the case and other geometries of the case in the area of the PED transmission and reception antenna.
In a different embodiment, it may be desirable to shield the PED from outside RF interference. In this case, the protective cover may be a metallic construction or may be plastic with a metallized coating. Further, membrane 110 may have a light metallized coating applied so that membrane 110 is slightly or fully conductive. An application for such an embodiment may be the use of the PED in an area of high RF noise that may interfere with the operation of the PED, or conversely, the use may be in an area that is highly susceptible to external RF interference and the PEDs RF noise may be interfering with some other device.
The PED may be equipped with a camera or other video capture device. A protective cover may have provisions to allow a clear image to be seen by the video capture device through the case. Such provisions may include an optically clear insert assembled into the protective case. Other embodiments may have a sliding trap door whereby the user of the PED may slide the door open for the camera to see. Additionally, other embodiments may comprise a molded case that has an optically clear lens integrally molded. Such an embodiment may be additionally painted, plated, or overmolded, with the lens area masked so that the painting, plating, or overmolding does not interfere with the optics of the lens.
An optically clear area may be used for a barcode scanner portion of a PED to scan through the case to the outside world. In such an embodiment, a barcode scanner may be protected from the elements while still maintaining full functionality in the outside world.
The PED may have indicator lights that indicate various items, such as power, battery condition, communication, and other status items. The indicator lights may be in positions on the PED that are not readily viewable through the protective membrane 110. The indicator lights may be made visible through the protective case by using light pipes that transmit the light from the PEDs status light to the outside of the protective case. Such light pipes may be constructed of clear or tinted plastic, or other translucent or semi-transparent material. The light pipes may be formed as an integral feature to the protective case or may be separate parts that are formed separately and assembled to the protective case.
The PED may have a speaker or other element that makes noise and/or the PED may have a microphone for receiving audio signals. The speaker may be an audio quality device for reproducing sound or it may be a simple buzzer for indicating various functions of the PED. The microphone may be an audio quality device or it may be a low performance device. Special provisions may be made for transmitting sound through a protective case. Such provisions may range from a single hole in the case to a tuned cavity that would allow sound to pass through with minimum distortion. Other embodiments may include a transmissive membrane adapted to allow sound to pass through the protective case with a minimum of distortion. Such membranes may be located near the speaker and microphone elements of the PED. Such membranes may be watertight membranes known by the brand name Gore-Tex.
The PED may generate heat during its use and provisions for dissipating the heat may be built into the protective cover. A heat-dissipating device may be integral to the protective cover or may comprise one or more separate parts. For example, a metallic protective cover may be adapted to touch the PED in the area of heat generation and conduct the heat outwardly to the rest of the protective cover. The protective cover may thereby dissipate the heat to the external air without overheating the PED. In another example, a separate heat sink may be applied to the PED and allowed to protrude through a hole in the protective cover. The heat sink may thereby transfer the heat from the PED to the ambient environment without overheating the PED. The heat sinks may be attached to the PED with a thermally conductive adhesive. Other embodiments may include vent holes for heat dissipation and air circulation.
The PED may have a button that may not be located underneath the membrane 110. An embodiment may include a flexible, pliable, or otherwise movable mechanism that may transmit mechanical motion from the outside of the case to a button on the PED. Such an embodiment may have a molded dimpled surface that is pliable and allows a user to activate a button on a PED by pressing the dimpled surface. Another embodiment may have a rigid plunger that is mounted on a spring and adapted to transmit the mechanical movement from the exterior of the case to a button on the PED. The buttons on the PED may be located on any side of the PED and an embodiment of a case may have pliable areas adapted to allow the user to press buttons that are not on the front face of the PED.
Embodiment 800 may be comprised of a single molded plastic part that may be very low cost. As shown, embodiment 800 may not be completely weathertight, since the door 806 does not completely seal the enclosure. However, such an embodiment may afford considerable protection to the PED 802 in the areas of dust protection, scratch protection, and being occasionally rained upon. Further, the low cost of the embodiment 800 may be changed often during the life of the PED 802.
Embodiment 800 may have custom colors, logos, or designs that allow a user to personalize their PED with a specific cover that is suited to their mood or tastes. The colors, logos, and designs may be integrally molded into the cover 804. Alternatively, different colors, logos, and designs may be applied in a secondary operation such as printing, painting, plating, or other application process.
Embodiment 900 may be a cover for decorative purposes only, or may be for protective purposes as well. Cover 902 may be emblazoned with logos, designs, or other visual embellishments to personalize the PED 904. The colors, logos, and designs may be integrally molded into the cover 904. Alternatively, different colors, logos, and designs may be applied in a secondary operation such as printing, painting, plating, or other application process. For example,
Embodiment 900 may be attached by snapping the cover 902 onto PED 904. Special provisions in the case of PED 904 may be provided for a snapping feature of cover 902, or cover 902 may be adapted to hold onto PED 904 without the use of special features in PED 904.
The features used to secure cover 902 to PED 904 may be any mechanism whereby the cover 902 can be secured. This includes snapping, clamping, fastening, sliding, gluing, adhering, or any other method for securing two components together.
Receiver 1002 may be adapted to clip onto a person's belt or may be adapted to be mounted on a wall or other location where the PED may be stored. The orientation of the protective case 100 is such that the touch screen element of the PED is protected during normal transport and storage, since the touch screen interface is facing the back 1102 of the receiver 1002.
Receiver 1002 may be made of compliant plastic that allows the clip areas 1106, 1108, 1110, and 1112 to move out of the way and spring back during insertion or removal of the protective case 100. In the present embodiment, receiver 1002 may be constructed of a single part. In alternative embodiments, receiver 1002 may be constructed of multiple parts and of multiple materials, such as a metal back with spring loaded clips. In other embodiments, special features may be included in the protective case 100 where the receiver 1002 may engage a special feature for securing the protective case 100.
Embodiment 1200 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention wherein a rigid protective cover may be used to contain and protect an electronic device, but provide full usable access to a touchscreen. The protective membrane 1214 and case may be watertight in some embodiments.
A watertight and shock-absorbing foam cushion 1310 may be fixed and sealed to the underside of the lid 1304 around the interactive flat-panel control opening. The protective screen membrane 1306 is fixed and sealed to the shock-absorbing foam cushion 1310. The shock-absorbing foam cushion 1310 maintains the water tightness of the enclosure. The cushion 1310 also cushions the flat-panel control of the tablet PC 1302 and protects it against breakage if the enclosure and tablet PC are dropped or otherwise subjected to shock. In accordance with the embodiment of
The protective screen membrane 1306 in the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
As described above with respect to
The embodiment of
The underside of the lid 1304 also has a watertight seal, such as an O-ring, so that when compound latches 1328, 1330, 1332, and 1334 are closed, the O-ring or seal of the lid 1304 forms a watertight seal against the base 1312. The protective enclosure 1300 protects the tablet PC 1302 from water and dust intrusion sufficient to comply with Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP 67, i.e., the protective enclosure totally protects the enclosed tablet PC from dust and protects the enclosed tablet PC from the effects of immersion in one meter of water for 30 minutes.
The protective enclosure of the embodiment of
Pod release knobs 1512, 1518 are attached to the base 1516 so that the knobs can be rotated clockwise to securely wedge against an edge of pod door 1522 to close the pod door 1522 tightly against a rim around the pod opening in base 1516 to create a watertight seal. Knobs 1512, 1518 can be rotated counter-clockwise to release pod door 1522 to access the interfaces of the tablet PC covered by pod door 1522.
To provide additional protection against mechanical shock, heavy-duty corner bumpers such as bumper 1504 may be securely attached to the corners of base 1516.
As shown in
Internal bumpers 1602, 1604, 1608, 1610 attach to the interior corners of protective enclosure base 1600 to provide cushion and mechanical shock protection to an enclosed tablet PC. The L-shape and non-solid interior of internal bumpers 1602, 1604, 1608, 1610 allows the bumpers to deflect and absorb the shock if the enclosed tablet PC is dropped or otherwise subjected to mechanical shock. The protective enclosure provides shock absorption sufficient to meet MIL-STD 810F, Method 516.5, Procedure 4, which is a Transit Drop Test. In the Transit Drop Test, the protective enclosure encloses a tablet PC or a mass equivalent to a tablet PC. The protective enclosure is sequentially dropped onto each face, edge, and corner for a total of 26 drops over plywood from a height of 48 inches. The protective enclosure is visually inspected after each drop and a functional check for leakage is performed after all drops are completed.
Some tablet PCs have a docking connector disposed on the underside of the tablet PC so that the tablet PC can connect to power and signals. For example, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, or patrol cars, may have a docking station installed near the driver's seat onto which the driver may dock a tablet PC. The embodiment of protective enclosure base 1600, as illustrated in
In the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
As also shown with respect to the embodiment of
Interactive flat-panel control 1712 has capacitive sensors, which are part of a proximity/touch detector circuit. When a grounded object, such as a person's finger, which has free air capacitance of several hundred picofarads, is brought close to the capacitive sensors, the total capacitance measured by the detector circuit increases because the capacitance of the object with free air capacitance adds to the capacitance of the sensors since the total capacitance of two capacitors in parallel is additive. Multiple sensors may also be arranged so that movement of an object with free air capacitance can be detected, for example, movement of a person's finger in a circular motion analogous to turning a mechanical control knob. Some examples of interactive flat-panel controlled PEDs include Ipod and Ipod Mini music and audio players from Apple Computer. In some PEDs, such as the Apple Ipod, capacitive sensors may be disposed below a front panel made from a dielectric such as polycarbonate, which has a dielectric constant in the range of 2.2-3.8. In the embodiment of
Total capacitance between an object, such as a finger touching the protective control membrane 1708, and interactive flat-panel control 1712 is a function of the thickness and the dielectric constant of the protective control membrane 1708. The capacitance between the object, such as a finger, and the capacitive sensors of the interactive flat-panel control 1712 is proportional to the distance between the object and the sensors. The sensitivity of the capacitive sensors to the object may be diminished or completely eliminated if the protective control membrane 1708 is too thick. In the embodiment of
The upper surface of the protective control membrane 1708 has a velvet/matte texture with a texture depth of 0.0004 to 0.003 inches that reduces the surface area of the membrane that is in frictional contact with the user's finger and permits a user's finger to glide rapidly upon the surface of the membrane without catching or sticking as a result of the reduced friction. The hardness of the polycarbonate material, or other hard engineered thermoplastic, also reduces the friction.
Headphones or other accessories may be electrically connected to handheld device 1702 the through the protective enclosure 1700 by disposing the wire of the headphone or accessory in an insertable gasket 1716 which fits snugly into one end of the shell base 1704.
Shell lid 1806 is adapted to retain an O-ring 1808 that seals the protective enclosure 1800 when shell lid 1806 is latched tightly onto shell base 1804 so that water cannot enter protective enclosure 1800.
The inside of the enclosure is covered with a hook and loop liner 2002. Shock absorbing corner bumpers 2004 have hook and loop type bases so that they may attach at any point on the liner inside the enclosure at the corners of the electronic device to secure electronic devices of various sizes and provides a shock absorbent suspension system for the devices. The shape of the bumpers may vary in size and in depth. They may also vary such that the laptop is raised a predetermined height for the bottom of the enclosure so that there may be access to the ports and external drives such as CD and DVD. These bumpers allow the enclosure to be adaptable to any size laptop computer by placing it inside the enclosure and securing it into position with the bumpers 2004. Straps 2006 also secures the laptop into position.
The liner 2002 may also have some cushioning that cushions the laptop and protects it against breakage if the enclosure and laptop are dropped or otherwise subjected to shock. Normally, however, most of the cushioning is provided by the corner bumpers and the liner is not cushioned. In accordance with the embodiment of
This enclosure is also adaptable to protect PC tablets of the type illustrated in
The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art.
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/872,079, filed Jan. 16, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/642,437 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,906,259), filed Jul. 6, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/379,777 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,735,827), filed Dec. 15, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/798,562 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,560,435), filed Jul. 14, 2015, which is which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/631,740 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,114,923), filed Feb. 25, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/283,055 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,995,127), filed May 20, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/031,700 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,922,985), filed Sep. 19, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/560,621 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,599,547), filed Sep. 16, 2009, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/456,157 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,609,512), filed Jul. 7, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/937,048 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,158,376), filed Sep. 8, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/645,439 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,995,976), filed Aug. 20, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/300,200 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,864), filed Nov. 19, 2002, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/335,865, filed Nov. 19, 2001. The entire contents of the above mentioned applications and patents are hereby specifically incorporated by reference in their entireties.
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