The present invention is directed toward a substantially impermeable phone case. More specifically, the present invention is able to accommodate either a non-flip phone or a flip phone that has a hinge, and which allows use in inclement weather on or during boating or outdoor activities.
Cellular phones have been experiencing increasing demand over the past decade. As the use of cellular phones has increased dramatically, so has the desire to use them in any location without restriction. It is well known that water, sand or other foreign debris does not mix well with electronics, including the electronics of a cellular phone. Current products exist that protect phones from water by having an enclosed plastic case that is sealable, and therefore, waterproof. This enables the user to have their phone with them when they are enjoying water sports or in any other environment where water might be present without jeopardizing the phone.
Previous products have addressed these basic problems. Specifically, Dry Paks and Gunzi Aqua Pacs by Kwik Tek are both products that provide a waterproof case for traditional non-flip phones. These products generally include a sealing member, locking mechanisms and an enclosure member. The drawback of these present products, however, is that they are only applicable with a traditional non-flip phone. Non-flip phones are phones that do not have any folding mechanism, any hinging mechanisms, or any variation thereof. Although existing products provide a reasonable solution for this certain type of phone, they do no provide a good waterproof solution for a phone with any moving parts, especially a flip phone.
A problem with these known devices is that they do not provide adequate means to operate a flip phone. A flip phone is not able to open once it is inserted in these known devices. Another option is to have the phone opened and then insert it into these devices. However, doing so subjects the flip phone to undue stresses that could potentially damage the flip phone. Doing this could also lead to an unwanted call being sent or overusing the phone battery because the flip phone must always be in the open position
A second drawback to the existing designs of these devices is that they do not provide a means for housing the antenna of phones. Antennae are a very fragile part of the phone. Especially in flip phones the antennae do not perform well under high stresses. Known devices constrain the antenna of the phone and therefore have been known to damage the antennas as well as other parts of the flip phones.
A further drawback of the existing devices is that they are not operable with any style of phone. Rather, they are designed for a single phone and thus if someone wants to upgrade their phone, they must buy a new waterproof case for that phone. This is an unnecessary burden on consumers who may want to switch their phone without switching all accessories that they owned for their previous phone.
It is therefore an aspect of the present invention to provide a waterproof flip phone case that is operable to use with any type of phone, either flip or non-flip. It is a further aspect of the invention to provide use of a phone without damaging any components of the phone while it is inside the case, and thus provide a sealable, substantially impermeable, flexible case with a transparent material that allows use of the phone while it is secured within the enclosure.
The present invention relates to a substantially waterproof flip phone device and methods of providing a waterproof enclosure for a flip phone. The selectively waterproof flip phone case generally includes a sealing member, locking mechanisms to engage and disengage the sealing member, a top enclosure, a bottom enclosure, and a hinge member. The sealing member provides access to the enclosures by disengaging and opening. The locking mechanisms can be a thumbnut, screws, clamps, or any other selective locking mechanism known in the art. Also the sealing member in one embodiment is a pair of gaskets that can be pressed together to create a fluid tight seal. However, the sealing member can also be a tooth locking arrangement, a hook and loop substantially waterproof seal or any form of watertight seal.
Once the sealing member is opened a flip phone may be placed inside the enclosure. The phone can be either a conventional non-flip phone or a flip phone that incorporates a hinge and multiple parts. When the phone is inside the case, the sealing member may be engaged by the locking mechanisms. Once engaged, the phone is inside a waterproof container and is thus safe to use underneath, or in the presence of water, or any other adverse environmental condition, which would otherwise pose a serious threat to the electronics of the phone.
In one instance of the invention, the hinge member connects the top enclosure and bottom enclosure providing a continuous waterproof case from the closed end of the top enclosure to the engaged sealing member. The hinge member allows a flip phone to be operated in both the open and closed position without damaging any part of the phone. For example, the user inserts a flip phone into the enclosures wherein a back portion of the phone goes inside one of the enclosures and the face of the phone goes inside the other enclosure. The hinge member that connects the front and back enclosures thus allows for the opening and closing motion of the flip phone while the phone is inside the waterproof case. The hinging member can be any one of a rigid hinge, a flexible hinge, a flexible material, a flexible continuation of the top and bottom enclosures or any variation thereof known in the art.
In one embodiment, the phone also includes an antenna pocket which facilitates the use of the phone without damaging the antenna. The antenna pocket can be placed anywhere on the case where an antenna of a phone might exist. For instance, with flip phones where the antenna is near the hinge of the phone, the antenna pocket would be placed near the hinge member of the case. The antenna pocket provides a space where the antenna of a phone can be extended while the phone is positioned within the case.
A further embodiment of the invention includes an interlocking member. The interlocking member is operable to connect the top enclosure and bottom enclosure when the case is in a closed state. The interlocking member can be a hook and loop material, magnets, snaps, a button, clasps, hooks or any other interconnecting means known in the art. The interlocking member ensures that while the phone is inside the case it does not open until it is desired. This helps ensure that the flip phone remains in the closed position and no undesired calls are made and the phone battery is not overused.
These and other benefits and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and description of the drawings, as well as a detailed description of those drawings and the inventions disclosed herein.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these inventions.
The following components and numbers associated thereto are shown in the drawings and provided here for ease of reference:
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.
While the present invention has been illustrated by description of preferred embodiments, and while the illustrated versions have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the inventors to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the pending claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art upon reading this detailed description. Therefore, the invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to these specific details, respective apparatus and methods, and illustrated samples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventor's general inventive concepts.
Referring initially to
There is also provided a top enclosure 16, and a bottom enclosure 18. The bottom enclosure 18 is generally connected to the top enclosure 16 by a hinging mechanism 22. The top enclosure 16 and bottom enclosure 18 are made of a flexible, substantially waterproof material in a preferred embodiment. Also, the hinging mechanism 22 can be a continuation of the top enclosure 16 and bottom enclosure 18 with a minimal surface relief on one side of the hinging mechanism 22. The surface relief accommodates the folding of the top enclosure 16 over the bottom enclosure 18. In another embodiment, the hinging mechanism 22 could be a set of rigid hinges connecting the top enclosure 16 and the bottom enclosure 18. Another embodiment would have the hinging mechanism 22 simply be a continuation of the top and bottom enclosures 16 and 18 respectively but made of a slightly more flexible material that would allow for the folding motion of the flip phone. These and other arrangements of the hinge will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this description. The hinging mechanism 22 provides a means of folding the top enclosure 16 over the bottom enclosure 18 to facilitate the folding of a flip phone 30. The hinging mechanism 22 is also able to provide a continuous opening between the top and bottom enclosures, while allowing a flip phone to open and close as it is designed to. The top enclosure 16 and bottom enclosure 18, along with the hinging mechanism 22, provide an enclosed environment for any phone that is placed inside the case 10 when the sealing member 12 is engaged.
In a particular embodiment, there is also provided an interconnection means 20 which may be a hook and loop material, magnets, snaps, clasps, hooks, a button, or any other interconnection means known in the art. This interconnection means 20 prevents the phone case 10 from being opened unless the user desires the phone 30 to be open. Basically, the interconnection means 20 maintains the closed state of the flip phone 30 and case 10 automatically, until it is desired to open the phone 30.
In one embodiment, an antenna pocket 24 is provided. The antenna pocket 24 is operably connected to the top enclosure 16 and/or the bottom enclosure 18 near the hinging mechanism 22. The antenna pocket is situated to receive an antenna of either a flip phone or a non-flip phone. The antenna pocket 24 provides a means of enclosing the entire phone 30 and its antenna 32 within the waterproof enclosure 10. The antenna pocket 24 also allows the user to pull out the antenna of any phone and have it in the antenna pocket 24 so that it is not subjected to unnecessary stresses that could lead to breakage or damage of the antenna of a phone.
Referring now to
As can be viewed in
With respect to
It is not necessary to use a flip phone case in the waterproof flip phone case 10. Rather, one aspect of the invention provides that the enclosure accommodates flip phones, non-flip phones or any other object that is desired to be kept away from water, sand, or other adverse materials.
A further embodiment of the invention uses a material for the enclosures 16 and 18, hinging mechanism 22, and antenna pocket 24 that is substantially impermeable to water but still allows the transmission of sound and light. The material is generally transparent so that a user can view the phone 30 while it is in the case 10. Additionally, the user can use the phone to make a call while the phone is within the case and any sound from the speaker can be heard. Further, the receiver can pick up any sound that is made by the user.
The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing description, for example, various features of the invention are grouped together in one or more embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all the features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.
Moreover, the description of the invention has included descriptions of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications, other variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claims, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20070019804 A1 | Jan 2007 | US |