Mobile telephone case
View Patent ↗This disclosure details a protective case for mobile telephones aimed at safeguarding the front-facing camera from environmental hazards and impact without hindering device functionality. The case features a resilient body that secures the phone via a friction fit and a hinge-connected movable cover that can be positioned over the camera. The cover transitions between open and closed states, providing access to the camera when needed and protecting it when not in use. Apertures within the case align with the phone's speaker to ensure sound transmission is unobstructed. A control lever, connected via a center pin, enables smooth operation of the cover, moving through a rotational path that engages a linkage system to control the cover's motion. The case is versatile, designed to accommodate different phone models, and enhances the user experience by offering protection from elements like rain, dust, and sun glare while maintaining the phone's aesthetic and functional integrity.
1 . A protective case for a mobile telephone, comprising:
a protective case body formed of a hard, impact-resistant material and configured to encase a mobile telephone by a friction fit;
a movable cover formed of a hard, impact-resistant material, the movable cover being positioned at an upper portion of the protective case body and being configured to selectively cover a front-facing camera of the mobile telephone, the movable cover comprising a plurality of apertures aligned with a speaker of the mobile telephone to permit sound transmission therethrough when the movable cover is in a closed position;
a hinge assembly attaching the movable cover to the protective case body, the hinge assembly comprising three shell openings formed in the protective case body and three cover protrusions formed on the movable cover, wherein the three cover protrusions are received within the three shell openings by friction fit to interconnect the movable cover to the protective case body and to produce a hinging motion, and wherein the hinge assembly is configured to allow the movable cover to move through a ninety-degree (90°) travel path from the closed position to an open position, wherein a first cover protrusion of the three cover protrusions that is positioned nearest to a control lever further comprises an activating arm;
the control lever rotationally connected to the protective case body by a center pin at an upper side location of the protective case body, the control lever being configured to move along a rotational travel path about the center pin to govern movement of the movable cover through the ninety-degree travel path; and,
a linkage connected between the control lever and the activating arm by a first pivoting means connecting the linkage to the control lever and a second pivoting means connecting the linkage to the activating arm, wherein movement of the control lever along the rotational travel path causes the linkage to move along a linear travel path, which in turn actuates the movable cover through the ninety-degree travel path from the closed position to the open position, and wherein movement of the control lever along the rotational travel path in an opposite direction causes the linkage to move along the linear travel path in an opposite direction to return the movable cover from the open position to the closed position; and,
wherein the movable cover, when in the open position, defines an area of protection over the front-facing camera of the mobile telephone configured to shield the front-facing camera from at least one of rain, sun glare, and dust.
2 . The protective case of claim 1 , wherein the first pivoting means and the second pivoting means each comprise at least one of a pin, a rivet, a screw, and a bearing.