Protective cushion cover for an electronic device
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a protective cover for an electronic device that is made from an elastomeric material that simultaneously provides cushioning that would otherwise be provided by a softer, thicker material, while utilizing a single, denser material that provides a slim profile and has sufficient density to conform well to the electronic device and prevent the transmission of impacts with hard surfaces directly to the electronic device. Although a denser material is used for the protective cover, recesses are formed in thicker portions at impact points that create compressible ribs. The ribs provide softer, cushioned portions of the cover in the impact areas, which are capable of absorbing the shock and energy of impacts. Other protective covers have a uniform thickness.
1. A protective cover for an electronic device comprising:
reduced thickness portions formed from an elastomeric material having a predetermined hardness and a first predetermined thickness that provides ease of use of said electronic device, wherein said elastomeric material is silicone, wherein said predetermined hardness is approximately 50 Shore A;
raised impact portions having a second predetermined thickness that is greater than said first predetermined thickness, said raised impact portions formed from said elastomeric material, wherein said first predetermined thickness is approximately 0.6 mm and said second predetermined thickness is approximately 1.5 mm; and
ribs disposed between recesses formed in said raised impact portions, said recesses having a size and spacing that absorbs shocks from impacts, wherein said recesses have a width, length, and height of approximately 4 mm, 2 mm, and 0.7 mm, respectively, and wherein said ribs have a thickness of approximately 0.7 mm.
2. A method of protecting an electronic device from impacts comprising:
providing a protective cover formed from an elastomeric material that has a predetermined hardness, wherein said predetermined hardness is approximately 50 Shore A, and wherein said elastomeric material is silicone;
providing reduced thickness portions of said protective cover that have a first predetermined thickness;
providing raised impact portions of said protective cover that have a second predetermined thickness that is greater than said first predetermined thickness, wherein said first predetermined thickness is approximately 0.6 mm and said second predetermined thickness is approximately 1.5 mm;
providing recesses in corner portions of said protective cover that allow said protective cover to compress and absorb impacts at said raised impact portions, wherein said recesses have a width, length, and height of approximately 4 mm, 2 mm, and 0.7 mm, respectively; and
providing ribs between said recesses, wherein said ribs have a thickness of approximately 0.7 mm.
3. A protective cover for an electronic device, the protective cover comprising:
an elastomeric material having a predetermined hardness that allows the elastomeric material to conform and surround at least a back portion, end portions, and side portions of an electronic device, wherein the predetermined hardness of the elastomeric material is between 30 and 70 Shore A;
a front opening in the elastomeric material that is capable of stretching to allow an electronic device to slide into the protective cover through the front opening; and
coring along a back portion of the elastomeric material, the coring formed by a plurality of ribs and a plurality of recesses formed in the elastomeric material, wherein the coring absorbs shocks resulting from impacts to the protective cover, and wherein the plurality of recesses are each approximately a 1.5 mm square and have a depth of approximately 1.25 mm.
4. The protective cover of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of recesses are spaced apart to form the plurality of ribs, wherein the plurality of ribs each have a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm.
5. The protective cover of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of recesses are spaced apart to form the plurality of ribs, wherein the plurality of ribs each have a thickness of approximately 0.7 mm.
6. The protective cover of claim 3 , further comprising coring along a side portion of the elastomeric material.
7. The protective cover of claim 3 , further comprising coring along an end portion of the elastomeric material.
8. The protective cover of claim 3 , further comprising coring along corner portions of the elastomeric material.
9. The protective cover of claim 3 , further comprising raised end portions in the elastomeric material, wherein the raised end portions have a thickness of approximately 2 mm to 3 mm, and wherein the raised end portions are disposed proximate corner portions of the protective cover, and wherein the raised end portions comprise coring.
10. The protective cover of claim 3 , further comprising a regular thickness portion in the elastomeric material, wherein the regular thickness portion has a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm.
11. The protective cover of claim 3 , further comprising a reduced thickness portion in the elastomeric material proximate a perimeter of the front opening in the elastomeric material, wherein the reduced thickness portion has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm.
12. The protective cover of claim 3 , wherein the elastomeric material comprises synthetic rubber, silicone, or urethane.
13. The protective cover of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of recesses comprises at least 200 recesses.
14. The protective cover of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of recesses comprises at least 400 recesses.
15. The protective cover of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined hardness of the elastomeric material is between 50 and 60 Shore A.
16. The protective cover of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined hardness of the elastomeric material is between 48 and 52 Shore A.