Electronic device case with retractable stand
View Patent ↗A case for an electronic device with a retractable stand may support the case for an inserted electronic device when disposed in a horizontal and/or vertical position. The case may be transitioned from the horizontal and/or vertical disposition and vise-versa without changing the relative positions of the case and the stand to one another.
1. A case for enclosing a electronic device comprising a flexible inner layer, an exterior hard layer that is permanently affixed to the flexible inner layer, and a stand for supporting the case in at least one of a horizontally oriented position and a vertically oriented position, the ease being sufficiently flexible to deform and thereby accept insertion of the electronic device and sufficiently rigid to reform around and securely retain the inserted electronic device, wherein:
the flexible inner layer includes a bottom surface and side surfaces joined to the bottom surface and extending upward therefrom, thereby forming a fitted cavity and a top surface of an adjacent channel, wherein the fitted cavity is configured to accept and retain the inserted electronic device such that the bottom surface of the flexible inner layer covers a bottom surface of the inserted electronic device and the side surfaces cover at least a portion of side surfaces of the inserted electronic device;
the exterior hard layer includes a bottom surface and side surfaces joined to the bottom surface and extending upward therefrom, wherein the bottom surface of the exterior hard layer forms a bottom surface of the channel and a portion of the side surfaces of the exterior hard layer substantially cover the side portions of the flexible inner layer, wherein the channel is configured to enable an extension of the stand from a first position to a second position and a retraction of the stand from the second position to the first position; and
the stand configured to extend from the first position to the second position and retract from the second position to the first position via the channel, the stand further configured to be positioned in a third position, wherein arranging the stand in the third position supports the case and the inserted electronic device in at least one of the horizontally oriented position and a vertically oriented position.
2. The case of claim 1 , wherein at least one side surface of the exterior hard layer includes a cut-away portion that contributes to the overall flexibility of the case.
3. The case of claim 1 , wherein at least one side surface of the exterior hard layer includes a cut-away portion and the flexible inner layer extends into the cut-away portion, wherein the cut-away portion and the extension of the flexible inner layer contribute to the overall flexibility of the case.
4. The case of claim 1 , wherein a portion of a corner between at least two of the side surfaces of the exterior hard layer is cut away thereby creating a cut-away portion and exposing an underlying portion of the flexible inner layer.
5. The case of claim 4 , wherein the exposed flexible inner layer fills in the cut-away portion at the corner and the cut-away portion and the filled in portion of the flexible inner layer contribute to the overall flexibility of the case.
6. The case of claim 4 , wherein the exposed flexible inner layer fills in the cut-away portion at the corner thereby creating a stretch zone that is sufficiently flexible to enable the case to deform and thereby accept insertion of the electronic device.
7. The case of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the corners between the side surfaces of the exterior hard layer is cut away thereby exposing an underlying portion of the flexible inner layer.
8. The case of claim 1 , wherein the case includes an overhang extending from a top portion of one or more of the side surfaces in parallel to the bottom surface of the case.
9. The case of claim 4 wherein the exposed flexible inner layer partially fills in the cut-away portion at the corner thereby creating a stretch zone that is sufficiently flexible to enable the case to deform and thereby accept insertion of the electronic device.
10. The case of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a smartphone.
11. The case of claim 4 , wherein the exposed flexible inner layer partially fills in the cut-away portion at the corner and the cut-away portion and the partially filled in portion of the flexible inner layer contribute to the overall flexibility of the case.
12. The case of claim 1 wherein the stand further comprises a hinge configured to enable the stand to bend away from the exterior hard layer when transitioning from the second position to the third position and bend toward the exterior hard layer when transitioning from the third position to the second position.
13. The case of claim 1 wherein the retraction of the stand from the second position to the first position occurs automatically when a counter retaining or extending force is removed from the stand.
14. The case of claim 1 , further comprising:
a biasing member attached to the stand and configured to enable the extension of the stand from the first position to the second position and the retraction of the stand from the second position to the first position within the channel.
15. The case of claim 1 , wherein the stand includes a mechanism configured to enable the stand to remain in the third position.
16. The case of claim 15 wherein the mechanism is a flexible tab.
17. The case of claim 14 wherein the biasing member is selected from at least one of the following: hinges, a spring, an elastic cord, an extension coil spring, a beam spring, a material folded in an expandable or accordion-like fashion, a flexible material, a compressible material, a stretchable material, and a flexible material.