Granted Patent B1

US 8,837,131 · App. 14/085,229 · Granted Sep 16, 2014

Abstract

Claims (71)

1. A folio device configured for use with a tablet computer, the device comprising:

a) a pair of leafs pivotally coupled together at a hinge and having a closed configuration in which the pair of leafs are substantially parallel with interior surfaces facing towards one another, and an open configuration in which the pair of leafs is oriented transverse with respect to one another and with the interior surfaces forming an obtuse angle with respect to one another;

b) a keyboard carried by one of the pair of leafs;

c) another of the pair of leafs configured to carry the tablet computer and defining a cover for the keyboard in the closed configuration;

d) a fixed top stop fixed to the cover opposite the hinge and extending outwardly from the cover configured to abut to the tablet computer;

e) a sliding shelf movably coupled to the cover adjacent the hinge and opposite the fixed top stop and configured to receive the tablet computer thereon in the open configuration;

f) bias means coupled to the sliding shelf for biasing the sliding shelf towards the fixed top stop; and

g) the sliding shelf extending a width of the cover between opposite lateral sides of the cover.

2. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a variable height is defined between the sliding shelf and the top stop.

3. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a lip on a front end of the sliding shelf.

4. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a pair of opposite tracks located on opposite sides of the cover, the pair of opposite tracks slidably receiving the shelf therebetween.

5. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a bottom channel formed in the cover adjacent the hinge and facing towards the sliding shelf, and receiving the sliding shelf therein in a lowermost position.

6. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a pair of nesting channels including a bottom channel and a shelf channel nesting in the bottom channel;

the bottom channel formed in the cover adjacent the hinge and facing towards the sliding shelf; and

the shelf channel formed in a bottom of the shelf and facing towards the bottom channel of the cover.

7. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the bias means comprises a plurality of springs arrayed along a width of the sliding shelf.

8. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sliding shelf has a lowered position closer to the hinge, and a raised position closer to the top stop.

9. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , in combination with a tablet computer carried by the cover and held between the sliding shelf and the top stop, with the sliding shelf movable towards the tablet computer so that a distance between the sliding shelf and the top stop equals a width or a height of the tablet computer therebetween.

10. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sliding shelf extends between lateral stops at opposite lateral sides of the cover.

11. The folio device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising an upper channel formed in a top of the sliding shelf.

12. The folio device in accordance with claim 6 , further comprising:

a plurality of lower posts disposed in the bottom channel;

a plurality of upper posts disposed in the shelf channel; and

a plurality of springs carried between the plurality of posts in the bottom channel and in the shelf channel.

13. The folio device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein each of the channels has a front wall; and wherein the front walls of the channels overlap one another along a distance of travel of the sliding shelf.

14. The combination in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the tablet computer is a first tablet computer, and further in combination with a second different tablet computer having a different width or height than the first tablet computer, and replacing the first tablet computer carried by the cover and held between the sliding shelf and the top stop, with the sliding shelf movable towards the second tablet computer so that a second distance between the sliding shelf and the top stop equals the different width or a height of the second tablet computer therebetween.

15. A folio device in combination with a first wider tablet computer and a second narrower tablet computer each selectively and replaceably carried by the folio device, the device comprising:

a) a pair of leafs pivotally coupled together at a hinge and having a closed configuration in which the pair of leafs are substantially parallel with interior surfaces facing towards one another, and an open configuration in which the pair of leafs is oriented transverse with respect to one another and with the interior surfaces forming an obtuse angle with respect to one another;

b) a keyboard carried by one of the pair of leafs;

c) another of the pair of leafs defining a cover for the keyboard in the closed configuration;

d) a fixed top stop fixed to the cover opposite the hinge and extending outwardly from the cover;

e) a sliding shelf movably coupled to the cover adjacent the hinge and opposite the fixed top stop;

f) the shelf extending a width of the cover between opposite lateral sides of the cover;

g) a lip on a front end of the sliding shelf;

h) a pair of opposite tracks located on opposite sides of the cover, the pair of opposite tracks slidably receiving the shelf therebetween;

i) a bottom channel formed in the cover adjacent the hinge and facing towards the sliding shelf, and receiving the sliding shelf therein in a lowermost position;

j) a shelf channel formed in a bottom of the shelf and facing towards the bottom channel of the cover;

k) bias means disposed between the channels for biasing the sliding shelf towards the fixed top stop;

l) each of the channels having a front wall, and the front walls of the channels overlapping one another along a distance of travel of the sliding shelf; and

m) the sliding shelf having a lowered position closer to the hinge with the first wider tabled computer held between the sliding shelf and the top stop, with the sliding shelf movable towards the first wider tablet computer so that a first wider distance between the sliding shelf and the top stop equals a width of the first wider tablet computer therebetween, and a raised position closer to the top stop with the second narrower tablet computer replacing the first wider tablet computer and held between the sliding shelf and the top stop, with the sliding shelf movable towards the second narrower tablet computer so that a second narrower distance between the sliding shelf and the top stop equals a different width of the second narrower tablet computer therebetween.

16. The combination in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the biasing means further comprises:

a plurality of lower posts disposed in the bottom channel;

a plurality of upper posts disposed in the shelf channel; and

a plurality of springs carried between the plurality of posts in the bottom channel and in the shelf channel.

17. A folio device configured to selectively and replaceably carry a first wider tablet computer and a second narrower tablet computer, the device comprising:

a) a pair of leafs pivotally coupled together at a hinge and having a closed configuration in which the pair of leafs are substantially parallel with interior surfaces facing towards one another, and an open configuration in which the pair of leafs is oriented transverse with respect to one another and with the interior surfaces forming an obtuse angle with respect to one another;

b) a keyboard carried by one of the pair of leafs;

c) another of the pair of leafs configured to carry one of the tablet computers and defining a cover for the keyboard in the closed configuration;

d) a fixed top stop fixed to the cover opposite the hinge and extending outwardly from the cover configured to abut to one of the tablet computers;

e) a sliding shelf movably coupled to the cover adjacent the hinge and opposite the fixed top stop and configured to receive one of the tablet computers thereon in the open configuration;

f) the shelf extending a width of the cover between opposite lateral sides of the cover;

g) a lip on a front end of the sliding shelf;

h) a pair of opposite tracks located on opposite sides of the cover, the pair of opposite tracks sliding receiving the shelf therebetween;

i) a bottom channel formed in the cover adjacent the hinge and facing towards the sliding shelf, and receiving the sliding shelf therein in a lowermost position;

j) a shelf channel formed in a bottom of the shelf and facing towards the bottom channel of the cover;

k) bias means disposed between the channels for biasing the sliding shelf towards the fixed top stop;

l) each of the channels having a front wall, and the front walls of the channels overlapping one another along a distance of travel of the sliding shelf; and

m) the sliding shelf having a lowered position closer to the hinge configured to receive the first wider tabled computer held between the sliding shelf and the top stop, with the sliding shelf configured to be movable towards the first wider tablet computer so that a first wider distance between the sliding shelf and the top stop equals a width of the first wider tablet computer therebetween, and a raised position closer to the top stop configured to receive the second narrower tablet computer replacing the first wider tablet computer and held between the sliding shelf and the top stop, with the sliding shelf configured to be movable towards the second narrower tablet computer so that a second narrower distance between the sliding shelf and the top stop equals a different width of the second narrower tablet computer therebetween.

18. A folio device configured for use with a tablet computer, the device comprising:

a) a pair of leafs pivotally coupled together at a hinge and having a closed configuration in which the pair of leafs are substantially parallel with interior surfaces facing towards one another, and an open configuration in which the pair of leafs is oriented transverse with respect to one another and with the interior surfaces forming an obtuse angle with respect to one another;

b) a keyboard carried by one of the pair of leafs;

c) another of the pair of leafs configured to carry the tablet computer and defining a cover for the keyboard in the closed configuration;

d) a fixed top stop fixed to the cover opposite the hinge and extending outwardly from the cover configured to abut to the tablet computer;

e) a sliding shelf movably coupled to the cover adjacent the hinge and opposite the fixed top stop and configured to receive the tablet computer thereon in the open configuration;

f) bias means coupled to the sliding shelf for biasing the sliding shelf towards the

g) a lip on a front end of the sliding shelf;

h) the sliding shelf extending a width of the cover between opposite lateral sides of the cover.

Assignments (11)