IP Library Granted Patent US 10,838,455
Granted Patent B2
US 10,838,455 · App. 15/947,773 · Granted Nov 17, 2020

Portable electronic device case

Inventors: Timothy John Fenton (Mercer Island, WA); Michael Cooper Ferren (Camas, WA)
Assignee: PIONEER SQUARE BRANDS, INC.
G06F1/1616A45C5/02G06F1/1628G06F1/1681A45C2011/003G06F2200/1633
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,838,455
App. No.
15/947,773
Granted
Nov 17, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are involved with but are not limited to a semiflexible plastic piece including a device display receiving portion, a device keyboard receiving portion, and a spine portion extending therebetween, the device display receiving portion sized and shaped to receivably couple along one or more edges of a display portion of a portable electronic device, the device keyboard receiving portion sized and shaped to receivably couple along one or more edges of a keyboard portion of the portable electronic device, the semiflexible plastic piece having flexibility sufficient for the spine portion to accommodate hinged disposition between the display portion and the keyboard portion of the portable electronic device as received by the portable electronic device case. In addition, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Claims (22)

1. A portable electronic device case for a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including a display portion and a keyboard portion, the display portion and the keyboard portion of the portable electronic device hingedly disposed therebetween, the portable electronic device case comprising:

a semiflexible plastic piece including a device display receiving portion, a device keyboard receiving portion, and a spine portion extending therebetween, the device display receiving portion sized and shaped to receivably couple along one or more edges of the display portion of the portable electronic device, the device keyboard receiving portion sized and shaped to receivably couple along one or more edges of the keyboard portion of the portable electronic device, the semiflexible plastic piece having, flexibility sufficient for the spine portion to accommodate hinged disposition between the display portion and the keyboard portion of the portable electronic device as received by the portable electronic device case, the spine portion including a plurality of ribs and at least one pair of stops including first and second stops, the plurality of ribs running along the spine portion, the first and second stops of the at least one pair of stops being larger in size than the plurality of ribs, the first and second stops of the at least one pair of stops being positioned to be oppositely facing when the portable electronic device is in a closed disposition to allow for contact between the first and second stops of the at least one pair of stops to maintain spacing between one or more first portions of the semiflexible plastic piece and one or more second portions of the semiflexible plastic piece;

a first semirigid plastic panel being molded with the device display receiving portion of the semiflexible plastic piece; and

a second semirigid plastic panel being molded with the device keyboard receiving portion of the semiflexible plastic piece.

2. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the semiflexible plastic piece selected from a materials group including thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), and silicone.

3. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the semiflexible plastic piece selected from a materials group to provide shock absorptive protection for the portable electronic device case that the semiflexible plastic piece is sized and shaped to receivably couple therewith.

4. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the semiflexible plastic piece including one or more textured surfaces to increase handling thereof.

5. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the semiflexible plastic piece including a corner, the corner including one or more cutouts therein.

6. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the semiflexible plastic piece selected from a group of materials having material hardness between 55 and 85 degrees.

7. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the first semirigid plastic panel selected from a materials group including polycarbornate material.

8. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the first semirigid plastic panel selected from a materials group including transparent material, translucent material, semi-transparent material, and semi-translucent material.

9. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 , the semiflexible plastic piece and the first semirigid plastic panel molded together to partially overlap each other.

10. The portable electronic device case of claim 9 , semiflexible plastic piece and the first semirigid plastic panel molded together to form a channel therebetween.

11. The portable electronic device case of claim 1 wherein the spine portion of the continuous molded plastic material piece includes one or more cuts therein.

12. A portable electronic device case comprising:

a semiflexible plastic piece sized and shaped to receivably couple with a portable electronic device, the semiflexible plastic piece including a spine portion, the spine portion including a plurality of ribs and at least one pair of stops including first and second stops, the plurality of ribs running along the spine portion, the first and second stops of the at least one pair of stops extending outwardly from a surface of the semiflexible plastic piece farther than the plurality of ribs are extending outwardly from the surface of the semiflexible plastic piece, the first and second stops of the at least one pair of stops being positioned to be oppositely facing to allow for contact therebetween when the portable electronic device is in a closed disposition to maintain spacing between one or more first portions of the semiflexible plastic piece and one or more second portions of the semiflexible plastic piece; and

a semirigid plastic panel being molded with the semiflexible plastic piece.

13. The portable electronic device case of claim 12 wherein the semirigid plastic panel includes a plurality of regularly spaced apertures.

14. The portable electronic device case of claim 12 , the semiflexible plastic piece and the first semirigid plastic panel molded together to partially overlap each other.

15. The portable electronic device case of claim 14 , semiflexible plastic piece and the first semirigid plastic panel molded together to form a channel therebetween.

16. The portable electronic device case of claim 12 , the semiflexible plastic piece selected from a materials group including thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), and silicone.

17. The portable electronic device case of claim 12 , the semirigid plastic panel selected from a materials group including polycarbornate material.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 30, 2021
From: PIONEER SQUARE BRANDS, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 058601/0168 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2019
From: FENTON, TIMOTHY JOHN
To: PIONEER SQUARE BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 048617/0474 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 16, 2019
From: FERREN, MICHAEL COOPER
To: PIONEER SQUARE BRANDS, INC.
Reel/Frame 048617/0699 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62620204 · Jan 22, 2018
Related Publication 20190227592A1 · Jul 25, 2019