IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,795,407
Granted Patent B2
US 10,795,407 · App. 16/165,678 · Granted Oct 6, 2020

Electronic reading device with a mid-frame structure

Inventors: Archer Wun (Maple, CA); Kuan-Chang Lin (New Taipei, TW); Anna Buechin (Toronto, CA); Chris Leung (Toronto, CA)
Assignee: RAKUTEN KOBO INC.
G06F1/1626G06F3/0482G06F3/0483G06F15/0291G06F2200/1614
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,795,407
App. No.
16/165,678
Granted
Oct 6, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic reading device, including: a housing, wherein exterior surfaces of the housing include a first and second main surface, a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge, and each of the edges is located in between the first and second main surface, and the third edge is parallel to the fourth edge, and the first edge is located at an opposite side of the housing than the second edge. The first main surface includes a display, and the second main surface is an opposing surface to the first main surface. The housing is asymmetrical as it includes an extended housing portion that is spaced away from one edge of the display, a thickness of the housing between the first and second main surface increases from the second edge to the first edge, and the housing has an upward bend at the extended housing portion.

Claims (23)

1. An electronic reading device, comprising:

a housing, wherein exterior surfaces of the housing comprise a first main surface, a second main surface, a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge, and each of the first edge, the second edge, the third edge, and the fourth edge is located in between the first main surface and the second main surface, and the third edge is parallel to the fourth edge, and the first edge is located at an opposite side of the housing than the second edge;

a display that is surrounded by the housing, wherein the first main surface of the electronic reading device includes the display, and the second main surface of the electronic reading device is an opposing surface to the first main surface,

wherein the housing is asymmetrical as it includes an extended housing portion that is spaced away from one edge of the display by a predetermined distance, a thickness of the housing between the first main surface and the second main surface increases from the second edge to the first edge, and the housing has an upward bend at the extended housing portion so that the first main surface in the extended housing portion is located above an exterior surface of the display; and

a mid-frame component that provides rigidity to the electronic reading device, wherein the midframe component is configured to secure the display, and the mid-frame component includes a first recessed portion configured to accept a battery and a second recessed portion that is configured to accept a printed circuit board;

wherein the second recessed portion has a plurality of holes or perforated sections to reduce weight, and

wherein the mid-frame component includes a weight reduction portion that has a ribbed or lattice type structure with a plurality of holes or sections to reduce weight.

2. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the first main surface is parallel to the second main surface in the extended housing portion.

3. The electronic reading device of claim 2 , wherein the first main surface is not parallel to the second main surface outside of the extended housing portion.

4. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the extended housing portion includes a first button and a second button.

5. The electronic reading device of claim 4 , wherein the first button and the second button are raised so that they extend beyond the first main surface.

6. The electronic reading device of claim 5 , wherein the first button and the second button are separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

7. The electronic reading device of claim 6 , wherein the first button and the second button each have a rectangular shape, with a longitudinal axis of the rectangular shape being parallel to the first edge.

8. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the lattice type structure is a honeycomb structure.

9. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the mid-frame component tapers down and is smallest in the weight reduction portion.

10. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the display is a plastic-backed display screen.

11. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the mid-frame component is made of magnesium.

12. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the second main surface is a back cover that is made of plastic.

13. The electronic reading device of claim 12 , wherein the plastic of the back cover has in-molded micro texture or has a soft touch coating applied to it for increased grip.

14. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the first main surface in the extended housing portion is soft touch coated and textured.

15. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein a first rounded corner connects the first edge to the third edge, a second rounded corner connects the first edge to the fourth edge, a third rounded corner connects the third edge to the second edge, and a fourth rounded corner connects the second edge to the fourth edge.

16. The electronic reading device of claim 15 , wherein a radius of the first rounded corner and the second rounded corner is larger than a radius of the third rounded corner and the fourth rounded corner.

17. The electronic reading device of claim 1 , wherein the extended housing portion has one or more magnets located within it that are configured to interact with corresponding magnets in a flap of a protective case to protect the display.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 058314 FRAME 0657. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Recorded Dec 26, 2023
From: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 066128/0193 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058314/0657 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2018
From: BUECHIN, ANNA; LEUNG, CHRIS; LIN, KUAN-CHANG; WUN, ARCHER
To: RAKUTEN KOBO, INC.
Reel/Frame 047569/0639 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200125141A1 · Apr 23, 2020
Cited By (5)
US 1,057,724 US 1,066,333 US 1,137,250 US 12,321,202 US 12,510,934