US20110155630A1

US20110155630A1 - Protective cover for electronic device

Info

Publication number: US20110155630A1
Application number: US12/862,724
Authority: US
Inventors: Jun-Jie Qin
Original assignee: Hongfujin Precision Industry Shenzhen Co Ltd; Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Hongfujin Precision Industry Shenzhen Co Ltd; Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2009-12-28
Filing date: 2010-08-24
Publication date: 2011-06-30
Also published as: CN101874673B; CN101874673A

Abstract

A protective cover for an electronic device includes an upper shell, a lower shell, at least one elastic member, and a clasping member. The lower shell defines a cavity for receiving the upper shell, one open end of the cavity is a passage for the upper shell to be pulled out of or be pulled into the cavity, and the other connecting end is accommodated in the cavity. The at least one elastic member is connected between the closed end and one end of the upper shell applying a tensile force to the upper shell to pull the upper shell into the cavity of the lower shell. The clasping member is connected between the lower shell and the upper shell when the upper shell is pulled out of the cavity of the lower shell.

Description

1. TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to protective covers and, particularly, to a protective cover used for protecting an electronic device.

2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

An electronic reading device such as an electronic book typically has a protective cover generally including a upper shell, a lower shell, and a clasping portion for connecting the upper shell with the lower shell. When attempting to use the electronic book, the protective cover can be opened to expose the electronic book. However, the upper shell may cause inconvenience for a user when operating the electronic book.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of an protective cover. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a protective cover in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an isometric, assembled view of the protective cover in FIG. 1 in an open state.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the protective cover in FIG. 1, taken along line III-III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the protective cover in FIG. 1 in another open state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a protective cover 100 for protecting an electronic device 200. The protective cover 100 includes an upper shell 10, a lower shell 20 connected to the upper shell 10, and a clasping member 30 configured to lock the upper shell 10 to the lower shell 20.
At least one portion of the upper shell 10 is made of flexible material and can be distorted. Referring to FIGS. 2-3, the lower shell 20 forms a rectangular cavity 22 therein corresponding to the shape of the upper shell 10 to receive the upper shell 10. The upper shell 10 includes a connecting end 11 accommodated in the cavity 22. The cavity 22 includes an open end 21 and a closed end 221.
At least one elastic member 23 is connected between the closed end 221 of the cavity 22 and the connecting end 11 of the upper shell 10 accommodated in the cavity 22. In this embodiment, the number of the at least one elastic member 23 is two. Two protruding pins 24 (one not shown) are formed at the closed end 221 of the cavity 22 corresponding to the two elastic members 23, each of the protruding pins 24 holds an end of the corresponding one of the two elastic members 23. The elastic elements 23 can be coil springs or elastic ropes.
Referring again to FIG. 3, the clasping member 30 includes a fixing end 31 attached to either a free end of either the upper shell 10 or the lower shell 20, and a movable end 32 capable of attaching to the other one free end of either the lower shell 20 or the upper shell 10 when the upper shell 10 is pulled out of the cavity 22 of the lower shell 20 and forms a space with the lower shell 20 to hold the electronic device therein. In this embodiment, the fixing end 31 is fixed to the upper shell 10, and the other end can be removably connected to the bottom of the lower shell 20. The free end 32 is formed with a magnet or a buckle to engage a coupling magnet or buckle fixed on the bottom of the lower shell 20.
When the electronic device 200 is not in use, the upper shell 10 can be pulled out of the cavity 22 by overcoming the tensile force of the elastic members 23 and locked to the lower shell 20 using the clasping member 30. The electronic device 200 is thus covered and protected by the protective cover 100.
Referring to FIG. 4, to open the protective cover 100, the clasping member 30 is detached from the lower shell 20. Thus, allowing the upper shell 20 to be pulled into the cavity 22 of the lower shell 20 by the tensile force of the elastic member 23, which leaves only the clasping member 30 out of the cavity 22.
It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A protective cover for an electronic device, comprising:

an upper shell comprising a connecting end;

a lower shell defining a cavity for receiving the upper shell, the cavity comprising an open end and a closed end, wherein the open end is a passage for the upper shell to be pulled out of or be pulled into the cavity, and the connecting end is accommodated in the cavity;

at least one elastic member connected between the closed end of the cavity and the connecting end of the upper shell applying a tensile force to the upper shell to pull the upper shell into the cavity of the lower shell;

a clasping member comprising a fixing end attached to either a free end of either the upper shell or the lower shell, and a movable end capable of attaching to the other one free end of either the lower shell or the upper shell when the upper shell is pulled out of the cavity of the lower shell and forms a space with the lower shell to hold the electronic device therein.

2. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shape of the cavity is corresponding to the shape of the upper shell.

3. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one protruding pin is formed at the closed end of the cavity for holding an end of each of the at least one elastic element.

4. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clasping member is a buckle.

5. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clasping member is a magnet.

6. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic element is coil springs.

7. The protective cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic element is elastic ropes.