WO2016001691A1

WO2016001691A1 - A case for a mobile phone or other portable electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2016001691A1
Application number: PCT/GB2015/051954
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kathinka Foster; White Ryan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-07-04
Filing date: 2015-07-06
Publication date: 2016-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 2017-01-04
Also published as: GB2527846A; GB201411991D0; GB2527846B

Abstract

There is described a case for a mobile phone (100). The case (1) is arranged to extend beyond the rear face of the phone to form a cavity (4) rearward of the phone that can hold objects (3) to personalise the case. The rear wall of the case is transparent so that the contents of the cavity can be viewed in a form akin to a shadow box. The rear wall of the case slides out so to provide access to the cavity.

Description

A Case for a Mobile Phone or Other Portable Electronic Device

The present invention relates to a case for a mobile phone, tablet computer or other portable electronic device, and particularly a case adapted to be personalised by a user. WO2005/067596 relates to a user customisable case having front and back panels that are elastically connected to allow the case to hold different sizes and shapes of phone. Attached to an outwardly facing side of one panel is a removable retainer in which personalised inserts can be held. This case is not able to retain a mobile phone with a touch display in a way that the display can be used whilst the phone is housed in the case.

WO2012/170892 details a number of bumper style cases for a mobile phone arranged to retain an insert against the back face of the phone. The cases have an open back so that the insert can be seen therethrough. These cases require the phone to be removed from the case in order to add/change/remove the insert. They also provide limited protection to the insert which is likely to become worn or tatty quickly.

There also exist single piece phone covers having sealed cavities incorporated in the back face of the cover that hold diamantes. The cavities are not accessible without destroying the case.

KR20110132661 and KR200461407 both relate to cases that have compartments to retain objects. The cases comprise a removable part to provide access to the compartment.

WO2010/057136 describes a housing for a phone with an externally accessible pocket formed in the housing's rear wall for holding paper documents such as a driving licence. Access to the pocket is provide by a slit in the housing wall. This makes the housing unsuitable for holding objects that are small enough to slip through the slit.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a case for housing a portable electronic device having a display, the case comprising means to allow the display to be viewed whilst the portable electronic device is housed within the case; the case having a cavity for holding one or more personalising items; and wherein the case comprises a first part and a second part, and wherein the first part can slide relative to the second part to provide access to the cavity so as to allow the addition and/or removal of personalising items.

A non-exhaustive example of personalising items includes articles of identification or decoration such as charms, trinkets, stickers, labels, cards, memorabilia, jewels, or diamante. In a preferred embodiment, the case comprises means to allow the display to be viewed whilst the portable electronic device is housed within the case. For example, the case may have a clear and/or open face through which the display can be viewed.

It is preferred that at least a portion of the case is see-through to allow the personalising items held within the cavity can be viewed from outside of the case. In a preferred embodiment the case is adapted for housing a portable electronic device having a front comprising the display, and a rear side; wherein the case comprises a wall that, when the portable electronic device is housed within the case, extends beyond the rear side of the portable electronic device to at least in part define the cavity.

The rear of the case can thereby provide a cavity akin to a shadow box (when the case is see through) in which personalising items can be placed or remove to decorate the case. It is favourable that when the case is mounted on the portable electronic device, it extends around the side of the portable electronic device, and has a rear wall that is spaced away from the rear side of the portable electronic device so as to provide the cavity rearward of the portable electronic device. Favourably, at least a portion of the rear wall is see-through so that the personalising item(s) within the cavity can be seen. It is more favourable that this is achieved, at least in part through comprising the rear wall from a see-through material. In one preferred embodiment, most of the rear wall is see-through.

It is preferred that the case has an inwardly extending protrusion spaced from the rear wall to retain the portable electronic device away from the rear wall and so provide the cavity. The protrusion, which may take the form of a lip or rim, may be arranged to extend substantially transversely across the rear of the phone; preferably around the perimeter of the rear side of the portable electronic device The protrusion may alternatively take the form of an internal wall that extends between two sides of the case so as to extend across and face the rear of the phone.

It is preferred that the case comprises a body that extends around (preferably all) sides of the portable electronic device. A portion of the body preferably extends away from the rear of the phone to at least in part define the cavity. The rear wall preferably extends between two opposing sides of the portion of the body that extends away from the rear of the phone.

It is preferred that the body of the case is comprised from a single integral piece (further preferably moulded piece). The single integral piece preferably also comprises the internal protrusion. It is most preferred that the body is comprised from a synthetic plastics material.

Particularly where the case has an open face, so that the display can be seen, it is preferred that the case comprises at least one further inwardly extending projection that, when the case is mounted to the portable electronic device, extends in front of the front side of the portable electronic device, to retain said portable electronic device within the case. Most preferably the projection extends around the periphery of the front side of the portable electronic device.

In a preferred embodiment, the first part comprises the rear wall, It is preferred that the second part retains (and further preferably extends around all sides of) the portable electronic device thereby allowing the personalising items to be added or removed without taking the device out of the case. This provides the device with a degree of protection whilst the personalising items are being changed

Preferably the second part comprises a channel for retaining the first part, optionally so that the first part can slide relative to the second part. The second part preferably comprises the body of the case. The channel is preferably formed on an inner facing surface of the case, preferably provided by a portion of the case that, when the case is mounted to the portable electronic device, is spaced away from the rear of the portable electronic device. It is also favourable that the channel extends on multiple sides of the body.

The see-through wall preferably comprises a transparent material that in certain embodiments may be colourless. The see-through wall may be comprised from a plate of said transparent material, favourably of a synthetic plastics material such as PMMA.

It is preferred that the second part comprises a channel in which the first part is retained and through which the first part can be slid relative to the second part. It is, however, possible for the first part to have the channel and the second part to have a corresponding lip arranged to be seated within with channel.

It is preferred that the channel is provided by an inward facing surface of the portion of the wall that extends beyond the rear side of the portable electronic device. The first part may then be simply comprised of a sheet of transparent material that can slide into or out of the channel. It is preferred that the second part of the case is held against the portable electronic device through a friction fit. However, alternatively, or in addition, the second part may be shaped and/ or provided with at least one inwardly extending protrusion or rim to retain the portable electronic device away from the cavity. Where the second part of the case is manufactured as a moulded piece, the shaping/ protrusion may be incorporated as part of the moulding.

In certain embodiments, the protrusion may comprise a wall that extends across the case linking opposing walls of the case and retaining the portable electronic device from the cavity.

The body of the second piece may comprise an inwardly extending rim, arranged, when the portable electronic device is housed in the case, to extend in front of the front face of the portable electronic device to retain said device within the case. This enables the front of the case to remain open to allow the portable electronic device's touch display to be operated.

It is preferred that a portion the body of the second piece is adapted to partially collapse to allow the first part to be located into the channel. This may be achieved by providing a pattern of apertures in one side of the body. These apertures may also be arranged to expose and/or provide access to features of the portable electronic device.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following figures in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a phone case holding a phone; the case defines a cavity for holding personalising items; Figure 2 is a front view of the phone case holding a mobile phone;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear of a variant case taken from the opposite side to Fig 1; Figure 4 is a side cross section taken through line X-X of Fig 3;

Figure 5 is perspective view of case of Fig 1 illustrating the back wall in a partially homed position;

Figure 6 is a perspective close up of the bottom end of the case of either Fig 1 or 3 (without phone) showing an aperture pattern to form a crumble zone;

Figure 7 is a part cross section through an alternative embodiment in which the rear wall comprises a frame for attachment to the case;

Figure 8 illustrates a further embodiment of a case having a sliding door;

Figure 9 illustrates another embodiment of a case having a sliding draw; and Figure 10 illustrates yet a further embodiment of a case with a sliding draw.

Referring to Figures 1 - 6 there is shown a mobile phone case 1 holding a phone 100 (see Fig 2) with a touch screen display 101 on its front face 102. The case 1 has a transparent rear wall 2 spaced away from the rear face 103 of phone 100 so as to provide a cavity 4 there between, and through which personalising items 3, such as stickers, trinkets, charms or memorabilia, held within a cavity 4 of the case 1 can be viewed. When a user wishes to add or remove personalising items, the rear wall 2 can be slid out from the case 1 to provide access to the cavity 4.

The case 1 has a body 5 comprised from a single integral moulding of resiliently flexible material, typically a synthetic plastic. The body 5 is shaped to extend around all four sides of the phone 100 between the front 102 and rear 103 faces. The body 5 has an open front that allows the touch display 101 of the phone 100 to be used, and through which the phone 100 can be inserted into the case 1. The phone 100 is retained within the case 1 through a combination of a resistance fit and by inwardly extending peripheral rims or lips 5A 5B. The rims 5 A, 5B extend across the respective front and back faces of the phone 100 to hold the phone there between. The frontward peripheral rim 5 A is resiliently deformable so that it reverts back into shape to retain the phone 100 once installed in the case 1.

The body 5 comprises a protruding portion 5C that extends away from the rear face 103 of the phone 100, increasing the depth of the case 1 to provide the cavity 4 adjacent the rear face 103 of the phone 100. Provided on an inside surface of the protruding portion 5C, extending across multiple sides of the body 5, is a channel 5D that is spaced away from the phone 100 to retain rear wall 2.

The rear wall 2 is comprised from a sheet of transparent material typically a synthetic plastics material such as acrylic, though a different material such as glass could be used instead. The rear wall 2 is provided with an aperture so that when installed it does not obstruct the camera lens 104 or light 105 provided on the rear face 103 of the phone 100. To prevent personalising items within the cavity 4 from moving to obstruct the camera lens 104 or light 105, the body 5 may be provided with a rib 6 (see Fig 3) that extends inwardly around (as viewed from the rear of the case 1) the features provided on the rear of the phone 100 and also between the rear face of the phone 100 and the underside of the rear wall 2 (when in position).

The rear wall 2 may also be designed to function as a lens, for example, in order to magnify the contents of the cavity 4. For example the wall 2 may be shaped as a Fresnal lens.

As best seen in Fig 6, the protruding portion 5C, on one side of the case, in this example the side that sits adjacent the bottom side of the phone 100 (not shown), has a lower profile than the other sides to allow the rear wall 2 to be slid into the channel 5D. To retain the rear wall 2 in place, the bottom side is provided with a tab 5E that abuts the bottom edge of rear wall 2 when homed. The tab 5E may be formed with a channel 5F to locate the rear wall more securely.

The bottom wall supporting the tab 5E is provided with a pattern of apertures 5G arranged to allow the bottom wall to easily deform so that tab 5E to be displaced so that the rear wall 2 can be inserted. The aperture pattern 5G may also be designed to double as access ports for a speaker/headphone or other feature(s) provided on the bottom side of the phone 100.

The body 5 may also be provided with other openings, on different sides of the case, in order to expose and or provide access to features on other sides of the phone. Although it is preferred that the body 5, including the features of the lips 5 A 5C, protruding portion 5C and channel 5D, are formed from a single integral moulding, it is possible that the case could be formed by techniques other than moulding or materials other than plastic. It is also possible, though less preferred, that the body is formed from multiple conjoined pieces. The remaining figures illustrate alternative designs of phone case that have accessible cavities for holding personalising items.

Figure 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the rear wall 2 comprises a frame 2A arranged to slidably mate with an outward facing surface of the body 50. The case also comprises the optional feature of an internal wall 51 that extends across the rear 103 of the phone 100 to space the phone 100 from rear wall 2.

Figure 8 illustrates a case in which on one peripheral side of the body 50, in this instance the lower side, is provided with a sliding member 60 that can be removed to provide access to the cavity. In this example, the sliding member interfits with the remainder of the case 50 through a dove tail fitting. Figure 9 illustrates a further alternative embodiment of a case having a sliding draw 70 that provides a tray 71 for holding the personalising items. The draw 70 can be slid through a side wall 55 into or out from a space 56 within the body 50 between the rear wall 20 and phone. The draw 70 and case 1 may be provided with a retaining mechanism, e.g. including a push button catch 72, to releasably retain the draw 70 within the case 1.

Figure 11 illustrates a second embodiment having a draw 70 but in which the rear wall 20 of the case 1 is a part of the draw 70 and can be moved relative to the draw 70 (in this instance through a pivoting action) to gain access to the tray 71. Although not provided in the above embodiments, it is possible that the phone be provided with a decal acting as a cosmetic and/or protective coating. Where the decal is provided on the rear face of the phone, where it can be seen through the rear wall, the pattern may be chosen to complement the personalising items held within the cavity. Although not preferred, it is possible that the case is formed entirely opaque so that the contents of the cavity are hidden from the outside.

Although the case is described above for holding a phone, it will be appreciated that variations could also be straightforwardly adapted for other types of portable electronic devices such as a tablet computer or personal digital assistant.

Claims

1. A case for housing a portable electronic device having a display, the case comprising means to allow the display to be viewed whilst the portable electronic device is housed within the case;

the case having a cavity for holding one or more personalising items; and wherein the case comprises a first part and a second part, and wherein the first part can slide relative to the second part to provide access to the cavity so as to allow the addition and/or removal of personalising items.

2. A case according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the case is see- through to allow the personalising items held within the cavity can be viewed from outside of the case.

3. A case according to claim 1 or 2 for housing a portable electronic device having a front comprising the display, and a rear side; wherein the case comprises a wall that, when the portable electronic device is housed within the case, extends beyond the rear side of the portable electronic device to at least in part define the cavity.

4. A case according to claim 3 that when mounted on the portable electronic device, extends around the side of the portable electronic device, and has a rear wall that is spaced away from the rear side of the portable electronic device so as to provide the cavity rearward of the portable electronic device.

5. A case according to any claim 4 wherein the case has a protrusion spaced from the rear wall to retain the portable electronic device away from the rear wall.

6. A case according to any previous claim comprising means to allow the display to be viewed whilst the portable electronic device is housed within the case;

7. A case according to any claim 4 - 6 wherein the case comprises a single integral piece of synthetic plastics material to which the rear wall is attached.

8. A case according to any previous claim wherein the second part comprises a channel in which the first part is retained.

9. A case according to claim 7 wherein the channel is provided on an inward facing surface of a portion of a wall that extends beyond the rear side of the portable electronic device.

10. A case according to any claim previous claim wherein the portable electronic device is retainable within the second part of the case when the first part is moved.

11. A case according to any claim 7 - 10 wherein at least one wall of the second part is adapted to partially collapsible to allow the first part to be located into the channel.

12. A case according to claim 11 wherein at least one wall is provided with at a pattern of apertures to facilitate collapse of the side wall.

13. A case according to any previous claim wherein the portable electronic device is retained within the case by a friction fit.

14. A case according to any claim 4 - 13 wherein the first part comprises the rear wall.

15. A case according to claim 14 wherein the rear wall is see-through.

16. A case for housing a portable electronic device having a front comprising a display, a rear and a side therebetween; the case, when mounted on the portable electronic device, extending around the side of the portable electronic device, and having a rear wall that is spaced away from the rear side of the portable electronic device so as to provide a cavity rearward of the portable electronic device for holding one or more personalising objects; the case being at least in part see-through to allow personalising objects held within the cavity to be viewed from outside of the case; and wherein the case comprises mean to provide access to the cavity to allow personalising objects to be added to and/or removed from the cavity.