FR2844959A1 - Folding-type case for a portable electronic device, e.g. phone, laptop, palmtop has hollows and holes within the case into which fingers and or thumb can be inserted to make it easier to hold - Google Patents

Abstract

Case for a folding-type portable electronic device has means, in the form of hollows or holes (3) into which the fingers and or thumb can be inserted, to make it easier to hold without risk of dropping.

Description

-1 The present invention relates to a housing, which can be

  possibly articulated by hinges, of the type used, for example, for a microcomputer and a portable telephone or an electronic book.

  Traditionally, portable computers and electronic books have flaps that allow them to be used after having placed them on a flat surface,

  the top of a table, a desk, ...

  In the conditions of mobile computing or that of leisure, the case is, most often, placed on one hand, horizontal palm, facing upwards, which is not always possible for a reading in a relaxed position. , for example lying down. When the other hand has to activate a keyboard or a stylus, it is no longer enough to have the box thus placed: unbalanced, it would fall. It must therefore be grasped, the fingers closing to apply on top of the flap - because the flaps of this type of housing are always, on the scale of the fingers, convex - which has

  for the effects of partially masking and smearing the screen placed on this flap, bringing the palm-support closer to the edge of the flap and consequently unbalancing a housing which must then be applied against the chest by its opposite edge.

  In other cases, it is the thumb that is applied to the screen, hence the drawbacks mentioned above, by adding that this contact also gives the impression of cold.

  so often criticized for electronic boxes.

  The device according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks. It comprises, in fact, according to a first characteristic, a housing of the type composed of at least one vo30 let containing at least one recess arranged on at least one of its elements so as to make it possible to take hold

in hand of said housing.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the housing comprises two flaps with at least one recess distributed over said flaps, said at least one recess being a recess of said flaps made in a place where said flaps are generally adjacent, so as to allow to one -2

  at least the user's fingers to apply in said at least one recess.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the case comprises at least one hinge with at least one sour creu5 in the form of a gutter arranged on said at least one hinge, so as to allow at least one of the user's fingers to apply in said at least one recess. According to another characteristic of the invention, the bo10 tier comprises at least one flap with at least one recess

  made on at least one of the faces of said at least one flap, so as to allow at least one of the user's fingers to be applied in said at least one recess.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, at least one gutter-shaped recess is arranged on the

  at least one false retractable hinge in its shutter, so as to allow at least one of the user's fingers to be applied in said at least one recess.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, at least one of the recesses is covered at least in part

of binding material.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the au

  at least one recess is a groove which receives a retractable element which, when it projects, allows it to be gripped by at least one of the user's fingers.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, one

  at least retractable elements is a stake which may possibly have the form of a bracket.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, at least one of the retractable elements is in the form of a gantry.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, at least one of the retractable elements is covered, at least

  in part, of a material used for binding.

  Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly in the detailed description which follows and refers to

  in the accompanying drawings, given solely by way of example, and in which: -3 - Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention, in the open position; - Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device in the open position, one hand holding it; - Figure 3 is a right view of the device in open position, one hand holding it; Figure 4 is a bottom view of the device in the open position;

  - Figure 5 is a rear view of the device in the open position, one hand holding it.

  With reference to these drawings, the device is a single unit composed of at least one flap (1) itself comprising at least

  a recess (3) which is either a bowl (30), a recess (31), a gutter (32) or a groove (33).

  The bowl (30) is a kind of imprint or depression of the wall of the flap (1) whose bottom evokes, overall, a spherical cap.

  The recess (31) is a removal of material practiced

  on a shutter (1) (or partly on one and part on the other), in the shape, overall, of a parallelepiped, an ellipsoid, a cylinder or one of their compounds, for example Boolean.

  The gutter (32) is a removal made in the material constituting a hinge (2), in the form of a longitudinal section of cylinder, arranged in parallel (FIG. 4) or

  no (Figure 3) to the axis of the hinge (2).

  The groove (33) is a trench running on a flap face (1) and whose shape, dimensions and orientation correspond to those of the stake (40) or of the gantry (41) 30 intended to be retracted there after been either folded towards, or pressed into said flap face (1). For the needs of this depression and also for their adjustment to the size of the fingers, stakes (40) and gantries (41) can be telescopic; in all cases, it does not correspond to 35 groove (33) to the parts of said stakes (40) and gantries (41) which sink generally perpendicular to their axis. -4 It is also possible to provide several grooves (33) for stakes (40) and gantries (41) which would be removable, located here or there at the discretion of the user and his comfort, said stakes (40) and gantries (41) finding, there and elsewhere, the grooves (33) capable of accommodating them. In the same vein, a gantry (41) can have, between and / or outside its two posts, its telescopic transverse element, adaptable to the various sizes of

  hands of users of all ages and conformations.

  The recesses (3) can be bottom or paroistriées and / or perforated. The fingers can be placed there (case of the bowls (30) and gutters (32) as in Figure 3) or be inserted there (case of the recesses (31), Figure 2) to ensure grip of the housing. Thus again can we see, figuratively, four openings on the edge of the flaps (1) which accommodate the four fingers and, on the underside of the flaps (1), two other recesses (3) intended to receive the left thumb or the right thumb according to the hand used for

  hold the case. In the same FIG. 1, a recess (3) is distributed between the two flaps (1).

  When they are not intended to receive the fingers, the recesses (3) are therefore grooves (33) combined with retractable elements (4), a stake (40) preferably going always with a gantry (41) , on one side of the same flap (1) or not. At least two sets of these retractable elements (4) are desirable, arranged one for gripping the housing with the left hand, the other with the right hand. In the projecting position and placed as they are in FIG. 5, said retractable elements (4) allow a contraction of the hand in the region of the thumb to rotate the housing in one direction and in the other if the hand is rather closes in the region surrounding the ring finger. In the same FIG. 5, it appears that the stake (40) and the posts of the gantry (41) do not come out of their grooves (33) until they reach the vertical position relative to the flap (l)

  who wears them; thus they fall back into said silons (33) in the event of a fall in the deladitechute damping box.

  -5 False retractable hinges (20) appear on the variant shown in Figure 4. These are semblances of hinges (2) which are used to carry gutters (32) welcoming the fingers when they come out of the shutter () 5 o them have been placed in the direction and at the place

  appropriate, generally near one of the areas of the flap edge (1) where a hand is likely to apply in order to grasp the housing. These retractable false hinges (20) can also be placed one near the other so as to wedge the finger which is applied to the gutter (32) of one and / or the other of said false hinges retractable (20).

  According to a variant not illustrated, at least one of the recesses (3) is covered, at least in part, by a maté15 riau serving as binding, canvas or leather in particular.

  According to a variant not illustrated, at least one element

  retractable (4) is covered, at least in part, with a material serving as a binding.

  The device according to the invention is particularly intended for the production of microcomputers and telephones

  laptops, and electronic books.

-6

Claims (8)

  1) Box of the type composed of at least one flap (1) characterized in that said at least one flap (1) contains at   at least one recess (3) arranged on at least one of its elements so as to ensure the grip of the said housing.   2) Housing according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises two flaps (l) and that at least one recess (3) is distributed over said flaps (1), said at least one recess (3) being a recess ( 31) of said flaps (1) practiced in a place where said flaps (1) are generally adjacent, so as to allow at least one of the user's fingers to be applied in said at least one recess (3).   3) Housing according to any one of the preceding claims 15, characterized in that it comprises at least one   hinge (2) and that at least one groove (3) in the form of a gutter (32) is arranged on said at least one hinge (2), so as to allow at least one of the fingers   of the user to apply in said at least one recess (3).   4) Housing according to any one of claims   previous characterized in that it comprises at least one flap (1) and that at least one recess (3) is formed on at least one of the faces of said at least one flap (1), so as to allow at least one of the user's fingers   apply in said at least one recess (3).   ) Housing according to any one of claims   previous characterized in that at least one gutter-shaped recess (3) (32) is arranged on at least one retractable false hinge (20) in its flap (1),   so as to allow at least one of the user's fingers to be applied in said at least one recess (3).   6) Housing according to any one of claims   previous characterized in that at least one of the creu35 sures (3) is covered at least in part with a material serving as binding.   7) A housing according to claim 1, characterized in that -7 that said at least one recess (3) is a groove (33) which receives a retractable element (4) which, when it is exposed, allows to ensure its grip by at least one of user's fingers.   8) Housing according to claim 7 characterized in that   that at least one of the retractable elements (4) is a stake (40) which may possibly have the form of a bracket.   9) Housing according to claims 7 and 8 characterized 10 in that at least one of the retractable elements (4) is form of gantry (41).   ) Housing according to claims 7 to 9 characterized   in that at least one of the retractable elements (4) is   covered, at least in part, with a material serving as binding.