GB2558864A

GB2558864A - Universal presentation housing for mobile entertainment devices

Info

Publication number: GB2558864A
Application number: GB1513973.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Curtis Hopkinson Mark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-08-07
Filing date: 2015-08-07
Publication date: 2018-07-25
Also published as: GB201513973D0

Abstract

A waterproof presentation housing for a mobile entertainment device 3B is a waterproof and steam proof cuboid rectangular housing which is attached to wall surfaces using sucker cups 11 of suitable types and has a clear frontal planar area through which inserted mobile devices screens can be viewed and operated, giving the appearance of a built in or custom fitted unit, in some versions, the housing may amplify the sound from the devices using a Bluetooth (RTM) connection or other suitable mediums and it can hold any size of device due to an expanding foam holding method 7B set to the rear of the enclosure. Aspects include the foam having channel or holes within its composition to allow the inserted devices to breathe and therefore not overheat. The universal presentation housing can hold and house any size of mobile device from a large tablet to a small smartphone.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Mark Curtis Hopkinson

Wilson Street, MANSFIELD, Nottinghamshire, NG19 7JW, United Kingdom (72) Inventor(s):

Mark Curtis Hopkinson (56) Documents Cited:

CN 203942717 U JP 2004072601 A US 20140050347 A1

JP 2012159538 A US 20140174846 A1 US 20060274493 A1 (58) Field of Search:

INT CL A45C, G06F, H04B, H04M Other: EPODOC, WPI (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Patent Protect

The Glass House, 3D Newthorpe Common, Newthorpe, NOTTINGHAM, NG16 2BX, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Universal presentation housing for mobile entertainment devices Abstract Title: Waterproof housing for a mobile device (57) A waterproof presentation housing for a mobile entertainment device 3B is a waterproof and steam proof cuboid rectangular housing which is attached to wall surfaces using sucker cups 11 of suitable types and has a clear frontal planar area through which inserted mobile devices screens can be viewed and operated, giving the appearance of a built in or custom fitted unit, in some versions, the housing may amplify the sound from the devices using a Bluetooth (RTM) connection or other suitable mediums and it can hold any size of device due to an expanding foam holding method 7B set to the rear of the enclosure.

Aspects include the foam having channel or holes within its composition to allow the inserted devices to breathe and therefore not overheat. The universal presentation housing can hold and house any size of mobile device from a large tablet to a small smartphone.

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PATENT APPLICATION

OF

MARK CURTIS HOPKINSON

FOR

UNIVERSAL PRESENTATION HOUSING FOR MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT DEVICES

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the use of housing or case enclosures that are attached to walls adjacent to baths or in showers to display visual entertainment and videos and/or sound / music from an internal screen device.

Background

The use of mobile hand held devices such as tablets or smartphones is common and widely known as a favoured means to entertain or conduct communication activities such as social networking or email I video mail. Such an object is in need of protection from the elements, For instance, in one aspect, the disclosure relates to a housing for protecting one or more components of a device or a device itself, such as an electronic device, for example, a mobile smartphone, for instance, or a digital tablet computer, or the like.

This particular disclosure relates generally to a housing for protecting one or more types of said objects from water or other moisture such as steam, to enable them to be wall mounted and provide entertainment in an area such as at the side of a bath or in a shower, this is aimed at various levels of quality. The highest quality of which would have the appearance of a ‘built in’ cabinet or ‘permanent’ housing for an inserted tablet, for example.

Specifically, computers are well known in the art. Mobile computers are also well known and allow all the same general functionality as standard desktop computers, albeit often with less memory and/or processing power. For instance, mobile digital computers are capable of performing word processing tasks, spread sheet production, power-point generation, and typically possess mobile broadband connectivity. However, often for general use, one need not engage extensive processing power, nor employ many of the programs often run on typical desktop and/or mobile laptop computers, such as word processing, spread sheet production, and power point generation and presentation. Often for general use all that is required is a moderate processing power and memory as well as broadband internet connectivity. Accordingly, mobile digital tablet computers and mobile telephones having computing functionality have been developed.

Mobile digital tablet computers serve the same basic functions as their counterpart desk and laptop computers, however, typically with less processing power and memory as well as less word processing, etc. Nevertheless, for general use all that is needed is internet connectivity as well as the ability to obtain e-mail and read electronic data, such as e-books. This functionality is perfect for tablet style computers and even mobile telephones having such functionality, which by their nature are designed to be thin and light weight. Mobile digital tablet computers and computing telephones, therefore, have become increasingly popular with the general user.

With respect to tablet computers and mobile telephones with computing functionality, such electronic devices are well known and widely used. Tablet computers and mobile telephones with computing functions are electronic devices that are convenient tools which allow continual access to the internet, make reading electronic books easy, and facilitates peoples communications with one another, e.g., via phone, e-mail and/or various social media modalities, while on the go and away from traditional telephone landlines. For instance, mobile tablet and telephone devices allow people to connect to the internet, download and read or watch books and movies, as well as to communicate with others via voice, text message, sms, im, social media modalities, and the like. Electronic readers are devices that are similar to tablet computers, but with even more limited computing functionality yet nevertheless allow a user to easily store, view and read various print media. However, while tablet computers, mobile telephones, and electronic readers may be portable and handy to use, they suffer from some drawbacks. For example, they are often expensive and contain fragile electronic components that make them prone to damage due to misuse such as water exposure.

Their ability to play video streamed movies or music entertainment is common in use and they are often kept in covers or cases made of a plastic, rubber or leather casing to protect them when mobile or in general use but also these cases fold to provide a stand to enable the user to have an upright or almost vertically presented screen.

Over the years people have had the desire to build television screens in there bathroom or shower walls. These are expensive additions to usually high end rooms and are permanent fixtures.

These are set into the wall or in a case that is proud of the surface by several millimeters, to form a type of window enclosure in which the screen is kept and the person can lay in the bath and watch the screen or take a shower and do so.

The ability to create this type of entertainment housing for a large tablet down to a small smartphone using the one single enclosure is presented here and a less costly but appealing and high quality casing is provided.

Accordingly, in relation to this there is a need in the art for a mechanism whereby an object, such as a portable tablet computer, mobile telephone, or an electronic reader device, may be protected from inclement weather and/or errant handling and/or other damage that may result from contacting a fluid, such as water. The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and system for housing or encasing an object, such as a tablet computer, mobile telephone, or electronic reader and/or the components thereof, as well as methods for using the same, in a manner that offers protection for the device from adverse environmental conditions, steam and water

Summary of the invention

In one aspect, a housing for encasing an object is provided. The object may be any object that is in need of protection from one or more adverse environmental conditions, such as steam or water. The object may be a device, e.g., an electronic device, and the housing a casing within which the electronic device is housed; or the object may be a single component or several components of which the device, e.g., the electronic device is comprised, and the housing may make up the outer bounds, e.g., the casing, of the electronic device. The housing may be of any appropriate size and dimension so long as it is capable of housing the object and protecting it. In certain embodiments, the object to be contained is an electronic device, such as a mobile computing and/or display device, for instance, a tablet computer, mobile telephone, electronic reader and the housing is configured for protecting the electronic device. In certain embodiments, the object to be contained is one or more, e.g., a plurality, of electronic components, such as electronic components that are configured for functioning together so as to perform a particular function, such as streaming and playing of entertainment material, for example You Tube ™ and/or receiving or transmitting telephone calls, and the housing is configured for both containing the electronic component(s) and protecting them. For example, where the electronic device is a tablet computer or mobile telephone, etc. the components may be the components contained within the tablet computer or telephone device that allow it to function in an appropriate manner. The housing, therefore, could be the actual housing of the tablet computer, mobile telephone, etc. that typically houses the components, however, modified in the manner described herein below so as to be liquid proof and/or shock proof as described herein.

In one aspect a container is provided, wherein the container is configured for containing a device, such as an electronic device, e.g., a mobile tablet style computer, mobile telephone, electronic reader, and the like. For ease and clarity, the use of the term tablet computer will be understood to include all such mobile devices having various computing functionalities and includes, but is not hereby limited to; mobile tablet computers, mobile telephones, electronic readers and the like. Accordingly, use of the term “tablet computer” or any derivation thereof should be understood to mean any of these devices having computing functionalities unless the context indicates otherwise.

In various instances, the container includes a housing wherein the housing is adapted for housing the device. It is to be understood that although the following description is set forth with respect to describing the shape and size of a particular container for housing a particular device, i.e., a mobile tablet computer device, the shape, size, and/or configuration of the container and/or the object to be contained, e.g., a tablet device, can vary, for instance, as described herein.

Therefore, in one instance, a housing for housing a device, such as an electronic device, for instance a tablet computer, is provided.

The housing is configured such that the device may be fitted within the housing and be protected thereby. In certain instances, the housing may include a single member enclosure of a rectangular form having 4 narrowed sides and a back panel and front panel section. The front panel section will be of a transparent nature to enable the screen to be viewed through its surface by the user.

Accordingly, the housing includes an opening to the top of one of the four narrowed side sections. This would be hinged to flip open and enable the objects to be inserted. This would have a rubber seal around its exterior edging which compresses with the opening lip interior to form a watertight seal when closed.

To this flip lid may be a clasping method, this allows the user to easily make purchase of the lid to open it, the clasping method being a raised edge only as to not affect the aesthetic appearance of the housing but to still enable the flip lid to easily be opened and closed.

The narrow cuboid form of this case comprises a slim housing which has a transparent frontal panel, and a rear panel that may not be transparent with four narrow sides which form the single ‘box’ housing.

The fontal clear panel may allow for touch sensitive use. As many tablets rely on the control being made by the person touching the screen, the clear panel element to the frontal area of the housing case would be of a slightly flexing clear composite plastic/rubber which has sufficient construction to provide a stern panel but also have enough touch flex to provide finger control through its surface the screen of the device inside. Thus, where the housing is intended to house an electronic device having a touch-sensitive display, the touch-sensitive display may be a screen, such as an interactive touch-sensitive display screen, e.g., an interactive flat panel touch sensitive control display screen, for instance, a display screen having capacitive and/or tactile input capabilities, or the touch-sensitive display may be a holographic representation of a screen or a portion thereof, which representation is sensitive to touch or the appearance of touch.

This may also be coupled by a remote control which operates all essential functionality of the housed device. The unit may or may not provide extra amplification of the sound coming from the enclosed device. The devices small speaker may be heard through venting on the exterior side or frontal wall areas, these would be provided in all areas which relate to the same on the device.

The vented areas have holes which allow the natural volume and sound from the devices to pass through. It is also noted that the form of the overall enclosure itself may act as a sound box and provide some increase in the sound output naturally.

These vented areas in all cases will not allow steam or water to pass due to their downward facing portals and a fine waterproof mesh inside the housing unit.

However, a speaker or speakers may be provided. These are housed in the areas shown in the Figures but can vary from these providing suitable provision is always kept for the holding of the devices and their various sizes and depths.

The speaker would have a battery power supply for full portability and the need to make any physical link between the speaker and the device is avoided. The device, such as a tablet would connect its sound via Bluetooth of similar methods. The Bluetooth would be enabled before the device is inserted into the housing and connects with the speaker on a roaming basis to then broadcast through the third party speaker.

The battery for the speaker may easily be charged by a plug in method by removing the housing from the wall and plugging it in or a removable battery compartment may be provided to allow the housing to remain in place as a semi-permanent or permanent fixture.

The battery compartment is charged and then simply re-inserted into the housing to once again power the speaker and amplifier.

Accordingly, in another embodiment where an amplifier may not be required, a sound increasing speaker cone may be used. These take the sound that is already being produced by the device, such as a smartphone, and use the internal channels of the cone to increase the volume using a natural way, similar to that described by using the body of the housing itself as the sound box but on a more concentrated scale.

To the rear of the housing case or enclosure and attached or located to the rear wall interior is a foam rubber which has expanding characteristics. This foam may be of a LRPu type which is a lower resilience polyethylene foam, or another memory type composite foam which will allow for all depths and widths of devices to be held in place. The foam covers the wall at the rear of the cabinet, moreover in a preferred embodiment. This foam is curved and the peak of the curve almost touches or contacts with the clear screen at the frontal area of the cuboid housing. The space between the peak of the foam and the transparent screen would be a matter of millimetres. The peak forms a growing gradient curve that forms a wider base to connect to the rear wall.

The peak may be of a convex or planar nature, deriving a solution that contacts securely with the rear of each device, from a small phone to a small, medium to large tablet.

The nature of a memory or LRPu type of foam is for them to always expand and return to their original shape and density state. The foam would have sufficient channel and fibre openings to allow the devices to breath and thus not overheat.

Thus, the fully expanded extent of the foam will be its holding position of the smallest of the devices.

The devices are slid or inserted into the top opening of the case housing, as shown in the Figures, and the rear of the device, contacts with the peak of the foam and after the device is in place, being central to the frontal clear panel, the memory foam, as shown in the Figures expands to press the device into the frontal clear panel. As the foam is set to enable the peak to always be close enough the frontal clear panel to ensure the narrowest of devices can be held, if thicker or larger devices are inserted, the foam will compress to enable them to also be inserted and held in place.

Thus, the foam, which is of a suitable composite to ensure all elements of the compression allows for varying sizes and depths of devices to be held, is providing a means to hold all sizes of mobile hand held devices inside the water proof housing which may be wall mounted and provides speaker sound.

The wall mounting is provided by suction cups or ‘suckers’ of the known variable.

These are mounted to the rear of the cabinet and may be moistened and applied or stuck to a suitable surface such as tiles or glass.

This will securely hold the housing case in position for long periods, if required the suction cups may have the ‘draw* facility or method, which enables them to be manually drawn to the surface using a compressing ring which the user twists on application of the cup to the wall surface, in the known way. These methods of drawn cup are already known and public and are used to attach cups to glass or devices such as Satellite Navigation Screens to vehicle interiors.

The exterior of the wall housing may be of a high quality finish to create the look of an ‘installed’ cabinet, thus stainless steel or textured leather or granite finishes may be desired to achieve this type of effect. An alternative is to use the design mentioned herein but produce a type that is of a lower cost and for a more ‘relaxed’ market. For example instead of having a finish that is of a high quality or high end furniture or fitting, this could also be produced of a clear plastic or coloured plastic/rubber variable.

This would enable the customer base to be greatly widened and conduct a supply to market that is more in keeping with a lower price range consumer or younger market.

Brief description of figures

Figures 1 show a dimensional example of the mobile device waterproof housing attached to a wail and containing the larger tablet.

Figures 2 show a profile view example of the mobile device waterproof housing having a device inserted through the top opening and contacting with the holding foam.

Figures 3 show a profile view example of the mobile device waterproof housing attached to a wall surface, with the mobile device more fully inserted and held by the holding foam.

Figures 4 show a dimensional example of the mobile device waterproof housing with sound outlets and a partially inserted smaller tablet device.

Figures 5 show a dimensional example of the mobile device waterproof housing holding a small smartphone to the frontal screen area and displaying a visual video on its own screen.

Figures 6 show a profile view example of the mobile device waterproof housing with a device fully inserted and the lid closed, with a Bluetooth or other speaker provided internally.

Detailed description of figures

A typical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1. This comprises an enclosure body 1 being of rectangular planar form, as a narrow sided cuboid.

This is shown attached to a vertical wall surface 4 having a mobile device inside 3, being a large tablet in this example and a sound outlet 2.

The mobile device (or tablet in this example) 3A is inserted through an opening area to the top of the enclosure body 1A, into the interior space 6, passingly parallel to the frontal area wall 5, as shown in Figure 2 as a side or profile view.

The mobile device 3A is held in place to the frontal wall 5, by the expanding foam 7, as shown. The expanding foam fills the space 6 that is always behind the mobile device 3A in all cases and presses against the rear of the mobile device 3A, thus all sizes and depth of mobile device can be held in this way.

Should the device 3A be of a thicker nature in depth the foam 7 would be more contracted in this view as it is pressed backward by the added depth of the device, however, the device 3A is always held to the frontal screen wall 5 for usage. The foam 7 would allow devices to breath by having large channel or holes in its surface.

In figure 3 the device 3B is shown fully inserted inside and continually held by the expanding foam 7B.

To the top is a lid closure 8 which is hinged 9 and has a rubber seal 10 to prevent water or moisture access during use when closed. The enclosure body is held onto a wall surface 12 via suction cups 11 for mounting on a semi or fully permanent basis.

The expanding foam may have a square central face 7C, as shown in Figure 4.

This version may aide the levelling of the devices as they reduce in size 3C within the enclosure body 1C. Sound in this example is provided as an outlet 2C, being waterproof and using the body 1C as a sound box to project the natural volume created by the device itself.

On closure Figure 5, the enclosure body creates a housing for all sizes of mobile device, shown here as a smaller smartphone.

To aide volume of the broadcast a speaker 13 may be provided which may use natural volume increasing methods, such as an expanding open cone or use an amplifier 14 supported by a rechargeable battery 15, as shown.

This battery may be removable for charging and then replaced as most areas where this item will be used would not desire a power cable. Although a cable version may be made available for use in suitable locations.

Claims

1. A universal presentation housing for mobile entertainment devices wherein a waterproof and steam proof cuboid rectangular housing is attached to wall surfaces, using sucker cups of suitable types and has a clear frontal planar area through which inserted mobile devices screens can be viewed and operated, giving the appearance of a built in or custom fitted unit, in some versions, the housing may amplify the sound from the devices using a Bluetooth connection or other suitable mediums and it can hold any size of device due to an expanding foam holding method set to the rear of the enclosure.

2. A universal presentation housing for mobile entertainment devices as claimed in claim 1 has the appearance of a built in or custom fitted unit, although it is fully removable and can hold and house any size of mobile device from a large tablet to a small smartphone.

3. A universal presentation housing for mobile entertainment devices as claimed in claim 1 and 2 wherein the housing can create a viewing unit for broadcasts from mobile devices of any size, this is due to the expanding foam holding method affixed to the rear of the housing, this foam has holes and channels in its composition to allow the mobile devices to breath and not overheat.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB1513973.6 Examiner: Mr Euros Morris