US20130168274A1

US20130168274A1 - Fast joinable protection frame structure

Info

Publication number: US20130168274A1
Application number: US13/342,208
Authority: US
Inventors: Ko-An Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-01-03
Filing date: 2012-01-03
Publication date: 2013-07-04

Abstract

A fast joinable protection frame structure includes a frame body and a lid. The frame body has a first-surface edge flange forming an inward extending stop section to cover a surface of an electronic device. The frame body forms fitting slots and a projection in a second-surface edge flange and forms an open end in a remaining inside face. The lid forms, in edges thereof, coupling sections that is receivable in and mateable with the fitting slots of the frame body and forms a guide slot and a rib corresponding to the projection of the frame body. As such, when the electronic device is positioned in the frame body, the lid is set in slidable engagement with the second-surface edge flange of the frame body with the rib interfering with the projection so as to realize fast joining to have the protection frame and securely mounted to the electronic device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a fast joinable protection frame structure, and more particularly to a combination of an integrally-formed rectangular frame body and a lid that are fit to each other through sliding movement (namely linear movement) along rails and secured by interference between raised ribs of the lid and projections of the frame body, whereby the frame body may efficiently and securely wrap a circumference of an electronic device to provide protection to the electronic device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The progress and maturity of electronic technology and network technology bring wide applications and uses of for example smart mobile phones (such as iPhone) and tablet computers (such as iPad). To be easily carried by a user, the smart mobile phones and the tablet computers are all appealing to being compact and light-weighted. And, due to such a reason, dedicate electronic components inside the smart phones and the tablet computers and the casings or touch screens thereof must be better protected. Thus, protection devices are available in the market for the smart phones and tablet computers so that such protection devices can be mounted to the smart phones and the tablet computers to improve the resistance of the smart phones and the tablet computers against vibration and shock and protect the outside appearance of the smart phones from being easily damaged.
The conventional protection frame structures are generally classified as a protection frame that is composed of a main framework in combination with a secondary framework and a protection frame that is composed of two independent side frames. In the structure of the protection frame that is composed of a main framework in combination with a secondary framework, the main framework and the secondary framework are rectangles that are arranged to oppose each other and fasteners are applied to secure the secondary framework to a back side of the main framework in order to mount the protection frame to the circumference of a smart phone or a tablet computer. In the structure of the protection frame that is composed of two side frames, a U-shaped side frame is combined with a straight side frame to form a rectangular frame, or alternatively, an L-shaped side frame is combined with an inverted L-shaped side frame to form a rectangular frame. Fasteners are then applied to secure the two independent side frames to each other to mount the protection frame to a circumference of a smart phone or a tablet computer.
Although the conventional structure of protection frame can be securely mounted to the circumference of a smart phone or a tablet computer to improve the resistance of the smart phone or the tablet computer against vibrations and shocks and to protect the outside appearance of the smart phone from being easily damaged, yet such protection frames must be secured by fasteners in order to mount to the circumference of the smart phone or the tablet computer. This makes a tool (such as a screwdriver or a hexagonal spanner) necessary in tightening or loosening the fastener for mounting the protection frame. Thus, mounting or removing the protection frame is inconvenient for the general users and the protection frame must be mounted by means of a plurality of fasteners, which leads to an increase of the overall weight of the smart phone or the tablet computer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above problems, an objective of the present invention is to disclose a fast joinable protection frame structure, which is provided for mounting to and wrapping up a circumference of an electronic device and comprises: a frame body and a lid. The frame body is an integrally formed rectangle having a first-surface edge flange and a second-surface edge flange opposing each other so that a receiving space is delimited between the first-surface edge flange and the second-surface edge flange for receiving the electronic device. The frame body comprises a stop section extending inward from the first-surface edge flange. The frame body forms a fitting slot in each of three inside faces of the second-surface edge flange and forms an open end in a remaining inside face. The frame body forms at least one projection in the open end. The lid is an integrally formed rectangle and forms, in each of three edges thereof, a coupling section that is receivable in and mateable with the fitting slots of the frame body and forms at least one guide slot in an undersurface of a remaining edge thereof to correspond to the projection of the frame body. A raised rib is formed in the guide slot to selectively interfere with the projection. As such, when the electronic device is positioned in the frame body, the stop section formed on the first-surface edge flange of the frame body may cover edge portions of a surface of the electronic device. The inter-engagement between the fitting slots formed in the second-surface edge flange of the frame body and the coupling sections of the lid through sliding along rails (namely linear movement) realizing covering of edge portions of an opposite surface of the electronic device, whereby the lid is prevented from detaching and falling, and the protection frame can be fast and securely mounted to and covering a circumference of the electronic device without using tools and fasteners.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an application of a protection frame according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the protection frame of the present invention in an assembled form.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the protection frame of the present invention in an assembled form.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the protection frame of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the protection frame of the present invention in an assembled form.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a condition of use of the protection frame of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Referring to FIGS. 1-6, the present invention discloses a fast joinable protection frame structure, which is provided for mounting to and wrapping up a circumference of an electronic device 3. The protection frame structure comprises a frame body 1 and the lid 2.
The frame body 1 is preferably an integrally formed rectangular configuration having four interconnected sidewalls and a first-surface edge flange 11 and a second-surface edge flange 12 opposing to each other so that a receiving space 10 is delimited between the first-surface edge flange 11 and the second-surface edge flange 12 for receiving and retaining therein the electronic device 3. The frame body 1 comprises a stop section 13 that extends inward from at least a portion of the first-surface edge flange 11. Further, the frame body 1 forms a fitting slot 14 in three inside faces of the second-surface edge flange 12 and forms an open end 15 at the remaining inside face. The frame body 1 comprises at least one projection 16 formed in the open end 15. At least one opening 17 is formed in one or more or all of the four sidewalls of the frame body 1. The frame body 1 is made of a metallic or non-metallic material.
The lid 2 is an integrally formed rectangle that is mountable to the second-surface edge flange 12 of the frame body 1. The lid 2 forms, in three edges thereof, a coupling section 21 that is receivable in and mateable the respective fitting slot 14 of the frame body 1 and the lid 2 has a remaining edge that forms, on an inside surface or undersurface thereof, at least one guide slot 22. The guide slot 22 corresponds to the projection 16 of the frame body 1 and a raised rib 23 that may interfere with the projection 16 is formed in the guide slot 225. The lid 2 is made of a metallic or non-metallic material.
As such, the receiving space 10 defined in the frame body 1 can receive the electronic device 3 therein and the stop section 13 formed on the first-surface edge flange 11 of the frame body 1 may cover edge portions of a surface of the electronic device 3 so as to prevent the electronic device 3 from falling off. The inter-engagement between the fitting slots 14 formed in the second-surface edge flange 12 of the frame body 1 and the coupling sections 21 of the lid 2 allows the lid 2 to be received from the open end 15 of the frame body 1 and is movable by sliding along rails (namely linear movement) to achieve efficient inter-fitting and jointing between the frame body 1 and the lid 2 to thereby cover edge portions of an opposite surface of the electronic device 3. Further, when the lid 2 is fit into the frame body 1, the raised rib 23 formed in the guide slot 22 of the lid 2 forms interference with the projection 16 of the frame body 1 so that the projection 16 may stop undesired movement of the raised rib 23 and thus preventing the lid 2 from detaching, whereby the protection frame structure of the present invention can be fast and securely mounted to and covering a circumference of the electronic device 3 requiring the use of no tool or fastener.
Further, the four sidewalls of the frame body 1 may be selectively provided with at least one opening 17 according to the arrangement of pushbuttons of the electronic device 3, so that the protection frame of the present invention, when mounted to the circumference of the electronic device 3, does not affect the operation of the electronic device 3.
In summary, the technical feature of the present invention is that a frame body 1 and a lid 2 that are integrally-formed rectangular members can be fast joined together through movement along rails (namely linear movement) and a raised rib 23 of the lid 2 and a projection 16 of the frame body 1 are arranged to interfere with each other when the members are joined so that the protection frame can be fast and securely mounted to and wrapping up a circumference of an electronic device 3 without using tools and fasteners.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A fast joinable protection frame structure, which is adapted to wrap up a circumference of the electronic device, the protection frame structure comprising:

a frame body, which is an integrally formed rectangle having four sidewalls, the frame body having a first-surface edge flange and a second-surface edge flange opposing each other so that a receiving space is delimited between the first-surface edge flange and the second-surface edge flange, the frame body comprising a stop section extending inward from the first-surface edge flange, the frame body forming a fitting slot in each of three inside faces of the second-surface edge flange and forming an open end in a remaining inside face, the frame body forming at least one projection in the open end; and

a lid, which is an integrally formed rectangle and is mountable to the second-surface edge flange of the frame body, the lid forming in each of three edges thereof a coupling section that is receivable in and mateable with the fitting slots of the frame body and forming at least one guide slot in an undersurface of a remaining edge thereof, the guide slot corresponding to the projection of the frame body, a raised rib being formed in the guide slot to selectively interfere with the projection.

2. The fast joinable protection frame structure according to claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of the frame body form at least one opening.