US20200154868A1

US20200154868A1 - Cell phone case

Info

Publication number: US20200154868A1
Application number: US16/751,250
Authority: US
Inventors: Bryan C. Hines-Lucas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-02-06
Filing date: 2020-01-24
Publication date: 2020-05-21

Abstract

An improved cell phone case used to hold and protect a cell phone, wherein the improved cell phone case includes a main body adapted to frictionally and releasably hold a cell phone therein, a pocket on a back surface to hold credit cards, and a lanyard releasably attached to the main body and adapted to be placed around the neck of a user to carry the improved cell phone case in a hands-free manner.

Description

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to cell phone case technologies that are used to hold and protect cell phones, including smart phones.

2. Description of the Related Art

Various cell phone case designs exist that wrap around and protect a cell phone. However, none of the prior cell phone case designs offer a means to attach around a user's neck in a convenient and hands-free manner. Furthermore, none of the prior cell phone case designs further include a means for holding credit cards as well.
Accordingly, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages associated with the prior art, by providing an improved cell phone case that can hold and protect a cell phone, is adapted to be placed around the neck of a user to carry the improved cell phone case in a hands-free manner, and includes a pocket on a back surface to hold credit cards therein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of cell phone casings in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved cell phone case used to hold and protect a cell phone, wherein the improved cell phone case includes a main body adapted to frictionally and releasably hold a cell phone therein, a pocket on a back surface to hold credit cards, and a lanyard releasably attached to the main body and adapted to be placed around the neck of a user to carry the improved cell phone case in a hands-free manner. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved cell phone case with all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments according to the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the improved cell phone case according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a back perspective view of the improved cell phone case according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the improved cell phone case according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1 being worn by a user.

The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present disclosure described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present disclosure.
The following embodiments and the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of this disclosure, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the invention are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention can be employed and the subject invention is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
Turning now descriptively to drawing, referring to FIGS. 1-3, the present invention discloses an improved cell phone case 100 used in combination with a cell phone 200 having an encasement 110 formed having a rectangular volume. The improved cell phone case 100 comprises a main body 120 including a back panel 130 having a front surface 135 and a back surface 132, a plurality of side panels 122 attached to and extending from the back panel, such that they are adapted to frictionally and releasably hold the cell phone against the front surface of the back panel, and wherein the back panel and the side panels form a rectangular volume substantially equal to or greater than the rectangular volume of the encasement 110 of the cell phone, such that the cell phone can fit therein and is frictionally and releasably held against the front surface 135 of the back panel 130, a pocket panel 138 attached to the back surface 132 of the back panel 130 and forms a pocket 150 therebetween, a friction panel 160 attached to the back surface 132 of the back panel 130 and is located within the pocket 150 formed by the pocket panel 138, and is adapted to frictionally and releasably hold items in place within the pocket, and a connector 146 attached to the back surface of the back panel and is adapted to releasably connect to a releasable connector of a lanyard; a lanyard 140 including an elongated strap 145 adapted to releasably wrap around a person's neck, and a connector 147 attached to the elongated strap and is adapted to releasably connect to the connector 146 of the main body, wherein the lanyard is then releasably connected to the main body.
The pocket 150 forms a rectangular volume that is adapted to releasably hold rectangular cards 170 therein. The main body and the connector of the lanyard can formed as a snap-fit connector. The elongated strap 145 can be formed from nylon, cotton, burlap, denim, plastic, or any other suitable material. The back panel and said side panels can be formed from aluminum, rubber, silicone, plastic, or any other suitable material. The pocket panel 138 can be formed from aluminum, rubber, silicone, nylon, cotton, plastic, or any other suitable material. The connector 146 of the main body and the connector 147 of said lanyard can be formed from steel, brass, aluminum, plastic, or any other suitable material. The back panel and said side panels form a rectangular volume. The friction panel 160 can be formed having an undulated surface adapted to create friction between the friction panel and an item placed within said pocket. Variation of frictional surfaces can be incorporated as well, including bumps, cones, and projected pins. Furthermore, the friction panel 160 can formed from rubber, silicone, plastic, or any other suitable material.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An improved cell phone case comprising:

a main body including:

a back panel including:

a front surface; and

a back surface;

a plurality of side panels;

wherein said plurality of side panels are attached to and extend from said back panel, such that they are adapted to frictionally and releasably hold a cell phone against said front surface of said back panel;

a pocket panel;

wherein said pocket panel is attached to said back surface of said back panel and forms a pocket therebetween;

a friction panel;

wherein said friction panel is attached to said back surface of said back panel and is located within said pocket formed by said pocket panel, and is adapted to frictionally and releasably hold items in place within said pocket; and

a connector:

wherein said connector is attached to said back surface of said back panel and is adapted to releasably connect to a releasable connector of a lanyard; and

a lanyard including:

an elongated strap;

wherein said elongated strap is adapted to releasably wrap around a person's neck; and

a connector;

wherein said connector is attached to said elongated strap and is adapted to releasably connect to said connector of said main body;

wherein said lanyard is releasably connected to said main body.

2. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said pocket forms a rectangular volume adapted to releasably hold rectangular cards therein.

3. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said connector of said main body and said connector of said lanyard is formed as a snap-fit connector.

4. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said elongated strap is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of nylon, cotton, burlap, denim, and plastic.

5. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said back panel and said side panels are formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of aluminum, rubber, silicone, and plastic.

6. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said pocket panel is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of aluminum, rubber, silicone, nylon, cotton, and plastic.

7. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said connector of said main body and said connector of said lanyard are formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of steel, brass, aluminum, and plastic.

8. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said back panel and said side panels form a rectangular volume.

9. The improved cell phone case of claim 1, wherein said friction panel is formed having an undulated surface adapted to create friction between said friction panel and an item placed within said pocket.

10. The improved cell phone case of claim 9, wherein said friction panel is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of rubber, silicone, and plastic.

11. A combination of a cell phone and an improved cell phone case, said combination comprising:

a cell phone including:

an encasement;

wherein said encasement is formed having a rectangular volume; and

an improved cell phone case comprising:

a main body including:

a back panel including:

a front surface; and

a back surface;

a plurality of side panels;

wherein said plurality of side panels are attached to and extend from said back panel, such that they are adapted to frictionally and releasably hold said cell phone against said front surface of said back panel;

wherein said back panel and said side panels form a rectangular volume substantially equal to said rectangular volume of said encasement of said cell phone, such that said cell phone can fit therein and is frictionally and releasably held against said front surface of said back panel;

a pocket panel;

a friction panel;

a connector:

a lanyard including:

an elongated strap;

a connector;

wherein said lanyard is releasably connected to said main body.

12. The improved cell phone case of claim 11, wherein said pocket forms a rectangular volume adapted to releasably hold rectangular cards therein.

13. The improved cell phone case of claim 11, wherein said connector of said main body and said connector of said lanyard is formed as a snap-fit connector.

14. The improved cell phone case of claim 11, wherein said elongated strap is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of nylon, cotton, burlap, denim, and plastic; and wherein said back panel and said side panels are formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of aluminum, rubber, silicone, and plastic.

15. The improved cell phone case of claim 11, wherein said pocket panel is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of aluminum, rubber, silicone, nylon, cotton, and plastic; and wherein said connector of said main body and said connector of said lanyard are formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of steel, brass, aluminum, and plastic.

16. The improved cell phone case of claim 11, wherein said back panel and said side panels form a rectangular volume.

17. The improved cell phone case of claim 11, wherein said friction panel is formed having an undulated surface adapted to create friction between said friction panel and an item placed within said pocket.

18. The improved cell phone case of claim 17, wherein said friction panel is formed from a material chosen from a list of materials consisting of rubber, silicone, and plastic.