WO2015076814A1

WO2015076814A1 - Fold out cellular phone case

Info

Publication number: WO2015076814A1
Application number: PCT/US2013/071351
Authority: WO
Original assignee: Xotovo Products, Llc
Priority date: 2013-11-21
Filing date: 2013-11-21
Publication date: 2015-05-28

Abstract

A cellular phone case having a first part comprising a compartment sized and shaped to removably receive a cellular phone second comprising a casing sized and shaped to receive the said first part so that the said first part can nest inside the said second part with the first part being pivotally attached to the said second part such that said first part can pivot with respect to the said second part and also including remote functionality.

Description

FOLD OUT CELLULAR PHONE CASE

TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS:

Your petitioners, Juan Herrera and Victor Hiphong, citizens of the United States, whose post office address is 5052 South Capehart St., Kearns, UT 84118 and 5052 South Capehart St., Kearns, UT 84118, respectively, pray that letters patent may be granted to them as the inventors of the FOLD OUT CELLULAR PHONE CASE as set forth in the following specification.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

1. The Field of the Invention.

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to a foldable cellular phone case. Specifically, it relates to a multiple piece cellular phone case wherein the multiple pieces move with respect to each other and may include additional functionality to enhance the functionality of the cellular phone.

2. Description of Related Art.

[0002] Cellular telephones have become ubiquitous in recent years. The appearance of the smart phone in recent years, with its enhanced connectivity and processing power has revolutionized digital communication. One of the increases in functionality provided by the smart phone that has contributed to its revolutionary power is its camera and video function. These features allow users to obtain still and video images at almost any time and place, and to either store or transmit the images over the internet. However, the structure of the phones, fairly slim and rectangular in shape, makes them less than ideal for photography. Unlike traditional cameras cellular phones are not bulky enough to be readily held in a position to take a photograph. And, unlike video cameras, cellular phones lack handles. In addition, the camera and video function is frequently difficult and time consuming to access.

[0003] Cellular phone users frequently place their phones in a case to protect the phone from damage. These cases provide an opportunity to improve the functionality of the cellular phone. [0004] Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a multiple piece cellular phone case.

[0005] It is a further object of this invention to provide a multiple piece cellular phone case wherein the pieces move with respect to each other.

[0006] It is a further object of this invention to provide a multiple piece cellular phone case wherein at least one piece can function as a handle for the cellular phone.

[0007] It is a further object of this invention o provide a multiple piece cellular phone case that provides improved functionality and utility to the cellular phone by providing a remote means to control one or more of the functions of the cellular phone.

SUMMARY

[0008] This disclosure relates generally to a foldable cellular phone case. Specifically, it relates to a multiple piece cellular phone case wherein the multiple pieces move with respect to each other and may include additional functionality to enhance the functionality of the cellular phone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in coimection with the accompanying drawings in which:

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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cellular phone case;

FIG. la is an exploded view of a cellular phone case;

FIG. 2 is a cutaway side view of a cellular phone case hinge;

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of a cellular phone case utilizing the hinge of Fig. 2;

FIG. 2b is a cutaway side view of the cellular phone case hinge of Fig. 2 in a half open position; FIG. 2c is a cutaway side view of the cellular phone case hinge of Fig. 2 in an open position; FIG. 3 is a cutaway side view of a cellular phone case ball and socket type hinge;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cellular phone case with two planes of rotation;

FIG 4a is an exploded view of the cellular phone case of Fig. 4;

FIG 4b is a perspective view of the cellular phone case of Fig. 4 showing the planes of rotation;

FIG 5 is a perspective view of a celluter phone case with a keyboard;

FIG 5a is a perspective view of the cellular phone case of Fig 5 with the keyboard retracted;

FIG 6 is a perspective view of the cellular phone case with a tripod;

FIG6a is a perspective view of the cellular phone case with the tripod attachment port;

FIG 6b is a perspective view of the tfipod;

FIG 7 is a perspective view of the cellular phone case with a kickstand;

FIG 8 is a perspective view of the cellular phone case with a pin;

FIG 9 is a perspective view of the cellular phone case with remote control functionality.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different views identify identical structure elements of the disclosure. While the present disclosure is described with respect to what is presently considered to be exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0011] Furthermore, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, which is limited only by the appended claims. [0012] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the disclosure, the preferred methods, devices, and materials are now described.

[0013] In accordance with the present embodiment, Fig. 1 depicts a cellular telephone case 100 having a first part 104 comprising a compartment sized and shaped to removably receive a cellular telephone and a second part 106 comprising a casing sjzed and_^ shaped to receive the said first part 104 so that the said first part 104 can nest inside the said second part 106. The second part 106 comprises apertures 108 sufficient to reveal the functional ports of the cellular phone such as the volume controls, the USB/power port and the headphone jack when the first part 104 is nested inside the second part 106. The first part 104 is sized and shaped to removably accept the cellular phone such that the cellular phone can be inserted into the case in an upside down or a backward and forward orientation. The first part 104 comprises apertures 122 that expose the phone's camera lense when the phone is oriented in the case 100 such that the screen is exposed. The second part 106 also comprises apertures 121 that that expose the phone's camera lense when the first part 104 is nested inside the second part 106.

[0014] The said first part 104 is pivotally attached to the said second part 106 such that said first part 104 can pivot with respect to the said second part 106 from a resting position nested inside said second part 106, to a position wherein the long axis 110 of the first part 104 and the long axis 112 of the second part 106 define an angle between 1 and 270 degrees. This said pivotal attachment may be accomplished by means of inserting pins 114 through corresponding openings the sides the said first part 104 and said second part 106 respectively. [0015] As depicted in Fig. la, the openings 117 in said second part 106 are located on arms 124 located on the said second part's 106 lateral edges 120. The arms 124 are spaced such that they may be disposed outside the lateral edges 126 of the second part 106 such that the openings 117 in the arms 124 of the second part 106 align with the openings 117 in the first part 104. The corresponding openings may be located at either end of the corresponding first 104 and second parts 106 and are located so that they align when the first part 104 is nested into the secorfd part 106.

[0016] The case 100 may be comprised of plastic or any similar polymer, steel, stainless steel or other steel alloy, aluminum, anodized aluminum, glass, carbon fiber, or any other material commonly known in the art. In another embodiment, the case 100 is sized and shaped to accomodate a computer tablet type device.

[0016] In yet another embodiment depicted in Fig. 2, the first part 210 is pivotally attached to the second part 212 by means of a ball and socket type hinge member 216 . As depicted in Fig. 2, one half of the hinge member comprises stem 218 with a head member 220 on it its distal end. The stem 218 is affixed to the second part 212. The stem 218 may be plastic, metal, nylon, cable or any other material suitably strong to maintain a connection with the first part 210 and the second part 212. The other half of hinge member 216 comprises a curved track 222. The curved track 222 comprises a first side 224 and a second side 226 whose interior surfaces define a curved interior space 230.

[0018] The interior space 230 is sized and shaped] to engage the outside surface of the head member 220. The tolerances should be sufficiently close that the forces of static friction between the head member 220 and the interior surfaces of the curved track 222 are strong enough to maintain the orientation of the first part 210 with respect to the second part 212 but sufficiently weak enough that their orientation can be changed by manipulation by the user's hands. [0019] As depicted in Fig. 2a, the first part 210 comprises an aperture 230 sized and shaped to allow the stem 218 to pass through it. The aperture 230 is also sized and shaped to prevent the head member 220 from passing through. Figs. 2b and 2c depict the manner in which the first part 210 can rotate with respect to the second part 212 and the various orientations the two parts can assume with respect to each other while Fig. 2a illustrates the manner in which the first part 210 may also rotate laterally with respect to the first part 212. Finally, it should be understood that in an alternative embodiment, the first part may comprise the curved track while the second part may comprise the head member.

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[0020] Fig. 3 depicts another embodiment nfwhich the case 300 comprises a ball and socket mechanism 310. The ball and socket mechanism 310 comprises a stem member 314. The stem member 314 comprises a base 316 located on the stem member's 314 first 320 end and a ball 324 located on the stem member's 314 second end. The base 316 is affixed to the first part 330of the case 300. A socket 336 is affixed to the second part 340 of the case 300 and is sized and shaped such that the ball 324 can fit securely into the socket 336 such that the inside surface of the socket 336 is in contact with the surface of the ball 324 with sufficient force to hold the ball 324 in a particular orientation via the forces of static friction, but not with sufficient force to prevent the ball 324 from being moved with respect to the socket 336 through manipulation by the user's hands. The socket 336 comprises an opening through which the stem member 314 extends. The opening of the socket 336 is sized such that the inside surface of the socket 336 describes a sphere that is several degrees greater than 180 in circumference so that when the ball 324 in inserted in the socket 336, the ball 324 is held securely in the socket 336 by the fact that the resulting opening in the socket 336 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 324.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, either the socket 336, the ball 324 or both may be magnetized in a manner that the magnetic forces help hold the ball in place with respect to the socket 336. [0022] In another embodiment depicted in Fig. 4, the pivotal attachment may be accomplished by means of a pivot member 410 attached to both the first part 414 and the second part 420. The pivot member 410 is rotateably attached to the first part 414 by means of pins 426 that pass through an aperture in the first part 414. The second 420 is rotateably attached to the pivot member 410. As depicted in Fig. 4a, the second part 420 is attached to the pivot member' 410 via a pin which allows the second member 420 to rotate with respect to the pivot member 410 in one plane of orientation as depicted in Fig. 4b, while the pivot member 410 rotates with respect to the first part 414 in a different plane of rotation.

[0023] In yet another embodiment, depicted in Fig. 5, the a cellular telephone case comprises a keyboard 510. As depicted in Fig. 5, the keyboard 510 fits into a recess 514 located in the case 500. The keyboard 510 is slideably attached to the case 500 such that the keyboard travels on a track (not shown) from its form its storage position in the recess 514 to its deployed position as depicted in Fig. 5. The keyboard 514 may be springloaded into the case and released via a button as depicted in Fig. 5a located on the case 500. The keyboard 514 may communicate with the cellular telephone via blue tooth technology or any other electromagnetic communication protocol. In the alternative, the keyboard 514 may also communicate with the phone via hard wiring between the keyboard and the cellular telephone.

[0024] In another embodiment, the keyboard may be rotatably attached to the case such that it can pivot from its storage position in the recess to its usable position extending laterally from the broad surface of the case. In yet another embodiment, the keyboard snaps into the recess and can be completely detached form and used separately from the case.

[0025] In another embodiment, depicted in Fig. 6, the cellular phone case 600 comprises a tripod stand 610. This tripod stand 610 is detachable from the case 600. As depicted in Fig. 6a the tripod stand 610 attaches to the case 600 via a threaded receiver 614 in the case 600. A threaded end 618 of the tripod stand 610 depicted in fig. 6b screws into the threaded receiver 614.

[0026] In yet another embodiment, depicted in Fig. 7, the cellular phone case 700 comprises a kickstand 710 that can be used to support the phone case 700 at an angle. The phone case of Fig. 7 further comprises an opening 710 to accept a connector to the phone such as a 30 pin connector.

[0027] Fig. 8 depicts a case 800 comprising a cellular telephone connector 810, such as a 30 pin connector affixed to the case such that the connector 810 inserts into the corresponding port of the cellular telephone.

[0028] Fig. 9 depicts another embodiment in which the cellular phone case 900 comprises fixtures that operate the various functions of the cellular phone. In this embodiment, the case 900 may comprise at least one control 910 that operates the shutter of the cellular phone camera. The case may also possess a control 914 that operates the zoom in/zoom out feature of the cellular phone camera. Finally the case 900 may also possess a control 916 that operates the video cameral function of the cellular phone. These controls may communicate with the cellular phone via hardwiring or via blue tooth or any other type of electromagnetic communication protocol known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0029] The cellular phone case also is sized an shaped to receive a battery. The battery in turn communicates electrically with the charging port on the cell phone. The cellular phone case may also comprise a flash device.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A cellular phone case having:

a first part comprising a compartment sized and shaped to removably receive a cellular phone and a second part comprising a casing sized and shaped to receive the said first part so that the said first part can nest inside the said second part *

said first part being pivotally attached to the said second part such that said first part can pivot with respect to the said second part from a resting position nested inside said second part, to a position wherein the angle between a line describing a long axis of the first part and a line describing the long axis of the second part define an angle between 1 and at le^*ast 270 degrees.

2. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the said first part is pivotally attached to the said second part by means of a pin member that passes through a hole in the sidewall of the said first part and through a hole in the sidewall of the said second part such that the said first part can rotate around the pin member and move relative to the said second part.

3. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the said first part is pivotally attached to the said second part by means of a hinge member attached to the said first member and the said second member, said hinge member pivotally connecting the said first part to the said second part.

4. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the said first part possesses apertures sufficient to

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reveal the functional ports of the cellular phone.

5. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the said second part comprises a threaded receiver that can removeably attach to a tripod.

6. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the case contains at least one controls that operate functions of the cellular phone.

7. The cellular phone case of claim 6 wherein at least one control communicates wirelessly with the cellular phone.

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8. The cellular phone case of claim 7 wherein at least one control communicates with the cellular phone via electromagnetic waves.

9. The cellular phone case of claim 8 wherein the at least one control communicates with the cellular phone via blue tooth technology.

10. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the case comprises at least one control that operates the shutter of the cellular phone's camera function.

11. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the case comprises at least one control that operates the cellular phone's video camera function.

12. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the case comprises at least one control that operates the zoom in/zoom out feature of the cellular phone's camera function. j

13. The cellular phone case of claim 1 wherein the case comprises a flash device.

14. The cellular phone case of claim 1 further comprising a keyboard.

15. The cellular phone case of claim 12 wherein the keyboard is slideably movable into its position to be used.

16. A cellular phone case having:

a first part comprising a compartment sized and shaped to removably receive a cellular phone and a second part comprising a casing sized and shaped to receive the said first part so that the said first part can nest inside the said second part

said first part being pivotally attached to the said second part such that said first part can pivot with respect to the said second part along at least two planes of rotation.

17. The cellular phone case of claim 16 wherein the first part is pivotally attached to the second part by means of a ball and socket mechanism.

18. The cellular phone case of claim 17 wherein the socket comprises a curved track.

19. The cellular phone case of claim 16 wherein the first part is pivotally attached to the second part by means of a pivot member attached to both the first part and the second part.