WO2023064198A1

WO2023064198A1 - Protective case for an electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2023064198A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/046148
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joshua Wright; June LAI
Original assignee: Catalyst Lifestyle Limited
Priority date: 2021-10-11
Filing date: 2022-10-10
Publication date: 2023-04-20

Abstract

A protective case for an electronic device includes a front body having a plurality of sidewalls defining a frame for the electronic device and a plurality of retaining walls extending inward of a periphery of the plurality of sidewalls. A rear body is coupled to the front body to define a cavity, and the protective case receives the electronic device within the cavity. At least one support member is positioned within the cavity and coupled to either the front body or rear body of the protective case, and biases the electronic device toward the plurality of retaining walls.

Description

PROTECTIVE CASE FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/254,461, entitled “PROTECTIVE CASE FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE” and filed October 11, 2021, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present specification generally relates to protective cases for electronic devices and, more specifically, to protective cases that accommodate additional items coupled to the electronic device.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Electronic device (e.g., smartphones, tablets, or the like) may be retained within protective cases that prevent the electronic devices from getting scratched, dinged, marred, contacted with fluid (e.g., become wet), or the like. In addition, these electronic devices may include aftermarket accessories that are attached to the electronic device. Such aftermarket accessories are generally not compatible with protective cases that have been manufactured for the electronic device, as such protective cases are constructed to be shaped and sized to tightly fit to the standard dimensions of the electronic device without any aftermarket accessories attached. Specifically, the combined electronic device and aftermarket accessory may be too large to fit within a cavity in the protective case that has been particularly constructed to hold the electronic device only. Alternatively, if the protective case is large enough to house both the electronic device and the accessory, the electronic device may not be constrained within the protective case if installed without the aftermarket accessory present, which may be problematic for the purposes of protecting against drops, fluid ingress, and/or the like.

SUMMARY

[0004] According to a first aspect, a protective case for an electronic device includes a front body having a plurality of sidewalls defining a frame for the electronic device and a plurality of retaining walls extending inward of a periphery of the plurality of sidewalls. The protective case further includes a rear body coupled to the front body to define a cavity that receives the electronic device therein. The protective case further includes at least one support member positioned within the cavity and coupled to the protective case. The at least one support member is configured to bias the electronic device toward the plurality of retaining walls.

[0005] According to a second aspect, a protective case for an electronic device is disclosed. The protective case includes a front body having a plurality of sidewalls defining a frame for the electronic device and a plurality of retaining walls extending inward of a periphery of the plurality of sidewalls. A rear body is couplable to the front body to define a cavity, and the rear body further includes a pair of lateral sidewalls, a pair of longitudinal sidewalls extending orthogonal to the pair of lateral sidewalls, and a rear wall extending between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the pair of longitudinal sidewalls. At least one elastically deformable support member is positioned within the cavity and coupled to the protective case. The electronic device further includes an aftermarket accessory, and the at least one elastically deformable support member deforms to accommodate the electronic device and aftermarket accessory within the cavity defined by the rear body and the front body.

[0006] According to a third aspect, a method of forming a protective case is disclosed. The method may involve forming a front body having a plurality of sidewalls and a rear body having a pair of lateral sidewalls, a pair of longitudinal sidewalls, and a rear wall that extends between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the pair of longitudinal sidewalls. The method may further include securing at least one support member to either the plurality of sidewalls of the front body or the rear wall of the rear body of the protective case. The method may finally involve releasably coupling the front body of the protective case to the rear body of the protective case to form a cavity between the front body and the rear body of the protective case.

[0007] These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which: [0009] FIG. 1A schematically depicts an isometric view of a front body of a protective case for an electronic device, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0010] FIG. IB schematically depicts an isometric view of a rear body of the protective case of FIG. 1A, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0011] FIG. 2A schematically depicts a cross-sectional side view of the front body of FIG. 1 A and rear body of FIG. IB of the protective case, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0012] FIG. 2B schematically depicts a cross-sectional side view of the protective case of FIG. 2A enclosing an electronic device, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0013] FIG. 2C schematically depicts a cross-sectional side view of the protective case of FIG. 2A enclosing an electronic device with an aftermarket accessory, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0014] FIG. 3 schematically depicts an illustrative flow diagram of a method for securing an electronic device within a protective case, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; and

[0015] FIG. 4 schematically depicts an illustrative flow diagram of a method for forming a protective case, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure relates generally to protective cases for electronic devices. In the embodiments described herein, the protective case includes a plurality of support members. The support members may elastically deform (e.g., flex or compress) when the electronic device is brought into contact with the support members within the protective case. The elastic deformation of the support members may be such that the support members constrain movement of the electronic device once the electronic device is fully contained within the protective case. Further, the support members may be capable of elastically deforming a greater amount so as to account for a thickness of an accessory disposed on the electronic device, such as a screen protector. Various aspects of the protective case and the support members will be described in greater detail herein.

[0017] An electronic device may include any electronic device such as a pager, PDA, cellphone, smart phone, tablet, laptop, or the like. Electronic devices according to the present disclosure may include one or more buttons, switches (e.g., a sliding switch, such as a muting switch), and/or the like. As will be described herein, an electronic device may be positioned within the protective case and held by the protective case. The protective case may provide a protective and/or a waterproof housing around the electronic device. However, the present disclosure is not limited to only protective cases and/or waterproof cases. That is, a “protective case” as used herein as generally any apparatus that can be configured to surround at least a portion of the electronic device, including, for example, a bumper case, a device frame, a sleeve, or the like.

[0018] Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1B and 2A-2C, an aspect of a protective case 10 is generally depicted. The protective case 10 may include a front body 12, a rear body 14, at least one support member 16, a sealing member 18, and a protective member 20. FIG. 1A depicts a perspective view of the front body 12, while FIG. IB depicts a perspective view of the rear body 14.

[0019] Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “substantially,” and “approximately,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations may be combined and/or interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise.

[0020] Referring now to FIG. 1 A, the front body 12 may include a plurality of sidewalls 22 and a plurality of retaining walls 24. Each of the sidewalls 22 may be arranged such that each sidewall 22 extends substantially perpendicularly to the adjacent sidewalls 22. Accordingly, in embodiments including four sidewalls 22, two of the sidewalls 22 may extend in a substantially parallel arrangement relative to one another in a lateral direction (e.g., in the +/- X direction), and the other two sidewalls 22 may extend in another substantially parallel arrangement relative to one another in a longitudinal direction that is substantially orthogonal to the lateral direction (e.g., in the +/- Y direction). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1 A, the front body may include a first sidewall 22a, a second sidewall 22b, a third sidewall 22c, and a fourth sidewall 22d, with the first and second sidewalls 22a, 22b may extend in a substantially parallel arrangement relative to one another in the lateral direction, while the third and fourth sidewalls 22c, 22d may extend in the other substantially parallel arrangement relative one another in the longitudinal direction that is substantially orthogonal to the lateral direction.

[0021] In these embodiments, each end of each sidewall 22 may be coupled to the adjacent end of the adjacent sidewall 22, such that the sidewalls 22 are connected to define a cavity 54 for an electronic device 100 when received within the protective case 10 (e.g., as depicted in FIGS. 2B-2C). As particularly shown in FIG. 2A, the plurality of sidewalls 22 may include an outer peripheral surface 46, an inner peripheral surface 48, and recessed portion 50 disposed within the inner peripheral surface 48 between the outer peripheral surface 46 and the inner peripheral surface 48. In these embodiments, the inner peripheral surface 48 of each of the plurality of sidewalls 22 may define the cavity 54. For example, the electronic device 100 may be positioned adjacent the inner peripheral surface 48 of each of the plurality of sidewalls 22 when positioned within the front body 12. In some embodiments, the sidewalls 22 may be formed as a one-piece, monolithic structure. In other embodiments, the sidewalls 22 may be formed as separate parts that are joined or bonded together.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1 A and 2A, the front body 12 may further include a plurality of retaining walls 24. In these embodiments, the retaining walls 24 may extend from the plurality of sidewalls 24, and may be used to secure the electronic device 100 within cavity 54 defined by the plurality of sidewalls 22. As depicted in FIGS. 1 A and 2A, the plurality of retaining walls 24 may correspond to the plurality of sidewalls 22, such that a single retaining wall 24 corresponds to each of the plurality of sidewalls 22. For example, as depicted, the front body 12 includes four sidewalls 22 (e.g., first sidewall 22a, second sidewall 22b, third sidewall 22c, and fourth sidewall 22d) and four retaining walls 24, including first retaining wall 24a, second retaining wall 24b, third retaining wall 24c, and fourth retaining wall 24d. However, it is contemplated and possible that the front body 12 includes greater or fewer sidewalls 22 and/or retaining walls 24 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, although FIGS. 1 A and 2A depict that each of the plurality of sidewalls 22 is associated with a respective retaining wall 24, it should be understood that the front body 12 may include a different number of sidewalls 22 and retaining walls 24. For instance, the front body 12 may include four sidewalls 22 but only two retaining walls 24. In these embodiments, the retaining walls 24 may be associated with any of the plurality of sidewalls 22 (e.g., parallel and/or adjacent sidewalls 22).

[0023] Referring still to FIGS. 1 A and 2A, each retaining wall 24 may extend in a lateral direction or a longitudinal direction (e.g., in the +/- X direction or the +/- Y direction) from a respective one of the sidewalls 22. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1A, the first and second retaining wall 24a, 24b may extend in the longitudinal direction, such that the first and second retaining walls 24a, 24b extend in a substantially parallel direction relative one another. Similarly, the third retaining wall and fourth retaining wall 24c, 24d may extend in the lateral direction, such that the third and fourth retaining walls 24c, 24d extend in a substantially parallel direction relative one another. Although the retaining walls 24 are depicted as being substantially parallel to one another in FIGS. 1A and 2B, it should be understood that, in some embodiments, the retaining walls 24 may not extend in a substantially parallel direction relative on another.

[0024] In some embodiments, the sidewalls 22 and the retaining walls 24 may be formed as a one-piece, monolithic structure. In other embodiments, the sidewalls 22 and/or the retaining walls 24 may be formed as separate parts that are joined or bonded together. In these embodiments, each of the plurality of sidewalls 22 and each of the plurality of retaining walls 24 may be formed as a one-piece, monolithic structure, with the sidewalls 22 and retaining walls being joined or bonded together. In other embodiments, each of the sidewalls 22 and each of the retaining walls 24 may be formed as separate parts that are joined or bonded together. The materials used for the sidewalls 22 and/or the retaining walls 24 may be any material, such as, for example, plastic or metal.

[0025] Furthermore, it should be understood that the retaining walls 24 may, in some embodiments, take various other forms. For example, the retaining walls 24 may be any particularly formed portion of the sidewalls 22 that act to retain the electronic device 100 within the cavity 54 (e.g., flanges, bumpers, or any other similar component that extends from the sidewalls and provides retaining functionality).

[0026] The retaining walls 24 may extend in the lateral direction or the longitudinal direction (e.g., in the +/- X direction or the +/- Y direction) from each respective sidewall 22 inward of a periphery 28 of the front body 12 to overhang the sidewalls 22. In other words, the retaining walls 24 extend inward from each respective sidewall 22 toward the cavity 54. That is, a first pair of the retaining walls 24 may extend from respective sidewalls 22 in the longitudinal direction (e.g., in the +/- Y direction) and a second pair of the retaining walls 24 may extend from respective sidewalls in the lateral direction (e.g., in the +/- X direction). The retaining walls 24 may have a profile that defines an opening 26 in the front body 12.

[0027] Referring still to FIGS. 1A and 2A, the retaining walls 24 may include a lower surface 52, and a raised portion 56 extending in a direction opposite the lower surface 52. In some aspects, the lower surface 52 of the retaining walls 24 may curve and/or extend over the electronic device 100 when the electronic device 100 is inserted in the cavity 54 such that a portion of the plurality of retaining walls 24 covers a portion of a face of the electronic device 100 (e.g., a bezel of the electronic device or a portion of a bezel, a rim, or the like).

[0028] Referring again to FIGS. 1A and 2A, the front body 12 may further include a protective member 20 that may protect the face of the electronic device 100 when the electronic device is inserted in cavity 54. In these embodiments, the protective member 20 may be coupled to the lower surface 52 of the retaining walls 24, the sidewalls 22, or both, as is most clearly depicted in FIG. 2A. The protective member 20 may extend across the opening 26 such that the protective member 20 covers the open area that exists between each of the inner peripheral surfaces 48 of the sidewalls 22. In some embodiments, the protective member 20 may be coupled to the front body 12 to form a seal across the opening 26. In some aspects, the seal may be a fluid tight seal (e.g., a watertight seal and/or air tight seal) that prevents ingress or egress of liquid, dirt, or other debris. In other embodiments, the protective member 20 may be disposed over the electronic device 100 when received within the cavity 54 of the protective case 10 as depicted in FIGS. 2B and 2C. The protective member 20 may be formed of a transparent material, such as a film, plastic, glass, or the like. Although FIGS. 1A and 2A depict that protective case 10 as including the protective member 20, it should be understood that the protective member 20 is merely optional, and may be omitted from some embodiments of the protective case 10.

[0029] Referring now to FIGS. IB, the rear body 14 may include a rear wall 30, a pair of lateral sidewalls 32, and a pair of longitudinal sidewalls 34. The lateral sidewalls 32 and the longitudinal sidewalls 34 may be coupled to and extend perpendicularly from a periphery of the rear wall 30 in an upward direction (e.g., in the +/- Z direction). In some embodiments, the lateral sidewalls 32 may extend in parallel to one another. The longitudinal sidewalls 34 may extend in parallel to one another. The lateral sidewalls 32 may extend perpendicularly from the longitudinal sidewalls 34. However, it is contemplated and possible that the lateral sidewalls 32 and the longitudinal sidewalls 34 extend obliquely to one another. In some embodiments, a length of the lateral sidewalls 32 may be greater than a length of the longitudinal sidewalls 34.

[0030] The lateral sidewalls 32, the longitudinal sidewalls 34, and the rear wall 30 may be formed of a one-piece, monolithic structure in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the lateral sidewalls 32, the longitudinal sidewalls 34, and the rear wall 30 may be formed of separate components that are joined or bonded together. The lateral sidewalls 32, the longitudinal sidewalls 34, and/or the rear wall 30 may be formed of any material, such as, for example, plastic or metal. In embodiments, the lateral sidewalls 32, the longitudinal sidewalls 34, the rear wall 30, or any combination thereof, may be formed of separate materials, and coupled together.

[0031] In aspects, the rear wall 30 of the rear body 14 may have one or more features that are arranged to correspond to one or more features of a backside of an electronic device 100 when the electronic device 100 is received within the cavity 54 of the protective case 10. For example, the rear wall 30 of the rear body 14 may include one or more camera windows 17 that are aligned with one or more components of a camera device (e.g., a lens and/or a flash) to allow for the capture of images by the electronic device 100 when the electronic device 100 is positioned within the protective case 10. In addition, the rear wall 30 of the rear body 14 may be shaped and sized to generally correspond to the shape and size of a particular electronic device 100 such that the electronic device 100, when receive in the protective case 10, fits within the area defined by the lateral sidewalls 32 and longitudinal sidewalls 34.

[0032] In embodiments, the rear body 14 may be formed of a transparent material, such as, for example, plastic. However, in some embodiments, the rear body 14 may be formed of an opaque or partially transparent material without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in some embodiments, only a portion of the rear body 14 may be formed of transparent material. For example, the opening 17 (or other similar window for a camera, logo, etc.) may be formed of transparent material while the remaining portion of the rear body 14 is formed of an opaque or partially transparent material.

[0033] While not depicted, in embodiments, the rear body 14 may not include a rear wall 30. Instead, the rear body 14 may include a frame that is shaped and sized to maintain at least one support member 16 within the frame. In particular, the frame may define an opening similar to that of the front body 12. In such embodiments, the rear body 14 may include substantially similar features as shown herein.

[0034] Referring now to FIGS. IB and 2A-2C, the protective case 10 may include any number of support members 16, such as one, two, three, four, or the like. As depicted, the protective case 10 includes four support members 16, including a first support member 16a, second support member 16b, third support member 16c, and fourth support member 16d.

[0035] In these embodiments, and as shown in FIG. IB, the support members 16 may be coupled to the rear wall 30 and be positioned adjacent the lateral sidewalls 32. However, the support members 16 may be coupled to the rear wall 30 of the rear body 14, the lateral sidewalls 32, the longitudinal sidewalls 34, or any combination thereof. For example, the first and second support members 16a, 16b may be coupled to the lateral sidewalls 32 while the third and fourth support members 16c. 16d may be coupled to the longitudinal sidewalls 34.

[0036] As most clearly depicted in FIGS. IB and 2A, each support member 16 may include an outer side 36, an inner side 38, and a pair of end sides 40 extending between the outer side 36 and the inner side 38. As depicted in FIG. 2B, the outer side 36 of the support member may be adjacent the lateral sidewall 32, while the inner side 38 may be positioned opposite the outer side 36, such that the inner side 38 is positioned adjacent the cavity 54 (e.g., in the +x direction relative the inner side 38, as depicted in the coordinate axis of FIGS. 2A-2C). The pair of end sides 40 may extend perpendicularly (e.g., in the +/-x direction as depicted in the coordinate axis of FIG. IB) from the inner side 38 and outer side 36, such that the support members 16 form a generally rectangular shape. However, it should be understood that the support member 16 may take any shape (e.g., square, triangular, circular, etc.) without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] Referring again to FIGS. IB and 2A, the protective case 10 may include any number of support members 16, with the support members 16 being positioned anywhere along the rear wall 30 of the rear body 14. Although the protective case is depicted as including four supports members 16, the protective case 10 may include any number of support members 16 that extend around a periphery of the rear wall 30. In some embodiments, the protective case 10 may include a single support member 16 that extends substantially across the entire rear wall 30 of the rear body 14. It should be understood that the number of support members 16 and the spacing of the support member 16 throughout the rear body 14 may help ensure appropriate alignment of the electronic device 100 within the protective case 10. Furthermore, the support members 16 may further act to ensure that the electronic device 100 is balanced within the protective case 10.

[0038] In embodiments including four support members 16, two of the support members 16 may be positioned adjacent one of the lateral sidewalls 32, and the other two of the support members 16 may be positioned adjacent the other of the lateral sidewalls 32. In other embodiments, the support members 16 may be positioned anywhere on the rear body 14 such as, for example, adjacent the longitudinal sidewalls 34, spaced apart from each of the lateral sidewalls 32 and the longitudinal sidewalls 34, or positioned adjacent each of the lateral sidewalls 32 and the longitudinal sidewalls 34. In particular, the support members 16 may be positioned adjacent the corners of the rear body 14 at the junctions between the adjacent longitudinal sidewalls 34 and lateral sidewalls 32. In embodiments, the support members 16 may be spaced apart from the lateral sidewalls 32, the longitudinal sidewalls 34, or both. In embodiments, the support members 16 may be positioned in a center of the rear wall 30.

[0039] It should be further understood that the positioning of the support members 16 is not limited to the rear wall 30 of the rear body 14. For example, in embodiments, the support members 16 may be provided on the lower surface 52 of the retaining walls 24 in addition or as an alternative to support members 16 on the rear wall 30.

[0040] The support members 16 may be formed of an elastically deformable material, such as, for example, foam, rubber, a flexible metal, a polymer (e.g., an elastomer), a viscoelastic material, or other suitable material that is more flexible and has greater elasticity than the relatively more rigid material of the front and rear body 12, 14. The elasticity of the support members 16 may allow the support members 16 to undergo elastic deformation, which is reversible.

[0041] In the embodiments described herein, it should be understood that the support member 16 may be integrally formed with one or more additional components, such as the sidewalls 22, retaining walls 24, rear body 14, or the like. Similarly, in some embodiments, the support member 16 may be extensions of one or more components described herein (e.g., sidewalls 22, retaining wall 24, rear body 14, etc.). However, in other embodiments, each of the plurality of support members 16 may be formed as separate parts that are joined or bonded together.

[0042] For example, in some embodiments, the support members 16 may be oam pads capable of elastically deforming by compressing (e.g., applying a force in the -z direction as depicted in the coordinate axis of FIGS. 2A-2C) to allow variable thicknesses of electronic devices 100 to fit within the protective case 10. The support members 16 are configured to support the electronic device 100 when positioned within the protective case 10, and flex or compress to accommodate the electronic device 100 within the protective case 10. The support members 16 variably flex or compress depending on the thickness of the electronic device 100. For example, the electronic device 100 may be positioned on the rear body 14 such that the electronic device 100 contacts the support members 16. The front body 12 may then be affixed to the rear body 14, such that the electronic device 100 is secured within the protective case 10. With the front body 12 affixed to the rear body 14, the electronic device 100 may be compressed between the protective member 20 and the support members 16, with the support members 16 deforming to accommodate the electronic device 100. In circumstances where the electronic device 100 includes an aftermarket accessory, such as a screen protector, the support members 16 flex or compress further to accommodate the increased thickness of the electronic device 100 caused by the aftermarket accessory. In these embodiments, the support members 16 may be configured to flex or compress a thickness equivalent to a screen protector. In particular, the support members 16 may flex or compress between about 0.1 mm and about 1 mm, or more preferably, between about 0.1 mm and 0.6 mm, including, for example, 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm. 0.3 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, or 1.0 mm, and any all distances or ranges between such distances. While the present disclosure relates to compression of the support members 16 to support a particular electronic device 100, either with or without an aftermarket accessory such as a screen protector within the protective case 10, it should be appreciated that the support members 16 may be configured and arranged such that the protective case 10 can receive different electronic devices of varying shapes and sizes. That is, the protective case 10 may be configured to receive and contain either a first electronic device having first dimensional aspects or a second electronic device having second dimensional aspects that are different from the first dimensional aspects because of the elastic deformation properties of the support members 16 therein.

[0043] Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2C, the front body 12 and the rear body 14 may further include attachment features, where the attachment features of the front body 12 are configured to couple to the attachment features of the rear body 14. The front body 12 and the rear body 14 may be separably coupled together via the attachment features of each of the front body 12 and the rear body 14.

[0044] As has been described herein, the front body 12 and the rear body 14 may be coupled together to define cavity 54 therein (e.g., the cavity 54 is defined by the rear wall 30, the lateral sidewalls 32, the longitudinal sidewalls 34, the sidewalls 22, and the retaining walls 24). That is, each of the front body 12 and the rear body 14 may be single integral articles or may be assemblies of sub-body components. The front body 12 may be assembled to and disassembled from the rear body 14 repeatedly (e.g., to allow for insertion and removal of the electronic device 100). In such aspects, when the front body 12 is assembled to the rear body 14 around the electronic device 100, a compressive force may be applied to the electronic device 100, thereby causing the support members 16 positioned on the rear wall 30 of the rear body 14 to deform to accommodate the electronic device.

[0045] Referring again to FIGS. 2A-2C, the lateral sidewalls 32 of the rear body 14 may include a channel 42 formed in an outer surface 44 of the lateral sidewall 32. In these embodiments, the channel 42 may extend along an entire length of the lateral sidewall 32, or may extend a portion of the length of the lateral sidewall 32 (e.g., in the +/-y direction as depicted in the coordinate axis of FIGS. 2A-2C). In embodiments in which the channel 42 does not extend along the entire length of the lateral sidewall 32, each of the lateral sidewalls 32 may include a plurality of channels 42, such that at least each end of each of the lateral sidewalls 32 includes at least one channel 42. Although not depicted, in some embodiments, the pair longitudinal sidewalls 34 may similarly include a channel 42, which may extend along a desired length of the longitudinal sidewalls (e.g., in the +/-x direction as depicted in the coordinate axis of FIGS. 2A-2C).

[0046] Referring still to FIGS. 2A-2C, the sidewalls 22 of the front body 12 may each include a sealing member 18 that may be used to seal the front body 12 to the rear body 14. In these embodiments, the sealing member 18 of the front body 12 may be positioned in the channel 42 such that a seal is formed between the front body 12 and the rear body 14. To form the seal, the diameter of the sealing member 18 may be marginally larger than an opening of the channel 42. In some embodiments, the sealing member 18 may create a snap-fit with the channel 42, such that the opening of the channel 42 elastically expands to accommodate the sealing member 18 when the sealing member 18 is inserted in the channel 42. In these embodiments, the sealing member may include a rod, a pin, or any other similarly rigid component. In other embodiments, the sealing member 18 may be an elastically deformable component, such that the sealing member 18 is compressed to engage the channel 42.

[0047] As most clearly depicted in FIG. 2A, when the sealing member 18 of the front body 12 is coupled to the channels 42 of the sidewalls 32 of the rear body 14, the interior peripheral surface 48 of the front body 12 may contact the outer surface 44 of the lateral sidewalls 32 to compress the sealing member 18 between the front body 12 and the rear body 14. The compression of the sealing member 18 may cause the sealing member 18 to engage the channel 42 of the rear body 14, such that a seal is formed between the front body 12 and the rear body 14 to prevent the ingress or egress of water, dust, or other particles into and out of the cavity 54. In embodiments, the sealing member 18 and the support members 16 are formed as a monolithic, one-piece body that are integral with the rear body 14. In such embodiments, the sealing member 18 may be compressed between the front body 12 and the rear body 14 to form a watertight seal.

[0048] In some embodiments, the sealing member 18 may further extend from between the front body 12 and the rear body 14 inward into the cavity 54, such that the electronic device 100 may be positioned on the sealing member 18, and the sealing member 18 may flex or compress to accommodate variable thicknesses of the electronic device 100 as described herein.

[0049] Although not depicted, it should be understood that, in some embodiments, the orientation of the sealing members 18 and the channels 42 may be reversed. That is to say, the sealing members 18 may be formed on the lateral and/or longitudinal sidewalls 32, 34 of the rear body 14 while the channels 42 are formed within the sidewalls 22 of the front body 12. For example, depending on the thickness of the electronic device 100 being secured by the protective case 10, it may be easier to release the front body 12 from the rear body 14 by rearranging the sealing members 18 and channels 42 as described herein.

[0050] As has been described herein, the protective case 10 may be configured to receive the electronic device 100 within the cavity 54. The electronic device 100 may be positioned such that the support members 16 contact a rear face 104 of the electronic device 100, and the retaining walls 24 and/or protective member 20 contact the screen 102 of the electronic device 100. In these embodiments, as the front body 12 is coupled to the rear body 14, the retaining walls 24 and/or protective member 20 may apply a compression force (e.g., in the -z direction as depicted in the coordinate axis of FIGS. 2A-2C) on the screen 102 of the electronic device 100. As the front body 12 applies the compression force on the screen 102 of the electronic device, the support members 16 of the rear body 14 may flex or compress through contact with the rear face 104 of the electronic device 100. The support members 16 may further compress when the electronic device 100 includes a screen protector 110 to accommodate the additional thickness of the electronic device 100.

[0051] In these embodiments, the support members 16 bias the electronic device 100 into contact with the lower surface 52 of the retaining walls 24 or the protective member 20 to maintain the electronic device 100 in contact with the front body 12 and rear body 14, thereby restricting movement of the electronic device 100 in the lateral, longitudinal, and orthogonal direction (e.g., in the +-/x, +/-y, and +/-z, directions, respectively, as depicted by the coordinate axis of FIGS. 2A-2C) when the front body 12 and the rear body 14 are coupled together. Although not depicted, it should be understood that, in embodiments where the support members 16 are positioned on the lower surface 52 of the retaining walls 24, the support members 16 may flex or compress into contact with the rear wall 30.

[0052] Turning now to FIG. 3, an illustrative flow diagram of a method 300 for securing an electronic device within a protective case is depicted. Initially, the method may involve decoupling a front body and a rear body of the protective case such that the electronic device may be positioned between the rear body and the front body of the protective case, as is depicted at block 310.

[0053] Once the front body and the rear body are decoupled, the electronic device 100 may be positioned on a plurality of support members positioned on a rear wall of the rear body of the electronic device, as is depicted at block 320. In some embodiments, the method may further involve positioning the electronic device on the plurality of support members such that the electronic device is secured in an area between a pair of lateral walls and a pair of longitudinal walls of the rear body.

[0054] Turning now to block 330, the method may further involve securing the front body to the rear body. In some embodiments, the step of securing the front body to the rear body may involve inserting a sealing member coupled to a sidewall of the front body into a channel formed in the lateral sidewall or longitudinal sidewall of the rear body. Further still, the step of securing the front body to the rear body may involve creating a water-tight seal between the front body and the rear body, such that water, air, and/or other dirt and debris cannot penetrate the protective case.

[0055] As the front body is secured to the rear body, the method 300 may move to block 340, which may involve applying a compression force on the electronic device, such that the support members positioned on the rear wall of the rear body deform to accommodate the electronic device between the front body and the rear body. In these embodiments, the steps depicted in block 330 and 340 may occur simultaneously, such that the coupling of the front body to the rear body generates the compression force on the electronic device that in turn causes deformation of the support members.

[0056] Turning now to FIG. 4, an illustrative flow diagram of a method 400 for forming a protective case is depicted. Initially, the method 400 may involve forming a rear body and a front body of the protective case, as is depicted at blocks 410 and 420, respectively. In these embodiments, the step of forming the front body 410 may more particularly involve forming a front body having a plurality of sidewalls and plurality of retaining walls that extend inwardly from the plurality of sidewalls. Similarly, the method step of forming the rear body 420 may further include forming an opening in the rear body to accommodate a camera and/or lens of an electronic device.

[0057] Once the rear body and the front body are formed, the method may move to block 430, which may involve securing at least one support member to either the front body or the rear body of the protective case. In some embodiments, the step of securing the at least one support member to either the front body or the rear body 430 may be completed concurrently with the method steps depicted at either block 410 or 420, such that the at least one support member is integrally formed with either the front body or the rear body.

[0058] With the support member secured to either the front body or the rear body of the protective case, the method may move to block 440, which may involve releasably coupling the front body to the rear body such that a cavity is formed between the front body and the rear body.

[0059] Embodiments may be further described with references to the following numbered clauses: [0060] 1. A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising: a front body comprising: a plurality of sidewalls defining a frame for the electronic device; and a plurality of retaining walls extending inward of a periphery of the plurality of sidewalls; a rear body configured to be coupled to the front body to define a cavity that receives the electronic device therein; and at least one support member positioned within the cavity and coupled to the either the rear body or the front body of the protective case, the at least one support member configured to bias the electronic device toward the plurality of retaining walls.

[0061] 2. The protective case of item 1, wherein the at least one support member is elastically deformable.

[0062] 3. The protective case of items 1 or 2, wherein a seal is formed between the rear body and the front body when the rear body is coupled to the front body.

[0063] 4. The protective case of any of items 1-3, further comprising a protective member coupled to the retaining walls of the front body, wherein the retaining walls define an opening in the front body, the protective member extends across the opening in the front body, and the support member biases the electronic device into contact with the protective member.

[0064] 5. The protective case of any of items 1-4, wherein the rear body further comprises: a pair of lateral sidewalls; a pair of longitudinal sidewalls extending orthogonal to the pair of lateral sidewalls; and a rear wall extending between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the pair of longitudinal sidewalls.

[0065] 6. The protective case of any of items 1-5, wherein the rear body further includes an opening to align with a camera device disposed on the electronic device.

[0066] 7. The protective case of any of items 1-6, wherein the plurality of sidewalls of the front body include a sealing member that couples the front body to the rear body.

[0067] 8. The protective case of item 8, wherein the sealing member disposed on the plurality of sidewalls of the front body is received by the channel disposed on the pair of lateral sidewalls or the pair of longitudinal sidewalls of the rear body when the front body is coupled to the rear body.

[0068] 9. The protective case of any of items 1-8, wherein the at least one support member includes an outer side, an inner side, and a pair of end sides extending perpendicularly from the inner side to the outer side. [0069] 10. The protective case of any of items 1-9, wherein the at least one support member is positioned on the rear body.

[0070] 11. The protective case of any of items 1-10, wherein the at least one support member is positioned on at least one of the plurality of retaining walls.

[0071] 12. The protective case of any of items 1-11, wherein the electronic device further comprises an aftermarket accessory, and the at least one support member deforms to accommodate the aftermarket accessory within the cavity.

[0072] 13. The protective case of item 12, wherein the aftermarket accessory is a screen protector and a deformation distance of the at least one support member corresponds to a thickness of the screen protector.

[0073] 14 . A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising: a front body comprising: a plurality of sidewalls defining a frame for the electronic device; and a plurality of retaining walls extending inward of a periphery of the plurality of sidewalls; a rear body configured to be coupled to the front body to define a cavity, the rear body further comprising: a pair of lateral sidewalls; a pair of longitudinal sidewalls extending orthogonal to the pair of lateral sidewalls; and a rear wall extending between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the pair of longitudinal sidewalls; and at least one elastically deformable support member positioned within the cavity and coupled to either the rear body or the front body of the protective case; wherein the electronic device further includes an aftermarket accessory, and the at least one elastically deformable support member deforms to accommodate the electronic device and aftermarket accessory within the cavity defined by the rear body and the front body.

[0074] 15. The protective case of item 143, wherein a seal is formed between the rear body and the front body when the rear body is coupled to the front body.

[0075] 16. The protective case of items 14 or 15, wherein the rear body further includes an opening to align with a camera device disposed on the electronic device.

[0076] 17. The protective case of any of items 14-16, wherein the pair of lateral sidewalls or the pair of longitudinal sidewalls of the rear body include a channel.

[0077] 18. The protective case of any of items 14-17, wherein the plurality of sidewalls of the front body include a sealing member that couples the front body to the rear body. [0078] 19. The protective case of item 18, wherein the sealing member disposed on the plurality of sidewalls of the front body is received by the channel disposed on the pair of lateral sidewalls or the pair of longitudinal sidewalls of the rear body when the front body is coupled to the rear body.

[0079] 20. The protective case of any of items 14-19, further comprising a protective member coupled to the retaining walls of the front body, wherein the retaining walls define an opening in the front body, and the protective member extends across the opening in the front body.

[0080] 21. A method of forming a protective case, comprising: forming a front body of a protective case, the front body having a plurality of sidewalls and a plurality of retaining walls extending inwardly from the sidewalls; forming a rear body of the protective case, the rear body having a pair of lateral sidewalls, a pair of longitudinal sidewalls, and a rear wall extending between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the paid of longitudinal sidewalls; securing at least one support member on either the plurality of sidewalls of the front body or the rear wall of the rear body of the protective case; and releasably coupling the front body of the protective case to the rear body of the protective case, such that a cavity is formed between the front body and the rear body.

[0081] As should be understood in view of the foregoing, a protective case is described herein. The protective case may include a front body couplable to a rear body having a plurality of support members. The support members may elastically deform (e.g., flex or compress) when the electronic device is brought into contact with the support members within the protective case. The elastic deformation of the support members may be such that the support members constrain movement of the electronic device once the electronic device is fully contained within the protective case. Further, the support members may be capable of elastically deforming a greater amount so as to account for a thickness of an accessory disposed on the electronic device, such as a screen protector.

[0082] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms, including “at least one,” unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. “Or” means “and/or.” As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The term “or a combination thereof’ means a combination including at least one of the foregoing elements.

[0083] It is noted that the terms "substantially" and "about" may be utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. These terms are also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.

[0084] While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising: a front body comprising: a plurality of sidewalls defining a frame for the electronic device; and a plurality of retaining walls extending inward of a periphery of the plurality of sidewalls; a rear body configured to be coupled to the front body to define a cavity that receives the electronic device therein; and at least one support member positioned within the cavity and coupled to the either the rear body or the front body of the protective case, the at least one support member configured to bias the electronic device toward the plurality of retaining walls.

2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the at least one support member is elastically deformable.

3. The protective case of claims 1 or 2, wherein a seal is formed between the rear body and the front body when the rear body is coupled to the front body.

4. The protective case of any of claims 1-3, further comprising a protective member coupled to the retaining walls of the front body, wherein the retaining walls define an opening in the front body, the protective member extends across the opening in the front body, and the support member biases the electronic device into contact with the protective member.

5. The protective case of any of claims 1-4, wherein the rear body further comprises: a pair of lateral sidewalls; a pair of longitudinal sidewalls extending orthogonal to the pair of lateral sidewalls; and a rear wall extending between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the pair of longitudinal sidewalls.

6. The protective case of any of claims 1 -5, wherein the rear body further includes an opening to align with a camera device disposed on the electronic device.

7. The protective case of any of claims 1-6, wherein the plurality of sidewalls of the front body include a sealing member that couples the front body to the rear body.

8. The protective case of claim 7, wherein the sealing member disposed on the plurality of sidewalls of the front body is received by the channel disposed on the pair of lateral sidewalls or the pair of longitudinal sidewalls of the rear body when the front body is coupled to the rear body.

9. The protective case of any of claims 1-8, wherein the at least one support member includes an outer side, an inner side, and a pair of end sides extending perpendicularly from the inner side to the outer side.

10. The protective case of any of claims 1-9, wherein the at least one support member is positioned on the rear body.

11. The protective case of any of claims 1-10, wherein the at least one support member is positioned on at least one of the plurality of retaining walls.

12. The protective case of any of claims 1-11, wherein the electronic device further comprises an aftermarket accessory, and the at least one support member deforms to accommodate the aftermarket accessory within the cavity.

13. The protective case of claim 12, wherein the aftermarket accessory is a screen protector and a deformation distance of the at least one support member corresponds to a thickness of the screen protector.

14. A protective case for an electronic device, the protective case comprising: a front body comprising: a plurality of sidewalls defining a frame for the electronic device; and a plurality of retaining walls extending inward of a periphery of the plurality of sidewalls; a rear body configured to be coupled to the front body to define a cavity, the rear body further comprising: a pair of lateral sidewalls; apair of longitudinal sidewalls extending orthogonal to the pair of lateral sidewalls; and a rear wall extending between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the pair of longitudinal sidewalls; and at least one elastically deformable support member positioned within the cavity and coupled to either the rear body or the front body of the protective case; wherein the electronic device further includes an aftermarket accessory, and the at least one elastically deformable support member deforms to accommodate the electronic device and aftermarket accessory within the cavity defined by the rear body and the front body.

15. The protective case of claim 14, wherein a seal is formed between the rear body and the front body when the rear body is coupled to the front body.

16. The protective case of claims 14 or 15, wherein the rear body further includes an opening to align with a camera device disposed on the electronic device.

17. The protective case of any of claims 14-16, wherein the pair of lateral sidewalls or the pair of longitudinal sidewalls of the rear body include a channel.

18. The protective case of any of claims 14-17, wherein the plurality of sidewalls of the front body include a sealing member that couples the front body to the rear body.

19. The protective case of claim 18, wherein the sealing member disposed on the plurality of sidewalls of the front body is received by the channel disposed on the pair of lateral sidewalls or the pair of longitudinal sidewalls of the rear body when the front body is coupled to the rear body.

20. The protective case of any of claims 14-19, further comprising a protective member coupled to the retaining walls of the front body, wherein the retaining walls define an opening in the front body, and the protective member extends across the opening in the front body.

21. A method of forming a protective case, comprising: forming a front body of a protective case, the front body having a plurality of sidewalls and a plurality of retaining walls extending inwardly from the sidewalls; forming a rear body of the protective case, the rear body having a pair of lateral sidewalls, a pair of longitudinal sidewalls, and a rear wall extending between the pair of lateral sidewalls and the paid of longitudinal sidewalls; securing at least one support member on either the plurality of sidewalls of the front body or the rear wall of the rear body of the protective case; and releasably coupling the front body of the protective case to the rear body of the protective case, such that a cavity is formed between the front body and the rear body.