DISPOSITIF ELECTRONIQUE ANTICHOC

ELECTRONIC DEVICE SHOCK ABSORBER

Abrégé anglais

ABSTRACT

A housing for protecting hand held electronic devices or the like
having buttons or controls thereon from damage due to impacts or falls, the
housing is made of an elastomer or the like, preferably polyurethane, PVC, or
latex, preferably having a shore number substantially in the range of A10-A30
shores, which is flexible and stretchable to substantially three times its normal
size, comprising a base, and four sides, wherein two of the four sides are
substantially long and parallel to eachother, and the other two of the four sides
are substantially shorter than the other two sides and parallel to eachother as
well,
whereon at least one side of the substantially shorter sides, there is
located a transverse slot a predetermined length for passage of signals from theelectronic device to a receptor if needed, and on at least one of the two
substantially long parallel sides there is located thereon a transverse groove of
predetermined length along the length thereof,
whereon one side of the base, there is located on the surface thereof,
a multiplicity of cylinder like projections integral with said base preferably 1 mm
in length each, whereon the surface of the four sides thereof there is located asubstantially semi-cylindrical flange like protection border integral with said
sides, where said sides further define an opening for insertion of the electronic
device into said housing as well as for access to the buttons or controls thereon,
while still retaining said electronic device in said housing, such that due to the
resiliency of the material, the housing can be used to encase electronic devices up
to three times the original size of said housing whilst protecting the electronic
device from damage due to impacts or falls while still allowing access to the
buttons or controls thereon.

Revendications

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THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE AS FOLLOWS:


1. A housing for protecting hand held electronic devices or the like
having buttons or controls thereon from damage due to impacts or falls, the
housing being made of an elastomer or the like which is flexible and stretchableto at least substantially three times its normal size, comprising a base, and four
sides, wherein two of the four sides are substantially long and parallel to eachother, and the other two of the four sides are substantially shorter than the other
two sides and parallel to each other as well,
wherein at least one side of the substantially shorter sides, presents
a transverse slot of predetermined length for passage of signals from the
electronic device to a receptor if needed, and at least one of the two substantially
long parallel sides presents a transverse groove of predetermined length along
the length thereof,
wherein one side of the base, presents on the surface thereof, a
multiplicity of spaced small cylindrical projections integral with said base in a
predetermined pattern,
wherein the surface of the four sides thereof present a substantially
semi-cylindrical flange protective border integral with said sides,
where said sides further define an opening therebetween for
insertion of the electronic device into said housing as well as for access to the
buttons or controls thereon, while still retqaining said electronic device in said
housing,
such that due to the resiliency of the material, the housing can be
used to encase electronic devices up to at least three times the original size of
said housing whilst protecting the electronic device from damage due to impacts
or falls while still allowing access to the buttons or controls thereon.


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2. The housing of claim 1 wherein the dimensions of said housing in
an unstretched form is substantially 140 mm in length, 68 mm in width and 27.5
mm in overall height.

3. The housing of claim 1 or 2 where said multiplicity of cylinder like
projections are 1mm in length.

4. The housing of claims 1 or 2 wherein the housing can expand to
three times its original size, to facilitate different sizes of hand held electronic
devices.

5. The housing of claim 1 where the elastomer is polyurethane, PVC,
or latex.

6. The housing of claim 5 where the elastomer has a shore number
substantially in the range of 10-30 shores.

Description

2076622

TITLE OF INVENTION
Electronic devioe shock absorber.
ELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to protectors for electronic devices or the like
5 from damage due to accidental falls or blows inflicted thereon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There exists numerous remote cDntrol electronic devices of various
sizes, which due to their internal constitutions, may suffer damage if the device
falls or is hit against since the shock is absorbed completely by the devioe. Due to
10 the damages incurred, the majority of the cases, the user is obliged to buy a new
devioe to substitute for the damaged one, usually paying a relatively high price.
U.S. patent 4,836,256 purports to teach a shockproof protective
sheath for remote controls where the sheath matches the external shape of the
remote control it encompasses. The sheath appears to fit only one size of remote15 control, thus, it appears that one would have to purchase sheaths of different
sizes to accommodate different sized remote controls.
PCT publication WO 92/07372 purports to teach a protective jacket
for remote control devioes where all the walls are made up of thick sections of an
elastically extendable material intercalated with thin sections of elastically
20 extendable material to allow the jacket to conform to different sized remote
control devices. The protective jacket, specifically the intercalating of the thick
sections with the thin sections, may become damaged or may fail due to the thin
. sections possibly tearing due to a conoentrated force thereon.
Applicant has found that a protective housing for various sized
25 hand held electronic devices can be made without the need to have thick
sections intercalated with thin sections throughout the entire device, while still
-~ maintaining a high degree of elasticity of the protective housing to conform to
various sized hand held devices.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a protective

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housing for hand held electronic devices which will protect the device from
damage due to falls or blows inflicted thereon by absorbing the shock of the hllor hit thereto.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective
housing for hand held electronic devices which will conform to various sized
devices without loosing the protective properties thereof.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a protective
housing for hand held devices which can be fabricated in any colour, to conform
- to its surroundings, which includes being opaque, transluoent, or transparent.
Further objects of the preænt invention will become apparent upon
reading the following summary of the invention.
SUM~ARY OF THE lNVENTlON
In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a housing
for protecting hand held electronic devices or the like having buttons or controls
thereon from damage due to impacts or falls, the housing being made of an
elastomer or the like, preferably polyurethane, PVC, or latex, preferably having a
shore nwnber substantially in the range of A10-A30 shores, which is flexible and;~ stretchable to at least substantially three times its normal size, comprising a base,
~ and four sides, wherein two of the four sides are substantially long and parallel
; 20 to each other, and the other two of the four sides are substantially shorter than
; ` the other two sides and parallel to each other as well,
whereon at least one side of the substantially shorter sides, presents
~- a transverse slot of predetermined length for passage of signals from the
''J~ electronic devioe to a receptor if needed, and at least one of the two substantially
25 long parallel sides presents a transverse groove of predetermined length along
the length thereof,
wherein one side of the base, presents on the surface thereof, a
multiplicity of spaced small cylindrical projections integral with said base
preferably in a predetermined pattern, 1 mm in length each,


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2076622
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wherein the surhce of the four sides thereof presents a substantially
semi-cylindrical flange protective border integral with said sides,
where said sides further define an opening therebetween for
insertion of the electronic device into said housing as well as for access to the
buttons or controls thereon, while still retaining said electronic device in said
housing,
such that due to the resiliency of the material, the housing can be
used to encase electronic devioes up to at least three times the original size of said
housing whilst protecting the electronic device from damage due to impacts or
falls while still allowing access to t~e buttons or controls thereon.
In a further embodiment of the invention the dimensions of said
housing in an unexpanded form is substantially 140 mm in length, 68 mm in
width and 27.5 mm in overall height.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the housing is
coloured, opaque, transparent or translucent.
BRIEF DESCRIPIION OF THE DRAWINGS
. The invention will now be illustrated with respect to the following
drawings illustrating embodiments of the invention in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in a preferred
;
embodiment.
~-~ Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the invention taken along the
~..
long side thereof in a preferred embodiment.
Figure 3 is a bottom view of the invention in a preferred
embodiment.
Figure 4 is an end view of the invention taken along the short end
thereof in a preferred embodiment.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE
INVENTION
Referring now to the Figures, th,ere is seen the protective housing
generally designated as 10 manuhctured by injection molding. The housing 10
5 has a base 20 and two substantially parallel long sides 30 and 30' and two
substantially parallel sides 40 and 40', which define an opening 70, with a
retaining lip 71 which a remote control device (not shown) can be inserted into
and retained as well. Along the periphery of the sides 30, 30' ,40, 40', there is a
semi-cylindrical flange like protection shock border 50 integral with said housing
10 10. The base 20 has a centrally located aperture 60 which serves to aid in the
elasticity of the housing 10, particularly the base 20. On the bottom side of base
20, as best seen in Figures 2, 3 and 4, there are a multiplicity of spaced apartcylinder like projections 801 mm in length, and preferably 384 cylinder like
projections, extending substantially normal to said base 20 and integral with said
15 base 20, to absorb any shock to the base 20 area as well as aid in the elasticity of
said base 20, and also serves as a frictional surfaoe to aid the housing from sliding
off a table or any surfaoe. Referring now to Figures 1, 2, and 4, on end 40, there is
a transverse slot 90 to allow any signals to be emitted or received by the remote
control device or any other device if necessary, once inserted into the housing 10.
20 To aid in the expansion of the housing 10 lengthwise and in height, along the~; inside of the housing 10, specifically on the inside surface of the long sides 30 and
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~- 30', there is located a longitudinal groove 100 running the length of each side
30,3(Y a predetermined distance. The preferred material of manuhcture is an
elastomer which exhibits a shore hardness number in the range of subshntially
25 A10-A30 shores.
- As many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments of the
invention without departing from the scope of the invention; it is intended thatall material conhined herein be interpreted as illustrative of the invention andnot in a limiting sense.
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