INVENTORS: TAVIS SCHRIEFER AND EDWARD STANFIELD

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application 61/639,051, filed on April 26, 2012, and US Non-Provisional Utility Patent Application

13/835,670, filed on March 15, 2013, both incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to portable electronic devices, and more particularly to a portable electronic device photo case.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

The front side of a smartphone typically includes a touch screen, and in some models a camera lens, one or more speakers, and control buttons. The back side of a typical smartphone includes features such as: a camera lens, camera flash, speakers and potentially other items. The side edges of the typical smartphone may include controls for functions such as audio volume, power on/off, headphone jack, speakers, and connectors for data and power or other items. Smartphone cases have become popular in the consumer market to protect the phone from damage due to impact from drops, to facilitate attachment of the case to a belt for ease of transport and access of the phone, accentuating a unique fashion and style, and the like. Stylistic images on such cases are typically permanent and not interchangeable. Specific styles may be purchased from suppliers that provide a catalog of existing artwork, or consumers may also provide their own artwork that is permanently incorporated into the case on some expensive custom cases.

Do-it-yourself products called "skins" are also available that allow consumers to stylize their phones by applying a stylized decal. Several of these products allow a consumer to print an image from their home printer, for example, onto a special media decal sheet. Such a sheet has a non-permanent adhesive that allows the decal to be applied directly to the back and/or front surfaces of the phone. Such a sheet typically has perforations or die-cuts that allow it to fit onto a specific phone model, and are designed so as not to interfere with the screen, features or controls of the phone. Since the adhesive is non-permanent, the consumer can interchange the designs at will. However, it is often difficult for the average consumer to properly align a desired image with the template or outline of the decal. Further, such decals provide for one use only, and are not easily or reliably reapplied to the phone once removed.

Moreover, printing such decals and applying them to the phone every time a styling change is desired is a cumbersome process.

Therefore, there is a need for a protective case that facilitates the display of a desired image with a smartphone or other portable electronic device. With such a device the photo or image displayed would be quickly and easily interchanged. Further, the phone as well as the displayed image would be protected by the case. Such a needed device would facilitate the quick cutting to size of a new image, such as with a new photo. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present device is a case system displaying an image sheet while holding a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, cellular phone, tablet computer, electronic book reader, portable electronic game, or the like. The case system comprises a substantially flat, substantially non-opaque template that has a peripheral edge and at least one template edge adapted for facilitating scribing of cut lines on the image sheet.

In one embodiment, a frame is adapted for selectively receiving therein, in order, the template, the image sheet, and the portable electronic device. The frame includes at least one side edge adapted for resiliently connecting at least one rear lip with at least one front lip, such lips adapted to selectively capture the template, the image sheet and the portable electronic device therebetween. The at least one rear lip of the frame defines an aperture through which the image sheet is visible through the template. The frame may be sized to allow the storage of a plurality of stored image sheets behind the image sheet that is displayed through the template. In use, the template may be used to scribe the cut lines on the image sheet so that the image sheet may be cut to fit within the frame. Thereafter, the template, the image sheet and the portable electronic device are inserted into the frame.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the case system comprises a substantially flat template having a peripheral edge for facilitating scribing of the cut lines on the image sheet. The frame is adapted for selectively receiving therein, in order, the image sheet, the template, and the portable electronic device. In such an embodiment, the frame includes a substantially transparent rear side through which the image sheet is visible when captured between the transparent rear side and the template and portable electronic device. In such an embodiment, the template is stored between the image sheet and the portable electronic device when not in use.

In one embodiment the frame is a two-part frame that is adapted for selectively receiving therein the template, the image sheet and the portable electronic device. The two-part frame in a disassembled configuration allows insertion of the template, image sheet, optionally the plurality of stored image sheets, and the portable electronic device therein. Each part of the two-part frame is adapted to be selectively mutually locked together, such that when assembled the two-part frame captures the template, image sheet, possibly the plurality of stored image sheets, and the portable electronic device therein. In an alternate such embodiment, the two-part frame includes the non-opaque rear side, such that the frame may be used to capture, in order, the image sheet, the template, and the portable electronic device therein, with the image sheet being visible through the non-opaque rear side. The present device is a protective case that facilitates the display of a desired image with a smartphone or other portable electronic device. With the present invention, the photo or image displayed is quickly and easily interchanged, and the phone as well as the displayed image is protected by the case. The template of the present device facilitates the quick cutting to size of a new image sheet. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the invention in an

assembled configuration, illustrated with a portable electronic device and a frame sandwiching an image sheet and a template;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 1 , illustrated with the portable electronic device and image sheet omitted for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the frame and template of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 3, and also including an image sheet and a stack of stored image sheets normally stored between the image sheet and the portable electronic device;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the template as applied to an uncut image sheet, showing cut lines being applied to thereto;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the image sheet once cut along the cut lines to fit inside the frame; FIG. 7A is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of the template;

FIG. 7B is a front elevational view of the template of FIG. 7A in a flat orientation; FIG. 7C is a front elevational view of the template of FIG. 7A in a folded orientation; FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the frame having a control aperture;

FIG. 9 is a rear plan view of an embodiment wherein the frame includes a transparent rear side;

FIG. 9 A is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 9A— 9A of FIG. 9;

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 9B— 9B of FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of the frame, illustrated with a partial opaque border;

FIG. 1 1 is an alternate embodiment of the template wherein the peripheral edge

thereof is coincident with a template edge thereof;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the invention having a two-part frame, illustrated in a disassembled configuration; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged, partial perspective view of one embodiment of the template.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to." Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words "herein," "above," "below" and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word "or" in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a case system 10 for a portable electronic device 20, such as a cellular phone, so-called "smart phone," electronic book reader, or the like. The case system 10 displays an image sheet 30, such as a photograph, while holding the portable electronic device 20.

The case system 10 comprises a substantially flat, substantially non-opaque template 40 that has a peripheral edge 45 and at least one template edge 46 adapted for facilitating scribing of cut lines 32 (FIG. 5) on the image sheet 30. In one embodiment, the peripheral edge 45 of the template 40 is coincident with the at least one template edge 46 of the template 40 (near 32 of FIG. 5, for example). In one embodiment, the at least one template edge 46 of the template 40 is a plurality of template edges 46, at least one of which is non-coincident with the peripheral edge 45 of the template 40 (FIG. 4).

In one embodiment, a frame 50 is adapted for selectively receiving therein, in order, the template 40, the image sheet 30, and the portable electronic device 20. The frame 50 includes at least one side edge 60 adapted for frictionally retaining the template, the image sheet, and the portable electronic device therein (FIG. 3). Alternately, the at least one side edge 60 may include at least one front lip 80 opposed to the at least one rear lip 70 and resiliently connected thereto by the at least one side edge 60 (FIG. 2). Such lips 70,80 are adapted to selectively capture the template 40, the image sheet 30 and the portable electronic device 20 therebetween. The at least one rear lip 70 of the frame defines an aperture 90 through which the image sheet 30 is visible through the template 40 (FIG. 4). The frame 50 is preferably made from a resilient plastic or rubber material, and preferably includes at least one control aperture 120 through which the portable electronic device 20 may be accessed, such as for manipulating volume controls, or providing an aperture 120 for a camera or the like. Such a control aperture 120 may be included on at least one of the side edges 60 of the frame 50, a rear side 71, or the like. The template 40 is preferably adapted not to obscure such an aperture 120 for use with a camera of the portable electronic device 20.

In one embodiment, the at least one rear lip 70 is a single substantially continuous rear lip 70 that is cooperative with the template 40 and the image sheet 30 sized according to the template edges 46 of the template 40 to cover the cut edges 35 (FIGS. 4 and 6) of the image sheet 30 when the template 40, the image sheet 30, and the portable electronic device 20 are captured within the frame 50. Alternately, the template 40 includes a non-transparent border 140 (FIG. 10) applied proximate the peripheral edge 45 thereof to cover the cut edges 35 of the image sheet 30 when the template 40, the image sheet 30, and the portable electronic device 20 are captured within the frame 50. Such cut edge 35 may be rough or unevenly cut, and obscuring such cut edges 35 from being visible through the frame 50 improves the appearance of the system 10 when in use. In one embodiment, the frame 50 is sized to allow the storage of a plurality of stored image sheets 36 (FIG. 4) behind the image sheet 30 that is displayed through the template 40, such that any one of the plurality of stored image sheets 36 may be selectively moved to the displayed position so as to change the appearance of the user's portable electronic device 20 when held within the case system 10.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the template 40 includes a recessed well 100 on a forward side 49 thereof (FIG. 3) adapted for receiving the image sheet 30 once sized in accordance to the at least one template edge 46. As such, the forward side 49 of the template 40 is substantially flush with a rear side 31 (FIG. 4) of the image sheet 30 when the template 40, the image sheet 30, and the portable electronic device 20 are captured within the frame 50. This embodiment allows sufficient room within the case for the portable electronic device 20 and prevents the portable electronic device 20 from pushing against the image sheet 30 and template 40 to cause same to bulge out from the aperture 90. In another embodiment of the invention, a rear side 42 of the template 40 (FIG. 13) is raised in cooperation with the aperture 90 of the frame such that the rear side 42 of the template 40 is flush with the rear side 51 (FIG. 9A) of the frame 50.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the frame 50 is non-opaque and the template 40 and image sheet 30 are adapted to fold along at least one side score line 1 10 (FIGS 7A-7C) such that the image sheet 30 is visible through a rear side 71 and at least one other side of the frame 50 when the template 40, the image sheet 30 and the portable electronic device 20 are captured within the frame 50.

In use, the at least one template edge 46 of the template 40 may be used to scribe the cut lines 32 on the image sheet 30 so that the image sheet 30 may be cut to fit within the frame 50 (FIG. 6). Thereafter, the template 40, the image sheet 30 and the portable electronic device 20 are inserted into the frame 50 either at a slight angle or by slightly bending the front lips 80, in the case of two or more, momentarily apart, if necessary, to allow passage of the template 40, the image sheet 30 and the portable electronic device 20 therebetween.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the case system 10 comprises a substantially flat template 41 (FIG. 11) having a peripheral edge 45 for facilitating scribing of the cut lines 32 on the image sheet 30. The frame 50 is adapted for selectively receiving therein, in order, the image sheet 30, the template 40, and the portable electronic device 20. In such an embodiment, the frame 50 includes a substantially transparent rear side 71 (FIG. 10) through which the image sheet 30 is visible when captured between the transparent rear side 71 and the template 41 and portable electronic device 20. In such an embodiment, the template 41 is stored between the image sheet 30 and the portable electronic device 20 when not in use. Such a rear side 71 may include the non-transparent border 140 applied thereto that is cooperative with an image sheet 30 sized according to the template 41 to cover the cut edges 35 of the image sheet 30 when the image sheet 30, the template 41 and the portable electronic device 20 are captured within the frame 50. Such a frame 50 may further be sized to store a plurality of stored image sheets 36 between the image sheet 30 and the portable electronic device 20, such that any of the stored image sheets 36 may be replaced with the image sheet 30 to display a different image through the rear side 71 of the frame 50.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 12, the frame is a two-part frame 150 that is adapted for selectively receiving therein the template 40, the image sheet 30 and the portable electronic device 20. The two-part frame 150 in a disassembled

configuration 152 allows insertion of the template 40, image sheet 30, possibly the plurality of stored image sheets 36, and the portable electronic device 20 therein. The two-part frame 150 is adapted to be selectively locked together, such as with plastic clips or snaps (not shown) that, when assembled capture the template 40, image sheet 30, possibly the plurality of stored image sheets 36, and the portable electronic device 20 therein. In an alternate such embodiment, the two-part frame includes the nonopaque rear side 71, such that the frame 150 may be used to capture, in order, the image sheet 30, the template 41, and the portable electronic device 20 therein, with the image sheet 30 being visible through the non-opaque rear side 71. In an alternate embodiment, the two-part frame is hinged together along one edge (not shown). In yet another embodiment, the two-part frame incorporates an auxiliary battery (not shown). While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while the illustrations depict the case system 10 used with a cellular phone, or so-called "smart phone" device, other electronic devices such as electronic book readers (not shown), tablet computers (not shown), GPS navigation devices (not shown), portable game devices, or the like could be used with the case system 10. Moreover, while the template 40 is illustrated for use with a particular brand of smart phone, other brands of portable electronic devices 20 may include cameras or controls at different locations. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited with respect to any particular brand of phone, or any particular layout of the template 40, except as by the appended claims.

Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.

The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.

All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference.

Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.

Changes can be made to the invention in light of the above "Detailed Description." While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Therefore, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.