Special receptacle or package – For a household appliance
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-18
2003-11-18
Luong, Shian (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For a household appliance
C206S472000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648139
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns carrying cases for portable electronic devices including devices in the nature of personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, personal computers and the like.
The present invention particularly concerns carrying cases accommodating electronic devices of differing sizes and/or types by removably affixing a device to the interior of the case.
The present invention still more particularly concerns carrying cases removably affixing any one of a number of differently-sized electronic devices, most typically a personal digital assistant (PDA), within the interior of the case by action of a spring clip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
2.1 The Limitations of Custom Cases
Carrying cases for portable electronic devices such as personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, personal computers and the like have traditionally been contoured and sized to the individual device held. Whereas this approach has made sense in times past when the electronic device was very, very much more expensive than its tailored case—typically on the order of ten or more times—while the lifetime of the electronic device and its case were roughly commensurate, this approach makes less sense when persons in the advanced industrial countries are coming to own many, and rapidly substitutable—even disposable—low cost electronic devices while fine carrying cases for these devices, especially as are hand crafted of leather and like luxury materials, retain historical price levels.
A case that is tailored to an individual electronic device as offered by the electronics manufacturer of the device seldom has the style and quality of an equivalent case sold in the aftermarket, and thus necessarily succeeding on its own competitive merits. However, after-market device cases suffer from poor economies of scale, with some cases being useful for only limited numbers of limited types and models of devices, and with dilution of the potential purchaser base occurring because (i) many persons by the case of the original equipment manufacturer, and/or (ii) a carrying case may be bundled with the electronic device.
Although consumers may not much regard this situation, they receive poor value. It is as if a suitcase was to be procured from a clothing manufacturer—an idea that strikes most people as absurd, being that clothing manufacturers generally have no great reputation, nor expertise, in luggage. A consumer is also disadvantaged in that a custom case for an electronic equipment may not be worn out, and, indeed, may have but slight or even no appreciable wear, at the time that the contained electronic equipment is replaced, often from obsolescence (not affecting the case).
According to all these reasons, if a single case could be made ubiquitous—while still suitable—for a broader range of electronic equipments, especially as may be of slightly varying size and/or contour, then the consumer might be offered (i) greater selection, (ii) better value, and (iii) greater usable life, in the carrying cases for the electronic equipments.
2.2 Previous Approaches to Universal Cases Chief among the problems of using one, slightly oversize, case for a range of like, and like sized, electronic equipments is the practical necessity of keeping the electronic equipment from moving—rattling, if the case material is hard—around inside the case. The simple, and classical solution has been tie down straps. However, (i) these straps are unsightly and ungainly, (ii) they may and commonly do interfere with manual access to the user control area (e/g/. the keyboard) and/or visual access to any display, and (iii) they may impede easy removal of the electronic device from its case. These limitations have proven especially acute for electronic devices in the form of personal digital assistants (PDAs), which routine have to the fore of the device, and upon its front panel, a very dense and compact user interface. This interface is desirably, almost necessarily, neither obscured not obstructed in any manner—necessitating that a contained PDA be held (if at all) from its sides of back.
PDA Cases are available under brands Nite Ize, Impulse, Incipio, Landware, Marware, OP/TECH USA, RhinoSkin, Sumdex, Targus, Hartmann and Haliburton.
An example of the recent patenting of Victorinox AG (Ibach, CH) is U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,405 to Painsith for a CARD-SHAPED STORAGE CASE FOR ARTICLES OF DAILY USE AND/OR CONSUMER ARTICLES. The card-shaped storage case is made of metal or plastic with at least one internal storage compartment for at least one article, which storage compartment is defined by a base plate and, at least in sections, by a cover plate of the storage case running parallel to this. Several storage compartments at least partially separated from one another are arranged in the storage case in a plane running parallel to the base plate and/or cover plate. These are constructed to receive articles in the form of articles of daily use and/or consumer articles, and are also accessible from the outside via storage openings. These storage openings are arranged in at least one of the longitudinal side faces and/or transverse side faces, preferably there running perpendicular to the base plate and/or the cover plate.
Swiss Army mounts a variety of personal digital assistants in a patented “PDA Clip” system. An allegedly patented PDA clip safely secures the unit while providing for simple removal and insertion of the PDA. Three (3) clips are included, one each for the Palm Pilot 3, 5 and 7 units.
As well as the function of mounting a PDA, the Swiss Army system contains, as is common, paper currency in a full size bill pocket, business and credit cards in three card slots and two slash pockets in the wallet, an allegedly patented ID pull out tray for a drivers license that slides in and out easily, additional business and credit cards slots, an additional translucent window for pictures and other cards, a card case that can be removed and used as a casual “weekend wallet”, a velcro tab also included for attachment of other PDA units.
The case is made of the leather, and measures 5¼″ H×4″ W×1½″ D.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates a carrying case having an internal, sliding-member, spring clip suitable to grasp and to hold diverse electronic devices particularly including, but not limited to, personal digital assistants (PDAs).
A case of the present invention is characterized in that it safely, securely, and flexibly accommodates diverse electronic devices—typically as are hand held, and more typically being any of a large number of personal digital assistants (PDAs) present in the world market circa 2002—of differing sizes. An electronic device need only be simply and quickly “snapped” but one time into the sliding-member spring clip internal retaining feature of the case, and will thereafter be stably held when the case is both open and closed.
A case of the present invention is thus “universal” for diverse hand-held electronic devices, and (i) enjoys economies of scale in manufacture and distribution, while (ii) according good value to a consumer who may normally continue to use the case even should the particular electronic device contained within the case be replaced. The particular sliding-member spring clip affixation mechanism used is compact, strong, lightweight, durable, simple and reliable. The affixation mechanism does not obstruct full access to the front panel, nor any side surface communication ports and switches, of the electronic device—normally a PDA—that it serves to releasibly mount. Neither does the affixation mechanism have (i) any separate part which must be affixed to the held electronic device (and which may thus suffer potentially becoming lost), nor (ii) any straps that may have ends which might “flop around” within the case and upon the contents of the case, potentially eroding aesthetics and/or becoming caught in the case zipper.
1. A carrying case for a portable elec
Fisher, Jr. Herbert
Huang Daniel
Fuess & Davidenas
Luong Shian
LandOfFree
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