Supports – Brackets – Article holding means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-12
2003-09-09
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Article holding means
C206S320000, C248S176100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616111
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to impact protection devices, and more particularly to aftermarket resilient shields conformed to engage the edges of hand held electronic assemblies and to attenuate the impact energy imposed-thereto.
2. The Prior Art
The use of hand held electronic devices has proliferated in the recent past, along with, however, an increasing frequency of those inadvertently dropped and damaged by the consequent impact. As the complement of such hand held devices increases in our daily processes the attention and care we give them decreases and the loss rates are soaring. Such losses, however, are particularly troublesome when devices that serve as our notebooks, palm held e-mail communication terminals or even memory devices that record addresses and telephone numbers are destroyed since it is not just the cost of replacement that is incurred but also the loss of the information collected therein. Protection from such inadvertent loss is therefore a matter of universal concern.
In the past there have been various shock attenuation structures devised which in one way or another cushion the dropping impact. Examples of such devices can be found in the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,149 to DiFrancesca et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,159 to Doria; U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,059 to Butler; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,184 to Lloyd. While suitable for the purposes intended each of the foregoing describes elaborate, multi-element foam rubber structures, which are costly to produce, and/or which often conceal or obstruct access to the controls by which the protected device is operated.
A universally useful impact attenuation structure is therefore sought and it is one such structure that is disclosed herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly it is the general purpose and object of the present invention to provide an impact attenuation elastomeric apparatus including a plurality of edge capturing structures connected to each other by a resilient web.
Other objects of the invention are to provide a resilient apparatus conformed to elastically capture and shield from impact the edges of various electronic devices.
Yet additional objects of the invention are to provide a universally adaptable impact attenuation apparatus useful in shielding various electronic devices from impact.
Briefly, these and other objects are accomplished within the present invention by providing a generally rectangular elastomeric recess conformed for elastic expansion to receive one edge of an electronic device attached proximate its ends to an elastomeric web which, in turn, is attached to two opposed pockets which upon the stretching of the web capture the corners of the opposite edge of the device. Preferably, the web, pockets and the recess piece are all formed by casting or molding as a single, common structure of one of the several generally known elastomers including those in the latex group or one of the several silicon or latex polymers that are each associated with some substantial internal energy dissipation by hysteresis or heat. These are each formed to a sectional dimension sufficient to project beyond the surfaces of the device captured therein to provide a resilient modulus in combination with the mass of the device for attenuating the major spectra of the impact energy imposed to the device when dropped. Additional energy dissipation is thereafter realized in the frictional interface between the attenuation apparatus and the device itself. In this manner an inexpensive impact attenuation structure is devised which is easily conformed to electronic devices of various dimensions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4824059 (1989-04-01), Butler
patent: 4925149 (1990-05-01), DiFrancesca et al.
patent: 5305980 (1994-04-01), Le Blanc
patent: 5368159 (1994-11-01), Doria
patent: 5648757 (1997-07-01), Vernace et al.
patent: 5859628 (1999-01-01), Ross et al.
patent: 5996956 (1999-12-01), Shawver
patent: 6520466 (2003-02-01), Blanchard et al.
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