Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-12
2001-11-06
Thompson, Gregory (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C206S320000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06313982
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a protective case for accommodating a portable electronic device used as a slave or hand-held game machine, etc., of an entertainment system such as a video game station.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventional video game stations include those in which a memory card is capable of being removably inserted. A video game station of this kind is so adapted that data that has been accumulated in the video game station is stored on a memory card in advance and, when necessary, the data can be read out of the memory card and transferred to the video game station.
FIG. 46A
is a block diagram showing the principal components of a memory card capable of being removably inserted into a conventional video game station of this type.
A memory card
10
has control means
11
for controlling the operation of the memory card, a connector
12
for making a connection to a terminal provided in a slot of a video game station, and a non-volatile memory
16
for storing data. The connector
12
and the non-volatile memory
16
are connected to the control means
11
.
The control means
11
is constituted by a microcomputer, by way of example. A flash memory such as an EEPROM, for example, is used as the non-volatile memory
16
.
FIG. 46B
illustrates the items controlled by the control means
11
of the memory card
10
. As illustrated, the memory card
10
has a station connection interface for connection to the console of the video game station, and a memory interface for input and output of data to and from the non-volatile memory.
There is also an arrangement that allows a memory card of the same type to be removably inserted into information equipment other than a video game station.
FIG. 47
is a plan view illustrating an example of the construction of a conventional video game station in which a memory card is capable of being removably inserted.
A conventional video game station
1
has a console
2
accommodated within a substantially quadrangular case, and a centrally provided disk mounting unit
3
. An optical disk serving as a recording medium on which the application program of a video game has been recorded is mounted on the disk mounting unit
3
. The console
2
is provided with a reset switch
4
for resetting the game at will, a power-supply switch
5
, a disk operating switch
6
used when mounting the optical disk on and demounting it from the disk mounting unit
3
, and two slots
7
A and
7
B, by way of example.
The memory card
10
is inserted into at least one of the slots
7
A,
7
B so that data, such as the results of a game that has been run on the video game station
1
, are written to the non-volatile memory
16
.
It is also possible to connect a plurality of controllers (not shown) to the slots
7
A,
7
B, thereby enabling a plurality of users to play competitive games against one each at the same time.
A portable electronic device used as a slave with respect to information equipment such as a video game station has recently been considered. Such a novel portable electronic device is inserted into the slots
7
A,
7
B of the video game station
1
in a manner the same as that of the memory card
10
described above, with the necessary data being downloaded to the device and then used. After the data is downloaded, the device is extracted from the video game station and can be used as a hand-held game machine.
A characteristic of various well-known portable electronic devices, to say nothing of such a novel portable electronic device, is that they are susceptible to moisture and dust because they accommodate electronic circuitry. Accordingly, it is undesirable to carry these portable electronic devices out of doors on rainy or snowy days, to locations where there is the danger of exposure to water, such as the sea, rivers and baths, and to recreation grounds where dust tends to blow about.
However, users desire to carry these devices about even on rainy and snowy days, and there are not a few users who find restrictions on place of use unsatisfactory.
The present invention, which has been devised in view of these circumstances, has as its object to protect a portable electronic device against moisture and dust so that the device can be carried anywhere.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the foregoing problem, a protective case according to the present invention has an upper case and a lower case which, by being abutted against each other in order to accommodate a portable electronic device having a manipulator that is operated by being pushed, form a closed space in the interior of which the portable electronic device is capable of being accommodated.
Provided in at least one of the cases is a through-hole at a position opposing the operating element of the portable electronic device accommodated inside the space. The through-hole is closed by a closure member comprising an elastic material and having a push-button that is capable of pushing the operating element of the portable electronic device from the outside. As a result, the operating element of the portable electronic device is capable of being operated externally.
Furthermore, the abutting portion of each case is sealed by a sealing member comprising an elastic material, whereby moisture and dust are positively prevented from penetrating the interior.
By integrally forming the closure member and the sealing member as a continuum, the number of component parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced and manufacture can be simplified.
In an instance where the accommodated portable electronic device has a display section, it is preferred that an area of the case that opposes the display section of the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is in the accommodated state be formed in the shape of a concave lens. As a result, it is possible to view the display section of the portable electronic device from the outside in magnified form.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5092459 (1992-03-01), Uljianic et al.
patent: 63-122849 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 5-266747 (1993-10-01), None
patent: 6-56932 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 6-70292 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 08046371 (1996-02-01), None
patent: 09023072 (1997-01-01), None
Helfgott & Karas, PC
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Thompson Gregory
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