Waterproof, handheld electronic device enclosure

Abstract

A waterproof enclosure for enclosing a handheld electronic device is described. The enclosure includes a flexible bag having an interior cavity for enclosing the handheld electronic device and an opening for insertion of the device into the bag cavity, a closure for releasibly sealing the bag opening, and a sealable exhaust tube extending from the bag cavity to the exterior of the bag for use in evacuating air from the bag cavity when the opening is sealed. The tube preferably includes a one-way valve allowing air to flow from the bag cavity, but not into the bag cavity. A detachable means, such as a rubber bulb, may be included to withdraw air from the cavity through the tube. The case may also include an electronic jack extending from the bag cavity to the exterior of the bag.

Description

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/268,040, entitled “Waterproof, Handheld Electronic Device Enclosure”, filed Jun. 8, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a waterproof enclosure or case for housing a cellular telephone or other handheld electronic device to prevent exposure of the device to water, while still permitting operation and use of the device, and in particular to a waterproof enclosure for housing a handheld device that includes an air evacuation means to create a vacuum within the interior of the enclosure so that the enclosure interior and device remains watertight during use, and viewing and use of the device is enhanced.

(2) Description of the Prior Art

Handheld electronic devices, e.g., cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal computers including the IPad, and eBook readers such as the Kindle, are now used by most individuals. Due to their portability and their ability to communicate via a wireless connection to the telephone system and the Internet, these devices are carried everywhere by their users, including to locations where the devices could be damaged due to the surrounding conditions.

For example, as it relates to the present invention, the devices are frequently carried near, or even in, bodies of water, such as swimming pools, lakes, the ocean, etc. Electronic devices are easily damaged by exposure to even small amounts of water and can be completely ruined if submerged. Nonetheless, users continue to carry these devices when engaged in water-related recreational activities, feeling that the convenience of ever-available communications outweigh the risk.

The prior art has proposed to address this circumstance by offering waterproof enclosures into which the devices may be inserted when there is a risk of exposure to water. These enclosures are generally comprised of an at least partially transparent, flexible bag sized to receive the particular device, or at least includes a transparent window, so that the graphical display of the device can be seen. The bag, or a part thereof, is sufficiently flexible to permit operation of the device controls. An opening is included in the bag for insertion of the device, with a waterproof closure means being provided to seal the opening after the device is inserted. A waterproof jack may be provided in the wall of the bag to connect earphones or other external accessories to the device.

One advantage claimed by the sellers of these bags is that air trapped inside the bag when the bag is sealed is often sufficient to provide positive buoyancy to the bag even with the enclosed device, thereby causing the bag to float if it is inadvertently dropped into the water. This buoyancy is increased in some products by providing a means for pumping air into the device.

However, it has been observed that with prior art enclosures air will try to escape under pressure when the enclosures are brought underwater in exchange with the surrounding water. In addition, the presence of air inside the bag negatively affects the optimal use of the handheld device. In particular, the air separates the bag wall from the device controls, reducing the ability of the user to firmly contact the controls. This problem is particularly apparent with touch screen controls. In addition, the air cushion makes it difficult to communicate through the bag wall where the device includes an internal microphone. Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an enclosure for a handheld electronic device that will remain watertight when submerged, with improved usability of the enclosed device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally, the waterproof enclosure of the present invention is comprised of a waterproof housing that includes a means to exhaust air from the interior of the housing, thereby creating a vacuum within the housing interior. This vacuum, or negative pressure, created inside the enclosure, prevents a “gas-liquid exchange” with the surrounding water since, by creating a vacuum, there is nothing left to exchange with the water. The vacuumed enclosure, therefore, provides a watertight seal.

The housing is in the form of a collapsible pouch or bag made from a flexible waterproof material having an interior cavity shaped and dimensioned to accommodate the handheld electronic device being protected. The bag includes a closable opening sized to facilitate insertion of the device into the cavity, with a closure to seal the opening after the device is inserted. At least a part of the bag is transparent to permit viewing of the display and controls of the inserted device.

For example, the bag may be formed of two generally rectangular sheets of transparent, waterproof plastic that are sealed to each other at their edges except at the opening, which is preferably in one end of the bag. The sheets may initially be separate sheets, or a double size sheet folded onto itself. The closure may be formed to two attachable sections joined to opposed sides of the opening, having a latch to secure the sections together to seal the opening. In this construction, the sheets form the front and rear walls of the housing.

For most uses, the housing will have an electrical interface jack extending through the wall of the housing to provide a means for attaching head or ear phones, or other electronic accessories, to the handheld device sealed inside the housing. The jack has an internal connector, which may include a cable, for attachment to the device, and an external connector for attachment to the accessory, with the two connectors being in waterproof communication.

The air evacuation means in its simplest form may be a tube or port extending from the interior cavity of the bag to the exterior of the bag, with means to seal the port after evacuating air from the bag, e.g., by sucking on the port and then quickly closing the port after the air has been evacuated from the bag. Preferably, the air evacuation means includes a one-way valve allowing air to flow from the interior of the bag, but not into the interior of the bag.

The tube can be adapted for releasable attachment to an evacuation pump designed to withdraw air from the cavity through the one-way valve. For example, the pump may be in the form of a hand-operated squeeze bulb having an intake opening to receive a tubular valve projection and an exhaust opening having a one-way exhaust valve in the opposite end of the bulb to exhaust air from the bulb interior.

In operation, the bulb is attached to the valve and squeezed to remove air from the bulb. When pressure on the bulb is removed, the bulb material, e.g., molded rubber, resumes its extended configuration, drawing air through the valve from the cavity and into the interior of the bulb. The bulb is again squeezed to exhaust air from the bulb interior through the one-way exhaust valve. This procedure is repeated until most of the air in the housing cavity interior has been removed and a vacuum created.

After removal of the air from the housing cavity interior, the advantages of the present invention become evident. Instead of the device being surrounded by an air pillow as in previous waterproof enclosures, the flexible, transparent wall of the current housing is firmly and uniformly held against the surface of the handheld device by the cavity vacuum. As a result, controls of the electronic device can be more easily operated.

This is particularly true of touch-screen controls like those found on the I-Phone and other devices which are activated due to the capacitance or proximity of the user's finger, which is reduced in prior devices due to the air cushion between the housing and the controls. In addition, where the device is a cellular telephone or other handheld device that includes an internal microphone, the adjacency of the housing wall and microphone enhances communication of the user, whereas in prior art devices, the user's voice was muffled by the presence of the air cushion.

The pump may be detached from the one-way valve after the air is evacuated from the enclosure cavity. However, if desired, the user may leave the pump attached to the valve. If so, the pump, which may have a bright, easily noticed color, can also act as a flotation device to prevent sinking of the enclosure and device if it is dropped into the water. When the bulb is to be used for this purpose, the bulb is sized to provide positive buoyancy to the combined enclosure and device.

It will be appreciated that the enclosure or case, the terms being used interchangeably, may include other features. For example the enclosure may include an opening or other attachment means to secure a strap, lanyard, carbineer, or other means to attach the enclosure to the user's wrist, belt, etc. Alternatively, or in addition, the enclosure may include an arm band, preferably attached to the back wall of the enclosure. The band, which is sized to fit around some part of the user's arm, may be elastic, or may be secured around the arm with a latching means, such as a buckle or hook and loop fastener. Other features may also be incorporated into the enclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the enclosure housing a cellular telephone.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the enclosure of FIG. 1, but with the evacuation bulb removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, terms such as horizontal, upright, vertical, above, below, beneath, and the like, are used solely for the purpose of clarity in illustrating the invention, and should not be taken as words of limitation. The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the invention and are not intended to be to scale.

As illustrated, the enclosure, generally 10, is comprised of a generally rectangular front wall 12 attached at its side and bottom edges to a like-sized rear wall 14. While walls 12 and 14 are both fully transparent as illustrated, it will be apparent that rear wall 14 can be wholly or partially transparent if visual access to a part of the housed device is not required, and that front wall 12 may include only a transparent window instead of being entirely transparent.

Joined walls 12 and 14 form an open-topped bag having an interior cavity and a top opening 16 sized to receive a handheld electronic device, illustrated as cellular telephone 18. A closure comprised of front and back sections 20 and 22, respectively, are secured to the top edges of walls 12 and 14 and are connectable by latches 24 to provide a waterproof seal of opening 16.

An interface jack 26 extends through a watertight seal in the bag, in this case through the bottom of the bag between walls 12 and 14. Jack 26 includes an internal connector and cable 28 to connect to phone 18, and an external connector to attach external accessories, e.g., earphones. It will be understood that jack 26 is optional and not necessary where attachment of external accessories is not contemplated.

Enclosure 10 also includes a one-way air valve 30 extending between the interior cavity of enclosure 10 and the exterior of enclosure 10. Valve 30 includes an interior opening 32 to receive air from the cavity of enclosure 10 and an exterior exhaust tube 34 to attach to evacuation pump, illustrated in the preferred embodiment as compressible bulb 36. Tube 34 may be ribbed to facilitate a secure attachment of pump 36.

Bulb 36 has an expanded state which it resumes when not squeezed due to the memory of the bulb material, e.g., rubber, and a compressed state when squeezed. Bulb 36 includes an intake opening insertable over valve tube 34 and a discharge opening 38 including a one-way valve 40. The interior volume of bulb 36 is sized to provide positive buoyancy to enclosure 10 and device 18 when bulb 36 is attached to evacuated enclosure 10. Valve 30 may also include a cap 42 that can be fitted over connector tube 34 after bulb 36 is detached.

Enclosure 10 also includes an opening 44 in the closure for a cord or other means to attach enclosure 10 to the user. In addition, enclosure 10 includes arm strap 46 for attachment around the user's arm.

In use, the device to be protected, e.g., phone 18 is inserted into the cavity of enclosure 10 and enclosure opening 16 is sealed by sections 20 and 22 of the closure. Bulb 36 is attached to valve 30 as many times as required to evacuate air from the cavity. After removal of air from the cavity interior, wall 12 is firmly held against the face of phone 36 and against touch-screen tactile controls 48 due to the vacuum that is created inside enclosure 10. As a result, controls 48 are much more reliably operated by the user's fingers. In addition, the wall is firmly against microphone 50 providing greater clarity of the user's voice when using the device. Also, if ear phones are not attached, the other party can be heard through internal phone speaker 52.

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description. For example, the enclosure can be used for other purposes, such as to provide waterproof protection for wallets and other items carried by the user around water. In addition, the bulb can be positioned inside the enclosure, with the attachment to the valve reversed so that the bulb is squeezed until the cavity is evacuated and then left inside the cavity during use. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A waterproof enclosure for enclosing a handheld electronic device comprising:

a) a flexible bag having an interior cavity for enclosing a handheld electronic device and an opening for insertion of said device into said cavity;

b) a closure for releasibly sealing said opening; and

c) a sealable exhaust tube extending from said bag cavity to the exterior of said bag for use in evacuating air from said bag cavity.

2. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said exhaust tube includes a one-way check valve allowing air to flow only from the bag cavity to the bag exterior.

3. The enclosure of claim 1, further including means to withdraw air from said cavity through said tube.

4. The enclosure of claim 1, further including an electronic jack extending from said bag cavity to the exterior of said bag.

5. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said bag includes a transparent front wall.

6. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein said bag includes front and back walls with side edges and bottom edges, the side and bottom edges of said walls being joined.

7. A waterproof enclosure for enclosing a handheld electronic device comprising:

a) a flexible bag having an interior cavity for enclosing a handheld electronic device and an opening for insertion of said device into said cavity;

b) a closure for releasibly sealing said opening; and

c) a sealable exhaust tube with a one-way check valve extending from said bag cavity to the exterior of said bag for use in evacuating air from said bag cavity.

8. The enclosure of claim 7, further including a compressible bulb to withdraw air from said cavity through said tube.

9. The enclosure of claim 7, further including an electronic jack extending from said bag cavity to the exterior of said bag.

10. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein said bag includes a transparent front wall.

11. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein said bag includes front and back walls with side edges and bottom edges, the side and bottom edges of said walls being joined.

12. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein said closure is comprised of two attachable sections joined to opposed sides of the opening, with a latch releasibly securing the sections together to close the opening.

13. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein said flexible bag is transparent.

14. The enclosure of claim 7, further including an arm band for attachment of said enclosure to a user's arm.

15. A waterproof enclosure for enclosing a handheld electronic device comprising:

a) a flexible bag having an interior cavity for enclosing a handheld electronic device and an opening for insertion of said device into said cavity;

b) a closure for releasibly sealing said opening;

c) a sealable exhaust tube with a one-way check valve extending from said bag cavity to the exterior of said bag for use in evacuating air from said bag cavity;

d) an electronic jack extending from said bag cavity to the exterior of said bag; and

e) a compressible means to withdraw air from said cavity through said tube.

16. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein said electronic jack extending include a first connector within said bag cavity to attach to a handheld electronic device, and an exterior connector.

17. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein said bag includes front and back walls with side edges and bottom edges, the side and bottom edges of said walls being joined.

18. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein said closure is comprised of two attachable sections joined to opposed sides of the opening, with a latch releasibly securing the sections together to close the opening.

19. The enclosure of claim 15, wherein said flexible bag is transparent.

20. The enclosure of claim 15, further including an arm band for attachment of said enclosure to a user's arm.