Protective case having modular components

摘要

A protective case for a mobile device such as a tablet computer is disclosed that includes modular components that can be mixed and matched by the user at the point of purchase to facilitate creation of a user customizable look. The case includes a shell that is configured to retain the tablet device and a front cover that is configured to protect and conceal the screen of the tablet when the case is in the closed position. When the assembled case is in the open position and the tablet is retained within the shell, the cover is configured to stand the shell up on edge. The shell and front cover can be reversibly attached to one another by the user, so that the user can select a shell of one color, material, design, or style and a front cover of another color, material, design or style. Retention tab and slot are employed to reversibly lock the front cover to the shell to form a seamless integrated multi use mode case.

主权项

1. A protective case configured to reversibly receive and retain a tablet computing device, said tablet computing device having a back face and a front face, a touchscreen on its front face, and one or more control buttons and ports on its perimeter walls, said case comprising:
a shell having front and back sides wherein the front side is configured to receive and retain the tablet device while providing user access to the touchscreen and user access to one or more of the control buttons, said shell including a back wall that is configured to cover at least a portion of the back face of the tablet, said back wall including a retention slot that extends through the back side of the shell to the front side of the shell and wherein the slot opening is defined on a first longitudinally extending side by a first portion of the back wall and on an opposing second longitudinally extending side by a second portion of the back wall; a front cover that includes a first region that is configured to cover the front face of the tablet device and a contiguously connected second region that is configured to cover at least a portion of the back wall when the front cover is attached to the shell and the case is in a fully closed position; and a retention tab comprising a first tab region and a second tab region, said retention tab being connected, in between the first and second tab regions, to an end section of said second region, wherein said retention tab is adapted to being reversibly inserted into said retention slot and reversibly locked into position and supported on the front side of the shell at the first tab region by the first portion of the back wall and at the second tab region by the second portion of the back wall to create an assembled protective case, such that when the assembled case is in a closed position the second region of the front cover is configured to extend over and conceal the touchscreen.