초록 ▼

A water-proof container for holding a mobile device includes a base adapted to support a mobile device, a cover, a hinge for interconnecting the base and cover to one another, and a locking mechanism for locking the cover to the base. A groove is formed in an interior wall of the cover in circumscri

A water-proof container for holding a mobile device includes a base adapted to support a mobile device, a cover, a hinge for interconnecting the base and cover to one another, and a locking mechanism for locking the cover to the base. A groove is formed in an interior wall of the cover in circumscribing relation to the cover. A thin, transparent sheet of plastic has a bead formed in its peripheral edge and the bead is press fit into the groove so that the thin sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of the mobile device when the cover is latched to the base. A hollow lock housing is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin. A one hundred eighty degree (180°) rotation of the lock housing positions the opening on an opposite side of the container 10, capturing the latch.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A water-proof container for holding a mobile device, comprising: a base adapted to support a mobile device;said base including a flat, imperforate bottom wall of generally rectangular configuration having upstanding sidewalls integrally formed therewith, said upstanding sidewalls including a tran

1. A water-proof container for holding a mobile device, comprising: a base adapted to support a mobile device;said base including a flat, imperforate bottom wall of generally rectangular configuration having upstanding sidewalls integrally formed therewith, said upstanding sidewalls including a transversely disposed leading base wall and a transversely disposed trailing base wall;each sidewall of said upstanding sidewalls having a flat to surface;a cover that overlies said base, said cover including a frame-like rectangular structure including a top wall having depending sidewalls integrally formed therewith, said depending sidewalls including a transversely disposed leading cover wall and a transversely disposed trailing cover wall;each sidewall of said depending sidewalls having a flat bottom surface that abuts said flat top surface of said upstanding sidewalls of said base when said cover overlies said base;a hinge that interconnects said transversely disposed trailing base wall and said transversely disposed trailing cover wall;lock housing for locking said cover to said base;a groove formed in said flat bottom surfaces of said depending sidewalls of said cover;a thin, transparent sheet of plastic;a bead formed in a peripheral edge of said sheet of plastic, said bead being press fit into said groove so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies an operative face of said mobile device when said cover is locked to said base;a protuberance formed in said transversely disposed leading cover wall;a pivot pin mounted to and extending from said transversely disposed leading base wall, said pivot pin being centrally disposed relative to said transversely disposed leading base wall;a detent mounted to and extending from said transversely disposed leading base wall, said detent being laterally spaced apart from said pivot pin;said lock housing being rotatably mounted to said pivot pin;said protuberance being captured within said lock housing when said lock housing is in a first, locked position, thereby preventing separation of said transversely disposed leading cover wall from said transversely disposed leading base wall and hence preventing separation of said cover from said base;an opening formed in said lock housing, said opening being in open communication with said protuberance when said lock housing is in a second, unlocked configuration where said lock housing is rotated one hundred eighty degrees (180°) about said pivot pin relative to said first, locked configuration and said opening having a width and depth greater than a width and depth of said protuberance so that said protuberance is not captured by said lock housing when said lock housing is in said second, unlocked configuration and so that said cover may be rotated about said hinge to enable a mobile device to be removed from said container or inserted into said container when said lock housing is in said second, unlocked configuration;said lock housing having a hollow interior;a lock insert housing formed in the hollow interior of said lock housing;a lock insert disposed within and secured to said lock insert housing;a groove formed in said lock insert, said groove receiving said detent and constraining the travel of said detent so that a step formed in said groove blocks travel of said detent when said lock housing is in said unlocked configuration and so that a stop wall of said groove blocks travel of said detent when said lock housing is in said locked configuration; andsaid groove having an open end in open communication with said opening formed in said lock housing when said lock housing is in said unlocked configuration so that rotation of said lock housing from said unlocked configuration to said locked configuration causes said protuberance to enter into said groove, thereby preventing separation of said cover from said base. 2. The container of claim 1, further comprising: a hingedly mounted lock member that locks said lock housing in a locked position so that said lock housing cannot rotate about said pivot pin;said lock member having an “L” shape that includes a short wall and a long wall;said lock housing having a lock housing recess formed therein in a preselected end thereof;said short wall being hingedly mounted to said lock housing within said lock housing recess;a base recess formed in a preselected sidewall of said upstanding sidewalls of said base;a cover recess formed in a preselected sidewall of said depending sidewalls of said cover;said lock housing recess, said base recess, and said cover recess collectively forming a lock member recess within which said lock member is positioned when said lock housing is locked against rotation about said pivot pin, said locked position of said lock member being its position of repose;a protrusion member positioned within the hollow interior of said lock housing that is biased to extend toward said lock housing recess;said protrusion member bearing against said short wall and urging said long wall of said lock member into said base recess and said cover recess due to said hinged mounting of said lock member;whereby a user may unlock said lock housing by pulling said long wall out of said base recess and said cover recess, thereby causing the short wall to bear against the protrusion and to momentarily displace the protrusion away from said lock housing recess so that said long wall is rotated about ninety degrees (90°) from its position of repose, exiting said base and cover recesses, thereby enabling rotation of said lock housing about said pivot pin. 3. The container of claim 2, further comprising: said container being formed of buoyant materials so that it floats when dropped into water;whereby a user may operate the mobile device with the cover closed, said cover protecting said mobile device from rain, splashed water, sand, dirt, and the like. 4. The container of claim 3, further comprising: an opening formed in said lock housing, said opening adapted to engage a distal end of a lanyard;a proximal end of said lanyard adapted to be attached to an item of clothing of said user. 5. A water-proof container for holding a mobile device, comprising: a base adapted to support a mobile device;said base including a flat, imperforate bottom wall of generally rectangular configuration having upstanding sidewalls integrally formed therewith, said upstanding sidewalls including a transversely disposed leading base wall and a transversely disposed trailing base wall;each sidewall of said upstanding sidewalls having a flat top surface;a cover that overlies said base, said cover including a frame-like rectangular structure including a top wall having depending sidewalls integrally formed therewith, said depending sidewalls including a transversely disposed leading cover wall and a transversely disposed trailing cover wall;each sidewall of said depending sidewalls of said cover having a flat bottom surface that abuts said flat top surface of said upstanding sidewalls of said base when said cover overlies said base;a hinge;said hinge interconnecting said base and cover to one another along a preselected longitudinal edge of the water-proof container;a first protuberance formed in said transversely disposed leading cover wall;a second protuberance formed in said transversely disposed trailing cover wall;a first pivot pin mounted to and extending from said transversely disposed leading base wall, said first pivot pin being centrally disposed relative to said transversely disposed leading base wall;a second pivot pin mounted to and extending from said transversely disposed trailing base wall, said second pivot pin being centrally disposed relative to said transversely disposed trailing base wall;a first detent mounted to and extending from said transversely disposed leading base wall, said first detent being laterally spaced apart from said first pivot pin;a second detent mounted to and extending from said transversely disposed trailing base wall, said second detent being laterally spaced apart from said second pivot pin;a first lock housing rotatably mounted to said first pivot pin;a second lock housing rotatably mounted to said second pivot pin;said first protuberance being captured within said first lock housing when said first lock housing is in a first, locked position, thereby preventing separation of said transversely disposed leading cover wall from said transversely disposed leading base wall;said second protuberance being captured within said second lock housing when said second lock housing is in a first, locked position, thereby preventing separation of said transversely disposed trailing cover wall from said transversely disposed trailing base wall;a first opening formed in said first lock housing, said first opening being in open communication with said first protuberance when said first lock housing is in a second, unlocked configuration where said first lock housing is rotated one hundred eighty degrees (180°) about said first pivot pin relative to said first, locked configuration and said first opening having a width and depth greater than a width and depth of said first protuberance so that said first protuberance is not captured by said first lock housing when said first lock housing is in said second, unlocked configuration and so that said cover may be rotated about said hinge to enable a mobile device to be removed from said container or inserted into said container when said first lock housing is in said second, unlocked configuration;a second opening formed in said second lock housing, said second opening being in open communication with said second protuberance when said second lock housing is in a second, unlocked configuration where said second lock housing is rotated one hundred eighty degrees (180°) about said second pivot pin relative to said first, locked configuration and said second opening having a width and depth greater than a width and depth of said second protuberance so that said second protuberance is not captured by said second lock housing when said second lock housing is in said second, unlocked configuration and so that said cover may be rotated about said hinge to enable a mobile device to be removed from said container or inserted into said container when said first lock housing is in its second, unlocked configuration and when said second lock housing is in its second, unlocked configuration;said first lock housing having a hollow interior;said second lock housing having a hollow interior;a first lock insert housing formed in the hollow interior of said first lock housing;a second lock insert formed in the hollow interior of said second lock housing;a first lock insert disposed within and secured to said first lock insert housing;a second lock insert disposed within and secured to said second lock insert housing;a first groove formed in said first lock insert, said first groove receiving said first detent and constraining the travel of said first detent so that a step formed in said first groove blocks travel of said first detent when said first lock housing is in said unlocked configuration and so that a stop wall of said first groove blocks travel of said first detent when said first lock housing is in said locked configuration;a second groove formed in said second lock insert, said second groove receiving said second detent and constraining the travel of said second detent so that a step formed in said second groove blocks travel of said second detent when said second lock housing is in said unlocked configuration and so that a stop wall of said second groove blocks travel of said second detent when said second lock housing is in said locked configuration;said first groove having an open end in open communication with said first opening formed in said first lock housing when said first lock housing is in said unlocked configuration so that rotation of said first lock housing from said unlocked configuration to said locked configuration causes said first protuberance to enter into said first groove, thereby preventing separation of said cover from said base;said second groove having an open end in open communication with said second opening formed in said second lock housing when said second lock housing is in said unlocked configuration so that rotation of said second lock housing from said unlocked configuration to said locked configuration causes said second protuberance to enter into said second groove, thereby preventing separation of said cover from said base;a groove formed in said flat bottom walls of said depending sidewalls of said cover in circumscribing relation thereto;a thin, transparent sheet of plastic;a bead formed in a peripheral edge of said sheet of plastic, said bead being press fit into said groove so that said thin, transparent sheet of plastic closely overlies the operative face of said mobile device when said cover is latched to said base;said cover being unlatched from said base by manual rotation of said first and second lock housings. 6. The container of claim 5, further comprising: first and second lock members respectively having an “L” shape that includes a short leg and a long leg;a first recess formed in said first lock housing and a longitudinally-extending sidewall of said base and said cover at a leading end of said container;a second recess formed in said second lock housing and a longitudinally-extending sidewall of said base and said cover at a trailing end of said container;said first and second lock members having an open position that enables separation of said base and cover from one another and a closed position that prevents separation of said base and cover from one another;said first lock member being in said open position when the first lock member is pivoted so that the long leg of said first lock member is not disposed within said part of said first recess formed in said longitudinally-extending sidewall of said base and cover at said leading end of said container; andsaid second lock member being in said open position when the second lock member is pivoted so that the long leg of said second lock member is not disposed within said part of said second recess formed in said longitudinally-extending sidewall of said base and cover at said trailing end of said container;a first protrusion slideably mounted in said first rotatably mounted lock housing;said first protrusion being biased so that it extends into said first recess when in repose;a second protrusion slideably mounted in said second rotatably mounted lock housing;said second protrusion being biased so that it extends into said second recess when in repose;said respective protrusions abutting a flat end of said respective short walls when said first and second lock members are urged into their respective locked positions, such respective abutments preventing unwanted opening of said first and second lock members;said first and second lock members having respective unlocked, lifted positions that allows rotation of said first and second lock housings, respectively, said first and second lock members being respectively movable into said unlocked, lifted positions when the bias of said respective protrusions against respective flat ends of said short walls is manually overcome. 7. The container of claim 6, further comprising: said cover being unlatched from said base by manual rotation of said first and second lock members in opposite directions to one another, said first lock member being rotated clockwise when said second lock member is rotated counterclockwise and said said first lock member being rotated counterclockwise when said second lock member is rotated clockwise.