Case for a portable electronic device having rims and a material

Abstract

Provided a case having interchangeable parts that are coupled together to provide a protective casing for an electronic device, such as a smartphone. The case parts may comprise a first rim, a second rim and a material, such as a flexible material, to extend across a surface of the portable electronic device. The first rim includes one or more protrusions to extend through corresponding one or more openings of the material to extend the material across at least a side portion of the first rim between the first rim and the second rim. In further embodiments, the material may comprise a flexible material may be formed of a composite material comprising at least one mesh material and an additional layer.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A case for a portable electronic device including a first surface, a second surface, and sides between the first surface and the second surface, comprising:
 a first rim configured to couple with the portable electronic device and including at least one protrusion;   a second rim configured to couple with the portable electronic device and the first rim; and   a material configured to extend at least partially across the first surface of the portable electronic device and including at least one opening configured to receive the at least one protrusion extending through the at least one opening when the first rim, the material, and the second rim are coupled to the portable electronic device to form the case.   
     
     
         2 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the first rim is configured to couple with respect to the first surface of the portable electronic device and the second rim is configured to couple with the second surface of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         3 . The case of  claim 2 , wherein the first rim includes side walls that are configured to extend across sides of the portable electronic device and ledge portions including the at least one protrusion and extending orthogonal with respect to the side walls, wherein the material is configured to be positioned between the ledge portions and the first surface of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . The case of  claim 3 , wherein two of the ledge portions of the first rim opposite each other include the protrusions that are adapted to extend through the openings in the material to anchor the material when the material is positioned to extend across the first surface of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the first rim includes the protrusions on an outer surface of side walls of the first rim, wherein at least one side portion of the material is configured to extend at least partially across the outer surface at least one of the side walls of the first rim when the protrusion on the outer surface of the side walls extend through the openings in the material. 
     
     
         6 . The case of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 at least one opening in at least one side portion of the second rim configured to receive the at least one protrusion extending through the at least one opening in the at least one side portion of the material when the first rim, material, and second rim are coupled to the portable electronic device to form the case.   
     
     
         7 . The case of  claim 5 , wherein the first rim includes the protrusions on at least two of the side walls of the first rim opposite each other and adapted to stretch the material having the openings through which the protrusions extend across the first surface between the at least two side walls of the first rim when the material and the first and second rims are coupled to the portable electronic device to form the case. 
     
     
         8 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a flexible material, wherein the first rim and the second rim are formed of a rigid material, and wherein the first rim includes a plurality of protrusions adapted to extend through a plurality of openings of the flexible material and adapted to flex and extend the flexible material across the sides of the portable electronic device when the back rim, flexible material, and front rim are coupled to the portable electronic device to form the case. 
     
     
         9 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the first rim, second rim and material are configured to be separated into separate parts and to be coupled with the portable electronic device to form the case. 
     
     
         10 . A case for a portable electronic device including a first surface, a second surface, sides between the first surface and the second surface, comprising:
 a first rim for coupling to the first surface of the portable electronic device;   a second rim for coupling to the second surface of the portable electronic device; and   a flexible composite material configured to extend at least partially across the first surface of the portable electronic device, wherein the flexible composite material is positioned between the first rim and the first surface when the first rim and the second rim are coupled to the portable electronic device, and wherein the flexible composite material comprises at least one mesh material fused with at least one additional layer comprised of a material different from the mesh material.   
     
     
         11 . The case of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one additional layer comprises at least two film layers. 
     
     
         12 . The case of  claim 11 , wherein the at least two film layers are comprised of a thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         13 . The case of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one additional layer comprises a polyurethane plastic material that is more rigid than the mesh material. 
     
     
         14 . The case of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one mesh material is heat fused with the at least one additional layer. 
     
     
         15 . The case of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a plurality of protrusions on opposite sides of the first rim or the second rim;   a plurality of openings in the flexible composite material, wherein the openings and the protrusions are configured to have the protrusions extend through the openings to stretch the flexible composite material across the first surface.   
     
     
         16 . The case of  claim 15 , wherein the wherein the flexible composite material is permanently attached to the first rim. 
     
     
         17 . The case of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a plurality of interchangeable material bodies each comprised of the flexible composite material, wherein each of the interchangeable material bodies are configured to be separately positioned between the first rim and the first surface and extend across the first surface when the first rim and the second rim are coupled to the portable electronic device with the interchangeable material body between the first rim and the first surface.   
     
     
         18 . The case of  claim 10 , wherein the first surface comprises a back surface of the portable electronic device, the second surface comprises a front surface of the portable electronic device having user interface controls accessible through the case, the first rim comprises a back rim and the second rim comprises a front rim. 
     
     
         19 . A case for a portable electronic device including a first surface, a second surface, and sides between the first and the second surfaces, comprising:
 a first rim configured to couple with the first surface of the portable electronic device and including at least two protrusions;   a second rim configured to couple with the second surface of the portable electronic device and the first rim; and   a material configured to extend at least partially across the first surface of the portable electronic device and including at least two openings configured to receive the at least two protrusions that are adapted to extend through the at least two openings when the first rim, the material, and the second rim are coupled to the portable electronic device to form the case.   
     
     
         20 . The case of  claim 19 , wherein the first rim includes side walls that are configured to extend across sides of the portable electronic device and ledge portions including the at least two protrusions, wherein the ledge portions extend orthogonal with respect to the side walls, wherein the material is adapted to be positioned between the ledge portions and the first surface of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         21 . The case of  claim 20 , wherein two of the ledge portions of the first rim opposite each other include the protrusions that are adapted to extend through the openings in the material to anchor the material when the material is positioned to extend across the first surface of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         22 . The case of  claim 21 , wherein there is a space between the protrusions on the ledges and the side walls of the first rim. 
     
     
         23 . The case of  claim 19 , wherein the first rim includes an opening, wherein the material is configured to extend across the opening of the first rim when the protrusions extend through the openings in the material. 
     
     
         24 . The case of  claim 19 , wherein the second rim includes side walls having openings, wherein the protrusions on the ledge portions of the first rim comprise inner protrusions, wherein an outer surface of the side walls of the first rim include outer protrusions that are configured to extend through the openings on the side walls of the second rim to couple the first rim to the second rim when the first rim, the second rim, and the material are coupled to the portable electronic device to form the case. 
     
     
         25 . The case of  claim 19 , wherein the first surface comprises a back surface of the portable electronic device, the second surface comprises a front surface of the portable electronic device having user interface controls accessible through the case, the first rim comprises a back rim and the second rim comprises a front rim.