Mobile device case

Abstract

A protective case for housing a mobile device is provided. The protective case includes an upper assembly and a bottom assembly attachable to (and separable from) the upper assembly to form a watertight inner cavity therebetween. The resulting profile (i.e., external shape) of the protective case mirrors that of the mobile device installed therein. More particularly, the protective case generally includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and spaced-apart inner and outer perimeters extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The top surface of the case is made up of or includes the top surfaces of various other components of the case, and those component top surfaces are flush with one another such that the top surface of the case is completely flat (i.e., does not include an obtrusive raised protective rim).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A case for enclosing a four-sided mobile device with a top surface that extends between and connects the four sides of the mobile device, said case comprising:
 an upper assembly comprising a transparent screen membrane having four membrane sides forming a membrane perimeter and an upper assembly body extending around the membrane perimeter, wherein the screen membrane covers substantially the entire top surface of the mobile device, and wherein an upper surface of the screen membrane is flush with an upper surface of the upper assembly body along at least two of the four membrane sides; and   a bottom assembly attachable to the upper assembly body to form an inner cavity configured to house the mobile device between a bottom surface of the screen membrane and the bottom assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom assembly is attachable to the upper assembly such that the inner cavity is watertight. 
     
     
         3 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the upper assembly body includes a membrane track to support a portion of the bottom surface of the screen membrane. 
     
     
         4 . The case of  claim 3 , wherein the screen membrane is attached to the membrane track via an adhesive. 
     
     
         5 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the screen membrane comprises a touchpad membrane and an acoustic membrane. 
     
     
         6 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the upper assembly body comprises a membrane bezel surrounding the membrane perimeter, and wherein the upper surface of the screen membrane is flush with an upper surface of the membrane bezel along the at least two of the four membrane sides. 
     
     
         7 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the upper assembly body comprises a sidewall extending away from the screen membrane to define sides of the inner cavity against which the four sides of the mobile device seat when the mobile device is installed in the case. 
     
     
         8 . The case of  claim 1 , wherein the screen membrane is configured to allow for capacitive touch interaction with the mobile device across its entire top surface. 
     
     
         9 . A case for enclosing a four-sided mobile device with a top surface that extends between and connects the four sides of the mobile device, said case comprising:
 a transparent screen membrane configured to substantially cover at least the top surface of the mobile device,   a bottom assembly, and   an upper assembly body supporting the screen membrane such that an upper surface of the screen membrane is flush with an upper surface of the upper assembly body along at least two sides of the screen membrane, wherein the upper assembly body extends laterally between the screen membrane and the bottom assembly, and wherein a bottom surface of the screen membrane, an upper surface of the bottom assembly, and a sidewall of the upper assembly body form an inner cavity configured to house the mobile device.   
     
     
         10 . The case of  claim 9 , wherein the screen membrane is configured to have a length and width at least substantially equal to a length and width of the top surface of the mobile device. 
     
     
         11 . The case of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom assembly is attachable to the upper assembly such that the inner cavity is watertight. 
     
     
         12 . The case of  claim 9 , wherein the upper assembly body includes a membrane track to support a portion of the bottom surface of the screen membrane. 
     
     
         13 . The case of  claim 12 , wherein the screen membrane is attached to the membrane track via an adhesive. 
     
     
         14 . The case of  claim 10 , wherein the upper assembly body comprises a membrane bezel surrounding a perimeter of the screen membrane, and wherein the upper surface of the screen membrane is flush with an upper surface of the membrane bezel along the at least two sides of the screen membrane. 
     
     
         15 . A case for enclosing a four-sided mobile device with a top surface that extends between and connects the four sides of the mobile device, said case comprising:
 an upper assembly comprising a transparent screen membrane having four membrane sides forming a membrane perimeter and an upper assembly body extending around the membrane perimeter, wherein an upper surface of the screen membrane is flush with an upper surface of the upper assembly body along at least two of the four membrane sides, and wherein the upper assembly body includes a membrane track to support a bottom surface of the screen membrane; and   a bottom assembly attachable to the upper assembly body to form an inner cavity configured to house the mobile device between the bottom surface of the screen membrane and the bottom assembly.   
     
     
         16 . The case of  claim 15 , wherein the bottom assembly is attachable to the upper assembly such that the inner cavity is watertight. 
     
     
         17 . The case of  claim 15 , wherein the screen membrane is configured to substantially cover the entire top surface of the mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . The case of  claim 15 , wherein the screen membrane is configured to have a length and width at least substantially equal to a length and width of the top surface of the mobile device. 
     
     
         19 . The case of  claim 15 , wherein the screen membrane is attached to the membrane track via an adhesive. 
     
     
         20 . The case of  claim 15 , wherein the upper assembly body comprises a membrane bezel surrounding the membrane perimeter, and wherein the upper surface of the screen membrane is flush with an upper surface of the membrane bezel along the at least two of the four membrane sides.