Protective case with tools for portable electronic device

Abstract

Protective cases and related components for cellular phones or other such portable electronic devices are disclosed. The cases may be used to encompass and protect the portable electronic device, while at the same time allowing a user to store, carry, and more effectively utilize discrete tools or sets of tools and accessories. In particular, protective cases for portable electronic devices are provided that include a shell, storage compartments, tools, and an integrated bracing member. Other protective cases for portable electronic devices are provided that include a shell and a swappable tool package. Various swappable tool packages are also provided that are designed to be housed in and fully removable from a protective case for portable electronic devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective case for a portable electronic device, the protective case comprising:
 a shell shaped to define a cavity to receive and hold a portable electronic device in a form fitting relationship, the shell being shaped to protect the portable electronic device and to provide an opening for user interface access to the portable electronic device;   one or more storage compartments formed in the shell and having openings to an exterior of the shell;   one or more tools having stored positions within the storage compartments and movable through the openings to deployed positions extending to the exterior of the shell, wherein the tools comprise at least one integrated tool coupled to the shell and configured to remain coupled to the shell in a corresponding deployed position; and   an integrated bracing member formed in the shell to mechanically reinforce the protective case during integrated tool use.   
     
     
         2 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises:
 a rear wall covering a rear portion of the portable electronic device when the device is positioned in the cavity of the shell; and   left and right side walls that extend from the rear wall for covering left and right side portions of the portable electronic device, respectively.   
     
     
         3 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the shell is a unitary structure with the one or more storage compartments being formed as part of the integrated bracing member. 
     
     
         4 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the shell is a composite structure comprising the integrated bracing member and a separate tool storage member shaped to define the one or more storage compartments. 
     
     
         5 . The protective case of  claim 4 , wherein the integrated bracing member is formed as a backplate abutting the separate tool storage member or as a band surrounding the separate tool storage member. 
     
     
         6 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the integrated bracing member is formed from one or a combination of: aluminum, titanium, zinc, steel, glass-filled nylon, or carbon-fiber. 
     
     
         7 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the integrated bracing member comprises one or more non-conductive windows arranged to allow electromagnetic signals to pass therethrough to and from the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more tools further comprise at least one removable tool that is detachable from the shell in a corresponding deployed position. 
     
     
         9 . The protective case of  claim 8 , wherein the removable tool is accessible via a disconnectable slider that protrudes from the shell for user access and decouples from the removable tool in the corresponding deployed position. 
     
     
         10 . The protective case of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring or detent mechanism coupling at least one of the storage compartments to the integrated tool to retain and lock the integrated tool into the corresponding deployed position. 
     
     
         11 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one integrated tool comprises a pair of thin pliers formed from first and second independently-mounted levers. 
     
     
         12 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one integrated tool comprises a thin Allen wrench head portion or a thin Phillips head screwdriver head portion having exactly two tangs disposed opposite one another in the respective head portion. 
     
     
         13 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more storage compartments form a swappable tool package that is fully removable from the shell. 
     
     
         14 . The protective case of  claim 13 , wherein the swappable tool package comprises a first set of tools adapted for a first user activity and is swappable with a second set of tools adapted for a second user activity. 
     
     
         15 . A protective case for a portable electronic device, the protective case comprising:
 a shell shaped to define a cavity to receive and hold a portable electronic device in a form fitting relationship, the shell being shaped to protect the portable electronic device and to provide an opening for user interface access to the portable electronic device; and   a swappable tool package housed in and fully removable from the shell, the swappable tool package comprising:
 one or more storage compartments; and 
 one or more tools having stored positions within the storage compartments and deployed positions outside of the storage compartments. 
   
     
     
         16 . The protective case of  claim 15 , wherein the swappable tool package comprises a first set of tools adapted for a first user activity and is swappable with a second set of tools adapted for a second user activity. 
     
     
         17 . The protective case of  claim 15 , wherein the shell comprises:
 a rear wall covering a rear portion of the portable electronic device when the device is positioned in the cavity of the shell; and   left and right side walls that extend from the rear wall for covering left and right side portions of the portable electronic device, respectively,   wherein the swappable tool package is housed in and fully removable from the rear wall of the shell.   
     
     
         18 . A swappable tool package designed to be housed in and fully removable from a protective case for a portable electronic device, the swappable tool package comprising:
 one or more storage compartments; and   one or more tools having stored positions within the storage compartments and deployed positions outside of the storage compartments.   
     
     
         19 . The swappable tool package of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more tools comprise a first set of tools adapted for a first user activity. 
     
     
         20 . The swappable tool package of  claim 19 , wherein first set of tools are swappable with a second set of tools adapted for a second user activity.