Protective case with embedded elastic cushion plates

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a protective case embedded with elastic cushion plates and applicable to a portable electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet PC, or e-book reader), which includes a case body made of a first elastic material (e.g., thermoplastic polyurethane) and having four sidewalls and four curved walls each connecting two adjacent sidewalls to jointly form a receiving space, and four elastic cushion plates made of a second elastic material (e.g., silicone) whose hardness is less than that of the first elastic material. Each curved wall is embedded with the elastic cushion plate. Thus, when the portable electronic device is fitted into the receiving space through an opening of the protective case, four corners of the portable electronic device lie against the elastic cushion plates respectively, so as to ensure that the elastic cushion plate can greatly reduces impact of an external force applied to the corner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective case with embedded elastic cushion plates, applicable to a portable electronic device, the protective case comprising:
 a case body made of a first elastic material and comprising four sidewalls and four curved walls, each said curved wall connecting two adjacent said sidewalls such that the curved walls and the sidewalls jointly form a receiving space surrounded by the curved walls and the sidewalls, the case body having a front end forming an opening, the opening being in communication with the receiving space and having a diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the receiving space, each said curved wall having an inner side concavely provided with an embedment groove; and   four elastic cushion plates made of a second elastic material having a hardness less than a hardness of the first elastic material, each said elastic cushion plate matching a corresponding one of the embedment grooves in configuration and being securely fitted in the corresponding embedment groove and thus firmly connected to the curved wall concavely provided with the corresponding embedment groove;   wherein after the portable electronic device is fitted into the receiving space through the opening, each said sidewall has an inner side lying against one of four peripheral sides of the portable electronic device, each said curved wall corresponds to one of four corners of the portable electronic device, and the four corners of the portable electronic device lie against the elastic cushion plates respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein each two adjacent said curved walls define a tangent line tangent to outer peripheries of the two adjacent curved walls, the sidewall between each two adjacent said curved walls has an outer side defining an extension line, each said tangent line and the portable electronic device jointly define a first distance therebetween, each said extension line and the portable electronic device jointly define a second distance therebetween, and each said first distance is greater than a corresponding said second distance. 
     
     
         3 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the curved walls and the sidewalls have rear ends joined together to form a rear wall at a rear end of the case body. 
     
     
         4 . The protective case of  claim 2 , wherein the curved walls and the sidewalls have rear ends joined together to form a rear wall at a rear end of the case body. 
     
     
         5 . The protective case of  claim 3 , wherein the case body is further provided with at least one pressing portion corresponding in position to a button of the portable electronic device and matching the button in configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The protective case of  claim 4 , wherein the case body is further provided with at least one pressing portion corresponding in position to a button of the portable electronic device and matching the button in configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The protective case of  claim 5 , wherein the pressing portion is provided with a press-facilitating groove extending through the pressing portion and being in communication with the receiving space of the case body. 
     
     
         8 . The protective case of  claim 6 , wherein the pressing portion is provided with a press-facilitating groove extending through the pressing portion and being in communication with the receiving space of the case body. 
     
     
         9 . The protective case of  claim 7 , wherein the first elastic material or the second elastic material is silicone, rubber, or thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         10 . The protective case of  claim 8 , wherein the first elastic material or the second elastic material is silicone, rubber, or thermoplastic polyurethane.