Protective case for mobile electronic device with storage compartment

Abstract

A protective case for a mobile device is disclosed. The back face of the protective case includes a removable and interchangeable back plate with tension cord that is designed to hold the user's personal items like ear buds, keys, credit cards, license, etc. Apertures and/or buttons are provided on the side walls and back face wall of the case to facilitate access and/or operation of the mobile device (e.g., volume buttons, silent switch, power and data port, on/off button, silent switch, speaker and microphone, and camera and flash/illumination controls). Various aspects of the construction and configuration of the case, back plate and storage compartment are disclosed.

1 . A protective case accessory for a mobile electronic device configured to be user attachable and removable from said mobile electronic device, wherein said mobile electronic device includes a thickness that is defined as the distance between a planar front face and a planar opposing back face of the mobile electronic device, a perimeter defined by top, bottom, right, and left sides residing between the front and back faces of the mobile electronic device, and corners defined at the intersecting regions of the sides, the front face of the mobile electronic device comprising an interactive touchscreen display, said protective case comprising:
 a device compartment defined by a front face, back face, left-side, right-side, top-side, and bottom side walls each having internal and external surfaces, wherein each of said walls provide corresponding protection to the front face and back faces and left, right, top and bottom sides respectively of the mobile device;   an aperture defined in the front face wall of the device compartment that is positioned to overlie the interactive touchscreen display when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment;   said aperture being defined by a projecting lip that is configured to overlie the front face of the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment; and   wherein the back face wall of the protective case includes a removable back plate with a flexible tension cord that extends across a storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate.   
     
     
         2 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said storage compartment is defined by a concave surface in the outer surface of the back plate. 
     
     
         3 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tension cord is comprised of an elastic band joined at its ends by a connector. 
     
     
         4 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tension cord is removably secured to said back plate via lacing slots. 
     
     
         5 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein back plate includes a perimeter lip that is securable to said back face wall by inserting said lip into a channel formed in said back face wall. 
     
     
         6 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said back face wall is formed of a first component and a second component, said first component being formed of material that is more rigid than said second component. 
     
     
         7 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said back face wall is formed of a first component and a second component, said first component being formed of material that is more rigid than said second component and wherein said back plate is formed of a material that is more rigid than said second component. 
     
     
         8 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment is integrally formed as part of the back plate. 
     
     
         9 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the back plate includes attachment tabs with openings therein and wherein said back face wall includes protrusions that are configured to be received within said openings when the back plate is secured to the back face wall. 
     
     
         10 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment formed into the back plate is secured within an opening that extends through the back face wall of the case. 
     
     
         11 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible tension cord extends multiple times across the storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate. 
     
     
         12 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible tension cord overlaps itself as it extends across the storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate. 
     
     
         13 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible tension cord overlaps itself multiple times as it extends across the storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate. 
     
     
         14 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tension cord is removably secured to said back plate via lacing slots and wherein said flexible tension cord is removable when the back plate is removed from the back face and not removable when the back plate is secured to the back face. 
     
     
         15 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible tension cord is removably secured to said back plate via lacing slots and wherein such lacing slots are covered by the back face when the back plate is attached to said back face. 
     
     
         16 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said back face further defines a camera ring opening and wherein said back plate is spaced from said camera ring opening. 
     
     
         17 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said storage compartment is dimensioned to receive one or more credit card and said tension cord is adapted to secure said one or more credit cards thereto. 
     
     
         18 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said storage compartment is dimensioned to receive one or more car keys or ear buds and said tension cord is adapted to secure said one or more car keys or ear buds thereto. 
     
     
         19 . The protective case of  claim 1 , wherein said case includes one or more additional apertures and one or more buttons on one or more of said side walls. 
     
     
         20 . A protective case accessory for a mobile electronic device configured to be user attachable and detachable from said mobile electronic device, wherein said mobile electronic device includes a thickness that is defined as the distance between a planar front face and a planar opposing back face of the mobile electronic device, a perimeter defined by top, bottom, right, and left sides residing between the front and back faces of the mobile electronic device, and corners defined at the intersecting regions of the sides, the front face of the mobile electronic device comprising an interactive touchscreen display, said protective case comprising:
 a device compartment defined by a front face, back face, left-side, right-side, top-side, and bottom side walls each having internal and external surfaces, wherein each of said walls provide corresponding protection to the front face and back faces and left, right, top and bottom sides respectively of the mobile device;   an aperture defined in the front face wall of the device compartment that is positioned to overlie the interactive touchscreen display when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment;   said aperture being defined by a projecting lip that is configured to overlie the front face of the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment;   said back face wall comprising a detachable back plate having inner and outer surfaces that define the internal and external surfaces, respectively, of the back face wall;   a storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate;   a flexible tension cord that extends multiple times over the storage compartment; and   said flexible tension cord being attached to said back plate such that it continues to extend across the storage compartment even when the back plate is detached from the protective case.