Logitech has, after 34 years, taken the "tech" out of its name for the more fun consumer products it has planned in future.

Logi, as they will be branded, represents a new, colourful and fun outlook for the Swiss accessory firm and the first product to launch under that moniker is Blok, a series of iPad cases that offer high end protection but without the ugliness of ruggedised rivals.

Pocket-lint visited Cork in Ireland to go behind the scenes at Logitech's design labs to see exactly why the company feels Blok is a breakthrough in case technology - and to smash a few iPads for good measure.

The Blok range comes in three guises, a Logi Blok Protective Shell, Blok Protective Case with a flap cover, and a Blok Protective Keyboard Case which comes with a detachable Bluetooth keyboard to essentially turn your iPad into a Surface-style workstation.

Each has the same basic rectangular design as that's the part that will protect your iPad from a staggering 6ft (1.8 metre) drop. And it completely works - we saw it in action.

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The Logitech engineering team told us that more often than not, when dropped, an iPad will land on an edge or corner, with the corner hit being the most devastating to an unprotected device. That's why the Swiss company set about trying to find a solution, one that both prevents damage to an iPad that has been dropped from a considerable height, but also one that remains stylish and doesn't make it look like a ruggedised work tablet.

The answer came after a year of design planning and prototype model building. The exterior of the shell is rectangular and simple to meet modern design tropes, while the protective barrier inside is a clever mesh of rubber that has gaps cunningly placed to absorb shock.

That way, when the iPad is dropped on any side but specifically the corner, the rubber inside the shell expands into the gaps, rapidly slowing the iPad down before it makes contact with the floor. The result is an iPad that remains completely usable and, to our eye, free of damage of any kind. The alternative is a smashed screen and a device you wouldn't want to continue using.

It's very clever stuff.

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The simple protective shell comes with a screen protector in the form of a piece of plastic that must be carefully placed over the existing screen, but if you really care that much about your device you will probably opt for one of the other Blok systems as they both provide full covers.

The keyboard version also comes with Logitech's any angle stand that can really be manoeuvred to hold the iPad in any position you choose. What is different about this keyboard case to others the company has introduced in the past is that rather than a rechargeable battery, it comes with two coin cell batteries in the box and they will last four years if you used the keyboard two hours a day every single day.

In the hand, the case does add a bit of weight to the device, whichever one you choose. Even the basic protective shell gives an iPad Air 2 a bit of beef. And an iPad inside the keyboard case weighs in at around 600g in total.

However, those who worry that their hugely expensive tablets might be smashed beyond repair will find the added weight (and girth) a necessary side effect for around the clock protection. And let's face it, all iPad cases add weight and size to the device.

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The Logi Blok cases will be available from August in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and some other European countries.

The Logi Blok Protective Shell will retail for £29.99 and be available for both iPad Air 2 and all models of iPad mini. It will come in black, red with a violet interior or teal with a darker blue interior.

The Logi Blok Protective Case, with the front flap, will be available for iPad Air 2 only and cost £49.99. It will also come in the same colours as the Shell, although the front cover has a two colour motif.

Finally, the Logi Blok Protective Keyboard Case will cost £99.99 and be available for iPad Air 2 only. It will be ranged in either black or teal/blue.