U.S. patent application number 11/092414 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-12 for holster for cell phone or device with molded acoustic vents.
This patent application is currently assigned to A.G. Findings & Mfg. Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Harold S. Goradesky.
Application Number | 20060226039 11/092414 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37082152 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060226039 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goradesky; Harold S. |
October 12, 2006 |
Holster for cell phone or device with molded acoustic vents
Abstract
The holster for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic
device includes a back panel and a front panel which are attached
about their respective edge regions to form a capture cavity for
the cell phone or device. The front panel has a smooth plastic
shield region formed as a one piece shield. A plurality of acoustic
vents formed as through passages are defined by the smooth plastic
shield.
Inventors: |
Goradesky; Harold S.; (Fort
Lauderdale, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROBERT C. KAIN, JR.
750 SOUTHEAST THIRD AVENUE
SUITE 100
FT LAUDERDALE
FL
333161153
US
|
Assignee: |
A.G. Findings & Mfg. Co.,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
37082152 |
Appl. No.: |
11/092414 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/320 ;
206/701 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 5/02 20130101; A45F
5/021 20130101; A45C 2011/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/320 ;
206/701 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/00 20060101
B65D085/00 |
Claims
1. A holster for a cellular telephone or personal electronic device
comprising: a back panel; a front panel having edge regions
attached to said back panel to form a capture cavity therebetween
for said cell phone or personal electronic device therein, said
front panel having a smooth plastic shield region formed as a
one-piece, integral shield with said front panel; and a plurality
of acoustic vents formed as through passages in said shield
region.
2. A holster as claimed in claim 1 wherein said back panel and said
front panel each have a respective top edge, opposing side edges
and a bottom edge, respective side edges joined together and said
respective bottom edges joined together and said respective top
edges spaced apart to form a mouth for said capture cavity.
3. A holster as claimed in claim 2 wherein said one-piece, integral
shield region is disposed at least in a lower region spaced from
said top edge of said front panel such that audio signals from said
cell phone or personal electronic device emanate through said
acoustic vents.
4. A holster as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one-piece, integral
shield region has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not
protrude above said top surface.
5. A holster as claimed in claim 4 wherein said acoustic vents are
grouped near each other in said one-piece, integral shield region
and said one-piece, integral shield region includes a stress relief
channel about said grouped acoustic vents.
6. A holster as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front panel
includes a synthetic fabric panel attached to said one-piece,
integral shield region.
7. A holster as claimed in claim 3 wherein said one-piece, integral
shield region has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not
protrude above said top surface.
8. A holster as claimed in claim 7 wherein said acoustic vents are
grouped near each other in said one-piece, integral shield region
and said one-piece, integral shield region includes a stress relief
channel about said grouped acoustic vents.
9. A holster as claimed in claim 8 wherein said front panel
includes a synthetic fabric panel attached to said one-piece,
integral shield region.
10. A holster for a cellular telephone or personal electronic
device comprising: a back panel; a front panel made of two
different cover layers and said front panel having edge regions
attached to said back panel to form a capture cavity therebetween
for said cell phone or personal electronic device therein, one of
said two different cover layers being a smooth plastic shield
formed as a one-piece, integral shield with the other of said two
different cover layers forming said front panel; and a plurality of
acoustic vents formed as through passages in said smooth plastic
shield.
11. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said back panel and
said front panel each have a respective top edge, opposing side
edges and a bottom edge, respective side edges joined together and
said respective bottom edges joined together and said respective
top edges spaced apart to form a mouth for said capture cavity.
12. A holster as claimed in claim 11 wherein said smooth plastic
shield is disposed at least in a lower region of said front panel
and spaced from said top edge of said front panel such that audio
signals from said cell phone or personal electronic device emanate
through said acoustic vents.
13. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said smooth plastic
shield has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not protrude
above said top surface.
14. A holster as claimed in claim 13 wherein said acoustic vents
are grouped near each other in said smooth plastic shield and
shield includes a stress relief channel about said grouped acoustic
vents.
15. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said other of said two
different cover layers is a synthetic fabric cover panel attached
to said smooth plastic shield.
16. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said smooth plastic
shield has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not protrude
above said top surface.
17. A holster as claimed in claim 16 wherein said acoustic vents
are grouped near each other in said smooth plastic shield and
shield includes a stress relief channel about said grouped acoustic
vents.
18. A holster as claimed in claim 17 wherein said other of said two
different cover layers is a synthetic fabric cover panel attached
to said smooth plastic shield.
19. A holster as claimed in claim 9 wherein said plurality of
acoustic vents are dispersed in a quarter moon shape about said
lower region.
20. A holster as claimed in claim 18 wherein said plurality of
acoustic vents are dispersed in a quarter moon shape about said
lower region.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a holster for a cellular
telephone or other personal electronic device (such as a personal
data assistant (PDA), MP3 player, Blackberry, Ipod, etc.) wherein
the holster includes a plurality of acoustic vents to enhance the
emanation of audio signals
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Holsters which carry cell phones and other personal
electronic devices (identified above) commonly block or inhibit
acoustic or audio sounds emanating from the cell phone or device.
Holsters are generally designed to completely enclose the cell
phone or device except for a top region of the phone or device. The
balance of the cell phone or device is encased by the holster for
security purposes and to protect the device from bumps and knocks.
The cell phone or device should be entrapped by the holster such
that the device does not fall from the holster and such that the
holster and phone or device is securely mounted on a belt, strap,
purse strap or pants fabric belt. One type of prior art device
utilized a front panel and a rear panel and both panels included a
metal rivet with a plurality of holes through the rivet. The rivet
extended through the holster panel and also protruded above the
surface of the panel. This prior art device was inadequate because
the metal rivet would scrape and mar the cell phone or device
captured by the holster and also cause fraying and deterioration of
the holster panel due to the raised aspect of the rivet above the
surfacing panel. In other words, the user would bump and scrap the
outside of the panel thereby catching the rivet on objects,
doorways and walls and this impact on walls and doors caused (a)
cell phone deterioration and (b) holster deterioration due to
fraying by the rivet. Other prior art devices simply include fabric
holsters which have a plurality of holes through the fabric. These
holes through the fabric, after extended use, deteriorate and fray.
The frayed material then covers and closes the holes after
continued use. The frayed material muffles the sounds from the cell
phone.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
holster for a cell phone or other personal electronic device which
has a plurality of acoustic vents formed in a smooth plastic shield
region on the front panel of the holster.
[0004] It is another object of the present invention to provide
acoustic vents which do not protrude above the smooth plastic
shield panel portion.
[0005] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
acoustic vents which are molded into the plastic shield thereby
eliminating fraying and deterioration due to constant use
(insertion and removal of the cell phone or other device in the
holster).
[0006] It is an additional object of the present invention to
provide a plurality of acoustic vents in a group in the smooth
plastic shield and further include a stress relief channel about
the grouped acoustic vents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The holster for a cellular telephone or a personal
electronic device includes a back panel and a front panel which are
attached about their respective edge regions to form a capture
cavity for the cell phone or device. The front panel has a smooth
plastic shield region formed as a one piece shield. A plurality of
acoustic vents formed as through passages are defined by the smooth
plastic shield.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Further objects and advantages of the present invention can
be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0009] FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the holster carrying a
cell phone or other device;
[0010] FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a cross-sectional view
of the smooth plastic shield and a plurality of acoustic vents;
[0011] FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a holster with a
different configuration of the acoustic vents and further
illustrates a stress relief channel about the acoustic vent
area;
[0012] FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the acoustic vents
formed as elongated cut-outs in the smooth plastic shield; and
[0013] FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates acoustic vents having a
different shape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The present invention relates to a holster for a cellular
telephone or other personal electronic device (identified above)
which includes a plurality of acoustic vents to promote the
emanation of audio sounds from the cell phone or device while the
cell phone or device is in the holster.
[0015] FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates holster 12 retaining
cell phone or other device 10 in a capture cavity 14. Capture
cavity 14 is formed between back panel 16 and front panel 18. Front
panel 18 includes two different cover layers, a first cover layer
or panel portion 20 and a second cover layer or panel portion 22.
The second cover layer panel is a smooth plastic shield. The smooth
plastic shield 22 has an outer surface 24 which is smooth
throughout its surface area.
[0016] A plurality of acoustic vents, one of which is vent 26, are
integrally formed in the smooth plastic shield 24. In FIG. 1, left
and right vent regions 28, 30 are formed in the smooth plastic
shield 22. The location of vent regions 28, 30 are meant to
correspond, in some general sense, with speaker region 32 of cell
phone or device 10. Of course, the acoustic speaker region 32 of
the cell phone or personal electronic device may be at various
locations on the front surface 33 of the cell phone or device.
Accordingly, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show various types of acoustic vents
and various groupings of the acoustic vents in the smooth plastic
shield panel region 22 of front panel 18. In a preferred
embodiment, panel layer 20 is coarse woven nylon that has a degree
of elasticity to stretch to enhance the grip capabilities of the
panel and capture cavity 14 between front panel 18 and rear panel
16. A flip over strap 40 may be snap attached or Velcro attached to
front panel 18. Further, back panel 16 and front panel 18 may be
stitched together as shown in FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a portion of the smooth
plastic shield 22 having a smooth outer surface 24 and a plurality
of acoustic vents 31 a-31 d. Since the vents are formed by direct
molding with the smooth plastic shield, there is little or no
opportunity for the events to fray during use.
[0018] FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates another embodiment of
the holster 12. In FIG. 3, front panel 18 includes a top edge 50,
side edges 52, 54, and a bottom edge 56. Back panel 16 includes top
edge 55, side edges 57, 59 and a bottom edge which is attached to
bottom edge 56 of front panel 18. Respective side edges 52, 57 of
the top panel and the back panel are attached together as are side
edges 59, 54 of the back panel and the front panel. The top edges
50, 55 are generally spaced apart to form a mouth for the capture
cavity. Cell phone or device 10 is inserted into the capture cavity
by insertion through the mouth between top edges 20, 55.
[0019] The synthetic cloth panel portion 20 of top panel 18 is
generally disposed in a central and an upper region and smooth
plastic shield panel portion 22 is disposed in lower portion 60 of
front panel 18. A plurality of acoustic vents, one of which is vent
26, is disposed in a quarter moon configuration in lower region 60
of front panel 18. The quarter moon configuration enhances the
probability that the vents will be atop the speaker element of the
cell phone or device. Further, smooth plastic shield 22 includes a
stress relief channel 62 which may assist in promoting the
emanation of audio signals through the acoustic vents (the relief
channel may direct the sound waves to the vent regions) and also
assist in permitting the lower portion 60 of front panel 18 to
expand or move outward when the user forces cell phone or device 10
deep into the capture channel. Of course, the lower edge of the
cell phone or device 10 is disposed in the lower region 60 of the
capture channel as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1. The
continual insertion, withdraw and subsequent insertion of the cell
phone or device would weaken the smooth plastic shield 22 disposed
in lower region 60 of front panel 18. Stress relief channel reduces
the concentration of forces to specific locations.
[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic vents are smooth and do not
protrude above the top surface of the plastic panel. This feature
is shown in FIG. 3 also.
[0021] FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates another embodiment of
the present invention. In FIG. 4, acoustic vents are configured as
elongated slits, one of which is slit or cut-out channel 70. Stress
relief channel 62 is also formed in the smooth plastic shield 22
about the plurality of acoustic vents formed as slits in lower
region 60 of front panel 18.
[0022] FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates another embodiment of
holster 12 wherein inverted V-shaped cut-outs form the acoustic
vents, one of which is vent 32, in smooth plastic shield panel
portion 22.
[0023] The claims appended hereto are meant to cover modifications
and changes within the scope and spirit of the present
invention.
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