U.S. patent application number 11/582093 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-10 for glove with cuff mounted holder for cell phone.
Invention is credited to John R. Turner.
Application Number | 20070101479 11/582093 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38034738 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070101479 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Turner; John R. |
May 10, 2007 |
Glove with cuff mounted holder for cell phone
Abstract
The present invention relates to a glove or mitten having a
pocket or other similar holder for a cell phone positioned against
the wrist of the wearer. The pocket has a mouth opening toward the
glove wrist so that the phone is easily removed from the pocket
either simultaneously with removal of the glove or without
requiring the removal of the glove. The location of the phone on
the wrist allows the wearer to more readily hear the "ring" of an
incoming call or feel an alert if vibration of the phone is used as
an incoming call alert.
Inventors: |
Turner; John R.; (Durango,
CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Kenton L. Freudenberg;Freudenberg and Associates
P.O. Box 841
Durango
CO
81302
US
|
Family ID: |
38034738 |
Appl. No.: |
11/582093 |
Filed: |
October 17, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60727890 |
Oct 17, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/159 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 27/205 20130101;
A41D 19/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/159 |
International
Class: |
A41D 19/00 20060101
A41D019/00 |
Claims
1. A glove to be worn be a person comprising a hand-surrounding
portion and cuff portion, said cuff portion having an opening for
receiving the hand and arm of the wearer, said cuff portion having
retention means for releasably securing a small item, said
retention means being located on the interior wall of said cuff and
adjacent the wrist of the wearer
2. A glove according to claim 1 wherein said retention means is
located to secure the item to be adjacent the palm-side surface of
the wearer's wrist.
3. A glove according to claim 1 wherein said retention means is a
closable pocket located adjacent the palm-side surface of the
wearer's wrist.
4. A glove to be worn be a person comprising a hand-surrounding
portion and cuff portion, said cuff portion having an opening for
receiving the hand and arm of the wearer, said cuff portion having
pocket means for releasably holding a cell phone, said pocket means
being located on the interior wall of said cuff and adjacent the
wrist of the wearer, said pocket means having a mouth opening
toward the cuff opening.
5. A glove according to claim 4 wherein said pocket means includes
closure means for securing said pocket in a closed
configuration
6. A glove according to claim 5 wherein said pocket means is
constructed from a thin fabric.
7. A glove according to claim 5 wherein said closure means
comprises a drawstring around the glove cuff.
8. A glove according to claim 5 wherein said closure means
comprises a mating hook-and-loop fastener.
9. A glove according to claim 4 wherein said glove further is
thermally insulated and pocket means is within said thermal
insulation.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is related to and claims priority to
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/727,890, filed Oct. 17,
2005, the contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a glove or mitten having a
pocket positioned on the interior wall of the cuff at the wrist of
the wearer for carrying a cell phone or similar device and allowing
the device to be quickly and easily removed simultaneously with
removal of the glove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Use of portable cell phones has become nearly universal.
Common methods of carrying such phones include dedicated "holsters"
or simply placing the phone in the pocket of clothing. However in
circumstances such as outdoor use in cold weather where a user is
wearing substantially more clothing and hand coverings such as
gloves, such methods of carrying a cell phone typically make the
phone more difficult to access and may inhibit the ability of the
user to recognize an incoming call, commonly signaled by an audible
sound or vibration of the device.
[0004] Because cell phones have become very small, their operation
typically requires some manual dexterity. The difficulty of
operating a phone while wearing gloves has been recognized and
addressed in part by devices such that shown in U.S. patent
application 20040064870. While the device disclosed in that
application is intended to simplify the operation of a phone while
wearing a glove, it does nothing to address the accessibility of a
cell phone or improve the users ability to recognize the alert of
an incoming call. U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,310 to Gray also discloses a
cell phone in the form of a glove. In contrast to the present
invention, the Gray device does not provide for use of a glove in
conjunction with an ordinary consumer cell phone, instead providing
a device having only a permanent glove configuration. U.S. Pat. No.
4,6709,09 to Forrester discloses a glove configuration having an
external pocket. U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,073 to Todd discloses a glove
with a pocket located on the outside of the glove cuff, i.e.,
toward the back of the wearer's hand, and accessible from the
exterior of the glove.
[0005] The present invention is generally directed to a wrist
mounted holder for a cell phone and, in particular, an improved
glove or mitten including having a pocket or similar securement
means for holding a cell phone on a wearer's wrist where it is
readily accessible. By virtue of the location of the phone within
the glove on the inside of the user's wrist, the user can nearly
simultaneously remove the glove and gain access to the phone which
is positioned to drop into the users palm or fingers as the glove
is removed. Additionally, the signal of an incoming call is more
readily heard and/or sensed.
[0006] By positioning a phone on the interior wall of the glove
cuff and adjacent the inside of the wrist the phone is relatively
well protected, is adjacent as to a portion of the body which is
relatively sensitive to the vibration of an incoming call alert and
is does not interfere with hand and wrist movement of the wearer.
The phone is also located within the insulation of a glove to
preserve battery life under cold conditions.
[0007] Although the present invention is particularly well suited
to gloves used for cold conditions, it is equally well suited to
any type of glove including, for example, work gloves or welding
gloves.
[0008] It is also to be understood that while the wrist cuff holder
of the present invention is particularly well suited to use with a
cell phone, it is equally well suited to carrying any suitably
sized item or device so as to provide ready access to such device,
especially when a having bare hand may be desirable to use or
operate such device. Examples of such items or devices may include
electronic devices such as GPS receivers, pagers, portable two way
radios, compact cameras, calculators, small flashlights, or common
items such as tools, keys, money, or credit cards.
[0009] Use of such a liner or other similar structure gives the
additional possibility of providing an inexpensive accessory to
allow any existing glove to be "retrofitted" to achieve the
benefits of the invention.
[0010] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide the
user with quick and easy access, with minimal movement, to a cell
phone while engaging in outdoor activities, sports, work, or other
activities in which the participant may be wearing gloves or
mittens.
[0011] It is another object of the invention to provide an
accessory for holding a standard cell phone on a user's wrist.
[0012] It is an object of the invention to allow the user to detect
incoming calls when noise levels prevent the user from hearing a
ring tone.
[0013] It is another object of the invention to allow the user to
detect incoming calls when clothing, especially winter or
protective gear, would inhibit the user's ability to easily detect
a vibration or hear a ring tone from phone carried in a pocket or
typical cell phone carrier.
[0014] It is another object of the invention to facilitate the
sensing of the vibration of an incoming call alert in privacy
without other persons being annoyed by a ring tone.
[0015] It is another object of the invention to allow the user to
immediately detect the location of his/her cell phone when
receiving and incoming call by allowing positioning a vibrating
alert against the skin of the wrist attached to the hand that will
hold the cell phone during a call.
[0016] It is another object of the invention to position a cell
phone for quick release into a user's palm and in an orientation
that aligns the cell phone so that it slides into the user's palm
already oriented for use.
[0017] It is another object of the invention to keep the cell phone
close to a portion of the user's body to keeps the phone warm and
prolong the battery life under cold conditions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating the general configuration
the preferred embodiment of the present invention, namely, a glove
incorporating the cell phone pocket in the wrist cuff.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a plan side view corresponding to FIG. 1 and
showing a larger plan view of the cuff portion.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing the
orientation of the phone as it is removed from the pocket.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. I showing a thin
liner glove having an external pocket mounted on the wrist cuff
portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] The present invention in its preferred form is a glove or
mitten as might be typically for cold weather outdoor activities
and having a wrist cuff of sufficient length to accommodate a
pocket or other means of securement capable of holding and securing
a small portable cell telephone.
[0023] In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, a typical
cold weather glove or mitten 1 is provided with a cuff 2 which
generally surrounds and extends past the wrist of the wearer
sufficiently far enough to provide a space within the cuff to
accommodate a cell phone 5. A pocket 3 is attached to or
incorporated into the inner wall of the cuff. As shown in FIG. 3,
the pocket is preferably located on the palm side (which is herein
also referred to as the "inside") of the wrist to allow removing
the phone from its pocket simultaneously with removing the glove.
In such case the phone is already oriented as it is likely to be
held by the user. The pocket is sized to snugly fit a typical cell
phone and is preferably made of thin and flexible fabric which has
the benefit that a vibrating alert of the phone can be readily
sensed through the material. In contrast, thicker and stiffer
materials such as neoprene or even flexible plastics, such as those
used for watchbands, are less suitable for maintaining the
sensitivity to a vibrating alert.
[0024] The mouth 4 of the pocket is preferably oriented toward the
opening in the cuff to allow the phone to be easily inserted and
removed from the pocket. It will generally be desirable to provide
means of closure for the pocket to hold the phone in place. This
closure can be any of numerous well known structures including
elastic, zippers, hook and loop fasteners ("Velcro"), snaps, a
drawstring and may include a flap on the pocket as well. A simple
and functional closure can be provided by a drawstring or elastic
closure 6 encircling the cuff to serve the dual purpose of
simultaneously sealing the glove cuff and the pocket opening.
[0025] Although a pocket provides a simple and secure structure for
removably retaining a phone within a glove, other appropriate
structures may also be used to achieve the same benefits as have
been described. These include but are not limited to clips with
corresponding mating portions on the glove and phone respectively,
hook and loop fasteners, "holster" style phone retainers within the
glove.
[0026] While the present invention is most suited to being
incorporated as an internal pocket of an heavy or insulated glove,
an alternative as shown in FIG. 3 holds the phone in a pocket 13
mounted on the inside or outside of the interior of wrist cuff 2 of
a thin glove 11. Such a configuration may be suitable for use with
a "liner" glove, typically a snug fitting glove of thinner
material, used in conjunction with a thicker insulated glove. Such
a glove may be thin enough so that it need not be removed in order
to operate a cell phone. Use of such a liner or other similar
structure gives the additional possibility of providing an
inexpensive accessory to allow any existing glove to be
"retrofitted" to achieve the benefits of the invention.
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