U.S. patent application number 11/766378 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for holder for an electronic device.
Invention is credited to Steven C. Dixon, Harald Richter.
Application Number | 20080110946 11/766378 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46328908 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080110946 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dixon; Steven C. ; et
al. |
May 15, 2008 |
HOLDER FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE
Abstract
A holder for an electronic device comprises a clip, a hub and a
plurality of arms. The hub is removably engaged with the clip. The
plurality of arms extends from the hub, each arm having a proximal
end connected to the hub and a distal end having a pocket shaped to
receive a corner of the electronic device. Each pocket may be
shaped to substantially surround the corresponding received corner.
The holder may comprise four arms extending radially from the hub
such that the arms form an X shape. The arms may be semi-rigid. The
clip may further comprise a swivel connector, such that the hub is
engaged with the clip via the swivel connector.
Inventors: |
Dixon; Steven C.; (Carlsbad,
CA) ; Richter; Harald; (Englesbrand, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Thomas & Raring, P.C.
536 GRANITE AVENUE
RICHMOND
VA
23226
US
|
Family ID: |
46328908 |
Appl. No.: |
11/766378 |
Filed: |
June 21, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
29250338 |
Nov 10, 2006 |
D560068 |
|
|
11766378 |
|
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|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/197 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 11/0241 20130101;
H04M 1/04 20130101; A45F 2005/025 20130101; A45F 2200/0516
20130101; A45F 5/021 20130101; A45F 5/02 20130101; B60R 2011/0059
20130101; B60R 2011/0071 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/197 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/00 20060101
B65D025/00 |
Claims
1. A holder for an electronic device, the holder comprising: a
clip; a hub removably engaged with the clip; and a plurality of
arms extending from the hub, each arm having a proximal end
connected to the hub and a distal end having a pocket shaped to
receive a corner of the electronic device.
2. The holder of claim 1, wherein each pocket is shaped to
substantially surround the corresponding received corner.
3. The holder of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises four arms
extending radially from the hub such that the arms form an X
shape.
4. The holder of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises three arms,
and wherein the pocket of one arm is shaped to receive two corners
of the electronic device.
5. The holder of claim 1, wherein the arms are semi-rigid.
6. The holder of claim 1, wherein the clip further comprises a
swivel connector, and wherein the hub is engaged with the clip via
the swivel connector.
7. The holder of claim 6, wherein the clip further comprises a
retractable protrusion and wherein the hub defines a hole for
receiving the protrusion, such that the protrusion, in a
non-retracted state, maintains the hub and clip in engagement, and
such that retraction of the protrusion allows disengagement of the
hub and clip.
8. The holder of claim 6, wherein the hub comprises two parallel
ridges extending laterally, and wherein the clip comprises two
parallel channels adapted to slidably receive the ridges.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design
application Ser. No. 29/250,338, filed Nov. 10, 2006, the contents
of which are incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to holders for electronic
devices, and, more particularly, to a swiveling, removable holder
that is lightweight and not bulky yet capable of securely holding
and protecting the device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Cellphones and other portable electronic devices, including
email/text messaging devices (e.g., g BlackBerry.TM.) and portable
media players (e.g., iPod.TM.), are widely used. Many users carry
their devices with them at all times, resulting in a great demand
for holders that facilitate the carrying of the devices, often
clipped to the user's belt, waistband, purse strap, etc. The wide
variety of different devices (i.e., different models, sizes, and
configurations), as well as the different user preferences, has
resulted in the development of many different types of holders.
[0004] One known type of holder for portable electronic devices
comprises a case constructed of a soft, flexible material such as
leather or vinyl. Such a case may fully enclose the device, or may
have openings at the keypad, the speaker, and/or the microphone.
Such a case may have a clip, and may be permanently or removably
attached to the clip. If the case is permanently attached to the
clip, the user typically must remove the device from the case or
remove the clip from the user's belt, waistband, etc. in order to
use the device. It may be difficult and awkward to remove the
device from the case or to remove the clip from the user's belt,
and, once removed, the device is no longer protected from damage.
If the case is removably attached to the clip, the user typically
detaches the case from the clip in order to use the device.
Unfortunately, the soft material provides little, if any,
protection from damage if the device is dropped by the user.
Leather cases or cases made of a similar material are very
labor-intensive, and therefore expensive, to manufacture. Such
cases are also difficult to manufacture to a precise size that is
desirable to snugly hold the device.
[0005] Another known type of holder for portable electronic devices
comprises a frame or cradle that snaps onto the top and bottom of
the device, with the frame typically having small tabs that engage
with small recesses in the top and bottom edges of the device to
help hold the frame and the device together. Such a frame typically
has a clip, and may be permanently or removably attached to the
belt clip. If the frame is permanently attached to the clip, the
user typically must remove the device from the frame or remove the
clip from the user's belt in order to use the device. It may be
difficult and awkward to remove the device from the frame or to
remove the clip from the user's belt, and, once removed, the device
is no longer protected from damage. If the frame is removably
attached to the clip, the user typically detaches the frame from
the clip in order to use the device. Unfortunately, the frame
typically provides little, if any, protection from damage to the
sides and corners of the device if the device is dropped by the
user.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention overcomes the above-noted and other
shortcomings of the prior art by providing a novel and improved
holder for portable electronic devices that is lightweight and not
bulky, yet capable of securely holding and protecting the device.
In one embodiment of the invention, a holder for an electronic
device comprises a clip, a hub and a plurality of arms. The hub is
removably engaged with the clip. The plurality of arms extends from
the hub, each arm having a proximal end connected to the hub and a
distal end having a pocket shaped to receive a corner of the
electronic device. Each pocket may be shaped to substantially
surround the corresponding received corner.
[0007] In one embodiment, the holder comprises four arms extending
radially from the hub such that the arms form an X shape. In an
alternative embodiment, the holder comprises three arms, and the
pocket of one arm is shaped to receive two corners of the
electronic device.
[0008] The arms may be semi-rigid. The clip may further comprise a
swivel connector, such that the hub is engaged with the clip via
the swivel connector. The clip may further comprise a retractable
protrusion and the hub may define a hole for receiving the
protrusion, such that the protrusion, in a non-retracted state,
maintains the hub and clip in engagement, and such that retraction
of the protrusion allows disengagement of the hub and clip. The hub
may comprise two parallel ridges extending laterally, and the clip
may comprise two parallel channels adapted to slidably receive the
ridges.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0009] Having thus described the invention in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder for an electronic
device, in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1, with a
cell phone being held;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1, with
the clip portion rotated 90 degrees;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a front view of the holder of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a side view of the holder of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1 with
the holding mechanism separated from the clip;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1
with the holding mechanism separated from the clip; and
[0017] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a holder for an electronic
device, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a holder 10
for an electronic device is illustrated, in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention. The holder 10 comprises a clip
12, a hub 14, and four arms 16. The arms extend outwardly from the
hub. The arms may be substantially planar with the each other and
with the hub, or the arms may be angled slightly away from the
clip, as seen in FIG. 5. Each arm has a proximal end 18 connected
to the hub and a distal end 20. The distal ends 20 each have a
pocket 22 that is shaped to receive a corner of the electronic
device. The hub, arms, and pockets will be referred collectively
herein as the holding mechanism of the holder. As can be seen in
FIG. 2, a cell phone 24 or other portable electronic device (e.g.,
email/text messaging device or portable media player) may be
secured in the holder 10 by placing each of the corners of the
device within the pocket of an arm of the holder, A device is
typically placed into the holder by (1) holding the device at an
angle to the holder; (2) inserting one end (e.g., the bottom) of
the device into the pockets of two of the arms; (3) flexing the
other two arms backward (i.e., away from the device and toward the
clip); (4) inserting the other end of the device into the pockets
of the backward-flexed arms; and (5) releasing the backward-flexed
arms to allow them to return to their original, natural position.
As the device is inserted in the holder by flexing two of the arms
backward, the arms are typically semi-rigid. As used herein, the
term semi-rigid may be defined structurally as flexing upon the
application of force to the distal end of an arm and returning to
the original, unflexed position upon release of the applied force.
A semi-rigid arm will typically flex less than about 90 degrees
from an unflexed position when force is applied. The term
semi-rigid may also be defined functionally as being flexible
enough to permit the arms to bend enough to enable the device to be
inserted and rigid enough to return to the original position and to
securely hold the device in place. If the arms are too rigid they
may break when being flexed to insert the device. If the arms are
too flexible they may not securely hold the device. The arms are
typically constructed of a semi-rigid material. For example, in one
embodiment the arms and hub may be constructed from a polymer
(e.g., high density polyethylene). In such an embodiment, the arms
(including the pockets) and hub would typically be constructed as a
single piece, such as via injection molding. In an alternative
embodiment, the arms may be constructed from any semi-rigid metal,
such as sheet metal. In such an embodiment, the arms (not including
the pockets) and the hub would be constructed as a single piece,
such as via die-cutting and stamping. The pockets may be formed by
plastic injection molding around the distal end of each metal arm.
In another alternative embodiment, the arms may be constructed from
a metal wire that has a large enough diameter to be semi-rigid and
strong enough to securely hold the electronic device. In such an
embodiment, the pockets may be formed by plastic injection molding
around the distal end of each wire arm and the hub may be formed by
plastic injection molding around the proximal ends of all the wire
arms.
[0020] These portable electronic devices generally have a cuboid or
rectangular parallelepiped shape (i.e., a closed box having three
pairs of rectangular faces placed opposite each other and joined at
right angles to each other, thereby forming four corners with each
corner having four surfaces), although devices having other shapes
may be accommodated by alternative embodiments of the present
invention. To accommodate such cuboid-shaped devices, the holder
may comprise four alms extending radially from the hub such that
the arms form an X shape, as seen in FIGS. 1-7. The size, shape,
and orientation of the arms and pockets will typically correspond
to a specific model or models of electronic device such that the
specific device fits snugly in the holder. For example, the angles
at which the arms contact the hub will vary depending on whether
the device is generally rectangular or square, and, if rectangular,
depending on the ratio of the long and short sides of the device.
Further, the length of the arms will vary depending on the length
and width of the device, while the size of the pockets will vary
depending on at least the depth or thickness of the device. The
size and shape of the hub may vary as well. For example, the hub
may be substantially square (as seen in FIG. 4), rectangular,
circular, oval, triangular, or any other appropriate shape.
[0021] Each pocket may be shaped to substantially surround the
corresponding received corner. For example, each cup may be
four-sided such that at least a portion of each cup contacts and
covers at least a portion of each surface of the corresponding
received corner, thereby securely restraining the device and
providing protection the device. Because at least a portion of each
surface of each corner of the device is covered and protected by
the pockets, if the device is dropped onto a surface the holder
will contact the surface rather than any part of the device
contacting the surface. These devices typically have rounded
corners and edges, and therefore, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the
inside of the pockets have a corresponding rounded shape to conform
to the shape of the received corners.
[0022] The clip may further comprise a swivel connector 26, such
that the hub is engaged with the clip via the swivel connector. The
swivel connector enables the holding mechanism, and the electronic
device secured by the holding mechanism, to rotate 360 degrees into
any position desired by a user. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the
holder of FIG. 1 with the clip portion rotated 90 degrees. The clip
may be used to attach the holder to a user's belt, waistband, purse
strap, etc.
[0023] The hub is removably engaged with the swivel connector
portion of the clip, thereby enabling the user to detach the device
(still secured within the holding mechanism) for use. FIGS. 6 and 7
are, respectively, front and rear perspective views of the holder
of FIG. 1 with the holding mechanism separated from the clip. The
hub may comprise two parallel ridges 30 extending laterally from
each side of the hub, and the clip may comprise two parallel
channels 32 that slidably receive the ridges. The swivel clip may
comprise a retractable pin or protrusion 34 and the hub may define
a hole 36 for receiving the protrusion when the hub and clip are in
engagement. The protrusion, in a non-retracted state, maintains the
hub and clip in engagement. Retraction of the protrusion allows
disengagement of the hub and clip. The swivel clip comprises a
button 38 which causes the protrusion to retract when the button is
pushed by a user. The internal mechanism by which pushing the
button causes retraction of the protrusion may be any suitable
mechanism known to one skilled in the art.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 8, a perspective view of a holder 40
for an electronic device is illustrated, in accordance with an
alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this
alternative embodiment, the holder comprises three arms. The top
arms 16 are similar to those of the holder of FIG. 1, in that the
pocket of each arm is sized and shaped to receive one corner of the
electronic device. The pocket of the bottom arm 42 is sized and
shaped to receive two corners (i.e., the bottom end) of the
electronic device.
[0025] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention
will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention
pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the
foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it
is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the
specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other
embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the
appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they
are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of limitation.
* * * * *