Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-22
2001-10-16
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C224S197000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304221
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antenna protectors for portable electronic devices and more particularly pertains to an antenna protection device for cellular phones which may be used to protect an antenna from physical harm when the phone is worn by attaching to the belt or clothing of a user.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
Mobile telephones, and most especially cellular telephones, are well known. Among the most common types of cellular telephones are those which are intended to be carried by attaching them onto the belt of the wearer. Such cellular telephones are generally provided with clips for this purpose.
Such personal portable cellular phones are also generally designed with retractable antennae which can be extended to a height of several inches when in use. These antennae are often rather fragile while in the fully extended position, but less so when retracted into the body of the phone. Even in the fully retracted position these antennae nevertheless usually extend up to an inch above the body of the telephone, so that the user can grasp the end of the antenna in order to extend it.
It has been seen that the retracted antenna end is still vulnerable to damage. When worn on the belt of the user, as seen in
FIG. 1
, the antenna end is may become entangled in the user's clothing. The user may not even be aware of such entanglement. As a result the antenna end may be broken off, bent, or otherwise damaged before the wearer is cognizant that there is a problem of this nature.
The present invention solves the problem of damaged antennae by providing a simple, low cost antenna guard which supports the antenna end in the fully retracted position, and further provides a streamlined, non-obtrusive upper surface to the phone, making it less likely to snag or become entangled with the user's clothing.
For these reasons, the current invention presents a significant improvement over the design of the cellular phone, without such an antenna guard as seen in prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the present invention is to provide an antenna guard for cellular phones of the type having retractable antennae, and of the type intended to be attached to the clothing of the user. The antenna guard protects the antenna from physical harm to the antenna in the retracted position, and further prevents the antenna from snagging in the wearer's clothing, and from becoming entangled therein.
According to one aspect of the invention, the antenna guard comprises a guard body affixable to the cellular phone, a raised antenna support integrally formed from the guard body, and means for securing the guard body to the phone.
According to another aspect of the invention, the means for securing the guard body to the cellular phone comprises a pair of opposing side tabs integrally formed from the guard body.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the raised antenna support totally envelops the antenna by means of an aperture through the raised antenna support, allowing the user to extend and retract the antenna from the cellular phone.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the guard body further comprises an integrally-formed back cover, so that the antenna guard as a whole forms an integrated structure.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the guard body further comprises an integrally-formed top cover joining the far side tab and the raised antenna support, so that when the guard is affixed to the cellular phone a smooth, integrated structure without sharp edges or projections is provided.
According to a final aspect of the invention, the antenna guard is molded in one piece from a light-weight, compliant plastic material having a memory, so that the antenna guard will be able to clip onto the phone and remain firmly attached thereto.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5383091 (1995-01-01), Snell
patent: 5528770 (1996-06-01), Castilla et al.
patent: 5833100 (1998-11-01), Kim
Clinger James
White Mark P.
Wong Don
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