Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Rigid means fixedly mounted on article and detachably...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2001-09-11
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Rigid means fixedly mounted on article and detachably...
C224S196000, C224S272000, C224S669000, C224S930000, C024S003120, C024S598700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286737
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to devices for the attachment of mobile phones or like apparatus to a belt or other garment of a user and, in particular, to a device which ensures that the mobile phone or other apparatus cannot be inadvertently dislodged.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is very common for people to carry mobile phones and other like communication apparatus such as pagers etc clipped to their belt. The most common method of clipping a mobile phone to ones belt is by inserting the phone into a protective case which has a rigid spring operated clip attached thereto. Other methods use rigid clips which are actually attached or integral to the phone itself.
These methods of clipping mobile phones to belts have the disadvantage that as the clips are rigidly connected to the phone or protective case, the phone can be inadvertently dislodged from the belt due to the movement of the person, sitting down, walking, etc. as the phone can be knocked or rotated by the person's leg. There is also the disadvantage that the use of such clips can cause discomfort as the phone is rigidly set against the person's waist.
Another form of attachment device for a mobile phone is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,102. This specification describes a device being the combination of a circular flanged lug attached to the back of a phone, the lug being received within a slotted receptacle whereby the flanges of the lug are held within the receptacle while the neck of the lug extends through the slot. The circular flanged lug is slid into an opening of the receptacle which is clipped to a person's belt. The lug is supposedly captured within the receptacle by a spring loaded projection acting on the lug, and is able to rotate whilst captured. This ability to rotate overcomes the disadvantages with regard to the fixed clip of the above described prior art but introduces a problem of the phone being inadvertently dislodged by the rotational forces applied to the phone while it is being carried in this manner. It has been found that the device as described in the specification allows the phone to be easily dislodged as the rotational movement which was the object of that invention introduces forces which move the phone within the receptacle which allows the rotational movement thereof.
Therefore it is desirous that for an attachment device be provided which allows rotational motion of the phone and which overcomes the problem associated with the aforedescribed device by preventing inadvertent dislodgement of the phone from the person's body. It is also desirable for the provision of a stop means which can lock the phone into a number of different orientations preventing the free rotational movement thereof.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for the attachment of mobile phones or like apparatus to a belt or other garment of a user which substantially overcomes or ameliorates the above mentioned disadvantages. At the very least the invention provides an alternative to previously proposed attachment devices.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a device for the attachment of mobile phones or like apparatus to a belt or other garment of a user, said device including a receptacle body and corresponding flanged lug fastener which is attached to the mobile phone or like apparatus, said receptacle being adapted to be attached to a belt or the like by means of a clip means positioned on the receptacle body, said body having an opening located at its top side portion into which the flange of said lug fastener is received with the lug fastener extending through a slot on said receptacle body communicating with said opening such that said mobile phone or like apparatus is positioned outside and adjacent said receptacle body when said lug fastener is received within said receptacle body, wherein said device further includes a locking means within said receptacle body, said locking means having a moveable carriage movable between a receiving position and a holding position, said carriage receiving said flange of said lug fastener when said moveable carriage is in said receiving position, and said carriage having holding means to capture and hold said flange of said lug fastener within said carriage when said moveable carriage is moved into said holding position.
Preferably, the locking means further includes a release means which releases the moveable carriage from the holding position. The carriage is preferably locked in the holding position by a flange and stop means which engage when in the holding position, the carriage being released by the release means which is preferably an external button communicating through an opening in the body, the release means being manipulated to force the flange and stop means from their engagement.
In one preferred form of the invention, the holding means is a pair of pliable arms or articulated arms which are part of the carriage, the arms being forced around the lug fastener to prevent the lug fastener from moving out of the carriage. The free ends of the arms are forced around the lug fastener as the carriage moves from the receiving position to the holding position due to pins in the arms moving within a slotted track in the receptacle body.
In one preferred form of the invention, the lug fastener is circular and is able to rotate within the carriage when held in the holding position.
In another preferred form of the invention, the carriage has holding means to capture and hold the flange of said lug fastener within the carriage and when said the moveable carriage is moved into the holding position, the holding means prevents the flange from rotating.
Preferably the flange and hence the phone attached thereto can have a number of different orientations when held by the carriage. In a preferred form, the different orientations are discrete positions 90° from each other.
In the preferred form of the invention, the flange of the lug fastener is substantially circular with indents positioned 90° from each other and the holding means is a pair of pliable arms which are part of the carriage, the arms having protrusions which engage with the indents in the flange of the lug fastener thus restricting rotational movement of the lug fastener as well as restricting the lug fastener from moving out of the carriage. The free ends of the arms are forced around the lug fastener as the carriage moves from the receiving position to the holding position due to pins in the arms moving within a slotted track in the receptacle body, thus capturing the lug fastener.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5620120 (1997-04-01), Tien
patent: 5730342 (1998-03-01), Tien
patent: 5779115 (1998-07-01), Parkas et al.
patent: 5850996 (1998-12-01), Liang
patent: 6098858 (2000-08-01), Laugesen
patent: 36890/93 (1993-10-01), None
patent: 2103527 (1994-02-01), None
patent: 96/16499 (1996-05-01), None
Amtel Technology Pty. Ltd.
Cronin Stephen K.
Smith-Hill and Bedell
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