Cigarette lighter adapter with gripping structure

Details Cigarette lighter adapter with gripping structure Cigarette lighter adapter with gripping structure

2000-03-07

2001-10-02

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Plural-contact coupling part

Reexamination Certificate

active

06296526

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cigarette lighter adapters for a cellular telephone or the like, and more particularly to adapters that adapt electrical components for use in a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Cellular telephones are extremely popular and are being used by a larger segment of the population hand-held cellular telephones may be used by their owners either in or outside of vehicles. When the telephone is one that is normally carried by the user, an adapter is required to run the telephone off of the vehicle electrical power rather than the telephone battery. The present invention is directed to a cigarette lighter adapter for an electronic device, such as a cellular telephone, featuring finger gripping portions and cord protection means.
The prior art describes a number of adapters that permit operation of various electronic devices from the electrical power source of a vehicle, particularly from the cigarette lighter within a vehicle. These adapters all share certain common components. The present invention is not focused on such common components as it is directed to a cord protection means which has been absent from the prior art, which facilitates a user to remove the adapter from the vehicle cigarette lighter without damage to the adapter cord. Particularly the invention provides a gripping means which protects the cord of the adapter from damage. In prior art without such means, a user could be tempted to remove the adapter from the socket of the cigarette lighter by pulling on the cord, and thereby tension exerted on the cord could be damaging to the internal components of the adapter.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved gripping means for a cigarette lighter adapter.
A specific feature of the invention to provide a cord protection means for a cigarette lighter adapter.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a cigarette light adapter for a cellular telephone with a separate grip portion that provides a textured surface for a user to grip.
A specific object of the invention is to provide a separate finger gripping portion which a user can grip with a finger and further provide the advantage of protecting the adapter cord from being pulled or damaged.
It is another object of the invention to provide an insulated grip portion adapter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a cigarette lighter adapter having an elongated housing. The housing has a main body portion and a barrel portion, the barrel portion sized to fit snugly within a cigarette lighter socket. The housing has an internal cavity extending through the main body portion and the barrel portion for housing electronic components of the cigarette lighter adapter. A conductive tip contact is disposed on a front end of the barrel portion. Grounding contact members are disposed on opposing sides of the barrel portion. The tip contact and the grounding contact members are operative with the electronic components of the cigarette lighter adapter.
A cord passage is formed in a rear wall of the main body portion through which an electrical cord extends to connect with the electronic components of the cigarette lighter adapter. A contoured finger gripping hole passes through the main body portion, the finger gripping hole being positioned forward of the cord passage.
The cigarette lighter adapter further includes an exterior gripping area disposed on a top portion of the main body portion of the housing. The improved cigarette lighter adapter exterior gripping portion features a textured surface for gripping by the user and a finger hole for a user's finger to be inserted through to facilitate the insertion and removal of the adapter from a cigarette lighter socket. The textured portion has raised knob-like members for improved gripping contact. The textured portion may be formed integrally with the housing or may be a portion attached to the main body housing. The textured portion may be a rubber-like material for enhanced gripping.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1685608 (1928-09-01), Lipschutz
patent: 2605318 (1952-07-01), Morgenstern
patent: 5170067 (1992-12-01), Baum et al.

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