Handset holder

Details Handset holder Handset holder

1998-08-26

2001-11-13

Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)

Supports

Brackets

Specially mounted or attached

C248S222110, C248S224510, C248S454000, C248S925000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06315255

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to handset holders. In particular, it relates to the mounting of a handset cradle on a surface, such as the mounting of a car cradle on a vehicle dashboard.
Handsfree car kits for handsets such as mobile telephone handsets have been developed, which provide connection of the handset with an external antenna to improve the reception of a call.
In one type of car kit, the cradle is fixed to the mount. If the user wishes to take a call privately, as opposed to in handsfree mode, he removes the handset from the cradle. However, by doing this he sacrifices the connection to the external antenna.
Another car kit is the Nokia CARK-1, in which the cradle is magnetically coupled to the mount. This car kit is shown in
FIG. 1
of the accompanying drawings. In this case, if the user wishes to take a call privately, as opposed to in handsfree mode, he picks up the cradle and handset and removes it from the vicinity of the mount. The external antenna connection is maintained. However, the cradle and mount might come apart if there is a sudden movement of the vehicle, for example by heavy braking or during an accident. If so, this may result in damage to the phone and also injury to the user. Also, the mechanism of this car kit has a large number of parts which complicates its assembly and increases manufacturing time and costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a handset holder comprising a cradle for carrying the handset, a mount for attachment to a support surface, and locating means for facilitating the removable coupling of the cradle and the mount, the locating means comprising a tongue and groove for guiding the tongue to a position where the cradle and mount become latched. Such a handset holder maintains the external antenna connection when the handset is in private mode (i.e. removed from the mount). Also, the mechanism is simple and uses few parts and yet the coupling of the cradle and mount is easy for the user. The provision of the tongue and groove significantly reduces the probability of the accidental dismounting of the cradle from the mount.
Preferably, the tongue and groove have a wide end and a narrow end, and the tongue is insertable into the groove from a position at the wide end to a position towards the narrow end where the cradle and mount become latched. This enables the user to readily couple the cradle and the mount without having to accurately align them to effect latching.
The locating means may comprise a resilient member for carrying a latch bar and preferably this resilient member and latch bar are an integral part of the housing of either the cradle or the mount. Preferably the locating means also comprises a hole in the tongue for receiving the latch bar. This arrangement enables latching of the mount and cradle using a minimum number of components.
In a preferred embodiment, the latch bar extends into the groove near its narrow end and the wall of the hole and co-operating surface of the latch bar have sloped surfaces. Such an arrangement gives a tactile indication to the user that the latch bar and hole are aligned and, for example, enables the user to push the cradle down to click it into place and thus be sure that it is latched with the mount.
The handset holder comprises user actuable means for facilitating the removal of the cradle from the mount. Preferably these means comprise a lever which acts on the resilient member to remove the latch bar from the hole and thus enable unlatching of the cradle and mount. This lever may be rotated to act on a resilient member by the user actuating a button. Preferably the lever has a sloped or ramped up cam surface which co-operates with the surface of the resilient member. This enables gentle latching and unlatching movement to be achieved, especially if the co-operating surface of the resilient member is also sloped or ramped up.
In a preferred embodiment, two buttons and levers are provided and the buttons each also have an associated arm with teeth. When the buttons are pressed the teeth of one arm are meshed with those on the other. This provides reliable synchronised button movement and further reduces component count as no spring is needed to return the buttons into their non-actuated state. The provision of opposing buttons on each side of the cradle or mount facilitates easy removal of the cradle from the mount by the user.
Preferably the cradle comprises the tongue and the mount comprises the groove, as this reduces the number of parts on the car cradle. Also, by having the buttons on the mount the phone can be removed using one hand.


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