Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Article holder attachable to apparel or body – Article held by clip
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-14
2003-12-23
Miller, William L. (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Article holder attachable to apparel or body
Article held by clip
C024S003100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06665909
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to low-profile durable mounting clips for receiving and supporting personal devices (such as personal electronic devices) and, in particular embodiments, to low-profile mounting clips for inconspicuously holding a personal electronic device such as, but not limited to, an infusion device, a medical monitor or other medical device, in a concealed location by attaching the mounting clip to an article of clothing.
2. Description of Related Art
Various personal devices (such as personal electronic devices) are available that are conveniently adapted to be supported by a mounting clip attached to a user's belt or other article of clothing. Examples of such personal devices include mobile phones, pagers, PDAs, as well as medical devices such as medication infusion pumps and medical monitors. The personal devices are typically adapted for mounting onto a patient's waistband, belt, pocket seam or other suitable clothing item, by using a conventional spring-legged belt clip. In this regard, such mounting clips have typically been designed for connection to the housing of the personal devices (such as personal electronic devices), and for clip-on installation onto the patient's clothing.
FIG. 1A
illustrates an example of a spring-legged mounting clip connected to an electronic device.
FIG. 1A
illustrates an example of a personal medical device, which in this example is a Minimed 506 medication infusion pump.
FIG. 1A
shows a perspective view of medication infusion pump
10
for delivering or dispensing a prescribed medication to a patient. The medication infusion pump
10
includes a housing
12
enclosing the pump and its associated components. A mounting clip
14
is removably secured to one side of medication infusion pump
10
, as shown. The mounting clip
14
shown in
FIG. 1A
is a unitary part molded in the general shape of an over-bent “U” from a material such as polypropylene. The mounting clip
14
incorporates an elastic living hinge to provide the spring force necessary for expanding and retracting the leg of the U-shaped mounting clip
14
for attachment of the electronic device (such as medication infusion pump
10
) to an article of clothing.
FIG. 1B
illustrates a perspective view of the medication infusion pump
10
shown in
FIG. 1A
with the mounting clip
14
separated from the housing
12
in order to show a conventional structure for connecting the mounting clip
14
to the housing
12
. As shown in
FIG. 1B
, included on the housing
12
is a dovetail groove
16
designed for slide-fit reception of a matingly shaped corresponding dovetail boss
18
included on the mounting clip
14
. The dovetail groove
16
and mating dovetail boss
18
permit manual slide-on attachment and slide-off removal of mounting clip
14
.
FIG. 1C
shows dovetail boss
18
in more detail. From
FIG. 1C
it can be seen that dovetail boss
18
has essentially a wedge shape including a base
11
and two sides
13
,
15
extending from the base at essentially symmetrical angles to contact the body of one leg of mounting clip
14
. The points of contact between sides
13
,
15
of the dovetail boss
18
and mounting clip
14
as they extend transversely across one leg of mounting clip
14
define a flex point
17
of width “w.” Flex point
17
thus essentially acts like a pivot pin about the axis of which the mounting clip
14
and housing
12
move in relation to each other. Other mounting clip designs may have a groove and mating boss having a generally rectangular shape where the walls of the boss extend upward at essentially 90 degree angles. In that case, the points of contact between the sides of the rectangular boss and the mounting clip may similarly define a flex point that acts like a pivot pin. In either of these configurations, stresses applied to the mounting clip and/or housing are concentrated at the flex point.
Materials used in conventional mounting clip structures are selected to have a suitable elasticity to provide the spring force required for securing the electronic device (such as medication infusion pump
10
) to an article of clothing. In addition, selected materials are employed to avoid heat related deformation and stress relaxation. If such materials are not employed, the initial shape of the mounting clip may be compromised. This is illustrated in
FIG. 2
, where the mounting clip
14
,
14
′ attached to housing
12
is shown with an initial spring force (shown by solid lines) and a compromised spring force (shown in phantom lines) due to stress relaxation that might occur if suitable materials were not used. Once the spring force has been compromised, secure attachment to an article of clothing may be more difficult to achieve.
Some mounting clips employing the dovetail boss/groove configuration are susceptible to inadvertent separation from the personal device. This may occur, for example, when the mounting clip is designed such that only the friction between the dovetail boss and groove maintains the mounting clip on the personal device. A transverse force contacting the personal device in a direction opposite to that of the direction of slide-on mounting of the dovetail boss into the dovetail groove may cause the personal device to inadvertently partially or fully separate from the mounting clip. Furthermore, a force applied in a direction perpendicular to that of the direction of slide-on mounting of the dovetail boss into the dovetail groove and away from the article of clothing may significantly stress the flex point.
Other mounting clip designs have been used which reduce the chances of separation due to a transverse force as described above. For example, a mounting clip for mounting a medication infusion pump to a patient is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,317. The mounting clip comprises a belt clip with a pair of pivotally interconnected and spring-loaded legs adapted for mounting onto a belt or other item of clothing worn by a patient. One leg of the belt clip includes a dovetail key for slide-fit reception into a mating dovetail boss formed in the housing of a medication infusion pump. A detent button is carried on the belt clip at the distal end of a spring arm for snap-fit reception into a detent seat formed in the pump housing, to lock the pump onto the belt clip. The spring arm is manually accessible to permit fingertip retraction of the detent button from the seat, and permit easy sliding removal of the pump housing from the belt clip. Thus, the locking device may provide protection against separation by a transverse force applied to the housing of the medication infusion pump.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
Embodiments of the present invention relate to low-profile, durable mounting clips for holding personal devices (such as, but not limited to, personal medical devices, personal electronic devices, infusion devices, medical monitors, or the like).
In particular embodiments, a mounting clip having an essentially inverted “L” shaped configuration includes a wide foot portion including engagement elements for attachment to corresponding engagement elements on a housing of a personal device. The mounting clip further includes a leg portion for attachment to an undergarment or other suitable article of clothing that acts as a supporting member. A heel portion located between and connecting the leg portion and foot portion allows the leg portion to flexibly and durably retract away from the housing for attachment to the article of clothing. The inverted “L” shaped configuration allows the leg portion to remain closer to the housing, thus providing a lower profile for ease of attachment to undergarments or other concealed locations on the user's person. At the same time, the inverted “L” shaped configuration and the wider foot provides a stronger and more durable connection to the housing. In the context of a medical device such as, but not limited to, an infusion device or medical monitor, embodiments of the mounting clip allow a
Collins Sean
Kimball Dave S.
Moberg Sheldon B.
Payne Timothy
Foley & Lardner
Medtronic Minimed Inc.
Miller William L.
Rodriguez Ruth C.
LandOfFree
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