Patent Application
20130082078
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-215313 filed on Sep. 29, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an attachment for attaching a mobile device such as smart phone (multifunctional mobile phone) to user's arm.
2. Related. Art
A mobile device such as smart phone is operated while being grasped by user's hand. However, for example, a motorcycle rider would have a difficulty in operating the mobile device since he or she needs to keep his or her hands on the wheel.
Furthermore, the rider has many occasions to use his or her mobile device to utilize a navigation system. On each occasion, the rider needs to take his or her mobile device out of a bag or the like to operate the mobile device, with the result that such operation of the mobile device is troublesome.
An object of the disclosure is to provide an attachment for attaching a mobile device to driver's arm, which excels in the convenience that the mobile device can be used more easily even when both hands are basically closed.
The present disclosure provides an attachment which attaches a mobile device to user's arm, comprising a mobile case including an accommodating part which accommodates the mobile, the mobile including a display or an operating portion; an access member which is operable so that the mobile device is put into and taken out of the accommodating part; and a window which is formed so as to correspond to the display or the operating portion of the mobile device. The attachment further includes a band capable of being wound on user's arm thereby to be attached to user's arm. In the attachment, the mobile case includes a first engagement portion attaching the mobile case to the band, and the band includes a second engagement portion engageable with the first engagement portion of the mobile case.
According to the above-described attachment, since the mobile device is retained on the attachment attached to the arm of the rider, he or she need not take the mobile device out of his or her hag every time of use even when he or she has no hand free. Consequently, the rider can easily use his or her mobile device with his or her hand opposite the arm on which is the mobile is retained.
In the accompanying drawings:
An embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. An attachment 1 includes a mobile case and a band 6 which is capable of being wound on user's arm thereby to be fastened to user's arm. The mobile case 5 includes an accommodating part 2 which accommodates a mobile device such as smart phone, an access member 3 which is operable so that the mobile device is put into and taken out of the accommodating part 2 and a window 4 which is formed so as to correspond to a display or an operating portion neither of which is shown. The mobile case 5 is formed with a first engagement portion 7 provided for attaching the mobile case 5 to the band 6, and the band 6 includes a second engagement portion 8 engageable with the first engagement portion 7 of the mobile case 5.
The attachment 1 will be described in more detail. The attachment 1 is adapted to be fastened to user's antebrachial region as shown in
The mobile case 5 is formed of generally parallelepiped cloth or soft resin and has the accommodating part 2 into which the mobile device is to be accommodated, as shown in
The window 4 is formed in the front side of the mobile case 5 so as to positionally correspond to a display or an operating portion of the mobile device to be accommodated in the accommodating part 2, as shown in
The first engagement portion 7 is formed on the rear side of the mobile case 5 as shown in
The second engagement portion 8 of the band 6 is formed with generally L-shaped hooks 9a and 9b and a retaining convex portion 10. The first engagement potion 7 has three juxtaposed concave strips 11e, 11b and 11c all of which extend vertically and into which the hooks 9a and 9b and the convex portion 10 are insertable, as shown in
More specifically, when the second engagement portion 30 having the single L-shaped hook 31 as shown in
On the other hand, when the second engagement portion 8 having the two L-shaped hooks 9a and 9b is to be attached to the band 6, the L-shaped hooks 9a and 9b are inserted into both side grooves 11a and 11c respectively and the retaining convex portion 10 is inserted into the central groove 11b, whereby the mobile case 5 is fixed to the band 6.
All the grooves 11a, 11b and 11c have the sans shape, and the groove 11b is located in the central part of the first engagement portion 7. Furthermore, the other grooves 11a and 11c are located so as to be equally spaced from the central groove 11b. Consequently, the mobile case 5 can be fixed to the central part or the band 6 with balance.
The band 6 is wound on the antebrachial region of the user as shown in
When the band 6 is to be wound on user's arm, the first hook-and-loop fastener 12a is inserted through the elongate opening 13 and subsequently folded back to be locked to the locking hook-and-loop fastener 14. The second and third hook-and-loop fasteners 12b and 12c are also wound on user's antebrachial region to directly be locked to the locking fastener 14. Thus, since the first to third hook-and-loop fasteners 12a-12c are each elongated in the lengthwise direction of the band 6 thereby to be formed into an elongate shape, the inner diameter of the band 6 is adjustable according to the size of user's antebrachial region.
The second engagement portion 8 is engaged with the first engagement portion 7 so that the mobile case 5 is attached to the band 6. In the embodiment, the second engagement portion 8 includes the L-shaped hooks 9a and 9b and the retaining convex portion 10. Both end sides 8a and 8b of the second engagement portion 8 are inserted into the attaching portions 15a and 15b respectively so that the second engagement portion 8 is detachably attached to the band 6. As a result, the second engagement portion 8 is changeable among the second engagement portion 8 having the L-shaped hooks 9a and 9b and the retaining convex portion 10 as shown in
The second engagement portion 30 as shown in
Furthermore, the second engagement portion 8 of the band 6 is provided with a turning mechanism for turning the mobile case 5 on the band 6 and a locking mechanism which deters the mobile case 5 from rotation on the band 6. More specifically, the second engagement potion 8 includes a stationary side plate 16 and a turning side plate 17, as shown in
The stationary side plate 16 has a cylindrical portion 21 as shown in
The second engagement portion 8 of the band 6 has the turning mechanism which is configured to turn the mobile case 5 on the band 6 and the locking mechanism in the foregoing embodiment. However, the first engagement portion 7 of the mobile case 5 may be provided with the turning mechanism and the locking mechanism, instead. Further alternatively, the turning mechanism and the locking mechanism may be provided between the first and second engagement portions. The embodiment encompasses these modifications.
The usage of the attachment 1 will now be described. Firstly, the band 6 as shown in
In the above-described attachment 1, the mobile case 5 is attachable to the band 6 wound on user's arm. The motorcycle rider need not take the mobile device out of his or her bag every time of use even when he or she has no hand free. Consequently, the rider can easily use the mobile device with his or her hand opposite the arm on which is the mobile device is held and retain the mobile device in a desirable direction.
Another embodiment will be described with reference to
The band-shaped member 52 serves to stably attach the mobile case 5 to the band 51. The band-shaped member 52 has a larger width than the belt 53 and is formed of an elastic material such as rubber. The band-shaped member 52 has one end 52a having an underside provided with a hook-and-loop fastener 54 and the other end 52b having a surface provided with another hook-and-loop fastener 55. On the other hand, a female buckle 56a is mounted on the other end 53a of the belt 53. A male buckle 56b is mounted on the other end 53b of the belt 53. The belt 53 is inserted through insertion holes 57a and 57b of the stationary side plate 57 in turn thereby to retain the stationary side plate 57 near the central part of the belt 53. A turning side plate 58 having a generally L-shaped hook 58a and a retaining convex portion 58b is turnably attached to the stationary side plate 57 in the same manner as in the foregoing mobile device mounting fixture 10 The plates 57 and 58 constitute the second engagement portion 59.
In use of the above-described attachment 50, the user firstly winds the band-shaped member 52 on his or her wrist. The hook-and-loop fastener 54 provided on the underside of the end 52a of the band-shaped member 52 is then applied to the hook-and-loop fastener 55 provided on the surface of the end 52b of the band-shaped member 52, whereby the band-shaped member 52 is attached to the wrist of the user. Subsequently, the male buckle 56b mounted on the end 53b of the belt 53 is engaged with the female buckle 56a mounted on the end 53a of the belt 53, whereby the belt 53 is attached to user's wrist. In this state, the first engagement portion 7 of the mobile case 5 having the same form as in the attachment 1 is engaged with the second engagement portion 59 and the mobile device is attached to the band 51. Furthermore, when the use desires to turn the mobile device so that the mobile device is directed so as to be easily operated by the user, the mobile case 5 is grasped to be turned, whereupon the turning side plate 58 is turned relative to the stationary side plate 57 such that the mobile device can desirably be directed and such that the mobile device can be maintained in the stopped state by the locking mechanism configured between the plates 57 and 58.
Thus, since the attachment 50 is attached to user's wrist but not to user's antebrachial region, the mobile device can be used lust like having a wristwatch on. The disclosure encompasses the mobile holder attached to user's wrist.
The foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative of the present disclosure and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. Various changes and modifications will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. All such changes and modifications are seen to fall within the scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| P2011-215313 | Sep 2011 | JP | national |
