Cellular telephone clip

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6283348
  • Patent Number
    6,283,348
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, April 5, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 4, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Brittain; James R.
    • Rodriguez; Ruth C.
    Agents
    • Dougherty & Troxell
Abstract
A cellular telephone clip is constructed to include a mount fastened to a cellular telephone or cellular telephone bag, a hollow holder base for securing the mount, the holder base having a front coupling chamber, a back receiving chamber, and a slot communicating between the coupling chamber and the receiving chamber, a locating block mounted in the back receiving chamber and forced by a springy holding down plate to insert through the slot into the coupling chamber and to lock the mount after insertion of the mount in the coupling chamber, a spring-supported push button coupled to the base holder and moved between a first position where the locating block is moved away from the slot for the access of the mount to the coupling chamber, and a second position where the locating block is engaged into the slot to lock the mount in the coupling chamber, a locating cover plate fastened to the holder base at the back, and a clamping plate pivoted to the locating cover plate and retained in the clamping position by spring.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a cellular telephone clip, and more particularly to such a cellular telephone clip, which comprises a mount fastened to a cellular telephone or cellular telephone bag, a holder base for holding the mount, a locating block controlled by a push button to lock the mount, and a clamping plate pivoted to a locating cover plate at a back side of the holder base for securing the cellular telephone clip to, for example, the user's belt.




2. Description of Related Art





FIG. 1

shows a cellular telephone clip according to the prior art. This structure of cellular telephone clip comprises a mount E fixedly fastened to a cellular telephone or cellular telephone bag, a holder base A for holding the mount E, and a clip B mounted on the holder base A for fastening to, for example, the user's belt. The mount E comprises a hollow coupling flange F. The holder base A comprises a front coupling flange G for receiving the hollow coupling flange F of the mount E, a latch D, and a control knob C controlled to move the latch D between the locking position where the latch D is forced into engagement with the coupling flange F of the mount E, and the unlocking position where the latch D is disengaged from the coupling flange F of the mount E, enabling the mount E to be disconnected from the coupling flange G of the holder base A. This structure of cellular telephone clip is still not satisfactory in function because the engagement between the coupling flange F of the mount E and the latch D tends to be destroyed. Further, when installed, the cellular telephone cannot be turned outwards from the holder base A for viewing the message shown on the display of the cellular telephone.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention has been accomplished to provide a cellular telephone clip, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.




According to one aspect of the present invention, the cellular telephone clip comprises a mount fastened to a cellular telephone or cellular telephone bag, a hollow holder base for securing the mount, the holder base having a front coupling chamber, a back receiving chamber, and a slot communicating between the coupling chamber and the receiving chamber, a locating block mounted in the back receiving chamber and forced by a springy holding down plate to insert through the slot into the coupling chamber and to lock the mount after insertion of the mount in the coupling chamber, a spring-supported push button coupled to the base holder and moved between a first position where the locating block is moved away from the slot for the access of the mount to the coupling chamber, and a second position where the locating block is engaged into the slot to lock the mount in the coupling chamber, a locating cover plate pivoted to the holder base, and a clamping plate pivoted to the locating cover plate and retained in the clamping position by spring means.




According to another aspect of the present invention, the locating cover plate is pivoted to the holder base at the back side, so that the user can turn the cellular telephone with the mount and the holder back forwards from the locating cover plate after fastening of the clamping plate to the belt.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The present invention can be more fully understood by referring to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:





FIG. 1

is an exploded view of a cellular telephone clip according to the prior art;





FIG. 2

is an exploded view of a cellular telephone clip according to the present invention (the mount excluded); and





FIG. 3

is an assembly view of the cellular telephone clip according to the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Referring to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, a cellular telephone clip


1


is shown comprised of a holder base


11


, a locating cover plate


12


, and a clamping plate


13


.




The holder base


11


is a three-side hollow shell comprising a protruded flange


111


raised from the front side wall thereof and defining with the front side wall a coupling chamber


112


for holding a mount


2


, a slot


113


through the front side wall, a locating rib


1163


in the coupling chamber


112


at the bottom side, two longitudinal rails


114


bilaterally formed integral with a back of the wall thereof, two back flanges


115


spaced between the longitudinal rails


114


, a back chamber


116


disposed below the back flanges


115


, two notches


1161


at two opposite lateral side walls of the back chamber


116


, two lugs


119


respectively forwardly extended from the two opposite lateral side walls and defining a respective pivot hole


1191


, a locating peg


1175


raised from a back of the wall and suspended above the back flanges


115


, two longitudinal sliding grooves


118


respectively formed on the two opposite lateral side walls at an inner side, and a back step


1183


at one end remote from the lugs


119


.




A spring


1151


is supported above the back chamber


116


between the back flanges


115


. A locating block


1162


is received in the back chamber


116


, and partially inserted into the slot


113


. The locating block


1162


has two protruded side portions respectively extended out of the back chamber


116


through the notches


1161


. A push button


117


is longitudinally slidably inserted into the holder base


11


between the longitudinal rails


114


and supported on the spring


1151


, comprising two longitudinal push rods


1173


arranged in parallel, the longitudinal push rods


1173


each having a beveled tip


1174


respectively disposed in contact with the locating block


1162


, a transverse rib


1171


connected between the push rods


1173


, a pin


1172


perpendicularly downwardly extended from the transverse rib


1171


and coupled to one end, namely, the top end of the spring


1151


, and a longitudinal sliding slot


1176


respectively formed on each longitudinal push rod


1173


near one end remote from the beveled tip


1174


. A pivot pin


1192


is inserted through the longitudinal sliding slot


1176


and fastened to the pivot hole


1191


on each lug


119


to hold the push button


117


in the holder base


11


and to limit the range of movement of the push button


117


in the holder base


11


. After installation of the push button


117


, the transverse rib


1171


is suspended between the locating peg


1175


and the back flanges


115


.




A springy holding down plate


1181


is inserted into the longitudinal sliding groove


118


and covered over the back chamber


116


to force the locating block


1162


into the slot


113


, comprising a mounting hole


1184


fixedly fastened to the locating peg


1175


with, for example, a screw. After installation of the cover plate


1181


in the holder base


11


, two coupling holes (not shown) are formed between two opposite lateral sides of the cover plate


1181


and the opposite lateral side walls of the holder base


11


.




The locating cover plate


12


comprises a coupling block


121


formed integral with one end thereof and coupled between the longitudinal push rods


1173


of the push button


117


, a pivot hole


122


extended through the coupling block


121


, which receives the pivot pin


1192


for enabling the locating cover plate


12


to be turned about the pivot pin


1192


, two locating flanges


123


bilaterally raised from the back side wall thereof and respectively fitted into the coupling holes to secure the locating cover plate


12


to the holder base


11


in position, and two front lugs


124


raised from the front side wall thereof near the coupling block


121


and defining a respective pivot hole


125


.




The clamping plate


13


comprises two back lugs


131


bilaterally perpendicularly raised from the back side wall thereof and defining a respective pivot hole


132


, and a stop flange


134


perpendicularly backwardly raised from one bottom end thereof remote from the back lugs


131


. A pivot pin


133


is inserted through the pivot hole


132


on each back lug


131


and the pivot hole


122


on the coupling block


122


to secure the clamping plate


13


and the locating cover plate


12


together, enabling the clamping plate


13


to be turned about the pivot pin


133


relative to the locating cover plate


12


. Further, a torsional spring


126


is mounted on the pivot pin


133


and stopped between one end of the locating cover plate


12


and one end of the clamping plate


13


to hold the clamping plate


13


in the clamping position where the stop flange


134


of the clamping plate


13


is pressed on the front side wall of the locating cover plate


12


.




The aforesaid mount


2


comprises a mounting base


21


, a toothed locating cover plate


23


having teeth


24


around the periphery, a neck


22


connected between the mounting base


21


and the toothed locating cover plate


23


, and a mounting hole


25


axially extended through the mounting base


21


, the neck


22


and the toothed locating cover plate


23


. By means of the mounting base


21


and the mounting hole


25


, the mount


2


is fixedly fastened to a cellular telephone or cellular telephone bag.




After installation of the mount


2


in the cellular telephone, the push button


117


is pressed down to push the locating block


1162


backwards (when the push button


117


is lowered) the beveled tips


1174


of the longitudinal push rods


1173


are respectively forced against the locating block


1162


, thereby causing the locating block


1162


to be moved backwardly away from the slot


113


, and then the toothed locating cover plate


23


is inserted with the mount


2


into the coupling chamber


112


and forced into engagement with the locating rib


1163


in the coupling chamber


112


, and then the push button


117


is released from the hand and pushed upwardly away from the locating block


1162


by the spring


1151


, enabling the locking block


1162


to be forced forwards by the springy holding down plate


1181


into slot


113


and engaged with the teeth


24


of the toothed locating cover plate


23


at the top side (where the locating rib


1163


is engaged with the teeth


24


of the toothed locating cover plate


23


at the bottom side), and therefore the mount


2


and the cellular telephone clip


1


are fastened together.




By means of the clamping plate


13


, the cellular telephone can be fastened with the mount


2


and the cellular telephone clip


1


to the user's belt. When pushing down the push button


117


again, the locating block


1162


is disengaged from the toothed locating cover plate


23


, enabling the cellular telephone to be disconnected with the mount


2


from the cellular telephone clip


1


.




While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed.



Claims
  • 1. A cellular telephone clip comprising:a mount for securing a cellular telephone; a hollow holder base for securing said mount, said holder base comprising a protruded flange raised from a front side wall thereof and defining with the front side wall a coupling chamber, a back chamber, and a slot through the front side wall in communication with said back chamber; a locating block mounted in said back chamber; a springy holding down plate fastened to said holder base and covered over said back chamber to force said locating block into said slot; first spring means installed in said holder base; a push button coupled to said holder base by a slip joint and supported on said first spring means, said push button having two beveled tips arranged in parallel and respectively disposed in contact with said locating block; a locating cover plate pivoted to said holder base, said locating cover plate having locating means coupled to said holder base to secure said locating cover plate in place; a clamping plate pivoted to said locating cover plate; and second spring means coupled between said locating cover plate and clamping plate to hold said clamping plate clamped on said locating cover plate; wherein when said push button is depressed by a user to compress said first spring means, said locating block is moved backwards from said slot for enabling said mount to be inserted into said coupling chamber, and said locating block is forced forwards by said springy holding down plate into engagement with said mount in said coupling chamber after the user released said push button.
  • 2. The cellular telephone clip of claim 1 wherein said mount comprises a mounting base for fastening to a object to be held, a toothed locating cover plate having teeth around a periphery thereof for engagement with said locating block, and a neck connected between said mounting base and said toothed locating cover plate.
  • 3. The cellular telephone clip of claim 2 wherein said mounting base of said mount is fixedly fastened to a cellular telephone.
  • 4. The cellular telephone clip of claim 2 wherein said mounting base of said mount is fixedly fastened to a cellular telephone bag.
  • 5. The cellular telephone clip of claim 1 wherein said holder base further comprises a locating rib disposed in said coupling chamber at a bottom side for engagement with a toothed locating cover plate of said mount after insertion of the toothed locating cover plate of said mount into said coupling chamber.
  • 6. The cellular telephone clip of claim 1 wherein said holder base comprises two longitudinal rails bilaterally disposed at a back side thereof to guide movement of said push button, and two back flanges spaced between said longitudinal rails to hold said first spring means above said back chamber.
  • 7. The cellular telephone clip of claim 1 wherein said push button comprises a transversely extended middle rib, and a pin perpendicularly downwardly extended from said transversely extended middle rib and coupled to one end of said first spring means.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
5730342 Tien Mar 1998
5850954 Dong-Joo Dec 1998
5996184 Mah et al. Dec 1999
6006969 Kim Dec 1999