Holster for cell phone or device with molded acoustic vents

Abstract

The holster for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device includes a back panel and a front panel which are attached about their respective edge regions to form a capture cavity for the cell phone or device. The front panel has a smooth plastic shield region formed as a one piece shield. A plurality of acoustic vents formed as through passages are defined by the smooth plastic shield.

Description

The present invention relates to a holster for a cellular telephone or other personal electronic device (such as a personal data assistant (PDA), MP3 player, Blackberry, Ipod, etc.) wherein the holster includes a plurality of acoustic vents to enhance the emanation of audio signals

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Holsters which carry cell phones and other personal electronic devices (identified above) commonly block or inhibit acoustic or audio sounds emanating from the cell phone or device. Holsters are generally designed to completely enclose the cell phone or device except for a top region of the phone or device. The balance of the cell phone or device is encased by the holster for security purposes and to protect the device from bumps and knocks. The cell phone or device should be entrapped by the holster such that the device does not fall from the holster and such that the holster and phone or device is securely mounted on a belt, strap, purse strap or pants fabric belt. One type of prior art device utilized a front panel and a rear panel and both panels included a metal rivet with a plurality of holes through the rivet. The rivet extended through the holster panel and also protruded above the surface of the panel. This prior art device was inadequate because the metal rivet would scrape and mar the cell phone or device captured by the holster and also cause fraying and deterioration of the holster panel due to the raised aspect of the rivet above the surfacing panel. In other words, the user would bump and scrap the outside of the panel thereby catching the rivet on objects, doorways and walls and this impact on walls and doors caused (a) cell phone deterioration and (b) holster deterioration due to fraying by the rivet. Other prior art devices simply include fabric holsters which have a plurality of holes through the fabric. These holes through the fabric, after extended use, deteriorate and fray. The frayed material then covers and closes the holes after continued use. The frayed material muffles the sounds from the cell phone.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a holster for a cell phone or other personal electronic device which has a plurality of acoustic vents formed in a smooth plastic shield region on the front panel of the holster.

It is another object of the present invention to provide acoustic vents which do not protrude above the smooth plastic shield panel portion.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide acoustic vents which are molded into the plastic shield thereby eliminating fraying and deterioration due to constant use (insertion and removal of the cell phone or other device in the holster).

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a plurality of acoustic vents in a group in the smooth plastic shield and further include a stress relief channel about the grouped acoustic vents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The holster for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device includes a back panel and a front panel which are attached about their respective edge regions to form a capture cavity for the cell phone or device. The front panel has a smooth plastic shield region formed as a one piece shield. A plurality of acoustic vents formed as through passages are defined by the smooth plastic shield.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the holster carrying a cell phone or other device;

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the smooth plastic shield and a plurality of acoustic vents;

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a holster with a different configuration of the acoustic vents and further illustrates a stress relief channel about the acoustic vent area;

FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the acoustic vents formed as elongated cut-outs in the smooth plastic shield; and

FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates acoustic vents having a different shape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a holster for a cellular telephone or other personal electronic device (identified above) which includes a plurality of acoustic vents to promote the emanation of audio sounds from the cell phone or device while the cell phone or device is in the holster.

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates holster 12 retaining cell phone or other device 10 in a capture cavity 14. Capture cavity 14 is formed between back panel 16 and front panel 18. Front panel 18 includes two different cover layers, a first cover layer or panel portion 20 and a second cover layer or panel portion 22. The second cover layer panel is a smooth plastic shield. The smooth plastic shield 22 has an outer surface 24 which is smooth throughout its surface area.

A plurality of acoustic vents, one of which is vent 26, are integrally formed in the smooth plastic shield 24. In FIG. 1, left and right vent regions 28, 30 are formed in the smooth plastic shield 22. The location of vent regions 28, 30 are meant to correspond, in some general sense, with speaker region 32 of cell phone or device 10. Of course, the acoustic speaker region 32 of the cell phone or personal electronic device may be at various locations on the front surface 33 of the cell phone or device. Accordingly, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show various types of acoustic vents and various groupings of the acoustic vents in the smooth plastic shield panel region 22 of front panel 18. In a preferred embodiment, panel layer 20 is coarse woven nylon that has a degree of elasticity to stretch to enhance the grip capabilities of the panel and capture cavity 14 between front panel 18 and rear panel 16. A flip over strap 40 may be snap attached or Velcro attached to front panel 18. Further, back panel 16 and front panel 18 may be stitched together as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a portion of the smooth plastic shield 22 having a smooth outer surface 24 and a plurality of acoustic vents 31a-31d. Since the vents are formed by direct molding with the smooth plastic shield, there is little or no opportunity for the events to fray during use.

FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates another embodiment of the holster 12. In FIG. 3, front panel 18 includes a top edge 50, side edges 52, 54, and a bottom edge 56. Back panel 16 includes top edge 55, side edges 57, 59 and a bottom edge which is attached to bottom edge 56 of front panel 18. Respective side edges 52, 57 of the top panel and the back panel are attached together as are side edges 59, 54 of the back panel and the front panel. The top edges 50, 55 are generally spaced apart to form a mouth for the capture cavity. Cell phone or device 10 is inserted into the capture cavity by insertion through the mouth between top edges 20, 55.

The synthetic cloth panel portion 20 of top panel 18 is generally disposed in a central and an upper region and smooth plastic shield panel portion 22 is disposed in lower portion 60 of front panel 18. A plurality of acoustic vents, one of which is vent 26, is disposed in a quarter moon configuration in lower region 60 of front panel 18. The quarter moon configuration enhances the probability that the vents will be atop the speaker element of the cell phone or device. Further, smooth plastic shield 22 includes a stress relief channel 62 which may assist in promoting the emanation of audio signals through the acoustic vents (the relief channel may direct the sound waves to the vent regions) and also assist in permitting the lower portion 60 of front panel 18 to expand or move outward when the user forces cell phone or device 10 deep into the capture channel. Of course, the lower edge of the cell phone or device 10 is disposed in the lower region 60 of the capture channel as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1. The continual insertion, withdraw and subsequent insertion of the cell phone or device would weaken the smooth plastic shield 22 disposed in lower region 60 of front panel 18. Stress relief channel reduces the concentration of forces to specific locations.

As shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic vents are smooth and do not protrude above the top surface of the plastic panel. This feature is shown in FIG. 3 also.

FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, acoustic vents are configured as elongated slits, one of which is slit or cut-out channel 70. Stress relief channel 62 is also formed in the smooth plastic shield 22 about the plurality of acoustic vents formed as slits in lower region 60 of front panel 18.

FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates another embodiment of holster 12 wherein inverted V-shaped cut-outs form the acoustic vents, one of which is vent 32, in smooth plastic shield panel portion 22.

The claims appended hereto are meant to cover modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A holster for a cellular telephone or personal electronic device comprising: a back panel; a front panel having edge regions attached to said back panel to form a capture cavity therebetween for said cell phone or personal electronic device therein, said front panel having a smooth plastic shield region formed as a one-piece, integral shield with said front panel; and a plurality of acoustic vents formed as through passages in said shield region.

2. A holster as claimed in claim 1 wherein said back panel and said front panel each have a respective top edge, opposing side edges and a bottom edge, respective side edges joined together and said respective bottom edges joined together and said respective top edges spaced apart to form a mouth for said capture cavity.

3. A holster as claimed in claim 2 wherein said one-piece, integral shield region is disposed at least in a lower region spaced from said top edge of said front panel such that audio signals from said cell phone or personal electronic device emanate through said acoustic vents.

4. A holster as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one-piece, integral shield region has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not protrude above said top surface.

5. A holster as claimed in claim 4 wherein said acoustic vents are grouped near each other in said one-piece, integral shield region and said one-piece, integral shield region includes a stress relief channel about said grouped acoustic vents.

6. A holster as claimed in claim 1 wherein said front panel includes a synthetic fabric panel attached to said one-piece, integral shield region.

7. A holster as claimed in claim 3 wherein said one-piece, integral shield region has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not protrude above said top surface.

8. A holster as claimed in claim 7 wherein said acoustic vents are grouped near each other in said one-piece, integral shield region and said one-piece, integral shield region includes a stress relief channel about said grouped acoustic vents.

9. A holster as claimed in claim 8 wherein said front panel includes a synthetic fabric panel attached to said one-piece, integral shield region.

10. A holster for a cellular telephone or personal electronic device comprising: a back panel; a front panel made of two different cover layers and said front panel having edge regions attached to said back panel to form a capture cavity therebetween for said cell phone or personal electronic device therein, one of said two different cover layers being a smooth plastic shield formed as a one-piece, integral shield with the other of said two different cover layers forming said front panel; and a plurality of acoustic vents formed as through passages in said smooth plastic shield.

11. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said back panel and said front panel each have a respective top edge, opposing side edges and a bottom edge, respective side edges joined together and said respective bottom edges joined together and said respective top edges spaced apart to form a mouth for said capture cavity.

12. A holster as claimed in claim 11 wherein said smooth plastic shield is disposed at least in a lower region of said front panel and spaced from said top edge of said front panel such that audio signals from said cell phone or personal electronic device emanate through said acoustic vents.

13. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said smooth plastic shield has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not protrude above said top surface.

14. A holster as claimed in claim 13 wherein said acoustic vents are grouped near each other in said smooth plastic shield and shield includes a stress relief channel about said grouped acoustic vents.

15. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said other of said two different cover layers is a synthetic fabric cover panel attached to said smooth plastic shield.

16. A holster as claimed in claim 10 wherein said smooth plastic shield has a top surface and said acoustic vents do not protrude above said top surface.

17. A holster as claimed in claim 16 wherein said acoustic vents are grouped near each other in said smooth plastic shield and shield includes a stress relief channel about said grouped acoustic vents.

18. A holster as claimed in claim 17 wherein said other of said two different cover layers is a synthetic fabric cover panel attached to said smooth plastic shield.

19. A holster as claimed in claim 9 wherein said plurality of acoustic vents are dispersed in a quarter moon shape about said lower region.

20. A holster as claimed in claim 18 wherein said plurality of acoustic vents are dispersed in a quarter moon shape about said lower region.