Multi-angle placement rack of personal digital assistant for use in an automobile

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6480378
  • Patent Number
    6,480,378
  • Date Filed
    Friday, April 6, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 12, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Schuberg; Darren
    • Datskovsky; Michael
    Agents
    • Rosenberg, Klein & Lee
Abstract
The present invention relates to a multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile and, more particularly, to a multi-angle placement rack capable of matching a personal digital assistant with various brands and kinds of automobiles to facilitate use. The present invention comprises a placement seat, a first main body, and a second main body. The placement seat is capable of rotating and adjusting various angles of elevation. A PDA can be placed on the placement seat, which can be replaced to match different kinds of PDAs. The bottom of the placement seat joins the first main body. The first main body extends to the second main body, which can be plugged into a lighter hole of an automobile, thereby charging the PDA. The second main body is retractable to match different depths of lighter holes in various brands and kinds of automobiles.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant (PDA) for use in an automobile and, more particularly, to a multi-angle placement rack capable of matching a PDA with various kinds of automobiles to facilitate use.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a new kind of portable device. Its volume is much smaller than that of a notebook computer so that it can be placed on a palm and operated. Recently, the PDAs have been much valued, and more and more people start to use them.




A PDA has many functions. For instance, it can store thousands of pieces of personal information including address lists, schedules, agenda, memos, and so on. When one needs to find out somebody's telephone number, the PDA can quickly find out the required data for him, and it is not necessary for him to browse a notebook in a great bustle. When one needs to look up data of business cards, it is not necessary for him to search in a business card clip sweatily. All he needs to do is to click the PDA twice to exactly and quickly find out previously inputted data of business cards.




In addition to the above basic functions, most PDAs can link with a computer. For instance, electronic mails that have not been read at work can be transferred to a PDA to be read and replied on one's commuting ways. Some PDAs can install various kinds of application programs such as spreadsheets, electronic maps, text editors, electronic books, and even games and global positioning and guiding systems.




Additionally, some PDAs have built-in wireless communication modules. In addition to being used as beepers, they can also receive real-time information such as stock market news, traffic statuses, weather predictions, real-time news, and so on. In the future, it is hopefully that PDAs can be combined with mobile phones.





FIG. 1

shows the structures of a prior art PDA


10


and its receiving seat


11


. The receiving seat


11


has a receiving groove


12


thereon, which can be used to receive the PDA


10


. The receiving seat


11


has a press button


13


near the front edge thereof. The press button


13


is pressed so that the PDA


10


can be conveniently taken out for use.




However, the above PDA


10


uses batteries of limited electricity. Because existent PDAs cannot be combined with an automobile, they cannot use electricity from the automobile. Therefore, a driver cannot use a lot of functions of the PDA


10


when driving an automobile.




Accordingly, the above prior art PDA has inconvenience and drawbacks in practical use. The present invention aims to resolve the above problems in the prior art.




Summary of the invention




The primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-angle placement rack of a PDA for use in an automobile. The placement rack can effectively provide stable electricity for a PDA so that a driver can use spreadsheets, electronic maps, text editors, electronic books, and even games and global positioning and guiding systems of the PDA. Moreover, when a wireless communication module is built in the PDA, in addition to being used as a beeper, the PDA can also receive real-time information such as stock market news, traffic statuses, weather predictions, real-time news, and so on, hence facilitating use of the driver.




To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a multi-angle placement rack of a PDA for use in an automobile. The placement rack comprises a placement seat, a first main body, and a second main body. The placement seat is capable of rotating and adjusting various angles of elevation. A PDA can be placed on the placement seat, which can be replaced to match different kinds of PDAs. The bottom of the placement seat joins the first main body. The first main body extends to the second main body, which can be plugged into a lighter hole of an automobile, thereby charging the PDA. The second main body is retractable to match different depths of lighter holes of various brands and kinds of automobiles.




The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded perspective view of a prior art personal digital assistant and its receiving seat;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the placement rack and the first main body of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a cross-sectional view of the present invention; and





FIG. 5

is an action diagram of the first and second main bodies of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




The present invention provides a multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant (PDA) for use in an automobile. The placement rack is capable of matching a PDA with various brands and kinds of automobiles to facilitate use. The present invention comprises a placement seat


20


, a first main body


30


, and a second main body


40


, as shown in FIG.


2


. The placement seat


20


can be plugged by a PDA (not shown) and can be replaced to match different kinds of PDAs. The placement seat


20


has a conductive terminal


21


disposed at the inner portion of the front side thereof. The conductive terminal


21


can contact a joining groove (not shown) of the PDA to provide required electricity for the PDA. The conductive terminal


21


has also charging function. The placement seat further has a slot


22


to be plugged by an earphone (not shown) matching the PDA to increase driving safety of the user. The placement seat has also a guide groove


23


at the outer side thereof, as shown in FIG.


3


. The guide groove


23


can effectively lock or grip the PDA to prevent it from trembling and thus falling off when placed in a moving automobile.




As shown in

FIGS. 2

to


5


, the placement seat


20


forms a space


24


at the bottom thereof. The space


24


can receive a mobile unit


25


, which can be a circular body or a rod body. The space


24


and the mobile unit


25


are used for arbitrary adjustment of position, angle of elevation, and rotation of the placement seat


20


, hence facilitating viewing of the PDA for the driver and passengers in the automobile. A screw


26


is disposed below the mobile unit


25


. The screw


26


can let the placement seat


20


be detached from the first main body


30


to facilitate replacement of the placement seat


20


for matching different kinds of PDAs. The bottom of the placement seat


20


joins the first main body


30


, which can receive the second main body


40


, as shown in FIG.


4


. The second main body


40


can slide in the first main body, as shown in FIG.


5


. The second main body


40


has a contact bump


41


at one end edge thereof and a contact sheet


42


at either side near the end edge thereof. One side of the second main body


40


can be plugged in a light hole (not shown) in an automobile to let the contact bump


41


and the contact sheets


42


contact with contact terminals (not shown) in the lighter hole, thereby providing required electricity for the PDA. Because the second main body


40


can slide in the first main body


30


, the length of the second main body


40


can match lighter holes of various brands and kinds of automobiles. The present invention can achieve convenience of use of PDAs in various brands and kinds of automobiles, hence enhancing its competitive capacity on the market.




Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and other will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile, comprising:a placement seat having a conductive terminal therein; a mobile unit capable of joining said placement seat for adjustment of position, angle of elevation, and rotation of said placement seat; a first main body joining the bottom of said placement seat; and a second main body joining said first main body, said second main body having a contact bump at one end edge thereof and contact sheets to achieve electric connection when plugged into a lighter hole in an automobile.
  • 2. The multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein a screw is disposed below said placement seat to facilitate replacement of said placement seat for matching different kinds of personal digital assistants.
  • 3. The multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said placement seat further has a slot to be plugged by an earphone matching a personal digital assistant.
  • 4. The multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said placement seat has a guide groove at one outer side thereof to fixedly lock or grip a personal digital assistant.
  • 5. The multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive terminal can be used to charge a personal digital assistant.
  • 6. The multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mobile unit can be a circular body or a rod body to facilitate adjustment of position, angle of elevation, and rotation of a personal digital assistant.
  • 7. The multi-angle placement rack of a personal digital assistant for use in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second main body can slide in said first main body.
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5086958 Nagy Feb 1992 A
5839919 Chen Nov 1998 A
5859628 Ross et al. Jan 1999 A
6058184 Frank May 2000 A
6138041 Yahia Oct 2000 A
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6157163 Blackwood Dec 2000 A
6312284 Tsay Nov 2001 B1
6366672 Tsay Apr 2002 B1