Patent Application
20090017918
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IPods, iPhones and cellular phones are now ubiquitous, as is their ability to display video. More and more people now watch videos on their iPods, iPhones, other cell phones and other portable devices during their commute to work or during other trips, usually holding such devices in their hands or placing such devices on their lap or nearby seat cushion. Holding the video devices becomes physically difficult and very inconvenient, while placing such devices on the lap or seat cushion strains the neck, which in both cases makes viewing difficult and not enjoyable.
It would desirable and highly advantageous to have a device that would allow viewing of such video devices at a comfortable angle without holding them.
Although various mounting devices for video playback machines are known in the prior art, no such devices are capable of both attaching and detaching the video devices by hand to and from surfaces or objects not specifically designed for such video devices. For example, no device in the prior art is capable of attaching a portable video player to the back of a seat in front of the user in a commuter train, allowing such user to watch the video player hands-free while on the train, and then detaching it and taking it away once the train ride is over.
The present invention will allow any portable device capable of video playback to be attached to a nearby surface or object allowing for hands-free viewing at a comfortable angle. The surface or object may be the back of a seat in front of the user in a train, bus or car, a nearby window or side of a vehicle, a handle bar in a train or a bus or even a wall. The present invention would comprise a mechanism for attaching the video player to a surface described above. The device can be made of any number of materials, including plastics, metal, glass or wood, and can also be a part of the video device itself. The present invention can be embodied in devices of various shapes and sizes to fit the multitude of video devices available.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a plastic casing into which a portable video device would fit and be held therein, with two suction cups mounted on the reverse side. The suction cups would be capable of attaching the casing, with the video device inside it, to virtually any flat surface, and allowing hands-free viewing of such video device. The casing would also be easily detachable from the surface once the viewing is complete.
The figures show the preferred embodiment described above, designed specifically for an iPhone. The suction cups 1 are mounted on the rear of the casing 4. The iPhone is slid into the casing 4, and is clipped into place by specially designed protrusions 2 on the side of the casing 4. The entire casing together with the iPhone 3 can be attached to any flat surface, including a back of a seat 6 in front of the user 5 in a train or a bus.
Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the related art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
