BACKGROUND
Wireless mobile devices (e.g., personal digital assistance (PDA), cell phones, or combination devices termed “PDAphones”) are carried by their users on an almost continuous basis. Wearing a wireless mobile device in a holster (e.g., clipped to the user's belt) may be uncomfortable in a sitting position of the user, unless the wireless mobile device can be rotated. Moreover, it is difficult, sometimes a two-handed operation, to remove a wireless mobile device from a holster.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a back perspective exploded-view of a top portion of a wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 3 shows a back perspective view of the wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 4 shows a back perspective exploded-view of a wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and
FIG. 5 shows a more detailed view of the interrelationship of the backing member, protrusion, notch and rod in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, computer companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.
In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean a direct or indirect connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure is limited to that embodiment.
FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a wireless mobile device carrier 10 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In particular, the wireless mobile device carrier 10 comprises a holster assembly 12 where a wireless mobile device is carried. The holster assembly 12 comprises a curved panel portion 14 on a bottom of the holster assembly 12. The curved panel portion 14 receives a bottom portion of the wireless mobile device, allows slight rotation of the wireless mobile device (as discussed below in connection with the operational relationship of tab 16 and latch member 18). The curved nature of portion 14 prevents movement of the wireless mobile device away from the holster assembly 12.
The holster assembly 12 comprises a tab 16 and a latch member 18 disposed on an opposite end of the holster assembly 12 from the curved panel portion 14. A wireless mobile device is placed within the carrier 10 by placing a bottom end within the curved panel portion 14, while holding a top end away from the tab 16 and latch member 18, which may be referred to as “toeing in” the wireless mobile device. After placing the bottom end of the wireless mobile device within the curved panel portion 14, the wireless mobile device may be rotated (about the bottom end in the curved panel portion 14) toward the tab 16. When the wireless mobile device is rotated fully within the holster assembly 12, the tab 16 prevents the movement of the wireless mobile device away from the curved panel portion 14 in a plane defined by the wireless mobile device. In order to retain the wireless mobile device in the holster assembly 12, latch member 18 prevents movement of the wireless mobile device away from tab 16. To remove the wireless mobile device from the holster assembly 12, the latch member is rotated away from the curved panel portion 14, thus enabling the wireless mobile device to move away from tab 16 (by rotation about the curved panel portion 14). Once clear of the tab 16 and latch member 18, the wireless mobile device may be removed from the holster assembly 12 by pulling the device out of the curved panel portion 14. Because of the arrangement of the various components, removal of the wireless mobile device may be accomplished with one hand. Moreover, once the latch member 18 is released and the device rotated away from the tab 16, very little force is needed to detach the device from the panel portion 14; once the latch member 18 is disengaged, this decreases the likelihood of dislodging the hook portion 34 of the clip member 24 (FIG. 3) from an attached article of clothing.
FIG. 2 shows a back perspective exploded-view of a top portion of a wireless mobile device carrier 10, and in particular the tab 16 and latch member 18. In accordance with at least some embodiments, the latch member 18 straddles the tab 16, and is hinged to the top portion of the holster assembly 12 by way of hinge pin 58. Spring 60 also couples to the top portion of the holster assembly 12 and the latch member 18, and biases the latch member 18 toward the curved panel portion 14 (FIG. 1). In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the tab 16 limits rotational travel of the latch member 18. In particular, the tab 16 has an angled stop portion 62 on a distal end thereof. Correspondingly, the latch member 18 has a complementary angled stop portion 64. As the latch member 18 rotates toward the panel portion 14, rotational movement is stopped when the angled stop portions 62 and 64 meet.
FIG. 3 shows a back perspective view of the wireless mobile device carrier 10 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In particular, the wireless mobile device carrier 10 comprises a clothing clip assembly 20 rotatably coupled to the holster assembly 12, as indicated by arrow 22. In accordance with some embodiments, the relative position of the clothing clip assembly 20 and the holster assembly 12 may rotate through 180 degrees of rotation, with positive stops approximately every twenty degrees. In alternative embodiments, the relative position of the clothing clip assembly 20 and the holster assembly 12 may rotate through 360 degrees of rotation and/or have positive stops at other desired locations (e.g., every 10° or every 30°).
In order to more fully explain relative rotation of the clothing clip assembly 20 and holster assembly 12, and in particular the positive stopping mechanism, FIG. 4 shows a back perspective exploded-view of the wireless mobile device carrier 10. In accordance with at least some embodiments, the clothing clip assembly 20 further comprises a clip member 24, backing member 26, spring 28, hinge pin 30 and cap 32. The clip member 24 has a hook portion 34, which hooks to an article of clothing (e.g., a belt) and also has a tab portion 36. When the tab portion 36 is pressed, the clip member rotates about hinge pin 30, causing the hook portion 34 to be positioned away from the backing member 26 for attachment to an article of clothing. Spring 28 biases hook portion 34 of the clip member 24 toward the backing member 26, and thus to some extent holds the wireless communication device carrier on the article of clothing. The backing member 26 further comprises an aperture 38 having a plurality of circularly spaced grooves 40 (the grooves in some embodiments normal to a plane defined by the backing plate 26). Rod 42 fits in operational relationship with one of the plurality of grooves 40. Cap 32 couples to corresponding portions (discussed below) of the holster assembly 12, and while allowing relative rotational movement between the backing member 26 and the holster 12, prevents those two devices from separating along an axis of rotation between them.
Still referring to FIG. 4, the holster assembly 12 further comprises protrusions 44. The protrusions 44 have a perimeter that defines a substantially circular shape, save a notch 46. The substantially circular shape defined by the protrusions 44 has a diameter that is slightly less than that of the aperture 38, and the protrusions 44 extend into the aperture 38 when assembled. The protrusions 44 also comprises a plurality of coupling members 52, to which the cap 32 couples.
FIG. 5 shows a more detailed view of the interrelationship of the backing member 26, protrusions 44, notch 46 and rod 42. In particular, rod 42 sits within the notch 46, and further the rod 42 is in operational relationship with one of the plurality of grooves 40. As the backing plate 26 is rotated relative to the holster assembly 12 (as indicated by arrow 48), the rod 42 moves from one of the plurality of grooves (e.g., 40A) to an adjacent one of the plurality of grooves (e.g., 40B). The combination of the notch 46, rod 42 and portions of the backing member between the grooves 40 resist rotation of the backing member 26 relative to the holster assembly 12. Thus when rod 42 is within a groove 40, the combination acts as a positive stopping mechanism for relative rotation of the backing member 26 and the holster assembly 12. In accordance with at least some embodiments, the rod 42 is metallic and substantially a solid circular cylinder. In alternative embodiments, the rod 42 may be made of other materials (e.g., high density plastics, or metal coated plastics), may be of different shapes (e.g., octagonal), or may be a hollow cylinder made of any suitable material. Although FIG. 5 shows the plurality of grooves 40 placed in a circular array around the aperture 38, in alternative embodiments the plurality of grooves extend only partially around the aperture, such as an arc of 180 degrees.
In some embodiments the backing plate 26 may comprise a relief notch 50, which also acts as one of the plurality of grooves 40. The relief notch 50 enables slight deformation of the backing plate 26 to reduce the force needed to move the rod 42 from one of the plurality of grooves 40 to an adjacent one of the plurality of grooves.
Patent Application
20070094853
