Collar for portable device

• US 10,004,308 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Gerard Carpenter
• Original Assignee: Thomas Gerard Carpenter
• Inventors: Carpenter, Thomas Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nash, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US14/544,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 224271, 224929, 224251, 224919
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/00 Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment

Abstract

Briefly, embodiments of a collar, which may be suitable for removably securing a portable communications device to a user, are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable communications device comprising a display;

a collar to completely surround and to be removably secured to the portable communications device, the collar including a claw, at a first side of the collar, operable to make contact with an upward-facing substantially horizontal surface of the portable device;

at a second side of the collar, the second side of the collar being directly opposite the first side of the collar, a first protruding feature to make contact at a first side of a display portion of the portable device and a second protruding feature to make contact at a second side of the display portion of the portable device; and

an eyelet, configured to fasten the collar to an accoutrement via an at least partially ring-shaped clip, the eyelet disposed at a corner portion of the second side of the collar and directly opposite to the claw, the eyelet being positioned adjacent to, and in view of, one or more controls of the portable communications device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the each of the first protruding feature and the second protruding features are fin-shaped, the fin-shaped first protruding feature and the fin-shaped second protruding feature spaced apart from one another so as to make intimate contact at the first and second sides of the display portion of the portable device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fin-shaped first protruding feature and the fin-shaped second protruding feature are coupled to each another by a substantially rigid material.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first protruding feature and the second protruding feature form two standoffs for a shroud.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the substantially rigid material is coupled to the collar and comprises a receptacle for accepting a fastener for coupling the collar to an object.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the substantially rigid material is at least partially opaque.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collar comprises a polycarbonate material.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collar comprises one or more outwardly flared portions to deform responsive to removably securing the collar to the portable device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more flared portions are to deform so as to provide and inward-directed force to secure the collar to the portable device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the claw comprises two or more teeth.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collar further comprises one or more orifices operable to provide air coupling with one or more microphones of the portable device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more orifices comprise two orifices disposed on approximately opposite sides of the collar.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable communications device comprising a display, the display to indicate at least a frequency on which the portable communications device is to receive signals;

a collar to completely surround a portion of the portable communications device, the collar having a claw, proximate with a first end portion of the collar, for coupling to a substantially horizontal surface of the portable communications device, the collar coupled to exactly two fin-shaped features, proximate with a second end portion of the collar, the second end portion being opposite the first end portion of the collar, the claw and the exactly two fin-shaped features cooperating to removably secure the portable communications device to the collar, the exactly two fin-shaped features operable to make contact at first and second sides of the display; and

an eyelet, configured to fasten the collar to an accoutrement via an at least partially ring-shaped clip, the eyelet disposed at a corner portion of the collar directly opposite the claw and in view of one or more controls of the portable communications device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the collar comprising at least one flared portion to deform responsive to insertion of the portable communications device into the collar.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the claw comprises two or more teeth.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the two or more teeth are disposed at a substantially 90 degree angle, so as to couple to a corner of the portable communications device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the collar further comprises one or more orifices that operate to provide air coupling with one or more microphones of the portable communications device.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable device having a display; and

a collar to completely surround a portion of the portable device, comprising;

a claw, proximate with a first end portion of the collar, for coupling to a substantially horizontal surface of the portable device;

exactly two fin-shaped features, proximate with a second end portion of the collar,

directly opposite the first end portion of the collar, for contacting opposite sides of the

display of the portable device, wherein

the claw and the exactly two fin-shaped features operate to removably secure the collar to the portable device; and

an eyelet, disposed at a corner portion of the collar opposite the claw, the eyelet being in view of one or more controls of the portable device, the eyelet configured to fasten the collar to an accoutrement via an at least partially ring-shaped clip to removably secure the collar to an article of clothing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the collar further comprises:

one or more flared portions which, upon removably securing to the portable device, deform so as to cooperatively maintain and inward force directed toward a center axis of the portable device.