Mobile computing device holder

• US 10,084,499 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacallao, Yurgis Mauro, Caution, Stephen Tyler, Osmon, Joshua David
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M
• Application Number:
  US15/657,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 2482201, 2484471
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2097/006 Computer holding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters

Abstract

Described is a mobile computing device holder that mounts to a piece of furniture, specifically to the corner of a piece of furniture. The mobile computing device holder holds a mobile computing device base, such as a docking station or charger, and a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device holder includes a corner mount fixture that mounts to a corner of a piece of furniture and holds the mobile computing device base such that the mobile computing device is cradled in the mobile computing device base. The mobile computing device holder also includes a tether device that tethers the mobile computing device to the mobile computing device base so the mobile computing device can be used, but cannot be moved more than the length of the tethering device from the corner mount fixture.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device holder comprising:

a corner mount fixture, wherein the corner mount fixture removeably couples to a piece of furniture, and wherein the corner mount fixture comprises;

a base bracket, wherein the base bracket is in the shape of an eight-sided polygon;

a first side coupler coupled to the base bracket, wherein the first side coupler is perpendicular to the base bracket; and

a second side coupler coupled to the base bracket, wherein the second side coupler is perpendicular to the base bracket;

wherein the first and the second side coupler couple the corner mount fixture to the piece of furniture;

a mobile computing device base coupled to the corner mount fixture, wherein the mobile computing device base is configured to cradle a mobile computing device;

a coupling apparatus coupled to the mobile computing device; and

a tether device coupled to both the mobile computing device base and the coupling apparatus, wherein the tether device couples the coupling apparatus to the mobile computing device base.

2. The mobile computing device holder of claim 1, wherein the base bracket sits on a top surface of the piece of furniture with a corner of the piece of furniture extending from between the first side coupler and the second side coupler in response to the first side coupler being coupled to a first side of the piece of furniture and the second side coupler being coupled to a second side of the piece of furniture.

3. The mobile computing device holder of claim 1, wherein the base bracket is formed of a first lattice of rods, the first side coupler is formed of a second lattice of rods, and the second side coupler is formed of a third lattice of rods.

4. The mobile computing device holder of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device base is coupled to the base bracket.

5. The mobile computing device holder of claim 4, wherein the first side coupler is perpendicular to the second side coupler.

6. The mobile computing device holder of claim 1, wherein the tether device comprises a cord and a reel.

7. The mobile computing device holder of claim 1, wherein the tether device comprises a retractable cord.

8. The mobile computing device holder of claim 1, wherein the coupling apparatus comprises:

a loop plate, wherein the loop plate comprises a hole through the loop plate; and

a coupler plate coupled to the loop plate, wherein the coupler plate is configured to be coupled to the mobile computing device.

9. A corner mount fixture for holding a mobile computing device base, the corner mount fixture comprising:

a base bracket, wherein the base bracket is formed of a first lattice of rods lying in a first plane;

a first side coupler coupled to the base bracket, wherein the first side coupler is formed of a second lattice of rods lying in a second plane; and

a second side coupler coupled to the base bracket, wherein the second side coupler is formed of a third lattice of rods lying in a third plane;

wherein the base bracket is configured to couple to the mobile computing device base,

and wherein the first and second side coupler are configured to couple to a piece of furniture.

10. The corner mount fixture of claim 9, wherein:

the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane;

the third plane is perpendicular to the first plane; and

the second plane is perpendicular to the third plane.

11. The corner mount fixture of claim 9, wherein the base bracket is in the shape of a polygon.

12. The corner mount fixture of claim 9, wherein the first and the second side couplers are each in the shape of a rectangle.

13. The corner mount fixture of claim 11, wherein the base bracket is in the shape of an eight-sided polygon.

14. The corner mount fixture of claim 11, wherein the base bracket comprises:

a trapezoid shaped base mount, wherein the base mount is configured to be coupled to the mobile computing device base;

a first side wing coupled to the base mount; and

a second side wing coupled to the base mount.

15. A method of mounting a mobile computing device base to a piece of furniture, the method comprising:

coupling a plurality of rods together in the shape of a polygon to form a base bracket, wherein each of the plurality of rods lie in a base bracket plane;

coupling a first side coupler to the base bracket such that a first side coupler plane is perpendicular to the base bracket plane;

coupling a second side coupler to the base bracket such that a second side coupler plane is perpendicular to the base bracket plane;

coupling the mobile computing device base to the base bracket; and

coupling the first and the second side coupler to the piece of furniture.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein coupling the first and the second side coupler to the piece of furniture comprises coupling the first and the second side coupler to the piece of furniture such that a corner of the piece of furniture extends out between the first and the second side coupler.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein coupling the first and the second side coupler to the piece of furniture comprises:

coupling the first side coupler to a first side of the piece of furniture; and

coupling the second side coupler to a second side of the piece of furniture;

wherein the base bracket sits on a top surface of the piece of furniture in response to coupling the first and the second side coupler to the piece of furniture.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the base bracket is in the shape of an eight-sided polygon.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming the first side coupler using a first rectangular lattice of rods.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising forming the second side coupler using a second rectangular lattice of rods.