Expandable sockets for use with portable media players

• US 10,215,329 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2018
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PopSockets LLC
• Original Assignee: PopSockets LLC
• Inventors: Hobbs, Molly M., Barnett, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US15/906,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20180187823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 4555751
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/06 allowing pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/40 by means of coilable or bendable legs or spiral shaped legs
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/025 for translational movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/065 with a special structure, e.g. reinforced or adapted for space reduction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/08 Foot or support base
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/33 Contact members made of resilient wire
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case. The expandable socket generally includes a platform, a skin coupled to the platform, a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform, and a biasing element. The skin includes an outer wall, an inner wall spaced radially inward of the outer wall, and a cavity defined by the inner wall, wherein the skin is deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The biasing element is arranged within the cavity of the skin between the platform and the button, such that the biasing element is at least partially surrounded by the inner wall of the skin. The biasing element is configured to bias the skin into the expanded configuration.

Claims

1. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

a skin coupled to the platform, wherein the skin comprises an outer surface, an inner surface spaced radially inward of the outer surface, and a cavity defined by the inner surface, wherein the skin is deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;

a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform;

a biasing element arranged within the cavity of the skin between the platform and the button, such that the biasing element is at least partially surrounded by the inner surface of the skin, the biasing element configured to bias the skin into the expanded configuration; and

a lock configured to releasably secure the skin in the collapsed configuration, wherein the lock comprises a first projection carried by the button and arranged to engage a second projection carried by the platform when the lock releasably secures the skin in the collapsed configuration.

2. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the skin comprises an elastomeric material.

3. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the skin comprises a tapered conical shape.

4. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the skin comprises at least one folding section.

5. The expandable socket of claim 4, wherein the skin comprises a plurality of folding sections.

6. The expandable socket of claim 4, wherein the at least one folding section has an accordion shape.

7. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the biasing element comprises a conical coil spring.

9. The expandable socket of claim 1, further comprising a third projection carried by the platform and a space between the second and third projections, wherein the first projection is configured to be disposed in the space as the skin is deformed from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration.

19. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the button has a flat outer surface and a flat inner surface opposite the flat outer surface, and wherein the first projection extends from the flat inner surface toward the platform.

20. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the button has a generally uniform thickness.

21. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the skin is deformable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration along a longitudinal axis, wherein the first projection extends from the button in a first direction along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second projection is circumferentially arranged about the longitudinal axis.

22. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the platform has a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the button.

23. The expandable socket of claim 1, further comprising an annular wall carried by the platform, wherein the second projection is carried by the annular wall.

24. The expandable socket of claim 23, wherein the skin is deformable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the second projection extends from the annular wall in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

25. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the lock further comprises a third projection carried by the button or the platform, the third projection arranged to engage the first projection or the second projection when the lock releasably secures the skin in the collapsed configuration.

8. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

a skin coupled to the platform, wherein the skin comprises an outer surface, an inner surface spaced radially inward of the outer surface, and a cavity defined by the inner surface, wherein the skin is deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;

a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform;

a biasing element arranged within the cavity of the skin between the platform and the button, such that the biasing element is at least partially surrounded by the inner surface of the skin, the biasing element configured to bias the skin into the expanded configuration; and

a lock configured to releasably secure the skin in the collapsed configuration, wherein the lock comprises a recess defined by the platform or the button, and a protrusion defined by the other of the platform or the button, the recess configured to receive the protrusion when the lock releasably secures the skin in the collapsed configuration.

26. The expandable socket of claim 8, wherein the button has a flat outer surface and a flat inner surface opposite the flat outer surface, and wherein the first projection extends from the flat inner surface toward the platform.

27. The expandable socket of claim 8, wherein the button has a generally uniform thickness.

28. The expandable socket of claim 8, wherein the skin is deformable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration along a longitudinal axis, wherein the first projection extends from the button in a first direction along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second projection is circumferentially arranged about the longitudinal axis.

29. The expandable socket of claim 8, wherein the platform has a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the button.

10. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

a skin coupled to the platform, wherein the skin is deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;

a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform;

a biasing element arranged between the platform and the button, the biasing element configured to bias the skin into the expanded configuration; and

a first projection carried by the button and arranged to engage a second projection carried by the platform to releasably secure the button to the platform,

wherein the first projection extends outward from the button in a first direction and the second projection extends outward from the platform in a second direction opposite the first direction.

11. The expandable socket of claim 10, further comprising a recess defined by the platform or the button, the recess configured to receive the first or second projection when the button is releasably secured to the platform.

12. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the first projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the button.

13. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the second projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the platform.

14. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the first projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the button, and wherein the second projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the platform.

15. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the skin surrounds the biasing element.

16. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the biasing element comprises a conical coil spring.

30. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the button has a flat outer surface and a flat inner surface opposite the flat outer surface, and wherein the first projection extends from the flat inner surface toward the platform.

31. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the button has a generally uniform thickness.

32. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the skin is deformable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration along a longitudinal axis, wherein the first projection extends outward from the button in the first direction along the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second projection is circumferentially arranged about the longitudinal axis.

33. The expandable socket of claim 10, wherein the platform has a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the button.

34. The expandable socket of claim 10, further comprising a third projection carried by the button or the platform, the third projection arranged to engage the first projection or the second projection to releasably secure the button to the platform.

35. The expandable socket of claim 11, wherein the recess is defined between the platform and the second projection, the recess configured to receive the first projection when the button is releasably secured to the platform.

17. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

a skin coupled to the platform, wherein the skin comprises an outer surface, an inner surface spaced radially inward of the outer surface, and a cavity defined by the inner surface, wherein the skin is deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;

a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform;

a biasing element arranged within the cavity of the skin between the platform and the button, such that the biasing element is at least partially surrounded by the inner surface of the skin, the biasing element configured to bias the skin into the expanded configuration; and

first and second projections carried by the platform, a third projection carried by the button, and a space between the first and second projections, wherein the third projection is configured to be disposed in the space as the skin is deformed from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration.

36. The expandable socket of claim 17, wherein the button has a flat outer surface and a flat inner surface opposite the flat outer surface, and wherein the third projection extends from the flat inner surface toward the platform.

37. The expandable socket of claim 17, wherein the button has a generally uniform thickness.

38. The expandable socket of claim 17, wherein the platform has a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the button.

39. The expandable socket of claim 17, further comprising an annular wall carried by the platform, wherein the first and second projections are carried by the annular wall.

40. The expandable socket of claim 39, wherein the skin is deformable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first and second projections extend from the annular wall in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

41. The expandable socket of claim 17, wherein the first and second projections extend outward from the platform in a first direction and the third projection extends outward from the button in a second direction opposite the first direction.

42. The expandable socket of claim 17, wherein the third projection is arranged to engage the first projection or the second projection when the skin is in the collapsed configuration.

18. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

a skin coupled to the platform, wherein the skin is deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;

a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform;

a biasing element arranged between the platform and the button, the biasing element configured to bias the skin into the expanded configuration;

a first projection carried by the button and arranged to engage a second projection carried by the platform to releasably secure the button to the platform; and

a recess defined by the platform or the button, the recess configured to receive the first or second projection when the button is releasably secured to the platform.

43. The expandable socket of claim 18, wherein the button has a flat outer surface and a flat inner surface opposite the flat outer surface, and wherein the first projection extends from the flat inner surface toward the platform.

44. The expandable socket of claim 18, wherein the button has a generally uniform thickness.

45. The expandable socket of claim 18, wherein the platform has a thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the button.

46. The expandable socket of claim 18, further comprising an annular wall carried by the platform, wherein the second projection is carried by the annular wall.

47. The expandable socket of claim 46, wherein the skin is deformable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the second projection extends from the annular wall in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.