Vehicle cup holder cell phone mount
First Claim
1. Apparatus for mounting a cell phone to any of a plurality of vehicle cup holders having a range of radial sizes, each vehicle cup holder having an inner wall, the apparatus having a central, vertical axis, the apparatus comprising:
- a base having a sidewall that includes a base outer surface, the base outer surface generally formed as a surface of rotation around the axis and being downwardly and radially, inwardly tapered between an upper end of the base outer surface and a lower end of the base outer surface;
a top of the base formed to be adjacent to the upper end of the base outer surface, a pier upwardly extending from the top of the base, a cell phone mounting bracket coupled to the pier for receiving a cell phone;
a plurality of shells adapted for selective use with the base, the plurality of shells including first and second shells, each of the plurality of shells having an outer surface with an upper end and a lower end, the outer surface being downwardly and radially inwardly tapered between the upper end and the lower end;
the first shell adapted to be releasably attached to the base by fitting over the base, the first shell having a sidewall with a first outer surface, the first outer surface generally formed as a surface of rotation around the axis and being downwardly and radially inwardly tapered between an upper end of the first outer surface and a lower end of the first outer surface;
the second shell adapted to be releasably attached to an assembly of the base and the first shell by fitting over the first shell, the second shell having a sidewall with a second outer surface, the second outer surface generally formed as a surface of rotation around the axis and being downwardly and radially inwardly tapered between an upper end of the second outer surface and a lower end of the second outer surface, andmeans for releasably affixing the first shell to the base and means for releasably affixing the second shell to an assembly of the base and the first shell,wherein the apparatus is frictionally secured within a selected cup holder selected from the plurality of vehicle cup holders by (a) press-fitting the base outer surface to the inner wall of the selected cup holder, or (b) affixing one or more shells to the base and press-fitting an outer surface of an outermost one of the shells to the inner wall of the selected cup holder.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle cup holder cell phone mount has a base with a downwardly and inwardly tapering surface of rotation around a vertical axis. A pier stands up from a top of the base and a cell phone mounting bracket is pivotally mounted to the pier. The cell phone mounting bracket has adjustable jaws to fit cell phones of varying widths. The jaws always define an opening for a cell phone power/communications cable. One or more of a plurality of shells may be selectively assembled to the base. Each shell has a tapering surface of rotation around the axis. The shells are of different sizes. The user assembles from zero to many shells to the base, Russian-doll fashion, so as to optimally fit a particular vehicle cup holder. The user then wedges the assembly into the vehicle cup holder such that compressive force between the outermost tapering surface and the cup holder side wall securely holds the cell phone mount in place in the vehicle cup holder.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for mounting a cell phone to any of a plurality of vehicle cup holders having a range of radial sizes, each vehicle cup holder having an inner wall, the apparatus having a central, vertical axis, the apparatus comprising:
-
a base having a sidewall that includes a base outer surface, the base outer surface generally formed as a surface of rotation around the axis and being downwardly and radially, inwardly tapered between an upper end of the base outer surface and a lower end of the base outer surface; a top of the base formed to be adjacent to the upper end of the base outer surface, a pier upwardly extending from the top of the base, a cell phone mounting bracket coupled to the pier for receiving a cell phone; a plurality of shells adapted for selective use with the base, the plurality of shells including first and second shells, each of the plurality of shells having an outer surface with an upper end and a lower end, the outer surface being downwardly and radially inwardly tapered between the upper end and the lower end; the first shell adapted to be releasably attached to the base by fitting over the base, the first shell having a sidewall with a first outer surface, the first outer surface generally formed as a surface of rotation around the axis and being downwardly and radially inwardly tapered between an upper end of the first outer surface and a lower end of the first outer surface; the second shell adapted to be releasably attached to an assembly of the base and the first shell by fitting over the first shell, the second shell having a sidewall with a second outer surface, the second outer surface generally formed as a surface of rotation around the axis and being downwardly and radially inwardly tapered between an upper end of the second outer surface and a lower end of the second outer surface, and means for releasably affixing the first shell to the base and means for releasably affixing the second shell to an assembly of the base and the first shell, wherein the apparatus is frictionally secured within a selected cup holder selected from the plurality of vehicle cup holders by (a) press-fitting the base outer surface to the inner wall of the selected cup holder, or (b) affixing one or more shells to the base and press-fitting an outer surface of an outermost one of the shells to the inner wall of the selected cup holder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification