Handset holder

• US 20030148740A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Yau, William, Man Wai, Kenneth Kwong, Wai, Kenny, Ho Lam, Wan
• Application Number:
  US10/033,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20030148740A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

An electronic device holder, having a base having an insert aperture therein, an insert positioned in the insert aperture, and a one-piece flexible member connected to the base for supporting an electronic device disposed in the insert.

Claims

1. An electronic device holder, comprising:

a base having an insert aperture therein;

an insert positioned in the insert aperture; and

a one-piece flexible member connected to the base for supporting an electronic device disposed in the insert.

2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the base is made of at least one of a metal or a plastic.

3. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the base has at least one opening for insertion of the one-piece flexible member and the base having shoulders that support the one-piece flexible member in a raised position.

4. The holder according to claim 3, wherein the one-piece flexible member is made of at least one of a plastic material or a tubing.

5. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the base has a lower base portion and an upper base portion.

6. The holder according to claim 5, wherein the lower base portion has a seating surface, a base lower portion opening, and a lower base portion receptacle for mating connector elements to a power source.

7. The holder according to claim 6, wherein the insert aperture is disposed in the upper base portion and has an insert aperture inner portion, an outer portion, a lip, and a bottom portion.

8. The holder according to claim 7, wherein the insert aperture inner portion has sloped inner walls.

9. The holder according to claim 7, wherein the insert has a male electrical connector extending through the insert aperture inner portion into a female electrical connector in the lower base portion which is connected to an electrically conductive wire disposed through the base lower portion opening, with the electrically conductive wire in turn connected to the lower base portion receptacle.

10. The holder according to claim 9, wherein the power source energizes the electrically conductive wire, the electrically conductive wire energizes the female electrical connector and the female electrical connector energizes the male electrical connector and the male electrical connector energizes the electronic device placed in the insert.

11. The holder according to claim 9, wherein the male electrical connector is a pin and the female electrical connector is a socket.

12. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the insert is removeably positioned in the insert aperture.

13. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece flexible member is pivotably mounted in the base to pivot relative to the base between a lowered position and a raised position.

14. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder is portable.

15. An electronic power station, comprising:

a base;

a flexible arm having spindles attached to the base, the base containing at least one corresponding opening for the spindles, the base also having an insert aperture therein; and

an interchangeable insert removably disposed in the insert aperture for holding an electronic device, wherein the flexible arm cushions the electronic device, wherein the interchangeable insert is selected from a number of different interchangeable inserts which can be interchanged in the insert aperture to accommodate different electronic devices.

16. The station according to claim 15, wherein the flexible arm is a one-piece member, shaped in a form of an outer perimeter of the base.

17. The station according to claim 15, wherein the flexible arm flexes in a down position.

18. The station according to claim 15, wherein the flexible arm is biased in a down position against a rear edge of the base.

19. The station according to claim 15, wherein the flexible arm has a padded section of elastomeric material.

20. The station according to claim 19, wherein the padded

section of the flexible arm has a seam.

21. The station according to claim 19, wherein the padded

section of the flexible arm is seamless.

22. The station according to claim 15, wherein the interchangeable insert comprises an insert central portion, an insert bottom portion, and at least one sloped wall, all within a plastic insulating frame that defines the insert aperture.

23. The station according to claim 22, wherein the insert bottom portion is press fitted with at least one metal contact for connection to a female connector in the insert aperture connected to an electrically conductive wire in the base in turn connected to a base electrical receptacle for connection to a power source.

24. The station according to claim 23, wherein the at least one metal contact of the insert bottom portion comprises a flexible spring having a tab portion.

25. The station according to claim 24, wherein the at least one metal contact of the insert bottom portion is made of at least one of a copper metal or an aluminum alloy metal.

26. The station according to claim 22, wherein the insert bottom portion further comprises a terminal portion, the terminal portion projects from a lower side of the insert bottom portion, the insert bottom portion contains an electrical receptacle that connects to the at least one metal contact, wherein the at least one metal contact is at least one spring contact.

27. The station according to claim 22, wherein the at least one sloped wall of the insert is comprised of a plurality outer walls sloped to conform to a slope of a plurality of inner walls of the insert aperture.

28. The station according to claim 22, wherein the insert central portion includes an insert lip surrounding the insert central portion having a conformed fit to a rim of the insert aperture.

29. The station according to claim 28, wherein the insert central portion has a lower surface seatable against a bottom of the insert aperture.

30. The station according to claim 15, wherein the interchangeable insert has an insert multi-contact male pin connector that forms an electrical connection with a base electrical receptacle upon insertion of the interchangeable insert into the insert aperture, wherein the base electrical receptacle attaches to an electrically conductive wire connected to the base electrical receptacle for connection to a power source to form a complete circuit.

31. The station according to claim 30, wherein the power source energizes the base electrical receptacle, the base electrical receptacle energizes the electrically conductive wire, the electrically conductive wire energizes the base electrical receptacle, the base electrical receptacle energizes the insert multi-contact male pin connector, the insert multi-contact male pin connector energizes a mobile electronic device placed in the interchangeable insert.

32. The station according to claim 30, wherein the insert multi-contact male pin connector comprises a uniform serial bus connector.

33. The station according to claim 30, wherein the insert multi-contact male pin connector has a housing.

34. The station according to claim 33, wherein the housing

is made of at least one of an insulating plastic or a metal.

35. The station according to claim 26, wherein the interchangeable insert comprises a generally rectangularly shaped handset receiving receptacle containing at least one spring contact extending through the terminal portion for connection to the base electrical receptacle, upon handset insertion into insert aperture, wherein insertion of a handset completes a circuit to a power source connected to the base.

36. The station according to claim 26, wherein the insert

has a generally elliptically shaped handset receiving receptacle.

37. A freestanding handset holder, comprising:

an electrically conductive insert contained in an electrically wired casing for holding a handset; and

a generally U-shaped frame attached to the electrically wired casing in a raised position, wherein the U-shaped frame cushions the handset held in the insert.

38. The holder according to claim 37, wherein the casing has a casing upper section and a casing lower section.

39. The holder according to claim 37, wherein the casing lower section has mated cutouts for attachment of the U-shaped frame.

40. The holder according to claim 38, wherein the casing lower section defines shoulders formed on at least one side of the casing from a wider midsection to a narrower front.

41. The holder according to claim 37, wherein the electrically wired casing is energized by a power source, the power source energizes the electrically conductive insert that energizes the handset.

42. A method of holding an electronic device, comprising the steps of:

providing an electrically connectable base with an insert aperture and the electrically connectable base having at least one base opening for at least one pivotable arm with at least one spindle;

placing an electrically connectable insert into the insert aperture;

placing the at least one pivotable arm spindle into the at least one base opening;

placing the electronic device in the electrically conductable insert to complete a circuit through the electrically connectable insert and the electrically connectable base; and

positioning the at least one pivotable arm to brace the electronic device, wherein the electronic device can be removed and the pivotable arm placed in a down position by including the steps of;

pushing the at least one pivotable arm in a downward direction; and

snapping the at least one pivotable arm into a down position.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the pushing of the at least one pivotable arm causes the flexing of at least one spindle attached to the at least one pivotable arm.

44. The method according to claim 42, wherein the snapping of the at least one pivotable arm attached to the at least one spindle causes a biasing of a top of the at least one pivotable arm against a rear edge of the electrically connectable base.

45. An electronic device holder, comprising:

a base having an insert aperture, and an electrical receptacle connected to electrical wiring in a lower base portion attached to a first electrical connector extending into the insert aperature the base having at least one spindle aperture;

a number of different interchangeable inserts sized and shaped to be received in the insert aperture and adapted for receiving an electronic device, each of the different interchangeable inserts having a different predetermined characteristic and having a second electrical connector in an electronic device receiving receptacle; and

at least one pivotable arm having at least one spindle adapted to be received into the at least one spindle aperture.