Holder for a powered device

• US 20040069920A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wahl Clipper Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wahl Clipper Corporation
• Inventors: W. Dirks, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 6,938,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/316.7
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 27/29 Stands for shavers or razors A45D27/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/224 Electrical recharging arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/72 Means for accommodating flexible lead within the holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/76 Holders with sockets, clips, or analogous contacts adapted for axially-sliding engagement with parallely-arranged pins, blades, or analogous contacts on counterpart, e.g. electronic tube socket
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/18 providing line outlets

Abstract

A holder for a powered device with a power supply, where the holder includes a cradle for seating the powered device, and a seating member for seating the power supply. The seating member and the cradle are preferably removably attached to each other at a pivot point. Preferably, the cradle and the seating member can be arranged together for holding the powered device in either a first or a second arrangement. In the first arrangement, the power supply is seated on the seating member and the cradle is attached to the seating member such that the power supply may be plugged into a wall outlet with the power supply and the powered device being fully supported against the wall by the holder. In the second arrangement, the power supply is not seated on said seating unit, but the seating unit is instead used as a base for the cradle.

Claims

1. A system for supporting a powered device having a power supply, comprising:

a cradle that is configured and arranged to seat the powered device; and

a seating member that is configured and arranged to seat the power supply;

wherein when the power supply and the powered device are seated within said seating member and said cradle, respectively, the system for supporting is configured and arranged to fully support said cradle, said seating member, the powered device, and the power supply.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one support rib extending from a said cradle, said at least one support rib being configured and arranged to contact a wall that includes an electrical outlet, such that at least a portion of the combined weight of said cradle, said seating member, the power supply, and the powered device is supported by said at least one support rib, when said system for supporting is in use with the power supply being plugged into the electrical outlet.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said cradle includes at least one support rib extending therefrom, and further wherein said at least one support rib is configured and arranged to attach said cradle upon said seating member, when the power supply is not seated within said seating member

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said seating member includes two winged extensions that are configured and arranged to removably secure the power supply to said seating member; and

said cradle includes a first support rib and a second support rib, wherein both of said support ribs are configured and arranged to contact a wall when said system is in an arrangement with the powered device seated on said cradle, the power supply seated on said seating member, and a plug of said power supply inserted into an outlet in the wall.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein:

said winged extensions of said seating member each terminate in a bent lip portion; and

said first and second support ribs of said cradle each include a slot, wherein said slots of said first and second support ribs and said bent lips of said winged extensions are configured and arranged to mate with each other so that said cradle can be attached upon said seating member when the power supply is not seated within said seating member.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said cradle and said seating member are formed as a single unit, whereby said cradle and said seating member are not movable relative to each other

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said cradle and said seating member are formed as two separate units that are connected to each other at a pivot point.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said cradle includes an aperture therein, where said aperture is configured and arranged to allow a portion of a cord to pass therethrough.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said cradle includes an aperture therein, where said aperture is configured and arranged to seat an adapter used to relay power between the powered device and a cord of the power supply.

10. A holder for a powered device with a power supply, said holder comprising:

a cradle that is configured and arranged to seat the powered device; and

a seating member that is configured and arranged to seat the power supply that is associated with the powered device, wherein said seating member and said cradle are removably attached to each other at a pivot point.

11. The holder as defined in claim 10, wherein said cradle can be pivoted at least 90 degrees about said pivot point between a first position and a second position.

12. The holder as defined in claim 11, wherein said first position of said cradle is a position in which a longitudinal axis of said cradle coincides with a longitudinal axis of said seating member, and said second position of said cradle is a position is which said longitudinal axis of said cradle is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said seating member.

13. The holder as defined in claim 10, further comprising a locking mechanism for locking said cradle, with respect to said seating member, into a single pivoted position selected from a plurality of available pivoted positions.

14. The holder as defined in claim 13, wherein said locking mechanism includes a single first rib located on a portion of one of said cradle or said seating member and a plurality of second ribs that are configured and arranged to mate with said first rib and that are located on a portion of the other of said cradle and said seating member, wherein said plurality of second ribs are biased towards said first rib such that said cradle can be locked into a single pivoted position with respect to said seating member.

15. The holder as defined in claim 13, wherein said locking mechanism includes two sets of mating ribs, with a first set being located on a portion of said cradle and a second set being located on a portion of said seating member, wherein at least one of said two sets of locking ribs are biased against the other set of locking ribs for locking said cradle into a single pivoted position with respect to said seating member.

16. The holder as defined in claim 13, further comprising:

a forked member extending from one of said cradle or said seating member; and

a hollow member extending from the other of said cradle and said seating member, wherein said hollow member is configured and arranged to mate with said forked member to define said pivot point.

17. The holder as defined in claim 16, wherein said forked member includes two legs that angle outwardly from each other when viewed from proximal ends to distal ends, with each of said legs including a tab formed on said distal end thereof, such that when said forked member is located within said hollow member, said angled legs bias said cradle and said seating member against each other and said tabs keep said cradle and said seating member from separating from each other, unless a force is applied to push said legs together.

18. The holder as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

an internally threaded shaft extending from a portion of said cradle;

a hollow member extending from a portion of said seating member, and including a first end and a second end, said hollow member also including an internal shoulder between said first and second ends;

a biasing member positioned within said hollow member, between said first end and said internal shoulder; and

a threaded rod, said threaded rod being configured to extend through said biasing member, through a portion of said hollow member, and into said internal threading of said internally threaded shaft, such that said biasing member exerts a force upon said internal shoulder to bias said seating member against said cradle member.

19. The holder as defined in claim 10, wherein said cradle includes an aperture therein, where said aperture is configured and arranged to allow a portion of a cord to pass therethrough.

20. The holder as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

at least one support rib extending from said cradle, said support rib being configured and arranged to contact a wall which includes an outlet into which a plug of said power supply may be inserted; and

at least two winged extensions extending from said seating member, said winged extensions being configured and arranged to removably secure the power supply to said seating member

21. A holder comprising:

a cradle that is configured and arranged to seat a powered device; and

a seating member that is configured and arranged to seat a power supply that is associated with the powered device;

wherein said cradle and said seating member may be arranged together for holding the powered device in either a first arrangement or a second arrangement, where;

said first arrangement is an arrangement in which the power supply is seated on said seating member and said cradle is attached to said seating member such that the power supply may be plugged into a wall outlet with the power supply and the powered device being fully supported by said holder; and

said second arrangement is an arrangement in which the power supply is not seated on said seating unit, but the seating unit is instead used as a base for said cradle, thereby permitting said holder to be used as a freestanding unit for supporting said powered device.

22. The holder as defined in claim 21, wherein said cradle includes an aperture therein, where said aperture is configured and arranged to allow a portion of a cord to pass therethrough.

23. The holder as defined in claim 21, further comprising:

two support ribs extending from said cradle, each of said support ribs including a slot; and

two winged extensions extending from said seating member, said winged extensions being used to secure the power supply to said seating member when said holder is arranged into said first arrangement, but when said holder is arranged into said second arrangement, said winged extensions are inserted into said slots on said support ribs.

24. The holder as defined in claim 21, wherein when said holder is arranged into said first arrangement, said seating member and said cradle are attached to each other at a pivot point, such that said cradle can be rotated at least 90 degrees on said pivot point.

25. The holder as defined in claim 21, further comprising at least one support rib extending from said cradle, said a last one support rib being configured and arranged to contact a wall that includes the electrical outlet, such that at least a portion of the combined weight of said cradle, said seating member, the power supply, and the powered device is supported by said at last one support rib, when said holder is in use with the power supply being plugged into the wall outlet.