Low-profile mounting clip for personal device

• US 20040250382A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Moberg, Sheldon B., Payne, Timothy J., Shetler, Lance E., Collins, Sean, Kimball, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,978,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/3.12
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/13 Article holder attachable to apparel or body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1394 Article held by clip

Abstract

A low-profile, durable mounting clip for holding personal devices. The mounting clip may have an essentially inverted “L” shaped configuration including a foot portion having engagement elements for attachment to corresponding engagement elements on a housing of a personal device. A leg portion provides for attachment to an undergarment or other suitable article of clothing. A heel portion located between and connecting the leg portion and foot portion allows the foot portion to flexibly and durably retract from the housing. The mounting clip may include a snap tab beam locking mechanism having a barb for interlocking with a bump provided on the housing or a rotatable cam locking mechanism having one or more radial snap tabs having engagement elements for engaging corresponding surfaces on the mounting clip. The mounting clip may have an essentially inverted “C-shaped” configuration including a first foot, a second foot, and a leg portion.

Claims

1. A mounting clip for removably attaching a personal device on a supporting member, comprising:

a first foot for frictionally attaching the mounting clip to a first portion of the personal device;

a second foot for frictionally attaching the mounting clip to a second portion of the personal device;

a leg portion for connecting the first foot and the second foot; and

a lever hingedly attached to the leg portion,

wherein the lever rotates relative to the leg portion for positioning the supporting member between the lever and the leg portion.

2. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot and the second foot are disposed substantially perpendicularly to the leg portion.

3. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the second foot comprises a depression for accepting the personal device.

4. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the second foot comprises ridges forming a depression for accepting the personal device.

5. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the lever comprises a breakaway point.

6. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are integrally formed.

7. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed in an essentially “

C-shaped”

configuration.

8. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed by a molding process.

9. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed from at least one of a thermoplastic, a plastic and a polymer.

10. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed from polycarbonate.

11. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the personal device is a personal electronic device.

12. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the personal device is a personal medical device.

13. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the personal device is at least one of an infusion device and a medical monitor.

14. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the supporting member is an article of clothing.

15. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the supporting member is an undergarment.

16. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot includes a dovetail configuration for slide-on attachment and slide-off removal of the personal device, the dovetail configuration having a cascading facet configuration.

17. The mounting clip of claim 16, wherein the cascading facet configuration includes a plurality of outwardly and downwardly sloping facets for engaging corresponding surfaces on the personal device.

18. The mounting clip of claim 16, wherein the cascading facet configuration includes three outwardly and downwardly sloping facets for engaging corresponding surfaces on the personal device.

19. The mounting clip of claim 17, wherein the plurality of outwardly and downwardly sloping facets have different sloping angles relative to each other.

20. The mounting clip of claim 17, wherein the plurality of outwardly and downwardly sloping facets, when fully engaged to the personal device and subjected to an overload condition, elastically deform, slide from facet to facet along the corresponding surfaces of the personal device and separate from the personal device with reduced damage.

21. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot includes channels formed thereon for providing inward flexibility to the first foot.

22. The mounting clip of claim 21, wherein the channels extend lengthwise on the first foot in the direction of engagement with the personal device.

23. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot includes engagement stops for abutting against corresponding surfaces of the personal device.

24. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot includes a snap tab beam locking mechanism having a barb for interlocking with a bump provided on the personal device for locking the mounting clip to the personal device.

25. The mounting clip of claim 24, wherein the barb interlocks with a bump provided on a housing of the personal device.

26. The mounting clip of claim 24, wherein the snap tab beam locking mechanism is integrally formed with the foot portion.

27. The mounting clip of claim 1, wherein the first foot includes a rotatable cam locking mechanism having one or more radial snap tabs having engagement elements for engaging corresponding surfaces on the mounting clip.

28. The mounting clip of claim 27, wherein the rotatable cam locking mechanism is formed separately from the first foot portion and subsequently attached to the first foot.

29. The mounting clip of claim 28, wherein the first foot is formed to include an opening shaped and sized for receiving the rotatable cam locking mechanism.

30. A personal device for attachment to a supporting member, comprising:

a device housing including first engagement elements for receiving a mounting clip, the mounting clip including;

a first foot for frictionally attaching the mounting clip to a first portion of the personal device;

a second foot for frictionally attaching the mounting clip to a second portion of the personal device;

a leg portion for connecting the first foot and the second foot; and

a lever hingedly attached to the leg portion,

wherein the lever rotates relative to the leg portion for positioning the supporting member between the lever and the leg portion.

31. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the second foot comprises a depression for accepting the personal device.

32. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the second foot comprises ridges forming a depression for accepting the personal device.

33. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the lever comprises a breakaway point.

34. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are integrally formed.

35. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed in an essentially “

C-shaped”

configuration.

36. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed by a molding process.

37. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed from at least one of a thermoplastic, a plastic and a polymer.

38. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot, the leg portion, and the second foot are formed from polycarbonate.

39. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the personal device is a personal electronic device.

40. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the personal device is a personal medical device.

41. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the personal device is at least one of an infusion device and a medical monitor.

42. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the supporting member is an article of clothing.

43. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the supporting member is an undergarment.

44. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot includes a dovetail configuration for slide-on attachment and slide-off removal of the personal device, the dovetail configuration having a cascading facet configuration.

45. The mounting clip of claim 44, wherein the cascading facet configuration includes a plurality of outwardly and downwardly sloping facets for engaging corresponding surfaces on the personal device.

46. The mounting clip of claim 44, wherein the cascading facet configuration includes three outwardly and downwardly sloping facets for engaging corresponding surfaces on the personal device.

47. The mounting clip of claim 45, wherein the plurality of outwardly and downwardly sloping facets have different sloping angles relative to each other.

48. The mounting clip of claim 45, wherein the plurality of outwardly and downwardly sloping facets, when fully engaged to the personal device and subjected to an overload condition, elastically deform, slide from facet to facet along the corresponding surfaces of the personal device and separate from the personal device with reduced damage.

49. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot includes channels formed thereon for providing inward flexibility to the first foot.

50. The mounting clip of claim 49, wherein the channels extend lengthwise on the first foot in the direction of engagement with the personal device.

51. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot includes engagement stops for abutting against corresponding surfaces of the personal device.

52. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot includes a snap tab beam locking mechanism having a barb for interlocking with a bump provided on the personal device for locking the mounting clip to the personal device.

53. The mounting clip of claim 52, wherein the barb interlocks with a bump provided on a housing of the personal device.

54. The mounting clip of claim 52, wherein the snap tab beam locking mechanism is integrally formed with the foot portion.

55. The mounting clip of claim 30, wherein the first foot includes a rotatable cam locking mechanism having one or more radial snap tabs having engagement elements for engaging corresponding surfaces on the mounting clip.

56. The mounting clip of claim 55, wherein the rotatable cam locking mechanism is formed separately from the first foot and subsequently attached to the first foot.

57. The mounting clip of claim 56, wherein the first foot is formed to include an opening shaped and sized for receiving the rotatable cam locking mechanism.

58. A method of using a mounting clip with a personal device, comprising:

positioning a first end of the mounting clip onto a first end of the personal device;

positioning a second end of the mounting clip onto a second end of the personal device; and

securing the mounting clip onto the personal device.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising attaching the mounting clip and the personal device to a supporting member.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the supporting member is an article of clothing.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the supporting member is an undergarment.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein the supporting member is a belt.

63. The method of claim 58, wherein the personal device is a personal electronic device.

64. The method of claim 58, wherein the personal device is a personal medical device.

65. The method of claim 58, wherein the personal device is at least one of an infusion device and a medical monitor.