Retractable telephone holding unit

• US 20050064918A1
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael S. Medhin
• Original Assignee: Michael S. Medhin
• Inventors: Medhin, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use

Abstract

An apparatus for enabling hands free operation of cell phones and other portable electronic devices is disclosed. The apparatus may include a headset having a housing and a set of extendable links coupled at a base end to the housing and coupled at an opposite end to an end cap. The set of extendable links may fit within an interior of the housing when fully retracted, and the end cap may be latched to the housing. The set of extendable links may be extended by hand, extended by spring force and retracted by hand, or extended and retracted by motorized force. An adjustable swivel arm is coupled at one end to the housing, and at the other end to a gripping device. The gripping device includes a plurality of gripping arms. A portable electronic device may be inserted and secured within the plurality of gripping arms.

Claims

1. A holder for portable electronic devices, comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a set of links coupled to the housing and configured to be housed in the interior of the housing in a retractable position and extending from the housing in an extended position;

an end cap coupled to a distal portion of the set of links which is configured to close the set of links within the housing when in the retracted position;

a swivel arm coupled to the housing; and

an adjustable gripping device coupled to the swivel arm.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a latch to secure the end cap to the housing.

3. The headset of claim 2, wherein the housing further includes an actuator coupled to the latch.

4. The headset of claim 2, wherein the latch is selected from one of a mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, magnetic, or electromagnetic latch.

5. The headset of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises:

a motor coupled to the set of links;

a power source coupled to the motor; and

an actuator coupled to the power source to operate the motor.

6. The headset of claim 1, wherein the set of links comprises:

a base link coupled to the interior of the housing; and

a plurality of nestable intermediate links slidably fitted within the base link, wherein an end link of one of the plurality of nestable intermediate links is coupled to the end cap.

7. The headset of claim 6, wherein at least one of the set of links further comprises at least one gear that rotatably engages a rack formed on a rim of an adjacent link.

8. The headset of claim 7, wherein a gear ratio of the at least one gear allows extension or retraction of each link of the set of links when a portion of the housing is moved from a first position to a second position.

9. The headset of claim 6, wherein the base link and each of the nestable intermediate links are convex.

10. The headset of claim 6, wherein the base link and each of the nestable intermediate links have a flexible center portion.

11. The headset of claim 9, wherein the base link and each of the nestable intermediate links include a spring that exerts a spring force about the center portion.

12. The headset of claim 6, wherein the base link has a base end that is wider than an opposite end thereof, and each of the nestable intermediate links has a base end that is wider than an opposite end thereof.

13. The headset of claim 12, wherein the base link and each of the nestable intermediate links further includes at least one slot formed along a portion of a length of a side thereof, wherein a peg is formed on at least a side of the base end of each intermediate link and slidably fitted within the slot of an adjacent link.

14. The headset of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one helical spring attached between adjacent links, the helical spring exerting an extension force to sequentially extend the set of links from the housing; and

at least one rib attached to an inner upper surface of the base link and each rotatable intermediate link, the depth of the at least one rib being greater than a width of the helical spring.

15. The headset of claim 11, further comprising:

a spool mounted within the housing;

a helical spring coupled to the spool;

a wire coupled at one end to the spool, and at an other end to one of the nestable intermediate links such that a force exerted by the helical spring acts to sequentially extend the set of links from the housing.

16. The headset of claim 11, wherein the base link and each of the nestable intermediate links further comprises:

a flexible member formed at a base end thereof;

a first detent formed on the flexible member; and

a second detent formed on an upper surface of the distal end thereof.

17. The headset of claim 11, wherein each of the nestable intermediate links further comprises a torsion device coupled to a base end thereof.

18. The headset of claim 1, wherein at least one of the end cap or the set of links is weighted to counterbalance a weight of the gripping device.

19. The headset of claim 1, wherein the end cap is formed of a sound-proofing material.

20. The headset of claim 1, wherein the swivel arm further comprises:

an adjustable rod having a portion thereof coupled to the housing and an end thereof coupled to a rotatable elbow joint;

an extension rod coupled at one end to the rotatable elbow joint, and at the other end to a connector.

21. The headset of claim 20, wherein the connector includes an arcuate rail guide and an interlocking arcuate rod.

22. The headset of claim 1, wherein the gripping device further comprises:

a gearbox removably coupled to the swivel arm;

an adjustable clamp coupled to the gearbox, the adjustable clamp including an upper arm and a lower arm separated by a gap; and

a pair of adjustable gripping arms coupled to the gearbox and extending one on either side of the adjustable clamp.

23. The headset of claim 22, wherein the adjustable clamp is coupled to a dampening gear.

24. The headset of claim 22, wherein the adjustable clamp locks.

25. The headset of claim 23, wherein each gripping arm of the pair of gripping arms further comprises:

a base end coupled to a cross bar;

a spring housing connected to the base end;

a spring located within the spring housing; and

a rotatable slotted gripping material having a base end coupled to the spring housing.

26. The headset of claim 25, wherein each cross bar is toothed along a surface thereof, and wherein each cross bar is coupled to a gear in the gearbox.

27. A wearable holder, comprising:

an extendable headband retractably coupled between a housing and an end cap;

a swivel arm rotatably coupled to the housing; and

an adjustable gripping device coupled to the swivel arm, the adjustable gripping device comprising;

a gear rotatably coupled to a pivot;

a plurality of adjustable gripping arms, each of the plurality of gripping arms attached to a cross bar having a toothed portion that engages with a portion of the gear; and

an adjustable clamp rotatably coupled to another pivot and coupled to a dampening gear and positioned between at least two of the plurality of adjustable gripping arms.

28. The wearable holder of claim 27, wherein the housing and the end cap fully enclose the extendable headband when the extendable headband is fully retracted.

29. The wearable holder of claim 27, wherein the adjustable clamp further comprises an upper arm and a lower arm separated by a gap, and the adjustable clamp rotates within a plane that is substantially orthogonal to a plane passing through each of the pair of adjustable gripping arms.

30. The wearable holder of claim 29, wherein each of the plurality of gripping arms further comprises:

a rotatable slotted gripping material having a base end coupled to a spring housing;

a spring located within the spring housing; and

a base end coupled to the spring housing.

31. A gripping device, comprising:

a plurality of adjustable gripping arms, each of the plurality of gripping arms attached to a cross bar having a toothed portion that engages with a portion of a gear that is rotatably coupled to a pivot; and

an adjustable clamp rotatably coupled to another pivot and coupled to a dampening gear, the adjustable clamp positioned between at least two of the plurality of adjustable gripping arms.

32. The gripping device of claim 31, wherein the adjustable clamp further comprises an upper arm and a lower arm separated by a gap, and the adjustable clamp rotates within a plane that is substantially orthogonal to a plane passing through each of the pair of adjustable gripping arms.

33. The gripping device of claim 32, wherein each gripping arm of the pair of gripping arms further comprises:

a rotatable slotted gripping material having a base end coupled to a spring housing;

a spring located within the spring housing; and

a base end coupled to the spring housing.

34. The gripping device of claim 33, further comprising a swivel arm and a connector attached to a portion of the swivel arm.

35. The gripping device of claim 31, further comprising an adjustable locking mechanism coupled to the gear and rotatable such that, upon rotation, the gear moves across the toothed portion of the cross bar to move the plurality of gripping arms.

36. The gripping device of claim 35, wherein the adjustable locking mechanism is spring loaded and is housed within the gearbox with the gear and portions of the cross bar.

37. The gripping device of claim 35, wherein the adjustable locking mechanism includes a bottom surface having projections which are mate with a corresponding depressions within a recessed portion of a gearbox.

38. A wearable holder, comprising:

a gripping device having a plurality of gripping arms forming a receptacle dimensioned to correspond to one or more outer dimensions of a device;

a housing coupled to the gripping device and having an angled channel formed within a top portion of the housing at a compound angle; and

a nestable, extendable set of links coupled to the housing and movable between an open position and a retracted position.

39. The wearable holder of claim 38, wherein the housing is rotatably coupled to the gripping device and movable from a closed position to an operating position.

40. The wearable holder of claim 39, wherein:

one link of the nestable, extendable set of links is coupled to an end cap; and

the housing and the end cap enclose the nestable, extendable set of links when the nestable, extendable links are retracted.

41. The wearable holder of claim 38, wherein at least one of the end cap and a link of the set of links is weighted to counterbalance a weight of the gripping device.

42. The wearable holder of claim 38, wherein the housing further includes a latch to secure the end cap to the housing.

43. The wearable holder of claim 38, wherein the housing includes a rotatable member coupled to a link of the set of nestable, extendable links.