WRIST POUCH FOR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

• US 20080017678A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: ANDERSON, Robert C., Pierce, James
• Application Number:
  US11/668,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20080017678A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 224/221
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/003 with a storage compartment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/008 Hand articles fastened to the wrist or to the arm or to the leg
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0525 Personal portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping

Abstract

A pouch forms a cavity for holding a portable electronic device, a front panel of the pouch defines a viewing opening through which a display screen of the electronic device can be viewed during use, and an adjustable strap or other arm-mounting coupling is used to secure the pouch and the electronic device to a user'"'"'s arm. A cover panel extends from the pouch and can be moved from a closed position covering and protecting the display screen to an open position exposing the display screen for viewing during use. In a parked open position the cover is held in place with the display screen exposed for use.

Claims

1. A carrier for a portable electronic device with a display screen, the carrier being wearable on a limb of a user, comprising:

a pouch defining a cavity configured to receive and hold the electronic device, the pouch having a front panel defining a viewing opening alignable with the display screen so that the display screen is viewable by the user when the electronic device is in the pouch; and

a limb-mounting coupling adapted to mount the pouch on the user'"'"'s limb in a fixed position.

2. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes at least one connection port for a connector of an auxiliary component, wherein the pouch defines an auxiliary opening alignable with the connection port and through which the connector of the auxiliary component is extendible for connecting to the connection port when the electronic device is in the pouch.

3. The carrier of claim 2, wherein the pouch has a back panel opposite the front panel and side panels between the back panel and the front panel, wherein the auxiliary opening is defined in one of the side panels and is separate from the viewing opening.

4. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the pouch defines an insertion opening through which the electronic device is insertable into and removable from the pouch, the insertion opening being separate from the viewing opening.

5. The carrier of claim 4, wherein the electronic device has a side-mounted removable external battery, and wherein the pouch has a back panel opposite the front panel and sides therebetween, with the insertion opening defined at the pouch side where the battery is so that the battery can be replaced through the insertion opening when the electronic device is in the pouch.

6. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the electronic device has a back surface that is recessed and curved to generally conform to the limb'"'"'s curvature, and wherein the pouch has a back panel that is opposite the front panel and is flexible so that, when the user is wearing the carrier, the back panel conforms to the curvature of the electronic device back surface.

7. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the limb-mounting coupling comprises an adjustable strap.

8. The carrier of claim 1, wherein the limb-mounting coupling comprises a single strap that is attached to the pouch off-center of a transverse axis of the pouch.

9. A carrier for a portable electronic device with a display screen, the carrier wearable on a limb of a user, comprising:

a pouch defining a cavity configured to receive and hold the electronic device, the pouch having a front panel defining a viewing opening alignable with the display screen so that the display screen is viewable by the user when the electronic device is in the pouch;

a cover panel movable from a closed position covering the viewing opening to an open position with the viewing opening exposed so that the display screen is viewable by the user when the electronic device is in the pouch; and

a limb-mounting coupling adapted to mount the pouch on the user'"'"'s limb in a fixed position.

10. The carrier of claim 9, wherein the carrier has a cover closure adapted to removably secure the cover panel in the closed position.

11. The carrier of claim 9, wherein the carrier has a cover closure adapted to removably secure the cover panel in the closed position and to removably secure the cover panel in a parked open position with the cover panel held in place and the viewing opening exposed so that the display screen is viewable by the user when the electronic device is in the pouch.

12. The carrier of claim 11, wherein the cover closure comprises a first closure element attached to the cover panel, a second closure element that cooperates with the first closure element and is attached to the pouch at a position to removably secure the cover panel in the closed position, and a third closure element that cooperates with the first closure element and is attached to the pouch or the cover panel at a position to removably secure the cover panel in the parked open position.

13. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the second and third cover closure elements are positioned with the viewing opening therebetween.

14. The carrier of claim 12, wherein the pouch has a back panel opposite the front panel, the pouch defines an insertion opening through which the electronic device is insertable into and removable from the pouch, the pouch includes a closure having first and second cooperating closure elements adapted for opening and closing the insertion opening, and the pouch includes first and second overlapping flaps adjacent the insertion opening, wherein the first flap extends from the back panel and the second flap extends from the front panel, the replacing closure elements are attached to the overlapping flaps and positioned to close the insertion opening with the second front flap over the first back flap, and the third cover closure element is attached to an outer surface of the second front flap, wherein by applying a force to the cover panel adjacent the first cover closure element the cover panel is removable from the parked open position without forcing open the replacing closure elements.

15. The carrier of claim 9, wherein the pouch defines an insertion opening through which the electronic device is insertable into and removable from the pouch, the cover panel is attached to the pouch, and the insertion opening is positioned between the viewing opening and where the cover panel is attached to the pouch so that when the cover panel is in the closed position the cover extends over the insertion opening to hold the electronic device in the pouch.

16. The carrier of claim 9, wherein the cover panel includes a first section and a second section, the first section having a protective layer that covers the viewing opening to protect the display screen when the cover panel is in the closed position, and the second section being flexible to permit the cover panel to be moved between the open and closed positions.

17. A carrier for a portable electronic device with a display screen, the carrier being wearable on an arm of a user, comprising:

a pouch defining a cavity configured to receive and hold the electronic device, the pouch having a front panel defining a viewing opening alignable with the display screen so that the display screen is viewable by the user when the electronic device is in the pouch, the pouch defining an insertion opening through which the electronic device is insertable into and removable from the pouch, the insertion opening being separate from the viewing opening;

a cover panel extending from the pouch and movable from a closed position covering the viewing opening to an open position with the viewing opening exposed so that the display screen is viewable by the user when the electronic device is in the pouch, the insertion opening positioned between the viewing opening and where the cover panel extends from the pouch so that when the cover is in the closed position the cover panel extends over the insertion opening to hold the electronic device in the pouch;

a cover closure adapted to removably secure the cover panel in the closed position and to removably secure the cover panel in a parked open position with the cover panel held in place and the viewing opening exposed so that the display screen is viewable by the user when the electronic device is in the pouch; and

an arm-mounting coupling adapted to mount the pouch on the user'"'"'s arm in a fixed position.

18. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the electronic device includes at least one connection port for a connector of an auxiliary component, wherein the pouch defines an auxiliary opening alignable with the connection port and through which the connector of the auxiliary component is extendible for connecting to the connection port when the electronic device is in the pouch, wherein the auxiliary opening is separate from the viewing opening.

19. The carrier of claim 17, wherein the cover closure comprises a first closure element attached to the cover panel, a second closure element that cooperates with the first closure element and is attached to the pouch at a position to removably secure the cover panel in the closed position, and a third closure element that cooperates with the first closure element and is attached to the pouch or the cover panel at a position to removably secure the cover panel in the parked open position, wherein the second and third cover closure elements are positioned with the viewing opening therebetween.

20. The carrier of claim 19, wherein the pouch has a back panel opposite the front panel, the pouch includes a replacing closure having first and second cooperating closure elements adapted for opening and closing the insertion opening, and the pouch includes first and second overlapping flaps adjacent the insertion opening, wherein the first flap extends from the back panel and the second flap extends from the front panel, the replacing closure elements are attached to the overlapping flaps and positioned to close the insertion opening with the second front flap over the first back flap, and the third cover closure element is attached to an outer surface of the second front flap, wherein by applying a force to the cover panel adjacent the first cover closure element the cover panel is removable from the parked open position without forcing open the replacing closure elements.