CELL PHONE STAND

• US 20200130605A1
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MacNeil IP LLC
• Original Assignee: MacNeil IP LLC
• Inventors: MACNEIL, DAVID F., IVERSON, DAVID S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,946,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0007 Mid-console
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/005 Connection with the vehicle part
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0071 using latches, clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/022 by friction
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A cell phone stand has a base and a cell phone mounting bracket rotatably affixed to the base around a horizontal axis. The mounting bracket has a first jaw and a second jaw that is movable in a horizontal direction with respect to the first jaw. The first jaw has a first u-shaped channel with a first upper segment and a first lower segment. The second jaw has a second u-shaped channel with a second upper segment and a second lower segment. By adjusting the position of the jaws, the user may adjust a width between the first and upper segments, thus sizing the mounting bracket to receive a cell phone of a particular width. Even at the smallest such width, inner ends of the first and second lower segments of the u-shaped channels remain spaced from each other so as to permit the cell phone to be connected to an electrical cable while being held by the stand.

Claims

1. A cell phone stand comprising:

a base having a bottom end and a top end disposed above the bottom end, a mounting pier formed on the top end of the base to extend upwardly therefrom;

a cell phone mounting bracket rotatably affixed to the mounting pier around a horizontal axis and having first and second jaws, the first jaw having a first u-shaped channel with a first upper segment and the second jaw having a second u-shaped channel with a second upper segment disposed in parallel to the first upper segment, the second jaw movable in respect of the first jaw so that a width, taken in a direction parallel to the horizontal axis, may be selectable by a user so as to fit a width of a cell phone received by the cell phone mounting bracket, means for affixing the second jaw to the first jaw in any of a plurality of positions; and

the first u-shaped channel further having a first lower segment and the second u-shaped channel further having a second lower segment, the first and second lower segments being aligned with each other and disposed in a plane parallel to the horizontal axis, the first and second lower segments adapted to hold a lower end of the cell phone.

2. The stand of claim 1, wherein the first lower segment has a first inner end and the second lower segment has a second inner end facing the first inner end, the plurality of positions including a first position in which the first upper segment is spaced from the second upper segment by a first width and a second position in which the first upper segment is spaced from the second upper segment by a second width that is less than the first width, the second width being the smallest width at which the second jaw can be affixed to the first jaw, the first inner end and the second inner end, when the second jaw is affixed to the first jaw in the second position, defining an access hole therebetween for a cell phone electrical cable.

3. The stand of claim 1, wherein the plurality of positions are a plurality of first positions, the first jaw having a first back plate from which the first u-shaped channel extends, a horizontal slot formed through the first back plate, the second jaw having a second back plate from which the second u-shaped channel extends, the second back plate disposed in parallel to the first back plate and movable in a horizontal direction relative to the first back plate, the second back plate having a clamp screw hole formed therethrough, a clamp screw extending through the clamp screw hole and the horizontal slot in the first back plate, the clamp screw operable to clamp the second back plate to the first back plate at any of a plurality of second positions, each second position corresponding to one of the first positions.

4. The stand of claim 1, wherein the mounting pier comprises at least one upstanding pier plate, at least one support plate formed to downwardly extend from the first jaw, a bore in the at least one support plate and a bore in the at least one pier plate disposed on the horizontal axis, the stand having an angular position clamp screw, a shaft of the angular position clamp screw threaded through the bore of the at least one support plate and the bore in the at least one pier plate, the angular position clamp screw operable to clamp the at least one support plate to the at least one pier plate in any of a plurality of angular positions.

5. The stand of claim 1, wherein the at least one pier plate is a first pier plate, a second pier plate of the mounting pier disposed to be spaced from and in parallel to the first pier plate, the at least one support plate disposed between the first pier plate and the second pier plate.

6. The stand of claim 5, wherein the at least one support plate is a first support plate, a second support plate downwardly extending from the first jaw in parallel to the first support plate, the second support plate disposed to be adjacent the second pier plate.

7. The stand of claim 6, wherein the mounting pier further includes a third pier plate spaced from the second pier plate and in opposition to the first pier plate, the third pier plate being in parallel to the first and second pier plates, the first support plate disposed between the first and second pier plates, the second support plate disposed between the second and third support plates.

8. The stand of claim 1, wherein the base is formed on a vertical axis, first, second and third legs of the base radially outwardly extending from the vertical axis and each terminating in a respective foot, each foot having a contact surface, the contact surfaces of the feet of the first, second and third legs occupying a single horizontal plane.

9. The stand of claim 8, wherein the each of the first, second and third legs is formed of a first material with a first coefficient of friction, each foot having a gripping member forming a respective contact surface, the gripping members being formed of a second material, a coefficient of friction of the second material being higher than the coefficient of friction of the first material.

10. The stand of claim 9, wherein the first, second and third legs each have a bottom margin composed of the first material, the contact surfaces being disposed in a plane below the bottom margins of the first, second and third legs.

11. The stand of claim 9, wherein the second material is a thermoplastic elastomer.

12. The stand of claim 9, wherein the first material is ABS plastic.