Holder for VCR and TV remote controls

• US 5,192,042 A
• Filed: 11/01/1989
• Issued: 03/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Randall C. Wotring, Richard N. Clark
• Original Assignee: Randall C. Wotring, Richard N. Clark
• Inventors: Clark, Richard N., Wotring, Randall C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN SHUE, ALVIN C
• Application Number:
  US07/429,969
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 248/176, 248/146, 248/346, 248/205.2, 211/126, 211/189, 211/13, 211/194, 211/188, 211/135, 211/42, 211/43, 211/13, 403/331, 403/381, 403/407.1, 256/1, 256/23, 206/504, 206/558, 108/91, 297/1
• US Class Current: 248/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/025 Stands or organisers to facilitate location or operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details

Abstract

A holder for VCR and TV remote control units and other articles of like dimension in the form of a one-piece extrusion having a central web like panel with a predetermined length and thickness dimension adapted to removably receive thereon the unit or article to be held by the holder. The holder has a pair of side walls disposed in spaced apart parallel relationship connected to said web panel along the opposite longitudinal edges thereof. The central web is positioned approximately midway between the opposite longitudinal edges of each side wall such that the holder generally has an "H" configuration in transverse cross section. The side walls have their respective height dimensions, in a horizontal orientation of the center web, equal to one another and slightly greater than the maximum thickness dimension of the associated remote control unit or article to be held by the holder so that the same is nestable within the confines of receiving space defined by the side walls and center web panel. One of the side walls has a rib-like protrusion generally T-shaped in transverse cross section and extending longitudinally therealong and the other of the side walls has a channel-shaped protrusion extending longitudinally therealong and comprising mutually facing spaced apart pair of ribs having an L-shaped in transverse cross sections, the rib-like protrusion being endwise slidably internestable in the channel shaped protrusion of an associated second holder constructed in the same fashion.

Claims

1. A one-piece, lightweight, hand-holdable holder for VCR and TV keyboard remote control units and other articles of like dimension, said holder being injection molded or extruded in one piece from plastic material to form two planar, parallel side walls spaced apart and integrally interconnected by a central web, said side walls and central web being generally co-extensive in length and having an overall length dimension at least about twice the spacing between said side walls, said holder having a generally "H" configuration in cross-section transverse to the longitudinal axis of said holder, said central web having first and second flat surfaces on opposite sides thereof, said side walls having portions flanking said web surfaces and protruding respectively therefrom to define with the associated web surfaces first and second remote control receiving spaces apart for removable affixation therein of associated first and second removable remote control units by separate adhesive strips attached to an underside of each remote control unit and to the opposite surfaces of said center web to thereby removably mount said remote control units keyface-outwardly and in back-to-back inverted relationship relative to one another on said holder, said side walls and central web having free edges at opposite longitudinal ends thereof formed to provide open, unobstructed end opening spaces to permit the remote control units to project beyond the opposite longitudinal ends of said holder when mounted in said first and second holder spaces, said side walls protruding from said central web to free longitudinal edges of said side walls defining first and second side wall height dimensions a distance sufficient to enable nesting of the remote control units respectively in the associated one of said first and second holder spaces such that said holder supports either remote control unit when inverted with said holder with the remote control unit keyboard spaced clear of a flat supporting surface on which the holder is placed.

2. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein an exterior surface of one of said side walls has a rib-like protrusion generally T-shaped in transverse cross section to the holder longitudinal axis and extending longitudinally therealong, and an exterior surface of the other of said side walls has a channel-shaped protrusion extending longitudinally therealong and comprising mutually facing spaced apart pair of ribs having an L-shape in transverse cross section to the holder longitudinal axis, said rib-like protrusion being endwise slidably internestable in said channel shaped protrusion of an associated second holder constructed in the same fashion to thereby provide holder intercoupling structure for releasably attaching together a pair of said holders.

3. A holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said rib-like protrusion and said channel shaped protrusion each comprises a continuous extrusion extending the full length of said holder and terminating at their opposite longitudinal ends flush with the opposite longitudinal ends of said holder.

4. A holder as set forth in claim 2 wherein said channel shaped protrusion compress a series longitudinal staggered upper and lower rows of mutually facing L-shaped ribs to define an interrupted channel for receiving said T-shaped rib-like protrusion endwise in the interrupted channel space defined by said L-shaped ribs of said channel shaped protrusion.

5. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said "H" cross sectional configuration is asymmetrical in that the distance from said second surface on said central web to a second free longitudinal edge of said side walls, the difference in said distances being predetermined to respectively accommodate in said first and second holder spaces the maximum and minimum thickness dimensions of a majority of commercially available remote control units such that one of the thinner units is individually nestable in recessed relation between the lesser side wall height dimension and one of the thicker units is individually nestable between the greater side wall height dimension.

6. The combination of a plurality of holders each constructed as set forth in claim 1 wherein a pair of said holders are coupled in side-by-side relation by releasable attaching means.

7. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein an exterior surface of one of said side walls is provided with a removable label means with notation indicia means thereon.

8. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said side walls has a first pair of ball rails protruding laterally from an exterior surface thereof and extending with their axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of said holder, said first pair of balls rails being spaced a first predetermined distance apart in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal axes, and wherein the other of said side walls has a second pair of ball rails protruding laterally from an exterior surface thereof and extending with their axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the holder, said second pair of ball rails being spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal axes a second predetermined distance greater than said first distance such that said second pair of ball rails may be yieldably snap fit onto said first pair of ball rails of a second holder of like construction to thereby releasably couple together two of said holders.

9. The holder as set forth in claim 2 further including a hand writing implement holder member having an attachment portion shaped for releasable engagement with one of said protrusions of said holder intercoupling structure.

10. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said side walls has a coupling rail protruding laterally from an exterior surface thereof and extending with its axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the holder, said rail having an L-shape in transverse cross section taken in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said holder so as to have a horizontally protruding leg and a vertically protruding leg spaced outwardly from the associated side wall of the holder, the other of the side walls of said holder having another coupling rail identical in configuration to said first coupling rail but oriented with its vertical leg protruding in the opposite direction from the vertical leg of the first rail, the outer edges of said horizontal legs of said first rail of one holder and the second rail of the intercoupled holder respectively abutting the side wall of the coupled holder, said vertical legs having interlocking rib configurations on their free end edges extending longitudinally of the holder to assist in camming engagement and retention engagement of said rails to releasably intercouple a pair of such holders together.

11. A holder as set forth in claims 8 or 10 wherein said rails are oriented in position relative to their associated side walls so that when said rails are intercoupled they are disposed symmetrically about the center line of their respective holder taken vertically or in the height dimension of said respective holder with said holders intercoupled.

12. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said side walls has a first lateral protrusion means extending longitudinally therealong and the other of said side walls has a second lateral protrusion means extending longitudinally therealong, said first production means being releasably engagable in internested relationship in said second protrusion means of an associated second holder constructed in the same fashion to thereby provide holder releasably intercoupling structure, said holder further including a hand writing implement holder means having a holder attachment portion shaped for releasable engagement with at least one of said first and second protrusion means and an implement portion shaped for releasable engagement by a hand writing implement.

13. The combination of a holder with a first and second article receiving spaces and two articles supported one in each of said spaces wherein said holder and said article are constructed and arranged as set forth in claims 1 or 8.

14. The combination of a holder and an article as recited in claim 13 wherein each of said article is a TV or VCR remote control unit.

15. A holder as set forth in claim 6 wherein a beveled surface extends on each of said side walls between said terminal end edge and said free longitudinal end edge.

16. A holder as set forth in claim 8 wherein each said ball rail comprises a thickened head portion of circular configuration with a constant radius of curvature, preferably extending through approximately 270°

, integrally joined by a thin leg portion having a concave exterior configuration on opposite surfaces matching the curvature of said head portion, and a reverse curvature point preferably located at approximately a 45°

angle from a vertical plane taken from a center curvature of said head portion forming equal camming surfaces to allow assembly and disassembly with substantially the same amount of force.

17. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said side walls and said central web have a length of approximately six inches.

18. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said side walls are spaced approximately three inches apart.

19. A holder as set forth in claim 1 wherein said side walls have an overall height dimension of approximately two and one-half inches.

20. A one-hand-holdable remote control unit console including a holder in combination with two VCR or TV remote control units, said holder comprising a central panel-like web means having first and second article receiving surfaces disposed in opposite back-to-back relation to one another, said web means having opposite longitudinal edges along its length and opposite terminal edges along its width, and a pair of spaced parallel side walls each connected one along each opposite longitudinal edge of said web means to extend in planes perpendicular to said surfaces of said web means, said side walls and said web means having an overall length dimension at least about twice the spacing between said side walls, said side walls each having first and second parallel free end edges extending longitudinally of said holder and defining first and second side wall height dimensions measured from said first and second article receiving surfaces, said web means being positioned approximately midway between said side wall first and second free end edges such that said holder generally has an "H" configuration in transverse cross-section to the longitudinal axis of said holder, wherein first and second article receiving spaces are defined by and between said side walls and said first and second surfaces respectively on said web means, said side walls having terminal edges at each longitudinal end thereof, said terminal edges intersecting with said terminal edges of said web means to form substantially a right angle there between defining unobstructed open-end portions coextensive with said first and second article receiving spaces, a first one of said two remote control units removably supported within said first article receiving space and a second one of said remote control units removably supported within said second article receiving space.

21. The console as set forth in claim 20 wherein said side walls and said web means have a length of approximately six inches.

22. The console as set forth in claim 20 wherein said side walls are spaced approximately three inches apart.

23. The console as set forth in claim 20 wherein said side walls have an overall height dimension of approximately two and one-half inches.