Stand with tether for electronic remote control units

• US 5,316,249 A
• Filed: 08/25/1992
• Issued: 05/31/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred Anderson
• Original Assignee: Alfred Anderson
• Inventors: Anderson, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidel, Richard K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peterson, Kenneth E.
• Application Number:
  US07/934,277
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 248/146, 248/205.2, 248/206.3, 248/493, 248/174, 248/551, 248/552, 211/13
• US Class Current: 248/146
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/025 Stands or organisers to facilitate location or operation

Abstract

A stand for holding an electronic remote control unit has a horizontal bottom surface, a contiguous vertical end surface extending upwardly from one end of the bottom surface, and a contiguous rectangular top surface extending outwardly from the upper end of the vertical surface spaced directly above the horizontal bottom surface for releasably supporting an electronic remote control unit thereon. An extendible coiled tether cord is secured at one end to the stand and its free end is connected to the remote control unit whereby the remote control unit may be removed from a position supported on the stand but is prevented from complete separation from the stand. Fabric hook and loop fasteners are provided on the free end of the tether and top surface of the stand. In a preferred embodiment, the stand is provided with suction cups to anchor the stand on the flat surface which facilitate disengagement of the hook and loop fasteners and allows the remote control unit to be easily removed from the stand with one hand. Since the remote control unit is tethered to the stand it cannot be completely separated therefrom and will not become lost or misplaced, and because the stand can be anchored by suction cups, the likelihood of the entire stand being removed from the location in which the remote control unit is used is reduced.

Claims

1. A stand for releasably holding an electronic remote control unit comprising in combination;

a generally rectangular stand member of unitary construction having a generally rectangular horizontal bottom surface and a flat rectangular top surface spaced above said horizontal bottom surface for supporting an electronic remote control unit thereon;

a flexible extendible and retractable tether cord secured at one end to said stand and having a free end adapted for connection to an electronic remote control unit to be supported on said stand, said cord is capable of being extended relative to said stand to allow removal of the electronic remote control unit from a position supported on said stand for use while preventing complete separation of the remote control unit from said stand, said cord is automatically retractable to occupy a small space in the retracted condition;

one element of a hook and loop fastener secured on said stand top surface and a mating element of the hook and loop fastener secured on the free end of said tether cord such that the electronic remote control unit connected to said tether cord free end is releasably engaged on said stand top surface in the supported position by engaging said hook and loop fasteners and removed therefrom by disengaging said hook and loop fasteners; and

releasable attachment means on said stand bottom surface to releasably anchor said stand to a flat surface and facilitate one-handed disengagement of said hook and loop fasteners.

2. The stand according to claim 1 in which

said tether cord is a length of spiral coiled flexible material.

3. The stand according to claim 1 in which;

said releasable attachment means on said bottom surface comprise suction cup members for releasably anchoring said stand on the flat surface and to facilitate one-handed disengagement of said engaged hook and loop fasteners when removing the electronic remote control unit from said stand.

4. The stand according to claim 1 in which

said stand is a unitary configuration having a flat generally rectangular horizontal bottom surface, a contiguous flat rectangular vertical end surface extending upwardly from one end of said horizontal bottom surface, and a contiguous flat rectangular top surface extending outwardly from the upper end of said vertical surface spaced directly above said horizontal bottom surface for releasably supporting a remote control unit thereon.

5. The stand according to claim 4 in which

said flat rectangular top surface extends outwardly and downwardly from the upper end of said vertical surface at a slight angle relative to said horizontal bottom surface and terminates in a short upstanding vertical wall at its outer end.

6. The stand according to claim 1 in which

said tether cord has a first mounting element at one end secured to said stand by adhesive and a second mounting element secured at its free end,

said second mounting element secured by adhesive to the electronic remote control unit to be supported on said stand, and

said mating element of the hook and loop fastener secured on said second mounting element.