Clip holder for a portable receiver

• US 5,613,236 A
• Filed: 08/04/1994
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oi Denki Co., Ltd., Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oi Denki Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Masahiro, Tajima, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): FAILE, ANDREW I
• Application Number:
  US08/286,090
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 224/252, 224/269, 224/247, 24/3.11, 24/3.12, 24/511, 361/814, 340/825.44, 340/311.1, 455/89, 455/90, 455/32.1, 455/38.4, 455/100, 455/346, 455/347, 455/348, 455/351
• US Class Current: 455/351
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2200/15 Articles convertible into a stand, e.g. for displaying purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/027 with a horizontal and parallel rotation axis, i.e. the axis being parallel to the surface of the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/1058 Pager holders or housings casings for electric apparatus H05K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/086 Portable receivers

Abstract

A clip holder for holding a portable receiver having a front panel, back panel, sides, and a display on the front panel. The clip holder has two members, a receiver holder and a clip plate. The receiver holder and clip plate are attached to opposite ends of a pivot disposed within a cam. The clip plate and receiver holder may be maintained in any position about the pivot because the cam is friction engaged with the receiver holder in all positions. The receiver is engaged to an outer surface of the receiver holder. The clip holder may be attached to a user'"'"'s belt or waist garment when the belt or garment is located between the clip plate and receiver holder. The clip holder is secured to the user'"'"'s waist when the receiver holder is fully rotated toward the clip plate so the clip plate and receiver are in a substantially parallel orientation. The user may view the visual display of the receiver when the clip holder is secured to the waist garment by rotating the receiver away from the user'"'"'s body so the front panel and display face the user'"'"'s line of vision. In this way, the user may view the display without having to remove the clip holder from the waist or the receiver from the clip holder.

Claims

1. A clip holder for holding a portable receiver, comprising:

a receiver holder, having two opposite ends, an inner surface and an outer surface between the two ends, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the receiver holder is adapted to be engaged with the portable receiver;

a clip plate having opposite ends and an inner surface and an outer surface between the ends;

a cam apparatus wherein a portion of the receiver holder and a portion of the clip plate are attached to opposite sides of the cam apparatus, such that the inner surface of the clip plate faces the outer surface of the receiver holder; and

a pivot disposed within the cam apparatus, wherein the clip plate and receiver holder are rotatable about the pivot to maintain the receiver holder in a first position, second position, and third position with respect to the clip plate to be held in each position by the cam apparatus frictionally engaging the receiver holder; and

a flexible portion on the outer surface of the receiver holder that extends outwardly away from the receiver holder to frictionally engage the cam to maintain the receiver holder in a fixed position with respect to the clip plate.

2. The clip holder of claim 1, wherein in the first position the clip plate is fully rotated about the pivot in the direction toward the receiver holder, wherein in the second position the clip plate is fully rotated about the pivot in the direction away from the receiver holder, and wherein in the third position the clip plate is rotated about the pivot in any position between the first and second position.

3. The clip holder of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the cam is round, and wherein a portion of the round surface of the cam is friction engaged with the outer surface of the receiver holder when the clip holder is in the first, second, and third positions.

4. The clip holder of claim 1, wherein the receiver further has a detachable battery cover on the surface of the receiver that covers a battery storage area of the receiver, wherein the length of the receiver holder does not extend to cover the battery cover when the receiver is engaged with the receiver holder.

5. The clip holder of claim 1 for attachment to a garment on the user'"'"'s waist, wherein the receiver further includes a front panel, a back panel, and sides, and a display located on the front panel wherein the back panel of the receiver is engaged to the receiver holder, wherein in the first position the clip holder and receiver are secured to the waist of the user, and wherein in the second and third positions the receiver and display are rotated away from the user'"'"'s body to allow the user to better view the display of the receiver.

6. The clip holder of claim 5, wherein the display when rotated away from the user'"'"'s body toward the horizontal position displays characters such that the characters are in a readable orientation to the user looking downward toward the display.

7. The clip holder of claim 1 for placement on a substantially flat surface, wherein the receiver further includes a front panel, a back panel, sides, and a display located on the front panel wherein the back panel of the receiver is engaged to the receiver holder, wherein the receiver holder and receiver are rotated away from the clip plate about the pivot, and the outer surface of the clip plate is adaptable to be placed on the flat surface so the display is positioned substantially upright with respect to the substantially flat surface.

8. A clip holder for holding a portable receiver, comprising:

a receiver holder, having two opposite ends, an inner surface and an outer surface between the two ends, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the receiver holder is adapted to be engaged with the portable receiver, wherein a portion of a surface area of the portable receiver adjacent to the inner surface of the receiver holder has a plurality of grooves, wherein at least two protrusions extend from the inner surface of the receiver holder, and wherein the protrusions extending from the inner surface of the receiver holder are adapted to be engaged with the corresponding grooves in the receiver;

a clip plate having opposite ends and an inner surface and an outer surface between the ends;

a cam apparatus wherein a portion of the receiver holder and a portion of the clip plate are attached to opposite sides of the cam apparatus, such that the inner surface of the clip plate faces the outer surface of the receiver holder; and

a pivot disposed within the cam apparatus, wherein the clip plate and receiver holder are rotatable about the pivot to maintain the receiver holder in a first position, second position, and third position with respect to the clip plate to be held in each position by the cam apparatus frictionally engaging the receiver holder.

9. A clip holder for holding a portable receiver, comprising:

a substantially L-shaped receiver holder having a length and an end portion substantially perpendicular to the length, having two opposite ends, an inner surface and an outer surface between the two ends, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the receiver holder is adapted to be engaged with the portable receiver;

a clip plate having opposite ends and an outer surface and an outer surface between the ends;

a cam apparatus wherein a portion of the receiver holder and a portion of the clip plate are attached to opposite sides of the cam apparatus, such that the inner surface of the clip plate faces the outer surface of the receiver holder, wherein the receiver holder is attached to the cam at the outer surface of the length portion, wherein the inner surface of the length portion and inner surface of the end portion are adjacent to the receiver; and

a pivot disposed within the cam apparatus, wherein the clip plate and receiver holder are rotatable about the pivot to maintain the receiver holder in a first position, second position, and third position with respect to the clip plate to be held in each position by the cam apparatus frictionally engaging the receiver holder.

10. The clip holder of claim 9, wherein the portable receiver further includes at least two indented grooves in the surface area of the portable receiver, wherein at least one protrusion extends from the inner surface of the length and at least one protrusion extends from the inner surface of the end portion of the receiver holder, wherein the protrusions extending from the inner surface of the receiver holder are adapted to be mated with the corresponding grooves in the receiver.

11. A clip holder for holding a portable receiver, comprising;

a receiver holder, having two opposite ends, an inner surface and an outer surface between the two ends, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the receiver holder is adapted to be engaged with the portable receiver, and wherein the inner surface of the receiver holder includes a flexible portion,

a clip plate having opposite ends and an inner surface and an outer surface between the ends;

a cam apparatus wherein a portion of the receiver holder and a portion of the clip plate are attached to opposite sides of the cam apparatus, such that the inner surface of the clip plate faces the outer surface of the receiver holder; and

a pivot disposed within the cam apparatus, wherein the clip plate and receiver holder are rotatable about the pivot to maintain the receiver holder in a first position, second position, and third position with respect to the clip plate to be held in each position by the cam apparatus frictionally engaging the receiver holder, wherein the flexible portion of the receiver holder extends outward when the clip plate is in the first and second positions with respect to the receiver holder, and wherein the flexible portion is engaged with the receiver holder when the clip plate is in the third position.

12. A clip holder for holding a portable receiver, comprising:

a receiver holder, having two opposite ends, an inner surface and an outer surface between the two ends, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the receiver holder is adapted to be engaged with the portable receiver;

a clip plate having opposite ends and an inner surface and an outer surface between the ends;

a cam apparatus having at least two adjacent flat sides, wherein a portion of the receiver holder and a portion of the clip plate are attached to opposite sides of the cam apparatus, such that the inner surface of the clip plate faces the outer surface of the receiver holder, and

a pivot disposed within the cam apparatus, wherein the clip plate and receiver holder are rotatable about the pivot to maintain the receiver holder in a first position, second position, and third position with respect to the clip plate to be held in each position by the cam apparatus frictionally engaging the receiver holder, wherein one flat side of the cam apparatus is friction engaged with the outer surface of the receiver holder when the clip holder is in the first position, wherein the other flat side is friction engaged with the outer surface of the receiver holder when the clip holder is in the second position, and wherein the edge between the two sides is friction engaged with the outer surface of the receiver holder when the clip holder is in the third position.

13. A clip holder for holding a portable receiver, comprising:

a receiver holder, having two opposite ends, an inner surface and an outer surface between the two ends, wherein a portion of the inner surface of the receiver holder is adapted to be engaged with the portable receiver;

a clip plate having opposite ends and an inner surface and an outer surface between the ends;

a cam apparatus, wherein the outer surface of the cam has only one flat side and the remainder of the surface is round, wherein a portion of the receiver holder and a portion of the clip plate are attached to opposite sides of the cam apparatus, such that the inner surface of the clip plate faces the outer surface of the receiver holder; and

a pivot disposed within the cam apparatus, wherein the clip plate and receiver holder are rotatable about the pivot to maintain the receiver holder in a first position, second position, and third position with respect to the clip plate to be held in each position by the cam apparatus frictionally engaging the receiver holder, wherein the flat side of the cam is friction engaged with the outer surface of the receiver holder when the clip holder is in the first position, and wherein a portion of the round cam surface is friction engaged with the outer surface of the receiver holder when the clip holder is in the second position and the third position.