Attachment system for a portable device

• US 6,059,156 A
• Filed: 09/22/1998
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Markku Lehtinen
• Original Assignee: Markku Lehtinen
• Inventors: Lehtinen, Markku
• Primary Examiner(s): Vidovich, Gregory M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brevard, Maerena W.
• Application Number:
  US09/155,150
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 224/197, 224/199, 224/242, 224/272, 224/904, 224/271, 224/929, 224/547, 224/930, 24/663, 24/668, 24/590, 24/597, 24/3.11, 24/3.7, 248/222.13, 248/225.11
• US Class Current: 224/197
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/026 with a pin having an enlarged head detachably connected to a fastening device, e.g. to a pin receiving slot
• 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: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/929 Article carrier for electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer

Abstract

An attachment system for temporarily attaching a portable apparatus, such as a mobile phone, to a belt or the like. The system preferably comprises a pocket-shaped apparatus casing (2), a holder (10) connected to a back plate, by means of which the apparatus can be temporarily attached to the casing, fastening members (42, 44), by means of which the casing can be fastened to a belt, the dashboard of a car or the like, and an annular connecting member (36) attached to the portable apparatus, by means of which the apparatus in a given position can be connected to the holder in the back plate by means of a gap (40) formed in the connecting member. The holder (10) is according to a preferred embodiment of the invention attached turnably around its axis to the upper portion of the back plate, and the back plate (6) and the front protecting plate (8) are connected to each other so that there is an opening in the pocket (4) formed between the plates, which allows turning the apparatus as a swivel motion around its connecting member into the pocket or out therefrom.

Claims

1. An attachment system for temporarily attaching an apparatus to a holder, said system comprising:

said holder comprising a base and a front plate spaced from said base in a first distance in a first direction, said front plate having a slot formed therein having a width, substantially perpendicular to said first direction;

a locking part extending outwardly from said base toward said front plate, and aligned with said slot, said locking part having a width and a length and a thickness, said thickness less than said first distance;

an apparatus comprising a support, a supporting member protruding outwardly from said support, and an annular connecting member connected to said supporting member, said supporting member having a width;

said annular connecting member comprising an annular wall having an outer diameter, and an inner diameter, and comprising an opening within said inner diameter;

said wall having a gap formed therein having a width; and

wherein said holder and said apparatus are constructed and dimensioned so that said gap width is greater than said locking part width, said locking part length is less than said inner diameter, said supporting member width is less than said slot width and less than said outer diameter, and said outer diameter is greater than said slot width, so that said annular connecting member is movable from an unlocked position to between said base and said front plate with said supporting member within said slot and with said locking part aligned with and passing through said gap until said locking part is within said opening within said inner diameter, and then said support is rotatable with respect to said base about an axis substantially aligned with said supporting member to a position in which said apparatus will be locked to said holder unless rotated to said unlocked position.

2. An attachment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said front plate comprises first and second vertical parts, and a lower part connecting said vertical parts, to define said slot, so that said slot has an open end opposite said lower part, and a closed end at said lower part.

3. An attachment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said locking part length is approximately the same dimension as said annular connecting member inner diameter.

4. An attachment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said support is rotatable approximately 360°

with respect to said base about said axis.

5. An attachment system as recited in claim 2 wherein said gap width is approximately the same as said locking part width, and said gap has an arcuate extent of about 5-20°

.

6. An attachment system as recited in claim 5 wherein said apparatus comprises a mobile phone, and said support comprises a back plate of said mobile phone.

7. An attachment system as recited in claim 2 wherein said supporting member comprises a supporting pin.

8. An attachment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said holder base comprises fastening members for fastening said holder to a belt, wall bracket, or bag.

9. An attachment system as recited in claim 1 wherein said holder comprises a back plate containing said base, and wherein said holder further comprises a front protecting plate defining with said back plate a protecting pocket dimensioned for receipt of said apparatus;

and fastening members for connecting said pocket to another structure so that said slot is substantially vertical and is vertically above said front protecting plate.

10. An attachment system as recited in claim 9 wherein said fastening members connected to said back plate connect said holder to a belt or the dashboard of a car.

11. An attachment system as recited in claim 2 wherein said holder comprises a back plate containing said base, and wherein said holder further comprises a front protecting plate defining with said back plate a protecting pocket dimensioned for receipt of said apparatus;

and fastening members for connecting said pocket to another structure so that said slot is substantially vertical with said open end of said slot above said closed end thereof, and said slot is vertically above said front protecting plate.

12. An attachment system as recited in claim 11 wherein said fastening members connected to said back plate connect said holder to a belt or the dashboard of a car.

13. An attachment system as recited in claim 9 wherein said back plate and said front protecting plate are connected to each other so that there is a side opening in said pocket formed therebetween which allows rotation of said apparatus about said axis into or out of said pocket.

14. An attachment system as recited in claim 9 wherein said front end and said locking part are rotatable with respect to said back plate about 360°

about an axis substantially parallel to said locking part.

15. An attachment system as recited in claim 10 wherein said fastening members comprise belt loops connected to said holder on the opposite said thereof as said front protecting plate.

16. An attachment system as recited in claim 10 wherein said fastening members comprise belt loops attached to said base on the opposite side thereof from said front plate and are rotated at least 90°

about an axis substantially parallel to said locking part.

17. An attachment system as recited in claim 9 further comprising a protrusion protruding into said pocket and supporting said apparatus when said apparatus is within said pocket.

18. An attachment system as recited in claim 10 wherein said fastening members comprise members for fastening said back plate to the dashboard of a car.