Telephone holder

• US 6,185,302 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pitkonen, Jussi, Pylvanainen, Mika, Rytkonen, Jouko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/189,614
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 379/446, 379/454, 379/455, 379/426, 379/449, 248/221.3, 248/221.4, 248/309.1
• US Class Current: 379/446
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0071 using latches, clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

The invention relates to a telephone holder, especially a holder (2) installable on a car in which a phone (1) is kept during driving. The holder has an enclosed structure and it comprises a cup-like inner shell part (4), an outer shell part (5) and a locking element (7) fitted in the cavity between the shell parts and movable with respect to the shell parts, a thrust block (12) and locking claw (15) in the locking element being located in a hole (11) formed in the inner shell part. The phone is locked into the holder with a turning movement wherein the phone pushes the thrust block (12) and at the same time a guiding surface (16) in the outer shell part wedges the locking claw (15) into a hollow (17) on the side of the phone. The pushing movement is directed against the end (23) of a double torsion spring (22) in the holder so that the middle part of the spring turns a shaft (18) and thus locks the locking element (7) into the locked position. The phone is released from the locked position by pressing the shaft (18) by means of a push lever whereby the locking element is freed from a catch (20) and the end (23) of the spring returns the phone to the initial position so that it can be removed from the holder.

Claims

1. A holder (2) for a telephone (1), comprising at least one locking element (7) that moves when pushed by a phone inserted in the holder, and a guiding surface (16) located against the locking element to wedge a locking claw (15) onto the side (8) of the phone in such a manner that the claw locks the phone into the holder, said holder (2) comprising an inner shell part (4) serving as a mount for the phone (1), and an outer part (5) which is stationary with respect to said inner part and has a guiding surface (16), said locking element (7) being located between those parts and being movable with respect to them, the inner shell part having a hole (11) at a location corresponding to that of the locking element, from which hole the locking claw (15) protrudes against the side (8) of the phone, and the locking element including a thrust block (12) so that when said thrust block is pushed by the phone the locking element is forced into the locked position.

2. The holder of claim 1, wherein an inner (4) and outer (5) shell part which confine between them a cavity (6) in which the locking element (7) is mainly situated.

3. The holder of claim 1, wherein the locking element'"'"'s thrust block (12) and locking claw (15) are located successively in the pushing direction of the phone (1) in one and the same hole (11) formed in the inner shell part (4).

4. The holder of claim 1, wherein the locking element'"'"'s thrust block (12) is connected through a flexible shaft (14) to the locking claw (15) and the locking is performed so that the guiding surface (16) presses said shaft in such a manner that the locking claw is wedged into a hollow (17) on the side (8) of the phone (1).

5. The holder of claim 1, wherein the inner shell part (4) has a guiding surface (26) which guides the movement of the locking element (7), which has been released from the locked position, so that the locking claw (15) is retracted from the hollow (17) on the side (8) of the phone (1).

6. The holder of claim 1, wherein the holder (2) includes two separate holding elements (7) which attach the phone (1) to the holder by its opposing sides (8).

7. The holder of claim 1, wherein the holder (2) includes a pivot (10) which receives the bottom part (9) of the phone and the phone is turned with respect to said pivot when pushed against the thrust block (12) in the locking element (7).

8. The holder of claim 1, wherein the pushing movement of the locking element (7) is directed against a spring (23) and that the holder (2) includes a catch (20) which in the locking element'"'"'s locked position locks the locking element in its place and to which a push lever (3) is connected to release the locking element from the catch.

9. The holder of claim 8, wherein the locking element (7) has a hole (21) into which the catch (20) is pushed by a spring (24) that exerts force on the catch.

10. The holder of claim 6, wherein the holder (2) includes a double torsion spring (22) connected by its ends (23) to locking elements (7) located at the opposing sides of the holder such that the pushing movement of the locking elements is directed against the ends of the spring while at the same time the middle part (24) of the spring presses a shaft (18) by means of which the locking elements (7) are locked into place in the locked position.