Portable telephone mounting base

• US 6,246,766 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Energymanager.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Energymanager.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Walsh, Sean F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): AGDEPPA, HECTOR A
• Application Number:
  US09/172,450
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 379/455, 379/426, 379/454, 379/446, 248/312, 248/311, 248/230
• US Class Current: 379/455
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0059 using clips, clamps, straps or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0077 using adhesive means, e.g. hook and loop fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A portable telephone or cell phone holder fits in a conventional cup holder of an automobile or other vehicle. It has an arcuate sidewall that is less than 360° and is resiliently deformable to be squeezed sown to less than the diameter of the cup holder and then, when released, to grip the inside surface of the cup holder. A tongue extends upwardly and radially inwardly from the sidewall to a distal end to provide a support telephone platform and has a concave slanted surface to accommodate and center a telephone belt clip.

Claims

1. A portable telephone holder for mounting a portable telephone in a cup holder of a vehicle that has an opening or well with a diameter that is sized to receive a conventional drinking cup with one or more cup holder surfaces at least partially surrounding the opening or well to contact and retain the cup in the well, wherein the portable telephone holder comprises:

a base with an arcuate sidewall that extends more than 180°

around a longitudinal axis with a diameter that approximates the diameter of an opening or well of a cup holder such that said base is insertable into said cup holder with said cup holder surfaces in contact with said arcuate external surface of the base; and

an elongated tongue extending longitudinally upwardly and radially inwardly from a portion of said arcuate sidewall, said tongue having an elongated telephone support surface facing longitudinally upwardly and radially outwardly.

2. The portable telephone holder of claim 1, wherein said elongated tongue extends through said longitudinal axis such that a portable telephone positioned on said telephone support surface is positioned over the cup holder with said longitudinal axis extending through the portable telephone.

3. The portable telephone holder of claim 2, wherein said tongue extends radially inwardly at an angle in a range of about 30°

to 60°

.

4. The portable telephone holder of claim 1, including a telephone stabilizer on said tongue.

5. The portable telephone holder of claim 4, wherein tongue extends from a proximal end at said base to a distal end, and said telephone stabilizer includes a concave slanted surface on said tongue intersecting said distal end.

6. The portable telephone holder of claim 5, wherein said tongue has an under side opposite said telephone support surface and said concave slanted surface is in said under side adjacent said distal end.

7. The portable telephone holder of claim 4, wherein said tongue has an under side opposite said telephone support surface and said telephone stabilizer includes a pair of ridges protruding from said under side and spaced apart a sufficient distance in relation to each other to allow positioning a belt clip on the telephone between said ridges.

8. The portable telephone holder of claim 4, including a hook and loop fastener strip on the telephone support surface.

9. The portable telephone holder of claim 1, wherein said base has a sidewall that extends less than 360°

around said longitudinal axis and terminates at two ends, said sidewall being resiliently deformable under an external force that tends to move said two ends from a normal shape toward each other and having sufficient material memory to be springable back toward said normal shape when such external force is removed.

10. The portable telephone holder of claim 1, wherein said base has a sidewall that extends 360°

around said longitudinal axis.

11. A portable telephone holder for mounting a portable telephone in a cup holder of a vehicle that has a opening or well with a diameter that is sized to receive a conventional drinking cup with one or more cup holder surfaces at least partially surrounding the opening or well to contact and retain the cup in the well, wherein the portable telephone holder comprises:

a base with an arcuate sidewall that extends more than 180°

around a base longitudinal axis with a diameter that approximates the diameter of an opening or well of a cup holder such that said base is insertable into said cup holder with said cup holder surfaces in contact with said arcuate external surface of the base;

an elongated shelf positioned above the base with a top side comprising a telephone support surface and an under side that is opposite said top side and terminates at a distal end with a concave slanted surface; and

a stem extending between said base and said shelf.

12. The portable telephone holder of claim 11, wherein said elongated shelf longitudinal axis intersects said base longitudinal axis at an angle in a range of about 30°

to 60°

.

13. The portable telephone holder of claim 12, wherein said elongated shelf has a length and a width, and wherein said length is at least two times as long as the width.