Fastening device for a mobile telecommunication unit

• US 6,513,201 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DRNC Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Beune, Olivier, Vermelle, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Andre L.
• Application Number:
  US09/887,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20010054216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 24/32.6, 24/32, 24/31--, 244/55, 244/65, 244/64, 224/269, 224/197, 224/268, 224/666, 343/702
• US Class Current: 24/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• 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: Y10T 24/13 Article holder attachable to apparel or body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1368 Arm or leg carried holder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1391 Article held by clip with spring [e.g., leaf, coil] member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1394 Article held by clip

Abstract

The invention relates to a fastening device for a mobile telecommunication unit, including means for coupling said device to the unit and means for fastening the device to a garment or a belt. According to the invention, the unit includes an orifice with at least one connector for connection to an external automobile vehicle antenna and the coupling means are conformed to be able to cooperate with the orifice and cover the connector.

Claims

1. A fastening device for a mobile telecommunication unit, the device including means for coupling the fastener device to the unit and means for fastening the fastener device to a garment or a belt, wherein the means for coupling is for coupling to a radio-frequency connector orifice in the telecommunication, the radio-frequency orifice for selectively connecting the telecommunication to an external automobile vehicle antenna unit includes an orifice with at least one connector for connection to the external automobile vehicle antenna.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the connector is a plug and the coupling means include a coupling sleeve.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means include a plurality of arcs along the perimeter of a circle.

4. A device according to claim 1, including a branch adapted to be coupled to the unit by said coupling means and a branch adapted to be fastened to a garment or a belt by said fastening means, the two branches are connected at a common first end, and the second end of the branch adapted to be coupled to the unit is free and has the coupling means on its outside face.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the free end of the branch adapted to be fastened to the garment or the belt is configured to exert a clamping force in a direction towards the branch adapted to be coupled to the unit when a garment or a belt is introduced between the two branches.

6. A device according to claim 4, wherein the branch adapted to be coupled to the unit is shorter than the branch adapted to be fastened to the garment or the belt, the two branches are substantially parallel over a common length and the remaining portion of the longer branch as far as its free end is curved towards the other branch so that said free end is in substantially the same plane as the shorter branch.

7. A device according to claim 4, wherein the free end of the branch adapted to be fastened to the garment or the belt includes means for reducing the gap between that end and the rear face of the unit when the fastening device according to the invention is coupled to the unit.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the means for reducing the gap comprise projecting portions on an inside face of the branch adapted to be fastened to the garment or the belt and that are conformed to contribute uniformly to the clamping force.

9. A device according to claim 1, including means for securing said device to the unit.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the securing means comprises a rigid collar adapted to surround an external antenna of the unit.

11. A mobile telecommunication assembly, comprising:

a mobile telecommunication unit having an orifice with a radio-frequency connector therein for selective connection to an external antenna; and

a fastening device coupled to the mobile telecommunication unit;

wherein the fastening device comprises a coupler that is configured to be inserted and secured into the orifice of the mobile telecommunication unit.

12. The mobile telecommunication assembly according to claim 11, wherein the radio-frequency connector is a plug and the coupler includes a coupling sleeve.

13. The mobile telecommunication assembly according to claim 11, wherein the coupler includes a plurality of arcs along the perimeter of a circle.

14. The mobile telecommunication assembly according to claim 11, wherein the fastening device includes a first branch on which the coupler is formed and a second branch configured to clamp on to a garment or a belt, and wherein the first and second branches are joined at a common first end, and the second end of the first branch is free.

15. The mobile telecommunication assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first branch is shorter than the second branch, the first and second branches are substantially parallel over a common length, and the remaining portion of the second branch is curved towards the first branch so that a free end of the first branch is in substantially the same plane as the second branch.

16. The mobile telecommunication assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a collar surrounding and secured to an external antenna of the mobile telecommunication unit.

17. The mobile telecommunication assembly according to claim 11, wherein the radio-frequency connector is in a rear face of the mobile telecommunication unit.

18. The mobile telecommunication assembly according to claim 11, wherein the fastening device includes a first branch on which the coupler is formed, a second branch configured to clamp on to a garment or a belt, and a collar surrounding and secured to an external antenna of the mobile telecommunication unit;

wherein the first and second branches are joined at a common first end, and the second end of the first branch is free; and

wherein the first and second branches and the collar are formed as an integrally molded one-piece construction.