Mechanism for engaging portable equipment against a belt clip

• US 6,722,539 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vertex Standard LMR, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vertex Standard USA, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iitsuka, Yoshitune
• Primary Examiner(s): Vidovich, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brevard, Maerena W.
• Application Number:
  US10/046,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20030102341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 224/197, 224/242, 224/251, 224/269, 224/270, 224/271, 224/272, 224/930, 224/191, 224/904, 24/37, 24/31.1, 246/65, 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 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3855 carried in a belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1391 Article held by clip with spring [e.g., leaf, coil] member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4578 Cavity or projection rotates about axis of cavity to dissociate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45791 and partially blocking separate, nonresilient access opening of cavity

Abstract

There is provided an engaging mechanism of a system in which the flange-like protrusion at the portable equipment is engaged with or locked to an engaging part at a belt clip, wherein both fitting and removing for the portable equipment are simplified. The system such that the flange 5 at the portable equipment 1 is constituted by the disc 6 and the annular frame 7, the protrusion 8 directed inwardly from the annular frame 7 with its circumferential sides being applied as slant surfaces 8b and 8c; the engaging plate 23 of the belt clip 21 (refer to FIG. 2) is provided with the engaging part 210 comprised of the frame 211 and the front plate 214 formed with the U-shaped recess 213, the engaging plate 23 is constituted by the cantilever beam 31 defined by the slit 30, the extremity end of the beam 31 is formed with the claw 29 with its upper side being applied as the slant surface 29a; when the flange 5 is fitted into the engaging part 210, the claw 29 is fitted inside the annular frame 7 to apply a locked state, and when the portable equipment 1 is turned by 180°, the protrusion 8 causes the claw 29 to be retracted and releases the locked state.

Claims

1. A mechanism for engaging an item of portable equipment to a belt clip in which the portable equipment is provided with a protrusion comprised of a short column and a flange, and the belt clip includes a plate surface formed with an engaging part composed of frames arranged at both sides and a front plate formed with a substantial U-shaped recess having a released side and a fitting limit part, wherein the short column may be guided by the recess at said belt clip to cause the flange to be fitted to and held at the engaging part, thereby said portable equipment is removably attached to said belt clip, wherein the improvement comprises:

said flange of said portable equipment having a disc and a continuous annular frame formed at the circumferential edge of the disc forming a locking recess with an outwardly facing end surface; and

a cam surface projecting radially inwardly from said outwardly facing end surface of said annular frame and having its circumferential side applied as a slant surface, and in turn, said plate surface having a substantially U-shaped slit defining a resilient cantilever beam formed with a claw having a slanted side surface corresponding to said released side of the recess and the opposite side surface of said claw applied as an engaging surface against said annular frame in an area opposing an inwardly directed surface of said cam surface and said annular frame under a state in which the flange at the portable equipment reaches said fitting limit part of said engaging part and said claw is in said locking recess.

2. A mechanism for engaging a portable equipment to a belt clip including a clip portion for attaching to a belt, said mechanism comprising:

a protrusion having a base for mounting to said portable equipment and an outwardly projecting reduced diameter column terminating in a flange formed by an enlarged disc with an outwardly projecting annular frame defining a claw receiving recess, said annular frame including a cam projecting inwardly from annular frame and having at least one circumferentially positioned slanted surface; and

an engaging plate coupled to said clip portion, said engaging plate including an engaging part spaced apart from an engaging plate by a pair of opposing side frames and supporting an outwardly facing front plate formed with a substantially U-shaped column guide slot having an open end and a limiting end and being dimensioned to slidingly receive said column of said protrusion, said engaging plate formed with a substantially U-shaped slit defining a resilient cantilever beam with a claw projecting toward said engaging part and having a slanted surface corresponding to said open end of said U-shaped column guide slot, said protrusion being operable to slide down said guide slot with said column in said slot to engage said annular frame with said slanted surface to drive said claw toward said belt clip and to receive said claw in a seated position within said claw receiving recess as said column abuts said limit part, said protrusion further being operable to drive said claw from said claw receiving recess upon rotation of said protrusion to engage said circumferentially positioned slanted surface of said cam with said claw whereby said protrusion may be slid toward said open end of said recess and removed from said belt clip.

3. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said outermost surface of the said cam surface is flush with an outermost surface of the annular frame.

4. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said cam surface is in the form of a trapezoid when viewed in radial cross section.

5. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said cam surface includes two circumferentially opposed slant surfaces.

6. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said engaging plate is pivotally connected to said clip portion.

7. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

a surface of said claw opposing said slanted surface is parallel to an interior of said annular frame when said claw is seated in said claw receiving recess.

8. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein:

said annular frame is continuous.

9. A method for removably attaching an item of portable equipment to a strap of material comprising:

providing a protrusion including a mounting base and an outwardly projecting short column terminating in a flange with an annular frame defining a claw receiving recess and a cam projecting radially inwardly from said annular frame and having at least one circumferentially disposed slanted surface;

mounting said base to said portable equipment;

providing a belt clip with a clip portion for insertion over said strap and an engaging plate coupled to said clip portion, said engaging plate including an engaging part spaced apart from an engaging plate by a pair of opposing side frames and supporting an outwardly facing front plate formed with a substantially U-shaped column guide slot having an open end and a limiting end and being dimensioned to slidingly receive said column of said protrusion, said engaging plate formed with a substantially U-shaped slit defining a resilient cantilever beam with a claw projecting toward said engaging part and having a slanted surface corresponding to said open end of said U-shaped column guide slot,

hooking said belt clip to said strap; and

sliding said protrusion down said guide slot with said column in said slot to engage said annular frame with said slanted surface and drive said claw toward said belt clip until said column abuts said limit part and said claw is in a seated position in said claw receiving recess.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising:

rotating said protrusion to engage said circumferentially disposed slanted surface with said claw to drive said claw from said claw receiving recess;

withdrawing said protrusion toward said open end of said recess and removing from said belt clip with one hand.