Mounting system for portable telephone

• US 6,738,477 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2000
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kam, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/595,968
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 379/446, 379/454, 379/455, 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

Abstract

A holder having a locking mechanism for a telephone. The holder includes a single piece integral structure forming a combined pushing/locking element that is adapted to act as both a pushing element pushing against a rear portion of the telephone and also as a simultaneous locking element for locking the telephone to the holder whereby as the rear portion of the telephone pushes against the pushing element portion of the single piece pushing/locking element, the locking element portion of the single piece pushing/locking element substantially simultaneously is pushed inwards towards the phone thereby locking the phone in the holder.

Claims

1. A telephone holder comprising:

a single piece integral structure forming a combined pushing/locking element, said pushing/locking element being adapted to act as both a pushing element pushing against a rear portion of a telephone and as a locking element for locking said telephone to said holder, the pushing element comprising at least one pushing element member extending through a corresponding opening in a rear surface of said holder and being spaced a distance from said locking element, whereby as said rear portion of said telephone pushes against said at least one pushing element member of said single piece pushing/locking element, said locking element portion of said single piece pushing/locking element substantially simultaneously is pushed inwards through a separate, corresponding opening in said holder towards said phone thereby locking said phone in said holder, wherein the holder is stationary relative to the phone and the phone pivots, on at least one pivot member along a bottom portion of the phone, into the holder.

2. A telephone holder according to claim 1 wherein said pushing element is positioned at a middle portion of said single piece pushing/locking element and said locking element is positioned at each end portion of said pushing/locking element.

3. A telephone holder according to claim 1 wherein said pushing element pushes against a battery positioned within said phone.

4. A telephone holder according to claim 1 wherein each locking element includes a locking hook integrated therewith.

5. A telephone holder according to claim 4 wherein each locking hook is positioned at the end portion of each locking element, said locking hook being adapted to lock said telephone in said holder.

6. A telephone holder according to claim 5 wherein each of said locking hooks are in their uppermost position to lock said telephone to said holder.

7. A telephone holder according to claim 1 further comprising a system for activating said single piece pushing/locking element comprising at least one button and a slider mechanism said system adapted to release said locking element when at least one button is pressed.

8. A telephone holder according to claim 7 wherein only one button needs to be pushed to release a locked phone.

9. A telephone holder according to claim 7 wherein said single piece pushing/locking element is adapted to prevent movement of said slider mechanism.

10. A telephone holder according to claim 7 wherein said slider mechanism is driven by a spring type force.

11. A telephone holder according to claim 7 wherein said telephone is locked in position within said holder and said single piece pushing/locking element does not block the path of said slider mechanism.

12. A telephone holder according to claim 7 wherein said push buttons are positioned by a tensile spring force weaker than the compressive spring force which positions said slider mechanism.

13. A telephone holder according to claim 7 wherein said slider mechanism is positioned to block the path of movement of said single piece pushing/locking element.

15. The telephone holder of claim 1 wherein the pushing/locking element is located in a cavity between an inner shell part and an outer shell part of the holder.

16. The telephone holder of claim 1 wherein the at least one pushing element member is pushed into the corresponding opening while the locking element portion moves into a recess in the phone.

17. The telephone holder of claim 1 wherein when the telephone is locked in the holder, the rear portion of the phone is flush with a corresponding inner portion of the holder, the holder being stationary relative to the pushing/locking element.

18. The telephone holder of claim 1 wherein the pushing element includes two members, each member oriented substantially perpendicular to the pushing/locking element and spaced apart from one another.

19. The telephone holder of claim 18 wherein each member is spaced apart from the nearest locking element portion.

20. The telephone holder of claim 1 further comprising:

a push button on either side of the holder and a tensile spring member linking the two buttons; and

a slider mechanism biased by a compression spring against the tensile spring member the slide mechanism adapted to retain the pushing/locking mechanism in a locked position when the telephone is inserted into the holder, wherein when one of the push buttons is pressed inward, the slider mechanism is caused to move away from the tensile spring and the pushing/locking element is released from the locked position.

21. The telephone holder of claim 20, wherein when the pushing/locking element is released from the locked position, the pushing/locking element blocks the slider mechanism from returning to its initial position until the pushing element member is pushed by the telephone.

27. The telephone holder of claim 1 wherein the pushing element member moves along a substantially horizontal plane as the telephone presses against the pushing element member.

28. The telephone holder of claim 1 wherein the pushing element member is in a substantially orthogonal orientation to the locking element.

29. The telephone holder of claim 1 wherein the opening for the locking element is in a side portion of the holder spaced apart and separate from the opening for the pushing element member.

14. A single piece pushing/locking element for use in a telephone holding device, said single piece element adapted to act as both a mechanism to push said telephone out of said holder and a mechanism to lock said telephone in said holder, comprising a single piece structure including flexible locking elements positioned it each end portion of said single piece element and flexible pushing members positioned at the middle portion of said single piece element the pushing members separated from and oriented substantially perpendicular to the pushing/locking element, wherein as a phone is inserted into the holding device the pushing member exerts a force on the pushing/locking element and the locking elements move inwards to engage a respective side of the phone to lock the phone in the holding device.

22. A telephone holder comprising:

an outer shell part and a cup like inner shell part defining a cavity between the outer and inner shell part;

a single piece pushing/locking element in the cavity having at least one pusher element extending through a corresponding opening along a rear portion of the inner shell, the at least one pusher element adapted to engage a portion of a rear surface of a phone inserted into the holder;

a locking element at each end of the single piece pushing/locking element, each locking element adapted to extend through a corresponding opening along a side surface of the inner shell part that is separate from and substantially orthogonal to the opening along the rear portion of the inner shell, the locking element adapted to lock the phone to the holder when the phone is pressed against the at least one pusher element.

23. The telephone holder of claim 22 wherein when the phone is in a locked position, the rear surface of the phone lies in a substantially contiguous relationship with the inner surface of the holder.

24. The telephone holder of claim 22 further comprising a push button on either side of the outer shell of the holder and a tensile spring linking each push button, wherein when one push button is pressed inwardly, the phone in the holder is released from a locked position.

25. The telephone holder of claim 24 further comprising a slider mechanism having a compression spring at a rear end portion of the slider mechanism, the compression spring biasing the slider mechanism against the tensile spring, the slider mechanism blocking movement of the pushing/locking element when the phone is locked in the holder by the pushing/locking element.

26. The telephone holder of claim 25 wherein when the push button is pressed, the slide mechanism is moved in a direction to release the pushing/locking element from a locked position and unlock the phone from the holder, wherein when released position, the pushing/locking element prevents the slider mechanism from returning to the locked position until the pusher element is pressed by a phone inserted into the holder.