Belt clip attachment device and method of use

• US 7,093,742 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Orban, Benoit, Steven, John C. III, Shaanan, Gad, Mainville, Patrick, Duval, Francois, Francovich, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSON, JUSTIN MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US10/645,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 224/197, 224/676, 224/930, 455/100, 455/575.6, 379/446, 379/447, 241/02.SL, 245/88, 245/91
• 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: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer

Abstract

A method of connecting a belt clip attachment device to a personal electronic device such as a mobile phone includes providing a belt clip attachment device for connecting the mobile phone to a belt clip, the belt clip attachment device and the rear of the mobile phone constructed so that the belt clip attachment device connects to the rear side of the mobile phone through a push and twist action on the belt clip attachment device; and connecting the belt clip attachment device to the rear side of the mobile phone by pushing and twisting the belt clip attachment device relative to the rear side of the mobile phone.

Claims

1. A belt clip attachment system for connecting a personal electronic device to a belt clip, the belt clip attachment system comprising:

the personal electronic device comprising a housing having a rear face;

a battery door on the rear face, wherein said housing has a recess; and

a plurality of pegs projecting outward from an interior wall of the recess, wherein a first section of the recess is in the battery door and a second section of the recess is in the rear face such that a first end of a belt clip knob engages at least one peg of the plurality of pegs in the second section of the recess; and

the belt clip knob, comprising;

the first end for seating within the recess, the first end having at least one track for engaging the plurality of pegs through a push and twist action;

a second end having an engagement member to connect the belt clip knob to the belt clip.

2. The belt clip attachment system of claim 1, wherein the engagement member includes an upper cylindrical member with a first diameter and a lower cylindrical hub with a second diameter less than the first diameter, wherein the lower cylindrical hub slides into a slot on the belt clip, the slot having width less than the first diameter of the upper cylindrical member such that the upper cylindrical member stays engages within the slot on the belt clip.

3. The belt clip attachment system of claim 1, wherein the engagement member comprises a well to receive a tang of the belt clip to maintain the belt clip knob in position with respect to the belt clip.

4. The belt clip attachment system of claim 1, wherein the personal electronic device further comprises:

a battery door latch for connecting the battery door to the housing.

5. The belt clip attachment system of claim 1, further including a resilient member disposed within an interior chamber the belt clip knob that urges the belt clip knob into a locked position when the track of the first end of the belt clip knob is engaged with the plurality of pegs.

6. The belt clip attachment system of claim 1, wherein the engagement member is circular such that the belt clip attachment system connects to the belt clip at a plurality of orientation angles.

7. The belt clip attachment system of claim 6, wherein the engagement member includes a starburst configuration with multiple radiating projections, wherein a radiating projection of the multiple radiating projections engages with a locking tang of the belt clip to lock the belt clip attachment system in place.

8. A device attachment system comprising:

an electronic device comprising a housing having a rear face and a detachable battery door disposed on said rear face, the detachable battery door comprising;

a cylindrical recess having a recess diameter and an inside cylindrical wall, wherein a first section of the cylindrical recess is in the detachable battery door and a second section of the cylindrical recess is in the rear face of housing; and

at least one lateral peg projecting outward from the inside cylindrical wall;

a detachable knob having a knob diameter less that the recess diameter such that the detachable knob seats within the cylindrical recess, the detachable knob comprising;

a locking track adjacent to a first end of the detachable knob, the locking track for engaging the at least one lateral peg when the detachable knob is partially rotated within the cylindrical recess; and

a knob connection portion at a second end of the detachable knob; and

a belt clip having a clip recess for accepting the knob connection portion of the detachable knob.

9. The device attachment system of claim 8, wherein the detachable battery door is on a rear surface of housing.

10. The device attachment system of claim 8, wherein the detachable battery door comprises a battery integral to the detachable battery door.

11. The device attachment system of claim 8, wherein

the detachable knob engages the at least one lateral peg in the second section of the recess.

12. The device attachment system of claim 8, wherein the first section of the cylindrical recess in the detachable battery door comprises a battery door latch for latching the detachable battery door to the rear face of the housing.

13. The device attachment system of claim 8, wherein the knob connection portion at the second end of the detachable knob is circular such that the detachable knob and the attached electronic device connect to the belt clip at a plurality of orientation angles.

14. The device attachment system of claim 13, wherein the knob connection portion comprises a plurality of radiating projections in a starburst configuration, wherein a radiating projection of the plurality of radiating projections engages with a locking tang of the belt clip to lock the knob connection to the belt clip.

15. The device attachment system of claim 8, wherein the detachable battery door further comprises:

C-shaped latch having a latch activator in a circular shape, the latch activator having a tang for engaging with a lip of the housing.

16. The device attachment system of claim 15, wherein the C-shaped latch is positioned inside of the cylindrical recess, and wherein the first end of the detachable knob is a cylinder having a hollow interior, the cylinder of the detachable knob having a sufficient inside diameter to accept the C-shaped latch into the hollow interior when the detachable knob is seated in the cylindrical recess.

17. A mobile phone for attachment to a belt clip, the mobile phone comprising,

a housing having a back face, the back face comprising a battery recess;

a removable battery seated in the battery recess, the removable battery forming a portion of the back face of the housing;

a cylindrical recess formed into a first portion of the removable battery and a second portion of the back face adjacent to the removable battery, the cylindrical recess comprising an interior cylindrical wall with at least one peg projecting out from the interior cylindrical wall; and

a removable universal clip seated in the cylindrical recess, the removable universal clip having a first end comprising a locking track for engaging the at least one peg to lock the removable universal clip in to the cylindrical recess, the removable universal clip having a second end for attachment to the belt clip.

18. The mobile phone of claim 17, wherein the second end of the removable universal clip is circular such that the mobile phone connects to the belt clip at a plurality of orientation angles.

19. The mobile phone of claim 17, wherein the second end of the removable universal clip comprises a plurality of radiating projections in a starburst configuration such that the mobile phone connects to the belt clip at a plurality of orientation angles, and wherein a radiating projection of the plurality of radiating projections engages with a locking tang of the belt clip to lock the mobile phone to the belt clip.

20. The mobile phone of claim 17, wherein the first portion of the removable battery that forms the cylindrical recess comprises a latch that secures the removable battery to the back face of the housing.