Clip assembly with lateral lock and interchangeable clip arm interface and method
First Claim
1. A belt or strap clip assembly for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device wherein said cellular telephone or personal electronic device carries a button stem thereon with an end face having first releasable locking element, the clip assembly comprising:
- a main body defining a receiving passage adapted to removably retain said button stem and its associated cellular telephone or personal electronic device;
a detent configured as a spring operated ball defining a second releasable locking element complementary to said first releasable locking element, said detent located in said receiving passage on said main clip body; and
a clip arm mounted to said main body, said clip arm adapted to removably attach said clip assembly to said belt or strap.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The clip assembly includes a lateral lock and sometimes an interchangeable clip arm interface. The lateral lock in a receiving passage of the clip body cooperates with a button stem mounted on the cell phone or PED. The lock is sometimes a detent, spring operated ball. The button stem cooperates with releasable locking element. A clip arm on the main body can be attached to a belt or strap of the user. The method includes laterally interlocking the detent with the locking element on the button. An interleaved, complementary tongue and groove mount permits interchangeably mounted clip arms on the main body.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A belt or strap clip assembly for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device wherein said cellular telephone or personal electronic device carries a button stem thereon with an end face having first releasable locking element, the clip assembly comprising:
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a main body defining a receiving passage adapted to removably retain said button stem and its associated cellular telephone or personal electronic device; a detent configured as a spring operated ball defining a second releasable locking element complementary to said first releasable locking element, said detent located in said receiving passage on said main clip body; and a clip arm mounted to said main body, said clip arm adapted to removably attach said clip assembly to said belt or strap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A belt or strap clip assembly for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device wherein said cellular telephone or personal electronic device carries a button stem thereon with an end face having first releasable locking element formed as at least one of a concave or convex locking element, the clip assembly comprising:
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a main body defining a receiving passage adapted to removably retain said button stem and its associated cellular telephone or personal electronic device; a spring mounted detent as a second releasable locking element complementary to said first releasable locking element, said detent being at least one of a complementary concave or convex locking element, and said detent located in said receiving passage on said main clip body; and a clip arm mounted to said main body, said clip arm adapted to removably attach said clip assembly to said belt or strap. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for attaching, to a user'"'"'s belt or strap, a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device comprising:
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a button adapted to be mounted to said cellular telephone or personal electronic device, said button having a button stem with an end face having first releasable locking element formed as at least one of a concave or convex locking element; a clip assembly main body defining a receiving passage adapted to removably retain said button stem and its associated cellular telephone or personal electronic device; a spring mounted detent as a second releasable locking element complementary to said first releasable locking element, said detent being at least one of a complementary concave or convex locking element, and said detent located in said receiving passage on said main clip body; and a clip arm mounted to said main body, said clip arm adapted to removably attach said clip assembly to said belt or strap. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A button attachment system for attaching a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device to a strap or belt clip assembly, said clip assembly having a main body defining a receiving passage, a detent releasable locking element located at or near said receiving passage, said detent releasable locking element being at least one of a complementary concave or convex locking element, the button attachment system comprising:
a button adapted to be mounted to said cellular telephone or personal electronic device, said button having a button stem with an end face having first releasable locking element formed as at least one of a concave or convex locking element which is complementary to said detent releasable locking element such that said button, and said cellular telephone or personal electronic device mounted thereto, is adapted to rotate with respect to said clip assembly due to the interlock between said detent releasable locking element and said between complementary first releasable locking element on said button. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for laterally releasably locking a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device on a belt or strap clip assembly, wherein said cellular telephone or personal electronic device carries a button stem thereon with an end face having first releasable locking element formed as at least one of a concave or convex locking element, the method comprising:
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capturing said button stem in a receiving passage in a main body of said clip assembly; providing a spring mounted detent as a second releasable locking element complementary to said first releasable locking element, said detent located in said receiving passage on said main clip body; during locking action, said detent providing a lateral locking force either laterally into said concave locking element or laterally retracting away from said convex locking element; and during non-locking action while said button stem is captured in said receiving passage, said first releasable locking element not interlocked with said second releasable locking element; and clipping said main body clip assembly to said belt or strap. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A belt or strap clip assembly for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device comprising:
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a main body having a first side adapted to removably retain and carry said cellular telephone or personal electronic device in a receiving passage, said receiving passage having a centrally located lateral axis therethrough, said main body having a second backside; said main body defining either a tongue or a groove mounting element at said backside; a first and a second clip arm element each having a longitudinal center plane therethrough, each of said first and second clip arm elements respectively defining a complement of said tongue or groove mounting element such that a respective one of said clip arm elements is mounted to said main body via an interleaved, complementary tongue and groove mount; said first clip arm element and said second clip arm element forming respective downwardly open U-shaped clip spaces with corresponding first and second spacial clip spaces, said first spacial clip spaces shifted downward with respect to said second spacial clip spaces such that, when said first clip arm element is mounted via said interleaved, complementary tongue and groove mount, said clip assembly is high with respect to said belt or strap, and when said second clip arm element is mounted via said interleaved, complementary tongue and groove mount, said clip assembly is low with respect to said belt or strap. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A belt or strap clip assembly for a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device comprising:
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a main clip body having a first side adapted to removably retain and carry said cellular telephone or personal electronic device in a receiving passage, said main body having a second backside; said main body defining either a tongue or a groove mounting element at said backside; a first clip arm element having a first downwardly open U-shaped clip space; a second clip arm element having a second downwardly open U-shaped clip space, said first and second clip spaces being different; each of said first and second clip arm elements respectively defining a complement of said tongue or groove mounting element such that a respective one of said clip arm elements is mounted to said main body via an interleaved, complementary tongue and groove mount; and
,in a first mode with said main body coupled to said first clip arm element via said interleaved, complementary tongue and groove mount, said clip assembly operative with said first downwardly open U-shaped clip space, and, in a second mode with said main body coupled to said second clip arm element via said interleaved, complementary tongue and groove mount, said clip assembly operative with said second downwardly open U-shaped clip space. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification