Device for supporting an electronic tool on a user's hand

• US 9,861,182 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Oberpriller, Mark Lee, Fitch, Timothy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Justin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHMIDT, PHILLIP D
• Application Number:
  US14/614,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 224267, 224217-219, 224221-222, 401 8, 294 95, D14427, 2160, 63 1545- 1565
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/008 Hand articles fastened to the wrist or to the arm or to the leg
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0525 Personal portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/22 of resilient material, e.g. rubbery material F16B2/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B

Abstract

An attachment device for attaching to a user'"'"'s finger, thumb, hand, or wrist is provided. The attachment device may also be configured to support an object, such as a small electronic tool. According to one implementation, an attachment device comprises a mounting frame, a side wall extending at an angle from the mounting frame, an outer C-band extending from an end of the side wall, and an inner C-band extending from the mounting frame. The outer C-band is configured to at least partially surround the inner C-band.

Claims

1. A support/attachment unit comprising:

a mounting frame having a front portion, back portion, first side portion, and second side portion, wherein a top side of the mounting frame defines a substantially horizontal plane configured for supporting an electronic module;

a side wall extending downward from the first side portion of the mounting frame, the side wall extending at an angle from the substantially horizontal plane defined by the mounting frame;

an outer C-band extending from an end of the side wall in a clockwise direction and comprising a first free end; and

an inner C-band extending from the first side portion of the mounting frame in a counter-clockwise direction and comprising a second free end;

wherein the outer C-band and inner C-band each comprise a C-shaped cross-section;

wherein, when no force is applied to the outer C-band and inner C-band, the outer C-band surrounds the inner C-band such that an inner radius of the outer C-band is greater than an outer radius of the inner C-band; and

wherein, when placed on a finger of a user, the second free end of the inner C-band and the first free end of the outer C-band each provide an independent inwardly-directed force acting on a finger of a user.

2. The support/attachment unit of claim 1, wherein the inner C-band extends from the first side portion toward the second side portion of the mounting frame.

3. The support/attachment unit of claim 1, further comprising a front ridge and a back ridge each extending above the substantially horizontal plane defined by the mounting frame, the front ridge and back ridge configured to prevent forward and backward movement of the electronic module with respect to the mounting frame.

4. The support/attachment unit of claim 1, wherein the side wall is configured to support a trigger device associated with the electronic module.

5. The support/attachment unit of claim 1, wherein the mounting frame, side wall, outer C-band, and inner C-band consist of an integrally-molded rubber having a hardness in the range from about Shore 70A to about Shore 90A.

6. A support/attachment device comprising:

a top section including a mounting frame;

a side wall extending at an angle from the mounting frame;

an outer C-band extending from an end of the side wall, the outer C-band having a C-shaped cross-section and a first free end; and

an inner C-band extending from the mounting frame, the inner C-band having a C-shaped cross-section and a second free end;

wherein, when not in use, the outer C-band at least partially surrounds the inner C-band; and

wherein, when placed on a finger of a user, the second free end of the inner C-band and the first free end of the outer C-band each provide an independent inwardly-directed force acting on a finger of a user.

7. The support/attachment device of claim 6, wherein, when not in use, the outer C-band has an inner radius greater than an outer radius of the inner C-band.

8. The support/attachment device of claim 6, wherein the mounting frame has a front portion, back portion, first side portion, and second side portion.

9. The support/attachment device of claim 8, wherein the side wall extends from the first side portion of the mounting frame.

10. The support/attachment device of claim 9, wherein the inner C-band extends from the first side portion of the mounting frame.

11. The support/attachment device of claim 10, wherein the inner C-band extends from the first side portion toward the second side portion of the mounting frame.

12. The support/attachment device of claim 6, wherein the top section, side wall, outer C-band, and inner C-band consist of an integrally-molded flexible rubber material.

13. The support/attachment device of claim 6, wherein the first free end is opposite an end extending from the side wall and the second free end is opposite an end extending from the mounting frame.

14. The support/attachment device of claim 13, wherein the first free end and second free end enable an object surrounded by the outer C-band and inner C-band to breakaway when a predetermined force is applied.

15. An attachment device comprising:

a mounting frame;

a side wall extending at an angle from the mounting frame;

an outer C-band extending from an end of the side wall having a first free end; and

an inner C-band extending from the mounting frame having a second free end;

wherein the outer C-band at least partially surrounds the inner C-band; and

wherein, when placed on a finger of a user, the second free end of the inner C-band and the first free end of the outer C-band each provide an independent inwardly-directed force acting on a finger of a user.

16. The attachment device of claim 15, wherein the outer C-band and inner C-band each have a C-shaped cross-section.

17. The attachment device of claim 15, wherein the mounting frame comprises a front portion, back portion, first side portion, and second side portion, the side wall extending from the first side portion of the mounting frame.

18. The attachment device of claim 17, wherein the inner C-band extends from the first side portion of the mounting frame toward the second side portion of the mounting frame.

19. The attachment device of claim 15, wherein the outer C-band and inner C-band define an expandable, substantially cylindrical shape having an inner circumference ranging from about 50 mm at rest to about 88 mm when expanded.

20. The attachment device of claim 15, wherein the first free end is opposite an end extending from the side wall and the second free end is opposite an end extending from the mounting frame, and wherein the outer C-band and inner C-band have sufficient flexibility to enable the user to remove his or her finger between the first free end and second free end to break away from the attachment device when a predetermined outwardly-directed force is applied against the outer C-band and inner C-band.