Expandable sockets for use with portable media players

• US 9,958,107 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PopSockets LLC
• Original Assignee: PopSockets LLC
• Inventors: Hobbs, Molly M., Barnett, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US15/803,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20180119873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• Field of Search: 4555758, 4555751
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/06 allowing pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/40 by means of coilable or bendable legs or spiral shaped legs
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/025 for translational movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/065 with a special structure, e.g. reinforced or adapted for space reduction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/08 Foot or support base
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/33 Contact members made of resilient wire
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case. The expandable socket generally includes a platform, a skin coupled to the platform, a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform, and a biasing element. The skin includes an outer wall, an inner wall spaced radially inward of the outer wall, and a cavity defined by the inner wall, wherein the skin is deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The biasing element is arranged within the cavity of the skin between the platform and the button, such that the biasing element is at least partially surrounded by the inner wall of the skin. The biasing element is configured to bias the skin into the expanded configuration.

Claims

1. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

a button that is spaced from and movable relative to the platform;

a biasing element disposed between the platform and the button, the biasing element arranged to bias the button away from the platform; and

a lock configured to releasably secure the button to the platform, the lock comprising a first projection carried by the button and arranged to engage a second projection carried by the platform when the lock releasably secures the button to the platform,

wherein the first projection extends outward from the button in a first direction and the second projection extends outward from the platform in a second direction opposite the first direction, and

wherein the lock comprises a recess defined by the platform or the button, the recess configured to receive the first or second projection when the lock releasably secures the button to the platform.

2. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the first projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the button.

3. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the second projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the platform.

4. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the first projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the button, and wherein the second projection has an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of the platform.

5. The expandable socket of claim 1, further comprising a skin arranged between the platform and the button, wherein the skin surrounds the biasing element.

6. The expandable socket of claim 5, wherein the skin comprises an elastomeric material.

7. The expandable socket of claim 5, wherein the skin comprises at least one folding section.

8. The expandable socket of claim 1, wherein the biasing element comprises a conical coil spring.

9. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

a button that is spaced from and movable relative to the platform;

a skin arranged between the platform and the button, wherein the skin comprises at least two folding sections;

a biasing element disposed between the platform and the button, the biasing element arranged to bias the button away from the platform; and

a first projection carried by the button and arranged to selectively engage a second projection carried by the platform to releasably secure the button to the platform, wherein the first projection extends outward from the button in a first direction and the second projection extends outward from the platform in a second direction opposite the first direction.

10. The expandable socket of claim 9, wherein the skin is movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, and wherein the at least two folding sections are configured to fold onto one another as the skin is moved from the expanded configuration to the expanded configuration.

11. The expandable socket of claim 9, wherein the skin has a first end coupled to the button and a second end coupled to the platform, the skin having a first diameter at the first end and a second diameter at the second end, the second diameter being less than the first end.

12. The expandable socket of claim 9, wherein the skin surrounds the biasing element.

13. The expandable socket of claim 9, wherein the skin comprises an elastomeric material.

14. The expandable socket of claim 9, wherein the biasing element comprises a conical coil spring.

15. The expandable socket of claim 9, further comprising a recess defined by the platform or the button, the recess configured to selectively receive the first or second projection to releasably secure the button to the platform.

16. An expandable socket for attachment to a portable media player or a portable media player case, the expandable socket comprising:

a platform adapted to engage a portion of the portable media player or the portable media player case;

an elastomeric skin coupled to the platform and having at least two folding sections defining an outer wall and an inner wall spaced radially inward of the outer wall, the skin including a cavity defined by the inner wall and being deformable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;

a button coupled to the skin opposite the platform, the button being disposed a first distance from the platform when the skin occupies the collapsed configuration and a second distance greater than the first distance from the platform when the skin occupies the expanded configuration;

a spring arranged within the cavity of the skin between the platform and the button, such that the spring is surrounded by the inner wall of the skin, the spring biasing the button away from the platform to urge the skin into the expanded configuration; and

a lock for selectively coupling the button to the platform such that the skin occupies the collapsed configuration when the button and platform are coupled, the lock comprising a first projection carried by the button and arranged to engage a second projection carried by the platform when the lock selectively couples the button to the platform.