Spring system for cellular telephone holster

• US 6,443,340 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chung, Kenneth Joseph, Oliver, Mark William
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K.
• Application Number:
  US09/598,602
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 224/197, 224/198, 224/199, 224/200, 224/930, 224/269, 248/231.81, 248/316.1, 248/292.13, 245/05, 379/446, 379/455
• US Class Current: 224/197
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/002 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/025 with a holder or item rotatably connected to the fastening device, e.g. having a rotation axis perpendicular to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44427 with position locking-means for gripping members

Abstract

A cellular telephone holster includes a holster section formed to accept a cellular telephone. A clip portion is rotatably attached to the holster section and formed to have a circular opening with at least one detent along an inner perimeter of the opening. A spring system is coupled to the holster section and includes a substantially incompressible piston and a compressible material separate from and coupled to the substantially incompressible piston. The circular opening is sized to fit around the spring system. The holster section is formed to have at least one protrusion, and the substantially incompressible piston and the compressible material are insertable against the protrusion, whereby the at least one protrusion contributes to holding the substantially incompressible piston and the compressible material in place relative to the holster section.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone holster comprising:

a holster section formed to accept a cellular telephone;

a clip portion rotatably attached to the holster section, the clip portion formed to have an opening with at least one detent along an inner perimeter of the opening; and

a spring system coupled to the holster section, the spring system including;

a substantially incompressible piston;

a compressible body separate from the substantially incompressible piston, the compressible body positioned adjacent to and transversal to one side of the incompressible piston such that movement of the incompressible body exerts a torsion force on the compressible body.

2. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 1 wherein the substantially incompressible piston comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, ceramic, and glass.

3. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 1 further comprising a belt clip spring pivotably coupling a clip to the clip portion.

4. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 1 wherein the opening is a substantially circular opening.

5. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 4 wherein the holster section is formed to have at least one protrusion formed to have a protrusion opening, the substantially incompressible piston and the compressible body insertable into the protrusion opening, whereby the at least one protrusion assists in holding the substantially incompressible piston and the compressible body in place relative to the holster section.

6. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 4 wherein the substantially circular opening is sized to fit around the spring system.

7. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 6 wherein the at least one detent comprises a plurality of detents.

8. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 7 wherein a force of a predetermined amount applied to the holster causes the substantially incompressible piston to travel along the inner perimeter from a first detent towards a second detent, thereby exerting a torsional force compressing the compressible body.

9. A cellular telephone holster comprising:

a holster section formed to accept a cellular telephone;

a clip portion rotatably attached to the holster section, the clip portion formed to have an opening with at least one detent along an inner perimeter of the opening; and

a spring system coupled to the holster section, the spring system including;

a substantially incompressible piston;

a compressible material separate from and coupled to the substantially incompressible piston, wherein the compressible material comprises an elastic compound.

10. The cellular telephone holster as in claim 9 wherein the elastic compound is selected from the group consisting of a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, and a plastic material.

11. A two piece spring system for a cellular telephone clip, the two piece spring system comprising:

a first substrate section;

a second substrate section formed to have an opening with at least one detent along an inner perimeter of the opening;

a substantially incompressible tip positioned to contact the first substrate section and operable to movably contact the at least one detent;

a compressible block separate from and coupled to the substantially incompressible tip, the compressible block positioned adjacent the tip to exert a force against the tip while the tip moves through the detent.

12. The two piece spring system as in claim 11 wherein:

the substantially incompressible tip comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, ceramic, and glass; and

the compressible block comprises an elastic compound.

13. The two piece spring system as in claim 12 wherein the elastic compound is selected from the group consisting of a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, and a plastic material.

14. The two piece spring system as in claim 11 wherein the opening is sized to fit around the substantially incompressible tip and the compressible block.

15. The two piece spring system as in claim 14 further comprising a cover portion for covering the opening.

16. The two piece spring system as in claim 15 wherein the cover is attached to the first substrate section and the second substrate section is situated between the cover and the first substrate section, the cover for holding the opening of the second substrate section around the substantially incompressible tip and the compressible block.

17. The two piece spring system as in claim 14 wherein the first substrate section is formed to have at least one protrusion, the compressible block positioned adjacent to the at least one protrusion.

18. The two piece spring system as in claim 17 wherein the at least one protrusion forms a protrusion opening, the compressible block insertable in the protrusion opening.

19. A spring system for a rotatable cellular telephone clip, the spring system comprising:

a first substrate section;

a second substrate section; and

spring rotatably coupling the first substrate section with the second substrate section, the spring including,

a substantially incompressible tip portion formed of any of metal, plastic, ceramic, and glass, and

a compressible portion coupled to the substantially incompressible tip portion and formed of any of a natural rubber, a synthetic rubber, and plastic.

20. The spring system as in claim 19 wherein the second substrate is formed to have an opening with at least one detent along an inner perimeter of the opening, the spring positionable within the opening.

21. The spring system as in claim 20 wherein the first substrate section comprise one of a cellular telephone housing and a portion of a cellular telephone holster.

22. The spring system as in claim 20 wherein the substantially incompressible tip portion is positioned to movably contact the at least one detent.