Rotational holster for an electronic device

• US 6,752,299 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kimball, Dave, Shetler, Lance, Moberg, Sheldon B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Application Number:
  US10/013,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20030106917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 224/197, 224/269, 224/669, 224/670, 224/912, 224/930, 417/234, 24/31.1, 24/31.2, 24/37, 24/39, 244/98, 245/05, 245/07
• 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 2005/026 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: A61M 5/1417 Holders or handles for hanging up infusion containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/045 for connection in more than one rotational position around an axle, e.g. by using a rotatable connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1391 Article held by clip with spring [e.g., leaf, coil] member

Abstract

A holster is provided with a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s belt or other suitable location and a harness portion for holding an electronic device, such as, but not limited to, a medical infusion pump. The holster may include a rotation mechanism that allows the holster to be rotated in a manner, to position and maintain the electronic device in any one of a plurality of selectable rotational orientations, while the holster is clipped to the user'"'"'s belt. Alternatively or in addition, the clip portion is pivotally connected by a hinge to the harness portion, to allow the harness portion to pivot upward relative to the clip portion. The pivotal connection of the clip portion to the harness portion allows the user pivot the harness portion (and, thus, a medical device received in the harness portion) upward, for example, to better accommodate the user'"'"'s view or access to displays, indicators, compartments, buttons or other manual operators on the medical device.

Claims

1. A holster for an electronic device, the holster comprising:

a harness portion having a rear wall and side walls that provide a receptacle having an interior for holding an electronic device, at least one side wall exposing at least one of a display, indicator, compartment and button on the electronic device when the electronic device is held within the receptacle;

a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s apparel;

a mechanism for rotatably attaching the rear wall of the harness portion to the clip portion, the rotatable attachment mechanism allowing rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions and maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity;

wherein said range of rotational positions includes at least one position in which the at least one side wall of the harness portion is angled toward the user'"'"'s range of view when the clip portion is clipped to the user'"'"'s apparel.

2. A holster as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism includes at least one of the group consisting of a ratchet mechanism, a rotary joint with sufficient frictional resistance to maintain selected rotational orientations, a rotary joint with a set screw, and a rotary joint with a locking pin.

3. A holster as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism includes a ratchet mechanism.

4. A holster as recited in claim 3, wherein the ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet pawl and a plurality of ratchet engagement elements, wherein the ratchet pawl is disposed on one of the harness portion and the clip portion and the plurality of ratchet engagement elements are disposed on the other of the harness portion and the clip portion.

5. A holster as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of ratchet engagement elements include a plurality of indentations.

6. A holster as recited in claim 1, wherein the clip portion includes a belt clip.

7. A holster as recited in claim 1, wherein the clip portion includes:

a back plate rotatably coupled to the harness portion;

a clip member pivotally coupled to the back plate;

a biasing mechanism arranged to urge one end of the clip member toward the back plate.

8. A holster as recited in claim 7, wherein the rotation mechanism includes a ratchet mechanism having a ratchet pawl and a plurality of ratchet engagement elements, wherein the ratchet pawl is disposed on one of the harness portion and the back plate and the plurality of ratchet engagement elements are disposed on the other of the harness portion and the back plate.

9. A holster as recited in claim 8, wherein the ratchet engagement elements include depressions.

10. A holster as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a medical infusion pump.

11. A holster as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a medical monitor.

12. A holster as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one side wall of the harness portion comprising a wall that extends along a part of, but not an entire side wall of the electronic device, so as to cover a portion of that side wall of the electronic device while exposing a further portion of that side wall of the electronic device.

13. A holster as recited in claim 12, wherein the harness portion further has an opening of sufficient size to receive the medical device into or remove the medical device from the interior of the receptacle.

14. A holster as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one side wall of the harness portion comprises first and second side walls.

15. A holster for an electronic device, the holster comprising:

a harness portion for holding an electronic device;

a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s apparel;

a hinge for attaching the harness portion to the clip portion to allow the harness portion to pivot upward relative to the clip portion; and

a mechanism for rotatably attaching the harness portion to the clip portion, the rotatable attachment mechanism allowing rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions and maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity.

16. A holster as recited in claim 15, wherein the rotation mechanism includes at least one of the group consisting of a ratchet mechanism, a rotary joint with sufficient frictional resistance to maintain selected rotational orientations, a rotary joint with a set screw, and a rotary joint with a locking pin.

17. A holster as recited in claim 15, wherein the rotation mechanism includes a ratchet mechanism.

18. A holster as recited in claim 17, wherein the ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet pawl and a plurality of ratchet engagement elements, wherein the ratchet pawl is disposed on one of the harness portion and the clip portion and the plurality of ratchet engagement elements are disposed on the other of the harness portion and the clip portion.

19. A holster as recited in claim 15, wherein the clip portion includes a belt clip.

20. A holster as recited in claim 15, wherein the clip portion includes:

a back plate rotatably coupled to the harness portion;

a clip member pivotally coupled to the back plate;

a biasing mechanism arranged to urge one end of the clip member toward the back plate.

21. A holster as recited in claim 15, wherein the electronic device includes a medical infusion pump.

22. A holster as recited in claim 15, wherein the electronic device includes a medical infusion pump.

23. A holster for an electronic device, the holster comprising:

a harness portion for holding an electronic device;

a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s apparel;

a mechanism for rotatably attaching the harness portion to the clip portion, the rotatable attachment mechanism allowing rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions and maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity;

wherein the clip portion includes a back plate rotatably coupled to the harness portion, a clip member pivotally coupled to the back plate, and a biasing mechanism arranged to urge one end of the clip member toward the back plate; and

wherein the rotation mechanism includes a ratchet mechanism having a ratchet pawl and a plurality of ratchet engagement elements, wherein the ratchet pawl is disposed on the harness portion and the plurality of ratchet engagement elements are disposed on the back plate.

24. A holster for an electronic device, the holster comprising:

a harness portion for holding an electronic device;

a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s apparel;

a mechanism for rotatably attaching the harness portion to the clip portion, the rotatable attachment mechanism allowing rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions and maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity;

wherein the rotatable attachment mechanism includes a connector pin having a pin shaft and a pin head, the pin shaft extending through the harness portion and connecting to the clip portion, with the pin head disposed on one side of the harness portion and with the clip portion disposed on the opposite side of the harness portion.

25. A holster as recited in claim 24, wherein the connector pin connects to a pin receptacle on the clip portion with a snap connection.

26. A holster for an electronic device, the holster comprising:

a harness portion for holding an electronic device;

a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s apparel;

a mechanism for rotatably attaching the harness portion to the clip portion, the rotatable attachment mechanism allowing rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions and maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity;

wherein the clip portion is pivotally connected by a hinge to the harness portion to allow the harness portion to pivot upward relative to the clip portion.

27. A holster for an electronic device, the holster comprising:

a harness portion providing a receptacle for holding an electronic device, the harness portion having at least one side wall that exposes a portion of the electronic device for viewing from outside of the receptacle of the harness portion when the electronic device is held in the receptacle of the harness portion;

a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s apparel;

a mechanism for rotatably attaching the harness portion to the clip portion, the rotatable attachment mechanism allowing rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions and maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity;

wherein said range of rotational positions includes at least one position in which the at least one side wall of the harness portion is angled toward the user'"'"'s range of view when the clip portion is clipped to the user'"'"'s apparel.

28. A holster as recited in claim 27, wherein the electronic device includes a medical infusion pump.

29. A holster as recited in claim 27, wherein the electronic device includes a medical monitor.

30. A holster as recited in claim 27, further comprising a hinge for attaching the harness portion to the clip portion to allow the harness portion to pivot upward relative to the clip portion.

31. A method of retaining an electronic device, the method comprising:

holding an electronic device in a harness portion of a holster, the harness portion having at least one side wall that exposes at least one of a display, indicator, compartment and button of the electronic device for viewing from outside of the harness portion when the electronic device is held in the receptacle of the harness portion;

clipping a clip portion of a holster to a user'"'"'s apparel;

rotatably attaching the harness portion to the clip portion, for rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions, said range of rotational positions including at least one position in which the at least one side wall of the harness portion is angled toward the user'"'"'s range of view when the clip portion is clipped to the user'"'"'s apparel; and

maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity.

32. A medical device and holster system comprising:

a medical device for connection to a user, the medical device having at least one of a display, indicator, compartment and button;

a holster comprising a harness portion for holding the medical device, a clip portion for clipping to a user'"'"'s apparel, and a mechanism for rotatably attaching the harness portion to the clip portion,

wherein the harness portion has at least one side wall that exposes the at least one display, indicator, compartment and button of the medical device for viewing from outside of the holster, when the medical device is held in the harness portion;

wherein the rotatable attachment mechanism is configured for allowing rotation of the harness portion relative to the clip portion through a range of rotational positions and maintaining each rotational position along the rotation range against the force of gravity; and

wherein said range of rotational positions includes at least one position in which the at least one side wall of the harness portion is angled toward the user'"'"'s range of view when the clip portion is clipped to the user'"'"'s apparel.

33. A system as recited in claim 32, wherein the at least one side wall of the harness portion comprising a wall that extends along a part of, but not an entire side wall of the medical device, so as to cover a portion of that side wall of the medical device while exposing a further portion of that side wall of the medical device.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the harness portion further has an opening of sufficient size to receive the medical device into or remove the medical device from the harness portion.

35. A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the at least one side wall of the harness portion comprises first and second side walls.

36. A system as recited in claim 32, wherein the medical device includes a tubing for conveying media to or from the user.