AU785412B2

AU785412B2 - A wrist phone holder

Info

Publication number: AU785412B2
Application number: AU44464/02A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ottah Chikezie; Ottah Chineye
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-05-27
Filing date: 2002-05-27
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 2022-05-27
Also published as: AU4446402A

Description

I

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT A WRIST PHONE HOLDER TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates generally to phone holders, and more particularly to a mobile phone holder for carrying a mobile phone which not only holds the mobile phone, but also allows the user to easily operate the mobile phone while the phone remains in the phone holder.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a mobile phone holder includes a body member adapted to receive a mobile phone and a belt clip for fastening the holder to a belt of the user. Such holders suffer from a number of disadvantages. In particular, belt clip holders are prone to breakage which often results in the dropping of the mobile phone. In addition, such :i holders can be uncomfortable to use, in particular when the user is sitting.

Furthermore, such holders are not suitable for women due to the fact that women do not normally wear belts.

One of the main disadvantages of such belt-mounted phone holders lies in the fact that the user is forced to remove the mobile phone from the holder during conversation.

When a mobile phone positioned in a conventional belt-mounted holder has to be removed from the belt this often becomes difficult since the access to the belt is typically hindered by an upper body garment, such as a jacket, jumper, etc.

oooe In one form, the present invention provides a wrist phone holder for a mobile phone -including a pocket, said pocket being adapted to receive and retain said mobile phone therein, and wrist strap means extending from said pocket.

2 Preferably said wrist phone holder further includes a fastening device, said fastening device being associated with said strap means to thereby form said strap means into a loop.

In another form, the present invention provides a wrist phone holder for a mobile phone including a pocket, said pocket being adapted to receive and retain said mobile phone therein; a first and a second strap located on an outer peripheral surface of said pocket, each strap having a first and a second strap ends, each first strap end being connected to said pocket and said strap extending from said outer peripheral surface of said pocket and said second strap ends being connectable to each other; and a fastening device for releasably coupling said straps to form said straps into a loop shape.

Preferably said fastening device is capable of adjustable engagement independently of the size of the wrist of the user.

Preferably said fastening device is a 'hook and loop' Velcro closure.

Said pocket can include a portion made of transparent, semitransparent or translucent •ooo material. Also, said pocket can include one or more apertures to provide access to the o operating controls of the mobile phone.

In other embodiments said pocket can include at least one window or a cut out to expose a portion of said mobile phone.

Also, said pocket can include a window to expose a mobile phone camera of said S. mobile phone.

Preferably said pocket include a flap cover to retain said mobile phone within said 30 pocket, said flap cover being engageable with said pocket.

\AN

C)V 3 C'9; 0,T In a preferred embodiment said flap cover extends from a rear portion of said pocket, said flap cover being foldable over said pocket and engageable on the front wall of said pocket.

Said pocket and/or said straps can be made of a material selected from the group consisting of leather, leatherette, cloth, plastics.

The wrist phone holder can further include a second pocket adapted to receive a mobile phone camera therein.

The wrist phone holder can also include a lid pocket adapted to receive a lid cover portion of a folding type mobile phone.

Said lid pocket can include a portion made of a transparent, semitransparent or translucent material.

Also, said lid pocket can include a window and/or cut out to expose a portion of said lid cover portion.

Preferably said straps or said strap means and said pocket are of unitary construction.

In other embodiments of the present invention at least one of straps or said strap means is releasably attached to said pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings: 30 FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a mobile phone holder according to a first embodiment of the present invention; N FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the mobile phone holder of FIG. 1; 4 FIG. 3 is a back view of the mobile phone holder of FIG. 1 including a mobile phone camera holder; FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a mobile phone holder according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 5 is a back view of the mobile phone holder shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a mobile phone holder 10 which holds a mobile phone on a user's wrist.

The mobile phone holder 10 includes a pocket 12 having front 40, rear 42 and side walls 44, 46 and a bottom 48 defining an open-top interior chamber within which a mobile phone can be positioned. A pair of flat elongated straps 14a and 14b extend from an outer surface of the pocket 12.

The pocket 12 can be made of any suitable material, such as leather, leatherette, cloth, plastics, and other materials known to those skilled in the art.

20 The pocket 12 includes a top opening 16 through which a mobile phone can be inserted or removed. As shown in FIG. 1, the opening 16 is defined at the top 24 of the pocket 12 and sized such that the user can insert the mobile phone into the pocket 12 by pushing the mobile phone through the opening 16. Similarly, the user can remove the mobile phone by pulling the mobile phone through the same opening 16.

A portion 18 is made of transparent, semi-transparent or translucent material such as plastic or any other suitable material. The portion 18 can be formed as a cut out or a window. The portion 18 is sized and shaped to expose a portion of a front panel of a mobile phone including a mobile phone display and/or the operating controls, so that :°•eel 30 the mobile phone can be operated while the mobile phone is located in the pocket 12.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the pocket 12 includes a plurality of perforated apertures, each said aperture corresponding to one or more operating control(s) of a mobile phone. The front wall 40 of the pocket 12 can also include a window sized and shaped to expose a display of the mobile phone. Alternatively, the pocket 12 may include a cut out exposing a mobile phone keypad and /or display of the mobile phone.

As shown in FIG. 2, the back portion 20 of the pocket 12 includes an opening 22 sized and shaped to expose a mobile phone camera.

The pocket 12 is also provided with a flap cover 25 to prevent the mobile phone from falling out of the pocket 12. To this end, the rear wall 42 of the pocket 12 extends to form a unitary flap cover 25 foldable over the interior chamber of the pocket 12 and engagable on the front wall 40 of the pocket 12. The flap cover 25 carries the "hook" portion of a "hook and loop" Velcro closure (not shown) and the front wall 40 of the pocket 12 carries the "loop" portion of said closure so that the "hook" portion engages the "pile" portion thereby preventing the mobile phone from falling out of the pocket 12.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the flap cover 25 can be attached to the front wall 40 of the pocket 12 by any other attachment means,eg a button, a clip, 20 hook and loop fasteners, or other similar attachment elements. It will also be appreciated that a flap cover could be provided which is separate from the holder and will attach to the front wall 40 and the rear wall 42.

The pocket 12 can be sized so as to form a tight-fit around the body of a mobile phone thereby preventing the mobile phone from falling out of the mobile phone holder In this case, a flap 25 could be superfluous.

The mobile phone holder 10 can further include fastening elements (not shown) which both prevent the mobile phone from falling out of the mobile phone holder 10 and 30 allow the user to easily remove the mobile phone from the mobile phone holder

C

oooo kd0oo° Extending from the pocket 12 are two elongated flat straps 14a and 14b. The straps 14a and 14b can be made of any flexible material, such as leather, leatherette, cloth, plastic, and other materials known to those skilled in the art.

The straps 14a and 14b are preferably integrally manufactured with the pocket 12 from a single piece of a suitable material. Alternatively, the straps 14a and 14b may be manufactured separately from the pocket 12 and then subsequently secured to the pocket 12 during a succeeding manufacturing step.

If desired, the pocket 12 can be affixed to one end of a single strap with the other end attaching either to the pocket or another portion of the strap to thereby form a loop.

The strap or straps and the pocket 12 can be releasably attached to each other.

The mobile phone holder 10 includes a fastening device 26a, 26b which releasably connects the straps 14a and 14b together to form a loop to fit around the user's wrist.

The fastening device 26a, 26b can also be adapted to adjust the length of the loop to fit around the user's wrist. The fastening device is preferably a "hook and loop" material such as that known by the trademark VELCRO. In particular, one of the straps 14a and 14b carries the "hook" portion of the closure while the other strap carries the "loop" portion of said closure. The straps are fitted over each other so that the "hook" portion engages the "loop" portion at a location along the length thereof dependent upon the size of the wrist.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the fastening device 26a, 26b can include such fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners, buttons, clips, or other fastening devices as is well known in the art.

:°eooB The strap projecting from the left side of the pocket 12 (ie the strap 14a in FIG. 1) has 30 a length of about 6 inches and a width of about 1 inch. The strap 14 b projecting from t spott "the right side of the pocket 12 has a length of about 3 inches.

(6 j\ In an alternative embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.3 the back portion of the mobile phone holder 10 may also include an additional pocket 23 for holding a mobile phone camera.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a mobile phone holder 410 which is similar to the holder 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, with like parts being like numbered. The mobile phone holder 410 is designed for holding a folding type mobile phone. A folding type mobile phone includes two parts hinged together, one of which holds a main body of the phone while the other holds a speaker or a display.

The mobile phone holder 410 includes a pocket 12 and a pair of straps 14a and 14b as discussed above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, the mobile phone holder 410 further includes a lid pocket 30 having a portion 32 made of transparent, semitransparent or translucent material. The lid pocket 30 is sized and shaped to receive an upper cover portion of a folding type mobile phone.

Similarly to holder 10 illustrated in FIG. 2, the back portion 34 of the pocket 30 of the holder 410 has a cut out or a window 36 to expose a mobile phone camera.

The pocket 30 is preferably integrally manufactured with the pocket 12 from a single piece of a suitable material. Alternatively, the pocket 30 can be manufactured oee.• "separately from the pocket 12 and then subsequently affixed to the pocket 12 during a succeeding manufacturing step.

In use, a user can insert their mobile phone into the pocket 12 of the mobile phone holder 10 or 410 and fasten the mobile phone holder 10 or 410 to their wrist to carry the mobile phone in an easily reachable manner. The user can easily access the "operational controls of the mobile phone and operate the mobile phone with one hand and without removing the mobile phone from the mobile phone holder.

2.p 77n I 67' L 8 The invention described and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more individual features described or evident from the text. All of these alternative combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein. It will further be understood that any reference herein to known prior art does not, unless the contrary indication appears, constitute an admission that such prior art is commonly known by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

oooo'

Claims

1. A wrist phone holder for a mobile phone including a pocket, said pocket being adapted to receive and retain said mobile phone therein, and wrist strap means extending from said pocket, said phone holder being adapted to substantially completely cover the outer surface of the mobile phone except one or more operating controls and or a portion of a display of the mobile phone, said phone holder including a flap cover to retain said mobile phone within said pocket, said flap cover being engageable with said pocket.

2. A wrist phone holder according to claim 1 wherein a fastening device is associated with said strap means to thereby form said strap means into a loop.

3. A wrist phone holder according to claim 1 wherein said wrist strap means includes a first and a second strap located on an outer peripheral surface of said pocket, said straps being connectable to each other, and a fastening device for releasably coupling said straps to form said straps into a loop shape.

4. A wrist holder according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said fastening device is capable of adjustable engagement independently of the size of the wrist of the user.

5. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said fastening device is a 'hook and loop' Velcro closure.

6. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said pocket includes a portion made of transparent, semitransparent or translucent material.

7. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said pocket includes one or more apertures to provide access to the operating controls of the mobile phone.

8. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said pocket includes at least one window to expose a portion of said mobile phone.

9. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said pocket includes at least one cut out to expose a portion of said mobile phone.

A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein said pocket includes a window to expose a mobile phone camera of said mobile phone.

11. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said flap cover is attachable to and detachable from said pocket.

12. A wrist phone holder according to claim 11 wherein said flap cover extends from a rear portion of said pocket, said flap cover being foldable over said pocket and engageable on the front wall of said pocket.

13. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein said pocket is made of a material selected from the group consisting of leather, leatherette, cloth, oo plastics.

14. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims I to 13 wherein said straps or said strap means are made of a material selected from the group consisting of leather, leatherette, cloth, plastics.

A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims I to 14 further including a second pocket adapted to receive a mobile phone camera therein.

16. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein said mobile phone is a folder type mobile phone having a body portion and a lid cover portion, further including a lid pocket adapted to receive said lid cover portion of said mobile phone therein. 11

17. A wrist phone holder according to claim 16 wherein said lid pocket includes a portion made of a transparent, semitransparent or translucent material.

18. A wrist phone holder according to claim 16 or 17 wherein said lid pocket includes a window to expose a portion of said lid cover portion.

19. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 16 to 18 wherein said lid pocket has a cut out to expose a portion of said lid cover portion.

A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 19 wherein said straps or •said strap means and said pocket are of unitary construction.

21. A wrist phone holder according to any one of claims 1 to 20 wherein at least one of straps or said strap means is releasably attached to said pocket.

22. A wrist phone holder being substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. oooo.