GB2339107A - Protective device prevents mobile telephone being placed with keypad uppermost - Google Patents
Protective device prevents mobile telephone being placed with keypad uppermost Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2339107A GB2339107A GB9918886A GB9918886A GB2339107A GB 2339107 A GB2339107 A GB 2339107A GB 9918886 A GB9918886 A GB 9918886A GB 9918886 A GB9918886 A GB 9918886A GB 2339107 A GB2339107 A GB 2339107A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- telephone
- party
- cover
- support
- keypad
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
- H04M1/04—Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/60—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers
- H04M1/6033—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers including speech amplifiers for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets
- H04M1/6041—Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Telephone Set Structure (AREA)
Description
2339107 PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR TELEPHONES The present invention relates to
a device for protecting mobile and other cordless telephones from accidental liquid spillages and the like.
Over recent years, mobile telephones have become extremely widespread, and are no longer considered to be a luxury item. Although such telephones are generally of robust construction, they are still prone to accidental damage, particularly when placed, for example, on a restaurant table or bar surface with the keypad uppermost.
It is all too easy for a glass or bottle of drink to be knocked over and to cause damage by leakage of the drink through the keypad into the interior of the telephone. Such damage can be partially avoided by ensuring that the telephone is placed with the keypad facing downwards, but it has been observed that many users instinctively place their telephones with the keypad facing upwards.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protective device for a mobile telephone or the like having a front surface including a keypad and a rear surface opposed to the said ftont surface, the device comprising a plastics cover adapted to be retainably fitted over the rear surface of the telephone and shaped so as to discourage placement of the telephone on a generally flat surface with the keypad uppermost.
In order to discourage users from placing the telephone on its rear surface with the keypad uppermost, the device of the present invention is shaped so as to be generally convex with respect to the rear surface of the telephone, or to have a ridge or similar projection running along its length which serves to make the telephone/protective device combination inherently unstable when placed on a generally flat surface with the keypad uppermost. Advantageously, the device may have legs or functional equivalents thereto, which project beyond the front surface of the telephone when the device is in place. This serves to elevate the keypad from the surface on which the telephone/protective device is resting, and helps to protect the keypad from liquid I spillages which might otherwise seep underneath the keypad and into the telephone were this not to be raised from the surface.
The device of the present invention may be retainedover the rear of the telephone by way of a clip-on connection, for example by incorporating retaining pins or flanges which hook onto the front surface of the telephone. Alternatively, the device may be attached by way of other mechanical coupling devices, such as screws or bolts, or by way of adhesives or hook-and-loop type connectors such as VelcroTm.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protective device for a mobile telephone or the like having a front surface including a keypad and a rear surface opposed to the said front surface, the device comprising a plastics cover which is pivotally attached to the telephone aftd which may be moved from a first position in which it is generally flush with the telephone to a second position in which it is angled thereto so as to form a support, thereby allowing a combination of the device and the telephone to be placed on a flat surface with the telephone generally raised above the surface.
Preferably, the device is provided with means for retaining itself in either the first or 20 the second positions. These means may comprise snap-connectors or positioning dimples or the like.
The device may comprise a flip-down cover which is pivotally attached to the front of the telephone at a bottom part thereof, and may be moved from a first position in which it is generally flush with the front of the telephone thereby providing protection for the keypad when the telephone is not in use to a second position in which it forms a basal member allowing the telephone to be supported at an angle thereto. Alternatively or in addition, a such device may be pivotally attached to the rear-of the telephone at a bottom part thereof 2 The device may also be configured as a cover which is attached at the bottom of either the front or the rear surface of the telephone, and which is provided with a tiltand-slide mechanism allowing the cover to be moved from a first position in which it is substantially flush with either the front or the rear surface of the telephone to a second position in which the cover is located underneath the telephone so as to form a basal member allowing the telephone to be supported at an angle thereto, In yet a further embodiment, the device may be pivotally attached along its side to the telephone, either at the front or at the rear, and be movable from a first position in which it is generally flush with the body of the telephone to a second position in which it extends to the front or the rear of the telephone along its length so as to form a support member allowing the telephone to be placed on a substantially flat surface in a generally upright position.
In addition to providing protection for the telephone, this embodiment of the invention allows the telephone to be placed in a position ideal for "hands-free" communication, for example when provided with a loudspeaker. Furthermore, by allowing physical separation of the user or users from the telephone, exposure to potentially harmful electromagnetic (specifically, microwave) radiation is reduced.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a support for a mobile telephone or the like, the support comprising a substantially planar lower surface and, opposed thereto, an upper surface including retaining means for releasably holding the telephone in a position raised above the lower surface.
The retaining means may comprise a slot or the like adapted to receive the telephone in a generally upright position, or retaining lugs or rails which serve the same purpose, namely to hold the telephone raised above the lower surface of the support, which in turn may be placed on a generally flat surface such as a table. In some embodiments, the lower surface may be provided with legs, feet or other projections which serve to raise the support further above the flat surface. In this way, the 3 telephone is protected from liquid spillages or the like, and may be used in a "handsfree" configuration where this feature is available.
Also in addition to its protective function, the device of the present invention may also be used to carry advertising and/or other printed media. Any revenue accruing from the placement of advertising messages may be used to subsidise the cost of the telephone to the user. Alternatively or in addition, distinctive artistic designs may be applied to the device so as to increase the aesthetic appeal of the telephone. For example, the device may be used as part of a character merchandising promotion involving representations of film or television stars or characters from animated films or series.
According to a fourth aspect of the present inventibri, there is provided a method comprising the steps of- i) causing an advertising message representative of a first party to be displayable on a visible part of a mobile telephone; ii) charging a fee to the first party and recording the fee and the identity of the first party on a computer database; iii) giving the mobile telephone to a second party for use by that second party, any costs relating to the telephone or the use thereof being subsidised by the fee charged to the first party.
The fee charged to the first party may be used to offset the entire cost of the telephone to the second party, or may be used as a partial subsidy. In the latter case, the identity of the second party and fees relating to the cost of the telephone and the use thereof are advantageously recorded on the computer database, and the fees charged to the second party reduced by applying, by way of the computer, a subsidy derived from the fee charged to the first party.
4 In this way, it is envisaged that a second party, such as a member of the public, may be able to acquire and/or make use of a mobile telephone at no or reduced cost to him or herself, the cost of the telephone and the use, thereof being offset against or subsidised by the fee charged to a first party in exchange for advertising for that first party being displayed on the telephone.
The advertising may be applied physically to the telephone, for example by way of applying print media or the like to the protective devices described hereinbefore, or directly to the telephone itself. Alternatively, the advertising may be transmitted electronically by computer to the telephone by way of electromagnetic radiation signals, causing a display on the telephone to show an advertising or other message relating to the first party.
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference shall now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE I shows a telephone in combination with a first embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 2 shows a telephone in combination with a second embodiment of the present invention in a closed configuration; FIGURE 3 shows a telephone in combination with a second embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration; FIGURE 4 shows a telephone in combination with a third embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration; FIGURE 5 shows a telephone in combination with a fourth embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration; FIGURE 6 shows a telephone in combination with a fifth embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration; FIGURE 7 shows a telephone in combination with a sixth embodiment of the present invention in an open configuration; and FIGURE 8 shows a telephone in combination with a seventh embodiment of the present invention.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a mobile telephone I having a front surface 2 including a keypad 3. The telephone I is protected by a plastics cover 4 which extends substantially the length of the telephone I and which has a convex surface 5 with respect to the rear surface 6 of the telephone I which discourages users from placing the telephone/plastics cover combination 1, 4 with the keypad 3 of the telephone I uppermost. The plastics cover 4 also has legs 7 which extend beyond the front surface 2 of the telephone 1, enabling the telephone I to be placed on a flat surface 8 and be protected from accidental liquid spillages. The plastics cover 4 is removably attached to the telephone I by way of clip-on connecting lugs 9.
Figures 2 and 3 show an altemative embodiment of the present invention, in which a plastics cover 10 is pivotally attached to an upper part of a telephone 1. The plastics cover 10 has a base portion 11 and a main portion 12. In normal use, the plastics cover 10 is held in a first position in which it is substantially flush with the rear surface 6 of the telephone 1, and in which it does not add significantly to the size of the telephone 1, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 shows how the plastics cover 10 may be swung to a second, open position in which it acts as a supporting member for the telephone 1, thereby allowing a combination of the telephone I and plastics cover 10 to be placed generally upright on a flat surface 8. This position is ideal for "hands 6 free" communication, for example when more than one person around a table is taking part in a conversation using the same telephone 1.
Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, the telephone-1 may be provided with a flip down plastics cover 13 which is pivotally attached to the bottom of the front surface 2 of the telephone. The cover 13 is movable between a closed position (not shown) in which it is substantially flush with the front surface 2 of the telephone I and an open position in which it forms a basal member which serves to support the telephone I in a generally upright position. The cover 13 advantageously locks into either of the open or closed configurations for stability. Instead of the cover 13 being attached to the front surface 2 of the telephone 1, it may be attached to the rear surface 6 of the telephone I as shown in Figure 5. Advertising or other media 21 may be provided on visible surfaces of the cover f3, as is also the case with the embodiments shown in Figures l.to 3 and 6 to 8.
A ftirther development is shown in Figure 6, where a tilt-and-slide cover 14 is pivotally and slidably attached to the bottom of the front surface 2 of the telephone 1. The cover 14 is movable from a closed position (not shown) in which it is substantially flush with the front surface 2 of the telephone I to an open position in which it forms a basal member which serves to support the telephone I in a generally upright position, the cover 14 first being swung downwardly and then slid under the bottom of the telephone 1.
Figure 7 shows a fin-ther embodiment in which the rear surface 6 of the telephone I is provided with a plastics member 15 which is pivotally mounted thereon along its length and is movable from a closed position (not shown) in which it is substantially flush with the rear surface 6 of the telephone to an open position in which it extends from the rear surface 6 of the telephone I so as to allow the telephone I to be placed in a -generally upright position on a flat surface.
7 Finally, Figure 8 shows an embodiment of the invention in accordance with the third aspect, that is, a support 16 having a substantially planar lower surface 17 and an upper surface 18 including a slot 19 for releasably retaining a telephone I in a generally upright position. The lower surface 17 is provided with feet 20 which help further to raise the telephone I above the surface on which the support 16 is resting.
8
Claims (25)
1. A protective device for a mobile telephone or the like having a front surface including a keypad and a rear surface opposed to the said front surface, the device comprising a plastics cover adapted to be retainably fitted over the rear surface of the telephone and shaped so as to discourage placement of the telephone on a generally flat surface with the keypad uppermost.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plastics cover is shaped so as to be generally convex with respect to the rear surface of the telephone.
3. A device as claimed in claim I or 2, wherein the plastics cover includes a ridge or projection running along its length on a face-which is opposed to the keypad of the telephone when fitted thereto.
4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plastics cover includes legs or projections which extend beyond the front surface of the telephone when fitted thereto and which serve to elevate the keypad of the telephone from a surface on which it is resting.
5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the plastics cover is retainable over the rear surface of the telephone by way of a clip-on connection.
6. A device according to any one of claims I to 4, wherein the plastics cover is attachable to the telephone by way of a hook-and-loop connection such as VelcroTM.
7. A protective device for a mobile telephone or the like having a front surface including a keypad and a rear surface opposed to the said front surface, the device comprising a plastics cover which is pivotally attached to the telephone and which may be moved from a first position in which it is generally flush with the telephone to a second position in which it is angled thereto so as to form a support, thereby 9 allowing a combination of the device and the telephone to be placed on a flat surface with the telephone generally raised above the surface.
8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the device is provided with means 5 for retaining itself in either the first or the second position or both.
9. A device as claimed in claim 7 or 8, comprising a cover which is pivotally attached to the front of the telephone at a bottom part thereof, and may be moved from a first position in which it is generally flush with the front of the telephone thereby providing protection for the keypad when the telephone is not in use to a second position in which it forms a basal member allowing the telephone to be supported at an angle thereto.
10. A device as claimed in claim 7 or 8, comprising a cover which is pivotally attached to the rear of the telephone at a bottom part thereof, and may be moved from a first position in which it is generally flush with the rear of the telephone to a second position in which it forms a basal member allowing the telephone to be supported at an angle thereto.
11. A device as claimed in claim 7 or 8, comprising a cover which is attached at the bottom of either the front or the rear surface of the telephone, and which is provided with a tilt-and-slide mechanism allowing the cover to be moved from a first position in which it is substantially flush with either the front or the rear surface of the telephone to a second position in which the cover is located underneath the telephone so as to form a basal member allowing the telephone to be supported at an angle thereto.
12. A device as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the cover, in its second position, can support the telephone in a generally upright position.
13. A device as claimed in claim 7 or 8, comprising a cover which is pivotally attached along one side to the telephone, either at the front or at the rear, and is movable from a first position in which it is generally flush with the body of the telephone to a second position in which it extends to the front or the rear of the telephone along its length so as to form a support member allowing the telephone to be placed on a substantially flat surface in a generally upright position.
14, A support for a mobile telephone or the like, the support comprising a substantially planar lower surface and, opposed thereto, an upper surface including retaining means for releasably holding the telephone in a position raised above the lower surface.
15. A support as claimed in claim 14, wherein the retaining means comprise a slot or the like adapted to receive- the telephone in a generally upright position.
16. A support as claimed in claim 14, wherein the retaining means comprise retaining lugs or rails which serve to hold the telephone raised above the lower surface of the support.
17. A support as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein advertising or other media are applied to visible parts of the support.
18. A protective device as claimed in any one of claims I to 13, wherein advertising or other media are applied to visible parts of the device.
19. A method comprising the steps of:
i) causing an advertising message representative of a first party to be displayable on a. visible part of a mobile telephone; ii) charging a fee to the first party and recording the fee and the identity of the first party on a computer database; iii) giving the mobile telephone to a second party for use by that second party, any costs relating to the telephone or the use thereof being subsidised by the fee charged to the first party.
20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the fee charged to the first party is used to offset the entire costs of the telephone to the second party.
21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the fee charged to the first party is used to offset a given proportion of the costs of the telephone to the second party.
22. A method according to claim 2 1, wherein the identity of the second party and any costs relating to the telephone and the use thereof by the second party are recorded on the computer database.
23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the costs relating to the telephone and the use thereof by the second party are reduced by applying, by way of the computer database, a subsidy derived from the fee charged to the first party.
24. A protective device for a mobile telephone or the like, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
25. A method substantially as hereiribefore described.
12
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9918886A GB2339107A (en) | 1999-08-11 | 1999-08-11 | Protective device prevents mobile telephone being placed with keypad uppermost |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9918886A GB2339107A (en) | 1999-08-11 | 1999-08-11 | Protective device prevents mobile telephone being placed with keypad uppermost |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9918886D0 GB9918886D0 (en) | 1999-10-13 |
| GB2339107A true GB2339107A (en) | 2000-01-12 |
Family
ID=10858931
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9918886A Withdrawn GB2339107A (en) | 1999-08-11 | 1999-08-11 | Protective device prevents mobile telephone being placed with keypad uppermost |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2339107A (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2359441A (en) * | 2000-02-18 | 2001-08-22 | Orange Personal Comm Serv Ltd | Cover/stand for a portable videophone |
| WO2001080734A1 (en) | 2000-04-27 | 2001-11-01 | The University Of Nottingham | Planar light sheet probes |
| GB2410644A (en) * | 2004-01-29 | 2005-08-03 | Able Packaging Designs Ltd | Mobile phone holder |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2312792A (en) * | 1996-04-30 | 1997-11-05 | Osama Elogab | Protective housing foe electronic equipment |
| GB2333006A (en) * | 1997-12-31 | 1999-07-07 | Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd | A radio handset having an integral stand |
-
1999
- 1999-08-11 GB GB9918886A patent/GB2339107A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2312792A (en) * | 1996-04-30 | 1997-11-05 | Osama Elogab | Protective housing foe electronic equipment |
| GB2333006A (en) * | 1997-12-31 | 1999-07-07 | Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd | A radio handset having an integral stand |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2359441A (en) * | 2000-02-18 | 2001-08-22 | Orange Personal Comm Serv Ltd | Cover/stand for a portable videophone |
| WO2001080734A1 (en) | 2000-04-27 | 2001-11-01 | The University Of Nottingham | Planar light sheet probes |
| GB2410644A (en) * | 2004-01-29 | 2005-08-03 | Able Packaging Designs Ltd | Mobile phone holder |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9918886D0 (en) | 1999-10-13 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |