US20080272163A1 - Carrying Assembly - Google Patents
Carrying Assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080272163A1 US20080272163A1 US12/047,479 US4747908A US2008272163A1 US 20080272163 A1 US20080272163 A1 US 20080272163A1 US 4747908 A US4747908 A US 4747908A US 2008272163 A1 US2008272163 A1 US 2008272163A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- fixture
- male
- plate
- locking plate
- assembly according
- 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.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R11/00—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
- B60R11/02—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
- B60R11/0241—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof for telephones
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45C—PURSES; LUGGAGE; HAND CARRIED BAGS
- A45C11/00—Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00
- A45C2011/002—Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 for portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45F—TRAVELLING OR CAMP EQUIPMENT: SACKS OR PACKS CARRIED ON THE BODY
- A45F2200/00—Details not otherwise provided for in A45F
- A45F2200/05—Holder or carrier for specific articles
- A45F2200/0516—Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45F—TRAVELLING OR CAMP EQUIPMENT: SACKS OR PACKS CARRIED ON THE BODY
- A45F5/00—Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
- A45F5/02—Fastening articles to the garment
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R11/00—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
- B60R2011/0001—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by position
- B60R2011/0003—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by position inside the vehicle
- B60R2011/0005—Dashboard
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R11/00—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
- B60R2011/0042—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by mounting means
- B60R2011/0049—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by mounting means for non integrated articles
- B60R2011/005—Connection with the vehicle part
- B60R2011/0061—Connection with the vehicle part using key-type connections
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R11/00—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
- B60R2011/0042—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by mounting means
- B60R2011/0049—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by mounting means for non integrated articles
- B60R2011/0064—Connection with the article
- B60R2011/0071—Connection with the article using latches, clips, clamps, straps or the like
-
- 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
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Telephone Set Structure (AREA)
Abstract
An assembly for carrying a cellular phone having a cradle adapted to receive and releasably hold the phone therein, a base adapted to be releasably connected to an article, and means for releasably connecting said cradle to said base. The cradle has a body portion and side members fixed to the body portion and shaped to conform to the contour of the phone. The base has base plate and means for releasably connecting the base plate to the article. The connection means includes a male fixture fixed to the base plate and having an annular groove; a cutout in the base plate adapted to receive said male fixture; and, a locking plate that that can be reciprocated from a first position engaging the annular groove to lock the male fixture within the cutout, and a second position disengaged from the annular groove that permits the male fixture to be withdrawn from the cutout.
Description
- This application is based upon and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/628,892 filed on Nov. 18, 2004.
- The invention relates to an assembly for carrying small items, such as cell telephones, pagers and the like on one's person. More particularly, the invention relates to a cooperative combination of a male and a female fixture, one of which is attached as to a person's belt and the other of which is attached to a small item or its protective case. The invention provides means by which the male and female fixtures can be rotated relative to each other, means by which the fixtures can easily be engaged or disengaged from each other, and means that serve to protect the fixtures from damage.
- A number of carrying assemblies are disclosed in the prior art which utilize male and female fixtures that can be secured to each other and released from engagement as desired. Most often, one of the fixtures is attached to a person's belt and the other fixture is secured to a small personal item or its carrying case. By way of example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,335 in which a male fixture in the form of a shaped button is received in a like shaped opening in a female fixture. The male fixture is attached to the personal item and the female fixture is attached to a person's belt. In this assembly, the button is inserted axially into an opening in the female fixture much like a key is inserted into a lock. The button is then rotated in to a locked position to secure the male fixture within the female fixture. The procedure can be reversed to separate the fixtures.
- Other types of carrying assemblies utilize arrangements in which the female fixture is generally “U” shaped with the free end extending upward. This permits the male fixture to be inserted into the opening in the female fixture. One such arrangement of this sort is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,589. The design of this apparatus, as does the '335 patent, requires that the male fixture be correctly oriented with respect to the female fixture to engage or disengage one from the other.
- An improved design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,170 that makes it easier to engage the male fixture with the female fixture. In this instance, the male fixture can be inserted in the female fixture without regard to their relative orientation. But, to avoid accidental separation of one from the other, the male fixture must be rotated into a predetermined position with respect to the female fixture to permit separation of the two fixtures. Other devices, rather than relying on the orientation of the fixtures, make use of latch mechanisms that secure the male fixture within and release it from the female fixture.
- In summary, the prior art discloses many carrying assemblies in which a first fixture is attached to one's person, as by a belt or strap, and a second fixture that mates with the first fixture is attached to the device or a case in which it is carried. The first and second fixtures are ordinarily male and female fixtures that can be positioned relative to each other to enable the fixtures to be engaged with or disengaged from each other. Achieving an alignment required to engage or disengage the fixtures may prove to be awkward if not formidable, considering that the carrying assembly most commonly is held in a position which may be difficult to see. It is also true that some of the assemblies of the prior art are poorly designed to protect them from abuse and damage.
- Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an assembly in which a personal item, or its carrying case, is held in an assembly when the personal item is not in use.
- Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly in which a personal item, or its carrying case, can be safely secured.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a carrying assembly comprising a male and female fixture which can be engaged or disengaged from each other with a minimum of inconvenience.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a carrying assembly comprising a male and female fixture which may be engaged with or disengaged from each other without aligning the fixtures in any particular orientation one to another.
- Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a carrying assembly which is designed to protect it from inadvertent damage or destruction.
- These and other objects are achieved by providing a male fixture that can be secured in and released from a female fixture. The female fixture has an upwardly directed, generally “U” shaped opening to accommodate and seat the male fixture. The male fixture, which is a cylindrical, grooved stud, is secured within the female fixture by a planar, essentially rectangular locking plate which is mounted in sliding relationship to the female fixture. The locking plate is provided with a yoke that seats around the circumferential groove of a male fixture to prevent axial movement of the male fixture and maintain the fixtures secured to each other. When desired, the fixtures may be detached from each other by sliding the yoke of the locking plate out of the circumferential groove. Because the locking plate “locks” with the yoke in the circumferential groove of the male fixture, the female fixture can be rotated through a full arc of 360° relative to the male fixture.
- A preferred assembly of the invention is shown in the drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cradle adapted to receive and hold a wireless telephone; -
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the back side of the cradle ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a plan view in front elevation of a female fixture of the invention; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a plan view in front elevation of a locking plate useful in the practice of the invention; -
FIG. 6 is a plan view in side elevation of the locking plate ofFIG. 5 ; -
FIG. 7 is a plan view in side elevation of the male fixture of the invention; and -
FIG. 8 is a sectional view, partially cut away, taken along line 8-8 ofFIG. 3 as it would appear if the locking plate ofFIGS. 5 and 6 and the male fixture ofFIG. 7 were associated in a locked position relative to each other. - The same reference numerals are used throughout to identify the same elements as shown on the several drawings.
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate acradle 1 configured to accommodate a cell telephone. It is made from resilient material, perhaps of metal or plastic that is shaped to receive and hold a cell telephone or other small device. Thecradle 1 has a body portion 3 and sides members 5-5 shaped to conform to the contour of a cell telephone. The cradle one has atop latching member 7 designed to snap over the top of a cell telephone. Adetent 9 is positioned at the bottom of thecradle 1 to retain the bottom of a cell telephone. -
FIG. 2 shows theback side 2 of theholder 1. Amale member 11 is secured to and extends perpendicularly from the back of theholder 1. -
FIG. 3 is a view of the front of afemale fixture 13 that is useful in the practice of the invention. Thefemale fixture 13 comprises two parallel, spaced apartflat panels back panel 15 is shown as a rectilinear solid piece of material. Thefront panel 17 has a central cut outpotion 20 defined by the side walls 19-19 andbottom wall 21. The side walls 19-19 of cut outportion 20 of thefront plate 17 are sloped downwardly and inwardly to progressively narrow the width of the cut outportion 20 that terminate at thearcuate wall 21. An inwardly directeddetent 23 is formed on theback panel 15. - The
female fixture 13 is designed to include an attachment means 29 secured by afastener 26. As illustrated inFIG. 4 the attachment means 29 is a spring fastener which may be useful, for example, for attaching thefemale fixture 13 to a belt or other article of clothing. The nature of the attachment means 29 is of no particular consequence and could be, for example, a Velcro® fastener, a clamshell like spring clip, etc., etc. It is also noted that the female fixture does not have to be attached to clothing but most any substrate such as, for example, the dashboard of an automobile would be appropriate. - Turning attention to the locking
plate 31 of the invention, it is illustrated in front and side elevation inFIGS. 5 and 6 respectively. The lockingplate 31 is thin plate of a rigid material. The upper portion of the lockingplate 31 provides afinger gripping surface 33. The lower portion of the lockingplate 31 is fashioned into ayoke 39 defined by side walls 37-37. Detents 40-40 are mounted in facing relationship to each other on the inside edges of legs 37-37. Near the upper end of the lockingplate 31 the lockingplate 31 is bent in a tight “S” to form asmall shoulder 39. -
FIG. 7 illustrates amale fixture 11 comprising acylindrical body portion 41, acircumferential groove 45 which, by definition, must have a lesser diameter than thebody portion 41. Thecircumferential groove 45 is located between thebody portion 41 of themale fixture 11 and the distal end of themale fixture 11 which terminates in abutton 43. Thebutton 43 is of a larger diameter than thegroove 45 and conveniently may be of the same diameter as thebody portion 41. As here shown, themale fixture 11 is fixedly positioned normal to theback 2 of thecradle 1 as is shown inFIG. 2 . - Collectively,
FIGS. 2 through 7 can be considered to be an exploded view of the assembly that includes themale fixture 11, the lockingplate 31 and thefemale fixture 13 vertically aligned with respect to each other along the line of center C. To make this assembly thebutton 43 at the distal end of themale fixture 11 is inserted into the open end of cut out 20 of thefemale fixture 13 and advanced, as shown in the drawings, in a downwardly direction until it seats in the arcuate bottom of the cut out 21. This can be done without interference provided thelocking plate 31 is in a raised position, that is with theshoulder 39 of the lockingplate 31 engaged with the lower side of thedetent 23 in theback panel 23 of thefemale fixture 13. When themale fixture 41 is inserted into thefemale fixture 13 the lockingplate 31 is lowered which cause theyoke 39 to seat in thecircumferential groove 45 of themale fixture 41. The legs 37-37 (bifurcations).of the lockingplate 31 will yield sufficiently to allow the legs 37-37 to pass over the outer diameter of thegroove 45. This will secure themale fixture 11 from axial movement. The process can be reversed by retracting the lockingplate 31, pulling the detents 37-37 over the diameter of the groove and freeing themale fixture 11 for axial movement away from and out of engagement with thefemale fixture 13. - From the foregoing description of the drawings it can be understood that the
female fixture 13 can be rotated about themale fixture 11 when they are engaged with each other. This provides convenience to a user who can rotate the cradle into a position that is comfortable and convenient. It can be understood that the position of thefemale fixture 13 should be capable of changing when one sits or stands. - Referring to
FIG. 8 , it can be seen that the axial width of thegroove 45 is occupied by a portion of the side walls 17-17 of thefemale fixture 13 and the legs 37-37 that define theyoke 39 of the lockingplate 31. To reduce the likelihood of developing shear forces on thebutton 43, it is a good practice to dimension the combined width of thefront panel 17 of thefemale fixture 13 with the width of the legs 37-37 of the lockingplate 31 to insure they fit snugly within thegroove 45. - The above description may give rise to certain obvious adaptations that are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. For example, in the above description, the female fixture is described as being attached to a person's belt and the male fixture attached to a cradle. It is at once obvious that this orientation of the fixtures can be reversed without any sacrifice of the functionality of the claimed device.
Claims (21)
1. A carrying assembly including a first fixture that is adapted to be mounted on an article, a second fixture that is adapted to retain a utilitarian device and means to detachably secure the first and the second fixture one with another, the detachable means comprising an aperture in said first fixture, a male member with a circumferential groove fixed to said second article, and a locking plate that can be reciprocated from a first position engaged with the circumferential groove to secure the male component within the female component to a second position disengaged from the circumferential groove that permits the male component to be withdrawn from the female member.
2. A carrying assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first fixture has a back plate joined at its lower end with a substantially parallel spaced apart face plate defining an open space between the back plate and the face plate.
3. A carrying assembly according to claim 2 wherein the cutout is formed in the face plate and extends from the upper end of the face plate toward the lower end of the face plate with the cutout being wider at the upper end of the face plate than it is at a lower end of the face plate.
4. A carrying assembly according to claim 1 wherein the second fixture is attached on one of its sides to the utilitarian device and the male member is mounted on an opposite side.
5. A carrying assembly according to claim 4 wherein the male member is a rod that projects from the opposite side of the second fixture.
6. A carrying assembly according to claim 5 wherein the circumferential groove is positioned near the distal end of the rod.
7. A carrying assembly according to claim 6 wherein the width of the groove exceeds the thickness of the face plate.
8. A carrying assembly according to claim 7 wherein the diameter of the groove is less than width of the cut out portion at the upper end of the face plate and is less than the width of the cut out portion near the lower end of the face plate.
9. A carrying assembly according to claim 1 wherein the locking plate is adapted for sliding movement within the first fixture.
10. A carrying assembly according to claim 9 wherein the locking plate has a bifurcated forked portion at its lower end that is at least as wide as the circumferential groove at the distal end of the rod but narrower than the outside dimension of the rod whereby the male member may be secured within the female member by sliding the bifurcation of the sliding plate into the groove in the male member.
11. A carrying assembly according to claim 1 wherein the utilitarian device is a cellular telephone.
12. A method of detachably joining a first fixture having a female member with a second fixture having a male member in which the female member of the first fixture is adapted to receive the male member of the second fixture, the female member being defined by spaced apart walls in which one of the walls has an opening to into which the male member may be inserted and a bifurcated plate mounted for reciprocation within the female member to engage the male member and secure the male member within the female member.
13. An assembly for carrying a cellular phone, comprising:
a) a cradle adapted to receive and releasably hold the phone therein, said cradle having a body portion and side members fixed to said body portion and shaped to conform to the contour of the phone;
b) a base adapted to be releasably connected to an article, said base having a base plate and means for releasably connecting said base plate to the article; and,
c) means for releasably connecting said cradle to said base, comprising;
i) a male fixture fixed to said base plate and having an annular groove;
ii) a cutout in said base plate adapted to receive said male fixture; and
iii) a locking plate that that can be reciprocated from a first position engaging the annular groove to lock the male fixture within the cutout, and a second position disengaged from the annular groove that permits the male fixture to be withdrawn from the cutout.
14. The assembly recited in claim 13 , wherein said cradle can rotate relative to said base when the locking plate is located in the first position.
15. The assembly recited in claim 13 , wherein said male fixture can not be removed from said cutout when said locking plate is located in the first position.
16. The assembly recited in claim 13 , wherein said base plate is planar and said male fixture can be inserted into the slot in said base plate by moving the male fixture normal to the plane of the base plate into the cutout.
17. The assembly recited in claim 13 , wherein said locking plate has a yoke at one end with opposed fork members that are adapted and spaced apart to straddle said male fixture within the annular groove.
18. The assembly recited in claim 17 , wherein said yoke includes at least a first detent that engages said male fixture.
19. The assembly recited in claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of said locking plate abuts and reciprocates in contact with said base plate.
20. The assembly recited in claim 19 , wherein said connecting means includes at least a second detent distal from said yoke that prevents said locking plate from reciprocating between the first and second position.
21. The assembly recited in claim 20 , wherein said locking plate has a planar upper portion and a planar lower portion that are connected in offset parallel relation to one another.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/047,479 US20080272163A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 | 2008-03-13 | Carrying Assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US62889204P | 2004-11-18 | 2004-11-18 | |
US11/273,975 US20060199426A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 | 2005-11-15 | Carrying assembly |
US12/047,479 US20080272163A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 | 2008-03-13 | Carrying Assembly |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/273,975 Continuation US20060199426A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 | 2005-11-15 | Carrying assembly |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080272163A1 true US20080272163A1 (en) | 2008-11-06 |
Family
ID=36944668
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/273,975 Abandoned US20060199426A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 | 2005-11-15 | Carrying assembly |
US12/047,479 Abandoned US20080272163A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 | 2008-03-13 | Carrying Assembly |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/273,975 Abandoned US20060199426A1 (en) | 2004-11-18 | 2005-11-15 | Carrying assembly |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US20060199426A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20160215527A1 (en) * | 2014-08-08 | 2016-07-28 | Trelock Gmbh | Universal holder for a folding bicycle lock |
Family Cites Families (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR200189787Y1 (en) * | 1998-06-12 | 2000-08-01 | 김동주 | A mobile phone holder |
US6723383B2 (en) * | 2000-03-20 | 2004-04-20 | Sri International | Preparation of images on a substrate surface utilizing an opaque coating composition that becomes transparent upon printing |
JP4408595B2 (en) * | 2001-08-08 | 2010-02-03 | パナソニック株式会社 | Mobile phone device holder and in-vehicle holder device |
US7162281B2 (en) * | 2002-02-22 | 2007-01-09 | Dong Joo Kim | Mobile phone holder |
US20040204169A1 (en) * | 2003-04-11 | 2004-10-14 | A. G. Findings & Mfg. Co., Inc. | Carrying device having an interchangeable face plate |
US7032791B2 (en) * | 2003-10-01 | 2006-04-25 | The Clip Company | All plastic clip |
US20050092791A1 (en) * | 2003-10-29 | 2005-05-05 | Labarca Gonzalo E. | Carrying system |
-
2005
- 2005-11-15 US US11/273,975 patent/US20060199426A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2008
- 2008-03-13 US US12/047,479 patent/US20080272163A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20160215527A1 (en) * | 2014-08-08 | 2016-07-28 | Trelock Gmbh | Universal holder for a folding bicycle lock |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20060199426A1 (en) | 2006-09-07 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |