|
Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
A holder for an object (10) such as a mobile phone, a palm computer
or the like, comprising a back (1) and two separate walls (2), which
are generally parallel and extend the same way from the back (1),
said walls (2) having on their mutually facing sides resilient engagement
plate (4) for engagement with a respective side edge of the object
(10). Each engagement plate (4) has the shape of a base plate (41)
with a plurality of separate protruding support elements (42, 42').
The free ends of which define the free surfaces of the engagement
plates. The thickness of the support elements (42, 42') is substantially
less than their protrusion length from the base plate (41).
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Holder for an object comprising a back and two separate walls
which are generally parallel and extend outward in a common direction
from the back, said walls having on their mutually facing sides
a resilient engagement plate for engagement with a respective side
edge of the object, wherein each engagement plate includes a base
plate with a plurality of separate protruding support elements extending
generally perpendicular to both the back and the walls and removably
fitted to said walls, free ends of said plurality of support elements
defining free surfaces of the engagement plates, said support elements
shaped to be generally parallel lamellar strips having a thickness
substantially less than their protrusion length from their respective
base plate, whereby the free ends of the protruding support elements
of a first wall of said two seperate walls are laterally spaced
from the free ends of the protuding support elements of a second
wall of said two separate walls.
2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal edge
of the free ends of the strips is concave.
3. The holder according to claim 1, wherein each base plate has
on its rear side support elements which support against a respective
one of said walls.
4. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the engagement plates
include support elements of a different length.
5. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion length
of said support elements is substantially less than a distance between
the mutually facing sides of the walls.
6. A holder for an electronic device comprising two spaced and
generally parallel walls joined by a back, said walls extending
generally perpendicularly from said back and having a resilient
engagement plate on their mutually facing sides for engaging a respective
side of said electronic device, each engagement plate having a base
plate substantially parallel with said walls and removably fitted
to respective one of said walls a plurality of separate protruding
support elements extending substantially perpendicular to both the
back and the walls, said support elements shaped to be generally
parallel lamellar strips having a concave inner longitudinal edge
and a uniform thickness which is substantially less than their protrusion
length from the base plate whereby the free ends of the protuding
support elements of a first wall of said two walls are laterally
spaced from the free ends of the protuding support elements of a
second wall of said two walls.
7. The holder according to claim 6, wherein the electronic device
is a mobile phone.
8. The holder according to claim 6, wherein each base plate and
its respective plurality of support elements are integrally made
of a rubber material.
9. The holder according to claim 8, wherein said engagement plates
are and replaceable.
10. The holder according to claim 9, wherein a rim of each base
plate has a bead that snap fits around an edge of an opening on
the mutually facing sides of the walls, said base plate having on
its rear side support elements which support against the wall.
11. A holder for a mobile phone comprising two spaced walls joined
by a back, said walls extending generally perpendicularly from said
back and having on their mutually facing sides a resilient engagement
plate for engaging a respective side edge of said mobile phone,
each engagement plate having a base plate substantially parallel
with and removably fitted to said walls and a plurality of generally
parallel lamellar strips joined at their bases with the base plate
and extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to both the
back and the walls, said lamellar strips having a substantially
uniform thickness from their free ends to their bases whereby the
free ends of the protuding support elements of the first wall of
said two walls are laterally spaced from the free ends of the protuding
support elements of a second wall of said two walls.
12. The holder according to claim 11, wherein each base plate and
its respective plurality of lamellar strips are integrally made
of a rubber material.
13. The holder according to claim 11, wherein the protrusion length
of said support elements is substantially less than a distance between
the mutually facing sides of the walls.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The invention refers to a holder for an object such as a mobile
phone, a palm computer or the like, having a back and two walls
which are generally parallel and extend the same way from the back,
the walls having on their mutually facing sides resilient engagement
plates for engagement with a respective side edge of the object.
Thus, the invention concerns a holder of the type having a back
plate with two separate walls, which are generally parallel and
extend in the same direction from the back, said walls having on
their mutually facing sides engagement plates which comprise a resilient
material in order to releasably engage an object such as a mobile
phone or a palm computer (docking computer) or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
One problem with cars having several users having different mobile
phones is that all these users easily and safely want to put their
mobile phones in an existing holder without need of adjustment.
In automobiles and the like, a holder is often mounted on the dash
panel, permitting the mobile phone to be vertically engaged in said
holder.
In order to permit the holder to safely hold an object or different
objects having different widths, it is well known to make the holder
walls mutually displacable and to make the walls and front engagement
with the object. But the adjustability by mutually displacing the
walls also constitutes a problem, because it is not always obvious
how the adjustment should be performed, and moreover, there is always
the risk that the adjustment is made in the wrong way, which means
risk that the object could be damaged when mounted in the holder,
or drop down from the holder. Therefore it is preferred to provide
the holder with fixed walls.
If engagement plates of foam rubber or the like are supported on
mutually fixed holder walls, they must be relatively soft in order
to permit easy insertion and removal of the object, but then the
rubber must also have a relatively high friction coefficient against
the sides of the object. This means, that such rubber plates will
be worn relatively fast, wereby the holding safety will soon be
decreased. This is true also when the holder is well adjusted to
a certain object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the invention is to provide a durable holder with
fixed walls, which permits easy and safe repetitive insertion, holding
and removal of an object.
Another object of the invention is to provide a holder which can
accommodate objects within a relatively large width range, without
any necessity of relatively displacing the holder walls supporting
the engagement plates.
These objects are achieved by the holder having a back and two
separate walls which are generally parallel and extend the same
way from the back, the walls having on mutually facing sides resilient
engagement plates for engagement with a respective side edge of
an object being held, each engagement plate having the shape of
a base plate with a plurality of separate protruding support elements,
the free ends of which define the free surfaces of the engagement
plates, and in that the thickness of the support elements is substantially
less than their protrusion length from the base plate.
Basically the invention resides in the features, that each of the
resilient engagement plates has a base plate and a plurality of
separate support elements, which protrude from said base plate,
the free ends of said support elements defining the free surfaces
of the engagement plates, and that the thickness of the support
elements is substantially less than their protrusion distance from
the base plate. Hereby, the support elements can be made of a relatively
hard rubber, with a relatively low friction coefficient and still
accomodate. The low friction coefficient means a low wear of the
engagement plate as the mobile phone, palm computer or the like
is inserted into and removed from the holder. Moreover, the deformation
of the protruding support elements mainly by bending provides a
relatively large gripping range in spite of the use of a relatively
hard rubber, within a gripping force range which permits easy insertion,
removal and holding of the object.
In preferred embodiments, the protruding elements could have the
shape of mutually parallel strips or bands, which preferably extend
in planes which are perpendicular to both the plane of the holder
back and the planes of the holder walls, so that in use, these plates
extend roughly in the horizontal plane. The longitudinal direction
of these strips then extend in the normal direction to the plane
of the holder back.
The holder walls are made to releasably receive the engagement
plates. To this end, the engagement plates could be made to snapfit
behind an opening edge on the inside of each wall. On the rear side,
each engagement plate could have supports which engage the exterior
shell of the wall.
In order to adjust the gripping width of the holder, the mobile
holder could be delivered with at least one extra engagement plate
and preferably a pair of gripping plates, the support elements of
which have a length which differs from that of the other gripping
plates.
In an other embodiment, the protruding support elements could have
the shape of pins which protrude in the normal direction to the
base plate of the engagement plate, similarly to the bristols of
a branch.
The free ends of the protruding support elements define a generally
single curved concave surface, said concave surfaces providing a
natural positioning of the object in an orientation, in which it
is generally parallel with the holder back, and in a position at
a defined distance from the holder back. With such a concave shape
of both the engagement plates, the mobile phone will be securely
held even when the holder is subjected to a sharp acceleration in
the forward direction.
The invention will now be closer described in connection to preferred
embodiments of the inventive holder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an end-view of an inventive holder.
FIG. 2 shows a view taken along line II--II in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a section taken along line III--III in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 shows a section taken along line IV--IV in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 illustrates schematically another embodiment of the protruding
support elements of the engagement plates of the holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a holder for an object 10 such as
a mobile phone, a palm computer or the like comprises a back plate
1 and two generally parallel walls 2 each having on the inside resiliant
engagement plates 4 between which a mobile phone 10 can be clamped.
The object 10 can be considered to have the general shape of a rectangular
body having a front face which is generally parallel to the holder
back 1. Thus, the object 10 has two side edges which engage the
plates 4 and extend generally vertically when correctly fitted in
the holder which for holding a mobile phone generally is mounted
on the dash panel of an automobile so that the walls 2 and generally
also the back 1 extend in vertical planes.
It is obvious to the artsman, that the engagement plates 4 have
mirror symmetry in relation to a center plane which extends in parallel
to the walls 2 and midway between them. If the walls 2 are made
symmetrical in relation to a plane extending at right angles to
the phone of FIG. 3 between the top and bottom edges of the wall
2, the plates 4 of the holder could be mutually identical.
The engagement plates 4 each consist of a base plate 41 which carries
a plurality of evenly distributed support elements 42 which on FIGS.
2-4 have the shape of lamellas or strips 42.
The free edges of the strips 42 pitch a surface which engages the
side edges of the object 10. The engagement surface of the plates
4 can easily be compressed towards the walls 2 to different depths
with a generally constant engagement force because the deformation
mainly comprises bending of the support elements 42. This provides
for a wide gripping range for the holder. Because the deformation
of the strips 42 basically depends on bending of the strips, a fairly
hard rubber material can be used for the strips 42. The base plate
41 preferably also consists of the same rubber as the strips 42
and is integral with these. The base plate 41 has around the rim
thereof a bead which snapfits around the edge of an opening on the
inside of the hollow wall 2. The wall 2 has an exterior shell 3,
and the base plate 41 has support tabs 43 by which the base plate
41 is supported from the exterior wall shell 3.
FIG. 1 shows that the longitudinal free edge of each strip 41 has
a concave shape so as to pitch a concave gripping surface for the
side edge of the mobile phone 10. This concave feature gives the
object 10 an improved resistance against being pulled out from the
holder (downwardly in FIG. 1), and provides a stable holding of
the object.
The horizontally arranged strips are believed to provide a slightly
better grip in the vertical direction.
FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the protruding support
elements, which in this case extend perpendicularly from the base
plate 41 and have the shape of pins 42'. FIGS. 2 and 4 could also
be considered to show side views of the pins 42' on FIG. 5.
Also in the embodiment of FIG. 5, a relatively hard rubber quality
can be used for the plate 41 and the pins 42', whereby the wear
resistance will be high, at the same time as the acceptable width
range of mobile phones 10 is large.
But it should be clear that the holder is very useful also for
the situation that an object, which has a specific width and is
well adapted to the holder, is frequently set into the holder and
removed from the holder.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the
same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded
as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all
such modifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the
art are intended to be included within the scope of the following
claims. |