WO2003036924A1

WO2003036924A1 - Holder assembly for holding a portable electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2003036924A1
Application number: PCT/NL2001/000787
Authority: WO
Inventors: Casper Van Der Bilt; Johannes Lucas Schreuder
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 2001-10-26
Filing date: 2001-10-26
Publication date: 2003-05-01

Abstract

Holder assembly (2, 37) for holding a portable electronic device (16), the portable device having a front side with operation keys, a back side opposite the front side and a connector at a first end, comprising a bracket part (2) and a support part (35, 36, 37) which is suitable to carry or to support the device (16) held by the bracket part (2), the bracket part (2) having a connector (6) at a first end, first holding means (4, 24) at a second end, and an electronic circuit which is connected to the connector (6) of the bracket part (2), the first holding means (4, 24) being suitable to engage a second end of the device (16) after having inserted the connectors into each other. The bracket part (2) is shaped to fit over the back side of the device (16), the bracket part (2) having a first coupling member (31, 32) arranged at a back side of the bracket part (2) which is to face away from the back side of the device (16), and the support part (35, 36, 37) having a second coupling member (40, 41) which is co-operable with the first coupling member (30, 31) for removably holding the bracket part (2) by the support part (35, 36, 37).

Description

Title: Holder assembly for holding a portable electronic device.

The invention relates to a holder assembly for holding a portable electronic device, in particular a holder assembly for holding a portable telephone device.

A holder assembly of the above type for holding a portable telephone device is known from US-B-6230029, in particular figures 7-9 thereof. The known holder assembly comprises a bracket part which is shaped to fit over the front side of the telephone device with a connector at its bottom end to be inserted into a connector at a bottom end of the telephone device and a spring loaded clip at a top end to engage a top end of the telephone to thus holding the bracket part on the telephone device. The known holder assembly further comprises a holster for securely holding the telephone device from its back side. The bracket part is called base station and contains electronic circuitry with a single on/off button at a front side of the bracket part to therewith allow the use of a wireless headset. The holster has a spring loaded clip at a backside thereof for attaching the assembly to an article of clothing of a user. According to a further embodiment of this prior art assembly the base station acts as a holster for the telephone device but said document does not provide details about said further embodiment.

A drawback of the prior art holder assembly is that the bracket part covers the front side of the portable device completely thereby making its operation keys and therefore many of its operational functions out of reach to the user. For example, the user must disassemble the assembly before he can initiate a phone- call.

Another disadvantage of the prior art holder assembly is that, since portable electronic devices, such as telephone devices, have many different shapes and dimensions, the bracket part and the holster must be manufactured to comply therewith, making them expensive and limiting their availability to potential users of such assemblies . Presently a person or a group of persons may use different portable telephone devices with different shapes and different dimensions, while wanting to have a choice from different accessories for any of such devices presently used by him or her.

Such accessories may comprise a FM radio function, a GPS ("Global

Positioning System") function, a battery charger, a hands-free support, a Home-RF or Bluetooth function for a radio link to another device, a keyboard and a vibrator module. In addition, several persons of such group may share one or more vehicles, in particular cars, and want to use their portable telephone device in a vehicle on a steady support (car kit) for making hands-free telephone-calls possible. Similar desires may be present in case of carrying one of said portable devices on a piece of clothing, bags and necklaces etc. inclusive. Presently many different holding assemblies are required to meet all such uses and desires. Because of the great number of parts that would be necessary and their costs only few of such parts will be manufactured and few of possibly many will be purchased by a person or group of persons.

It is an object of the invention to solve the above mentioned drawbacks .

To achieve said object the invention provides a holding assembly according to claim 1. Accordingly, the operation keys at the front side of the portable device are exposed always to the user. If the operation keys are covered by a pivotable lid the user may pivot the lid as usual to expose the keys. The provision of two coupling members at the backside of the bracket part and the front side of the support part respectively gives the possibility to use different kinds of the support part holding means, such as a clip or a car kit for attaching the assembly to a piece of clothing or to a supporting part of a car respectively. The support part may have any shape and dimensions, provided that its coupling member can co- operate with the coupling member of the bracket part. Therefor any such support part may be used in co-operation with bracket parts which are shaped for different portable devices. This will facilitate their use and will reduce costs considerably.

According to a preferred embodiment an electronic circuit of the bracket part is in the form of an exchangeable module, and the bracket part has a space which is suitable to fit the module in. Since many of the wanted electronic accessory functions may be manufactured in the form of a module and a module can be placed in any of different bracket parts, the availability of such modules is remarkably increased, thereby reducing costs further. Since a bracket part may then be manufactured without containing an electronic circuit, apart from a connector and some conductors to connecting pads for connecting to a module, the costs for manufacturing such bracket is reduced remarkably.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a holding assembly according to the invention. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a bracket part of a holding assembly according to the invention; fig. 2 shows a perspective view of an electronic circuit in the form of an exchangeable module which fits into the bracket part shown in fig. 1; fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a combination of the bracket part shown in fig. 1 holding a portable telephone device and an optional external electronic device; fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the bracket part holding the telephone device as shown in fig. 3, but now seen from their backside; fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a swivel clip for suspending a bracket part holding a portable device according to the invention; fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a belt clip for suspending a bracket part according to the invention holding a portable device; and fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a car kit for holding a bracket part according to the invention which in turn holds a portable device. Fig. 1 shows a bracket part 2 of a holder assembly according to the invention. At its ends bracket part 2 has legs 3, 4 which are opposing each other. Leg 3 contains a connector 6, which is shown in dashed lines.

Connector 6 is connected to an electronic circuit contained in or to be contained in bracket part 2. In particular an electronic circuit to be contained by bracket part 2 is in the form of an exchangeable module 8, as shown in fig. 2. In particular the electronic circuit is moulded in insulating material to provide a card-like member as shown. Module 8 has electrical connecting pads 9 which are connected to or are part of the electronic circuit of module 8.

As shown in fig. 1 bracket part 2 has a recess 11 at a major side of bracket part 2 which is called front side here. Recess 11 is dimensioned to locate therein a module like module 8 of fig. 2, such that plane-parallel movement of module 8 is prevented when located in recess 11.

In recess 11 there are arranged electrically conducting pads 12 which are connected to connector 6. Pads 9 of module 8 and pads 12 of bracket part 2 are arranged such that after turning over module 8, as seen in fig. 2, and locating it in recess 11 of bracket part 2 pads 9 and 12 contact each other. It will be obvious that several types of pads, such as resilient ones, or terminals may be used to provide reliable connections between same.

As shown in fig. 3 bracket part 2 is suitable to receive a portable (or cellular or the like) telephone device 16 as an example of a portable electronic device between legs 3 and 4 of bracket part 2. Telephone device 16 comprises an antenna 17, a loudspeaker member 18, a display 19 and a lid 20 which can pivot, as indicated by double sided arrow 21, around a pivot axis (not shown) which is perpendicular to minor upright sides of telephone device 16. Lid 20 is provided with one or more holes 22 for allowing passing of sound waves to a microphone (not shown) contained in device 16 below lid 20. Lid 20 also covers operation keys of telephone device 16. The dimensions, in particular its height (perpendicular to its major sides) , of bracket part 2 is such that it still allows lid 20 to pivot to expose the operation keys of telephone device 16.

Telephone device 16 further comprises a connector. Connector 6 of bracket part 2 is suitable to be plugged into or to receive therein the connector of telephone device 16, as has been the case in the situation shown in fig. 3. At the other end of telephone device 16 it is held or maintained in bracket part 2 by that a protrusion 24 provided at the inside of leg 4 of bracket part 2 is received by or snapped into a recess at said end of telephone device 16. A groove which is usually present between a back part shell and a front part shell of a housing of telephone device 16 may function as such recess for receiving protrusion 24 of bracket part 2. Though this kind of means are preferred according to the invention, different kinds of holding means at leg 4 of bracket part 2 may be used, screws inclusive.

Preferably bracket part 2 comprises a further connector, in particular a connector 26 contained in leg 3 and shown in dashed lines. Said further connector 26 is suitable to be plugged into or to receive therein a connector 28 of an electronic circuit contained in a separate, external accessory device 30. Accessory device 30 is known in itself and is designed to connect to the connector of telephone device 16. For example, external accessory device 30 may be a keyboard.

As can be seen from fig. 3 the combination of telephone device 16 held by bracket part 2 and possibly together with an accessory device 30 is easy to assemble and to carry by a user. Exchangeable module 8 provides the use of many accessory functions, such as a FM radio function, a GPS ("Global Positioning System") function, a battery charger, a hands-free support, a Home-RF or Bluetooth function for a radio link to another device, a keyboard and a vibrator module. The use of bracket part 2 and any module 8 is more convenient to a user than when using an accessory device 30, in particular since such accessory device 30 may be lost unnoticed from the telephone device 16 easily.

As shown in fig. 4, at its backside bracket part 2 is provided with some holding means, which is in particular of nail type, called button 31 here as a whole and comprising a stem 32.

The holder assembly according to the invention further comprises a support part which is suitable to be mounted to and to be detached from the bracket part 2 by the use of co-operating coupling members of the support part and the bracket part 2. Button 31 of bracket part 2 is such coupling member.

Many designs of support parts are conceivable. As non-limiting examples thereof figs. 5-7 show a swivel clip 35, a belt clip 36 and a car kit 37 (in exploded view) respectively. Swivel clip 35 is designed to be carried on a belt or trousers. Swivel clip 35 is provided with a U-shaped recess or hole 40 extending from a top edge of swivel clip 35 with the open side of the U-shape along said top edge. Recess 40 is suitable to guide the stem 32 of button 31 of bracket part 2 with button 31 moving at the inside of swivel clip 35, while preventing button 31 to pass recess 40. Once located inside swivel clip 35 a resilient latch 41 prevents unintentional removal of button 31 from swivel clip 35. Recess 40, possibly together with latch 41, provide the coupling member of the support part which can co-operate with the coupling member of the bracket part 2.

Just like swivel clip 35, belt clip 36 is provided with a recess 40 and a latch 41. A front side of belt clip 36 has a slightly rounded recess 43 for receiving therein bracket part 2, thereby limiting unintended swivelling of bracket part 2 together with telephone device 16 held by it with respect to belt clip 36.

Car kit 37 comprises a bracket receiving part 45, a base mounting part 46 and an intermediate part 47 between parts 45 and 46. Just like clips 35 and 36 part 45 of car kit 37 is provided with a recess 40 and a latch 41. Parts 45, 46 and 47 are provided with throughholes 51, 52, 53 respectively with an elongated boundary edge. With parts 45 and 47 fixed together their elongated throughholes 51, 53 extend in parallel to each other. Parts 45, 46 and 47 are coupled to each other by a screw 56 which extends through, in this order, parts 45, 47 and 46, a spacer 57 between a head of screw 56 and a front side of part 45 and a nut 58 at the underside of base mounting part 46. A front side of base mounting part 46 and a back side of intermediate part 47 have spherically shaped surfaces which fit into each other to allow rotation of intermediate part 47 (together with part 45 and possibly a telephone device held by it) with respect to base mounting part 46 at least in directions the vectors of which are plane-parallel to a major side of a telephone device to be held by co-operating parts 45 and 2. To that extend elongated throughhole 52 extends perpendicular to throughholes 51 and 53.

As will be clear from the foregoing a support part of a holder assembly according to the invention, such as swivel clip 35, belt clip 36 and car kit 37, is suitable to hold a bracket part 2 of practically any shape and dimensions provided that bracket part 2 is provided with a coupling member, such as button 31, which can cooperate with a coupling member, such as recess 40, of the support part. It is only the bracket part 2 which must be manufactured to fit onto a specific portable device. This will reduce the costs of mechanical accessories for carrying or mounting such portable electronic device remarkably. Since an electronic circuit of bracket part 2 can be in the form of an exchangeable module 8 the use of electrical or electronic parts of bracket part 2 can be limited to a minimum, thereby reducing costs further.

It will be obvious that several modifications can be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the accompanying claims. For example, button 31 could be retractable from bracket part 2, which may be comfortable to a user when using the bracket part 2 without holding it by a support part. Further, the support part may be provided with such button 31 and the bracket part 2 can be provided with an elongated buttonhole being wide enough in an upper location to allow the button 31 to pass through it. Even further, such buttonhole can be provided with resilient retention means which prevent unintentional removal of the button from such hole. It is noted also that the invention is not limited for use with a portable telephone device having a key covering lid.

Claims

C L A I S

1. Holder assembly (2, 37) for holding a portable electronic device (16) , the portable device having a front side with operation keys, a back side opposite the front side and a connector at a first end, comprising a bracket part (2) and a support part (35, 36, 37) which is suitable to carry or to support the device (16) held by the bracket part (2), the bracket part (2) having a connector (6) at a first end, first holding means (4, 24) at a second end, and an electronic circuit which is connected to the connector (6) of the bracket part (2), the first holding means (4, 24) being suitable to engage a second end of the device (16) after having inserted the connectors into each other, characterized in that the bracket part (2) is shaped to fit over the back side of the device (16), the bracket part (2) having a first coupling member (31, 32) arranged at a back side of the bracket part (2) which is to face away from the back side of the device (16) , and the support part (35, 36, 37) having a second coupling member (40, 41) which is co-operable with the first coupling member (30, 31) for removably holding the bracket part (2) by the support part (35, 36, 37) .

2. Holder assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic circuit is in the form of an exchangeable module (8) and the bracket part (2) has a space which is suitable to fit the module (8) in.

3. Holder assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the space is a recess (11) at a front side of the bracket part (2) which is to face the back side of the device (16) .

4. Holder assembly according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the bracket part (2) has a further connector (26) which is suitable to be inserted into or by the connector of the device (16) .

5. Holder assembly according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the coupling members (31, 32, 40, 41) comprise resilient snapping members.

6. Holder assembly according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the coupling members comprise a button (31) and a buttonhole (40) with the buttonhole (41) being shaped for preventing passage there through of a head of the button in a low location of the hole (40) and for allowing such passage in a higher location of the hole (40) .

7. Holder assembly according to a preceding claim, characterized in that the support part is a clip (35, 36) .

8. Holder assembly according to preceding claim, characterized in that the support part (37) is suitable to be fixed to a base and the support part (37) has means for allowing rotation of a bracket receiving part (45) of the support part (37) with respect to said base.