WO2007011128A1

WO2007011128A1 - Hard/soft necklace-type mount for mobile communication terminal

Info

Publication number: WO2007011128A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/002750
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hu Lim Choi
Original assignee: Hu Lim Choi
Priority date: 2005-07-15
Filing date: 2006-07-13
Publication date: 2007-01-25
Also published as: KR100680846B1; KR20070009025A

Abstract

Disclosed is a hard/soft necklace-type mount for a mobile communication terminal. The mount is put on a neck of a user in a soft state at normal times, while the terminal is conveniently mounted on the mount by easily converting link members into the hard state, so that the user can see the terminal. A plurality of link members are formed to have a short length, and the short link members and the auxiliary connector are conveniently put on the neck of the user, thereby remarkably increasing its wearing sensations. Since the mount has the pivot member, the angle adjuster, and the sliding plate, the mount can be easily met to various demands of the user. The hard/soft necklace-type mount includes a body having a plurality of tubular link members, a pair of pivot members coupled to the link members to pivotally rotate the link members forward, and a coupling cord inserted into the link members to couple the link members; a control unit connected to a lower portion of the body for selecting a hard state and a soft state of the body and for adjusting an angle of a terminal; and a mount having a mount rod connected to the control unit, and a platform connected to the mount rod, in which the terminal is mounted on the platform.

Description

HARD/SOFT NECKLACE-TYPE MOUNT FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a hard/soft necklace-type mount for a mobile communication terminal, and more particularly, to a necklace-type mount which can by put on a neck of a user in a soft state at normal times, while a terminal is conveniently mounted on the mount by easily converting link members into a hard state, so that the user can see the terminal, wherein a plurality of link members are connected by a couple cord, and are easily fixed in the hard state by fastening the cord, so that the terminal can be conveniently mounted, and wherein the link members are easily folded to reduce its volume, so that the mount can be conveniently kept.

[2] Also, the present invention relates to a necklace-type mount, in which a plurality of link members are formed to have a short length, so that the link members are easily connected to each other and a plurality of link members are conveniently put on a neck of a user, and in which since an earphone is built in the mount, it is not necessary to insert an electric cable connected to the earphone into a body of the mount, thereby reducing a manufacturing cost thereof.

[3] Further, the present invention relates to a necklace-type mount having an angle adjuster provided on one side of a control unit for adjusting an angle of a terminal, thereby easily adjusting the angle of the terminal to enable anyone to see the terminal, in which a sliding plate moved left and right is provided on a platform supporting the terminal, thereby easily mounting terminals of various sizes on the mount. Background Art

[4] In general, a handsfree set for a mobile communication terminal (hereinafter referred to as a terminal) has an earphone connected to a body so that a user can put the earphone in his or her ear to talk over the phone. With the recently sudden increase of the terminal causes the market of the handsfree set which can enable the user to talk over the phone without holding the phone with a hand to activate. In order to improve the mobility and convenience in use, a necklace-type handsfree set which can put on a neck of a user is mainly used.

[5] Since such a handsfree set is formed in a soft type, the user cannot see a moving picture through a PDA or DMB broadcasting. Therefore, the applicant supposed a hard necklace-type mount, as Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-32133.

[6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hard necklace-type mount according to the prior art. The prior hard necklace-type mount includes a body 110 having a plurality of link members 111, in which an electric cable is inserted, a pair of pivot units 112 for rotating the lower portion of the body forward, and a bracket 113 for connecting and rotating a plurality of link members 111; a control unit 120 connected to the lower portion of the body 110 for adjusting an angle of the terminal; a mount 130 attached to or detached from the control unit 120 and having a fixing tie for mounting the terminal; and an earphone 140 built in the body and connected to the terminal for listening an audio signal generated by the terminal.

[7] Since the prior necklace-type mount is formed in a hard state, the wearing sensations thereof are bad. Also, since the long link members 111 are bulky although the link members are folded, its keeping and handling are difficult.

[8] Also, since the earphone 140 is exposed, the cable connected to the earphone 140 is twisted. Furthermore, the cable connected to the earphone 140 should be inserted in the link members, its manufacturing time is extended, and thus its manufacturing cost is increased.

[9] In addition, since the control unit 120 adjusts the angle by using the friction against the link members 111, the structure of the control unit 120 is complex, and the adjusting function is deteriorated due to the wear of the control unit because of long use. Also, since the mount 130 mounting the terminal is fixed by the fixing tie, the fixing tie should be replaced whenever it is used. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[10] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a necklace-type mount which can by put on a neck of a user in a soft state at normal times, while a terminal is conveniently mounted on the mount by easily converting link members into a hard state, so that the user can see the terminal, wherein a plurality of link members are connected by a couple cord, and are easily fixed in the hard state by fastening the cord, so that the terminal can be conveniently mounted, and wherein the link members are easily folded to reduce its volume, so that the mount can be conveniently kept.

[11] Another object of the present invention is to provide a necklace-type mount, in which a plurality of link members are conveniently put on a neck of a user, and in which since an earphone is built in the mount, it is not necessary to insert an electric cable connected to the earphone into a body of the mount, thereby reducing a manufacturing cost thereof.

[12] Further another object of the present invention is to provide a necklace-type mount having an angle adjuster provided on one side of a control unit for adjusting an angle of a terminal, thereby easily adjusting the angle of the terminal to enable anyone to see the terminal, in which a sliding plate moved left and right is provided on a platform supporting the terminal, thereby easily mounting terminals of various sizes on the mount.

Technical Solution

[13] In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objects, there is provided a hard/soft necklace-type mount for a mobile communication terminal including a DMB phone, a PDA, an MP3, a portable moving picture player, and an audio terminal, the mount comprising: a body having a plurality of tubular link members, a pair of pivot members coupled to the link members to pivotally rotate the link members forward, and a coupling cord inserted into the link members to couple the link members; a control unit connected to a lower portion of the body for selecting a hard state and a soft state of the body and for adjusting an angle of a terminal; and a mount having a mount rod connected to the control unit, and a platform connected to the mount rod, in which the terminal is mounted on the platform.

[14] The link member of the body has an engaging groove formed on one side thereof in a recess shape, and an engaging protrusion formed on the other side opposite to the engaging groove to engage with the engaging groove.

[15] A plurality of bead-shaped link members are coupled to each other on an upper portion of the body, and an auxiliary connector having a reduced diameter is connected between the link members.

[16] The pivot member includes a first rectangular pivot member connected to the link member, a second pivot member closely contacted the first pivot member, a connecting pin for connecting the first pivot member with the second pivot member, a fixing spring positioned on one side of the connecting pin to closely contact the first pivot member against the second pivot member, and a stop portion protruding from an inner side of the first pivot member to prevent rotation of the second pivot member.

[17] Preferably, the control unit includes an adjustment case positioned on a lower side of the body, a cover enclosing an upper surface of the adjustment case, an earphone wound around a lower surface of the cover, engaging grooves formed on both sides of the adjustment case and connected to the link members, an angle adjuster positioned on one side of the engaging groove for adjusting an angle of the terminal, and a wire winder for winding the coupling cord.

[18] The angle adjuster of the control unit has a recessed coupler connected to the link member, and an angle fixing switch formed on a rear surface of the adjustment case for fixing the recessed coupler after the recessed coupler is angularly adjusted. When the wire winder is rotated to wind the coupling cord, the wire winder is fixed by a winder fixing switch provided on the lower surface of the adjustment case.

[19] A platform of the mount has a mount hole engaged to a mount rod, an engaging plate hingedly engaged to one side of the mount hole and rotated upward only, a sliding plate engaged to the engaging plate and a sliding groove formed on an inner side thereof, on which the sliding plate is slid together with the engaging plate, and a return spring interposed between the engaging plate and the sliding plate and slidably moving the sliding plate to mount the terminal of various sizes thereon.

Advantageous Effects

[20] With the hard/soft necklace-type mount for the mobile communication terminal, the mount is put on a neck of a user in a soft state at normal times, while a terminal is conveniently mounted on the mount by easily converting link members into a hard state, when the user sees the terminal. A plurality of link members having a conical engaging groove at one side and an engaging protrusion at the other side are connected can be easily fixed in the hard state by fastening the cord, so that the terminal can be conveniently mounted. Also, the link members are easily folded to reduce its volume, so that the mount can be conveniently kept.

[21] In addition, since a plurality of link members are formed to have a short length, the link members can be easily coupled to each other. Also, an auxiliary connector having a reduced diameter is interposed between the link members, the link members are conveniently put on the neck of the user.

[22] Also, since a pair of pivot members are provided on the lower portion of the body, the user can rotate the lower portion of the body at 90 degrees when the user sees the terminal or talks over the phone.

[23] An angle adjuster is provided on one side of a control unit for adjusting an angle of a terminal up and down, thereby easily adjusting the angle of the terminal to enable anyone to see the terminal.

[24] A length of the mount rod of the mount can be varied by folding a plurality of rods, so that the user can see the terminal conveniently. Since the platform is hingedly engaged to the mount rod, the platform is rotated upward to enclose and protect the control unit, when the terminal is not used. Also, the volume of the mount can be minimized by folding the platform.

[25] Finally, a sliding plate moved left and right is provided on a platform supporting the terminal, thereby easily mounting terminals of various sizes on the mount. Brief Description of the Drawings

[26] The above objects, other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [27] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional necklace-type handsfree set;

[28] FIG. 2 is a perspective of a hard/soft necklace-type mount according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[29] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion A in FIG. 2;

[30] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion B in FIG. 2;

[31] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a link member;

[32] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an operation state of a pivot member;

[33] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a control unit and a mount;

[34] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a control unit;

[35] FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating the state in which a mount is unfolded from a control unit; [36] FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating the state in which a mount is housed in the control unit; [37] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the state in which a hard-type body is converted into a soft- type body; and [38] FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a folded state of a hart/soft necklace-type mount according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [39] Now, a hart/soft necklace-type mount according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements even in different drawings, and the duplicate explanation thereof will be omitted. [40] FIG. 2 is a perspective of a hard/soft necklace-type mount according to an embodiment of the present invention. [41] Referring to FIG. 2, the hard/soft necklace-type mount for a mobile communication terminal includes a body 10 formed in an elliptical shape to be seated on a neck and breast of a human body and adapted to pivotally rotate a lower portion forward, a rectangular control unit 20 for adjusting an angle of the terminal 1, and a mount 30 coupled to the control unit 20, on which the terminal 1 is mounted. [42] The body 10 has a plurality of tubular link members 11, a pair of pivot members 12 coupled to the link members 11 to pivotally rotate the link members 11 forward, and a coupling cord 13 inserted into the link members 11 to couple the link members 11. [43] FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion A in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion B in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the link member. [44] Referring to FIGs 3 through 5, the link member 11 of the body 10 has an engaging groove 11a formed on one side thereof in a recess shape, and an engaging protrusion 1 Ib formed on the other side opposite to the engaging groove 1 Ia to engage with the engaging groove 11a. The engaging groove 1 Ia of the link member 11 prevents the engaging protrusion 1 Ib from penetrating into the link member.

[45] Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of short link members 11 are coupled to each other on the upper portion of the body 10, so that the link members 11 can be put on a round neck. An auxiliary connector 14 having a reduced diameter is connected between the link members 11, and a groove is formed on both link members 11 to which the auxiliary connector 14 is connected, so that the auxiliary connector 14 can be inserted into the link members 11.

[46] Referring to FIG. 3, the pivot member 12 includes a first rectangular pivot member

12a connected to the link member 11, a second pivot member 12b closely contacted the first pivot member 12a, a connecting pin 12c for connecting the first pivot member 12a with the second pivot member 12b, a fixing spring 12d positioned on one side of the connecting pin 12c to closely contact the first pivot member 12a against the second pivot member 12b, and a stop portion 12e protruding from the inner side of the first pivot member 12a to prevent the rotation of the second pivot member 12b.

[47] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the operation state of the pivot member.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the control unit and the mount, and FIG. 8 is a cross- sectional view of the control unit.

[48] Referring to FIGs. 7 and 8, the control unit 20 includes an adjustment case 21 positioned on a lower side of the body 10, a cover 22 enclosing an upper surface of the adjustment case 21, an earphone 23 wound around a lower surface of the cover 22, engaging grooves 24 formed on both sides of the adjustment case 21 and connected to the link members 11, an angle adjuster 25 positioned on one side of the engaging groove 24 for adjusting an angle of a terminal 1, and a wire winder 26 for winding the coupling cord 13.

[49] Referring to FIG. 8, the angle adjuster 25 of the control unit 20 has a recessed coupler 25a connected to the link member 11, and an angle fixing switch 25b formed on the rear surface of the adjustment case 21 for fixing the recessed coupler 25a after the recessed coupler is angularly adjusted.

[50] Also, when the wire winder 26 is rotated around the lower surface of the adjustment case 21 to wind the coupling cord 13, the wire winder 26 is fixed by a winder fixing switch 26a. A volume switch 27 is provided on one side of the adjustment case 21 to turn on/off a power source and tune volume of the terminal 1.

[51] FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating the state in which the mount is unfolded from the control unit, and FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating the state in which the mount is housed in the control unit. [52] Referring to FIGs. 9 and 10, an auxiliary battery 28 may be provided on the lower side of the adjustment case 21 to charge the power source of the terminal 1.

[53] A platform 32 of the mount 30 has a mount hole 32a engaged to a mount rod 31 , an engaging plate 32b hingedly engaged to one side of the mount hole 32a and rotated upward only, a sliding plate 32c engaged to the engaging plate 32b and a sliding groove formed on an inner side thereof, on which the sliding plate 32c is slid together with the engaging plate 32b, and a return spring 32d interposed between the engaging plate 32b and the sliding plate 32c and slidably moving the sliding plate 32c to mount the terminal 1 of various sizes thereon.

[54] The operation of the hard/soft necklace-type mount for the mobile communication terminal according to the present invention will now be described.

[55] As shown in FIGs. 2 and 6, according to the necklace-type mount of the present invention, the body 10 is formed in a round shape to put on the neck of the user, and the lower portion of the mount is pivoted forward. The rectangular control unit 20 is coupled to the lower portion of the body 10 to adjust the angle of the terminal 1. The mount 30 is provided on the front portion of the control unit 20 so that the mount 1 is seated on the mount 30.

[56] More specifically, the body 10 includes a plurality of link members 11 formed in a rod shape such as angular or circular shape. A pair of pivot members 12 are installed on one sides of the link member to pivot the link member 11 forward. The link members 11 are connected by the coupling cord 13 inserted into the link members 11.

[57] As shown in FIG. 2, the necklace-type mount of the present invention includes the body 10 formed in a round shape to put on the neck of the user and having the lower portion to be rotated forward, the rectangular control unit 20 for adjusting the angle of the terminal 1, and the mount 30 provided on the control unit 20 on which the mount 1 is seated.

[58] More specifically, the body 10 includes a plurality of link members 11 formed in a rod shape such as angular or circular shape. A pair of pivot members 12 are installed on one sides of the link member to pivot the link member 11 forward. The link members 11 are connected by the coupling cord 13 inserted into the link members 11.

[59] Each of the link members 11 of the body 10 includes the conical engaging groove

11a formed on one side, and the engaging protrusion 1 Ib formed opposite to the engaging groove 11a and attached to the engaging groove 1 Ia, as shown in FIGs. 4 and 5. The link members 11 are easily fixed in a hard type by tightening the coupling cord 11, so that the terminal can be mounted.

[60] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the body 10, i.e., the portion put on the neck of the user, is formed by a number of short link members 11, and the link members are easily coupled to each other. Since the auxiliary connector 14 having a reduced diameter is connected between the link members 11, a plurality of link members are conveniently put on the neck of the user.

[61] In case of fixing the link members 11, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of link members 11 to be connected to each other are not rotated by the rectangular engaging groove 11a and the rectangular engaging protrusion 1 Ib at the lower portion of the body 10, thereby firmly fixing the terminal.

[62] As shown in FIG. 3, according to the pivot member 12, the first rectangular pivot member 12a connected to the link member 11 is formed opposite to the second pivot member 12b, and the first and second pivot members 12a and 12b are rotated around the connecting pin 12c for connecting the first pivot member 12a with the second pivot member 12b. The fixing spring 12d positioned on one side of the connecting pin 12c contacts the first pivot member 12a against the second pivot member 12b. The stop portion 12e protrudes from the inner side of the first pivot member 12a. When the second pivot member 12b is rotated at about 90 degrees, it abuts against the stop portion 12e to thereby prevent the further rotation of the second pivot member 12b. Therefore, the pivot member 12 connected to the link members can be fixed at 90 degrees.

[63] As shown in FIGs. 7 and 8, according to the control unit 20, the adjustment case 21 is positioned on the lower side of the body 10, and the cover 22 opens or closes the upper surface of the adjustment case 21. The earphone 23 connected to the terminal 1 is wound around the lower surface of the cover 22 to listen the sound generated by the terminal 1. The engaging grooves 24 are formed on both sides of the adjustment case 21 to connect the link members 11 with the link members 11.

[64] When the angle of the terminal connected to the control unit 20 is adjusted, the angle adjuster 25 for adjusting the angle of the terminal 1 is positioned on one side of the engaging groove 24, as shown in FIG. 8. The angle of the terminal can be easily adjusted by rotating the adjustment case 21 up and down, so that the user can see the terminal.

[65] The length of the mount rod 31 of the mount 30 can be varied by folding a plurality of rods, so that the user can see the terminal conveniently, as shown in FIG. 9. Since the platform 32 is hingedly engaged to the mount rod 31, the platform 32 is rotated upward to enclose and protect the control unit 20, as shown in FIG. 10, when the terminal 1 is not used. Also, the volume of the mount can be minimized by folding the platform 32.

[66] Also, since the platform 32 is formed of the sliding plate 32c which is slid together with the engaging plate 32b, terminals of various sizes can be mounted on the platform 32.

[67] In case of converting the hard type into the soft type, as shown in FIGs. 8 and 11, the coupling cord 13 is unwound by rotating the wire winder 26 positioned on the lower surface of the control unit 20 in one direction, so that a plurality of link members are released and thus the body is converted into the soft state. By contrast, the coupling cord 13 is wound by rotating the wire winder 26 in reverse direction, so that a plurality of link members are connected to each other and thus the body is converted into the hard state.

[68] In the soft state, when the wire winder 26 is further rotated in one direction, the link members 11 are detached from each other, and the folded link members 11 are conveniently kept at a small volume, as shown in FIG. 12.

[69] The forgoing embodiments are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Industrial Applicability

[70] As apparent from the above description, the hard/soft necklace-type mount of the present invention is put on the neck of the user in the soft state at normal times, while the terminal is conveniently mounted on the mount by easily converting the link members into the hard state, so that the user can see the terminal. Also, the mount has a compact construction, the mount is easily kept.

[71] Furthermore, a plurality of link members are formed to have a short length, and the short link members and the auxiliary connector are conveniently put on the neck of the user, thereby remarkably increasing its wearing sensations. Since the mount has the pivot member, the angle adjuster, and the sliding plate, the mount can be easily met to various demands of the user.

Claims

[1] A hard/soft necklace-type mount for a mobile communication terminal including a DMB phone, a PDA, an MP3, a portable moving picture player, and an audio terminal, the mount comprising: a body 10 having a plurality of tubular link members 11, a pair of pivot members 12 coupled to the link members 11 to pivotally rotate the link members 11 forward, and a coupling cord 13 inserted into the link members 11 to couple the link members 11 ; a control unit 20 connected to a lower portion of the body 10 for selecting a hard state and a soft state of the body 10 and for adjusting an angle of a terminal 1; and a mount 30 having a mount rod 31 connected to the control unit 20, and a platform 32 connected to the mount rod 31, in which the terminal 1 is mounted on the platform.

[2] The hard/soft necklace-type mount as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link member 11 of the body 10 has an engaging groove 11a formed on one side thereof in a recess shape, and an engaging protrusion 1 Ib formed on the other side opposite to the engaging groove 1 Ia to engage with the engaging groove 11a.

[3] The hard/soft necklace-type mount as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of bead-shaped link members 11 are coupled to each other on an upper portion of the body 10, and an auxiliary connector 14 having a reduced diameter is connected between the link members 11.

[4] The hard/soft necklace-type mount as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot member 12 includes a first rectangular pivot member 12a connected to the link member 11, a second pivot member 12b closely contacted the first pivot member 12a, a connecting pin 12c for connecting the first pivot member 12a with the second pivot member 12b, a fixing spring 12d positioned on one side of the connecting pin 12c to closely contact the first pivot member 12a against the second pivot member 12b, and a stop portion 12e protruding from an inner side of the first pivot member 12a to prevent rotation of the second pivot member 12b.

[5] The hard/soft necklace-type mount as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit 20 includes an adjustment case 21 positioned on a lower side of the body 10, a cover 22 enclosing an upper surface of the adjustment case 21, an earphone 23 wound around a lower surface of the cover 22, engaging grooves 24 formed on both sides of the adjustment case 21 and connected to the link members 11, an angle adjuster 25 positioned on one side of the engaging groove 24 for adjusting an angle of the terminal 1, and a wire winder 26 for winding the coupling cord 13.

[6] The hard/soft necklace-type mount as claimed in claim 5, wherein the angle adjuster 25 of the control unit 20 has a recessed coupler 25a connected to the link member 11, and an angle fixing switch 25b formed on a rear surface of the adjustment case 21 for fixing the recessed coupler 25a after the recessed coupler is angularly adjusted.

[7] The hard/soft necklace-type mount as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the wire winder 26 is rotated to wind the coupling cord 13, the wire winder 26 is fixed by a winder fixing switch 26a provided on the lower surface of the adjustment case 21.