Patent ID: 6102266
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: A45F,G06F,H04B,Y10S

Abstract:
A holster assembly for a hand-held electronic device, the hand-held electronic device having contoured first and second side surfaces, comprising:first and second holster sides integrally connected together to define a holster shape and a receiving area for receiving the hand-held electronic device therein, the receiving area having an open end sized to allow the hand-held electronic device to be moved into and out of the receiving area through the open end between the installed position and a removed position, the first holster side being a substantially stiff, molded, compressed foam structure having a first contoured surface shaped to substantially cover the portion of the first side surface when the hand-held electronic device is in the installed position, and the second holster side being a substantially stiff, molded, compressed foam structure having a second contoured surface facing the first contoured surface and being shaped to substantially cover the portion of the second side surface, the first and second holster sides having a stiffness and structural integrity so the first and second holster sides maintain the holster shape during use of the holster assembly, wherein the first holster side has a first panel portion that is spaced apart from the second holster side and that has a first edge portion spaced away from the open end of the receiving area, the first holster side has a guiding ramp that is connected to the first edge portion and that extends away from the first edge portion at a selected angle relative to a plane defined by the first panel portion, the guiding ramp being positioned to guide the hand-held electronic device into and out of the receiving area as the hand-held electronic device is moved between the installed and removed positions, the first holster side has a back wall panel spaced apart from the second holster side, the first holster side having a guiding ramp that is connected to the back wall panel and that defines a portion of the receiving area, the guiding ramp extends away from the back wall panel toward the second holster side at a selected angle relative to a plane defined by the back wall panel, the guiding ramp being shaped and positioned to engage a bottom portion of the hand-held electronic device and move the bottom portion of the hand-held electronic device toward the second holster side when the hand-held electronic device is moved from the removed position toward the installed position; anda holster retaining member attached to one of the first and second holster sides.