Abstract:
A wireless mobile device carrier. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are a wireless mobile device carrier comprising a holster assembly adapted to hold the wireless mobile device on a first side, a protrusion from a second side of the holster assembly (a perimeter of the protrusion defines a substantially circular shape, and the protrusion also defines a notch), a backing member with an aperture having a plurality of grooves (the protrusion of the holster assembly within the aperture of the backing member), a rod disposed in the notch of the protrusion (wherein rotation of the holster relative to the backing member moves the rod from one of the plurality of grooves into an adjacent one of the plurality of grooves), and a clip member having a hook portion and an opening tab, the clip member attached to the backing member such that pressing the opening tab causes the hook portion to be positioned away from the backing member for attachment to an article of clothing.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     Wireless mobile devices (e.g., personal digital assistance (PDA), cell phones, or combination devices termed “PDAphones”) are carried by their users on an almost continuous basis. Wearing a wireless mobile device in a holster (e.g., clipped to the user&#39;s belt) may be uncomfortable in a sitting position of the user, unless the wireless mobile device can be rotated. Moreover, it is difficult, sometimes a two-handed operation, to remove a wireless mobile device from a holster. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0002]     For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0003]      FIG. 1  shows a wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention;  
         [0004]      FIG. 2  shows a back perspective exploded-view of a top portion of a wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention;  
         [0005]      FIG. 3  shows a back perspective view of the wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention;  
         [0006]      FIG. 4  shows a back perspective exploded-view of a wireless mobile device carrier in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and  
         [0007]      FIG. 5  shows a more detailed view of the interrelationship of the backing member, protrusion, notch and rod in accordance with embodiments of the invention.  
     
    
     NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE  
       [0008]     Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, computer companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.  
         [0009]     In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean a direct or indirect connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0010]     The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure is limited to that embodiment.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a wireless mobile device carrier  10  in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In particular, the wireless mobile device carrier  10  comprises a holster assembly  12  where a wireless mobile device is carried. The holster assembly  12  comprises a curved panel portion  14  on a bottom of the holster assembly  12 . The curved panel portion  14  receives a bottom portion of the wireless mobile device, allows slight rotation of the wireless mobile device (as discussed below in connection with the operational relationship of tab  16  and latch member  18 ). The curved nature of portion  14  prevents movement of the wireless mobile device away from the holster assembly  12 .  
         [0012]     The holster assembly  12  comprises a tab  16  and a latch member  18  disposed on an opposite end of the holster assembly  12  from the curved panel portion  14 . A wireless mobile device is placed within the carrier  10  by placing a bottom end within the curved panel portion  14 , while holding a top end away from the tab  16  and latch member  18 , which may be referred to as “toeing in” the wireless mobile device. After placing the bottom end of the wireless mobile device within the curved panel portion  14 , the wireless mobile device may be rotated (about the bottom end in the curved panel portion  14 ) toward the tab  16 . When the wireless mobile device is rotated fully within the holster assembly  12 , the tab  16  prevents the movement of the wireless mobile device away from the curved panel portion  14  in a plane defined by the wireless mobile device. In order to retain the wireless mobile device in the holster assembly  12 , latch member  18  prevents movement of the wireless mobile device away from tab  16 . To remove the wireless mobile device from the holster assembly  12 , the latch member is rotated away from the curved panel portion  14 , thus enabling the wireless mobile device to move away from tab  16  (by rotation about the curved panel portion  14 ). Once clear of the tab  16  and latch member  18 , the wireless mobile device may be removed from the holster assembly  12  by pulling the device out of the curved panel portion  14 . Because of the arrangement of the various components, removal of the wireless mobile device may be accomplished with one hand. Moreover, once the latch member  18  is released and the device rotated away from the tab  16 , very little force is needed to detach the device from the panel portion  14 ; once the latch member  18  is disengaged, this decreases the likelihood of dislodging the hook portion  34  of the clip member  24  ( FIG. 3 ) from an attached article of clothing.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a back perspective exploded-view of a top portion of a wireless mobile device carrier  10 , and in particular the tab  16  and latch member  18 . In accordance with at least some embodiments, the latch member  18  straddles the tab  16 , and is hinged to the top portion of the holster assembly  12  by way of hinge pin  58 . Spring  60  also couples to the top portion of the holster assembly  12  and the latch member  18 , and biases the latch member  18  toward the curved panel portion  14  ( FIG. 1 ). In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the tab  16  limits rotational travel of the latch member  18 . In particular, the tab  16  has an angled stop portion  62  on a distal end thereof. Correspondingly, the latch member  18  has a complementary angled stop portion  64 . As the latch member  18  rotates toward the panel portion  14 , rotational movement is stopped when the angled stop portions  62  and  64  meet.  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a back perspective view of the wireless mobile device carrier  10  in accordance with embodiments of the invention. In particular, the wireless mobile device carrier  10  comprises a clothing clip assembly  20  rotatably coupled to the holster assembly  12 , as indicated by arrow  22 . In accordance with some embodiments, the relative position of the clothing clip assembly  20  and the holster assembly  12  may rotate through 180 degrees of rotation, with positive stops approximately every twenty degrees. In alternative embodiments, the relative position of the clothing clip assembly  20  and the holster assembly  12  may rotate through 360 degrees of rotation and/or have positive stops at other desired locations (e.g., every 10° or every 30°).  
         [0015]     In order to more fully explain relative rotation of the clothing clip assembly  20  and holster assembly  12 , and in particular the positive stopping mechanism,  FIG. 4  shows a back perspective exploded-view of the wireless mobile device carrier  10 . In accordance with at least some embodiments, the clothing clip assembly  20  further comprises a clip member  24 , backing member  26 , spring  28 , hinge pin  30  and cap  32 . The clip member  24  has a hook portion  34 , which hooks to an article of clothing (e.g., a belt) and also has a tab portion  36 . When the tab portion  36  is pressed, the clip member rotates about hinge pin  30 , causing the hook portion  34  to be positioned away from the backing member  26  for attachment to an article of clothing. Spring  28  biases hook portion  34  of the clip member  24  toward the backing member  26 , and thus to some extent holds the wireless communication device carrier on the article of clothing. The backing member  26  further comprises an aperture  38  having a plurality of circularly spaced grooves  40  (the grooves in some embodiments normal to a plane defined by the backing plate  26 ). Rod  42  fits in operational relationship with one of the plurality of grooves  40 . Cap  32  couples to corresponding portions (discussed below) of the holster assembly  12 , and while allowing relative rotational movement between the backing member  26  and the holster  12 , prevents those two devices from separating along an axis of rotation between them.  
         [0016]     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , the holster assembly  12  further comprises protrusions  44 . The protrusions  44  have a perimeter that defines a substantially circular shape, save a notch  46 . The substantially circular shape defined by the protrusions  44  has a diameter that is slightly less than that of the aperture  38 , and the protrusions  44  extend into the aperture  38  when assembled. The protrusions  44  also comprises a plurality of coupling members  52 , to which the cap  32  couples.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  shows a more detailed view of the interrelationship of the backing member  26 , protrusions  44 , notch  46  and rod  42 . In particular, rod  42  sits within the notch  46 , and further the rod  42  is in operational relationship with one of the plurality of grooves  40 . As the backing plate  26  is rotated relative to the holster assembly  12  (as indicated by arrow  48 ), the rod  42  moves from one of the plurality of grooves (e.g.,  40 A) to an adjacent one of the plurality of grooves (e.g.,  40 B). The combination of the notch  46 , rod  42  and portions of the backing member between the grooves  40  resist rotation of the backing member  26  relative to the holster assembly  12 . Thus when rod  42  is within a groove  40 , the combination acts as a positive stopping mechanism for relative rotation of the backing member  26  and the holster assembly  12 . In accordance with at least some embodiments, the rod  42  is metallic and substantially a solid circular cylinder. In alternative embodiments, the rod  42  may be made of other materials (e.g., high density plastics, or metal coated plastics), may be of different shapes (e.g., octagonal), or may be a hollow cylinder made of any suitable material. Although  FIG. 5  shows the plurality of grooves  40  placed in a circular array around the aperture  38 , in alternative embodiments the plurality of grooves extend only partially around the aperture, such as an arc of 180 degrees.  
         [0018]     In some embodiments the backing plate  26  may comprise a relief notch  50 , which also acts as one of the plurality of grooves  40 . The relief notch  50  enables slight deformation of the backing plate  26  to reduce the force needed to move the rod  42  from one of the plurality of grooves  40  to an adjacent one of the plurality of grooves.