Abstract:
A device cradle having a clip assembly for attaching the cradle to an external tube-shaped object. The cradle has an open receptacle sized and configured to removably hold a handheld electric device therein. The clip assembly has a substantially semicircular body with opposing first and second ends. The first end is pivotally connected to a flat surface of the cradle with the clip body. The second end is resiliently biased toward the flat cradle surface so as to form a substantially semicircular clipping aperture between the clip body and the flat cradle surface for releaseably and perpendicularly holding the external tube-shaped object therethrough.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to and is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/754,154, filed on Jan. 09, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and hereby claims the benefit thereof. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a device cradle removably holding an electrical device, such as a BMI calculator, and having a substantially semicircular clip assembly formed on a rear surface thereof for releaseably clipping an elongated cylindrical object such as a stethoscope tube. The present invention also relates to a method of advertising wherein the device housing is used as an advertising vehicle by disposing advertising material on an outer surface of the device cradle.  
         [0003]     In hospitals, doctors frequently need to perform various types of calculations, right on the spot while consulting patients or reviewing test results or medical records of patients, regarding patient&#39;s current physical condition for diagnosis, determination of the kind of treatment or dosage of a particular medication, or other various medical purposes. For this, doctors often carry various portable, handheld electronic devices such as a BMI (body mass index) calculators, countdown timers, or common hand calculators. Those usually medical devices, usually kept in pockets of doctors&#39; gowns or held in their hands are at a risk of loss or misplacement. Since a stethoscope is a must-carry medical tool worn by almost all doctors on duty, it would be advantageous to provide some means to detachably attaching such medical devices to the cylindrical tubing of a stethoscope. Further, doctors often have to use a handheld medical device of a different type or sometimes a same type but different one when rotating among different departments in a hospital or working at different hospitals. Therefore, instead of forming such an attachment means directly on a particular kind of a medical device, it would be more advantageous to provide a device cradle that can replaceably hold a standard-sized single kind of medical device, or even different kinds, and form aforementioned attachment means on the device cradle.  
         [0004]     The prior art discloses some portable electric devices having clips for attaching the device to an external object. Typically the structure of clips is straight and flat. Such clips are designed to attach the device to flat objects such as shirt pockets, belts, and car visors. Many of these types of clips have a spring biased mechanism that allows the clip to open and close, facilitating the application and removal of the associated device. Examples of these types of flat clips are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 276,512 to Webster, U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,931 to van Kuijk, U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,459 to Hyvonen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,281 to Kamp. A problem with these types of flat clips is that they do not work well, if at all, when used to secure a device to a cylindrically shaped object, for example, tubing or hoses. The tubing, when clipped under such clips, is easily dislodged from the clip, and further, may be undesirably compressed by the flat spring biased surface of the clips.  
         [0005]     There are other clips that are designed to secure to cylindrically shaped objects, for example, tubing and hoses. Circular hose clips as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,650 to Yamada and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,607 to Hohmann. These are not designed to be integrated into a device housing. Furthermore, although these may grip a hose or tubing, they are not readily removable without tools. Therefore these hose clamps are inappropriate for attaching to a device housing. U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,267 to Russell discloses a generally triangle-shaped clip formed by bending a single piece of metal, which has a separate mounting base for attaching to a thermostat bottom wall. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,906 to Posey discloses a substantially circular tube holder made from a thin elongated metal strip that is sized to hold a standard-sized hospital tubing. Those types of clips, however, do not have a substantially semicircular body that can form a substantially circular aperture on a flat device surface for holding cylindrical tubing therein, and further, are not pivotally openable for removing the tubing with ease. Further, the biasing force of those clips comes not from a separate biasing member, such as a spring, but from inherent resilience of their composing material, that is, resilient metal, and thus, the gripping force of such clips become weaker faster, due to metal fatigue, than the clips using a separate biasing member.  
         [0006]     What is lacking in the prior art is a device cradle that is capable of exchangeably retaining a portable electrical device such as a BMI calculator as well as securely and removably attaching to a cylindrically shaped external object such as the tubing of a stethoscope.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a device cradle sized and configured to exchangeably retain a single kind or different kinds of handheld electric devices.  
         [0008]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a clip that securely and removably attaches such a device cradle to an external cylindrically shaped object.  
         [0009]     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a clip that is easily attached and removed from an external cylindrically shaped object without tools or excessive force.  
         [0010]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a clip shaped so as not to unnecessarily and undesirably compress ,and thus potentially impair, soft rubber cylindrical tubing.  
         [0011]     Still another object of this invention is to provide a spring biased clip upon a cradle for holding a medical device such as a BMI calculator, that will removably attach the cradle to stethoscope tubing without compressing the tubing or impairing the function of the stethoscope.  
         [0012]     Yet another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive way to place multicolor advertising upon a device housing to attract the attention of the user and other viewers.  
         [0013]     These objects of this invention are accomplished by providing a spring biased clip attached to a device cradle. In the preferred embodiment, the device cradle is sized and configured to hold a BMI calculator.  
         [0014]     The device cradle with a clip assembly made in the present invention has a portable handheld cradle body having a receptacle sized and configured to removably and securably retain a particular electrical device therein and a substantially flat surface on which a clip assembly is mounted for thereby attaching the cradle to an external cylindrical tubing. The receptacle has an opening for inserting and removing the electrical device therethrough, and is bounded by four contiguous and generally perpendicular surfaces and by one surface generally opposed to the opening so as to define the shape of a generally rectangular box open at a side. The clip assembly has a substantially semicircular body and is pivotally connected to the flat surface of the cradle via clip flanges and cradle flanges formed on each such that the substantially semicircular body is positioned substantially perpendicularly to the flat cradle surface. The clip further has a biasing member such as coil spring disposed between the clip and the cradle such that an end of the clip pivotally moves between an open position and a closed position in which a substantially semicircular clipping aperture is formed between the clip body and the flat surface of the cradle for releaseably and perpendicularly clipping a generally tube-shaped object therethrough. The device cradle may further have advertising material on an outer surface thereof for advertising. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The foregoing objects, features, advantages and preferred embodiments of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a prospective view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a generally semicircular clip and a receptacle;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a prospective view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, holding an electric device in the receptacle;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a side opposing the side of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a side view of a device cradle made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrating the generally semicircular clip disassembled from the cradle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]     The accompanying Figures depict embodiments of the present invention, and features and components thereof. With regard to means for fastening, mounting, attaching or connecting the components of the present invention to form the apparatus as a whole, unless specifically described otherwise, such means are intended to encompass conventional fasteners such as machine screws, machine threads, snap rings, hose clamps such as screw clamps and the like, rivets, nuts and bolts, toggles, pins and the like. Components may also be connected by friction fitting, or by welding or deformation, if appropriate. Unless specifically otherwise disclosed or taught, materials for making components of the present invention are selected from appropriate materials such as metal, metallic alloys, natural or synthetic fibers, plastics and the like, and appropriate manufacturing or production methods including casting, extruding, molding and machining may be used. Any references to front and back, right and left, top and bottom, upper and lower, and horizontal and vertical are intended for convenience of description, not to limit the present invention or its components to any one positional or spacial orientation.  
         [0026]     Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a device cradle  100  made in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The device cradle  100  is fabricated of, preferably, plastic material, but in other embodiments may be fabricated from various other solid or semi-solid materials.  
         [0027]     In the preferred embodiment, the cradle  100  is sized and shaped to hold a well known BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator which can be removably fitted into the cradle  100  as shown in  FIG. 2 . For that, the device cradle  100  in the preferred embodiment has a shape of a generally rectangular box with one side open as shown in  FIG. 1 . The cradle  100  has a hollow receptacle  101  for retaining the BMI calculator therein through an opening  102 . The receptacle  101  is bounded, except at the opening  102 , by four substantially flat contiguous surfaces abutting the opening  102 , that is, top and bottom surfaces  110 ,  120 , and two side surfaces  130 ,  140 , and a rear surface  150  generally opposing the opening  102 . In the preferred embodiment, those five surfaces are generally perpendicular to one another, and further, the two side surfaces  130 ,  140  are extending from the rear surface  150  at an angle slightly greater than 90 degrees, thereby rendering the area occupied by the opening  102  slightly bigger than that of the the rear surface  150 , so as to have the receptacle  101  fit the particular shape of the BMI calculator. The five surfaces may be integrally molded, snap fitted, or attached to one another by screws, adhesives, or other attachment means well known in the art.  
         [0028]     For facilitating insertion and removal of the electrical device, the top and bottom surfaces  110  and  120  of the cradle  100  defines, in the preferred embodiment, a cut-in section  103  extending from edges of the opening  102  toward the rear surface  150  so that a user&#39;s finger may grasp the portion of the electrical device exposed through the cut-in section  103  during insertion or removal of the electrical device. But in other embodiment, such a cut-in section may not be present or may be defined on only a single surface of the cradle.  
         [0029]     Further, for securably retaining the electrical device within the receptacle  101 , even in the inverted position, a slight detent (not shown) may be formed on at least one of the inner surfaces of the receptacle so that the electrical device may be snap-fitted therein via the detent. Or, in another embodiment, the electrical device may be frictionally fitted into the receptacle.  
         [0030]     Although the device cradle is described above as having the shape shown in  FIGS. 1-8  in the preferred embodiment, the size and configuration of the device cradle are not so limited. In other embodiments, the device cradle may be sized and configured to hold different types of electrical devices such as a digital alarm clock, countdown timer, a hand calculator, an electronic note, or even a MP 3  player. Accordingly, the cradle may be differently shaped while bounded by a plurality of contiguously intersecting surfaces, depending on the particular shape of the electrical device chosen, provided that the cradle defines a receptacle therein with an access opening at a side thereof.  
         [0031]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , a clip assembly  200  is mounted on the substantially flat top surface  110 . The clip assembly  200 , in the preferred embodiment, comprises: a pair of cradle flanges  202  that are perpendicularly protruding from, and preferably integrally formed on, the top surface  110 ; a generally semicircular rigid clip body  210  having a proximal end  212  and a distal end  214 . A pair of clip flanges  220  are formed adjacent the proximal end  212  of the clip body  210 , which pivotally engages the cradle flanges  202  with the clip body  210  positioned substantially perpendicular to the flat cradle surface  110 . Such pivotal engagement is accomplished in the preferred embodiment via a transversely positioned guide pin  240  connecting axially aligned holes  230  defined in each of the clip flanges  220  and the cradle flanges  202 . With the guide pin  240  in place, the clip body  210  may pivotally rotate upon the top surface  110  between an open position and a closed position. A helical coil spring  250 , surrounding the outside of the guide pin  240  and located between the two cradle flanges  202 , biases the distal end  214  of the clip body  210  against the top surface  110  such that in the closed position a substantially semicircular aperture  211  is formed therebetween. One end of the helical coil spring  250  contacts top surface  110  and the other end contacts the generally semicircular rigid clip body  210 . Additionally, in the preferred embodiment, a foot plate  260  may be formed on the distal end  214 , and a leverage arm  270  may extend from the proximal end  212  of the clip body  210 .  
         [0032]     In the preferred embodiment, the rigid clip body  210  has a substantially semicircular shape. However, the present invention contemplates in other embodiments rigid clips of various other shapes, for example, arched, humped, or other angled shapes with an angle less than 180 degrees on the side of the clip closest to the cradle, as long as such shaped clips are capable of accommodating, without compressing, cylindrically shaped tubing.  
         [0033]     In the preferred embodiment an advertising indicia  300  may be disposed, preferably by imprinting, on at least one of the outer surfaces of the cradle  100  as shown in FIG. ( ). In that respect, the present invention also includes a method of advertising using the device cradle made according to the present invention. The method comprises the stapes of providing a device cradle having a substantially semicircular clip assembly as described above and disposing advertising indicia upon at least one of the outer visible surfaces of the device cradle  100 . Disposing advertising indicia may be accomplished by imprinting multi-colored advertising indicia directly upon an outer surface of the cradle  100  as shown in the preferred embodiment, or in another embodiment (not shown), by imprinting such indicia on an insert and attaching the insert upon one of the outer cradle surfaces via adhesives or other attachment means, and optionally, further placing fixedly or removably a transparent cover thereon.  
         [0034]     As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.