Abstract:
A retainer configured for attachment to objects and for carrying personal appliances such as, but not limited to, a cell phone or a music player. The retainer comprising two members held together in substantially parallel relationship by a unshaped joiner at one end and by a ramp attached to the interior side of one of the members toward the other end. The ramp has exterior and interior slopes that allow easy ingress and egress of the retainer onto objects that separate the members as the retainer is pushed on and pushed off the object.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field 
         [0002]    The disclosed embodiments relate generally to a retaining device allowing one to carry and easily attach and detach an appliance, such as a cell phone or a PDA (personal digital appliance) to and from another object. 
         [0003]    2. Discussion of the Relevant Art 
         [0004]    Cell phones are widely proliferated throughout our society. More and more functionality, such as voice, text, photography, calendaring and email access, is being integrated within the cell phone. These units are evolving into portable, handheld devices often referred to as a personal digital appliance (hereafter collectively the “PDA”). Users are used to carrying their PDA&#39;s in their pockets, pocket books and generally about their person, allowing them to receive calls, send/receive email, access their personal information and the like. 
         [0005]    A logical place for a PDA is in a pocket, which is at times undesirable. Accordingly, some users employ retainers allowing prompt access to their PDA. The challenge, however, is that such retainers are cumbersome. Namely, they do not provide for simple and prompt ingress and egress of the retainer from the object to which it is attached. One often frustratingly wrestles with the retainer, especially when the cell phone rings and the user tries to take it out before the call is lost. Others have a sinusoidal ingress and egress, but are frustratingly inflexible and are attached to a flexible body, providing for insufficiently difficult ingress and egress of the retainer, especially when it is attached to clothing, belt or a handbag; similarly leaving the user frustrated. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The disclosed embodiments illustrate and describe a transport retainer designed to provide simple ingress to and egress from an object to which the transport retainer attaches. The disclosed transport retainer is described having two continuous, conjoined and substantially parallel members positioned in a spaced apart, face to face relationship. A deformable and resilient, unshaped joiner is attached to or is integrally extending from each of the respective ends of the two members, thereby positioning the members in their substantially parallel arrangement. Toward the opposite end of the members, the two members are separated by a ramp having exterior and interior slopes commencing and terminating at one of the members. The two slopes meet at the top and are positioned relative to a matching channel in the opposite member, so that the top of the two slopes is seated within the matching channel. The interior slope, the inner perimeter of the joiner and the inner surfaces of the members define an aperture intended for a host object such as a belt, clothing, purse strap or another object chosen by its user. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, in operation, the user attaches the retainer to a host object by pushing the retainer onto a host along the exterior slope of the ramp without the user having to initially separate the members and without substantially deforming the host object. With the downward force on the retainer against an object, the force is applied along the exterior slope and thus the object moves up relative to and up the exterior slope until it contacts and pushes the interior of the member opposite the members with the ramp. The applied force continues to push the retainer onto the host object causing the object to temporarily separate the rigid members while the object enters the aperture defined by the interior of the joiner, the interior of the members and the interior slope. After the host object moves through and past the top of the ramp, the joiner returns the top of the ramp to its normally biased resting position against the channel and the object continues to descend through the interior slope and into the aperture. The resilient nature of the joiner, normally biased in its resting position, returns the members to their nominal substantially parallel positions, thus closing the perimeter of the aperture about the host object. 
         [0008]    When the user is ready to remove the retainer from the object, he/she reverses the afore-described process. In the egress the object moves along the interior slope, unseating the ramp from the channel and similarly temporarily separating the members allowing the egress of the host object from the aperture. The bias of the joiner returns the top of the slopes to the matching channel. Accordingly, the retainer is easily placed, securely seated and subsequently removed about a host object without the user having to actively separate the members of the retainer for ingress and egress of the retainer about a host object or substantially deforming the object. 
         [0009]    Moreover, the retainer is configured to carry a PDA with a mating connector attached to or integrally formed on one of the members. A PDA is permanently or selectively attached to and detached from the retainer and the retainer is in turn selectively attached and detached to a host object. As disclosed, the ingress and egress of the retainer, with or without a PDA, onto or from an object is achieved by pushing the retainer, without the user having to actively separate the members. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a representative retainer described in this specification; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of a representative retainer described in this specification; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a representative retainer attached to a cradle; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a representative retainer attached to a movable cradle; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective, detailed view of the interior slope, exterior slope and the respective seating channel of a representative retainer; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a representative retainer positioned for attachment to a host object; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a representative retainer moving along a host object; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a host object positioned within the aperture of a representative retainer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    Shown in  FIG. 1 , is a representative embodiment of the disclosed retainer  101 . Retainer  101  generally comprises a first member  103  and a second member  105 . Members  103  and  105  are substantially rectangular having a width, length and height dimensions. Members  103  and  105  are substantially parallel with respect to each other in their nominal resting position. Although it is foreseeable that the functionality of the disclosed embodiments could be replicated by members  103  and  105  that are not parallel. Member  103  is defined by oppositely disposed, substantially rigid bottom portion  107 , top portion  111  and sides  109 . Similarly, member  105  is defined by oppositely disposed, substantially rigid bottom portion  121 , a top portion  115  and sides  117 . It should be also noted that the embodiments throughout this description are described in terms of functional sections. However, the functionality of members  103  and  105  along with joiner  113  could be formed or described as a single device formed in u-shape or a shape substantially similar thereto. Inventor intends the scope of this description and the accompanying claims to cover both of such implementations and/or structures throughout each of the disclosed embodiments. 
         [0019]    Top portions  111  and  115  are joined by a joiner  113 . In one embodiment joiner  113  is a resilient, substantially rigid, u-shaped and an integral continuation of top portions  111  and  115 , having a diameter allowing it to join and maintain members  103  and  105  in a substantially parallel, face-to-face position. As mentioned above, the diameter of joiner  113  could exceed or be less than the distance between the bottom of members  107  and  121  delivering the same or substantially equivalent results. For sake of clarity and ease of reading, the embodiments will be described in view of substantially parallel arrangement of members  103  and  105 . 
         [0020]    In another embodiment (not shown) joiner  113  could be constructed in a different shape than members  103  and  105 , but continuing to position members  103  and  105  in a face-to-face arrangement. Yet in another embodiment, joiner  113  could be structured to attach to members  103  and  105 , either selectively or in a manufacturing process; again maintaining members  103  and  105  in a substantially face-to-face position. Moreover, joiner  113  could be constructed of plastic, polymer, ceramic or any other material. For simplicity of use and/or manufacture, however, the entire device  101  may be constructed from the same material, utilizing a single mold and simplifying the manufacturing process. If constructed of plastic or ceramic materials, the user could wear or keep retainer  101  while going through security checkpoints, which are becoming more commonplace. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , another characteristic of joiner  113  of the described device is its resiliency, allowing members  103  and  105  to move and separate about their bottom portions  107  and  121  as shown at  211 . As bottom portions  107  and  121  are separated from each other along direction  211 , the separation selectively and temporarily deforms the idle, face to face arrangement between members  103  and  105 . The rigid nature of members  103  and  105  substantially preserves and maintains members&#39;  103  and  105  nominal shapes and transfers the force applied to separate bottom portions  107  and  121  to resilient joiner  113 . Resilient joiner  113  deforms or flexes allowing the separation of members  103  and  105 , and upon release of the force along  211  returns to its original shape and thereby returns members  103  and  105  to their nominal, idle positions, where a ramp top  129  is seated in a matching channel  127 . 
         [0022]    Attached to or formed integrally with one of members  103  and/or  105  is a ramp  119 . As shown, ramp  119  has an exterior slope  123  and an interior slope  125  coming to ramp top  129 . Ramp  119  is generally matched to the dimensions of its host member  103  and/or  105 . Moreover, the distance between the ramp top  129  and its member  105  gauges the distance between the lower portions  107  and  121  of members  103  and  105 . Ramp  119  could be solid or its middle  227  could be hollow to conserve weight, materials or simply for esthetic value. Aperture  231  is defined by the interior perimeters of joiner  113 , members  103  and  105 , interior slope  125 , along with the radius dimension of joiner  113  and height of ramp  119 . As will be described in further detail below, aperture  231  is used to house an object about the user, thereby attaching retainer  101  to objects about the user. 
         [0023]    Shown in  FIG. 3  is a device  301 , comprising carrying means  303 , such as a cradle attached to retainer  101 . Cradle  303  is representative of a means for carrying a device such as a cell phone or a music player. For example, cradle  303  illustrated in this  FIG. 3  is structured for a cell phone. A bottom portion  307  is dimensioned to accept the bottom portion of a cell phone when seated in cradle  303 . To securely retain the cell phone in cradle  303 , retaining stop  305  is constructed toward the opposite, top portion of cradle  303 . Stop  305  is configured to seat in a respective indent or seat formed in the cell phone. Moreover, the exemplary cradle  303  employs a leveraging member  309 . Member  309  is used to temporarily deflect the resilient portion of cradle  303  adjacent or attached to stop  305  to position stop  305  over or in the area of the respective indent or seat formed in the cell phone. Given the resilient properties of at least that portion of cradle  303 , stop  305  seats, resuming its initial shape and the shape of cradle  303 , thereby securing the cell phone within cradle  303 . To remove the cell phone, similarly, member  309  is used to temporarily retreat back the resilient portion of cradle  303  adjacent or attached to stop  305  to release  305  from the respective indent or seat formed in the cell phone. Once the stop is unseated, the cell phone is removed from cradle  303  and once the member  309  is released, its resilient properties return it and cradle  303  to their original shape. Similarly, one could retain PDAs, music players or any other small device. 
         [0024]    Similar to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  illustrates a device  401  comprising cradle  303  attached to retainer  101 , where the attachment means  405  between cradle  303  and retainer  101  is a ratchet mechanism. In another embodiment attachment means  405  may be a simpler hinge. In other embodiments a cell phone and retainer  101  may be matched to corresponding means for attaching the cell phone to retainer  101 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 4 , attachment means  405  allows cradle  303  to swivel along axis  403 . Such swivel allows the user to comfortably or functionally position cradle  303  and/or a cell phone seated therein. As before, the same applies to PDAs, music players or any other small device. 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  illustrates ramp  119  in further detail. Ramp  119  comprises interior slope  125  and exterior slope  123 , joining together at slope top  129 . As illustrated, slope top  129  is a substantially straight line. In one embodiment slope top  129  has blunt characteristics to avoid damage to its user, clothing or items that pass by it. Although illustrated in its simplest or most logical form, ramp  119  could be of any shape or configuration providing an exterior slope  123  for ingress and an interior slope  125  for egress of retainer  101  to and from an article. Logically, ramp  119  is substantially matched to one or more dimensions of members  103  and  105 . However, alternate embodiments of ramp  119  and/or member(s)  103  and  105  could be configured to different dimensions as well, yet maintain the functionality of ingress and egress facilitated by slopes  123  and  125 . 
         [0026]    Also illustrated in greater detail in  FIG. 5  is channel  127 . Channel  127  is configured to match the dimensions and position of slope top  129 . In one embodiment, channel  129  is a recess forming an indented seat to match slope top  129 . Other configurations are possible as well (not illustrated). For example, channel  129  may be a formed bead of material matching a corresponding seat recess (not illustrated) formed on slope top  129 . Yet other embodiments may be some combination of the two. Overall, channel  127  and slope top  129  have a corresponding relationship allowing the two to have a definitive engagement when retainer  101  is in its idle, normally resting position. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  illustrates the ingress of retainer  101  over an article, such as a belt  603 . The user positions retainer  101  between the interior of the respective lower portions  107  and  121  of members  103  and  105  over article  603  and moves retainer  101  down substantially along the axis  313 . This movement positions exterior slope of ramp  123  along article  603 . As the user continues to move retainer  101  in the downward direction along axis  313 , exterior slope  123  moves along article  603  without the user having to actively separate members  103  and  105  or the lower portions  107  and  121 . As article  603  reaches the top of exterior slope  123 , it is resisted by the seated slope top  129  seated in channel  127 . As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , additional downward force along axis  313  through retainer  101  separates ramp  119  and slope top  129  from channel  127 . This allows retainer  101  to temporarily deform at joiner  113  after passing over article  603  along its exterior slope  123  and slope top  129 . Once slope top  129  clears article  603 , joiner  113  returns members  103  and  105  to their normal resting position, where slope top  129  rests in channel  127 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the resilient characteristic of joiner  113  returns members  103  and  105 , as well as slope top  129  and channel  127  to their normal positions, thereby confining article  603  about aperture  231 . Note that the force in the downward direction of axis  313  labors the separation along axis of separation  211  of members  103  and  105 , without requiring the user to actively separate tables  103  and  105  in the ingress of retainer  101  about article  603  toward its confined position in aperture  231 . 
         [0028]    This design also allows the use of retainer  101  with articles  603  having dimensions exceeding aperture  231 . In such cases, the ingress of retainer  101  will function as described below, except that article  603  will not clear or fully pass by slope top  129  and channel  127 . In this scenario, the resilient characteristics of joiner  113  will maintain a force along axis  211  along slope top  129  against article  603  and maintain retainer  101  engaged with article  603 . Once again, this embodiment allows the user to place retainer  101  in engagement with article  603  without having to initially and actively separate members  103  and  105  along axis  211 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 8  illustrates article  603  confined in aperture  231  and slope top  129  seated in channel  127 . In the egress, to remove retainer  101  from article  603 , the user applies an upward force through retainer  101  along axis  313 ; thereby moving article  603  along exterior slope  125  toward slope top  129 . As in the ingress, force along axis  313  temporarily separates members  103  and  105  and correspondingly unseats or further separates slope top  129  from channel  127 , without the user having to actively separate the same. As shown in  FIG. 7 , article  603  passes between slope top  129  and member  105  until it clears slope top  129  and is then clear of confinement of aperture  231  and retainer  101 . The resilient properties of joiner  113  return members  103  and  105  and correspondingly slope top  129  and channel  127  to their normal positions. 
         [0030]    Another desirable aspect of the disclosed embodiments is the ability to form retainer  101  and/or cradle  303  and/or attachment means  405  from a ceramic and/or plastic material free or substantially free of metal content. This facilitates ease of manufacturing and allows the user to maintain the described device on his/her person while passing through security check points, such as the ones at the airports; thereby further adding value. In other applications, the disclosed retainer embodiments may be formed from metal or other materials to suit the application. Yet in alternate embodiments, device  101  could be configured to achieve the aforementioned results by employing deformable and resilient member  103  and/or member  105 . 
         [0031]    While the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a degree of latitude or modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure. It will be appreciated that in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without corresponding use of other features without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth.