Abstract:
A device for carrying mobile phones, PDAs, and other portable devices. The device includes a first attachment/detachment portion to be fixed to a back of the portable device. The attachment/detachment portion has a section of hook and loop, or double loop material. A second attachment/detachment portion has a second engagement portion that is attachably detachable to the first engagement portion, and further include a first fastener. A strap with second fastener is provided that clips to the first fastener.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This patent application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/374,717, filed on Apr. 23, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention is in the field of devices such as cellular telephones and PDA accessories, and more particularly a cellular telephone and PDA carrying system which permits a user easy access to the device.  
           [0003]    Cellular telephones and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices have grown in popularity in the U.S. and across the world over the last few years. Every year, tens of millions of cellular telephones and PDA devices are sold. While the size of these devices have generally shrunk, carrying these devices still present a concern. Various solutions have been developed to permit these devices to be worn on a person&#39;s clothing. For example, plastic holsters for holding cellular telephones and PDAs have become common, as are leather cases with belt clips. Holsters and clips may be fine while a person walks about, but if one sits down at a desk or in an automobile, the holster and clip may bind on the wearer and/or the device may come out. Moreover, if the user is not wearing a belt, for example, a woman wearing a dress without a belt, these holding devices cannot be used. Furthermore, these clips and cases may not complement a person&#39;s outfit. Some people carry their cellular telephone and PDA in a pocket. However, cellular telephones and PDAs carried in a pocket can be bulky and/or fall out. Furthermore, many garments such as some dresses, blouses, skirts, etc. do not have pockets. Others carry cellular telephones and PDAs in a purse, backpack or fanny pack. Carried as such, the cellular telephone and PDA can be difficult to retrieve quickly enough when the cellular phone rings to avoid the cellular telephone from being diverted. Also, if the purse is too small, the cellular telephone and PDA may not fit. Of course, if the user is not carrying a purse, fanny pack, backpack and the like, then he or she will not have that carrying option.  
           [0004]    There accordingly remains a need for a cellular telephone, PDA and electronic device carrying system that can be worn by men or women, without or without pockets, belts, purses, backpacks, fanny packs, and the like, and which permits easy access to the device at a moment&#39;s notice while securely holding the electronic device.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The invention provides a portable device, e.g. cellular telephone and PDA, carrying system that permits the device to be worn on a person&#39;s body, either on a shoulder strap, or on a belt loop.  
           [0006]    In one aspect of the invention, an attachment/detachable means is affixed to the back of the cellular telephone or PDA, and a complementary detachable attachment means is affixed to a belt hanger strap.  
           [0007]    In another aspect of the invention, an attachment/detachable means is affixed to the back of the cellular telephone, PDA or other electronic device, and a complementary detachable attachment means is affixed to one end of a shoulder strap. The shoulder strap can be provided in a variety of styles, colors, materials, and embellishments to coordinate with a user&#39;s outfit.  
           [0008]    In yet another aspect of the invention, the attachment/detachable means comprises a section of hook and loop material (or double hook material) which is permanently adhesively attached to the back of the cellular telephone or PDA, such as by contact adhesive. The complementary detachable attachment means has a flexible or rigid section of material to which complementary hook and loop material (or double hook material) is attached. The complementary detachable/attachment means further has a hook, snap buckle, or other attachment means for attachment to a strap or chain, or to a short strap for engagement with a belt. A safety strap can be provided on the complementary detachable/attachment means as an added feature to prevent inadvertent separation of the cellular telephone or PDA device from the complementary detachable attachment means. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a first embodiment of a cellular telephone, PDA, or other electronic device carrying system of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a back plan view of a sample cellular telephone with the detachable attachable means affixed thereto.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a side view of the exemplary cellular telephone secured to the electronic device carrying system of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a front plan view of a second embodiment of a cellular telephone, PDA, or other electronic device carrying system of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a back plan view of the electronic device carrying system of FIG. 4.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the electronic device carrying system of FIG. 4 with the carrying strap attached thereto.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a back plan view of a third embodiment of the electronic device carrying system.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8A is a back plan view of a fourth embodiment of the electronic device carrying system.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8B is a back plan view of a fifth embodiment of the electronic device carrying system.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a front view of a cellular telephone carried on the electronic device carrying system.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a front plan view of a chain with a male portion of a buckle on a chain for use with the electronic device carrying system.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a front plan view of a sixth embodiment of the electronic device carrying system.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of a portion of a seventh embodiment of an electronic device carrying system.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 13 is a side view of the electronic device carrying system of FIG. 12 being used to carry a cellular telephone and engaged with a belt.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 14 is a front view of the accessory carrying pouch on a strap of the electronic device carrying system.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 15 is a back plan view of the accessory carrying pouch on a strap of FIG. 14. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a first embodiment of a cellular telephone, PDA, or other portable device carrying system  8  of the invention, for attachment to a portable electronic device  10 , such as a cellular telephone (shown in FIG. 2) or a PDA. A section of detachably/attachable engagement material  12 , such as hook and loop material (e.g. Velcro®) or double hook material, is attached to the back of the electronic device  10 , e.g. by adhesive. A complementary detachable engagement material  14 , such as hook and loop material or double hook material, is attached to a body portion  16 , which can have a first integrally formed interlock snap buckle portion  18 . The body portion  16  and its integral interlock snap buckle portion  18  can be formed of plastic. A second interlock snap buckle portion  20  which engages with the first integrally formed interlock snap buckle portion  18  is engaged with a carrying strap  22 . Optional security straps  24  and  26  extend from the body portion  16 , and can have snaps  28  and  30  or other retention means or detachable attachment means, such as hook and loop material, hooks, etc. (not shown) to permit the security straps  24  and  26  to be attached together around the portable device  10 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a side view of the cellular telephone  10  secured to the electronic device carrying system  8 , with the detachable engagement material  12  on the back of cellular telephone  10  being engaged with the complementary detachable engagement material  14  on the front of the body portion  16 . The security straps  24  and  26  are engaged by their snaps  28  and  30  to help prevent the cellular telephone  10  from becoming inadvertently separated from the portable device carrying system  8 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIGS. 4 and 5 are a front and back plan view, respectively, of a second embodiment of a cellular telephone, PDA, or other electronic device carrying system  40  of the invention. In this embodiment, rather than being integrally formed with a body portion  42 , an interlock snap buckle portion  44  is attached to the body portion  42  by a strap  46 , which can comprise a portion of the detachable engagement material  12 , such as hook and loop material or double hook material, or can comprise a separate section of material. Optional safety straps  48  and  50  with snaps  52  and  54  extend from the body portion  42 . The body portion  42  can be formed of materials such as leather, vinyl, plastic, fabrics, etc.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the electronic device carrying system  40  of FIG. 4 with the carrying strap  22  on the second interlock snap buckle portion  20  engaged to first interlock snap buckle portion  20 .  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 7 is a back plan view of a third embodiment of the electronic device carrying system  50 . The embodiment has a detachable engagement strap  52 , which is attachable to a body portion  54  with an engagement means  54 , such as a screw. However, any other engagement means, such as clips, clasps, hooks, hook and loop material, etc., can be used.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8A is a back plan view of a fourth embodiment of the electronic device carrying system  60 , which has elastic straps  62  and  64  that extend over a back  66  of a body portion  68 . The elastic straps  62  and  64  are provided to permit small items, such a small wad of folded paper money, a driver&#39;s license, credit cards, any earphone and microphone unit or cord thereof, etc. to be securely carried on the back  66  of the body portion  68 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 8B is a back plan view of a fifth embodiment of the electronic device carrying system, which has a pocket made of elastic material  72  on a back  74  of a body portion  76  thereof. As with the fourth embodiment  60 , the pocket  72  is provided to permit small items, such a small wad of folder paper money, a driver&#39;s license, credit cards, any earphone and microphone unit or cord thereof, etc. to be securely carried on the back of the body portion  76  of the device.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 9 is a front view of a cellular telephone  10  carried on the electronic device carrying system  8 . As can be seen, the security straps  24  and  26  will act to restrain the cellular telephone and prevent it from inadvertently becoming separated.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 10 is a front plan view of a chain  80  with the second interlock snap buckle portion  20  attached thereto. In practice, the system can be provided with any number of styles of straps, chains, and the like to match a person&#39;s outfit. For example, for formal events, a very sleek and stylish chain or other elongate materials can be used. The second interlock snap buckle portion  20  will be adapted to engage with the rest of the system. If desired, the user can provide his or her own elongate materials as the strap portion.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 11 is a front plan view of a sixth embodiment of the electronic device carrying system  90 , which instead of using snap buckles, uses a button  92  on a body portion  94 , and has a clasp  96  which detachably engages with the button to prevent inadvertent detachment of the body portion  94  from the clasp  96 . Preferably, the button and clasp engagement permits movement of the body portion  94  relative to the clasp  96 . As with other embodiments, the body portion  94  carries the electronic device.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of a portion of a seventh embodiment of the electronic device carrying system  100 , which has a strap  102  with a section of detachable engagement material  104 , such as hook and loop material or double hook material, attached to a front surface  106  of the strap. Detachable attachment means  108  and  110 , such as sections of hook and loop material or double hook material are attached to portions of the back face  112  of the strap  102  (See FIG. 13 for section  110 .) Optional safety straps  112  and  114  are provided.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 13 is a side view of the electronic device carrying system  100  used to carry a cellular telephone  10 , and looped around a wearer&#39;s belt B. The sections of detachable attachment means  108  and  110  hold the strap  102  around the belt B, and the detachable engagement material  104  engages with the detachable engagement material  12  on the back of the cellular telephone.  
         [0037]    Of course, while the discussion of the various embodiments has been focused on cellular telephones, the device can be used with PDA, cameras, personal music players, radios, etc.  
         [0038]    While the embodiments of FIGS. 8A and 8B have means to carry small items on the back of the body portions thereof  54  and  66 , there can be provided an accessory carrying pouch  120  (e.g. with a zipper  122 ) which can be retained on the carrying strap  22 , as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, of which FIG. 14 is a front view and FIG. 15 is a rear view thereof. A retention means  124  can be used to hold the accessory carrying pouch  120  on the strap  22 , and can permit the accessory carrying pouch  120  to be slidably moved on the strap  22 . A similar type of pouch could also be provided to be carried directly on the body portion of the various embodiments, if desired.  
         [0039]    The safety straps shown in the various embodiments are merely representative of the sizes and shapes of possible safety straps. For example, a continuous band of flexible material could be used to wrap around the electronic device being restrained. Alternatively, resilient arms could be incorporated into the design of the body portion to prevent inadvertent separation of the device from the body portion.  
         [0040]    Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives, adaptations and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention being indicated by the claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.