Holder for receiving an object provided with a button

The invention relates to a holder (1) for receiving an object (8) provided with a button (7), such as a cellular telephone. The holder (1) is provided with a receiving passage (5) for receiving the button (7), a resilient stop (10) for securing the button (7) in the receiving passage (5) when the object (8) provided with a button (7) is arranged in the holder, and a device for releasing the resilient stop (10), comprising a push button (12) located opposite the opening of the receiving passage. The holder (1) is characterized in that the releasable stop (10) and the push button (12) is one integral unit (13) which is pivotally arranged about an axis of rotation in the holder, wherein at least one resilient element is provided for countering rotation of the integral unit (13). Moreover the push button (12) is so arranged relative to the axis of rotation, that the resilient stop (10) may be released by pushing the push button (12).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a holder for receiving an object provided 
with a button, such as a cellular telephone, said holder comprising a 
receiving passage for receiving the button, a resilient stop for securing 
the button in the receiving passage when the object provided with a button 
is arranged in the holder, and a device for releasing the resilient stop 
comprising a push button located opposite the opening of the receiving 
passage. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Holders of this type are known e.g. for securing cellular telephones, 
pagers, etc., and are available in various configurations. 
Thus, Danish utility model No. 9500375 teaches a holder of the type 
described in the introductory part that consists of a unit moulded in a 
plastics material arranged with a through-going passage for being received 
on a strap or the like. This holder may secure an object provided with a 
button, such as a cellular telephone, since the button may be inserted 
into a receiving passage arranged at the front of the holder and secured 
therein by a resilient stop. 
The release of the resilient stop is brought about by pushing two push 
buttons arranged on the sides and which exert a pushing influence via 
inclined surfaces onto other inclined surfaces integral with the resilient 
stop whereby the resilient stop is forced backwards. The object provided 
with a button may subsequently be discharged from the receiving passage. 
More over a device is known having a corresponding push device for 
releasing the resilient stop, wherein the push button is arranged above 
the opening of the receiving passage. In this prior art device the 
resilient stop is made of spring steel while the remaining part of the 
holder consists of several plastics components which are subsequently 
assembled. The mechanism for transmitting the movement of the push button 
to allow the resilient stop to release the button on the relevant object 
comprises i.e. a separate spring. 
The known holders for receiving an object provided with a button are 
comparatively complex to manufacture since they comprise closed passages 
for receiving push buttons which presupposes complex and thus expensive 
tools. Moreover the known holders are ass-ambled from a multitude of 
individual components which also contributes to making the manufacturing 
process more complex and expensive, and increases the risk of malfunctions 
in the end product. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder for securing 
an object provided with a button, which holder does not suffer from the 
drawbacks associated with known holders. 
This is obtained with a holder of the kind described in the introductory 
part which is characterized in that the resilient stop and the push button 
are in the form of one integral unit which is pivotally arranged about an 
axis of rotation in the holder, wherein at least one resilient element is 
provided for countering rotation of the integral unit, an that the push 
button is so arranged relative to the axis of rotation that the resilient 
stop may be released by pushing the push button. 
Such arrangement of the holder allows for a simple and reliable 
construction which may be manufactured with more unsophisticated tools 
than the known holders. 
Moreover the holder according to the invention is assembled from very few 
components, and by allowing the resilient element to consist of a 
torsionally resilient element between the integral unit 3 and the 
remaining part of the holder 1 a particularly simple spring construction 
is obtained. 
The torsionally resilient element may consist of an integral torsion 
element whereby this element integal unit 13 resilient stop/push button 
and the remaining part of the holder may be manufactured in one piece with 
ensuing considerable savings in manufacturing costs. 
When the push button protrude above the opening of the receiving passage as 
featured in claim 4, the resilient stop may be released by a substantially 
downward push with e.g. one's thumb, which is an ergonomically natural 
movement when the object provided with a button is to be removed from the 
holder. 
The holder may have a passage for receiving a strap whereby the holder may 
be strapped or belted. Thus it is possible for a person to carry the 
holder in his belt which is particularly convenient if the holder is used 
to carry a cellular telephone or a pager. 
When the passage is slotted, the holder may be arranged on the belt without 
initial loosening thereof. This solution is of particular interest for 
instance if the holder is to be fitted and taken off several times a day.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a holder 1 according to 
the invention. The holder consists of an injection-moulded plastics unit 
which, in the embodiment shown, is injection-moulded in one step, i.e. the 
entire holder 1 is in one piece. 
The holder 1 is provided with a passage 2 for receiving a not shown strap, 
the passage 2 being delimited by the outer wall 3 of the holder. In the 
embodiment shown the one wall of the holder 1 is slotted so as to form a 
gap 4 to be used when the holder is to he fitted with a strap, as will 
become apparent below. 
Moreover the holder 1 is provided with a receiving passage 5 delimited by a 
rounded wall 6. The receiving passage 5 is adapted for receiving a button 
7, cf. FIG. 3, located on the object 8 desired to be contained in the 
holder 1. Above the receiving passage 5, inclined guide surfaces 9 are 
arranged which may be of assistance when the button 7 on the object 8 is 
to be inserted into the receiving passage 5. 
Behind the receiving passage 5 a resilient stop 10 is provided which has a 
retaining edge 11 arranged for retaining the button 7 when arranged at the 
bottom of the receiving passage 5. The resilient stop 10 in combination 
with a push button 12 that protrudes above the opening of the receiving 
passage 5 constitute an integral unit 13. In the embodiment shown the 
integral unit 13 consists of the resilient stop 10 and the push button 12 
moulded integrally with the remaining part of the holder 1 via a 
transition piece 14 that acts as a torsion spring during use of the holder 
1. 
The use of the container 1 will be subject to more detailed description in 
the following, reference still being made to the preferred embodiment 
shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. 
A strap, e.g. a belt, is mounted on the holder 1 by conveying the holder 1 
downwards behind the belt, while simultaneously opening the gap 4 to such 
an extent that the belt is permitted to pass through the gap 4 and into 
the passage 2. The holder 1 is to be so arranged that the receiving 
passage 5 faces away from the person wearing the holder 1. 
The object 8 to be received in the holder 1 may typically be a cellular 
telephone or a pager, but other objects may also be relevant. For the sake 
of clarity, however, the object 8 will be designated the cellular 
telephone 8 in the following. The button 7 may be mounted on the cellular 
telephone 8 in a variety of ways which is of no consequence for the 
present invention. Thus, the button 7 may be attached to the cellular 
telephone 8 by gluing or any other type of attachment or it may be 
integral with the back of the cellular telephone 8. 
When it is desired to arrange the cellular telephone 8 in the holder 1, the 
button 7 is inserted into the receiving passage 5 until it reaches the 
bottom thereof. While the button 7 is inserted into the receiving passage 
5, the resilient stop 10 is resiliently pushed backwards due to the 
thickened portion thereof which leads to the retaining edge 11. At the 
moment when the button 7 has been inserted so far that it has passed the 
retaining edge 11, which happens shortly before the button 7 reaches the 
bottom of the receiving passage 5, the resilient stop 10 flexes back to 
its starting position shown in FIG. 2. In this position the retaining edge 
11 retains the button 7 and thereby prevents unintentional falling out or 
removal of the cellular telephone 8 from the holder 1. The return of the 
resilient stop 10 to its starting position when the button 7 has passed 
the retaining edge 11 takes place with an audible click which is a signal 
to the user that the cellular telephone 8 is correctly positioned in the 
holder 1. 
When the cellular telephone 8 is to be removed from the holder 1 the push 
button 12 is pushed down which means that the integral portion 13 
consisting of the resilient stop 10 and the push button 12 as a whole will 
pivot in the direction of the arrow F in FIG. 2, the integral part 13 and 
the remaining part of the holder 1 being connected only via an integrally 
moulded torsion element 14 with a comparatively small cross section. Owing 
to the resistance of the torsion element 14 against twisting, the pivoting 
of the integral portion 13 will be very restricted but extensive enough 
for the retaining edge 11 to be pivoted so far back that the cellular 
telephone 8 with the button 7 is freely removable from the holder 1. 
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is particularly advantageous from an 
ergonomical point of view since downwards pushing of the push button 12 
with e.g. one's thumb may be a completely natural movement while 
simultaneously lifting the cellular telephone 8 with the remaining part of 
one's hand for removal from the holder 1. 
Since the downwardly oriented push exerted on the push button 12 also 
effects advancement thereof due to the pivoting in the direction of the 
arrow F, it is also possible to dimension the push button 12 to completely 
prevent unintentional release of the resilient stop 10 when the cellular 
telephone 8 is in its usual holding position. This may be obtained e.g. by 
arranging the button 7 at such distance from the top of the cellular 
telephone which exceeds the distance from the bottom of the receiving 
passage 5 to the top of the push button 12. Hereby the cellular telephone 
8 will, in its usual holding position, extend beyond the push button 12, 
and if the push button 12 simultaneously extends forwards for abutment on 
the back of the cellular telephone 8, release of the resilient stop 10 is 
completely prevented for as long as the cellular telephone 8 is in this 
usual holding position. In order to release the resilient stop 10, it is 
necessary to carry out a pivoting of the cellular telephone 8 to the 
horizontal position about the button 7 whereby free access to the push 
button 12 is obtained. 
In the embodiment shown the torsion element 14 is shown as being moulded 
integrally with the remaining part of the holder 1. However, this need not 
be the case since other alternatives for the spring mechanism are 
perceivable without departing from the idea of the invention. Thus the 
torsion element 14 may consist of a separate torsion element that connects 
the integral portion 13 with the remaining part of the holder 1 and which 
is not mounted until after injection moulding of the two portions which in 
combination constitute the holder 1 in this embodiment. 
The torsion element 14 may also be replaced by a freely pivotable 
connection between the integral portion 13 and the remaining part of the 
holder 1 whereby the flexing properties of the resilient stop 10 may be 
obtained e.g. by means of thin flaps originating in the holder 1 for loose 
abutment on the back of the resilient stop 10. 
It is also possible for the holder 1 to be configured for arrangement not 
only on a strap, e.g. for mounting on a wall, or as a clip for fitting on 
the waistband or the shirt pocket. Moreover the holder may be made of 
other materials than plastics.