Abstract:
A method of connecting a belt clip attachment device to a personal electronic device such as a mobile phone includes providing a belt clip attachment device for connecting the mobile phone to a belt clip, the belt clip attachment device and the rear of the mobile phone constructed so that the belt clip attachment device connects to the rear side of the mobile phone through a push and twist action on the belt clip attachment device; and connecting the belt clip attachment device to the rear side of the mobile phone by pushing and twisting the belt clip attachment device relative to the rear side of the mobile phone.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the field of belt clip attachment devices for attaching personal electronic devices such as wireless mobile phones to belt clips. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Belt clips and belt clip attachment devices have been proposed in the past for connecting a mobile phone to the belt of a user. These belt clips and attachment devices have suffered from a number drawbacks, some of which include: the belt clips are too large and bulk, making them uncomfortable and obtrusive; use of the mobile phone with the belt clip often requires extra material on the sides of the mobile phone to attach the mobile phone to the belt clip (this is fine when the mobile phone is attached to the belt clip, but when the mobile phone is being used, the extra material makes the mobile phone bulky); often the belt clip is specific for a particular type of mobile phone, making the belt clip inoperable with other mobile phones; some belt clip attachment devices are difficult to install and/or difficult to remove from the mobile phone; the design of some belt clips and belt clip attachment devices inadvertently allows the mobile phone to pop off of the belt clip. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above drawbacks and others are addressed by the belt clip and belt clip attachment device of the present invention. 
     An aspect of the invention involves a belt clip attachment device that attaches to an existing battery door latch on the rear side of a mobile phone. The belt clip attachment device includes a unique design that allows it to attach and lock to the battery door latch with a unique pushing and rotating motion. The belt clip attachment device and a corresponding belt clip may have cooperative configurations that allow the belt clip attachment device and mobile phone to be connected to the belt clip at numerous possible orientations with respect to the user&#39;s belt. The belt clip attachment device may also be connected to a wide variety of generic belt clips currently on the market. The belt clip attachment device is universal in that it may be used with a variety of different mobile phones that are configured for attachment thereto. 
     Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a review of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments set forth below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a mobile phone and a belt clip attachment device constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a front elevational view of a battery compartment door and a door latch. 
         FIG. 1C  is a side elevational view of the battery compartment door and the door latch of  FIG. 1B . 
         FIG. 1D  is a perspective view of the belt clip attachment device illustrated in  FIG. 1A . 
         FIGS. 1E–1G  illustrate a cross-sectional view of the belt clip attachment device and a rear portion of the mobile phone illustrated in  FIG. 1A , and show an exemplary method of attaching the belt clip attachment device to the door latch of the battery compartment door. 
         FIGS. 1H–1K  illustrate a front elevational view, a side elevational view, a rear elevational view, and a perspective view of an embodiment of a belt clip that may be used with the belt clip attachment device shown in  FIG. 1A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A–1K , an embodiment of a universal belt clip attachment device or knob  100  used to connect a mobile phone  110  to a belt clip  120  will now be described. Although the universal belt clip attachment device  100  will be described as being used to connect a mobile phone  110  to a belt clip  120 , the universal belt clip attachment device  100  may be used to connect other personal electronic devices to the belt clip  120 . Before describing the belt clip attachment device  100 , the mobile phone  110  will first be described. 
     The mobile phone  110  includes a housing  130  with a rear side  140  and a substantially elliptical battery compartment door  150  detachably locked to the rear side  140  through a battery compartment door latch  160 . The battery compartment door  150  includes a top curved edge  170  and a bottom curved edge  172 . Adjacent the bottom curved edge  172 , the battery compartment door  150  may include a tang (not shown) for use in attaching the battery compartment door  150  to the housing  130 . The top curved edge  170  may include a semi-circular cut out  180  near the center of the top curved edge  170 . 
     As shown best in  FIGS. 1C ,  1 D, a substantially C-shaped latch arm  190  extends from the top curved edge  170  at the semi-circular cut out  180 . A tang  200  extends laterally from the latch arm  190  and is used to retain the battery compartment door latch  160  to the housing  130 . The latch arm  190  terminates in a circular, disc-shaped latch actuator  210 . When the battery compartment door  150  is in position in the rear side  140  of the housing  130 , a circular recess  220  is formed around the latch actuator  210 . In an alternative embodiment, the latch  160  may be connected to the housing  130  instead of the battery compartment door  150 . Two pegs  222  extend laterally from the housing  130  and are received by the belt clip attachment device  100  in a manner to be described. Alternatively, the two pegs  222  may extend from the battery compartment door  150  such as from the latch arm  190 . Further, in alternative embodiments the number of pegs  222  may be other than 2 (e.g., 1, 3, etc.). The battery compartment door  150  may be a thin member as shown, or may be part of a thicker member such as part of a rechargeable battery, fuel cell, or other renewable power source. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1D , the belt clip attachment device, adapter, or knob  100  will now be described in more detail. The belt clip attachment device  100  includes a belt clip engagement member  240  having a starburst configuration. In alternative embodiments, the belt clip engagement member  240  may have configurations other than a starburst configuration. For example, but not by way of limitation, the belt clip engagement member  240  may have a circular configuration, an elliptical configuration, an oval configuration, a curvilinear configuration, or a rectilinear configuration. The belt clip engagement member  240  includes a central circular well  242  and a plurality of outwardly curved radiating projections  244  joined by respective inwardly curved connection portions  246 . An upper cylindrical member  248  joins the belt clip engagement member  240  to a lower cylindrical hub  250 . 
     Opposite C-shaped slots  260  are located in the lower cylindrical hub  250 . Although two slots  260  are described, other numbers of slots  260  may be used (e.g., 1, 3, 4, etc.). Each slot  260  may include an insertion/removal tack  262 , a rotation track  264 , and a locking track  266 . A stop or post  268  may separate the insertion/removal track  262  from the locking track  266 . A resilient member  270  (See  FIGS. 1E–1G ) may be located within the upper cylindrical member  248  and the lower cylindrical hub  250 . Exemplary resilient members that may be used for the resilient member  270  include, but not by way of limitation, an elastic rubber disc and a spring. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1E–1G , attachment of the belt clip attachment device  100  to the mobile phone  110  will now be described. As shown in  FIG. 1E , the belt clip attachment device  100  is attached to the mobile phone  110  by aligning the insertion/removal track  262  of the belt clip attachment device  100  with the lateral pegs  222  ( FIG. 1A ), and pressing and inserting the open circular end of the lower cylindrical hub  250  over the circular latch actuator  210  so that the lateral pegs  222  are slidably received into the insertion/removal track  262 . The resilient member  270  urges the belt clip attachment device  100  in the opposite direction, so an opposite pushing pressure is required to overcome the pressure exerted by the resilient member  270 . As shown in  FIG. 1F , the belt clip attachment device  100  is then rotated or twisted while maintaining this pushing force so that the lateral pegs  222  are slidably received in the rotation track  264  past the stop  268 . As shown in  FIG. 1G , the belt clip attachment device  100  is then released so that the resilient member  270  urges the belt clip attachment device  100  outward and the lateral pegs  222  are slidably received in the locking track  266  until the lateral pegs  222  abut the stop  268 . In the position shown in  FIG. 1G , the belt clip attachment device  100  is locked in place. 
     To unlock the belt clip attachment device  100  from the mobile phone  110 , the belt clip attachment device  100  is pressed towards the mobile phone  110 , rotated in a direction opposite to that shown in  FIG. 1F , and then released and removed from the circular latch actuator  210 . 
     Although the belt clip attachment device  100  is described as being attached to the battery compartment door latch  160 , in alternative embodiments, the mobile phone  110  may have an alternative configuration where the belt clip attachment device  100  attaches to the rear side  140  of the mobile phone  110  at an alternative location. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1H–1K , an embodiment of a belt clip  120  that the universal belt clip attachment device  100  may be used with will now be described. The belt clip  120  includes a belt attachment section  300  and an opposite-facing phone attachment section  310 . 
     The belt attachment section  300  includes a back plate  320  and a clip  330  pivotally attached to the back plate  320  by a pivot mechanism  340 . The pivot mechanism  340  preferably includes a spring (not shown) to urge the clip  330  in the position shown in  FIGS. 1H–1K . An upper part of the clip  330  includes a pivot control member  350  and a lower part of the clip  330  includes a closed end  360 . A belt-receiving recess  370  is formed between the clip  330 , the back plate  320 , the pivot mechanism  340  and the closed end  360 . 
     The phone attachment section  310  includes an elongated narrow frame  380 . A rear portion  390  of the frame  380  slidably receives an actuation member or plunger  400 . The actuation member  400  includes side flanges that are slidably received by a track of the rear portion  390  of the frame  380 . An upper part of the actuation member  400  includes a broad thumb-engagement portion  410 . A lower part of the actuation member  400  include a hole that slidably receives a movable locking tang  420 . The movable locking tang  420  and the actuation member  400  preferably include respective springs (not shown) to urge the tang  420  and the actuation member  400  in the positions shown in  FIG. 1K . Adjacent a bottom of the actuation member  400 , the actuation member  400  includes one or more stops (not shown) that cooperate with the projections  244  and connection portions  246  of the belt clip engagement surface  240  to maintain the belt clip attachment device  100  (and the mobile phone  110 ) in a desired orientation. 
     A front portion  430  of the frame  380  has a substantially C-shaped configuration with an elongated central recess  440  for slidably receiving the cylindrical hub  250  of the belt clip attachment device  100  and opposite tracks  450  for slidably receiving the belt clip engagement member  240  of the belt clip attachment device  100 . 
     When the belt clip attachment device  100  (with attached mobile phone  110 ) is slid to the position shown in  FIGS. 1H ,  1 I, the belt clip engagement member  240  contacts and urges the movable locking tang  420  rearward. Once the belt clip engagement member  240  clears the movable locking tang  420 , the movable locking tang  420  is urged by its spring to the position shown in  FIG. 1K  so that the movable locking tang  420  is disposed within the well  242  of the belt clip attachment device  100 . The tang  420  within the well  242 , in addition to the one or more stops of the actuation member  400  engaged with the projections  244  and connection portions  246  of the belt clip engagement surface  240 , lock the belt clip attachment device  100  (and mobile phone  110 ) in the position shown in  FIGS. 1H ,  1 I, or other desired orientation relative to the user&#39;s belt that the user selects. 
     In the embodiment of the belt clip attachment device  100  shown, the belt clip attachment device  100  includes eight projections  244 , connection portions  246 , allowing the belt clip attachment device  100  (and mobile phone  110 ) to be oriented in eight different positions relative to the users belt in 45 degree increments (i.e., 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, or 315 degrees relative to the user&#39;s belt). In alternative embodiments, the number of projections  244 , connection portions  246  may be a number other than eight (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.). 
     To remove the belt clip attachment device  100  (and mobile phone  110 ) from the belt clip  120 , the broad thumb-engagement portion  410  is pressed with the user&#39;s thumb, causing the actuation member  400  to disengage the movable locking tang  420 . The belt clip attachment device  100  may then be slid freely upward and out of the elongated central recess  440  and tracks  450  of the belt clip  120 . 
     In a similar fashion, a user may change the orientation of the belt clip attachment device  100  (and mobile phone  110 ) relative to a user&#39;s belt. After disengaging the movable locking tang  420 , the belt clip attachment device  100  (and mobile phone  110 ) may be slid upward and rotated to the desired orientation relative to the user&#39;s belt, and slid downward to the position shown in  FIG. 1H  where the belt clip attachment device  100  (and mobile phone  110 ) are locked in the desired orientation. 
     The push, twist, and lock feature of the universal belt clip attachment device  100  provides an easy, convenient way to attach and secure the universal belt clip attachment device  100  to the mobile phone  100 . The universal belt clip attachment device  100  may be used with a variety of different mobile phones  110  as long as the mobile phones  110  are configured for attachment thereto with the universal belt clip attachment device  100 . As a result, the belt clip  120  may be used with a variety of different mobile phones  110 . Further, the universal belt clip attachment device  100  and belt clip  120  allow the user to easily orient one&#39;s mobile phone  110  in a variety of different orientations relative to the user&#39;s belt in addition to the standard orientation provided by existing belt clips and adapters (i.e., perpendicular and upright relative the user&#39;s belt or parallel to a user&#39;s belt). The belt clip attachment device  100  may also be connected to a wide variety of generic belt clips currently on the market. 
     It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that still further changes and modifications in the actual concepts described herein can readily be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.