Abstract:
A cell phone and accessories pouch is attached or attachable an armrest of a chair. A closeable pouch pocket has a transparent view panel for visual access to pocket content and an opposite opaque surface or outboard pocket. Items fall to the bottom of the pocket in a first instance beneath the armrest due to a depending flap near the armrest. In another instance, depending flap wraps around the armrest, placing the stored cellphone atop the armrest and permitting both visual and through-panel tactile access to the cellphone. An opaque privacy panel may cover the view panel. Pocket closures include zippers, buttons, snaps, hook and loop cloth or ziploc closures. Pouch mounts for include snaps, buttons, toggle bars, screws, nuts and tongue-n-groove. The pouch may be permanently affixed to the chair.

Description:
[0001]    This continuation patent application claims the benefit of patent application Ser. No. 15/148,559, filed May 6, 2016, now pending, the contents of which (Ser. No. 15/148,559) is incorporated herein by reference thereto. The present invention relates to a chair and a cell phone and accessories pouch which pouch is either attached to the chair or is attachable to one of the arm rests of the chair. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Oftentimes consumers carry foldable or collapsible chairs to the beach, concert or to provide seating for lawn related activities. In particular regarding collapsible chairs used on a beach, the user typically enjoys the water and his or her bathing suit is oftentimes wet when he or she sits in the collapsible chair. 
         [0003]    With the widespread use of cellular telephones, and the personal desire to be near your cell phone, it is difficult for beachgoers and concertgoers to have reasonable access to their cell phones and yet protect the cell phones from sand, water, salt and sweat. 
         [0004]    The present invention seeks to provide a system to simultaneously protect cell phones from such adverse conditions and yet permit the cell phone user to have visual access to the cell phone and tactile through-panel access to the dialing surface of the cell phone. 
       OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a chair with and attached cell phone and accessories pouch. 
         [0006]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a cell phone and accessories pouch which is either attached or is attachable to an armrest of the chair. 
         [0007]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pouch having an inboard pocket with a transparent view panel permitting the user to have visual access to the cell phone and a pouch with a depending flap whereby the user can flip over the pouch (customarily attached beneath the armrest) such that the inboard pocket sets atop the armrest and provides tactile through-panel access to the cell phone in the inboard pocket. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide various closure systems for the inboard pocket as well as an outboard pocket on the pouch. 
         [0009]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a privacy panel which is opaque and which covers the transparent view panel on the inboard pocket. 
         [0010]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a cell phone and accessories pouch which has an outboard pocket. 
         [0011]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide various mounting systems to mount, on the underside of the armrest, the pouch in a removable manner. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The cell phone and accessories pouch is attached or is attachable to at least one armrest of a collapsible chair. Various mounting systems for attaching the pouch to the underside of the armrest are provided. The pouch has a closeable inboard pocket hanging below the armrest such that access to the inboard pocket is permitted only from an inboard position defined by the opposing armrests and the chair seat panel. The inboard pocket has a transparent view panel permitting visual access to the cell phone or accessories in the inboard pocket. The inboard pocket has a closed bottom and, when the cell phone or accessories are stored therein, those items fall or migrate to the closed pocket bottom region. The inboard pocket also defined a depending flap which is below and adjacent to the lower armrest of the surface. The depending flap spatially separates the closed bottom from the lower armrest surface and therefore spaces apart the cell phones and accessories stored in the inboard pocket. 
         [0013]    In a first operational mode, the closed bottom adjacently storing cell phone or accessories are spaced beneath and away from the lower armrest surface. In a second operational mode, the depending flap is wrapped around a portion of the armrest such that the stored cell phone or accessories rest on top the upper armrest surface. In this manner, in the second operational mode, the user is permitted both visual access to the cell phone or accessories stored in the inboard pocket and is permitted through-panel tactile access to the cell phone or accessories which are stored in the inboard pocket. The width, length, depth and height of the pouch is configured to effectively hide the pouch beneath the armrest. Closure elements are provided for all the pouch pockets which may be zipper, button, snap, hook and loop cloth or ziploc closures. In one embodiment, the pouch has an outboard pocket which has an opaque surface. The outboard surface of the pouch is opaque which blocks any view of the items stored in the inboard pocket. In a further embodiment, the opaque outboard pocket as a closure element thereby permitting access to the inboard pocket from the outboard closure element and access to the inboard pocket through the inboard closure element. A further alteration includes a through passage for an earphone wire on the opaque outboard pocket. Various mounting mechanism are utilized to removably attach the pouch to the armrest. These include snaps, buttons, toggle bars operable through a hole or slot, a screw and nut system, and a tongue and groove system. 
         [0014]    In some situations, the pouch is permanently affixed to the collapsible chair. Therefore the invention covers a collapsible chair with an attached cell phone and accessories pouch. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Further objects and advantages of the present invention can be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  diagrammatically illustrates a foldable chair with the cell phone and accessories pouch mounted beneath one of the armrests of the chair. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  diagrammatically illustrates the pouch and, more particularly, the transparent view panel in the inboard pouch pocket. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  diagrammatically illustrates the pouch with an outboard pocket. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  diagrammatically illustrates a rear elevational view of the pouch. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  diagrammatically illustrates the pouch flipped over and wrapping around the armrest and sitting atop the top surface of the armrest. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  diagrammatically illustrates an opaque outboard side of the pouch. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  diagrammatically illustrates the privacy panel substantially covering the transparent view panel for the inboard pocket of the pouch. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11A and 11B  diagrammatically illustrate mounting systems for mounting the pouch on the armrest. It should be note that several of these mounting systems also operate as closure systems for the inboard pocket in the outboard pocket.  FIG. 3  shows a hook and loop cloth closure element.  FIG. 1  show a pouch mounted onto the lower surface of the armrest by a rivet, screw, nails or bolt threaded into a chambered thread. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    The present invention relates to a chair with a cell phone and accessories pouch and also relates to a cell phone and accessories pouch attached or attachable to the underside of an armrest for a collapsible or foldable chair. Similar numerals designate similar items throughout the drawings. Although the drawings show a single pouch mounted beneath one armrest, the chair may include two pouches, each pouch mounted beneath a respective armrest. Also as described herein, the pouch can be sold separately of the chair and can be mounted beneath the armrest with a complementary underside mounting system. Further the underside mounting system may be sold with the to be mounted pouch. 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows collapsible chair  20  with an attached cell phone and accessories pouch  10 . Chair  20  includes a forward leg system  36  pivotally attached at pivot point  37  to a rearward leg system  38 . A seat frame  28  holds a seat panel  32 . The seat panel spans an inboard chair region  11 . The inboard chair region is defined by opposing armrest  24 ,  26  and seat panel  32 . Seat frame  28  is movably attached to the forward frame section  36 . Supporting cross member  40  maintains the stability of the chair. A back support frame  14  has a back support element  34  also spanning the inboard chair region  11 . Back support frame  14  is pivotally attached to the rearward leg system  38  at pivot point  39 . Armrests  24 ,  26  are pivotally attached to the back frame support at pivot point  41  and attached to either or to both of the forward leg system  36  and the rearward leg system  38 . 
         [0026]    Pouch  10  is mounted beneath at least one armrest  26 . A cell phone  12  is visible through the view panel of the inboard pocket of pouch  10 . In this manner, the user, seated on seat panel  32  can see activity on the cell phone display panel or surface. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  diagrammatically illustrates that cell phone  12  is adjacent the lower region  43  near the bottom edge  9  of the interior space  7  of inboard pocket  5 . A transparent view panel  42  permits the user to see the contents inside the inboard pouch  10 . In the preferred embodiment, transparent view panel  42  substantially covers almost all of the inboard surface of pouch  10 . 
         [0028]    As used herein, the term “inboard” refers to items closer to inboard chair space  11  ( FIG. 1 ) which is defined by armrests  24 ,  26  and seat panel  32  and, to some extent, back support panel  34 . Items which are outside the space, that is in outboard region  13  (FIG. 1 ) are beyond the boundaries of inboard space  11 . Therefore, in  FIG. 2 , the inboard surface of pouch  10  is shown as having an inboard pocket  5  which defines a viewable space interior space  7  in the pocket  5 . 
         [0029]    The user can access inboard pocket  5  by opening and closing a closure element. In the preferred embodiment, the closure element is spaced apart from the underside  27  of armrest  26  by a depending flap  48  defined by pouch  10 . Various closure elements may be utilized between depending flap  48  and inboard pocket  5 . For example,  FIG. 2  shows a zipper closure  44  a which is opened and closed by the pull tab  46 . However the closure element for the inboard pocket  5  may be a button system, a snap system, a hook and loop cloth closure system, or a ziplock (bead in channel) closure. Buttons, snaps, hook-loops and other closure systems are discussed in connection with other features of pouch  10 . 
         [0030]    Pouch  10  also has a surface or segment  51  which is mounted to lower surface  27  of armrest  26  by a mounting system diagrammatically shown as mount  53  in  FIG. 2 . Mount  53  could be rivets, screws, bolts operating on threaded nuts buried in the interior of armrest  26  or may be nails. The purpose of depending flap  48  is discussed later. 
         [0031]    Access to the inboard pocket  5  is permitted only from inboard position  11  of chair  20 . As described later in connection with one embodiment, the opaque outboard pocket as a closure element thereby permitting access to the inboard pocket from the outboard closure element and access to the inboard pocket through the inboard closure element. A further alteration includes a through passage for an earphone wire on the opaque outboard pocket. 
         [0032]    As stated earlier, inboard pocket  5  has a closed bottom  9  defining a lower pocket space  43 . The cell phone or accessories in pocket space  7  migrate to the closed bottom region  9 . In this manner, the cell phone and accessories are away from armrest  26  and are viewable through view panel  42 . 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 3 , the outboard surface of pouch  10  is illustrated. In this embodiment, pouch  10  has an outboard pocket  60  which has an opaque or nontransparent cover. Further, depending flap  48  is also opaque. Sewn lines  4  are shown as long dash dot dash lines the Figures. However, other types of structural attachment mechanisms may be utilized. In  FIG. 3 , outboard zipper  44   b  can be opened and closed to permit access to inboard pocket  5  by opening and closing the pull tab  46  of zipper  44   b.  In this manner, the user can access phone  12  or other accessories either by inboard zipper  44   a  or by outboard zipper  44   b.  Importantly, the outboard surface of the pouch is not transparent therefore casual observers cannot see the contents of inboard pouch  5 . The pouch has an outboard pocket which has an opaque surface. The outboard surface of the pouch is opaque which blocks any view of the items stored in the inboard pocket. The opaque outboard pocket as a closure element thereby permitting access to the inboard pocket from the outboard closure element and access to the inboard pocket through the inboard closure element. A further alteration includes a through passage for an earphone wire on the opaque outboard pocket. The earphone wire passage enables the use to listen to music or engage in conversation when the wire connects to the cell phone stored in the inboard pocket since the wire runs from the phone in the inboard pocket, through the earphone wire passage to the user. 
         [0034]    The outboard pouch  60  has a flap closure  64 . Flap closure  64  is removably attachable to the outer surface of outboard pocket  60  via a hook and loop closure system diagrammatically illustrated by panels  63 ,  65 . The user is permitted access to interior space  62  of outboard pocket  60  by opening and closing the outboard flap  64 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  diagrammatically shows a rear elevational view of pouch  10 . Cell phone  12  is disposed in inboard pocket  5  and is viewable through transparent panel  42 . Outboard pocket  60  has a pocket space  62 . Hook and loop closure system  63 ,  65  are diagrammatically illustrated. Closure flap  64  closes the open top of outboard pocket  60 . Depending flap  48  spaces both the access passages to the inboard pocket  5  which access passages are defined by zipper pulls  44   a,    44   b  as well as spaces the inboard pocket  5  downward and away from lower surface  27  of armrest  26 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  diagrammatically illustrates that pouch  10  can be flipped around such that depending flap  48  wraps around the armrest  26 . In this second mode of operation, cell phone  12  is visible through transparent panel  42  further. Further pouch  10  sets atop the top surface  49  of armrest  26 . 
         [0037]    Therefore the present invention has two operational modes. In the first operational mode, the cell phone or accessories are near or adjacent the closed bottom  9  of inboard pocket  5 . The cell phone or accessories are stored in a spaced apart manner beneath lower surface  27  of the armrest  26  by depending flap  48 . This is show in  FIG. 2 . The user can place objects into the inboard pocket via either the inboard closure element or the outboard closure element. 
         [0038]    In a second operational mode, the depending flap  4  wraps around a portion of the armrest such that the stored cell phone and accessories rest atop the upper armrest surface  49 . See  FIG. 5 . In this second mode of operation, the user has both visual access to the cell phone or accessories (stored in the inboard pocket  5 ) and has tactile through-panel access to the cell phone or accessories which are also stored in the inboard pocket. 
         [0039]    This feature of flipping the pouch over and placing the pouch atop the armrest and permitting operation of the cell phone through the transparent view panel enables the user to limit sand, dust, sweat, water, salt and other undesirable elements to come into contact with the cell phone or the accessories. Further the cell phone and the accessories, being captured in the inboard pocket  5  on one side viewable by transparent panel but being hidden on the other side by an opaque panel (the opaque side  60  of pouch  10  shown in  FIG. 3 ), enables some degree of security with respect to the cell phone and accessories. Simultaneously, the user can see the cell phone display surface through the transparent cover in both the first and the second mode of operation. When the cell phone rings or otherwise displays a visual alert, the user can simply flip over the pouch, place it atop the armrest  26  and activate the display buttons on the cell phone through the view panel. All the while, sweat, sand, salt and water do not adversely affect the cell phone or the accessories stored in the inboard pocket  5 . 
         [0040]    As shown in the various figures, the pouch has dimensional width, length, depth and height such that the width and the length of the pouch is smaller than the dimensional armrest width and dimensional armrest length. The dimensional pouch height is less than the dimensional height between the lower armrest surface and seat panel  32 . Further, the dimensional height of the depending flap is more than twice the dimensional height or thickness of armrest  26 . This enables the flap  48  to flip over the edge of the armrest  26 . Sometimes, the distance of the dimensional height of the flap  48  is called flap-to-lower surface spacing. 
         [0041]      FIG. 6  shows that the outer surface of pouch  10  can be a simple opaque surface.  FIG. 6  does not show an outboard pocket. A modification of the simple unitary opaque surface is the addition of an outboard closure element (permitting outboard access to the inboard pocket) as shown and described earlier, and the addition of an earphone wire passage into the inboard pocket. 
         [0042]      FIG. 7  shows a privacy panel  72  attached at an upper edge  73  to an upper region  75  of pouch  10 . In a preferred embodiment, privacy panel  72  covers the entire view area of transparent viewable panel  42 . In this manner, any cell phone or accessory stored inside the inboard pouch  5  is not viewable from an inboard viewpoint as well as an outboard viewpoint. As stated earlier, the outboard side of pouch  10  has an opaque surface. 
         [0043]      FIGS. 8, 9, 10, 11A and 11B  show various mounting systems for mounting the pouch onto the lower surface  27  of armrest  26 . Some mounting systems can be re-configured and used as closure systems for the pockets. Some of the closure elements discussed above can be used as mounting systems. For example, the zipper closure can be used as a mounting system then an additional flap is attached to the underside of the arm rest and carries one zipper component and the depending flap of the pouch carries the complimentary zipper component, thereby permitting the pouch to be zipped onto the arm rest. Also, the mounting system may use a hook and loop cloth mount as shown in connection with the outboard pocket. 
         [0044]      FIG. 8  shows a snap system with complementary snap elements  80 ,  81 . If the pouch  10  is removable from armrest  26 , depending flap  48  may have a stiff panel segment or band  75  to enable the user to easily mount and thereafter remove the pouch from the armrest. 
         [0045]      FIG. 9  diagrammatically illustrates a toggle bar  84  which can be moved in the direction shown by arrow  85  and inserted into toggle hole or slot  83  in band element  75  of the pouch system. Toggle bar  8  is attached via flexible stem  86  to base  87 . Of course, a button and buttonhole system is effectively the same as the toggle system described herein. In a button system, the length of flexible stem  86  is foreshortened, the button is round rather than a bar and the button head  84  is inserted into a buttonhole  83  of band  75 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 10  diagrammatically illustrates that a threaded bolt and nut-screw system with a user actuation knob  90  operating a threaded bolt into threaded nut  93 . Threaded bolt  91  interacts with nut threads  93  to attach band  75  to base  92  and lower surface  27  of the armrest. 
         [0047]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  diagrammatically illustrate a tongue and groove system. The tongue is shown in  FIG. 11A  as T-shaped tongue  111 . Tongue  111  slides into channel groove base  112  thereby attaching band  75  and depending flap  48  to the lower surface  27  of the armrest.  FIG. 11B  is a perspective underside view of the system wherein base  112  defines a groove  117  with a partly closed mouth. Tongue  111  has a wider head  113  and a narrow stem  115 . The head  113  is inserted as shown by arrow  119  into the opening of the slot channel  117 . Then the system is then moved in the slot as shown by direction arrow  121 . This movement captures head  113  beneath the opposing inboard edges of slot  117  thereby locking the tongue unit  111  into the groove unit  122 . 
         [0048]    The claims appended hereto are cut meant to cover modifications and changes within the scope of the present invention. What is claimed is: