Abstract:
A retractable hook is used to couple a portable article to another thing. The retractable hook has an attachment section that at least partially extends from and at least partially retracts into a housing section. The attachment section has a gate with open and closed positions. The housing section typically is affixed to a portable article. To couple the portable article to another thing, the attachment section is at least partially extended from the housing section and the gate is opened. The attachment section is then engaged with the other thing and the gate is closed. The attachment section is then at least partially retracted into the housing section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Small portable articles can exist as a wide range of devices and other items such as cell phones, personal data assistants, other electronic devices, personal or business items, etc. The portable articles tend to be misplaced or pose transport or storage issues. A solution is to couple the portable articles to something more easily located or offering a way to transport or store. Unfortunately, on one hand, some devices for coupling portable articles are relatively easy to become uncoupled after being previously coupled and on the other hand, other devices that afford relatively secure coupling tend to be bulky and awkward to use. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a retractable hook system shown is a fully extended, open position. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional elevational side view of the retractable hook system toward the inner surface of a fourth side of a container, of the retractable hook system shown in the open, fully extended, position of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system in a closed, fully extended position. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional elevational side view of the retractable hook system toward the inner surface of a first side of the container, of the retractable hook system shown in the closed, fully extended position of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional elevational side view of the retractable hook system toward the inner surface of the fourth side of the container, the retractable hook system shown in the closed, fully extended position of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a retractable hook system shown in a partially retracted position. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional elevational side view of the retractable hook system toward the inner surface of the fourth side of the container, the retractable hook system shown in the partially retracted position of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional elevational side view of the retractable hook system toward the inner surface of the first side of the container, the retractable hook system shown in the partially retracted position of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system shown affixed to a portable device for coupling the portable device to an article. 
         FIG. 10  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system shown in the open, fully extended position in an initial stage of coupling to an elongated member. 
         FIG. 11  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system shown in the closed, fully extended position in an interim stage of coupling to the elongated member. 
         FIG. 12  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system shown in the partially retracted position in a final stage of coupling to the elongated member. 
         FIG. 13  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system shown in the open, fully extended position in an initial stage of coupling to a loop. 
         FIG. 14  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system shown in the closed, fully extended position in an interim stage of coupling to the loop. 
         FIG. 15  is an isometric view of the retractable hook system shown in the partially retracted position in a final stage of coupling to the loop. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As disclosed herein a retractable hook system is affixed to a portable device to couple the portable device to an article, such as an article of clothing, another type of article of manufacture, or another type of article. 
     An implementation of a retractable hook system  100  is depicted in  FIG. 1  as having an attachment section  102  in a fully extended position from a housing section  104 . The attachment section  102  includes a structure  106  having a first end portion  106   a , a first traverse portion  106   b , a first longitudinal portion  106   c , a second transverse portion  106   d , a second longitudinal portion  106   e , and a second end portion  106   f  as further depicted in  FIG. 2 . 
     The attachment section also includes a spring-loaded gate  108  (spring not shown) having a first end portion  108   a  and a second end portion  108   b.  The second end portion  108   b  of the gate  108  is rotatably coupled to the second end portion  106   f  of the structure  106  by a hinge pin  110 . The gate  108  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as being in an open position. 
     The first end portion  106   a  of the structure  106  has a structure notch  112  and the first end portion  108   a  of the gate  108  has a gate tip  113  and a gate notch  114 . The structure tip  111  and the gate notch  114  mate together and the structure notch  112  and the gate notch  114  mate together when the gate is in a closed position as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The housing section  104  includes a container  120  with a base  122  and extending from the base a first side  124   a , a second side  124   b , and third side  124   c , and a fourth side  124   d  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The container  120  furthermore has an opening  126  oppositely positioned from the base  122 . A beam  128  is located inside of the container  120  and extends from the second side  124   b  to the fourth side  124   d  of the container. The beam  128  is coupled to the second side  124   b  and the fourth side  124   d  of the container  120  by two fasteners  130  each passing through a different one of two first holes  128   a  in the beam to affixedly engage the second side, the fourth side and the beam to each other as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     The beam  128  is sized to partially extend between the first side  124   a  and the third side  124   c  of the container to provide a first longitudinal passage  132   a  and a second longitudinal passage  132   b . The first longitudinal passage  132   a  and the second longitudinal passage  132   b  contain and allow for longitudinal movement of the structure  106  and the gate  108 . In the depicted implementation, the first longitudinal portion  106   c  and the second longitudinal portion  106   e  of the structure  106  extend from and retract into the first longitudinal passage  132   a  and the second longitudinal passage  132   b , respectively. 
     A retainer  134  with a notch  136  is fixedly attached to the second side  124   b  of the container  120  being positioned inside the container as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . When the structure  106  is in the fully extended position, the second transverse portion  106   d  of the structure tensionally engages with the notch  136  to be retained by the retainer  134 , also shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . 
     In the depicted implementation, engagement of the structure  106  with the retainer  134  is necessary to retain the structure in the fully extended position because of a retracting force applied in the direction R of  FIG. 2  by two compressed retraction helical springs  138 . Inherent with their helical nature, each of the retraction springs  138  spiral around an axis forming a longitudinal axial void (not shown) through which a different one of two rods  140  extends to guide and position each of the springs. 
     Each of the two rods  140  have a first end  140   a  and a second end  140   b  being inserted into a different one of two holes  128   b  of the beam  128  and a different one of two holes  122   a  of the base  122 , respectively, to affixedly couple the two rods to the rest of the housing section  104 . The second transverse portion  106   d  of the structure  106  has two holes  106   d   1  to receive a different one of the two rods so that movement of the structure  106  can be guided by the rods and be in alignment with the retraction springs  138 . 
     To move the structure  106  from the fully extended position to the partially retracted position, a disengagement force is typically applied in the R direction to the first traverse portion  106   b  or to other portions of the structure. The disengagement force is sufficient to overcome tensional engagement of the retainer  134  with the second transverse portion  106   d  less spring force already being applied to the second transverse portion of the structure by the retraction springs  138  in the R direction. When the structure  106  is in the partially retracted position, the structure remains in this position due to spring force from the retraction springs on the second transverse portion  106   d  of the structure in the R direction. 
     To move the structure  106  from the partially retracted position to the fully extended position, extension force in the direction opposite of the R direction is applied on the first transverse portion  106   b  or on other portions of the structure. In the travel of the second transverse portion  106   d  from the partially retracted position up to a position near tensional engagement with the retainer  134 , the extension force is of sufficient degree to overcome opposing spring force from the retraction springs  138 . To tensionally engage with the retainer  134 , the extension force is sufficient to move the second transverse portion  106   d  into engagement with the retainer. 
     From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, alternative implementations have various other configurations of the structure  106  and the gate  108 . For instance, the first transverse portion  106   b  of the structure  106  and/or the gate  108  could be curved and/or multi-sided. The retraction springs  138  could be located on the rods  140  between the second transverse portion  106   d  and the base  122  to push on the transverse portion in the direction opposite of the R direction with the retainer  134  being modified to hold the structure in the partially retracted position. 
     Other implementations could be constructed without the retraction springs  138  by for instance using another modified form of the retainer  134  having two instances of the notch  136  wherein one instance is located as shown in  FIG. 4  to hold the structure  106  in the fully extended position and another instance located in a position to hold the structure in a partially retracted position. In other implementations, the container  120  could have a shape other than a four sided box such as a six sided box or another shaped container such as having one or more curved sides. Although many other implementations could exist besides the depicted implementation, the attachment section  102  and the housing section  104  remain configured to allow for retraction of the attachment section  102  into and extension out of the housing section. 
     As explained, forces to partially retract the structure  106  are in the direction of R and to fully extend the structure are in the opposite direction of R. When the gate  108  is in the closed position, the gate is positioned in line with the direction R so that the extending and retracting forces are received at the first end portion  108   a  and the second end portion  108   b  along the longitude of the gate. 
     As a result, when the extending or retracting forces are applied to the structure  106 , the first end portion  106   a  of the structure  106  and the first end portion  108   a  of the gate  108  are pressed together and the second end portion  106   f  of the structure and the second end portion  108   b  of the gate are pressed together. The first end portion  106   a  and the first end portion  108   a  are pressed together such that the structure tip  111  and the gate notch  114  are pressed together and the structure notch  112  of the structure and the gate tip  113  are pressed together. Consequently, the extending and retracting forces are not in a direction to cause the gate  108  to open or to cause either the structure tip  111  or the gate tip  113  to break off. 
     Since the gate  108  is in line with the second longitudinal portion  106   e  the extending and retracting forces cause the hinge pin  110  and the second end portion  108   b  of the gate  108  to press together along the longitudinal direction of the gate. The extending and retracting forces also cause the hinge pin  110  and the second end portion  106   f  of the structure  106  to press together along the longitudinal direction of the second longitudinal portion  106   e.    
     Consequently, a major portion of the gate  108  can absorb the force received by the gate from the hinge pin  110 . Also a major portion of the second longitudinal portion  106   e  can absorb the force received by the longitudinal portion from the hinge pin  110 . Both the gate  108  and the second longitudinal portion  106   e  will then be less likely to be broken due to the hinge pin  110  pressing against either the gate or the second longitudinal portion from the extending and retracting forces than if the gate was located in a position not in line with the second longitudinal portion. 
     For added protection, the container  120  could be sized and the beam  128 , the retainer  134 , and the retraction springs  138  could be sized and positioned to allow the gate  108  to fully retract into the first passage  132   a  when the structure  106  is in the partially retracted position. With the gate  108  being fully retracted into the first passage  132   a , the walls of the first passage would help to support the gate and keep forces from damaging either the gate or the first longitudinal portion  106   c  or the second longitudinal portion  106   e  and other longitudinal portions of the structure such as the first end portion  106   a.    
     As another example, the gate  108  could be rotatably coupled to a portion of the first transverse portion  106   b  of the structure  106  for other reasons such as to comply with a desired fashion requirement. 
     Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.