Abstract:
A base has a clamp adjustably affixed to the reverse side thereof to support a cell phone. An elongated securing band is elastically attached to the base, the securing band having a transparent panel portion and a distal end including a fastener for securing the cell phone to the support by tightening the securing band around the phone and securing the fastener. The securing band is sized and shaped to allow at least partial operation of the cell phone when the cell phone is secured in the cell phone support.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/037,295, filed Mar. 17, 2008, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The patent owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to covers for cell phones and, more particularly, covers that provide support for cell phones even when in use. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the art of providing cell phone supports, many different versions are widely available. However, many cell phone supports are not configured in a manner that allows use of the cell phone when the cover is in use. In particular, in many governmental jurisdictions, legislation or regulations are proposed or have been adopted that may limit certain use of cell phones during operation of motor vehicles unless configurations are provided that would allow “hands free” use of the cell phone. 
     Various “hands free” systems have adopted technological fixes; examples include the use of ear mounted devices that communicate with a cell phone located nearby and the use of headphones with microphone or of earpieces in combination with a microphone. However, in such prior devices, the user must remember to carry the appropriate hardware and must take the time to install the hardware before beginning operation of the motor vehicle. Thus, there remains a significant and as yet unmet need for a cell phone support configuration that would allow easy and quick location of the cell phone in a location in the motor vehicle that nevertheless would allow “hands free” operation of the vehicle without the necessity of connecting or utilizing separate hardware components. 
     SUMMARY 
     I have now developed a cell phone support that allows hands free operation of a motor vehicle while listening to or talking via the cell phone. The cell phone support has a body that in an embodiment may be provided in a generally planar configuration having an obverse side and a reverse side. An adjustable, multi-position clamp is mounted on the reverse side of the body. In an embodiment, the clamp may be configured as a generally U-shaped clamp having opposing inner and outer limbs, wherein at least one of the opposing limbs is biased toward the other so as to provide clamping pressure therebetween. In an embodiment, where the inner limb is rotatably attached to the body, a clamp may be provided that is rotatably and adjustably positionable to any one of a plurality of stable positions from 1 to N, wherein N is a positive integer. 
     A securing band is provided to secure a cell phone to the cell phone support. In an embodiment, the securing band may include (a) an elastic mounting portion that is mounted to and extends from the body, (b) a latching portion, and (c) an elongated visually transparent panel portion that extends between the elastic mounting portion and the latching portion. The elongated visually transparent panel portion may be provided sufficiently narrow in height so as to allow exposure of at least some operating controls of a cell phone being secured in the cell phone support. Further, the visually transparent panel portion also allows visibility therethrough to other portions of a cell phone, such as at least some controls or, alternately, a display on the cell phone in the cell phone support. The reverse side of the body also includes a fastening portion, and the latching portion and the fastening portion together are configured to operate as a fastener to releasably secure the latching portion to the fastening portion. In an embodiment, the fastening portion and the latching portion may be provided in a complementary hook-and-loop fastener material, such as Velcro® brand hook-and-loop fasteners. 
     The foregoing briefly describes an exemplary cell phone support. The various objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with careful examination of the accompanying figures of the drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING 
       In order to enable the reader to attain a more complete appreciation of the invention, and of the novel features and advantages thereof, attention is directed to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  provides a perspective view of an embodiment for a cell phone support with a cell phone shown mounted therein in hidden lines; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of an embodiment for a cell phone support; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear elevation view of an embodiment for a cell phone support; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view, taken looking at the left side of an embodiment for a cell phone support; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view, taken looking at the right side of an embodiment for a cell phone support; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of an embodiment for a cell phone support; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment for a cell phone support; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an embodiment for a cell phone support illustrating the rotatably adjustable clamp mechanism as well as the securing band, including an elastic mounting portion that is mounted to and extends from the body, a latching portion, and an elongated visually transparent panel portion that extends between the elastic mounting portion and the latching portion, and the fastening portion on the reverse side of the body; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an embodiment for a cell phone support illustrating the rotatably adjustable clamp mechanism rotated to a desired angle and the clamp of the cell phone support being used to attach the cell phone support at a suitable location on a user&#39;s belt; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an embodiment for a cell phone support illustrating the rotatably adjustable clamp mechanism rotated to a desired angle and the clamp of the cell phone support being used to attach the cell phone support at a suitable location on a seatbelt that is easy for a user to hear and access while operating a motor vehicle; and 
         FIG. 11  diagrammatically depicts the adjustable positions for the clamp used in an embodiment of the cell phone support. 
     
    
    
     In the various figures of the drawings, like features may be illustrated with the same reference numerals, without further mention thereof. Further, the foregoing figures are merely exemplary and may contain various elements that might be present or omitted from actual implementations of various embodiments depending upon the circumstances. An attempt has been made to draw the figures in a way that illustrates at least those elements that are significant for an understanding of the various embodiments and aspects of the invention. However, various other elements of a cell phone support, especially as applied for different variations of the functional components illustrated, as well as different embodiments of artistic elements such as a shape of components or visual design of various elements, may be utilized in order to provide a useful, reliable, visually attractive cell phone support. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Attention is directed to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  of the drawing, which depict an embodiment including design concepts useful for a cell phone support  20 . In an embodiment, the cell phone support  20  includes a body  22  that is generally planar and has an obverse side  24  and a reverse side  26 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 8 , the reverse side  26  also includes a fastening portion  28 . In an embodiment, a clamp  30  is provided adjustably mounted to the reverse side  26  of body  22 . As seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  8 , a securing band  32  is provided to secure a workpiece cell phone  34  (shown in hidden lines in  FIG. 1 ). In an embodiment, the securing band  32  includes an elastic mounting portion  40 , a panel portion  42 , and a latching portion  44 . The elastic mounting portion  40  is mounted to and extends from the body  22 . The latching portion  44  and the fastening portion  28  together constitute a fastener  46  adapted to releasably secure the latching portion  44  to the fastening portion  28 . In an embodiment, at least a portion of the panel portion  42  extends between the elastic mounting portion  40  and the latching portion  44 . In an embodiment, at least some of the panel portion  42  may be provided as an elongated visually transparent panel, as can easily be noted in both  FIGS. 1 and 8 . In such a configuration, the panel portion  42  may be provided as a clear plastic panel. In an embodiment, such as shown in  FIG. 8 , the panel portion  40  may be provided as a generally parallelepiped structure, such as a rectangular-shaped panel. 
     In an embodiment, the elastic mounting portion  40  includes a first edge  50  and a second edge  52 . The first edge  50  may be mounted to the body  22  by suitable manufacturing methods such as sewing or gluing between the obverse side  24  and the reverse side  26  of body  22 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 8 , in an embodiment the latching portion  44  may include a fastening side  54  and a locating side  56 , wherein an overlay portion  57  of the panel portion  42  outwardly overlays at least a portion of the locating side  56  of latching portion  44 , as shown in both  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , in an embodiment, the panel portion  42  may completely overlay all of the latching portion  44 . Also as illustrated in detail in  FIG. 8 , the fastening portion  28  and said latching portion  44  may be provided in a complementary hook-and-loop fastener material, such as is illustrated in  FIG. 8 , where fastening portion  28  is provided in a loop material having loops  58  and latching portion  44  is provided in a hook material having hooks  60 . In an embodiment, the complementary hook-and-loop fastener material may be provided using a Velcro® brand hook-and-loop fastener material. 
     As noted in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in an embodiment a generally U-shaped clamp  30  having opposing inner  30   1  and outer  30   o  limbs. As also seen in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the inner  30   1  limb may be rotatably attached to the reverse side  26  of body  22 . As diagrammatically depicted in  FIG. 11 , the clamp  30  may be provided on a pivot axis  62  so as to be rotatably and adjustably positionable to any one of a plurality of stable positions from 1 to N, wherein N is a positive integer. As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , in one embodiment, the number of stable positions P may be provided, such that positions P of 1 through 8 are shown when N is eight. Also in an embodiment, between adjacent stable positions, such as between positions N and (N−1), frictional resistance may be provided so as to enable clamp  30  to resist rotation without user directed input to change angle alpha (α) of the then current stable position of clamp  30  relative to body  22 . Also, as depicted by reference arrow  64  in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , one of opposing inner  30   1  and outer  30   o  limbs may be biased toward the other so as to provide clamping pressure therebetween. In an embodiment, the clamp  30  may be configured to releasably engage and frictionally grip a belt  66 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . Also as seen in  FIG. 10 , the clamp  30  is configured to releasably engage and frictionally grip a seatbelt  68  in an automotive vehicle. 
     As shown in both  FIGS. 1 and 10 , in an embodiment the securing band  32  may be sized and shaped to avoid coverage of at least some controls, such as call  70  or answer call  72  buttons on a cell phone  34  being supported, so as to allow user  74  manipulation of said at least some controls, such as call button  70  or answer call button  72 . Further in an embodiment, the securing band  32  may be sized and shaped to cover at least some controls, such as key pad numbers  76  or  78  on a cell phone  34  being supported, but yet where user  74  can see at least some controls, such as key pad number  76  and  78 , that are covered by the securing band  32 . Further in an embodiment, the securing band  32  may be sized and shaped so that a display panel  80  of a cell phone  34  being secured is outside of the covering of the panel portion  42 . Alternately, the securing band  32  may be sized and shaped so that a display panel  80  of cell phone  34  being secured is seen through a visually transparent panel portion  42 . 
     It is to be appreciated that the various aspects, features, structures, and embodiments of a cell phone support as described herein is a significant improvement in the state of the art. The cell phone support is simple, reliable, and easy to use. Although only a few exemplary aspects and embodiments have been described in detail, various details are sufficiently set forth in the drawings and in the specification provided herein to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention(s), which need not be further described by additional writing. 
     Importantly, the aspects, features, structures, and embodiments described and claimed herein may be modified from those shown without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages provided and may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the various aspects and embodiments presented herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. As such, this disclosure is intended to cover the structures described herein and not only structural equivalents thereof but also equivalent structures. Numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The scope of the invention, as described herein, is thus intended to include variations from the various aspects and embodiments provided that are nevertheless described by the broad meaning and range properly afforded to the language herein, as explained by and in light of the terms included herein, or the legal equivalents thereof. 
     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.