Abstract:
An assembly for supporting a personal electronic device includes a base and a holder. The holder is adapted to hold the device. The holder is removably connected to the base such that the holder may be selectively removed from and replaced on the base. Also, the holder is adjustably movably connected to the base such that the holder may be repositioned relative to the base. The device may thereby be reoriented relative to the base and, thus, a support surface, when mounted in the holder. A method for handling a personal electronic device includes mounting the device in a holder, mounting the device and the holder on a base, repositioning the holder relative to base to position the device as desired while the holder is mounted on the base, and removing the device and the holder from the base.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/268,849, filed Mar. 16, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,546, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to personal electronic devices and, more particularly, to stands for holding and supporting personal electronic devices. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As personal electronic devices such as portable telephones and portable electronic organizers have become smaller, less expensive, more powerful and more versatile, users have begun to rely on such devices to greater degrees. Typically, the user of a personal electronic device desires to maintain the ability to use his or her personal electronic device both at his/her desk or other workstation and when mobile. 
     In order to facilitate convenient and effective use of personal electronic devices such as personal electronic organizers, holder stands for one, or more devices have been developed which incorporate battery charging ports, but which do not allow for angular adjustment of the electronic device. Also, stands for devices have been developed which allow adjustment of the angle of an electronic device. In order to aid in carrying personal electronic devices, holders have been provided which will hold a personal electronic device upright on a support surface such as a desk and also clip to a user&#39;s clothing. 
     While the foregoing stands and holders facilitate transport and use of personal electronic devices, they still fail to provide as wide a range of convenience, versatility and usability as may be desired by a user of a personal electronic device who wishes to use his or her personal electronic device in both a stationary manner and when traveling. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an assembly for supporting and holding a personal electronic device. The assembly provides enhanced convenience, effectiveness and versatility in using, transporting and protecting the personal electronic device. The assembly includes a base and a holder adapted to hold the device. The holder is removably connected to the base such that the holder may be selectively removed from and replaced on the base. Also, the holder is adjustably connected to the base such that the holder may be repositioned relative to the base. The device may thereby be reoriented relative to the base and, thus, a support surface, when mounted in the holder. The assembly allows a user to both mount the device on the base and remove the device from the base for portability while retaining the device in the holder for protection and ease of carrying. Additionally, the assembly allows the user to adjust the orientation of the device to provide improved viewability and/or glare reduction, for example. 
     Preferably, the holder is rotatable with respect to the base. Preferably, the holder includes a clip adapted to secure the holder to a user. The base may include an electrical power connector. Additionally, the base may include a battery charger slot. The assembly may include an electrical connector adapted to engage an electrical connector of the device. A peripheral device connector may be electrically connected to the electrical connector. A printed circuit board may be mounted in the base. Preferably, the base is formed of a polymeric material. Preferably, the holder is rotatable relative to the base through a range of at least about 50 degrees. 
     The assembly may include a hinge member rotatably connecting the holder to the base. According to a preferred embodiment, the hinge member includes a hinge block rotatably connected to the base and releaseably connected to the holder. An electrical connector may be mounted on the hinge block. A slot may be formed in the holder for receiving the electrical connector. Preferably, the assembly includes a latch for selectively and releaseably securing the holder to the hinge block. The latch may be integrally formed with the hinae block. Means may be provided for selectively adjusting and retaining an angle between the holder and the base. The adjusting and retaining means may include a plurality of detents on the hinge block, the detents adapted to engage the base. 
     According to an alternative preferred embodiment, the hinge member includes at least one tab secured to and depending from the holder. The tab is receivable in the base. The assembly may include a hinge projection extending from the tab and a latch member. The latch member selectively engages the hinge projection to restrict removal of the tab from the base. Preferably, the assembly includes means for selectively adjusting and retaining an angle between the holder and the base. The adjusting and retaining means may include a plurality of detents on the tab, wherein the detents are adapted to engage the base. The assembly may include a latch mechanism operable to selectively restrict removal of the tab from the base. Preferably, a slot is formed in the holder and an electrical contact extends from the base and through the slot when the holder is mounted on the base. More preferably, the electrical contact includes a contact loop having a loop axis and the holder has a rotational axis collinear with the loop axis. 
     The present invention is further directed to a method for handling a personal electronic device. According to the method, the device is mounted in a holder. The device and the holder are mounted on a base. The holder is repositioned relative to the base to position the device as desired while the holder is mounted on the base. The method further includes the step of removing the device and the holder from the base. 
     The method may further include, following the step of removing the device and the holder, the step of remounting the device and the holder on the base. Following the step of removing the device and the holder, the holder may be mounted on a user by means of a clip forming a part of the holder. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a personal electronic device stand and holder assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a personal electronic device mounted therein; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 1, a holder thereof being shown in dashed lines in different orientations relative to the base; 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 1 taken along the line  5 — 5  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a hinge block of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a personal electronic device stand and holder assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a partial, enlarged cross sectional view of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 7 taken along the line  9 — 9  of FIG. 7; and 
     FIG. 10 is a partial, enlarged cross sectional view of the personal electronic device stand and holder assembly of FIG. 7 taken along the line  10 — 10  of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     With reference to FIGS. 1-6, a personal electronic device stand and holder assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown therein and generally designated  100 . As shown in FIG. 1, the assembly  100  may be used to support and hold a personal electronic device  5  such as a personal electronic organizer having a display  6 , for example a liquid crystal display (LCD). As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the assembly  100  may be used to support and hold other types of personal electronic devices having displays, such as cellular phones, portable televisions, calculators and the like. 
     The assembly  100  includes a base  102  and a holder  180 . The holder  180  is adapted to securely and releaseably hold the personal electronic device  5 . Additionally, the holder  180  is movable with respect to the base  102  to selectively adjust the angle of the holder  180 , and thus, the display  6 , relative to the base  102  (and, thus, the support surface (not shown)) upon which the base  102  is mounted. In this way, the user may tilt the holder  180  and the personal electronic device  5  forward and back as appropriate to adjust the viewing angle of the display  6 . The display angle may be adjusted to minimize glare or improve LCD clarity, for example. 
     Also, as will be described in greater detail below, the holder  180  may be selectively secured to, removed from and resecured to the base  102  as desired. Accordingly, the user may mount his/her personal electronic device  5  in the holder  180  and then mount the holder  180  and device  5  on the base  102  when stationary and remove the holder  180  and device  5  from the base  102  when mobile. As such, the holder  180  may remain with the device  5  at all times, and provide protection from potentially damaging impacts and other abuses to the device  5 . Moreover, the holder  180  includes a clip  184  for mounting the holder  180  and device  5  on the wearer&#39;s clothing (for example, belt or pocket) or other personal effects. 
     The assembly  100  can further include means for powering the device  5 , means for connecting the device  5  to another device or devices (for example, a telephone communication line, a network communication line, or a personal computer), and means for electrically charging a supplemental battery (not shown) or another personal electronic device. 
     Turning to the assembly  100  in more detail, the base  102  is preferably formed of a molded polymeric material and, more preferably, of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS) or polstyrene. As best seen in FIG. 5, the base  102  includes a bottom plate  104  and a mating top member  110  which is interlocked with the bottom plate  104 . The bottom plate  104  and the top member  110  define a cavity therebetween which encases various electrical and mechanical elements of the assembly  100 . The top member  110  includes a battery receptacle  140 , a pivot recess  114 , a front wall  116 , a slot  112 , and a curved wall  122 . A pair of hinge tabs  124  having respective through holes  124 A extend upwardly on either side of the slot  112  and an edge  122  extends along the rear of the slot  112 . 
     A printed circuit board  130  is housed in the base  102 . Various other electronic components (such as LED&#39;s, charging circuitry and microcontrollers) may be housed in the base as well and, for clarity, are not shown in the figures. An electrical power cord  132  allows for connection to a power source (not shown). The power from the cord  132  is conveyed to a battery charger  144  and an electrical connector  166 . An indicator light  136  on the front wall  116  indicates when power is being supplied to the assembly  100 . A peripheral device connector  138 , for example a telephone line connector, is connected to the connector  166  through the printed circuit board  130 . 
     The holder  180  includes a body  182  preferably formed of a lightweight, durable, resilient material. More preferably, the holder  180  is formed of a polymeric material such as ABS or polystyrene. The body  182  is sized and shaped to frictionally hold the personal electronic device  5  securely such that insertion of the device  5  into or removal of the device  5  from the holder  180  may be accomplished by sliding the device  5  in and out from the top of the holder  180 . Suitable alternative designs will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the description herein. A clip  184  is integrally molded or separately formed and attached by adhesive, fasteners or the like to the rear wall of the body  182 . A connector slot  194 , a pair of mounting slots  192 , and a pair of locator recesses  196  are formed in the bottom wall  190  of the holder  180 . 
     The holder  180  is joined to the base  102  by a hinge block  150 . The hinge block  150  includes a body  152  and is preferably formed of integrally molded polymeric material, such as ABS or polystyrene, with the exception of portions of the connector  166  which are embedded therein. End tabs  154  and hinge projections  156  extend from either end of the body  152 . Resilient latch posts  162  having barbs  162 A extend upwardly from respective end tabs  154 . A plurality of detents  158  and stops  159  are formed on the outer peripheries of the tabs  154 . Projections  160  extend upwardly and rearwardly from the body  152 . The connector  166  may be any suitable connector, for example a proprietary or standard electrical connector. Projections  166 A of the connector are adapted to locate the connector  166  with respect to the corresponding, mating connector of the device  5 . Terminals  168  are provided on the bottom of the connector  166  and extend from the bottom of the body  152 . The terminals  168  are connected to the printed circuit board  130  by leads  134 . Alternatively, the PCB (not shown) may be mounted in or on the hinge block  150 . 
     The hinge block  150  is permanently mounted in the base  102  by inserting the hinge projections  156  in the holes  124 A of the hinge tabs  124 . The projections  156  are tapered to facilitate insertion. As best seen in FIG. 5, portions of the tabs  154  are received in the slot  112 . More particularly, the edge  120  of the top member  110  engages the peripheries of the end tabs  154  and seats in adjacent detents  158 . It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the hinge block  150  may be rotated about the hinge projections  156 . The engagement between the edge  120  and the detents  158  allows the hinge block  150  to be rotated upon application of deliberate force, whereupon the flexible, resilient top member  110  deflects along the edge  120 , but otherwise restricts rotation of the hinge block  150  relative to the base  102 . The stops  159  prevent the hinge block  150  from being over-rotated. By provision of the plurality of detents  158 , the holder may be rotated into and maintained in multiple angular positions. Other means for selectively adjusting the position of the holder include a frictional engagement which may include a wingnut or the like for selectively adjusting the amount of friction. 
     The holder  180  (and thereby the device  5  if mounted in the holder  180 ) may be mounted on the hinge block  150  (and, thereby, the base  102 ) by inserting the projections  160  into the slots  192 . The holder  180  is then rotated forwardly to insert the connector  166  into the slot  194  and into the device  5  (if the device  5  is mounted in the holder  180 ). The holder  180  is rotated forwardly until the latch posts  162  are received in the locator recesses  196  and deflected outwardly as the holder  180  passes over the barbs  162 A, and the latch posts  162  latch the holder  180  to the hinge block  150 . The holder  180  (and the device  5  if mounted in the holder  180 ) may be removed from the hinge block  150  and the base  102  by reversing the foregoing steps, that is, pulling the latch posts  162  outwardly to free the holder  180  from the barbs  162 A, and tilting the holder  180  rearwardly. 
     Preferably, and as shown in the figures, the holder  180  is rotatable with respect to the base  102  such that the orientation of the display  6  is adjustable with respect to vertical (i.e., the rotational axis of the holder  180  extends parallel to the plane of the support surface upon which the base  102  is placed). Preferably, the holder  180  may be selectively rotated through an angular range A (see FIG. 3) of at least 50 degrees, and more preferably through an angular range A of at least about 90 degrees. Preferably, in its most upright position (as shown in solid lines in FIG.  3 ), the angle of the display  6  with respect to vertical is no more than zero degrees. Accordingly, in the preferred configuration, the angle of the display  6  when mounted in the holder  180  on the base  102  is adjustable between an angle of zero degrees with respect to vertical (fully tilted forward) and an angle of 90 degrees with respect to vertical (when fully tilted back). 
     The battery receptacle  140  has a suitable electrical connector  144  which is connected to the power supply line  132 . The battery receptacle  140  also includes projections  142  molded into the top member  110  to locate the battery or other device. As noted above, the receptacle  140  may be adapted to receive another personal electronic device. 
     With reference to FIGS. 7-10, a stand and holder assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown therein and generally designated  200 . The assembly  200  differs from the assembly  100  in that the assembly  200  lacks a hinge block. Also, the assembly  200  employs electrical contacts and a latch mechanism of a different design than described above. 
     The assembly  200  includes a base  202  and a holder  280 . In a manner similar to that described above with regard to the assembly  100 , the holder  280  may be rotated with respect to the base  202 . Also, the holder  280  may be selectively mounted, removed, and remounted on the base  202 . 
     The base  202  includes a bottom plate  204  and a top member  210 . The top member  210  includes a battery receptacle  240 , a pivot recess  214 , a front wall  216 , slots  211 , a guide wall  222 , and contact slots  223 . Edges  221  extend along the rear edges of the slots  211 . A printed circuit board  230  is housed in the base  202  and is connected to a power supply by a power line  232 . Contacts  266  are electrically connected and secured to the printed circuit board  230 . Portions of the contacts  266  extend upwardly through the respective slots  223 . A latch mechanism  250  is housed in the base  202 . 
     The holder  280  includes a body  282  and a clip  284 . The holder  280  corresponds to the holder  180  except as follows. A bottom wall  290  of the holder  280  has a pair of slots  290  formed therein. A pair of tabs  274  depend from the bottom wall  290 . Projections  276  extend inwardly from respective ones of the tabs  274 . A plurality of detents  278  and stops  279  are formed on the peripheries of the tabs  274 . Preferably, the tabs  274 , the projections  276 , the detents  278  and the stops  279  are integrally molded with the bottom wall  290 . 
     As best seen in FIG. 9, the latch mechanism  250  cooperates with the tabs  274  (only one tab is shown in FIG. 9) to rotatably and removably mount the holder  280  to the base  202 . The latch mechanism  250  includes a push button  251  and a shaft  254  having a hook  256  on the end thereof. The hook  256  defines a recess  256 A. The shaft  254  extends through a hole  222 A in the curved guide wall  222 . The push button  251  and, hence, the hook  256 , are biased forwardly (that is, in the direction L) by springs  252  which bear against the wall  222 . The holder  280  may be mounted on the base  202  by pushing the tabs  274  down, whereupon, because of the shapes of the hooks  256 , the hinge projections  276  displace the hooks  256  rearwardly (that is, in the direction U) until the hinge projections  276  enter the respective recesses  256 A, allowing the hooks  256  and the button  251  to return to their original positions. The tabs  274  are then securely held between the wall  222  and the hooks  256 . To remove the holder from the base  202 , the user pushes the push button  251  in the direction U to displace the hooks  256  in the direction U, and pulls the freed holder  280  upwardly. 
     It will be appreciated that the wall edges  221 , detents  278  and stops  279  cooperate to allow the holder  280  to be rotated upon application of deliberate force but otherwise restrict rotation of the holder  280  relative to the base  202 , and further, prevent the holder  280  from being over-rotated. Further, it will be appreciated that the described construction allows the user to angularly position the holder  280  in multiple positions. 
     As best seen in FIG. 10, each of the contact members  266  includes a loop portion  267 A. Portions of the loops  267 A extend through the respective slots  223 . Moreover, portions of the loops  267 A extend through respective slots  294  in the holder when the holder  280  is mounted to the base  202 . At least the portions of the loops  267 A in the path of the slots  294  for a prescribed range of motion of the holder  280  have the same axes as the axis of a rotation of the holder  280 . Preferably, each loop  267 A is substantially circular nd has as its axis the axis of rotation of the holder  280 . In this way, the contacts  266  maintain continuous and substantially uniform pressure against the device  5  in the holder  280  through the range of rotation. 
     Preferably, the assembly  200  provides for the same ranges of motion and positioning as the assembly  100 . Preferably, the holder  280  and the base  202  of the assembly  200  are formed of the same materials as described above for the holder  180  and the base  102 . 
     The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.