Patent Publication Number: US-2004050123-A1

Title: Quick release key ring assembly for portable electronic device housings and adaptors thereto

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     [0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/384,030 filed May 29, 2002 entitled COMBINATION CELL PHONE AND KEY CHAIN which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] This invention relates generally to portable electronic devices, such as cell phones, and more particularly, to housings and casings for such devices forming part of a key carrier.  
       [0003] The popularity of cell phones and portable electronic devices among the public has increased greatly in the past few years. Although many of these devices were large and relatively bulky when first introduced, the size of these devices have been reduced dramatically as technology has provided for the miniaturization of circuitry and power sources. For example, certain cell phone models have dimensions as small as 3.42 inches×1.77 inches×1.07 inches and weight less than 4 ounces. Due to the convenience afforded by cell phones and their current small sizes, consumers regularly carry cell phones with them in purses, pockets, briefcases, and belt holsters throughout their daily activities. Other small portable electronic devices, such as paging devices, personal organizers, and remote controls for garage doors and such, are also carried by consumers during their day-to-day activities.  
       [0004] Another common item carried by consumers, also in purses, pockets, briefcases and the like, throughout their daily activities are keys and key chains or rings. For convenience, it would be useful if the portable electronic devices described above could also function as a key chain or ring thereby helping to limit the number of separate objects a consumer must carry and locate. It would also be helpful if the portable electronic device and key ring could be quickly attached and disengaged, allowing immediate use of either without interference of the other.  
       [0005] It is similarly desirable to be able to adapt the existing housing of current portable electronic device models to allow the portable electronic device to function as a key holder.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] The present invention provides a novel housing for portable electronic devices and an adaptor for existing device housings that allows the portable electronic device to also function as a key chain.  
       [0007] To form the combination portable electronic device and key chain, a coupling means is utilized wherein at least one portion of the coupling means is connected to a ring element and at least one portion of the coupling means is integral to the housing of a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone. Alternatively, at least one portion of the coupling means may be integral to an attachment clip secured to one end of the portable electronic device.  
       [0008] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying figures and detailed description. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
     [0009]FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of one embodiment a cell phone having a housing in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0010]FIG. 2A is an exploded view of a coupling mechanism for use in the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 2B is another illustration of the coupling mechanism shown in FIG. 2A;  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is a side view of another embodiment of a cell phone having a housing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a side view of a cell phone having an attachment for its housing in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0014]FIG. 5 is a side view of still another embodiment of a cell phone having a housing in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0015] With reference to FIG. 1, portable electronic devices, such as a cell phone  1 , have an outer casing or housing  2  that contains the internal components of the device. This casing or housing is generally constructed of metal or a hard plastic material. The present invention provides a housing  2  including a stem or protrusion  9  on an exterior surface thereof. In devices that have stems to support external antenna, such as cell phones, the stem  9  is separate from such antenna stem. Stem  9  may be molded as part of the housing for plastic housings, welded onto the housing for metal housings or affixed through conventional attachment means such as adhesives, screws, bolts or the like depending on the housing construction material. Preferably, the stem  9  is a cylindrical trunk of sufficient width to have little susceptibility to breakage from the remainder of the housing  2  during normal wear and tear.  
     [0016] The stem  9  is permanently or removably coupled to a ring element  3 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that a variety of coupling means or combinations of coupling means may be utilized. In one embodiment (not shown), this coupling may be accomplished by having stem  9  further include a small, eye flange to which the ring element  3  is directly threaded.  
     [0017] In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the stem  9  has a well or recessed aperture  10  at its top. Ring element  3  is removably or permanently attached to a base member  5  which has a first end  6  shaped to mate with the recessed aperture  10  of stem  9 . Although shown having a cylindrical shape, base member  5  may be formed in a variety of shapes or sizes, provided its first end  6  is dimensioned to mate with the recessed aperture  10 . The base member  5  may be formed of metal or plastic, and can be produced in a variety of colors to be aesthetically pleasing. A tubular component  7  extends from base member  5  when a compressive force is applied to a second end  20  of base member  5 . When in the non-extended position (i.e., no compressive force applied), tubular component  7  is retracted into base member  5 , pushing at least one engaging member (e.g., a rectangular or rounded locking knob  8  or flange) to extend out past the surface of the base member  5 . Applying a compressive force to the second end  20  extends the tubular component  7  and retracts the at least one locking knob  8  to a position flush with the surface of base member  5 . With the locking knob(s) retracted, the first end  6  is able to mate easily with the recessed aperture  10  located in the stem  9 . The depth of the recessed aperture must, therefore, accommodate the extension of the tubular component when the base member is mated with the stem. The inner surface of the recessed aperture  10  preferably provides some degree of traction, and may even include a ridge into which the knob(s) will engage in their extended position.  
     [0018] Release of the compressive force causes the tubular component  7 , which is preferably spring-loaded, to retract and again forces the locking knob  8  into an extended position in contact with and engage the inner surface of the aperture  10 , thereby locking the base member  5  in place within the recessed aperture  10 . To disengage the base member and key ring from the electronic device, a simple application of pressure to second end  20  is all that is required. FIG. 2A depicts the mechanism as compressive force is being applied prior to insertion of end  6  into the recessed aperture  10 . FIG. 2B depicts the mechanism just prior to release of the compressive force. This attach-and-release mechanism enables a user to quickly separate the portable electronics device housing from the keys so that the user may operate the electronics device unencumbered by any keys present on the key ring. In other embodiments not shown, the engaging member may be retracted by applying a compressive force to the sides of the base member  5  not mating with the recessed aperture, as opposed to the end  20  as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Alternatively, extension and retraction of the engaging member may be controlled by a switch located on base member  5 , or by rotating the base member.  
     [0019] Another embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 3, wherein the coupling between the key ring and the portable electronic device is affected without the use of a stem member. Rather, a recessed aperture  13  having similar characteristics to the recessed aperture described above extends from the outer surface to within the housing  2 . The quick attach and release mechanism described above (and illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B) may also be employed in this embodiment.  
     [0020] In FIG. 4, an embodiment of the present invention is shown that allows existing cell phone housings to be adapted to provide a secondary use as a key chain. An attachment clip  15  having one shaped side capable of mating with the cell phone housing  2  is fitted over one end of the cell phone housing and tightly secured to the housing. The securing may be achieved simply by properly dimensioning the attachment clip  15  to tightly received the end of the housing, or other means (e.g., screwing, gluing) may be employed. The attachment clip is configured to be coupled to the ring element  3 . The attachment clip may be equipped with coupling means described above, such as a small eye (not shown), a stem similar to the stem of the housing as shown in FIG. 1, or a recessed aperture similar to the recessed aperture shown in FIG. 3. The latter embodiment has been depicted in FIG. 4, wherein the ring element  3  is attached to base  5  from which tubular component  7  and knob(s)  8  extend to allow for the base  5  to engage and mate with the recessed aperture  13 .  
     [0021] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a combination of two of the mechanisms previously described. A stem  9  extends from the portable electronic device housing  2 . However, the stem  9  does not contain a recess/bore such as in several of the prior stem embodiments. Rather, the stem  9  includes an aperture  21  through which a first ring element  17  is permanently or removably affixed. Also coupled to the first ring element  17  is a block element  19  having a recessed aperture  23  that operates in a manner similar to the stems described in previous embodiments. A second ring element  25 , upon which a user&#39;s keys may be threaded, includes a base member  5  having an end  6  that mates with the recessed aperture  23  of the block element  19  to achieve coupling between the second ring element and the portable electronic device&#39;s housing.  
     [0022] While the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments described above, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.