Patent Publication Number: US-6982542-B2

Title: Accessory for use with mobile telephones

Description:
This invention relates to an accessory for use with mobile telephones. 
     According to the invention there is provided an accessory for use with mobile telephones, which comprises a support body that defines at least two pairs of holding formations, each pair of holding formations including a first formation in which a mobile telephone can be held and a second formation in which the charger of a mobile telephone can be held, and in which the support body has an electrical connector arrangement located thereon that includes a socket arrangement, for receiving the pins of a mobile telephone charger, for the second formation of each pair of holding formations and connector means for connecting the socket arrangements to a mains electricity power supply. 
     The support body may comprise a box-like structure defined by a base wall, two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall and the pairs of holding formations may be compartments defined within the box-like structure. Particularly, the pairs of holding formations may be disposed adjacent one another between the side walls of the box-like structure, with each first formation being a compartment disposed adjacent the front wall of the structure and each second formation being a compartment disposed operatively behind the first formation with which it forms a pair. 
     According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the second formations of the pairs of holding formations comprise a common compartment in which the socket arrangements are positioned to each receive the pins of a mobile telephone charger therein in a configuration in which all the socket arrangements can have the pins of a mobile telephone charger received therein while located in the common compartment, operatively behind a first formation in which an associated mobile telephone can be held. The accessory may include a lid for the said common compartment. 
     Further according to the invention, the compartments defining the pairs of holding formations each may be separated by a partition wall that has a slot formation defined therein for receiving an electric cord of a mobile telephone charger, to permit a mobile telephone held in a first compartment to be electrically connected with its charger via a cord leading from the charger. 
     The front wall of the box-like structure forming the accessory of the invention preferably is of a transparent sheet material. 
     Still further according to the invention, the support body may define formations for supporting the body against a support wall. Also, the support body may have at least one hook-like formation projecting therefrom in a configuration in which at least one key can be suspended from the support body. 
     Each socket arrangement may be adapted to cooperate with the connector pins of a predetermined mobile telephone charger. Alternatively, each socket arrangement may be adapted to cooperate with the connector pins of a predetermined range of mobile telephone chargers. 
     The connector means of the electrical connector arrangement may include a connector body mounted on the support body, which is electrically connected to the socket arrangements and which is accessible to permit a connector at one end of an electrical cord to cooperate therewith for connecting the socket arrangements in line with a mains electricity power supply, to which the other end of the cord is connectable via a connector plug. The connector arrangement also may include an on-off switch for controlling current flow to the socket arrangements. 
     The support body of the accessory of the invention may define complementary inter-connecting formations on the respective opposite sides thereof for permitting two or more similar support bodies to be interconnected with one another in a side-by-side relationship. 
     The support body may be formed of any suitable material and, preferably, is formed of a synthetic plastics material. With the front wall being formed of a transparent material, a mobile telephone held in a first holding formation clearly can be easily identified. 
     It must be appreciated that the accessory of the invention may include any number of pairs of holding formations, it being envisaged in this regard that the accessory of the invention will be particularly suitable for use in a domestic situation in which, within a family, there may exist a relatively large number of mobile telephones and in which the accessory of the invention can provide for all the mobile telephones to be neatly held together and to be charged in a neat and effective manner, while using only one mains power supply point. 
     The accessory of the invention also may be associated with any other means that can be associated with the use of a mobile telephone, particularly to provide for communication with mobile telephones held thereby. 
    
    
     
       Further features of the invention are described hereafter with reference to an example of an accessory for use with mobile telephones, in accordance with the invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a three-dimensional view of an accessory for use with mobile telephones, in accordance with the invention, with the lid thereof displaced from its operative position; 
         FIG. 2  shows a plan view of the accessory of  FIG. 1 , without its lid; and 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of the accessory of  FIG. 1 , in its operative configuration. 
     
    
    
     Referring to the drawings, an accessory for use with mobile telephones, in accordance with the invention, is designated generally by the reference numeral  10 . The accessory  10  comprises a support body in the form of a box-like structure  12 , the box-like structure  12  being defined by a base wall  14 , two side walls  16 , a front wall  18  and a rear wall  20 . 
     The box-like structure  12  is divided into three pairs of holding formations, each pair of holding formations including a first compartment  22  within which a mobile telephone can be held and a second compartment  24  in which the charger of a mobile telephone can be held. In the particular embodiment of the invention as shown, the second compartment  24  of the three pairs of holding formations comprise a common compartment, although it must be appreciated that these compartments also can be separated by partition walls. 
     Each second compartment  24  forming a pair of holding formations with a first compartment  22  has a socket arrangement in the form of a two-pin socket formation  26  located therein, the sockets of the socket formations  26  being rendered accessible for two-pin plugs to be plugged therein via a raised floor  28  within the compartment  24 , beneath which the remainder of the socket formations are located (see particularly  FIGS. 1 and 3 ). 
     As is illustrated clearly in  FIG. 2  of the drawings, the socket formations  26  are electrically connected with one another via conductor wires  30  and are electrically connected to a connector socket  32 , permitting a power supply to the socket formations  26  from a mains power supply via a cord  34 , in use connected between the mains power supply  36  and the connector socket  32  (see  FIG. 3 ). The sockets of the socket formations  26  are formed particularly to permit either specific, or a range of different, connector pins of mobile telephone chargers to be plugged therein, the particular sockets as shown in  FIG. 2  being adapted to receive a range of different connector pins, as are commonly associated with different countries, to be plugged therein. As such, three-pin socket formations also may be provided for, where required. 
     The wall  38  dividing the pairs of holding formations, each defined by a first compartment  22  and a second compartment  24 , has three slot formations  39  formed therein, each slot formation  39  being formed to receive a connector wire leading from a mobile telephone charger plugged into a socket formation  26  to a first compartment  22 , in order to permit plugging into a mobile telephone that can be held within the first compartment  22 .  FIG. 3  particularly illustrates the operative configuration of a mobile telephone with respect to its charger, with the mobile telephone  40  being held within a first compartment  22  and being connected via a connector wire  42  to its charger  46 , that is plugged into a socket formation  26 . 
     It will thus be understood that when connected to a mains power supply  36  in the configuration as shown in  FIG. 3 , charging of the mobile telephone  40  when so plugged in will occur. It will also be understood that the second compartments  24 , being defined as a common compartment, can have three mobile telephone chargers plugged therein, each charger to be associated with a mobile telephone to be held within a first compartment  22 . With mobile telephone chargers so positioned within the common compartment forming the compartments  24 , a lid  48  of the accessory  10  can cover the common compartment, particularly as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     For use, the accessory of the invention can be positioned on any suitable support surface in a suitably accessible location where it can be effectively plugged into a mains power supply, permitting the use only of this single power supply for charging three mobile telephones held in the respective first compartments  22  defined within the box-like structure  12 , while the chargers of the mobile telephones are held within the common compartment forming the compartments  24 . This permits the mobile telephones to be held in a neat configuration and in a location where they are easily accessible, while also not requiring each mobile telephone to be charged from a separate mains power supply. The rear wall  20  of the box-like structure  12  also has keyhole formations  50  formed therein, whereby the box-like structure can be mounted conveniently on a support wall, thereby still further facilitating the use of the accessory of the invention for the effective “storage” of mobile telephones. 
     It will be understood that the accessory of the invention will be particularly useful in domestic situations where a number of family members have their own mobile telephones that require simultaneous charging. It is envisaged in this regard that the front wall of the box-like structure  12  will be formed of a transparent material, rendering individual mobile telephones easily identifiable. 
     Also as illustrated, the side walls  16  of the box-like structure  12  have venting slots formed therein in order to deal with any heating that may occur within the compartments  24  while mobile telephones are charged via chargers located therein. It is envisaged also that the accessory of the invention and, particularly, the individual pairs of holding formations may be associated with hook-like formations located externally on the box-like structure (only one formation  52  shown in  FIG. 1 ), permitting the owners of particular mobile telephones to hang, for example, their car keys from the accessory, thus facilitating the easy accessibility of keys and mobile telephones and avoiding mobile telephones being “forgotten”. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the side walls  16  of the box-like structure  12  has venting slots  54  defined therein which can serve to prevent overheating with the common compartment forming the compartments  24 , during charging of mobile telephones. 
     It must be appreciated that the accessory of the invention may be associated with any number of pairs of holding formations and it is envisaged also in this regard that where accessories are associated, for example, with two pairs of holding formations, the opposite side walls of the accessory may be associated with interconnecting formations whereby similar accessories can be held in an adjacent side-by-side relationship, thus forming a combination for holding different numbers of mobile telephones together, in a neat convenient configuration as herein envisaged.