Patent Publication Number: US-2013228603-A1

Title: Carrier for a wireless receiver or transmitter

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 USC 119(e) of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/977,344, filed Oct. 3, 2007, and priority to U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 12/243,879, filed Oct. 1, 2008, the contents of both are incorporated herein by this reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a carrier for professional wireless receiver or transmitter. More specifically, the invention relates to a carrier comprising a belt of adjustable length and a pouch formed on the belt for supporting the device on the user&#39;s body in such a manner as to prevent the device from becoming dislodged from the pouch while the user is moving about. 
     SUMMARY 
     Wireless transmitters or receivers are commonly are utilized by on camera or on stage talent during performances. The present invention provides a carrier which allows a user to securely carry a device such as a wireless transmitter or receiver in a pouch formed on a belt. It is simple in construction and the belt is infinitely adjustable in size, so that the wireless transmitter or receiver can be held tightly against the user&#39;s body. The device is prevented from being ejected from the pouch. Therefore, the invention is particularly well suited for use by performers on stage and in the production of films, TV programs, and the like, where they are engaged in activities such as running and dancing. 
     In particular, this application discloses a carrier for supporting a wireless transmitter or receiver comprising a substantially flat belt having an inner face, an outer face, and first and second end portions. Fastener means are located on the inner face of the belt at the first end portion. First fastener engaging means are located on the outer surface of the belt extending along the length of the belt and are engageable with the fastener means to secure the belt about the body of a user. A pouch for holding a wireless transmitter or receiver is formed on the inner face of the belt intermediate the end portions. The pouch has an outwardly facing surface and an opening for receiving the wireless transmitter or receiver. Second fastener engaging means are located on the outwardly facing pouch surface and are engageable with the fastener means. A releasable retainer is provided for selectively covering at least a portion of the opening to retain the device in the pouch. 
     This application also discloses a carrier for supporting a wireless transmitter or receiver comprising a substantially flat belt having a core with elastic properties and defining a belt core inner face, a belt core outer face, and a tapered end portion. First hook elements are attached to the inner face of the belt core at the tapered end portion. A first portion of fabric having elastic properties and an outer surface of loop elements engageable with the first hook elements is attached to and covers the belt core outer face, whereby the first hooks can be attached to the first portion of fabric on the belt core outer face. A pouch panel having elastic properties is attached to the belt core inner face to form a pouch having a pouch outer face and an opening through which a wireless transmitter or receiver may be inserted into said pouch. A second portion of fabric having elastic properties and an outer surface of loop elements engageable with the first hook elements is attached to and covers the pouch outer face, whereby the first hooks can be attached to the second portion of fabric on the pouch outer face. A retainer strap for selectively covering at least a portion of the opening in the pouch retains the device in the pouch. The retainer strap has a first end secured to the belt core and a free end having second hook elements engageable with the fabric covering the pouch, whereby the strap can be attached to the fabric on the pouch outer face. 
     This application also discloses a carrier for supporting a wireless transmitter or receiver comprising: a belt having a first end, a second end, a body side and an exterior side; a panel coupled to the body side of the belt so as to form a pocket between the belt and panel wherein the pocket has an open end for receiving a wireless transmitter or receiver into the pocket, wherein the pocket has a depth larger than the height of the wireless transmitter or receiver such that the pocket encompasses the wireless transmitter or receiver; and a selectively adjustable strap having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the adjustable strap is releasably coupleable to the exterior side of the belt and wherein the second end of the adjustable strap is releasably coupleable to the body side of the belt such that the strap extends over the pocket. 
     This application also discloses a carrier for supporting a wireless transmitter or receiver comprising: a belt having a first end, a second end, a body side and an exterior side; a panel coupled to the body side of the belt so as to form a pocket between the belt and panel wherein the pocket has an open end for receiving a wireless transmitter or receiver into the pocket; and a selectively adjustable strap having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the adjustable strap is releasably coupleable to the exterior side of the belt and wherein the second end of the adjustable strap is releasably coupleable to the body side of the belt such that the strap extends over the pocket, and wherein each of the strap first end and second end includes one or more hooks and wherein the belt exterior side includes one or more loops for releasably engaging the one or more hooks of the first end of the strap and wherein the panel includes one or more loops for releasably engaging the one or more hooks of the second end of the strap. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings, when considered in conjunction with the following description, are presented for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention sought to be protected. 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of the belt of the carrier disclosed herein. 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the inner face of the belt. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the outer face of the belt prior to formation of the pouch. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the pouch panel prior to being attached to the belt. 
         FIG. 5  shows the belt with the pouch in perspective installed on the belt in an orientation that supports the wireless device placed therein perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the belt. 
         FIG. 6  shows the belt with the pouch in perspective installed on the belt in an orientation that supports the wireless transmitter or receiver placed therein along the longitudinal axis of the belt. 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the pouch retaining strap. 
         FIG. 8  shows a plan view of an alternative embodiment of carrier; 
         FIG. 9  shows a top view of the carrier of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements. 
     DESCRIPTION 
     The carrier for a wireless transmitter or receiver of the present invention comprises a belt, a pouch formed on the belt, a releasable strap for securing a small wireless transmitter or receiver inside the pouch, and adjustable fastening means for installing the belt around a user&#39;s waist or limb. 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the belt  1 , which has a core  2  of a material having elastic properties, such as neoprene. Core  2  has an inner face  3 , which will be toward the user when the carrier is worn, and an outer face  4 , and it terminates in a tapered end portion  5 . Attached to and covering inner face  3  is a knit fabric  6  also having elastic properties. A plurality of hook elements  7  mounted on a base  8  is provided on inner face  3  at tapered end portion  5 . Base  8  can be attached by techniques such as sewing, gluing, or other suitable methods. Alternatively, hook elements  7  can be embedded in inner face  3 .  FIG. 2  is a plan view of belt  1 , showing the knit fabric which covers inner face  3 , and hook elements  5 . 
     Attached to and covering outer face  4  is a loop fabric  9  having elastic properties and comprising a continuous surface of loop elements  10  which will interact with hook elements  7  to allow belt  1  to encircle the waist or limb of a user.  FIG. 3  is a plan view of belt  1  showing the continuous surface of loop elements  10  on loop fabric  9 , prior to the formation of the pouch. 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of a rectangular pouch panel  11 . Like belt  1 , pouch panel  11  is formed of a pouch core of material having elastic properties and is covered on one side by knit fabric  6  and on the other side by loop fabric  9 . Pouch panel  11  has side edges  12  and a bottom edge  13 . A transparent vinyl window  14  or an opening can be provided in pouch panel  11  to allow the user to visualize the device being carried. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , pouch panel  11  is attached to core  2 . This can be by sewing or gluing side along edges  12  and bottom edge  13 . The result is the formation of pouch having an opening  16 . It also results in loop fabric  9  covering both the outer face  4  of core  2  and the outer face of pouch panel  11 . A wireless transmitter or receiver  17  is shown installed in pouch  15 . A releasable strap  18  is provided to secure device  17  in pouch  15 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , releasable strap  18  has ends  19  and  20 , and is covered on one side with a plurality of hook elements  21 . End  19  is attached to core  2 , and end is attachable to the loop elements  10  on pouch panel  11 . 
     In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 5 , pouch  15  is so oriented as to support the electrical device perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of belt  1 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  pouch  15  is so oriented as to support the wireless transmitter or receiver in the direction of the longitudinal axis of belt  1 . However, pouch  15  is not limited to these orientations. The presence of loop elements on both outer face  4  of belt  1  and on pouch panel  11  allows hook elements  7  to fasten the tapered end  5  of belt  1  along the entire length of the belt, even if the desired size causes them to be in alignment with pouch  15 . At the same time, loops  10  on pouch panel  11  interact with hooks  21  on the underside of end  20  of strap  18  to hold it in place. The use of materials having elastic properties for the belt and the pouch makes the carrier more comfortable for the user to wear. 
     Belt  1  can be of various lengths. For example, the length could be about 40 inches if it is to encircle the waist of a user, 17 inches to encircle the user&#39;s ankle, and in the range of 17 inches to 25 inches to encircle the user&#39;s thigh. Of course, the hook and loop attaching arrangement permits the effective length of each size belt to be altered for exact fit. Pouches also can be of different sizes to fit specific devices. Two examples are a pouch 3.25 inches wide and 3.75 inches high, and a smaller one 2.5 inches wide and 3.25 inches high. The belt can also be of various widths to accommodate the different sizes of pouches. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , an alternative embodiment of a carrier  100  for supporting a wireless transmitter or receiver is shown. The carrier  100  includes a belt  101  having a first end  102 , a second end  104 , a body side  106  and an exterior side  108 . The carrier  100  may include a fastener  110  coupled to the second end  104  of the belt and configured to releasably engage the exterior side  108  of the belt  101  when the belt  101  is encircled about a user&#39;s limb or waist. In one embodiment, the fastener  110  includes one or more hooks for releasably engaging corresponding one or more loops on the exterior of the belt  101  (e.g. a Velcro® configuration). However, it will be appreciated that the belt  101  may be selectively and releasably secured in an encircling arrangement around a user&#39;s limb or waist via any suitable coupling means (e.g. magnets, snaps, buttons, adhesive, etc.) and remain within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, as shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the fastener region  110  is dimensioned to be slightly narrower than the belt  101 . This is to ensure that when the belt is stretched for purposes of fitment on a performer, which will have a narrowing effect along the length of the belt, the hook portions of the fitment region are still fully engageable with the loops on the exterior of the belt and do not overlapping the belt  101 . If this design element was not in place, irritation could arise on the performer&#39;s skin from contact with the overlapping hook region. Note this reduced length of the hook portion of the engaging region of the second end is also shown if  FIG. 2 . 
     The carrier  100  also includes a panel  112  coupled to the body side  106  of the belt  101 . The panel  112  is coupled to the belt  101  so as to form a pocket  114  between the belt  101  and panel  112 . The panel  112  may be coupled to the belt  101  via any suitable coupling means, including but not limited to stitching, adhesive, bonding, fasteners or any other suitable coupling means. The pocket  114  includes an open end for receiving a wireless transmitter or receiver  116  into the pocket  114 . In one embodiment, the pocket  114  includes a depth D greater than the height H of the wireless transmitter or receiver  116  so that the pocket  114  substantially encompasses the wireless transmitter or receiver  116  so as to conceal the device  116  when the carrier is being worn by a user. Also, each of the panel  112  and belt  101  may be formed from any suitable resilient material (e.g. Neoprene®). 
     The carrier  100  may also include one or more adjustable straps  118  for retaining the wireless transmitter or receiver  116  within the pocket  114 . Each strap  118  is releasably coupleable to the exterior side  108  of the belt  101  and the body side  106  of the belt  101  and is extendable over the pocket  116  to retain a wireless transmitter or receiver  116  within the pocket  114 . In one embodiment, each of the first end and second end of each strap  118  includes one or more hooks for engaging respective one or more loops on the exterior side  108  and body side  106  of the belt (e.g. a Velcro® configuration). However, it will be appreciated that the straps  118  may be releasably coupled to the belt  101  via any suitable coupling means (e.g. magnets, snaps, buttons, adhesive, etc.) and remain within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     In use, a wireless transmitter or receiver  116  is disposed within the pocket  114 . One or more straps  118  may be extended across the pocket  114  to retain the wireless transmitter or receiver  116  within the pocket whereafter the strap(s)  118  are coupled to the exterior side  108  and body side  106  of the belt  101 . The belt  101  may be encircled about a user and the fastener  110  coupled to the exterior side  108  of the belt  101  to maintain the belt in the encircling position about the user.