Patent Publication Number: US-2017347779-A1

Title: Belt Buckle with a Removable Electronic Device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to belt buckles and personal electronic devices, and more particularly, relating to a belt buckle with a removable personal electronic device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventionally, portable electronic devices, i.e. cellular phones, are configured to be received by a case that is configured to be attached to a user worn belt. Additionally, it is known to configure a portable electronic device to be worn as belt buckle. While existing cellular phone designs fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for an improved cellular phone that is removably attached to a belt buckle plate that a cellular phone can be attached to and removed from without unbuckling the belt buckle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of cellular devices including devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new cellular device belt buckle construction having a cell phone, which can be removed from a belt buckle without decoupling the belt buckle from the waist belt. 
     In general, in one aspect, a cellular device belt buckle is provided. The cellular device belt buckle includes a cell phone having a pair of slots extending through a side end and a pair of apertures formed through an attachment face of the cell phone. The cellular device belt buckle further includes a buckle plate having a front side, a back side, a belt tongue, a belt pin extending outwardly from the back side, a pair of confronting dog ears extending outwardly from the front side, and a pair of spring tabs. The cell phone is removably attached to the front side of the buckle plate with the spring tabs cooperatively engaged with the slots and the dog ears cooperatively engaged with said apertures. The cellular device belt buckle further includes a space where at least one credit card is stored between the cell phone and the buckle plate. 
     Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are included to provide further understanding of the invention for the purpose of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the embodiments in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Identical reference numerals do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral may be used to indicate a similar feature of a feature with similar functionality. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a belt buckle with a removable electronic device that is constructed accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the belt buckle attached to a waist belt and the electronic device attached to the belt buckle; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a belt buckle with a removable electronic device that is constructed accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating belt buckle attached to a waist belt and the electronic device disconnected from the belt buckle; 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of an electronic device that is constructed accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of an electronic device that is constructed accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a belt buckle with a removable electronic device that is constructed accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the belt buckle unattached to a waist belt and the electronic device attached to the belt buckle; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of a belt buckle with a removable electronic device that is constructed accordance with the principles of an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the belt buckle unattached to a waist belt and the electronic device attached to the belt buckle; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the belt buckle with a removable electronic device taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 , showing a cooperative engagement between the electronic device and a buckle plate of the belt buckle and a credit card removably disposed within a space between the electronic device and the buckle plate; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the belt buckle with a removable electronic device taken along line  8 - 8  in  FIG. 6 , further showing a cooperative engagement between the electronic device and the buckle plate and the credit card disposed between the cell phone and the buckle plate; 
         FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of a buckle plate, shown with the electronic device detached; 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of a buckle plate; 
         FIG. 11  is front view of a buckle plate; and 
         FIG. 12  is a side view of a buckle plate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 12  thereof, a belt buckle with a detachable electronic device that is constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     The belt buckle with a detachable electronic device  10  includes a buckle plate  12  and an electronic device  14  that is configured to be removably attached to and supported by the buckle plate  12 . The buckle plate  12  is comprised of substantially rigid plate having front and back sides  16  and  18 , respectively. And, while the buckle plate  12  is shown flat, it could be slightly curved. The buckle plate can also be made of any suitable material, such as, for example, metal or plastic. 
     The buckle plate  12  further includes a waist belt attachment tongue  20  and a belt pin  22  extending outwardly from the back side  18  thereof. As best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the buckle plate  12  is connected, for use, to a waist belt  24  in a conventional manner by looping one end of the waist belt  24  over and through the tongue  20 . The opposite end of the waist belt  26  is conventionally secured by extending belt pin  22  through anyone of the corresponding pin holes  28  that extend along the waist belt. 
     Additionally, the buckle plate  12  includes a pair of spring tabs  30  at the end opposite of the tongue  20 , and a pair of confronting dog ears  33  that extend outwardly from the front side  16  and approximate the tongue  20 . 
     Electronic device  14 , representatively shown and described as a cellular phone has a front side  32  and a back side  34 . The cellular phone  14  is configured to be cooperatively connected to the front side  16  of the buckle plate  12  with the front side  32  of the cellular phone facing the front side of the buckle plate  12 . The cellular phone  14  includes slots  36  extending through side end  38  and apertures  40  extending through the front side  32  at a position opposite of side end  38 . Slots  36  are arranged to cooperatively engage with spring tabs  30  and apertures  40  are arranged to cooperatively engage with dog ears  33  when the cellular phone  14  is positioned on the front side  16  of the buckle plate  12 . 
     More specifically, the cellular phone  14  is removably attached to the front side  16  of the buckle plate  12  by inserting the spring tabs  30  into corresponding slots  36  formed through side end  38  of the cellular phone  14 . And aligning and inserting dog ears  33  into corresponding apertures  40  disposed on the front side  32  of cellular phone  14 . Each dog ear  33  is retained in its respective aperture  40  by a catch  42  that is spring biased, and pressing inwardly on the catch  42  releases the dog ear  33  and permits withdrawing the dog ear from its respective aperture  40 . To this end, an important aspect of the present invention is the ability to detach or remove the cellular phone  14  from the buckle plate  12  without decoupling the buckle plate from the waist belt  24 . 
     The cellular phone  14  further includes a camera  44 , a light source  46 , and an external speaker  48  disposed along the back side  34 . A volume control button  50  and a screen lock button  52  each located along opposed side edges of cellular phone  14 . A display screen, such as a touch screen  54  is disposed on the front side  32 . The cellular phone  14  is configured to operate in the same way as a conventional cellular device, wherein the user may control each feature of the cell phone by touching the display and the included buttons on the device. 
     When the cellular phone  14  is attached to the buckle plate  12 , the front side  32  of cellular phone  14  is spaced a distance from the front side  16  of the buckle plate  12  forming a space  56  that is sufficiently sized to removably receive a credit card  58  therewithin, as best seen in  FIG. 8 . 
     A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.