Patent Publication Number: US-11659917-B2

Title: Apparatus with self-retracting elastomeric support band

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/116,156, filed on Dec. 9, 2020, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an apparatus that is selectively attachable to the outer case of a cellular telephone (“cell phone”) or other similarly portable device. The apparatus desirably includes a housing containing an elastomeric band, belt or strap that is principally disposed inside the housing when the apparatus is not in use. When the apparatus of the invention is attached to the outer case of a cell phone or other device, a portion of the elastomeric band, belt or strap can be selectively withdrawn from the housing and can be releasably latched or locked in place to form a flexible, continuous loop. The flexible continuous loop can be used, for example, to support the cell phone around a user&#39;s neck for hands-free use when the user is engaged in other activities. Alternatively, the flexible, continuous loop can be used as a selectively retractable carrying strap when the cell phone or other device is not in use. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     Cell phones are most often carried in a hand, pocket or bag of a mobile user. When the user is driving a motor vehicle, the cell phone is sometimes placed in a support frame or cradle mounted on or suspended from the dashboard, mirror or console while the user utilizes a speaker phone or a “Bluetooth” connection to carry on a telephone conversation with another person. Unfortunately for the safety of a user and for other surrounding motorists, cell phones are more often held unsafely in one hand of a driver while grasping a steering wheel in the other hand. 
     Purses and shoulder bags comprising straps with buckles for adjusting strap length are also known and worn over the shoulder and/or around the neck of a user. More recently, purses and other small personal utility bags supported by conventional carrying straps have been disclosed and advertised that also comprise an outwardly facing pocket or compartment into which a cell phone can be inserted for convenient viewing through a transparent plastic “window.” 
     Other prior devices commonly referred to as “measuring tapes” are made of housings containing a coiled strip of flexible metal with measuring indicia marked on it. Such devices typically comprise spring-powered retraction mechanisms that add weight, complexity and expense to the products with which they are used and take up additional space without providing commensurate additional utility that are retractable into a housing following use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An apparatus is disclosed here that is durable, safe and conveniently usable for supporting and selectively maintaining a cell phone or other similarly portable device in a readily available and usable position proximal to a mobile user engaged in activities such as, for example, driving, bicycling, hiking, walking, fishing, grocery shopping, cleaning, performing vehicular or home maintenance chores, and the like. 
     The apparatus of the invention is desirably usable as an ancillary aftermarket attachment to cell phones of various brands, models and sizes. If preferred, the subject apparatus can also be incorporated into a telephone case as an option from an original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) or into a protective case such as those marketed under the trademarks “OTTER Body” or “mophie” that offer additional durability or battery life to aftermarket consumers. Also, it will be appreciated upon reading this disclosure in relation to the accompanying drawings that although the subject invention is primarily intended for use with cell phones, it can be similarly useful with other portable devices such as, for example, cameras, radios, remote communications equipment, measurement or testing instruments, and the like. 
     One satisfactory embodiment of an apparatus of the invention desirably includes a housing containing an elastomeric band, belt or strap that is principally disposed inside the housing when the apparatus is not in use. When the apparatus of the invention is attached to the outer case of a cell phone, a portion of an elastomeric band, belt or strap (hereinafter referred to as an “elastomeric band” for brevity) is anchored inside the housing and is desirably graspable through an opening in the housing and manually drawn through the opening to form a flexible loop of desired size. The elastomeric band is then releasably latched in place by a plurality of rotatable latches mounted in the housing. The flexible, continuous loop can be used, for example, to support the cell phone around a user&#39;s neck for hands-free use when the user is engaged in other activities. Alternatively, the loop can be used as a selectively retractable carrying strap when the cell phone or other similar device is not in use. Depending upon the size of the loop, it can also be used to hang a cell phone or other portable device from an auto mirror or hook for other hands-free use. 
     The apparatus of the invention comprises an array of wheels or pulleys rotatably mounted inside the housing that are positioned to engage, support and facilitate stretching of the elastomeric band. In a preferred embodiment the elastomeric band is configured as a long flexible trip having opposed ends that each comprise a small loop anchored at a particular point inside the housing. The length and elasticity of the elastomeric band are desirably such that the band is self-retractable so that it resides entirely inside the housing when in a relaxed, unlocked position. When a graspable portion of the band is pulled outwardly from the housing, it can be locked in a fixed position relative to the housing by manually rotating two frictionally engageable, rotatable latches disposed adjacent to the opening. In one embodiment of the invention, the rotatable latches are cooperatively configured to self-engage and hold a loop of desired size external to the housing when outwardly directed pressure on the elastomeric band is relaxed. In this way the user can maintain the housing and the portable device to which it is attached in a desired position relative to the user. Alternatively, if for example the user is wearing the apparatus around her or his neck and desires to increase or decrease the size of the loop, the relatively positioning of the apparatus can be adjusted by withdrawing a longer length of elastomeric band through the opening of the housing or by selectively releasing the latches to allow some of the band to self-retract inside the housing as desired. 
     The latches used in the apparatus of the invention can be configured to be manually engageable at any time to fix the position of the elastomeric band relative to the housing or can be configured to frictionally lock down on the band only when the band is allowed to relax and begins to self-retract back inside the housing. The length and elasticity of the band are desirably such that it can be stretched outside the housing to form an external loop of desired dimensions and yet self-retract fully inside the housing when allowed to relax with the latches selectively disengaged from the band. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The apparatus of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a rear perspective view of one embodiment of the apparatus of the invention with an elastomeric belt fully retracted into the housing except for a small portion that spans an opening in the housing and is manually accessible through the opening; 
         FIG.  2    is a front elevation view of the embodiment of the apparatus of  FIG.  1    with a pressure-sensitive adhesive pad adhered to the front cover of the housing and having a peel-away cover sheet partially removed from the adhesive pad; 
         FIG.  3    is a right-side elevation view of the embodiment of  FIG.  2    with the cover sheet of  FIG.  2    removed from the adhesive pad and the adhesive pad adhered to the rearwardly facing surface of a cell phone shown in dashed outline; 
         FIG.  4    is a rear perspective view of the apparatus as in  FIG.  1    with the elastomeric belt extended outside the housing through an opening in the housing; 
         FIG.  5    is a rear perspective view as in  FIG.  4    with the rear cover of the housing removed and rotatable latches positioned to hold the elastomeric belt in the fully extended position relative to the housing, thereby allowing the portion of the elastomeric belt extending outwardly from the housing to relax from the fully extended position; 
         FIG.  6    is an enlarged detail rear elevation view of the apparatus of  FIG.  1    shown substantially as in  FIG.  5    with the rear cover of the housing removed and the rotatable latches rotated to a locked positioned to hold the portion of the elastomeric belt disposed inside the housing in an extended position and under tension inside the housing while allowing a portion of the elastomeric belt disposed outside the housing to remain in a comparatively more relaxed position that is not under tension outwardly of the latches; 
         FIG.  7    is an enlarged detail rear elevation view of the apparatus of  FIG.  1    shown substantially as in  FIG.  8    with the rotatable latches rotated to an unlocked position to allow the elastomeric belt to contract inside the housing while still maintaining slight tension in an accessible portion of the elastic band that spans an opening in the housing to avoid having slack in the elastomeric belt when retracted; and 
         FIG.  8    is an enlarged detail rear elevation view of the apparatus of  FIG.  1    with the rear cover of the housing removed and the rotatable latches positioned in an unlocked position to allow the elastic band to contract to the greatest extent permitted inside the housing while still maintaining slight tension in the portion of the elastic band disposed inside the housing to avoid having slack in the elastic band. 
     
    
    
     The reader should understand that like numbers are generally used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawing figures but that the figures are not drawn to scale. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1 ,  7  and  8   , apparatus  10  comprises housing  12  further comprising body  16  with selectively removable cover  14 , opposing latches  18 ,  20  and an elastomeric band  22  disposed inside housing  12 , with a portion of elastomeric band  22  being visible and graspable through recessed opening  52  cooperatively formed in cover  14  and body  16 . Housing  12  of apparatus  10  is desirably formed from a moldable polymeric material such as, for example, high impact polystyrene or another similarly suitable material. Elastomeric band  22  is desirably disposed entirely inside housing  12  (except for the portion of elastomeric band  22  that is visible and graspable  12  when latches  18 ,  20  are in an unlocked position and elastomeric band  22  is relaxed sufficiently to self-retract into housing  12 ). 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , apparatus  10  is desirably attachable to a portable device such as a cellular telephone  30  (not part of the invention except when the other functional portions of apparatus  10  are incorporated into a body  14  that forms part of the portable device) using an adhesive pad  28  or other similarly effective attachment means permitting use of apparatus  10  as an aftermarket attachment to cellular telephone  30 . Adhesive pad  28  of a size satisfactory for this purpose are typically commercially available and provided with a peel-off cover sheet  26  on each side that is removable to expose oppositely facing adhesive surfaces suitable for use in securing body  16  of housing  12  to the back surface of a device such as cellular telephone  20  with which it is intended to be used. When apparatus  10  is ready for use when configured as shown in  FIG.  3   , with latches  18  and  20  unlatched and elastomeric band  22  disposed in a visible and graspable position but is otherwise fully retracted inside housing  12  ( FIG.  1   ). 
     Referring to  FIG.  4   , apparatus  10  is shown with a portion of elastomeric band  22  pulled outwardly away from cover  14  to form a flexible elongated loop of desired size when a force  32  is exerted against the outermost portion of elastomeric band  22  relative to the other portions of apparatus  10 . During the expansion of elastomeric band  22  as shown in  FIG.  4   , latches  18  and  20  are desirably positioned to permit outwardly directed movement of elastomeric band relative to cover  14 . When elastomeric band  22  is stretched outwardly to a desired extent, latches  18  or  20  can be manually engaged by the user to prevent self-retraction of elastomeric band  22  back inside apparatus  10 . Latches  18 ,  20  can be configured to be manually engageable and releasable or, alternatively, to automatically engage by rotating to create frictional contact between elastomeric band  22  and body  16  of apparatus  10  when force  32  ( FIG.  4   ) is relaxed and elastic band is permitted to self-retract. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  5 - 8   , apparatus  10  is depicted with cover  14  ( FIG.  4   ) removed to reveal the inside of housing  12  ( FIG.  1   ) as seen looking into body  16 . Body  16  preferably further comprises a plurality of rotatable wheels or pulleys (hereafter “pulleys”)  40  around which elastomeric band  22  is positioned for use. Referring to  FIGS.  5  and  8   , in this embodiment of the invention, each of two opposed ends of elastomeric band  22  comprises a loop  36  that is disposed over one of two spaced-apart anchor posts  37  and then wrapped circuitously around pulleys  40 , with the centrally disposed portion of elastomeric band  22  passing between latches  18 ,  20  and inside wall of body  16 , around guide wall  50  (best visible in  FIGS.  6  and  7   ), and across recessed opening  52 . A plurality of spaced-apart sites  34  are disposed inside body  16  that are desirably coaxially aligned with corresponding sites on the underside of cover  14  ( FIG.  1   ) that cooperate provide structural support to body  16  and frictional engagement with the underside of cover  14  ( FIG.  1   ). Sites  34  can be used to position posts that are frictionally engageable, for example, with opposed receptacles disposed under cover  14  to provide “snap-fit” frictional engagement between cover  14  and body  16 . Alternatively, other selectively releasable attachment means such as screws and cooperatively aligned threaded receptacles can be used to attach cover  14  to body  16  of apparatus  10 . Additionally, in another alternative embodiment of the invention described but not depicted in relation to  FIG.  8   , a plurality of spacers (preferably wedge-shaped guides) can be provided in the triangularly shaped spaces formed between the two oppositely disposed sets of pulleys  40  inside body  16  to avoid tangling of portions of elastomeric band  22  inside housing  12  ( FIG.  1   ) during a sudden release and relaxation of elastomeric band  22  from the position shown in  FIG.  5    to the position shown in  FIG.  8   . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  6 - 8   , rotatable latches  18 ,  20  are desirably used to provide selectively releasable frictional engagement between elastomeric band  22  and inside wall of body  16 . Referring to  FIG.  6   , latch  18  with touch surface  42 , lever arm  44  and pivot post  46  is shown in a “latched” position with lateral projection  48  “pinching” a portion of elastomeric band  22  against body  16  after rotating latch  18  downwardly by the application of manual pressure to touch surface  42  of latch  18  as indicated by arrow  54 . Conversely, referring to  FIG.  7   , latch  18  is shown in an “unlatched position” with lateral projection  48  rotated upwardly as indicated by arrow  56  to release the adjacent portion of elastomeric band  22  from frictional engagement with body  16  to thereby permit self-retraction of elastomeric band  22  back inside housing  12  as shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this specification in view of the accompanying drawings, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventor and/or Applicant are legally entitled.