Patent Publication Number: US-2021168233-A1

Title: Case-retained mobile device anchor and method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/625,761 filed Feb. 2, 2018, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of mobile devices of existing art and more specifically relates to smartphone accessories. 
     RELATED ART 
     With the advent of practical, portable cell phones, and more recently smartphones, the average individual has become dependent on the constant presence and use of cell phones. As a result, it is often perceived to be necessary to keep a cell phone on one&#39;s person at all times. As users continue to use cell phones for an increasing number of functions, keeping track of the phone and preventing misplacement can become difficult. This is exacerbated by the compact, slim, and drag-free designs of modern cell phones. Additionally, users may accidentally drop their phone, leading to extensive damages and repairs. A suitable solution is desired. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,137 to Harold T. Poulson relates to a cellular phone leash. The described cellular phone leash includes a leash attached to a cell phone case and a spring retractable leash cord in a housing pivotally attached to the belt which will prevent dropping and damage to a cell phone in a case clipped to the belt. The leash housing is pivotally attached to a locking belt hook that cannot easily be accidentally removed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known smartphone accessory art, the present disclosure provides a novel case-retained mobile device anchor and method. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an efficient and effective case-retained mobile device anchor and method. 
     An anchoring device is disclosed herein. The anchoring device has a ring, a base, and a wire. The base is affixed to the ring. The wire has two ends which are each affixed to the base so that the wire forms a loop sized to run around the edge of a cell phone under a backplate. 
     According to another embodiment, a method of retaining a cell phone is also disclosed herein. The method of retaining a cell phone includes providing the above-described anchoring device and using as described herein. 
     For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a case-retained mobile device anchor and method, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the anchoring-device during an ‘in-use’ condition, according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the anchoring-device of  FIG. 1  being installed into a mobile-device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the anchoring-device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed side perspective view of the anchoring-device of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of use for retaining a cell phone, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a smartphone accessory and more particularly to a case-retained mobile device anchor and method as used to improve the retention of a cell phone. 
     Generally, the case-retained mobile device anchor is an accessory which provides a mounting location on a cell phone or similar device. The anchor includes a ring, a base, and a wire. Both ends of the wire are affixed to the base and form a loop which is sized to ‘run around’ the cell phone. Many mobile devices have a removable backplate, and a channel or ridge under the backplate, which leaves enough room for such a thin wire as is provided to fit under the backplate and securely constrict to the internal structure or housing of the phone. When the backplate is affixed back to the phone, it retains the wire to the phone. In this way, the anchoring device can be affixed to the phone as securely as possible without modifying or damaging the phone, and the ring provides a mounting location for a lanyard or other retention device. 
     The base may be circular and may be attached to the ring by a swivel in some embodiments. Preferably, the base and/or the wires are able to pass through the backplate using an existing hole. When this is not the case, it may be necessary to modify the backplate. In one embodiment, the anchor device may be provided in a kit having a backplate for a particular mobile device model, with the kit backplate being modified with a relief or other structural modification to accommodate the base of the anchor device. In yet further embodiments, kits may be available that provide anchoring devices with bases that are tailored to a particular phone model and are shaped and contoured to interface with the mobile device housing, backplate, etc. for that model in a secure manner. 
     Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , various views of an anchoring device  100 . 
       FIG. 1  shows an anchoring device  100  during an ‘in-use’ condition  50 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the anchoring device may be beneficial for use to retain a cell phone. Anchoring-device  100  may be able to anchor retention-device or tether  160  to mobile-device  15 . 
     According to one embodiment, the anchoring-device  100  may be arranged as a kit  105 . In particular, the anchoring-device  100  may further include a set of instructions  107 . The instructions  107  may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the anchoring anchoring-device  100  such that the anchoring anchoring-device  100  can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner. In one embodiment, backplate  5  is a component of kit  105  alongside anchoring-device  100 . In this embodiment, backplate may be a modified backplate having relief  25  as shown. Relief  25  may be semi-circular. Relief  25  may be dimensioned to accommodate anchoring-device  100  as it protrudes for backplate  5  when in attachment to mobile-device  15 . Backplate  5  may be custom tailored to a particular model of mobile-device  15 . Tether  160  may also be a component of kit  105 . Tether  160  may be removably attached to ring  110 . Tether  160  may be a metallic chain, a fibrous lanyard, or a polymer lanyard in various embodiments. 
       FIG. 2  shows the anchoring device  100  of  FIG. 1  being attached to a mobile device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the anchoring anchoring-device  100  may include ring  110 , base  120 , and wire  130 . Wire  130  may form a loop which is secured by base  120 . The loop formed by wire  130 , as illustrated, may be sized to fit around and circumscribe a portion of mobile-device  15  which in normal use is concealed by backplate  5 . 
     Backplate  5  may be assembled to mobile-device  15  with wire  130  sandwiched in between backplate  5  and mobile-device  15  in the position shown, such that anchoring-device  100  is securely retained to mobile-device  15  by backplate  5  covering wire  130 . Wire  130  may be constructed of beryllium, steel, brass, or other resilient materials in various embodiments. Preferably, the diameter of wire  130  is no larger than two millimeters. Base  120  and ring  110  may each be constructed of brass in some embodiments. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the anchoring device  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Anchoring -device  100  may include ring  110 , base  120 , and wire  130 . Base  120  may be affixed to ring  110 . Wire  130  may have first-end  122  and second-end  124 , defining opposite ends of wire  130 . First-end  122  and second-end  124  may each be affixed to base  120 , such that wire  130  is able to circumscribe mobile-device  15 . Wire  130  may be defined by a wire-length and a wire-diameter. The length of wire  130  and the diameter of wire  130  may be specifically dimensioned to fit underneath mobile-device backplate  5  and circumscribe mobile-device  15  without substantial slack. 
       FIG. 4  is a detailed side perspective view of the anchoring device  100  of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Anchoring-device  100  may also include swivel  140  affixing base  120  to ring  110 . Swivel  140  may include swivel-aperture  142  and shaft  144 . Shaft  144  may be disposed within and be axially rotatable within swivel-aperture  142 . Swivel-aperture  142  may be integrated with base  120 , and shaft  144  may be integrated with ring  110 . In this way, ring  110  may rotate relative to base  120  while still being retained to base  120 . Shaft  144  may itself include rim  152  and shank  154 . Rim  152  and shank  154  may each be cylindrical and concentric to each other, with rim  152  being wider than shank  154 , such that shank  154  may spin freely within swivel-aperture  142 . Rim  152  may impinge upon base  120 , such that shaft  144  may not be withdrawn from swivel-aperture  142 . Ring  110  may be defined by ring-aperture  112 . Ring-aperture  112  may be circular, having a diameter which is sufficiently large to enable tether  160  ( FIG. 1 ) to pass through ring-aperture  112 . The diameter of ring  110  measures at least three millimeters. 
     Base  120  may include tensioning device  180 . Tensioning device  180  may itself rotatable element  182  integrated into tensioning device  180 , tensioning device  180  being configured to constrict wire  130  about mobile-device  15  ( FIG. 1 ). In some embodiments, tensioning device may be integral or indistinguishable from rim  152 . First-end  122  of wire  130  and second-end  124  of wire  130  may each be affixed to rotatable element  182 , such that neither first-end  122  of wire  130  or second-end  124  of wire  130  are affixed centrally to rotatable element  182 . In this way, first-end  122  of wire  130  and second-end  124  of wire  130  may be separated from each other by at least one millimeter, enabling wire  130  to constrict and alternatively expand about mobile-device  15  ( FIG. 1 ) when rotatable element  182  is turned relative to mobile-device  15  ( FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for retaining a cell phone  500 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In particular, the method for retaining a cell phone  500  may include one or more components or features of the anchoring device  100  as described above. As illustrated, the method for retaining a cell phone  500  may include the steps of: step one  501 , providing the anchoring-device of  FIG. 1 ; step two  502 , removing the backplate from the mobile-device; step three  503 , circumscribing the mobile-device; step four  504 , reattaching the backplate to the mobile-device with the wire of the anchoring device being sandwiched between the backplate and the mobile-device; and step five  505 , affixing the retention-device to the ring of the anchoring-device. 
     It should be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein and is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods for retaining a cell phone, are taught herein. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.