Abstract:
A personal support system for a mobile electronic device includes a strap to be worn around the neck of the user and a holder for the device which includes an arrangement for securing the holder to each end of the strap. The holder is adjustable to receive and hold devices of varying sizes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention which is the subject matter of this application for a patent is to a personal support system for a mobile electronic device such as a cell phone, notebook, iPod or the like. The system includes a strap adapted to be worn around the neck of the user, and a device holder which is detachably connected to both ends of the strap. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,099 discloses a neck strap for a mobile electronic device that includes a compartment for wires attached to ear plugs. The electronic device is attached to a connector  3  which is connected to a flexible loop  2 . The details of construction for the connector are not disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,196 discloses a strap which also includes a compartment for the ear plug wires. The electronic device is secured to the strap via a connecting string. U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,489 discloses a carrying assembly for a mobile electronic device that includes a carrying assembly for clipping the device to a user&#39;s belt or waist of the user&#39;s pants. The carrying assembly has a fixed geometry so that it is not adjustable to accommodate different sized electronic devices. The carrying assembly also requires a locking button that is permanently secured to the electronic device. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is for a personal support system for a mobile electronic device that includes an adjustable holder for the device such that it is adaptable for different size devices. A neck strap attaches to either side of the holder so that in use when the device is supported by the neck strap, the device is conveniently located above a user&#39;s waist so that it can be easily held and manipulated as necessary. The user can easily grasp the device and rotate it so that the finger operated controls and any display screen is visible to the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the holder for the mobile electronic device. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the holder according to the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention showing the neck portion of the holder. 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the strap connections of the embodiment of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of an additional embodiment of the strap connection to the holder shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of the strap shown in  FIG. 14  is a second operating position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the personal support system  10  of the invention includes a u-shaped flexible strap having portions  11 ,  12 ,  13  and  14  adapted to fit around the neck of a user. Portions  11  and  14  may be padded with an additional padding layer  15  at the portion of the strap that engages the user&#39;s neck. Lower portions  12  and  13  are tubular so as to receive the ear plug wires  25 . A zipper  26  and  27  is provided on tubular portion  13  for access to the interior of the tubular strap portion. Ear plug wires  25  extend through tubular portion  13  and then exit portion  14  via an aperture  29 . Individual earphone wires  24  separate from wire  25  at  18  and are connected to earphones  23 . A clip  28  may be used to secure earphone wire  25  to the upper portion  14  of the strap. 
         [0022]    An attachment strap  16  is secured to the lower end of strap portions  12  and  13  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Each attachment strap  16  has a strip of detachable material such as hooks or loops  21 . 
         [0023]    An embodiment of a holder  30  for the mobile electronic device is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  11 . The holder comprises a flexible strip of material  38  having a u-shaped profile as shown in  FIG. 11 . A strip of detachable material such as hooks or loops  39  is secured to flexible strip  38 . At one end of strip  38 , a second flat strip of detachable material  34  is provided having detachable material on the inside of the flat strip. In this manner, the flexible strap can be placed around the periphery of the electronic device in a tight holding fashion as the hooks and loops on surfaces  34  and  36  engage each other. 
         [0024]    With the adjustable holder  30  positioned around and holding the electronic device, attachment straps can now be connected to the sides  36  of holder  30  so that the assembly can now be placed around the users neck with the mobile electronic device suspended from strap portions  12  and  13  approximately at the users chest. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is an embodiment of the invention similar to  FIG. 3 . The upper portions  11  and  14  of the strap are formed as tubulars with an internal chamber through which the earphone wires pass. Earphone wire  25  exits through a hole  16  provided in the upper portion  15  of the strap. The construction is otherwise the same as the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrates a second embodiment for the holder of the mobile electronic device according to the invention. According to this embodiment, the holder includes a sheet of flexible material which may be transparent. The flexible material includes a cover flap portion  52 , a front face  55 , and rear wall  56 , a top portion  58  and a bottom portion  57 . The material is formed so as to create an internal cavity suitable for receiving the mobile electronic device. 
         [0027]    A strip of an attachment material  53  having complimentary attachment means such as hooks and loops is secured to the flexible material along its sides as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this manner, cover flap can be secured to front face  55  forming the pocket for the mobile electronic device. Also, strips  53  permit the lower ends  16  of the strips  12  and  13  to be releasably attached to holder  51 . 
         [0028]    In this embodiment the electronic device is positioned in a “landscape” orientation with the major axis of the electronic device in a horizontal orientation. In this situation, the user may hold the sides of the holder with his/her fingers and rotate the holder upwards so as to view the top screen of the electronic device through flap  55  and front fact  55 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 12 , strips  53  may comprise a first band  81  having loops on its outer surface and a second band  82  having hooks on its outer surface with flap  52  located between them. Bands  81  and  82  are secured to flap  52  as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0030]    Another embodiment of applicant&#39;s invention is disclosed in  FIGS. 6-10 . In this embodiment the neck strap  61  is formed by a long and narrow piece of material for example cloth or leather that is folded at  75  to form a front portion  63  and a back portion  62 . Complementary attachment strips  67  are secured on the inner surfaces of portions  62  and  63  to form an inner space adapted to receive ear plugs  25 . A zipper  83  is located at the neck portion of the strap  61  to provide access to chamber  84 . Zipper  83  includes zipper tracks on support fabric  72  which is sewed into strap fabric  73 . 
         [0031]    Holder  80  of the embodiment of  FIG. 7  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 6  and is similar to that shown in  FIG. 5  but in a vertical orientation as opposed to a horizontal orientation. As shown in  FIG. 6 , holder  80  includes a flexible sheet of material  65  that may be transparent. Sheet  65  is folded so as to form an interior chamber  68  for receiving the mobile electronic device. The interior chamber is formed by front portion  84 , rear portion  85  and side portions  87  and  86 . A flap portion  88  extends over rear portion  83 . 
         [0032]    Complimentary attachment straps  66  and  67  are secured to flap  88  and rear portion  85  of holder  80  back at the top and bottom so that flap  88  overlaps rear wall  85  to form compartment  68 . Likewise one or more attachment straps  91  are located on the back portion of flap  88  to engage complimentary attachment straps  64  attached to neck strap  61 . A tab  69  can be positioned to extend between the front and rear wall portions of the holder at a bottom location as sown in  FIG. 7  to prevent the mobile electronic device from falling through chamber  68 . Thus strap  61  can be placed around the neck of a user with holder  80 , carrying the electronic mobile device, attached thereto as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0033]    A further embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 12-15 . The top or neck portion of the apparatus  100  includes a pouch  101  having a support  122  around which ear plug wire  104  can be wound. Top portion  100  also includes a foldable piece of material having two portions  102  and  103  and a fold line  104 . A surface of portion  103  has an elongated attachment strip  115  as shown in  FIG. 13  which cooperates with complimentary attachment strips  114  located at the top portion of flexible straps  112  and  113  so that the straps  112  and  113  are releasably attached to neck portion  100 . Straps  112  and  113  have an attachment strips  120  on an surface thereof which cooperates with a complimentary attachment strip  121  and  116  on portion  102  so that straps  113  and  114  can be releasably attached to strip  115  and then portion  102  can be folded along fold line  104  so that attachment strips  121  and  116  mate with strips  120  to securely but releasably capture straps  112  and  113  within neck portion  100  as shown in  FIG. 12 . Pouch  101  may also include a zipper  123  as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0034]    The lower portions of straps  113  and  112  include a first attachment strip  131  and a second attachment strip  132  on one side of the strap  113  so that the electronic device holder  80  can be attached to strap  113  via attachment strip  119  at different locations along the strap. 
         [0035]    If attachment strap  131  is utilized as shown in  FIG. 14 , then strap  113  is folded as shown at  118  and attachment strips  133  and  134  can be secured to complimentary attachment strip  139  provided on a second side of strap  113 . Thus the position of the electronic device can be adjusted relative to the chest of the user by selecting attachment strips  131  or  132  for connection to the holder  80 . 
         [0036]    As in the previous embodiment, the attachment strips can be of strips of hook or loop material commonly known as Velcro. 
         [0037]    Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific details, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations on the scope of the invention, except to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims.