CARRIER WITH UNIVERSAL POCKET FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

Related Application Data

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61 /018,491 filed January 1, 2008 and U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61 /103,883 filed October 8, 2008, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by this reference.

Background of the Invention

Field

The embodiments of the invention relate to storage of telecommunication devices. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to carriers with a pocket to hold arbitrarily sized telecommunication devices.

Background

Telecommunication devices, such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA's) and personal music players, such as MP3 players and iPods™ have become ubiquitous in society. These devices come in widely different shapes and sizes. Many such devices have cases uniquely designed to fit the particular device to allow it to be protected and still used. These cases are limited to a single model or a few models having a substantially identical form factor. Moreover, such cases are solely for the retention of the device rather than being a general purpose carrier, such as a purse or a briefcase. Commonly, if telecommunication device resides in a general purpose carrier, such as a purse or briefcase, it can be difficult to find within the general purpose internal volume and generally must be found and removed from the general purpose carrier for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to "an" or "one" embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a carrier of one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a front plan view of a carrier of one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 is a top view of a carrier in one embodiment of the invention and open orientation.

Figure 4 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of the invention suitable for use with a flip type phone.

DETAILED DESCIPTION

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a carrier of one embodiment of the invention. A plurality of panels 102, 104, 106 define an internal volume 108 in which articles of a general nature may be carried. Panels 102, 104, 106 may be made of leather, plastic, or other suitable materials from which a carrier 100 may be constructed. General purpose carrier 100 may be a purse, a briefcase, a computer case, a handbag, a duffel bag, a backpack, a valise, laptop sleeve, padfolio. etc., generically a carrier 100.

An internal panel 122 in conjunction with a transparent region 112 of panel 102 defines a pocket 120 in which a telecommunication device 110 may reside. Internal panel 122 may be fabric, leather, plastic, laminated cardboard or other suitable material consistent with the type of carrier. Transparent region 112 effectively forms a window in panel 102 and may be clear plastic or other suitable flexible transparent material.

One or more elastic members 124 may be coupled in tension with panel 102 to bias the device 110 into contact with transparent region 112 of panel 102. As used herein, "telecommunication device" 110 may be a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, e.g. a BlackBerry™ available from Research in Motion Limited of Ontario, Canada, a portable music player, such as an iPod™ available from Apple Computer from Cupertino, California, and the like.

By "coupled in tension" it is meant that the elastic members 124 are, before introduction of device 110, stretched to some degree such that introduction of device 110 will further stretch the elastic members independent of the size of device 110. Thus, introduction of an iPod Nano™ would further stretch elastic members 124 and such small sized device would be biased into contact with transparent region. Similarly, introduction of e.g., a personal digital assistant, such as a BlackBerry™ would also stretch members 124, but to a larger degree and would still cause the BlackBerry™ (device 110) to be biased into contact with transparent region 112.

In some embodiments, a fabric panel 126 may reside between internal panel 122 and panel 102. In some embodiments, fabric panel 126 may be made of a slick fabric, such as silk, a microfiber, nylon, etc. The slick fabric results in relatively little friction between the fabric panel 126 and device 110 to allow device to easily slide into pocket 120. In some embodiments, internal panel 122 has a raised and /or pleated upper edge 130 to facilitate grasping by a user to permit the pocket to be easily opened for insertion of device 110. In one embodiment, pulling upper edge 130 internally stretches elastic members 124 to allow device 110 to be more easily inserted between transparent region 112 and elastic members 124. In an alternative embodiment, pulling upper edge 130 internally opens the space between fabric panel 126 and panel 102 and the user inserts the device with pressure to wedge the device between elastic members 124 and transparent region 112.

In the shown embodiment, elastic members 124 are shown as two substantially horizontally disposed elastic straps. Elastic members may be of any material having suitable elasticity and strength. In some embodiments elastic fabric such as Lycra™ may be used. In other embodiments, garden variety elastic, rubber, rubberized material, elastomeric materials or the like

may be used. In some embodiments, a single elastic strap may be used. A desirable width and number of straps may vary depending on the size of the pocket 120 and the weight of telecommunication device expected to be used. Elastic material with a suitable spring constant may be selected based on the expected maximum weight of a device expected to be placed in the pocket. For example, the elastic member 124 should be selected such that the weight of the device 118 does not cause the members 126 to sag such that the device regresses from the transparent region when gravity is acting normal to that region. Because the straps are coupled in tension an arbitrary sized device e.g., any device that fits within the pocket can be retained in contact with the transparent region. As is described in more detail below with respect to Figure 2, this retention of the device in contact with the transparent region 112 is important to the usability of the device 110 within the pocket 120.

Figure 2 shows a front plan view of a carrier of one embodiment of the invention. Panel 202 has a transparent region 212 forming a part thereof. An internal panel 222 in conjunction with transparent region 212 defines a pocket 220 within carrier 200. Elastic members 224 are coupled in tension between internal panel 212 and panel 202 such that a device 210 inserted into pocket 220 is biased into contact with transparent region 212. Device 210 may be any arbitrary size that fits within the pocket and is retained in contact by pressure from internal panel 222 as a result of tension in elastic members 224.

When device 210 is held against transparent region 212, the screen is readily viewable without removing device 210 from the pocket 220. Additionally, the buttons, controls and /or touch screen of the device may be actuated through the transparent region 212 without removing the device 210 from the pocket 220.

In this embodiment, elastic members 224 run vertically along the sides of the pocket and do not make direct contact with device 210. In some embodiments as shown, transparent region 212 is substantially coextensive with the dimensions with pocket 220. In such an embodiment, the internal panel 222 prevents visibility of the contents of the internal volume (not shown in Figure 2) of the carrier 200.

A second pocket 240 may be provided either externally or internally to the carrier 200 and adjacent to pocket 220. A second pocket may be used to, for example, hold wired headphones to be used in conjunction with device 210. Pocket 240 may include a closure of flap 242 and a cooperative closure device 244, such as, snaps, hook and loop material, e.g., Velcro™, mechanical hooks, buckles, zippers or the like. Second pocket 240 may define a through hole 246 into pocket 220 to permit, for example, headset cord to pass between second pocket 240 and pocket 220. This facilitates usability of a wired headset with device 210.

In one embodiment, a window cover flap 260 may be included. Window cover flap 260 may be made of the same kinds of materials as the panel 202. Cover flap 260 may either fixedly or removably coupled on one side of the transparent region 212. For example, cover flap may be sewn to the panel 202 adjacent to the right side of transparent region 212 or may coupled there with e.g., hook and loop material. An opposing side of the cover flap 260 may be provided with one of hook or loop material 262 with the opposing side of the transparent region may be provided with the other of Loop or hook material so the different moieties may engage to close the flap to occlude the transparent region if desired. In some embodiments, the cover flap 260 may attach at the top and bottom of the transparent region instead of the sides.

Figure 3 is a top view of a carrier in one embodiment of the invention and open orientation. Carrier 300 defines an internal volume 308. A plurality of general purpose internal pockets 350 are defined within the internal volume 308. Handles 334 permit the carrier, in this case a purse, to be easily carried by a user. Telecommunication device pocket 320 may retain a telecommunication device 310 so that the biased into contact with a clear region (not shown) of an external panel (also not shown) consistent with the description above in connection with Figures 1 and 2. Internal panel 322 defines one side of pocket 320 and may have a pleated or raised upper edge 330 to permit a user to grasp and open the pocket for easy insertion with the telecommunication device 310.

Figure 4 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of the invention suitable for use with a flip type phone. Panel 402 includes a transparent region 412, which in conjunction with internal panel 422 defines a pocket 420 that may

receive at least a portion of a telecommunication device (not shown). In one embodiment pocket 420 receives the lower portion of a flip type telecommunication device which is biased into contact with transparent region 412 by at least one elastic member 424. Opening 480 of pocket 420 is external to the carrier rather than within the internal volume as in several of the previously described embodiments. An additional pocket 470 may be removably coupled upwardly adjacent to pocket 420 via a coupling member 462, which may, for example, be snaps, Velcro™, or the like. Pocket 470 may be generally composed of two panels; transparent panel 472 and an opaque panel 476 and elastic member 474 to bias the top portion of a flip type telecommunications device into contact with the transparent panel 472 when inserted within pocket 470. When the flip telecommunication device is not residing within pockets 470 and 420, pocket 470 may close down to occlude the transparent region 412. Similarly, when the flip phone is in a closed orientation, pocket 470 folds down to occlude transparent region 412.

The invention has been described using exemplary embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and equivalents. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications, similar arrangements and equivalents.