Background

Portable electronic devices have become ubiquitous in modem use, whether general-purpose devices such as cellular phones, or specialized devices for use, e.g., by firefighters and first responders.

Summary

In broad summary, herein is disclosed a charger for use with an electronic device. The charger comprises a rail that may be adjustable between first and second positions. With the rail in the second position, an attachment clip of an electronic device can be attached to the rail. With the rail in the first position, no attachment of the clip is possible. These and other aspects will be apparent from the detailed description below. In no event, however, should this broad summary be constmed to limit the claimable subject matter, whether such subject matter is presented in claims in the application as initially filed or in claims that are amended or otherwise presented in prosecution.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary charger.

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the exemplary charger of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the exemplary charger of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional slice view of the exemplary charger of Fig. 1, looking along the transverse axis at a slight angle thereto.

Figs. 5a and 5b are perspective views of an exemplary adjustable rail of a charger.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the exemplary charger of Fig. 2, with an exemplary adjustable rail of the charger having been adjusted from a second position to a first position.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional slice view of the exemplary charger of Fig. 6, looking along the transverse axis at a slight angle thereto, showing the adjustable rail in the first position.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device that may be charged by an exemplary charger as disclosed herein.

Fig. 9 is another perspective view of the exemplary electronic device of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the exemplary electronic device of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the exemplary electronic device of Fig. 8, showing the device having been separated into a first, functional portion and a second, power-source portion.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an exemplary respirator mask with which an electronic device may be used. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an exemplary bracket that may be used to mount a charger in a desired location.

Like reference numbers in the various figures indicate like elements. Some elements may be present in identical or equivalent multiples; in such cases only one or more representative elements may be designated by a reference number but it will be understood that such reference numbers apply to all such identical elements. Unless otherwise indicated, all figures and drawings are not to scale and are chosen for the purpose of illustrating different embodiments of the invention. In particular the dimensions of the various components are depicted in illustrative terms only, and no relationship between the dimensions of the various components should be inferred from the drawings, unless so indicated.

Although terms such as “first” and “second” may be used in this disclosure, it should be understood that those terms are used in their relative sense only unless otherwise noted. As used herein as a modifier to a property or attribute, the term “generally”, unless otherwise specifically defined, means that the property or attribute would be readily recognizable by a person of ordinary skill but without requiring a high degree of approximation (e.g., within +/- 20 % for quantifiable properties). The term “substantially”, unless otherwise specifically defined, means to a high degree of approximation (e.g., within +/- 10% for quantifiable properties). The term “essentially” means to a very high degree of approximation (e.g., within plus or minus 2 % for quantifiable properties); it will be understood that the phrase “at least essentially” subsumes the specific case of an “exact” match. However, even an “exact” match, or any other characterization using terms such as e.g. same, equal, identical, uniform, constant, and the like, will be understood to be within the usual tolerances or measuring error applicable to the particular circumstance rather than requiring absolute precision or a perfect match.

Directional terminology is used herein with respect to an exemplary charger as sitting on a horizontal surface (e.g. a countertop) for ordinary use in charging an electronic device. In such a configuration, the vertical direction will have its ordinary meaning, as will the transverse direction. The forward and rearward directions will likewise have their ordinary meaning; these directions (and the corresponding front and rear of the charger) will be readily apparent to ordinary artisans. For clarity, the upward and downward directions (“u” and “d”) along the vertical axis, the forward and rearward directions (“f ’ and “r”), and the transverse axis (“t”), of a herein-disclosed charger, are pointed out in various Figures. This terminology will be retained when describing exemplary electronic devices that may be inserted into the herein-disclosed charger for charging.

The term “configured to” and like terms is at least as restrictive as the term “adapted to”, and requires actual design intention to perform the specified function rather than mere physical capability of performing such a function. Detailed Description

Disclosed herein is a charger 1 that can be used with an electronic device comprising an attachment clip. An exemplary electronic device 100 with an attachment clip 111 is depicted in exemplary embodiment in Fig. 8 and will be discussed in detail later herein. An exemplary charger 1 is shown from various viewing perspectives in Figs. 1-3 and is shown in side cross-sectional slice view in Fig. 4. Charger 1 comprises a front side 3, a rear side 4, a top side 5, and a base 2.

Typically, base 2 will be configured (e.g. with rests or bumpers 31 as visible in Fig. 4) so that charger 1 can be positioned with base 2 on a horizontal surface, e.g. a countertop or tabletop. Use of charger 1 in this manner will be referred to as “countertop” mode. Charger 1 may further comprise one or more fasteners 32 (indicated generically in various Figures herein), e.g. on base 2 and/or on rear side 4 of charger 1, which allow charger 1 to be attached to a bracket or any suitable entity. This allows charger 1 to be securely attached to a vehicle, which will be referred to herein as use of charger 1 in “vehicular” mode. Often, such a vehicle may be a utility vehicle such as a fire engine, a service truck (e.g. of the type used by gas and electric utilities), a delivery truck, and so on. However, the term vehicle as used herein broadly encompasses any vehicle, of any size and whether wheeled or not. Thus such a vehicle might be e.g. a bulldozer, earthmover, forklift, order-picker, motorboat, ship, snowmobile, aircraft, and so on. The one or more fasteners 32 of charger 1 may be of any suitable design or type, as long as the fastener(s) can interact with some portion of the designated vehicle (e.g. with a bracket of the vehicle) to allow the charger to be securely attached to the vehicle. The fastener does not necessarily have to be “active” and/or to include any moving parts. Rather, the fastener of the charger may be as simple as an orifice or slot (e.g. a keyhole mount) that is configured to accept a complementary bracket of the vehicle. (As with the term “fastener”, the term “bracket” is used broadly and encompasses any structure, post, connector, strut, hanger, and so on, of a vehicle, that can interact with a fastener 32 of charger 1 to securely mount charger 1 to the vehicle.)

Regardless of the mode of use, charger 1 will comprise a housing 20 which may be made e.g. of one or more parts that are assembled together to collectively form housing 20. Housing 20 and parts thereof may be made of any suitable material, e.g. injection-molded plastic, and/or metal. Housing 20 will provide space within which various electrical items and components are provided to allow charger 1 to perform its function of charging an electronic device. Such items may include various connectors, wires, fuses, transformers, and so on. The functioning of such items is well-known to ordinary artisans and will not be described in detail herein.

Charger 1 comprises an upwardly-open-ended receptacle that is configured to accept an electronic device at least partially thereinto, so that the electronic device can be charged and can be physically supported in a secure manner while being charged. In the depicted embodiment, such a receptacle comprises a primary basin 6 that is configured to accept at least a lower portion of an electronic device thereinto. In many embodiments, primary basin 6 may be configured (i.e., shaped and sized) to accept a designated electronic device. For example, the exemplary charger 1 depicted in Figs. 1-4 herein, is specially configured to accept the exemplary electronic device 100 as depicted in Figs. 8-10 herein. In other embodiments, primary basin 6 (and charger 1 as a whole) may be configured as a “universal” charger that can accept a variety of electronic devices. In some embodiments, the “floor” 7 of primary basin 6 may be configured so that when the electronic device is seated within basin 6, the lower portion of the electronic device rests against floor 7 so that floor 7 bears a considerable portion, e.g. most or all, of the weight of the electronic device. For example, in the exemplary arrangements depicted herein, when electronic device 100 is seated in basin 6, the rounded portion 107 of lower end 102 of device 100 will rest against rounded floor 7 of charger 1.

It is noted that by an electronic device being “seated” in a receptacle of a charger 1 is meant that the device is fully inserted into the receptacle (e.g. into basin 6) so that the device is fully supported by the charger and so that charging contacts 9 of charger 1 are in operative contact with complementary charging contacts of the electronic device.

In some embodiments, the front side 3 of charger 1 (as defined by its housing 20) may be generally or substantially closed, e.g. so that when an electronic device is seated in the charger, the only portion of the device that is visible is an upper portion of the device that protrudes upwardly out of the upwardly- open-ended receptacle. In other embodiments, the front side 3 of charger 1 may be at least partially open, as in the exemplary designs shown in Figs. 1-4, so that a substantial portion of the electronic device (e.g. a portion resting in basin 6) is visible from the front side. However, even in such cases, in many embodiments charger 1 will be configured so that the electronic device can only be removed from the receptacle by moving the device generally upward out of the receptacle, as discussed in detail later herein.

In some embodiments, the upwardly-open-ended receptable of charger 1 may be configured so that an electronic device 100 that is seated within the receptacle, is tilted slightly away from vertical, at a designated angle of repose. That is, the various surfaces of housing 20 that define the receptacle may be configured to establish an angle of repose such that when device 100 rests against some or all of those surfaces, device 100 is held at the desired angle of repose. Such an arrangement can be seen in the side cross-sectional view of Fig. 4, which depicts a configuration in which, when an electronic device 100 is seated in basin 6 of charger 1, the device 100 will be held at an angle of repose of approximately 15 degrees. In various embodiments, such an angle of repose may be at least 5, 10 or 12 degrees. In further embodiments, such an angle of repose may be at most 30, 25, 20, or 15 degrees. Regardless of the exact angle, charger 1 may be configured so that the electronic device is reclined in a direction that acts to bring the charging contacts of the electronic device (e.g. contacts 136 as visible in Fig. 9 and as discussed later herein) into contact with the charging contacts 9 of the charger. The action of gravity on the reclining electronic device can then help ensure that electrical contact is maintained. In the depicted embodiment, this angle of repose is rearward; that is, the charger is configured so that when an electronic device is seated in the receptacle, the upper portion of the electronic device will be angled toward the rear side 4 of the charger. As mentioned above, in many embodiments charger 1 may be configured so that an electronic device 100 that is seated therein, can only be removed from the charger’s receptacle by moving the device generally upward out of the receptacle. Thus in some embodiments, the charger 1 may comprise at least one interference feature that, when an electronic device is seated in the receptacle of the charger, will physically prevent the electronic device from being removed from the receptacle in any direction but generally upward.

In some embodiments, such an interference feature may take the form of providing a full wall across the breadth and height of the front side of the charger. In other embodiments, even if the housing comprises a partial opening 8 in the front wall in the manner evident in Figs. 1 and 2, the partial opening may be sized so that the electronic device cannot pass through this partial opening. In one version of this, the partial opening may comprise one or more lips that extend at least partially around the perimeter of the partial opening, to prevent the electronic device from passing forwardly therethrough. (It will be appreciated that in many embodiments, various features, e.g. the sidewalls and rear wall that define basin 6, will be present that will prevent the electronic device from moving in lateral or rearward directions.)

In many embodiments, such an interference feature or features may be configured to not only keep the electronic device from exiting the charger receptacle through the front side of the charger, but also to keep the electronic device from moving around within the charger receptacle in any direction (other than generally upward, for removal) to any significant extent. Furthermore, such a feature or features do not necessarily have to be located along the front side of the charger.

In some embodiments, such an interference feature or features may be configured to position the electronic device so that the charging contacts 136 of the electronic device are held firmly against the charging contacts 9 of the charger. That is, in such embodiments, the action of gravity may not be needed in order to ensure adequate electronic contact, thus it may not be necessary for the electronic device to be held at any particular angle of repose. Thus in various embodiments, the electronic device may be held at an angle of repose that is less than 5, 3, or 1 degrees, e.g. the device may be held essentially vertically upright.

For example, in the Figures herein, such an interference feature takes the form of first and second fins 21. Each fin 21 protrudes into primary basin 6 from a surface of the charger housing that defines basin 6. First and second fins 21 are configured (sized, shaped, and oriented) to be slidably received into complementary first and second channels 121 provided in the transverse sides of electronic device 100 when the device 100 is slidably inserted into the receptacle of the charger, as is evident from, for example, examining Figs. 1 and 8. Inspection of Fig. 4 further reveals that the interaction of fins 21 of charger 1 with channels 121 of device 100 will position device 100 at the desired angle of repose and hold device 100 at that angle. (In general, the interaction of various surfaces of basin 6 of the charger with various surfaces of the housing of device 100, can also help establish and maintain this angle of repose.) Thus in the depicted embodiment, the at least one interference feature takes the form of first and second elongate fins, each of which exhibits a long axis that is oriented (relative to vertical) along the desired angle of repose of the electronic device that is to be inserted into the charger. In the depicted embodiments, first and second fins 21 are generally opposing; that is, each extends from a transverse sidewall of basin 6, in opposing directions. Similarly, first and second channels 121 are provided in laterally-opposing sidewalls of electronic device 100 (as evident in Figs. 8-10). Channels 121 are oriented so that their long axis is aligned with a generally vertical axis of electronic device 100; this provides that device 100 can be slidably inserted into basin 6 of charger 1 by being slidably moved along the generally vertical axis of device 100. (When device 100 is inserted into charger 1, the “vertical” axis of device 100 may not be exactly aligned with the vertical axis dictated by gravity; rather, the device may be at an abovedescribed angle of repose. Hence the term “generally” vertical axis is used.)

In some embodiments, any such complementary interference features (e.g. fins 21 of the charger, and channels 121 of the electronic device) may be tapered so as to be narrower at their distal (terminal) ends, and wider at their proximal (leading) ends, as is evident for fin 21 as visible in Fig. 4 and channel 121 as visible in Fig. 10). Such an arrangement may make it easier to slidably insert the electronic device into the charger.

It will be appreciated that many variations of these arrangements are possible. For example, the exemplary arrangements above describe features (fins) of the charger that are “male” features, that interact with “female” features (channels) of the electronic device. This can be reversed; or, the charger and the electronic device can each have one male feature and one female feature. Any such “fin” does not necessarily need to be continuous but rather may be interrupted, may take the form of a series of posts, and so on.

Ordinary artisans will recognize that arrangements of the general type disclosed above rely primarily on gravity to hold an electronic device in place in the receptacle of the charger. As noted, in some embodiments one or more interference features may be present and may prevent the electronic device from exiting the charger through a front, rear, or lateral side of the charger. However, such interference features will not necessarily prevent the charger from exiting the charger in a generally upward direction. For example, if the charger is mounted in a vehicle, it is possible that the electronic device might be ejected generally upwardly out of the charger if the vehicle hits a noticeable bump in the road. (Even if the device is not fully ejected, it might be jostled to the point where the electrical connection between the charger and the device is disrupted.)

In consideration of the above issues, charger 1 as disclosed herein may be configured in a way that enhances the ability of the charger to securely hold an electronic device, above and beyond the effect of gravity and the effect of any interference features that might be present. Such arrangements allow charger 1 to be advantageously usable in the afore-mentioned vehicular mode; that is, to allow the electronic device to be held securely even in the presence of bumping and shaking that may occur e.g. in a vehicle traveling along a rough road.

Such an arrangement can make use of an attachment clip 111 that is provided on an electronic device 100 (as seen in Figs. 8-10) that charger 1 is to be used with. To make use of attachment clip 111, charger 1 can be provided with at least one feature that is located somewhere within the open-ended receptacle of charger 1 and that clip 111 of electronic device 100 can attach to. Such a feature can take any suitable form. In the exemplary Figures herein, the feature is in the form of a rail 11, as visible in Figs. 1- 3. (The term “rail” is used generally and can signify any member, beam, strut, sheet, spar, and so on.)

Inspection of e.g. Figs. 4 and 10 reveals how such an arrangement can function in the exemplary depicted embodiment. As electronic device 100 is inserted generally downward into charger 1 (specifically, device 100 is inserted at a slight angle to match the angle of repose so that fins 21 of charger 1 can be received into channels 121 of device 100), clip 111 can be momentarily opened. In the depicted embodiment this can be done by manually pressing on finger-contact area 116 of clip 111 so that clip 111 rotates about hinged connection 114 from a closed position (as shown in Fig. 10) to an open position, in which tooth 112 of clip 111 is moved away from the surface of housing 101 of electronic device 100. Rail 11 can then pass between tooth 112 and the surface of housing 101, as device 100 continues generally downward. When device 100 is fully seated in the receptacle of the charger, clip 111 can be allowed to return to its original, closed position, with rail 11 now captured within space 113 between clip 111 and the housing 101 of the electronic device and with tooth 112 of clip 11 being positioned underneath the lower end 13 of rail 11. Clip 111 can be configured (e.g. with a torsion spring or the like) so that clip 111 is biased toward the closed position, to facilitate this.

This capturing of rail 11 by clip 111 in this manner serves to attach clip 111 to rail 11 and thus serves to secure the electronic device 100 in the receptacle of the charger. This will provide that device 100 is less likely to be dislodged from charger 1, e.g. in the event of vehicular travel on rough roads. In some embodiments the attachment of clip 111 to rail 11 may be somewhat loose (e.g. so that, with clip 111 in the closed position, there is still at least some space between the various surfaces of rail 11 and clip 111 and/or housing 101 of device 100. In other embodiments these surfaces may closely abut each other and in fact may be in firm contact with each other, so that the attachment of clip 111 to rail 11 is very snug.

In the depicted embodiment, such a rail may be provided in an arrangement in which the upwardly- open-ended receptacle of the charger is divided into (at least) two major portions. The first major portion is the previously-described primary basin 6, which is configured to accept and hold the main body (e.g. the housing and all components therein) of the electronic device. The second major portion is a secondary basin 10 within which rail 11 is located, and which is configured to accept the attachment clip 111 of device 100.

Rail 11 can have any suitable shape and/or aspect. In the Figures herein, rail 11 is arranged as a somewhat sheet-like body that is taller (along the generally vertical direction) and wider (along the transverse direction) than it is thick (in the forward-rearward direction), as can be seen most easily in Fig. 4. In the depicted embodiment, the (generally) vertical axis of rail 11 is aligned along the angle of repose (again as most easily seen in Fig. 4) so that rail 11 can assist in positioning the electronic device 100 at this angle of repose. First and second transverse ends of rail 11 abut transverse sidewalls of housing 20 of charger 1 that define portions of the secondary basin 10 of charger 1.

The above discussions illustrate the advantages of providing for the above-described attachment of clip 111 of electronic device 100 to rail 11 of charger 1 for instances in which charger 1 is used in vehicular mode. However, when charger 1 is used in countertop mode (e.g. in a building), there may be no need for such measures and it may be sufficient to simply allow gravity to hold the electronic device in place in the charger. This being the case, in some embodiments rail 11 may be adjustable. By adjustable is meant that rail 11 is reversibly positionable (movable) between a first position in which an attachment clip 111 of an electronic device 100 is not attachable to the rail, and a second position in which such an attachment clip is attachable to the rail (e.g. in the manner described above). Rail 11 will be configured so that the adjusting of rail 11 will be performed with the electronic device not present in the charger; and, once rail 11 is adjusted (moved) to the first or second position, it is fixed in that position until adjusted to the other position. In particular, rail 11 will not move, deflect, rotate, or make any such motion, during the process of attaching a clip 111 to rail 11. In this regard an adjustable rail 11 is distinguished from, for example, an entity that momentarily deflects to allow a clip to become attached thereto.

One exemplary manner in which a rail 11 can be adjustable is depicted in Figs. 5a and 5b (noting that Fig. 5a is an isolated magnified view of a rail 11, viewed from the same angle as in Fig. 2). In the depicted design, rail 11 comprises the above-described body that can be captured by clip 111. Rail 11 also comprises lateral sidewalls 14 that, when rail 11 is installed in secondary basin 10 of charger 1, will closely abut, and e.g. contact, lateral sidewalls of basin 10. (In the depicted embodiment, the sidewalls 14 of rail 11 are somewhat S-shaped to match the shape of the sidewalls of basin 10 which they will abut.)

Such a rail can be positioned within secondary basin 10 and secured in place. In the depicted embodiment, this is done by way of screws 15 that can be inserted into sleeves 16 of charger 1. However, in various embodiments, this can be done in any suitable manner, e.g. by mechanical interaction of complementary mating fasteners rather than by the use of a separate fastener such as a screw, pin, or the like. In some embodiments the rail may be e.g. snap-fitted into place.

A rail 11 that is inserted into a position as shown in Figs. 1-4 will be in an above-described second position in which an attachment clip is attachable to the rail. Specifically, with rail 11 positioned as in Figs. 1-4, a space 17 is present between rail 11 and rear wall 19 of secondary basin 10 of the charger. This space 17 will serve as a clip-receiving space in which a portion of attachment clip 111 will reside when electronic device 100 is seated in the receptacle of the charger and clip 111 is attached to rail 11 as described above.

However, rail 11 can instead be installed in a first position as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The adjusting of rail 11 from the above-described second position to a first position can be accomplished by disconnecting rail 11 from charger 1 (in the depicted embodiment, by unscrewing screws 15), rotating the rail 180 degrees about a generally vertical axis (so that rail 11 now faces the opposite direction) and re-installing the rail 11 in the charger. It will be appreciated from Figs. 5a and 5b that the design of rail 11 is such that screws 15 and sleeves 16 can still be used to attach rail 11 to charger 1, with rail 11 having been adjusted to the first position.

As can be seen from comparison of Figs. 2 and 4 (in which rail 11 is in the second position) to Figs. 6 and 7 (in which rail 11 is in the first position), when rail 11 is adjusted into the first position, the abovedescribed space 17 that (with rail 11 in the second position) was able to receive clip 111 thereinto, has disappeared. Rather, rail 11 is now positioned far toward the rear of secondary basin 10. In fact, rail 11 now closely abuts the rear wall of basin 10, with major surface 18 of rail 11 (which faced forward when rail 11 was in the second position) now facing rearward and closely abutting surface 19 of the rear wall of basin 10.

The effect is that with rail 11 in the first position, clip-receiving space 17 has disappeared and rail 11 is not available for use in attaching a clip of an electronic device to. Rather, rail 11 has been repositioned to a location in which it is not usable for attachment, but also in which it does not interfere with the insertion of the electronic device into the charger.

Although the above exemplary illustration depicts an arrangement in which a rail is adjustable from a first position to a second position by being reinstalled in the receptacle of the charger in a substantially reversed orientation, many variations are possible. For example, a rail could be removed from its second- position location and re-attached to the charger at some location that is not within the receptacle of the charger. Indeed, in a special case, adjusting the rail to a first position could simply entail removing the rail from the charger and storing it until it is desired to re-adjust the rail to the second position.

In some embodiments, rail 11 may serve the purposes described above without bearing a significant portion of the weight of the electronic device 100. In such embodiments, rail 11 may bear less than 40, 20, or 10 % of the weight of device 100. In other embodiments, rail 11 may bear a significant proportion (e.g. 30, 50, or 70 % or more) of the weight of the electronic device 100, when the device is seated in the charger.

An exemplary electronic device 100 that can be used in combination with a charger 1 as disclosed herein, is shown in Figs. 8-10. Such a device will be described in detail herein; however, it is emphasized that this is merely one example and the arrangements disclosed herein may be used with any electronic device that, for example, comprises an attachment clip that renders it amenable for attaching to a rail of a charger. Regardless of the specific use, an electronic device as disclosed herein is defined as a device that has its own internal power source in the form of one or more rechargeable batteries.

Exemplary electronic device 100 as depicted herein is a wireless voice amplifier, which can find use as described in detail later herein. Such a device may comprise any electronic components that allow the device to receive a wireless signal (e.g. by Bluetooth) and to re-broadcast this signal through a speaker. The device will have at least one internal battery that can be recharged by use of the above-described charger 1, and will have various controls (e.g. on-off, volume, and so on) as commonly used for such devices. The device will comprise a housing 101 that may be made of e.g. one or more injection-molded plastic parts that are assembled to form the housing. Somewhere in or on housing 101, at least one charging contact 136 will be provided that can be brought against charging contact(s) 9 of charger 1, to perform the desired charging of device 100. It will be understood that charger 1 and device 100 will be configured so that charging contact(s) 136 of device 100 will be able to be in contact with charging contact(s) 9 of charger 1 when device 100 is seated in charger 1, regardless of whether rail 11 is in the first position or the second position.

The exemplary electronic device 100 as shown in the Figures herein comprises an upper end 105, a lower end 102, a front 103, and a rear 104. Lower end 102 may comprise a bottom portion 107 that may be shaped (e.g. rounded) to closely match the shape of floor 7 of basin 6 of charger 1, against which floor 7 the bottom 107 of device 100 may rest when device 100 is being charged. Device 100 comprises an attachment clip 111. In some embodiments clip 111 may be hingedly connected to device 100 (e.g. to the rear side of device 100) by a hinged connection 114 as most easily seen in Fig. 10. In some embodiments the overall connection between clip 111 and device 100 may be a compound connection that allows clip 111 to be moved in various ways other than simply being rotated about hinged connection 114 between an open position and a closed (attachment) position. For example, the connection scheme shown in Fig. 10 comprises an additional, rotary connection 115 that allows an intermediate member (unnumbered) that clip 111 is hingedly attached to at hinged connection 114, to be rotated. The rotation axis of rotary connection 115 is generally aligned with the forward-rearward axis of device 100, which allows clip 111 to be rotated to various positions about this axis. Such arrangements may be useful in certain circumstances, as noted below.

In the depicted embodiment, clip 111 may be actuated (moved) from a closed position (as in Fig. 10) to an open position in which tooth 112 of clip 111 has moved rearward, away from the housing 101 of device 100. In the depicted embodiment, this may be done by manually pressing on finger-contact area 116 at the upper end of clip 111 to rotate clip 111 about hinged connection 114. However, if desired, the bottom tooth 112 of clip 111 could be sloped (e.g. beveled) so that when tooth 112 of clip 111 impinges on the upper portion 12 of rail 11, tooth 112 may be urged rearward causing clip 111 to rotate toward an open position. This can allow clip 111 to become attached to rail 11 “automatically” during the insertion of device 100 into the receptacle of the charger, e.g. without requiring the user to manually press finger-contact area 116. Clip 111 can be configured (e.g. with a torsion spring or the like) so that clip 111 is biased toward the closed position, to facilitate either of the above-described modes of operation.

In some embodiments, clip 111 (and e.g. rail 11) may be configured so that clip 111 is unable to return fully to its closed position unless the electronic device is fully seated within the charger so that the charging contacts of the electronic device are held against the charging contacts of the charger. In other words, these items may be configured that rail 11 will not be fully seated within space 113 such that clip 111 can move fully to its closed position, unless the electronic device is in a position in which electrical contact is achieved.

The above-described arrangements provide a charger that can be adjusted so that, e.g. when the charger is sitting on a countertop in a building, an attachment clip of an electronic device that is being charged by the charger, need not necessarily be attached to a rail of the charger. However, such choices are at the discretion of the user. That is, if desired, the rail can be maintained in the second position, and an attachment clip of the electronic device can be attached to the rail, even if the charger is e.g. sitting on a countertop.

In some embodiments, attachment clip 111 may be a dedicated item whose only function is to be attached to rail 11 when device 100 is being charged, e.g. in vehicular mode. However, in other embodiments, clip 111 may find other uses. For example, clip 111 may be configured so that it can attach electronic device 100 to a garment of a user. The term garment is used broadly, and encompasses e.g. an article of clothing such as a jacket or coat, an accessory such as a belt, hat or helmet, and so on. Furthermore the attachment of clip 111 to such a garment may be direct or indirect; that is, clip 111 may be attached to an item, e.g. another electronic device, that is itself attached to the garment. In such uses, the abovedescribed compound connection of the clip to the housing of the electronic device may be advantageous in allowing the orientation of the device to be changed as needed to allow the device to be clipped comfortably to, e.g., a lapel of a protective coat.

Any such electronic device that is directly or indirectly attachable to a garment of a user in this general manner will be termed a “wearable” electronic device. Regardless of whether the electronic device is wearable (e.g. if it is configured to be carried by hand rather than attached to a garment), the electronic device may be portable. In various embodiments, a portable electronic device may weigh less than 4, 2, 1.0, or 0.5 pounds. In many such embodiments such a portable (e.g. wearable) electronic device may be cordless, meaning that it does not comprise any cord through which it receives electrical power e.g. from a wall socket.

In some embodiments, an electronic device 100 as described herein may have another feature. That is, as shown in Fig. 11, in some embodiments such a device 100 may comprise two major portions that are reversibly separable from each other and operably attachable to each other. By separable is meant that the two portions can be separated from each other manually, by the fingers of a person, without the need for special tools. By operatively attachable is meant that the two portions can be physically attached to each other so that the two portions are in electrical communication with each other so that they collectively provide an electronic device 100 that is powered and functional.

A first major portion 131 will be termed a “functional” portion, meaning that it performs the actual functions intended of the device. Second major portion 133 will be termed a “power-source” portion and will comprise one or more rechargeable batteries (indicated generally at 135) that provide power to portion 131 during use of device 100. The two portions may comprise various fasteners or latches that hold the portions together and can be unlatched to allow them to be separated as desired. Each portion may respectively comprise a partial shell or housing (132 and 134) that, when the two portions are operably attached to each other, collectively provide housing 101 of device 100.

Such a two-portion arrangement can provide that electronic device 100, comprising first and second portions 131 and 133 that are operably attached to each other so that portion 133 powers portion 131, can be in use while an additional, backup power-source portion 133 is seated in charger 1 and is being recharged. Thus in some embodiments, kits may be sold that comprise one or more spare power-source portions 133 in addition to an electronic device comprising a pair of first and second portions 131 and 133.

In such cases, the previously-mentioned channels 121 that can be provided in the housing 101 of electronic device 100, and that can interact with the one or more interference features (e.g. fins) of the charger in the manner described earlier herein, can be provided in second, power-source portion 133 (as evident in Fig. 11) rather than in first, functional portion 131. The advantages of this are easily appreciated based on the disclosures herein.

As noted, the arrangements disclosed herein have been described in the exemplary scenario of an electronic device 100 that is a wireless voice amplifier. Such a device may find use e.g. with a respirator mask 141 as shown in exemplary embodiment in Fig. 12. Such a respirator mask can provide breathing protection for a human user, e.g. by accepting air from an air supply and/or by having one or more airfiltration cartridges fitted thereto. Such a respirator mask may also provide physical protection, protection of the wearer’s eyes from electromagnetic radiation, and so on, as will be well understood by artisans in the field. Such a respirator mask will typically comprise a clear (or tinted) pane through which the wearer can see, a seal that allows the mask to achieve a suitable fit against the wearer’s face, and an assortment of straps, buckles and so on.

A chief purpose of the respirator mask will be to deliver breathable air to the user. In aid of this, such a mask will often comprise a facepiece 142 (shown in generic representation in Fig. 12) that fits snugly about the nose and mouth of the user to deliver breathable air thereto. The respirator mask may comprise various connections, fittings and the like (unnumbered in Fig. 12) by which breathable air can be delivered to the user; typically these fittings are in communication with facepiece 142 so that air can be delivered to the user via the facepiece. In some embodiments the breathable air may be provided from one or more pressurized air tanks. In some embodiments the breathable air may be filtered air, having passed through, for example, one or more filter cartridges mounted onto fittings of the respirator mask. In some embodiments the breathable air may be supplied by a blower, e.g. a belt-mounted blower, as with some powered-air (e.g. so-called PAPR) systems.

In some circumstances, it may be desired to use a voice amplifier 100 so that the voice of the wearer of the respirator mask can be heard by nearby persons without being unduly muffled by the respirator mask. Accordingly, the mask may comprise an in-mask microphone 143 that is in wireless communication with an electronic device such as the above-described voice amplifier 100. The voice amplifier 100 can receive the wireless signals and re-broadcast the speaker’s utterances through one or more speakers provided in the voice amplifier.

It is emphasized that many other uses for the arrangements disclosed herein are possible. Such uses do not necessarily require that the electronic device that is to be charged must be a wearable device. Nor do they require that the device must be a special-purpose item (e.g. used in the main only by a particular set of users, e.g. firefighter or first responders). Rather, in some cases the electronic device may be a general -purpose item.

Thus in various embodiments, the arrangements disclosed herein may be used with an electronic item such as (but not limited to): a cellular phone or tablet computer, a flashlight, a walky-talky, a gas detector or sniffer, a visible-light camera, a thermal -imaging camera, a credit card scanner, a metal detector, a stud finder, a pulse oximeter, a cordless mechanical tool (e.g. a drill) a laser rangefinder, and so on.

While uses are not limited, it is noted that the arrangements disclosed herein may be particularly advantageous for use with electronic devices that are frequently carried in vehicles such as e.g. fire engines, ambulances, service trucks, and so on. Some such electronic devices may spend considerable time in the vehicle rather than being removed into e.g. a fire station or hospital each time the vehicle returns to its base of operation. Accordingly, it is desirable that such an electronic device is able to be charged while in the vehicle. Thus, a charger as disclosed herein may be mounted in such a vehicle (e.g. by means of a bracket as discussed earlier), with the vehicle being configured to provide electric power to the charger e.g. via a 12V, 110V, or USB outlet of the vehicle. In some instances, multiple such chargers may be mounted in banks so that multiple electronic devices can be held and charged. Typically, the charger will be hardmounted to the vehicle so that tools are required to remove the charger, while the electronic device can be removed from the charger by hand, simply by actuating the attachment clip to the open position.

By way of a particular example, in some embodiments a bracket 40 of the general type depicted in exemplary embodiment in Fig. 13 may be used. The depicted bracket 40 comprises a rear wall 45 and a floor 46; both are equipped with fasteners (orifices, unnumbered but visible in Fig. 13) that may be used to securely attach the bracket e.g. to a vertical surface or a horizontal surface of a vehicle. The depicted bracket 40 comprises a front flange 43 and a rear flange 44 which are respectively configured to fit into front and rear slots 33 and 34 of charger 1, as shown in Fig. 4. Charger 1 will thus rest on bracket 40 with the flanges of the bracket seated in the slots of the charger (the bottom of charger 1, e.g. bumpers 31 as seen in Fig. 4, may or may not actually contact floor 46 of bracket 40). In some embodiments, fasteners (e.g. orifices, unnumbered but visible in front flange 43 of bracket 40 in Fig. 13) may be provided so that charger 1 can be further secured to bracket 40. For example, one or more front fasteners 32 can be provided in charger 1 (as visible in Fig. 1) that can be used in combination with fasteners provided in front flange 43 of bracket 40. In the depicted embodiments, such fasteners may rely on e.g. screws that are passed through the respective fasteners. However, any suitable fastening arrangement can be used. In some embodiments, a bracket may be elongated so as to allow multiple chargers to be attached to the bracket. Although discussions herein have focused on conventional contact-charging of an electronic device 100 by a charger 1, in some embodiments these items may be configured for wireless charging, e.g. via inductive coupling using the Qi standard. In such embodiments, the previously-mentioned condition that the electrical contacts of charger 1 and device 100 must be able to remain in contact with each other regardless of whether the rail is in the first or second position, will be modified to the condition that the wireless communication must be maintained regardless of the rail position.

In some embodiments, charger 1 may serve as a docking station for electronic device 100. By this is meant that charger 1 can be configured so that when electronic device 100 is docked in charger 1 (i.e., is seated in the receptacle of the charger), charger 1, in addition to recharging device 100, may also serve as a conduit via which software updates, firmware updates, and so on, can be supplied to electronic device 100. Charger 1 may be equipped with any components as needed to facilitate such a function.

A charger and/or an electronic device as disclosed herein may be provided in any suitable form or arrangement. For example, the charger and the electronic device may be provided separately; or, as a kit comprising the charger and the electronic device, packaged together but with the electronic device not yet inserted into the receptacle of the charger to form an assembly. Or, the charger and the electronic device can be provided as an assembly. In some embodiments, one or more extra power-source portions of the electronic device may be provided for use as described above. Various ancillary items can be provided e.g. to facilitate attaching the charger to a bracket of a vehicle. Instructions for setup and use of the charger (and the electronic device) can be included.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific exemplary embodiments, elements, structures, features, details, arrangements, configurations, etc., that are disclosed herein can be modified and/or combined in numerous ways. In summary, numerous variations and combinations are contemplated as being within the bounds of the conceived invention, not merely those representative designs that were chosen to serve as exemplary illustrations. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the specific illustrative structures described herein, but rather extends at least to the structures described by the language of the claims, and the equivalents of those structures. Any of the elements that are positively recited in this specification as alternatives may be explicitly included in the claims or excluded from the claims, in any combination as desired. Any of the elements or combinations of elements that are recited in this specification in open-ended language (e.g., comprise and derivatives thereof), are considered to additionally be recited in closed-ended language (e.g., consist and derivatives thereof) and in partially closed-ended language (e.g., consist essentially, and derivatives thereof). To the extent that there is any conflict or discrepancy between this specification as written and the disclosure in any document that is incorporated by reference herein but to which no priority is claimed, this specification as written will control.