Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02888329 2015-04-20
CELL PHONE HOLDER FOR THE CAR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to holders for portable mobile devices
and in particular to
holders for cellphones and portable smartphones for mounting to the sun visor
of a motor
vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various in-car holders and mounts for portable devices are known in the art,
but the currently
available devices mounts have numerous drawbacks. For example, suction cup
mounts are
typically large, bulky and require a large mounting surface such as a
windshield. Device mounts
often fail to properly and consistently attach to the mounting surface inside
the car. Vent-
mounted holders are flimsy and block the flow of air. Some existing mounts
make it difficult for
a user to place and remove the device from the holder. Current device mounts
also fail to
effectively accommodate a broad range of devices or mounting surfaces.
Some state and provincial laws prohibit objects mounted to the windshield to
prevent obstruction
of the driver's view. Due to the deficiencies in the currently available car
mounts, people still
choose to hold their devices in hand when driving, thus violating hands-free
driving laws
adopted by many jurisdictions. This specification is directed to an improved
and inexpensive
portable device holder that is secure and easy to use and that alleviates the
drawbacks of other
current in-car phone-holders.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the
prior art, as described
above. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention uses a self-adhesive
segment of Velcro
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applied to the back of a typical cellphone, and a mating self-adhesive Velcro
segment applied to
the desired in-car mounting surface, preferably to the sun visor present in
almost all cars today.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, showing how a
self-adhesive segment of Velcro 1 is to be attached to the back of device 2;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present
invention in use, showing
the device affixed to a car's sun visor 3;
Fig. 3 is a side view of a preferred embodiment the present invention, showing
device 2 with the
Velcro segment 1 affixed to its back;
Fig. 4 is a side view of a preferred embodiment the present invention, showing
device 2 (with the
Velcro segment 1 affixed to its back) positioned to be attached to a car's sun
visor 3, to which a
mating segment of Velcro 4 is already affixed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the invention in more detail, a preferred embodiment of the
present invention
consists of a kit which includes two mating segments of Velcro fastener, each
with industrial
strength self-adhesive backing. The kit also contains instructions for the
user as to how to apply
one such Velcro segment to the back of the user's cellphone; the remaining
Velcro segment is to
be applied to the desired mounting surface inside the car, preferably to the
sun visor, as shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, showing how
a self-adhesive segment of Velcro 1 is to be attached to the back of device 2.
In other alternative
embodiments of this invention, the Velcro segment 1 is not glued directly to
the back of the
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phone, but it is rather glued to the back of a holding case, in which the
phone is inserted by the
user. Such case can optionally be included in the kit, or the user can acquire
such case separately.
Any type of existing cellphone holding cases, soft-cases, hard-cases, pouches,
back-plates and
skins can be used according to this invention, preferably of those types which
do not cover the
screen of the cellphone, allowing touch-screen operations to be performed by
the user while the
cellphone is in the holder. In further alternative embodiments of this
invention, the kit may
contain a custom form-fitting phone-case in which the back of the case is
actually made of
Velcro, or which has a Velcro-like portion embedded or molded within the
backing of the case.
In further alternative embodiments of this invention, separate glue strips or
glue may be provided
to secure the non-adhesive-backed Velcro segments to the phone and to the
mounting surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the holder is affixed to the sun visor (which is
part number 3 in
Figures 2 and 4 included herein), but in other embodiments, one of the mating
segments of
Velcro (provided in the kit) can be affixed to any in-car surface that is
capable of securely
supporting a cellphone or similar portable device, such as: dashboard,
ceiling, cabin liner,
windshield, steering wheel, steering column, map light fixture, rear-view
mirror, radio face plate,
door, A-pillar, shifting console, cup-holders, vent, speaker grille, seat-
belt, etc.
In other further preferred embodiments, at least one of the mating segments of
Velcro (provided
in the kit) is pre-cut to resemble decorative silhouettes and shapes, such as:
rabbit, dog, cat,
flower, leaf, turtle, heart, apple, fruits, Disney characters, cars, trucks,
religious symbols, etc., to
provide enhanced visual appeal when the phone is not in the holder.
Operation of the preferred embodiment
As seen in the drawings, the user attaches one segment of Velcro 1 to the back
of his/her
cellphone 2 (or to the back of a phone-case, if such optional embodiment is
provided), operation
shown in Figure 1 and the finished configuration is shown in Figure 3 (side
view). The user also
attaches the other Velcro segment (shown as part 4 in Figure 4) to the sun
visor 3. As shown in
Figure 4, secure mounting of the phone is achieved simply by pushing the
Velcro-ed back of the
phone against the Velcro-ed area of the sun visor 3, so that the two Velcro
segments end up
mating securely. When so mounted on the sun visor, a smartphone is ideally
placed for hands-
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free talking, viewing of GPS and navigation information on the screen, voice
commands,
listening to voice messages, streaming radio and music, etc.
When the user desires to leave the car and/or remove the phone from the
holder, a firm gradual
tug is sufficient to remove the phone from its holder, by disengaging the two
Velcro segments
from their mating engagement.
In a preferred embodiment, the Velcro segments have industrial strength self-
adhesive backing, t
ensure a long service life and repeated dis-mounts without coming detached
from the position
where they were first applied. Nonetheless, this invention envisions that the
users should be able
to remove, if they so wish, the Velcro segments from both the cellphone and
from the sun visor.
A scraping implement, together with a firm and gradual peeling motion, can
help with the
removal of the Velcro segments from both the cellphone and from the sun visor.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of
ordinary skill to make
and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of
ordinary skill will
understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and
equivalents of the
specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. For example, Velcro and hook-
and-loop like
means of attachment are described above, but those of ordinary skill will
understand that any
similar removable fastening methods may be equally used by other embodiments
of this
invention. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above
described embodiment,
method and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and
spirit of the
invention.
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