Mobile phone support arrangement

Abstract

The invention comprises a pocket carryable, width/length adjustable, rectilinear phone support assembly, arranged to permit various safe, secure manipulable orientations thereof while supporting a mobile phone. The phone support assembly comprises a pair of 1.sup.st corner arm assemblies and a pair of 2.sup.nd corner arm assemblies intermatingly attached to one another. The 1.sup.st corner support members are arranged diagonally across from one another and the 2.sup.nd corner arm assemblies are arranged diagonally across from one another. Each 1.sup.st corner arm assembly meets with the respective receiving member and in a member of an adjacent 2.sup.nd corner arm assembly, and wherein each corner arm assembly has a corner hub with an elongated receiving member and an elongated inner member extending from the corner hub at an angle of 90° with respect to one another. The assembly includes a swivelable, fully articulable telescopable leg extending from a lower portion of each corner hub so as to adjustably arrange the phone support assembly and a comfortable and easily viewable manner.

Claims

1. A pocket carryable, width/length adjustable, rectilinear phone support assembly, arranged to permit various safe, secure manipulable orientations thereof while supporting a mobile phone, the phone support assembly comprising: a pair of 1.sup.st corner arm assemblies and a pair of 2.sup.nd corner arm assemblies interdigitally attached to one another, wherein the 1.sup.st corner support members are arranged diagonally across from one another and the 2.sup.nd corner arm assemblies are arranged diagonally across from one another, wherein each 1.sup.st corner arm assembly meets with a respective receiving member and in a member of an adjacent 2.sup.nd corner arm assembly, and wherein each corner arm assembly has a corner hub with an elongated receiving member and an elongated inner member extending from the corner hub at an angle of 90° with respect to one another, wherein the corner hub has an upper end with an end cap thereon, and a lower end with a socket therein, the socket arranged to receive a joint member for articulable connection of a swivelable, telescopable leg therewith, the elongated receiving member of the 1.sup.st and the 2.sup.nd corner arm assembly arranged to support a mobile phone thereon.

2. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving member of the 1.sup.st corner arm assembly comprises a short arm member and a long inner arm shoulder having a long inner arm member extending distally therefrom.

3. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein the receiving member of the 2nd corner arm assembly comprises a long arm receiving member and a short inner arm member with a short inner member extending distally therefrom.

4. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each corner hub has a contraction member control means which is arranged to engage a peripheral contraction member to enable all corner arm assemblies to snugly peripherally support a mobile phone therewithin.

5. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the contraction member control means comprises a slot on an outer periphery of each corner hub so as to securely support at each corner, the contraction member.

6. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the contraction member control means also comprises a pin arranged on an inside corner of each corner hub to retain the contraction member within each of the corner arm assemblies.

7. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the end cap has an inwardly facing notch thereon so as to enable a full screen presentation of a phone supported between the corner arm assemblies.

8. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the end cap is movable with respect to the corner hub.

9. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the end cap is pivotable with respect to the corner hub.

10. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein each long arm receiving member and each short arm receiving member has a receiving channel of generally U-shape in cross-section having an elongated strip of friction bars extending centrally therewithin.

11. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein each inner arm member is of generally Y-shape in cross-section having an elongated strip of friction bars extending centrally therewithin.

12. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the respective inner arm members slides with in and frictionally engages the respective receiving channels between each of the respective 1.sup.st and 2.sup.nd corner arm assemblies.

13. The rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the telescopable legs are arrangeable in a phone support assembly thickness-minimizing X configuration on the lower side of the assembled corner arm assemblies.

14. A pocket carryable width/length adjustable, rectilinear phone support assembly, arranged to permit various safe, secure manipulable orientations thereof while supporting a mobile phone, the phone support assembly comprising: a pair of 1.sup.st corner assemblies arranged diagonally across from one another interengaged with a pair of 2.sup.nd corner assemblies which are arranged diagonally across from one another to comprise a four-sided phone support perimeter, wherein each of the 1.sup.st corner assemblies has a corner hub from which extends a short arm receiving member arranged angularly 90° apart from a long arm shoulder having a long inner arm member extending therefrom; and wherein each of the 2.sup.nd corner assemblies has a corner hub from which extends a long arm receiving member arranged angularly 90° apart from a short inner member shoulder having a short inner member extending therefrom, wherein the long inner arm member of a respective 1.sup.st corner arm assembly is received into a respective long arm receiving member of a respective 2.sup.nd corner assembly, and a short inner member of a 2.sup.nd corner assembly is received into a respectively adjacent short arm receiving member of an adjacent 1.sup.st corner assembly for slidable engagement therebetween and peripheral engagement of a phone thereon.

15. The pocket carryable, width/length adjustable, rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein the long arm receiving member and the short inner member shoulder each have a phone support shoulder thereon.

16. The pocket carryable, width/length adjustable, rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein each hub as an end cap on an upper end thereof, and wherein each end cap has an inwardly directed cut out to enable viewing of a full screen of a phone supported on the corner assemblies.

17. The pocket carryable, width/length adjustable, rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein the receiving members and inner member shoulders of each respective corner arm assembly are dimensionally lower than the upper end of each corner hub so as to enable access to any control or charge port on a phone supported on the phone support assembly.

18. The pocket carryable, width/length adjustable, rectilinear phone support assembly as recited in claim 16, wherein each end cap is movable with respect to its corner hub to which it is connected to enable easier placement of a phone on the phone support assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the articulable phone support assembly constructed according to the principles of the present invention, including its adjustable leg arrangement;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the phone support arrangement shown in FIG. 1 in a minimal size configuration, shown without any legs attached;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the phone support arrangement shown in an expanded size;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first corner arm assembly;

(6) FIG. 4A is an enlarged perspective view of a distal portion of the first corner arm assembly shown in FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second corner arm assembly;

(8) FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view of a distal portion of the second arm assembly shown in FIG. 5;

(9) FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bottom of the phone support assembly with its corner legs in a collapsed orientation, generally parallel to the long sides of the phone support assembly;

(10) FIG. 6A is a plan view of the bottom of the phone support assembly with its corner legs in a collapsed orientation, generally in an X-shaped pattern with respect to the long sides of the phone support assembly;

(11) FIG. 7 is a view taken along the lines 7-7 of FIG. 6, showing the end of the phone support assembly represented in FIG. 6;

(12) FIG. 8 is a view taken along the lines 8-8 FIG. 6, showing the side of the phone support assembly represented in FIG. 6;

(13) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hub showing an anchor pin for holding a peripherally arranged contraction member;

(14) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an articulable end cap arranged on a corner arm assembly;

(15) FIG. 10 A is a perspective view of the end cap on the corner arm assembly shown in FIG. 10 with its end cap rotated in an “out of the way” orientation;

(16) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a swivelable end cap to enable easy phone entry onto the phone support arrangement;

(17) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of yet further embodiment of a tiltable articulable end cap arranged on a corner arm assembly;

(18) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a the phone support arrangement with a further embodiment of a leg support member showing hookable ends thereon; and

(19) FIG. 13A is a perspective view of the phone support arrangement with a further embodiment of a leg support member showing tightenable distal ends thereon; and

(20) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the phone support arrangement as shown in FIG. 2, with a mobile phone secured therewithin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(21) The present invention comprises a pocket carryable, width/length dimensionally adjustable, articulably supportable, four-sided, elongated, mobile phone (or tablet) support assembly 20 for holding a rectilinear item such as a phone or tablet “P” (as shown in FIG. 14), the phone support arrangement or assembly 20 having two long sides 22 and two short sides 24, (although it could be square in one embodiment), the elongated embodiment being shown in FIGS. 1-3. The width is represented by the shorter side of the phone support assembly 20, and the length is represented by the longer side of the phone assembly 20, as exemplarily shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 6A.

(22) The phone support assembly 20 comprises a diagonally opposed pair of 1.sup.st corner arm assemblies 26 and 28, and a diagonally opposed pair of 2.sup.nd corner arm assemblies 30 and 32, respectively slidably intermatable, as best represented in FIG. 3, by arrows “A”, to form a rectilinear arrangement thereof.

(23) Each 1.sup.st corner arm assembly 26/28, as represented best individually, in FIGS. 4 and 4A, is comprised of a corner hub 34. A short arm receiving member 36 extends from one side of the corner hub 34 and a long inner arm shoulder member 38 also extends from the corner hub 34 at a 90° angle from the short arm receiving member 36. An elongated long inner arm member 40 extends from the distal end of the long arm shoulder member 38, as shown in FIG. 4. The long inner arm member 40 is of generally “Y” shape in cross-section, as may be best noted in FIG. 4A. The long arm shoulder member 40 has a trough 41 with an elongated friction surface 42 thereon, as best seen in FIG. 4A, to act as a movement resistance factor helping keep the long arm shoulder member 40 secure within a receiving channel 37 in an adjacent long arm receiving member 46, as represented in FIGS. 5 and 5A, the slidable intermating of the long inner arm member 40 and the channel 37 of the long arm receiving member 46, best represented in FIG. 3. The short arm receiving member 36 of each 1.sup.st corner arm assembly 26 and 28 has a similar cross-sectional shape as the long arm receiving member 46 of the respective 2.sup.nd corner assemblies 30/32.

(24) Each 2.sup.nd corner arm assembly 30 and 32 is also comprised of a corner hub 34, as best represented in FIG. 5. A long arm receiving member 46 extends from one side of its respective corner hub 34 and a short inner arm shoulder member 48 extends from that respective corner hub 34 at a 90° angle from the long arm receiving member 46. A short inner arm member 50 extends from the distal end of the short arm shoulder member 48, as may be seen in FIG. 5. The short inner arm member 50 is of generally Y-shape in cross-section, as may be seen in FIG. 5A.

(25) Each respective corner hub 34 is preferably of cylindrical shape having an upper end 56 with an end cap 58 thereon, each respective corner hub 34 having a lower end 60 with a joint-member receiving-socket 62 therein. Each short arm receiving member 36 and each long arm receiving member 46 have the channel 37 extending therealong, which channel 37 is of cross-sectional shape so as to slidingly receive and retain respective adjacent short inner arm members 50 and long inner arm members 40 respectively, during construction of the mobile support assembly 20 of the present invention.

(26) Each hub 34 has an arcuately shaped inwardly directed cut out 64 for receiving and enabling the viewing of the corner of a mobile phone “P” viewing screen when the mobile support assembly 20 is being utilized therewith, as may be seen in FIG. 14. Each short arm receiving member 36 and each long arm receiving member 46 have an L-shaped shoulder 66 (in cross-section), as may be visualized in FIGS. 4 and 5, for resting receipt of a mobile phone thereon when the mobile support assembly 20 is being utilized therewith.

(27) Each end of the elongated mobile support assembly 20 has a 2.sup.nd corner arm assembly 30 (or 32) and a 1.sup.st corner arm assembly 26 (or 28) slidably engaged with one another with the respective inner arm members 40 and 50 thereof slidably engaging with the receiving member's 46 and 36 respectively, to form the rectilinear mobile phone support arrangement 20 of the present invention, as may be best shown in FIGS. 3 and 1.

(28) Each end cap 58 mounted on the upper end 56 of its respective hub 34 has a phone screen visibility-enhancing notch 64 thereon facing inwardly towards the center of a mobile phone “P” supported thereadjacent, as represented best in FIG. 14. The inwardly directed notch 64 on each end cap 58 permits full visualization of a mobile phone screen therebeneath. In one preferred embodiment the end cap 58 as represented between FIGS. 10 and 10A, that end cap 58 may be pivotable about a pin, (not shown for clarity of the figures), so as to swing out-of-the-way, as indicated by arrow “B” in FIG. 10A, when a mobile phone is being placed onto the inwardly directed shoulders 66 of the respective long arm receiving members 46 and the shoulders 66 of the short inner members 48. In yet another preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 11, the end cap 58 is liftable, shown attached to a pin 81 slidably movable in and out from the corner hub 34, as shown by arrow “U”, to move the cap 58 up and out of the way during loading of a phone on the support assembly 20. As further shown in FIG. 12, the end cap 58 may be hingedly attached by a hinge 72 to an outer side 70 of the hub 34 so as to facilitate the loading/unloading and be out of the way, when a mobile phone is being placed onto the phone support assembly 20.

(29) Each hub 34 may have in one embodiment, a contraction member alignment slot 82 control means for securement and retaining an elastic-like contraction member 80 peripherally around the array of hubs 34 at each corner assembly 26, 28, 30 and 32, as is represented in FIGS. 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, and 8. The contraction member 80 would be placed in each slot 82 so as to hold the respective long arm receiving member 46 and short inner member 36 with their respective mating partners 40 and 50 once a mobile phone “P” is placed within the shelf-like arrangement of those respective corner arm assemblies 26, 28, 30 and 32.

(30) A further embodiment for contraction member securement control means includes a pin 86 arranged at a shoulder 88 in a crotch 90 in each of the hubs 34, around which the contraction member 80 would be peripherally disposed, as represented in FIG. 9, so as to place a contraction bias upon the four corner arm assemblies 26, 28, 30 and 32, keeping them pulled together when they are supportively enclosing a mobile phone therebetween.

(31) The lower or bottom side of each hub 34 has a joint member receiving socket 92 therein, as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 6A. An articulable joint member 94 is utilized and attached to the proximal end 96 of an elongated, swivelable, fully articulable, telescopable leg 98 for various articulable, extendable and contractable support configurations of the mobile phone support assembly 20, as represented also in FIG. 1. In a further embodiment of the telescopable leg 98, the distal end of which may have a hook 100, as shown in FIG. 13, or a tightenable clamp 102 thereon, as shown in FIG. 13A for specialized support of the mobile phone support assembly 20, onto for example, a frame member, handlebar or rail.