Personal Device Leash

Abstract

A leash assembly is attached to a personal device. The leash assembly includes a housing, a cord expending from the housing, and a chain extending from the cord and attached to the device. The cord is retractable into the housing and the chain is blocked from retracting into the housing. The chain may be pivotally attached to a base attached to the device by a single sided adhesive tab, or pad, or other adhesive or mechanical structure sufficient to retain the chain on the device so that the device cannot easily be accidentally removed. The device may be directly attached to the housing of the leash assembly by mechanical or magnetic features, and when the attachment is magnetic, a magnetic field disruptor may reside between the magnets and the device.

Claims

1. A retractable leash assembly for securing a personal device to a user, the leash assembly comprising: an attachment assembly including a retraction mechanism and a housing containing the retraction mechanism; a leash comprising: a cord having a first cord end and a second cord end, the first cord end attachable to the retraction mechanism, the cord retractable by the retraction mechanism into the housing, the cord extendable from the housing for use by the user of the personal device; and a chain having a first chain end attached to the second cord end, the chain having a second chain end attachable to the personal dev ice, wherein a combined length of the cord and chain is between 20 and 26 inches and is sufficient to carry the attachment assembly proximal to the user's waste and loop the leash over a user's shoulder and the attachment assembly providing tension to retain the personal device in position against the user's back for hands free use but not pull the personal device forward over the user's shoulder.

2. The leash assembly of claim 1, wherein the tension on the leash is between 0.17 pounds and 0.5 pounds when the combined length of the cord and the chain drawn from the attachment assembly is between 20 and 26 inches for carrying the leash over the shoulder and the personal device against the user's back.

3. The leash assembly of claim 1, wherein a speaker resides on a speaker end of the personal device and the second chain end is is configured to attach to the personal device proximal to the speaker.

4. (canceled)

5. The leash assembly of claim 1, further including a magnetic assembly including a first mating piece attached to the housing and a second mating piece attached to the personal device, the first mating piece being magnetically attachable to the second mating piece for removably attaching the personal device directly to the housing.

6. The leash assembly of claim 5, further including a magnetic disruptor residing under the first mating piece, the magnetic disruptor shielding the user from magnetic fields generated from the personal device.

7. The leash assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment assembly further includes a carabiner for attaching the attachment assembly to the user.

8. The leash assembly of claim 1, wherein: a tapered base is attached onto an external surface of the personal device, the tapered base having a pyramidal shape monotonically tapering larger from a generally square base to a generally square top, the generally square base attached onto the personal device; and the chain is is configured to attach to the tapered base.

9. A leash assembly for securing a personal device to a user, the leash assembly comprising: an attachment assembly including a retraction mechanism, a housing containing the retraction mechanism, and a securing mechanism is configured to attach to the housing for attaching the housing to the user; a leash comprising: a cord having a first cord end and a second cord end, the cord being attachable to the retraction mechanism proximate the first cord end and to a chain proximate the second cord end, a substantial portion of the cord being retractable by the retraction mechanism into the housing, the cord being extendable from the housing for use by a user of the personal device; the chain having a first chain end and a second chain end, the chain being attachable to the personal device proximate the second chain end, the chain being attached proximate the first chain end to the cord proximate the second cord end, the chain being is configured to attach to the personal device proximate the second chain end; the second chain end is is configured to attach to the personal device proximal to a speaker residing on one end of the personal device; and wherein the combined length of the cord and chain is between 20 and 26 inches and is sufficient to carry the attachment assembly on a belt and loop the leash around and behind around a user's neck to carry the personal device on a user's chest.

10. (canceled)

11. The leash assembly of claim 10, wherein the second chain end is is configured to attach to the speaker end of the personal device.

12. The leash assembly of claim 9, wherein the tension on the leash is between 0.17 pounds and 0.5 pounds when the combined length of the cord and the chain drawn from the attachment assembly is between 20 and 26 inches for looping the leash behind and around the user's neck and carry the personal device on the user's chest.

9. Currently amended) The leash assembly of claim 9, wherein: a magnetic assembly including a first mating piece is configured to attach to the housing and a second mating piece is configured to attach to the personal device, the first mating piece being magnetically attracted to the second mating piece for removably attaching the personal device to the housing; and the magnetic assembly further includes a ring configured to attach to the housing around the first mating piece for preventing slippage of the second mating piece from the first mating piece when attached.

14. A leash assembly for securing a personal device, the leash assembly comprising: an attachment assembly comprising a retraction mechanism, a housing containing the retraction mechanism, and an attaching mechanism extending from the housing, the attaching mechanism including an incomplete loop and a spring-loaded gate for selectively opening and closing the loop, the spring-loaded gate being biased toward closing the loop for attaching the attachment assembly to a user; A leash comprising: a cord having a first cord end and a second cord end, the cord being attachable to the retraction mechanism proximate the first cord end and to a chain proximate the second cord end, a substantial portion of the cord being retractable by the retraction mechanism into the housing, the cord being extendable from the housing for use by a user of the personal device; the chain having a first chain end and a second chain end, the chain being attachable to the personal device proximate the second chain end, the chain being attached proximate the first chain end to the cord proximate the second cord end, the chain being is configured to attach to the personal device proximate the second chain end; and wherein: a combined length of the cord and chain is between 20 and 26 inches and sufficient to carry the attachment assembly proximal to the user's waste and loop the leash over a user's shoulder to carry the personal device on a user's back, or loop the leash around a user's neck carry the person device against a user's chest; and the attachment assembly providing tension to retain the personal device in position against the user's back or the user's chest for hands free use, but not pull the personal device out of position.

15. The leash assembly of claim 14, wherein a speaker resides on a speaker end of the personal device and the second chain end is is configured to attach to the personal device proximal to the speaker.

16. The leash assembly of claim 15, wherein the second chain end is is configured to attach to the speaker end of the personal device.

17. The leash assembly of claim 14, wherein the tension on the leash is between 0.17 pounds and 0.5 pounds when the combined length of the cord and the chain drawn from the attachment assembly is between 20 and 26 inches for carrying the leash over a shoulder or around and behind a neck.

18. The leash assembly of claim 14, wherein a magnetic assembly further includes a ring is configured to attach to the housing around the first mating piece for preventing slippage of the second mating piece from the first mating piece when attached.

19. The leash assembly of claim 14, wherein the cord and the chain have predetermined lengths so that the combination of the cord, the chain and the personal device extends from the housing far enough for use but not so far that the device would reach the ground if it was dropped by the user.

20. The The leash assembly of claim 14, wherein a grasping ring attached to the chain to stand perpendicular to the ax is of the chain when the chain is pulled taut, thus allowing a user to grasp the chain and subsequently retrieving the personal device from a storage area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0030] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a personal device attached to a leash assembly according to the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows the personal device attached to the leash assembly according to the present invention with cord of the leash assembly retracted into a user attachment.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows the leash assembly according to the present invention in use.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an attachment assembly of the leash assembly according to the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 5A shows a front view of the attachment assembly of the leash assembly according to the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 5B shows a side view of the attachment assembly of the leash assembly according to the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 5C shows a rear view of the attachment assembly of the leash assembly according to the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a base attached to the personal device and the chain attached to the base, according to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 7 shown a detailed view of a clip attaching the chain to the base according to the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 8 shows a second base attached to the personal device and a spring clip connecting the chain to the second base according to the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 8A shows a slide according to the present invention releasing the spring clip.

[0042] FIG. 8B shows the slide according to the present invention holding the spring clip open for attachment to the base.

[0043] FIG. 9A shows a front view of a third base according to the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 9B shows a side view of the third base according to the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 9C shows a top view of the third base according to the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 10 shows magnets according to the present invention directly connecting the personal device to the attachment assembly.

[0047] FIG. 11A shows a front view of a user carrying the personal device over one shoulder, according to the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 11B shows a rear view of the user carrying the personal device over one shoulder, according to the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 12A shows a front view of a user carrying the personal device looped behind the neck, according to the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 12B shows a rear view of the user carrying the personal device looped behind the neck, according to the present invention.

[0051] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

[0053] Where the terms “about” or “generally” are associated with an element of the invention, it is intended to describe a feature's appearance to the human eye or human perception, and not a precise measurement, or typically within 10 percent of a stated value.

[0054] A leash assembly 10 according to the present invention, and a personal device 12, are shown in FIG. 1, the leach assembly 10 and a personal device 12 with a cord 20 of the leach assembly 10 retracted into an attachment assembly 14 is shown in FIG. 2, and the leash assembly 10 and personal device 12 carried by a user 11 is shown in FIG. 3. The leash assembly 10 includes the attachment assembly 14, the leash 20 retractable into the attachment assembly 14, and a chain 22 connecting the personal device 12 to the leash 20. A grasping ring 60 may be attached to the chain 22. The ring 60 may facilitate extracting the device 12 from, for example, a purse when the attachment assembly 14 is attached to a purse handle, clothing, or similar article. The cord 20 is preferably between 10 and 13 inches long and the chain 22 is preferably between 10 and 13 inches long. A personal device speaker 12b resides on a bottom (or speaker end) 12a of the personal device 12. The chain 22 attachment 22a is proximal to the bottom 12a, and therefore proximal to the speaker 12b, and may be attached to the bottom 12a.

[0055] A perspective view of the attachment assembly 14 is shown in FIG. 4, a front view of the attachment assembly 14 is shown in FIG. 5A, a side view of the attachment assembly 14 is shown in FIG. 5B, and a rear view of the attachment assembly 14 is shown in FIG. 5C. The attachment assembly 14 includes a housing 16, a user attachment portion 18, the cord 20 (see FIG. 2), the chain 22, a leash restraint 23 blocking the chain 22 from entering the housing 16, a ring 38a, and a knob 50 between the chain 22 and the leash restraint 23. The chain 22 may be connected to the knob 50 by a connecting link 48 different from other links in the chain 22. An example of the user attachment portion 18 is in the form of a carabiner having a spring gate 28 over an opining 30 for retaining the attachment assembly 14, for example, on a belt loop, or any other suitable clothing feature.

[0056] The user attachment portion 18 may comprise an incomplete loop 26 and a spring-loaded gate 28. The loop 26 is incomplete in that it has an opening 30 through which a user can pass an element, such as a belt loop (see FIG. 3), to attach the attachment assembly 14 to the user's person, or some other means of attachment. The attachment assembly may be attached to a variety of locations such as a loop hanging from a bracelet on the user's wrist. The spring-loaded gate 28 is biased to close the opening 30 as shown in FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5C. The gate 28 can be opened to hook the attachment assembly on a belt loop as shown in FIG. 3. The gate 28 can be opened by pressing the thumb or another finger against the top part of the gate 28 to extend the gate 28 inwardly. When pressure is released, the gate 28 will return to the position illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5C. The user attachment portion 18 can be made of metal or other suitable material, and can include a base structure 32 surrounding the housing 16. The base structure 32 provides support for the loop 26 and the gate 28.

[0057] The retraction mechanism (not shown) can be a coil spring-loaded spool or reel for winding the cord 20, including one of the many types of automatic retraction reels well known in the prior art such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,290,158. The retraction mechanism is disposed inside the housing 16 which can be made of hard plastic, metal, or other suitable material. In addition to the housing 16 containing the retraction mechanism and the cord 20 when it is retracted, the housing 16 provides a base structure on which is mounted the user attachment portion 18 and a portion of the magnetizing assembly 24. The retraction mechanism preferably provides two to five ounces of initial tension when the cord 20 is initially drawn from the attachment assembly 14. U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,158 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0058] The attachment assembly 14 may further include features for directly attaching the device 12 to the attachment assembly 14. An example of these features is an attaching assembly 24 including a mating piece 34a in a ring 38a. The attaching assembly 24 includes the first mating piece 34a mounted to the housing 16 on its front side. The mating piece 34a is approximately centered on the front of the housing 16. The mating piece 34a may be a magnet in the shape of a disk, or the mating piece 34a may be made of a material that is attracted to a magnet. The attaching assembly 24 cooperates with a second mating piece 34b attached to the back side of the personal device 12 (see FIG. 10). The mating piece 34b may be made of substance that is magnetically attracted to the first mating piece 34a, and the second mating piece 34b may be a magnet. A magnetic disruptor 61 may reside under the first mating piece 34a to shield the user from magnetic fields generated from the personal device.

[0059] A base 45 is shown attached to the personal device 12 and the chain 22 attached to the base 45 in FIG. 6, and a detailed view of a clip 47 for attaching the chain 33 to the base 45 is shown in FIG. 7. The base 45 may be provided with double sided tape, may be glued to the personal device 12, may be attached by fasteners to the personal device 12 or may be part of or attached to a personal device case.

[0060] A second base 46 attached to the personal device 12 and a spring clip 48 connecting the chain 22 to the second base 46 is shown in FIG. 8.

[0061] A slide 49 is shown in FIG. 8A releasing the spring clip 48, and the slide 49 is shown in FIG. 8B holding the spring clip 48 open for easy attachment to the base 46.

[0062] A front view of a third base 52 is shown in FIG. 9A, a side view of the third base 52 is shown in FIG. 9B, and a top view of the third base 52 is shown in FIG. 9C. The base 52 is pyramid shaped and includes tapered legs 54. The pyramid shape prevents snapping inside pockets, purses, and the like. The spring clip 48 may be attached to any of the legs 54. An adhesive 56, for example double sided tape, may be used to attach the base 52 to the personal device 12 (see FIG. 1 or 2).

[0063] A second mating piece 34b attached the personal device 12 for direct attachment to the assembly 14 by cooperation with the mating piece 34a (see FIG. 5B), is shown in FIG. 10. A ring 38b may surround the mating piece 34b extending outwardly from personal device 12 and the 34a may dovetail into the ring 38b restricting the mating piece 34a from slipping off mating piece 34b when the personal device 12 is mounted on the assembly 14. In another embodiment, the roles of rings 38a and 38b and the mating pieces 34a and 34b may be reversed.

[0064] The cord 20 is normally retracted inside the housing 16 as suggested by most of the figures. However, the cord 20 may extend out of the housing 16 when the personal device 12 is in use, as illustrated by FIG. 10. The cord 20 is made of a material that is suitable to wind up on a spool.

[0065] The retraction mechanism has a unique tension on it, for example, 163.5 grams. This tension allows a user to attach the attachment assembly to a belt loop and rest the device on the back side of a shoulder. The leash assembly 10 also keeps the personal device 12 from breaking if it is dropped. It also keeps the personal device 12 and just the right place when it is looped around the neck to be used with the flashlight or camera so your hands are free.

[0066] The chain links of the chain 22 permit the leash portion of the assembly to readily move multi-directionally. This allows for comfortable mounting of the leash assembly 10 on the person of the user. One example is to have the tension of the leash such that an attached personal communications device (e.g., a smart phone) can rest or even stand vertically on one's shoulder without falling backward. It also allows for easier removal of the attached personal device 12 from a storage location, such as pocket or purse where there are other items that may otherwise get tangled with the leash portion of the assembly.

[0067] The ring 60 (see FIG. 2) stands erect when the chain is pulled taut, thus enabling the user to insert her or his finger through the ring and allowing the phone to be pulled from its storage area. The user can gently pull on and jostle the chain until any caught items are released by gravity before removing the personal device 12 from the storage location for use via the ring 60. In some circumstances, this ring and chain may serve an ancillary function as an antenna and electromagnetic dispersal device.

[0068] When the ring is slipped over the personal device antenna (when present) and when the personal device 12 is stretched to the ear to use, the chain may also be stretched, thus improving antenna gain, as well as decreasing the possible harmful effects of personal device radiation by spreading it out over a broader area (away from the head). The bases 45 and 46 may be attached near the corner of one short side or even near the middle so that there is minimal surface area of the personal device 22 to get entangled with other items in a storage area.

[0069] The cord 20 and the chain 22 have predetermined lengths so that the combination of the cord 20, the chain 22 and the personal device 12 extends from the housing far enough for use but not so far that the device would reach the ground if it was dropped by the user. Thus, if a personal device 12 is dropped by the user it will not break by hitting the ground.

[0070] In one embodiment the chain 22 is attached directly to the personal device 12 with the adhesive pad. In another embodiment the personal device 12 is attached to the attachment assembly 14 by a magnet. A third embodiment the personal device 12 is attached to the attachment assembly 14 by various straps wrapped about the phone. A fourth embodiment is a clear plastic protective case into which the phone is placed but can be operated through the plastic. The back of the phone can have affixed to it either or both mounting points, i.e., one for the direct attachment by magnet or by the chain. Alternately, the attachment device may have contained within it either or both of the attachment means, the retractable cord or the surface or magnet onto which the magnet attached to the phone is, in turn, attached.

[0071] A front view of a user 11 carrying the personal device 12 over one shoulder 11 b is shown in FIG. 11A and a rear view of the user 11 carrying the personal device 12 over the shoulder 11 b is shown in FIG. 11B. The cord 20 and the chain 22 provide sufficient length for such carrying, and the tension on the cord 12 provided by the attachment assembly 14 allows the personal device 12 to remain in this position. Because the chain 22 is attached proximal to the bottom 22a of the personal device 12, the personal device 12 is carried with the bottom 22a up and the speaker 22b positioned towards the user's ear 11 a to improve hands free use.

[0072] A front view of the user 11 carrying the personal device 12 looped behind the neck is shown in FIG. 12A and a rear view of the user 11 carrying the personal device 12 looped behind the neck is shown in FIG. 12B. The cord 20 and the chain 22 provide sufficient length for such carrying, and the tension on the cord 12 provided by the attachment assembly 14 allows the personal device 12 to remain in this position. The personal device 12 is carried with the speaker 12b towards the user's face improving hands free use.

[0073] An example of a required tension for the carrying shown in FIGS. 11A, 11B, 12A, and 12B is between 0.17 pounds and 0.5 pounds when the combined length of the cord 20 and the chain 22 drawn from the attachment assembly 14 is between 27 and 36 inches.

[0074] The leash assembly 10 is useful with other kinds of personal devices such as a set of keys or a watch and a leash according to the present invention used with any such device is intended to come within the scope of the present invention.

[0075] While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.