Retracting tether for cell phones, pagers and PDA's

[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/311,526 to Salentine et al., which was filed on Aug. 10, 2001, and provisional application No. 60/388,462 to Salentine et al., which was filed on Jun. 13, 2002.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention is directed to devices for tethering gear and personal articles and more particularly for tethering personal communication devices such as cell phones, pagers and PDA's.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Tethering devices have been developed that have extendable and retractable cables or lines (“cables”), with many of the cables being automatically retracted under the bias of an internal spring arrangement. Some of the applications for these tethers include ski ropes, surf board leashes, boat moorings and scuba equipment. [See U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,610 to Taylor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,460 to Khudaverdian, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,805 to Bredesen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,572 to Salentine].

[0006] Retracting devices have also been developed for housing cables and cords such as those used for telephones, hose reels and cellular phone earpieces. [See U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,396 to Burke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,446 to Ditzig and U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,010 to DiBono]. Retracting devices have also been developed having a means for removing the tethered article from the tethering device such as in the case of keys, SCUBA gear and microphones.

[0007] Personal communication devices such as pagers and cell phones can be attached or mounted to a person using different devices. In the case of cell phones some of these mounting devices include leather cases with belt clips for attaching to a belt, or a plastic holster which attaches to a belt or purse. One of the more popular cell phone mounts includes a pivoting ball type mount, which is attached to the phone and clips into a belt clip that has a slot to mate with the ball.

[0008] One of the advantages of these holstering devices is that they allow for easy access and retrieval of a cell phone, pager or PDA (“personal device”). However, this advantage also results in one of their primary disadvantages. The ease of access typically prevents these mounting devices from properly securing the personal devices, which can result in their falling out under many circumstances, such as when getting in and out of a vehicle or when they are bumped. Furthermore, when the personal device is removed from these holstering devices there is no mechanism for preventing the phone from falling to the ground if jarred or dropped from the user's hand.

[0009] A wrist lanyard has been developed which helps prevent cell phones from falling to the ground when being used. The lanyard typically comprises a rope or string that is tied or otherwise attached to the cell phone and has a loop that is large enough for a user's hand to pass through. To secure the cell phone, the user must pass a hand through the loop when the cell phone is in the user's hand. When the cell phone is not in use, the lanyard can be tied to a belt loop. One disadvantage of this device is that when the phone is tied to a belt loop, untying the lanyard from the loop to use the phone can be awkward and inconvenient. It can also be awkward passing a hand through the loop every time the cell phone is used.

[0010] An alternate tethering device uses a spiral or coiled type lanyard, similar to the cord that is used between the receiver and telephone in older styled telephones. For cell phones the coiled lanyard can be attached to the user at one end and attached to the phone at the other. When the phone is in use, the length of the tether can be extended and when the phone is not in use its effective length is reduced. One disadvantage of this type of tether is that to make it long so it can be conveniently used with a cell phone, the tether becomes quite long and obtrusive when the cell phone is in the holstered position. The tether dangles when the phone is not in use, which can cause entanglement.

[0011] Existing retractable tethers are used for personal articles such as keys but do not provide a means for attaching to phones or pagers. Furthermore, they are bulky and do not efficiently and securely attach to the user in a way that would allow for the cell phone to be easily used. They also do not provide a means for working in conjunction with a cell phone's holster or mounting system.

[0012] The present invention provides a retracting tether and tethering system which is particularly adapted for use for securing personal devices, including but not limited to cell phones, pagers, PDAs, calculators, flashlights, etc. Personal devices are also referred to as personal articles or objects.

[0013] These personal devices have the common characteristic that they can be attached to a user in many locations such as a belt, belt loop or purse. They are often attached by a loop, leather case, or pivoting ball connector type mount or are simply placed in one of the user's pockets. They can easily be knocked to the ground from their mounting points or can be dropped to the ground when in use. The present invention provides a connection point between the user and the personal device that is designed to work with previously available device mounting mechanisms so that if a device is knocked from the mounting mechanism or dropped, it will not fall to the ground where it can be lost or damaged.

[0014] A tethering system according to the present invention includes a personal article mounted on a user's body. A retractable tether is included having a housing with a cable and spring within the housing. The cable is capable of extending from and retracting into the tether housing with the spring urging the cable to retract into the housing. The cable has a stop to prevent it from fully retracting into the housing. A mounting mechanism is included for mounting the tether to the user's body and a lanyard is connected between the cable stop and the personal article, with the spring providing sufficient tension to prevent the cable from extending from the housing under the weight of the personal article.

[0015] A retractable tether according to the present invention includes a tether housing and a cable within the tether housing. The housing has a hole from which the cable extends and retracts, said cable having a stop on the cable's end that extends from said housing hole. The stop is larger than the housing hole to prevent the cable from fully retracting into the housing. A spring is included within the tether housing which urges retraction of the cable into the housing. A lanyard is attached to the stop and a mounting mechanism is included on the tether housing.

[0016] The retractable tether can either have a fixed mounting mechanism so that the cable extends in one direction from the housing or it can have a rotating mounting mechanism that allows the cable to extent at different angles. The tether can also have a disconnect mechanism so that the attached device can be detached from the tether.

[0017] The new retractable tethering can be continuously attached to the device whether the personal device is holstered or in use. If the device is dropped or dislodged from the holster the retractable tether prevents the loss of and/or damage to the device. In one embodiment the new retractable tether is mounted to a belt, pants or purse next to the device and the device is in its holster. The tether cable is preferably pointed upward for convenient use, and do reduce wear and tear on the cable to increase its longevity.

[0018] The new retractable tether is streamlined and unobtrusive such that it does not interfere with regular activities. The attached device can be easily disconnected from the retracting tether without the removal of the retracting tether from its mount on a belt, pants or purse.

[0019] These and other further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those in skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a new retractable tether 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention. In the embodiment shown the tether 10 is mounted to a user's belt 12 by its mounting system (described below), but other retractable tethers according to the invention can be mounted to other locations on the user. A phone 14 is shown mounted in its holster 16, which is also mounted to the belt 12 adjacent to the retracting tether 10. The tether 10 can also be used with other devices that are mounted to a user such as pagers, PDAs, Global Positioning Systems, radios, calculators, bull horns, etc.

[0030] The retracting tether 10 has a cable that is fully retracted into the retractor tether housing 18. When the phone is in use, the cable extends under a pulling force on the phone. When the force is removed, the cable retracts in to the housing 18 under a bias from an internal spring. The mechanism for extending and retracting the cable form the tether housing 18 is known in the art and involves a coil spring and reel arrangement as described below and as generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,572 to Salentine and Collin, assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

[0031] The tether 10 is relatively thin and has a low profile so it is not bulky or uncomfortable for the user. An attachment lanyard 20 is connected between the tether 10 and the phone 14. As shown, the tether 10 is facing upward with the cable and exiting through the top of the housing 18. This arrangement is particularly convenient for use with phones because it allows the user to pull the phone from the holster up to the ear as the cable extends from the housing 18. By having the tether facing upward the cable can exit straight from the tether housing. This reduces the number of bends experienced by the cable from repeated use, thereby reducing the wear and tear on the cable and extending its life. This arrangement also allows for the cable to be more easily pulled from the housing 18.

[0032] Different tethers can be arranged at different angles depending on the type of device attached to the tether 10 and how the device is used. For instance, if a flashlight were attached to a tether 10, the cable could be arranged to extend toward the front of the cable user.

[0033] Loops 20a and 20b are formed at the ends of the lanyard 20 by known methods, with the loops used for connecting the lanyard between the phone 14 and retractable tether 10. A ring 23 is attached to the phone 14 and the loop 20a mates with the ring 23 such that the ring 23 passes through the loop 20a. At the other end of the lanyard 20 the loop 20b mates with a ring 25 in a disconnect mechanism 22, such that the ring 25 passes through the loop 20b. The lanyard provides a section of flexible line between phone 14 and the tether 10 so that the phone 14 can be mounted in its holster without cable tension between the phone 14 and tether 10. This allows the phone 14 or other device, to rest in its holstering or mounting system without pulling on the tether cable (shown in FIG. 2). This reduces stress on the tether cable and results in the phone 14 not being pulled from its holster.

[0034] The disconnect mechanism 22 allows for the phone 14 to be easily disconnected from the tether 10. Different disconnect mechanisms can be used the mechanism 22 being a clip type. Other disconnect mechanisms can be used including, but not limited to, snaps, screws, ties, or Velcro.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the phone 14 removed from its holster 16 by the user. The phone 14 is attached to the attachment lanyard 20, and when the phone 14 is removed from its holster 16 and pulled away from the retractable tether housing 18, the tether cable 26 is pulled from inside the tether housing 18. The lanyard 20 is attached to the cable 26 by the disconnect mechanism 22, which also functions as a stop to prevent the cable from retracting completely into the housing 18. The cable 26 exits the tether housing 18 in an upward/outward direction with minimal tension or friction between the cable and the housing 18.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the phone 14 after it has been dislodged from its holster 16 or after it has been dropped. The tension in the tether's coil spring and the friction between the cable 26 and the tether housing 18 are such that the weight of the phone 14 does not pull the cable 26 from the tether housing 18. The phone 14 is suspended from the tether housing 18 by the lanyard 20 so that the phone 14 does not fall to the ground where it could be lost or damaged.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows the phone 14 attached to end 20a of the lanyard 20. End 20b of the lanyard 20 is connected to the disconnect mechanism 22, and the tether cable 26 is partially extended from the tether housing 18. FIG. 5 shows the same components of the tether 10 connected to a phone 14, as shown in FIG. 4. However, the disconnect mechanism is shown separated into a male clip 28 and a female receiver 30 as would be done to remove the phone 14 from the tether 10. The male clip has two tabs 29a and 29b that mate with a slot in the receiver 30. To reattach the phone 14, the mail clip 28 is inserted into the receiver 30 and as the clip 28 moves into the receiver 30 the tabs 29a and 29b are compressed until they pass a receiver lip. The tabs 29a and 29b then expand out and the clip 28 is held in the receiver 30 by the ledge in the tabs 29a and 29b butting against the receiver lip. The clip 28 can be removed from the receiver 30 by compressing the tabs 29a and 29b so they can slide by the receiver lip. When the clip 28 and receiver 30 are separated, the device 14 is disconnected from the retractable tether 10.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows one attachment mechanism 32 for attaching the tether 10 to a user, with the mechanism 32 being particularly adapted to attaching to a user's belt. The mechanism 32 comprises a tension blade 34 and a retaining tab 36. To allow for the tether 10 to be mounted with the cable 26 extending up, the tension blade 34 is connected to a first edge 35 of the tether housing 18 adjacent to the disconnect mechanism 22. The blade 34 is directed down toward a second edge 37 of the housing 18 that is opposite the disconnect end 22. The blade 34 is shaped such that it is urged against the housing with the blade's lower portion resting against the back surface 39 of the housing 18. When the tether 10 is mounted to a user's belt, the belt is held between the blade 34 and the housing 18. The blade has a tab 36 at its lower end that is positioned such that overlaps the second edge 37 of the user's belt. The tab 36 extends between the blade 34 and the second edge to provide a stop that prevents the tether from sliding off the user's belt.

[0039] FIG. 7, shows the internal components of a retractable tether 10 according to the present invention, although many other tethers can be used which can have different internal components. The tether body 18 comprises a clam-shell type housing having a bottom half 42 and a top half 43 which halves matingly engage with each other to enclose an interior space. The cable 26 has a free end 26a and a fixed end 26b, which is securely fastened to the outer perimeter of a reel 45. The reel 45 is ring shaped and has an annular outer surface 45a upon which surface the cable 26 is wound, and an annular inner surface 45b. The reel's inner surface 45b has a slat, which receives the outer end 47a of a coil spring 47. The coil spring 47 has a fixed inner end 47b non-releasably mounted in a slot in a central pin 50, which is affixed to the bottom half 42 of the case.

[0040] When the upper half 43 and lower half 42 are joined together to form the housing, the pin 50 forms a central axis of rotation for the reel 45 which rolls the cable 26 upon the reel outer surface 45a. The upper half 43 of the housing contains hollow pillars (not shown) which support the lower half 42 of the case. The lower half 42 of the case has holes receiving screws for attaching the lower half 42 of the housing to the upper half 43.

[0041] Each half of the housing has a semicircular groove 52 therein. When the case is assembled, the semicircular grooves 52 in the respective halves form a circular guide hole having a smooth surface for the cable 26 to slide through.

[0042] Each half 42 and 43 has a raised annular bearing surface 54 thereon which supports and stabilizes the reel 45, providing a low-friction close fitting surface for the reel 45 to rotate against permitting low friction rotation of the reel 45. A cavity wall 56 forms a physical barrier around the reel 45 and coil spring 47.

[0043] FIGS. 8 and 9 show a second embodiment of an attachment mechanism 80 according to the present invention for attaching the retactable tether 10 to a belt, purse or pocket. This embodiment has the additional feature of allowing the tether 10 to rotate 360 degrees about the attachment mechanism. This type of attachment is particularly adapted for use with cell phones or pagers that may be stored in different locations, such as in a holster on one occasion and in a pocket on another. It also allows for the tether's cable to be extended at different angles to compensate for different body types. For instance, it may be difficult for heavier user's to extend the cable directly up and when the cable is extended directly it can experience additional wear and tear by bending over a user's midsection. The rotation of the mechanism 80 can make the tether 10 more comfortable and convenient to use while minimizing wear and tear.

[0044] The mechanism 80 generally includes a base 82, a belt tension blade 84 and a retaining section 86. The blade 84 is disposed such that half of it is sandwiched between the retaining section 86 and the base 82 and the other half serves to retain the belt between the blade 82 and retaining section 86. The retaining section is rotatably attached to the base 82 and the base 82 is mounted to a retracting tether 87 at mounting holes 88. The belt clip 82 is particularly adapted to fitting over a belt, but can also be mounted to other location such as a purse or pocket. When mounted to a belt, a portion of the belt is held between the blade 84 and the retaining section 86. The retaining section 86 has a retaining tab 90 that mates with a first lower slot 92 in the blade 84. After the belt is disposed between the blade 84 and the retaining section 86, the tab 90 can be inserted into the first slot 92 and the tab 90 can be locked in the first slot 92 by the tab lip 94 overlapping the edge of the slot 92.

[0045] To remove the mounting mechanism 80 from the belt, the tab 90 is pushed up toward the bend in the blade 84 until the tab lip disengages from the slot edge. The tab 90 can then pass from the slot 92 to provide an opening through which the belt can pass.

[0046] Referring now to FIG. 9, the base 82 has a locking post 96 that is inserted into the retaining section's central hole 98. The post 96 has circumferential tabs 100 that compress as the post 96 is inserted into the hole 98 and expand as the retaining section 86 reaches its operational position. The tab lips 102 hold the post 96 within the hole 98 while allowing the retaining section 86 to rotate around the post 86. The retaining section 86 primarily contacts the base 82 at the circular bearing surface 104 around the post 96. This allows the retaining section 96 to more smoothly rotate around the base 92.

[0047] The retaining section 86 also has a planar tab 108 that is arranged to mate with a second slot 110 in the blade 84. When the mechanism is assembled, the retaining section 86 is mounted within the U-shape of the blade 84. The post 96 first passes through the clip hole 111 before passing into the central hole 98. As the pieces of the mounting mechanism are brought together, the planar tab 98 mates with the second slot 100 to hold the blade 84 in proper orientation with the retaining section 86. When the mounting mechanism 80 is assembled, the portion of the clip with hole 111 and slot 110 is held between the retaining section 86 and the base 82.

[0048] When a retractable tether 10 with a rotating mounting mechanism 80 is used with a personal article, the tether 10 is free to rotate around the rotating mechanism to that the article can be used or stored at many different angles. The tethering system could still include a lanyard to reduce tension on the tether cable. If the article is dropped or jarred from its mount or holster, the tether will rotate to the article's direction of fall. As a result, the rotating tether would not have the braking that is associated with a tether with a fixed mount in the upward direction. However, to assist in preventing the article from falling to the ground, the rotating tether could have a spring with greater tension or could be used with lighter articles.

[0049] Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred configurations thereof, other versions are possible. Therefor, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above.