Tethered remote control holder

Abstract

A remote control holder to encase and protect a remote control device, that includes a case defining a pocket large enough to substantially enclose a remote control device and a tether having a first end attached to said case and a second end capable of being attached to another object. Another embodiment of the remote control holder allows for expansion of the case size. In a third embodiment, a retractable device indirectly attaches the tether to the case while allowing for extension or retraction of the tether.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This device relates generally to remote control holders, and more particularly to tethered remote control holders.

Remote control devices have become a part of every day life for a majority of the population. Remote control devices accompany many types of electronic equipment such as televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereo systems and even fireplaces. Remote control devices come in different sizes and shapes, and are portable. Given their portable nature, remote control devices are frequently carried away from the electronic equipment they control and become misplaced or lost. For instance, remote control devices are often misplaced between the cushions of a couch, under the couch, or behind or under other objects. Such a misplaced remote control device can be frustrating to a user who must search for the device when he or she wishes to use it. Furthermore, remote control devices will undergo general wear and tear over time and are susceptible to more serious damage, such as broken buttons, scratches, spills and the like.

Accordingly, there is a need for a means that would both protect the remote control device, as well as prevent it from being misplaced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems by providing a remote control holder including a case defining a pocket large enough to substantially enclose a remote control device and a tether having a first end attached to said case and a second end capable of being attached to another object. The remote control holder facilitates finding a remote control device and provides protection to the device.

In a second possible embodiment, the case is made expandable to accommodate varying sizes of remote control devices.

In a third possible embodiment, the tether is attached to the case via a retractable device. In this manner, the tether can be retracted or extended out as desired, and is indirectly attached to the case of the remote control holder.

The present invention and its advantages over the prior art will be more readily understood upon reading the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding part of the specification. The invention, however, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a remote control holder.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the remote control holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the remote control holder of FIG. 1 with an exemplary remote control device inserted into the case.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the case of the remote control holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of a remote control holder.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a third embodiment of a remote control holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings wherein identical reference numerals denote the same elements throughout the various views, FIGS. 1-3 show one embodiment of a remote control holder 10 that includes a case 12 and a tether 14 having a first end attached to the case 12 and a second end capable of being attached to another object. The case 12 is made of a bottom panel 16 and a top panel 18 joined together so as to define a pocket 20 therebetween. The pocket 20 is preferably sized and shaped similarly to that of a typical remote control device so as to be able to substantially enclose a remote control device. In the illustrated embodiment, the two panels 16 and 18 are rectangular in shape to generally match the typical shape of most remote control devices. However, it will be appreciated that other shapes are possible to accommodate remote control devices having unusual shapes.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the bottom panel 16 has first and second side edges 22, 24 and first and second end edges 26, 28. Similarly, the top panel 18 has first and second side edges 30, 32 and first and second end edges 34, 36. The bottom panel 16, which is longer than the top panel 18, is folded over crosswise at a location near its second end edge 28, with the overlapping portions of the two sides edges 22, 24 joined together to form an extension or flap 38. The two panels 16 and 18 are attached together with the top panel 18 superposed over the portion of the bottom panel 16 extending beyond the flap 38. Specifically, the two panels 16 and 18 are joined together along the first side edges 22 and 30, the second side edges 24 and 32, and the first end edges 26 and 34. The two panels 16 and 18 are joined together by any suitable means including stitching, adhesive, or other forms of attachment. Each panel 16, 18 is curved along both of its side edges to facilitate joining the edges together and to provide some space between the panels 16 and 18. The panels 16 and 18 are not joined together other than at the edges so that the space between the panels defines the pocket 20. In addition, the respective second end edges 28 and 36 of the two panels 16 and 18 are not attached to each other so as to define an opening 40 that provides access to the pocket 20. With this arrangement, a remote control device 42 can be slid into the pocket 20 through the opening 40 and be substantially enclosed therein, as shown in FIG. 3.

As is conventional in the remote control art, the remote control device 42 has a number of keys or buttons 44, which a user can manipulate to produce the desired operations, and an output element 46 (such as a light source) from which control signals are emitted to be received by the equipment the device 42 controls. The remote control device 42 is oriented in the pocket 20 so that the output element 46 points out of the opening 40 and the buttons 44 face the top panel 18. The top panel 18 is made of a clear, flexible material, such as a transparent plastic material, so that the buttons 44 are visible and can be manipulated through the top panel 18. The bottom panel 16 is preferably, but not necessarily, made of a sturdy and pliant material, such as a vinyl cloth material.

The tether 14 is shown as being a ball-chain, but could alternatively be any suitable slender, flexible material such as link-chain, cord, cable, string, etc. Furthermore, the tether 14 can be any desired length. Tether length will depend in large part on the size and configuration of the room or area that the remote control device is to be used in. Generally, but not necessarily, tether length will be in the range of about 2-15 feet.

The first end of the tether 14 is attached to the case 12 by any suitable means. In the illustrated embodiment, the means for attachment include an aperture 48 formed in the flap 38 of the case 12. The aperture 48 can be supported by a grommet 50 to maintain its shape and prevent tearing of the case material. Other means of supporting the aperture 48, such as stitching or other reinforcement, could also be used. The first end of the tether 14 is passed through the aperture 48 and is connected to the tether 14 to form a loop 52 that directly attaches the tether 14 to the case 12. In the case of a ball-chain tether, the first end is attached farther up the tether 14 by means of a ball-chain connector 54. Other possible forms of tether-to-case attachment include adhesive, sewing, a snap system using corresponding male and female parts, and other types of mechanical fasteners.

The second end of the tether 14 can be secured or attached to another object (not shown) by any suitable means. This means for securing is shown in the illustrated embodiment as being another loop 56, created by connecting the second end to the tether 14 with a second ball-chain connector 58. However, the means for securing to another object could alternatively be a clip, ring, clasp, carabiner, or the like. In use, the second end of the tether 14 is attached to a generally stationary object located in the same room as, or at least near to, the electronic equipment that the remote control device 42 controls. For example, the second loop 56 could be looped around the leg of a coffee table, couch, lamp stand, or the like. It should be noted that the second end of the tether 14 could be secured to just about any object located in the general vicinity of the electronic equipment.

FIG. 3 depicts how the remote control device 42 fits into the opening 40 and is encased in the pocket 20, while allowing complete vision and use of the remote control device 42 through the clear and flexible top panel 18. The body of the remote control device 42 is substantially encased and protected inside the case 12, while the output element 46 is located externally of the case 12. Even if the relative sizing of the case 12 and the remote control device 42 was such that the output element 46 was located internally of the case 12, the output element 46 would be positioned to emit signals through the opening 40. The case 12 will protect the remote control device 42 from general wear and tear, as well as other forms of damage such as scratches and spilled drinks. The case 12 will also prevent the buttons 44 from coming off and protect the remote control device's battery cover from breaking off or being lost. If the remote control device 42 is misplaced out of sight, it can be found easily by simply pulling on the tether 14. The tether 14 is easily found by virtue of being secured to a stationary object at a known location. Thus, the remote control holder 10 encases a remote control device 42 to both protect the remote control device 42 and allow it to be easily found when misplaced.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a second embodiment of a remote control holder 110 comprising a case 112 and a tether 114 is shown. In this embodiment, the case 112 comprises a bottom panel 116 and a top panel 118 that define a pocket 120 and is configured the same as the case of the first-described embodiment with the exception of a number of strips of elastic material 160 disposed between the bottom and top panels 116 and 118. The configuration of the tether 114 and the manner in which it is connected to the case 112 can be the same as that of the first-described embodiment and are thus not described in detail here.

The elastic strips 160 can comprise either a number of strips that are positioned intermittently along each side of the case 112 (as shown in FIG. 5), or one long strip on each side of the case 112 that extends the length of the joint between the two panels 116 and 118. Each elastic strip 160 has two sides, with one side being attached to a side edge 130, 132 of the top panel 118, and the other side being attached to the corresponding side edge 122, 124 of the bottom panel 116. Although only one side is shown in FIG. 5, such attachment is done on both sides of the case 112 so that elastic strips 160 are connected between both sides of the panels 116 and 118. The elastic strips 160 allow the case 112 to expand so that the size of the pocket 120 is adaptable to accommodate different sizes of various remote control devices. In other words, with an expandable case 112, the remote control holder 110 can be used with a variety of remote control devices.

Turning now to FIG. 6, a third embodiment of a remote control holder 210 comprising a case 212 and a tether 214 is shown. In this embodiment, the first end of the tether 214 is indirectly attached to the case 212 via a retractable device 262. The retractable device 262 can be any suitable such device, many of which are known in the art, and generally includes a spool and retracting mechanism (not shown) contained in a housing 264. The first end of the tether 214 is connected to the spool inside the housing 264 so that the tether 214 can be selectively retracted into, or extended out of, the retractable device 262 via a small hole 266 in the housing 264. The retractable device 262 is attached to the case 212 by any suitable means. In the illustrated embodiment, the retractable device 262 is attached by means of a ring 268 that is connected to the housing 264 and looped through an aperture 248 formed in the case 212. Other types of fasteners could also be used. Furthermore, the housing 264 could also be embedded into the material of the case 212 or sewn or glued to the case 212.

While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it should be noted that various modifications thereto can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A remote control holder comprising:

a case defining a pocket large enough to substantially enclose a remote control device; and

a tether having a first end attached to said case and a second end capable of being attached to another object.

2. The remote control holder of claim 1 wherein said case comprises a top panel and a bottom panel attached together so as to define said pocket therebetween.

3. The remote control holder of claim 2 wherein said bottom panel and said top panel each have first and second side edges and first and second end edges, wherein said bottom panel and said top panel are attached together along said first and second side edges and along the first end edges, and wherein second end edges are not attached to each other so as to define an opening to said pocket.

4. The remote control holder of claim 2 wherein said top panel is made of a clear, flexible material.

5. The remote control holder of claim 1 wherein said case has a means for attaching said tether to said case.

6. The remote control holder of claim 5 wherein said means for attaching comprises an aperture formed in said case.

7. The remote control holder of claim 1 wherein said tether is a ball chain.

8. The remote control holder of claim 2 further comprising one or more strips of an elastic material inserted between said bottom and top panels.

9. The remote control holder of claim 1 further comprising a retractable device attached to said case, and wherein said first end of said tether is connected to said retractable device so that said tether can be selectively retracted into or extended out of said retractable device.

10. The remote control holder of claim 1 further comprising a means for securing said second end of said tether to another object.

11. The remote control holder of claim 10 wherein said means for securing is a loop formed on said second end of said tether.