System For Holding A Mobile Electronic Device And External Battery Which Provides Additional External Power to Said Electronic Device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for securing and conveniently holding a mobile electronic device including but not limited to a mobile phone and providing an additional spare external power supply to said mobile electronic device. The system includes a holder which is adapted to removably receive the electronic device therein and a attachment means located at the back of the holder for attaching the holder to an object. The holder further includes a cavity formed therein at the bottom which is adapted to removably receive an external battery for said electronic device. The system may further comprise a portable external battery for said electronic device so that the electronic device can take advantage of the additional spare external power.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE

This is a continuation-in-part Application to the U.S. application Ser. No. 13/766,387, filed on Feb. 13, 2013, from which priority is claimed, and entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a system that holds a mobile electronic device and a compatible external battery. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system which has a holder for holding a mobile electronic device and an external battery for providing external power to said electronic device when needed.

2. Description of Related Art

Devices for holding mobile electronic device is known in the prior art. More specifically, by way of example, U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 20130148273 to Tasi discloses a mobile electronic device holder. U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,646 to Gur discloses a holder for an article or mobile device. A holder according to one or more embodiment of the invention allows a device to be securely held in the holder while providing easy and flexible access to the personal device. U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,513 to Smith discloses a holder system for mobile devices including a generally rectangular holder base and a holder configured to secure the mobile device therein.

However, these devices do not have a compartment to store an external battery that can provide additional external power to the mobile electronic device.

Currently, there are charging cradles. Charging cradle charges and cradles the mobile electronic device when its placed in the cradle. More specifically, by way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,683,572 to Toya discloses a battery charging cradle for mobile electronic device. U.S. Pat. No. 7,683,572 to Tang discloses a rechargeable apparatus which is provided for being recharged by a power source. The rechargeable apparatus include a rechargeable battery and a secondary inductive coil excited by the power source.

However, it can only charge one phone at a time. Furthermore, it charges the phone but does not function as an external battery to provide on-the-go additional power.

Therefore, there is a need to have a system that can hold the electronic device and its external battery together in one place and allows for the electronic device to get additional power from the external battery while the electronic device is held onto a pole of a golf cart or on a dashboard of a car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a system that supports an electronic device (such as a phone, navigation gps device and the like) and can be removably attached to objects. In addition, the system has a cavity for releasably receiving a portable external battery for said electronic device.

The system may further comprise a portable external battery that is compatible with said electronic device for providing additional spare power to said electronic device. The portable external battery comprises multiple USB ports that can be connected to multiple electronic devices at the same time through Universal Serial Bus (“USB” hereinafter) cables to provide additional spare power to the multiple electronic devices while the external battery is held in the system.

The present invention can be attached onto objects such as a pole of a golf cart allowing ease of use of certain functions, for example: global positioning system (“gps” hereinafter). The external battery can provide additional external power while the mobile electronic device maintain attached onto an object. The object may be the windshield of a car or any appropriate surfaces.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the holder has a rectangular plate and a pair of adjustable clamps on two lateral sides of the plate for releasably holding and frictionally engaging said electronic device.

The holder may further comprise a ridge located along the front lower end of the plate so that the mobile phone's bottom can be supported by the ridge.

Alternatively, the cavity of the holder may be sized and configured to match with commercially available external battery so that the holder and attachment means of the present invention can be used with these commercially available external batteries.

The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system for holding and providing additional external power supply to mobile electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the top of the system showing locking mechanism between the holder and the external battery.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2 in operation, wherein a mobile phone with the GPS app opened is mounted on the support structure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention which has a ridge to provide additional support to the mobile electronic device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 5 in operation, wherein a mobile phone with the GPS app opened is mounted on the device.

FIG. 7 is a back view of the embodiment in FIG. 5 which shows the attachment means.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 5 clipped onto a pole.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 5 clipped onto a pole wherein a mobile phone is held by the system.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the embodiment in FIG. 5 which is clipped onto a pole wherein a mobile phone and the external battery is held by the system and the external battery provides extra power to multiple other mobile devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, there is disclosed a system 100 that can hold a mobile electronic device and provide extra external power supply to said mobile electronic device. The mobile electronic device described herein includes but not limited to a mobile phone, a navigation GPS device, and the like.

The system 100 comprises a holder 10 for releasably holding and securing an electronic device and an attachment means (not observable in FIGS. 1-2) located at a back side of the holder for attaching the holder 10 to an object. The system 100 further comprises a portable external battery 20 which is compatible with said electronic device. The holder 10 includes a cavity 11 formed at the bottom of the holder for removably receiving said portable external battery 20.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-2, the holder 10 has a rectangular plate 13 and a pair of adjustable clamps 15 on two lateral sides of the plate for releasably holding and frictionally engaging said electronic device. The rectangular plate 13 may be manufactured using an injection molding process with a plastic/resin material. The holder further includes a fastening/locking mechanism 14 inside the cavity 11 to engage and lock the external battery 20 in place to prevent the external battery 20 from falling out the holder 10. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 as viewed from the top of the system showing locking mechanism between the holder and the external battery according to one embodiment of the present invention. The locking mechanism inside the cavity is a pair of retractable projections 14 which match with a pair of recesses 23 on the lateral sides of the external battery 20. Other type of locking mechanism 14 may be used in other embodiments.

The portable external battery comprises multiple USB ports 21 for receiving cables with an USB end. The USB ports 21 on the portable external battery 20 can provide external power to multiple mobile electronic devices.

The technology to manufacture a portable external battery 20 for the electronic device is known in the art and is therefore not described herein. It is contemplated that any suitable and available technology could be employed in the manufacture of a portable external battery of this invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the mobile phone 200 is inserted into the holder 10, the mobile phone 200 is snuggly and tightly held by the regular plate 13 and the pair of clamps 15.

In order to provide additional support, the holder has a ridge 17 located along the front lower end of the plate 13 as shown in FIG. 5 so that the mobile phone's bottom can be supported by the ridge 17 as demonstrated in FIG. 6. The ridge 17 comprises holes 19 to allow the power supply's USB charging cable to pass through and connect to the phone.

In one embodiment that is demonstrated in FIG. 7, the system 100 has an attachment means 30 at the back of the plate 13 sized and configured to clip the holder onto a pole 300 of a golf cart. FIGS. 8-10 show the system 100 of the present invention clipped onto a pole 300 of a golf cart with or without mobile phone attached to it. The USB ports 21 on the portable external battery 20 can connect and provide external power to multiple mobile phones 200 as illustrated in FIG. 10.

In another embodiment, the system may have an attachment means 30 at the back side of the holder sized and configured to mount the holder onto an appropriate surface in a car.

Alternatively, the cavity of the holder 10 may be sized and configured to match with commercially available external battery so that the holder 10 and attachment means 30 of the present invention can be used with these commercially available external batteries.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.

Claims

1. A system for holding and providing additional external power to mobile electronic apparatus comprising:

a portable external battery;

a holder for releasably holding and securing an electronic apparatus; and

an attachment means located at the back side of the holder for attaching the holder to an object;

wherein the holder includes a cavity formed therein at its bottom for removably receiving the portable external battery.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a rectangular plate and a pair of adjustable clamps on two lateral sides thereof for releasably holding and frictionally engaging the electronic apparatus.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the holder further comprises a locking mechanism inside the cavity to engage and lock the external battery in place.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable external battery comprises USB ports for receiving charging cables with USB ends.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the holder further comprises a ridge located along a front lower end of the plate for providing additional support to a bottom of the electronic apparatus.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the ridge comprises holes to allow USB charging cables to pass through and connect the electronic devices to the external battery or to an A/C outlet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment means at the back side of the plate is sized and configured to clip the holder onto a pole of a golf cart.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the attachment means at the back side of the plate is sized and configured to mount the holder onto an appropriate surface in a car.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the USB ports on the portable external battery can provide external power to multiple mobile electronic devices via the USB charging cables or can be connected through a cable with a USB end that plugs into the external battery USB port and another end with a NC power plug that plugs in the A/C power source.

10. A device for holding a mobile electronic device and an external battery comprising:

a holder for releasably holding and securing an electronic apparatus; and

an attachment means located at a back side of the holder for attaching the holder to an object;

wherein the holder includes a cavity formed therein at its bottom for removably receiving an portable external battery.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising an external battery.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the holder comprises a rectangular plate and a pair of adjustable clamps on two lateral sides of the plate for releasably holding and frictionally engaging the electronic apparatus.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the holder further comprises a locking mechanism inside the cavity to engage and lock the external battery in place.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the portable external battery comprises USB ports for receiving charging cables with USB ends.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the holder further comprises a ridge located along a front lower end of the plate for providing additional support to a bottom of the electronic device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the ridge comprises holes to allow USB charging cables to pass through and connect the electronic devices to the external battery or to an A/C outlet.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the attachment means at the back side of the plate is sized and configured to clip the holder onto a pole of a golf cart.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the attachment means at the back side of the plate is sized and configured to mount the holder onto an appropriate surface in a car.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the USB ports on the portable external battery can provide external power to multiple mobile electronic devices via the USB charging cables or can be connected through a cable with a USB end that plugs into the external battery USB port and another end with a NC power plug that plugs in the A/C power source.