All Plastic Belt or Strap Clip With Levered Release Arm Operative With Button Mount for Cell Phone or Personal Electronic Device and Method

Abstract

A main clip body mounts a cell phone or PED to a belt or strap. The phone carries a plastic button mount and stem. The plastic clip body has a capture cavity which captures the button stem in a locked mode with a lock face on a cantilevered release arm and complementary locking element on the clip body. The release arm has a distal end mounted to the clip body extends through the capture cavity and has a proximal, free end with a user actuation surface thereon. The lock face on the release arm coacts with one side of the button stem and complementary locking elements of the clip body on the other side of the button. To release, the release arm is moved backwards away from the clip's front face, the lock face moves backward and the stem can be moved by the user upwards out of the capture cavity.

1 . A clip for removably mounting a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device to a belt or strap, the clip adapted to capture a button mount on said cellular telephone or personal electronic device, said button mount having a stem, the clip comprising:
 a main body having a front side and a back side, said back side forming an inverted, generally U-shaped clip element which clip element is adapted to be removably mounted on said belt or strap;   a capture cavity on said front side of said main body, said capture cavity adapted to removably retain therein said stem of said button mount;   a cantilevered release arm having a distal end mounted to said main body on one side of said capture cavity and a proximal, free standing end opposite said distal end, said release arm having a locking face element which coacts with said stem of said button mount such that, in a locking mode, said locking face element coacts with said stem and capture cavity to capture said stem and button mount thereat, and in an unlocked mode, said release arm moves rearwardly with respect to said front side thereby releasing said stem and button mount from said capture cavity.   
   
   
       2 . A clip as claimed in  claim 1  including a further locking element formed about a portion of said capture cavity on said main body, said further locking element adapted to coact with said stem of said button mount such that, in said locking mode, said locking face element and said further locking element coact with said stem to capture said stem and button mount in said capture cavity, and in said unlocked mode, said release arm moves rearwardly with respect to said front side permitting proximal movement of said stem with respect to said main body thereby releasing said stem and button mount from said capture cavity. 
   
   
       3 . A clip as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said stem defines a female lock channel and said further locking element is a complementary male locking element which, in said locking mode, is inserted into said female locking channel. 
   
   
       4 . A clip as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said female locking channel on said stem includes an edge and said locking face element on said release arm includes an interface which interface coacts with said edge of said female locking channel on said stem in said locking mode. 
   
   
       5 . A clip as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said stem includes a detent and said main body defines a detent lock element about said capture cavity, said detent lock element coacts with the button stem detent to enable at least temporary angular locking of said button stem with respect to said main body. 
   
   
       6 . A clip as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said stem includes a plurality of detents thereon and said main body defines a detent lock element about said capture cavity, said detent lock element coacting with respective ones of said plurality of button detents to enable said button to be at least temporary locked at corresponding angular positions with respect to said main body. 
   
   
       7 . A clip as claimed in  claim 6  wherein said angular positions being defined in a plane parallel to said front side of said main body. 
   
   
       8 . A clip as claimed in  claim 7  including a stop on said main body and a complementary stop on said button which limits rotational movement of said button with respect to said main body. 
   
   
       9 . A clip as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said button includes a first and a second complementary stop which limits rotational movement of said button with respect to said main body between two angular positions. 
   
   
       10 . A clip as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said main body includes a first and a second stop which, in combination with said complementary button stop, limits rotational movement of said button with respect to said main body between two angular positions. 
   
   
       11 . A clip as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said complementary male locking element on said main body is distal to said locking face element on said release arm and is on the opposite side of said capture cavity with respect to said locking face element. 
   
   
       12 . A clip as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said complementary male locking element has an arcuate span to lock onto said female lock channel on said stem. 
   
   
       13 . A clip as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said capture cavity defines a U-shaped cavity on said front side of said main body and said release arm is free standing thereat. 
   
   
       14 . A clip as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said distal end of said release arm is mounted to said main body beneath said front side of said main body. 
   
   
       15 . A clip as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said release arm forms a user actuation surface at a proximal end thereof. 
   
   
       16 . A clip as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said release arm forms a user actuation surface at a proximal end thereof. 
   
   
       17 . A clip for removably mounting a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device to a belt or strap comprising:
 a carriage adapted to be mounted onto or formed on said cellular telephone or personal electronic device, said carriage having a button mount and a button mount stem;   a main clip body having a front side and a back side, said back side forming an inverted, generally U-shaped clip element which clip element is adapted to be removably mounted on said belt or strap;   a capture cavity on said front side of said main clip body, said capture cavity adapted to removably retain therein said stem of said button mount;   a cantilevered release arm having a distal end mounted to said main clip body on one side of said capture cavity and a proximal, free standing end opposite said distal end, said release arm having a locking face element which coacts with said stem of said button mount such that, in a locking mode, said locking face element coacts with said stem and capture cavity to capture said stem and button mount thereat, and in an unlocked mode, said release arm moves rearwardly with respect to said front side thereby releasing said stem and button mount from said capture cavity.   
   
   
       18 . A clip as claimed in  claim 17  including a further locking element formed about a portion of said capture cavity on said main clip body, said further locking element adapted to coact with said stem of said button mount such that, in said locking mode, said locking face element and said further locking element coact with said stem to capture said stem and button mount in said capture cavity, and in said unlocked mode, said release arm moves rearwardly with respect to said front side permitting proximal movement of said stem with respect to said main clip body thereby releasing said stem and button mount from said capture cavity. 
   
   
       19 . A clip as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said stem defines a female lock channel and said further locking element is a complementary male locking element which, in said locking mode, is inserted into said female locking channel. 
   
   
       20 . A clip as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said female locking channel on said stem includes an edge and said locking face element on said release arm includes an interface which interface coacts with said edge of said female locking channel on said stem in said locking mode. 
   
   
       21 . A clip as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said stem includes a detent and said main clip body defines a detent lock element about said capture cavity, said detent lock element coacts with the button stem detent to enable at least temporary angular locking of said button stem with respect to said main clip body. 
   
   
       22 . A clip as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said stem includes a plurality of detents thereon and said main clip body defines a detent lock element about said capture cavity, said detent lock element coacting with respective ones of said plurality of button detents to enable said button to be at least temporary locked at corresponding angular positions with respect to said main clip body. 
   
   
       23 . A clip as claimed in  claim 22  wherein said angular positions being defined in a plane parallel to said front side of said main clip body. 
   
   
       24 . A clip as claimed in  claim 23  including a stop on said main clip body and a complementary stop on said button which limits rotational movement of said button with respect to said main clip body. 
   
   
       25 . A clip as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said button includes a first and a second complementary stop which limits rotational movement of said button with respect to said main clip body between two angular positions. 
   
   
       26 . A clip as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said main clip body includes a first and a second stop which, in combination with said complementary button stop, limits rotational movement of said button with respect to said main clip body between two angular positions. 
   
   
       27 . A clip as claimed in  claim 19  wherein said complementary male locking element on said main clip body is distal to said locking face element on said release arm and is on the opposite side of said capture cavity with respect to said locking face element. 
   
   
       28 . A clip as claimed in  claim 27  wherein said complementary male locking element has an arcuate span to lock onto said female lock channel on said stem. 
   
   
       29 . A clip as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said capture cavity defines a U-shaped cavity on said front side of said main clip body and said release arm is free standing thereat. 
   
   
       30 . A clip as claimed in  claim 29  wherein said distal end of said release arm is mounted to said main clip body beneath said front side of said main clip body. 
   
   
       31 . A clip as claimed in  claim 30  wherein said release arm forms a user actuation surface at a proximal end thereof. 
   
   
       32 . A clip as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said release arm forms a user actuation surface at a proximal end thereof. 
   
   
       33 . A method of capturing a button mount in a clip body, said button mounted on a cellular telephone or a personal electronic device, said button mount having a stem thereon, comprising:
 inserting said button vertically into a capture cavity formed in said clip body;   clipping a distal end region of said button stem in said capture cavity and clipping an opposing proximal end of said button stem at a mid-section of a cantilevered release arm;   releasing said button mount by moving said cantilevered release arm backwards away from a front side of said clip body and then moving said button mount vertically upward away from said capture cavity.   
   
   
       34 . A method of capturing a button mount as claimed in  claim 33  wherein said release is permitted by backward depression of a proximal end of said release arm thereby causing said release arm to flex at a distal clip body attachment locus.