Phone grip attachment

Abstract

A phone grip attachment includes a base configured for attachment to a phone and a finger-hold attached to the base. The finger-hold has a top member and a bottom member. The finger-hold is movable between an extended position in which an opening is defined between the top member and the bottom member for use in gripping the phone and a collapsed position in which the top member is substantially flat against the bottom member. The finger-hold can be biased to the extended position. The finger-hold can be rotatably attached to the base.

1 - 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A phone grip attachment for a mobile phone comprising:
 a finger-hold having a top member that is pivotally attached to a bottom member at first and second ends thereof, the finger-hold being movable between an extended position in which an opening is defined between the top member and the bottom member for use in gripping the phone and a collapsed position in which the top member is substantially flat against the bottom member, wherein the finger-hold is biased to the extended position, and   a base comprising a back surface configured to attach to the back of the mobile phone, the base being configured to receive the finger-hold to secure the finger-hold to the back of the mobile phone.   
     
     
         44 . The phone grip attachment of  claim 43 , wherein the bottom member includes tabs at each end thereof. 
     
     
         45 . The phone grip attachment of  claim 43 , wherein the base includes at least one locking portion configured to engage the finger-hold. 
     
     
         46 . The phone grip attachment of  claim 45 , wherein the at least one locking portion comprises at least one overhang defining a gap, the gap below the overhang being configured to receive a portion of the finger-hold. 
     
     
         47 . The phone grip attachment of  claim 43 , wherein the top member of the finger hold is pivotally attached to the bottom member of the finger-hold. 
     
     
         48 . The phone grip attachment of  claim 43 , wherein the bottom member of the finger-hold comprises a central portion, a first tab at a first end of the bottom member, a first neck between the central portion and the first tab, a second tab at a second end of the bottom member, and a second neck between the central portion and the second tab. 
     
     
         49 . The phone grip attachment of  claim 43 , wherein the top member comprises a first pair of ears at a first end thereof and a second pair of ears at a second end thereof, wherein the top member is pivotally attached to the bottom member by a first pin extending through the first pair of ears and the first neck and a second pin extending through the second pair of ears and the second neck. 
     
     
         50 . The phone grip attachment of  claim 45 , wherein the base includes two locking portions at diagonally opposite locations on the base. 
     
     
         51 . A method of attaching a phone grip attachment to a mobile phone, the phone grip attachment comprising:
 a base including a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one locking portion, the at least one locking portion comprising an overhang defining a gap between the locking portion and the top surface of the base; and   a finger-hold attached to the top surface of the base, the finger-hold having a top member and a bottom member, the finger-hold being movable between an extended position in which an opening is defined between the top member and the bottom member for use in gripping the phone and a collapsed position in which the top member is substantially flat against the bottom member, wherein the finger-hold is biased to the extended position, and wherein the finger-hold is adapted to be collapsed from the extended position to the collapsed position by pressing the top member substantially flat against the bottom member and rotating the finger-hold until at least one tab of the finger-hold is positioned in the gap defined by the overhang,   wherein the locking portion of the base is configured to engage the finger-hold to retain the finger-hold in the collapsed position,   wherein the method comprises securing the base of the phone grip attachment to a back of the mobile phone.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the finger-hold is rotatably attached to the base. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the top member of the finger-hold is pivotally attached to the bottom member of the finger-hold. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the bottom member includes tabs at each end thereof. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the at least one locking portion comprises at least one overhang defining a gap, the gap below the overhang being configured to receive a portion of the finger-hold. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the top member of the finger hold is pivotally attached to the bottom member of the finger-hold. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the bottom member of the finger-hold comprises a central portion, a first tab at a first end of the bottom member, a first neck between the central portion and the first tab, a second tab at a second end of the bottom member, and a second neck between the central portion and the second tab. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the top member comprises a first pair of ears at a first end thereof and a second pair of ears at a second end thereof, wherein the top member is pivotally attached to the bottom member by a first pin extending through the first pair of ears and the first neck and a second pin extending through the second pair of ears and the second neck. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the base includes two locking portions at diagonally opposite locations on the base. 
     
     
         60 . A method of holding a mobile phone comprising:
 attaching a phone grip attachment to a back of the mobile phone, the phone grip attachment comprising:
 a base including a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one locking portion, the at least one locking portion comprising an overhang defining a gap between the locking portion and the top surface of the base; and 
 a finger-hold attached to the top surface of the base, the finger-hold having a top member and a bottom member, the finger-hold being movable between an extended position in which an opening is defined between the top member and the bottom member for use in gripping the phone and a collapsed position in which the top member is substantially flat against the bottom member, wherein the finger-hold is biased to the extended position, and wherein the finger-hold is adapted to be collapsed_from the extended position to the collapsed position by pressing the top member substantially flat against the bottom member and rotating the finger-hold until at least one tab of the finger-hold is positioned in the gap defined by the overhang, 
 wherein the locking portion of the base is configured to engage the finger-hold to retain the finger-hold in the collapsed position, and 
   placing one or more fingers through the opening of the finger-hold in the extended position to hold the mobile phone.   
     
     
         61 . A method of using a mobile phone comprising a phone grip attachment, the phone grip attachment comprising:
 a base including a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one locking portion, the at least one locking portion comprising an overhang defining a gap between the locking portion and the top surface of the base; and   a finger-hold attached to the top surface of the base, the finger-hold having a top member and a bottom member, the finger-hold being movable between an extended position in which an opening is defined between the top member and the bottom member for use in gripping the phone and a collapsed position in which the top member is substantially flat against the bottom member, wherein the locking portion of the base is configured to engage the finger-hold to retain the finger-hold in the collapsed position, and wherein the finger-hold is biased to the extended position,   the method comprising moving the finger-hold between the collapsed and extended positions by:
 collapsing the finger-hold to the collapsed position by pressing the top member substantially flat against the bottom member and rotating the finger-hold until at least one tab of the finger-hold is positioned in the gap defined by the overhang, and 
 extending the finger-hold from the collapsed position to the extended position by rotating the finger-hold until the at least one tab of the finger-hold is free from the at least one overhang. 
   
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one tab of the finger-hold comprises a lower portion having a first thickness and an upper portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, the lower portion configured to be received in the gap and a contoured edge between the upper and lower portions configured to engage a free edge of the locking portion of the base to prevent additional rotation of the finger-hold. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one tab is located at an end of the bottom member of the finger-hold, the at least one tab being configured to be received in the gap below the overhang to retain the finger-hold in the collapsed position.