WO2014086520A1

WO2014086520A1 - A seat belt holder for a mobile phone

Info

Publication number: WO2014086520A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/071103
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timo Lehtonen; Peter Henziger
Original assignee: STONEAGE Ltd
Current assignee: STONEAGE Ltd
Priority date: 2012-12-06
Filing date: 2013-10-09
Publication date: 2014-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2015-06-06

Abstract

A device (1) for detachably holding a mobile phone on a seat belt in a vehicle, wherein the device comprises a mobile phone supporting part (2) with a mobile phone attachment means, and a seat belt attachment part (6), which device can be set in an open position and a closed position, in which latter the seat belt is clamped between the parts. The invention is characterized in that the attachment part and/or the supporting part comprises a friction-increasing means (4), arranged so that, when the supporting part carries the weight of the mobile phone, provide a friction between the device and the seat belt which is sufficiently high for the device not to slide downwards along the seat belt by gravity, and at the same time is sufficiently low so that a user can displace the device along the seat belt using hand force.

Description

A SEAT BELT HOLDER FOR A MOBILE PHONE

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to a device used for holding a mobile phone in place wherein the holder has securing means for attaching the said mobile phone to the holder and clipping means for fastening the holder in place. More particularly this invention relates to a device for use on the seat belt of a vehicle.

Prior art

Many types of mobile phone holders are known and used in vehicles to allow drivers to safely and freely talk without having to hold onto the mobile phone while driving. Most mobile phones have a hands-free function can be used and the newest mobile phones also have touchscreens which further facilitate easy use when answering or making calls.

It is also possible to connect the mobile phone to separate speaker and microphone, but these often lead to tangled cords of the earbuds when getting in and out of the vehicle seat or when having to answer a call while driving the vehicle in traffic. Separate wireless units with earbuds, with the so-called Bluetooth™ technology, are also available but they are not used by some people. Many new car models also have built in hands-free system but in many cases especially when renting a car, the installed system is adapted for specific makes and models of the mobile phone.

In order to increase traffic safety many countries have banned the use of the mobile phone by holding it while driving a vehicle in traffic. Additionally as the law in most of these countries also enforce the use of safety belts in cars while navigating in traffic, the seat belt of the driver can be the ideal location for placing and attaching a mobile phone when driving. More specifically, the said location can be on the three-point safety belt section running from the door pillar to said safety belts locking mechanism.

A mobile phone holding device for use on seat belts requires that the mobile holder can be very quickly mounted and dismounted on the seat belt and that the mobile phone can be securely attached to the holder. Additionally it is important that the holder can be easily and smoothly moved up and down the length of the seat belt so that it can be placed in the right position for use at the same time it should stay in position securely so that it does not slide out of position and as such distract the driver.

Buckles or clips are used in a wide range of applications for mounting on straps such as a seat belt in desired positions. Some of these devices require that the user threads the seat belt through designated slots in the device, which can be cumbersome and may cause damage to the belt. An alternative solution is to use a clip comprising two part hinged and latched arrangement that can enclose the seat belt. There are a number of disclosed solutions in the prior art for attaching mobile phones to these and other types of holders such as GB 2,347,303 A and US 5,668,869 A. However, these suffer from various drawbacks therewith.

For example, GB 2,347,303A discloses a magnetic mobile phone holder in the form of a strap that can be wrapped around a seat belt and secured using Velcro. The magnetic property of the strap enables it to act against the rear of the mobile phone which must exhibit a metallic material for it to stick to the strap. However today's phones normally do not have metallic parts but are made mostly of plastic and/or glass materials which the magnets cannot stick to. The inventors are therefore proposing an additional metallic adapter to be used for modern mobile phones to overcome this problem. The use of a strap also makes it difficult to have a holder that can be perfectly wrapped for it to be smoothly moved along the seat belt, since a too tight rapping will be hard to slide while too loose wrapping result in the holder sliding on its own which can be irritating and pose a danger of distracting the driver attention when driving and talking on the phone.

US 5,668,869 A discloses a telephone handset holder formed of a plastic profile with resilient clip arm for clipping the holder on a vehicle seat belt, as well as a gripping means for engaging the handset onto the holder. The clip arm is formed in a way to allow the possibility of sliding of the holder along the belt. The main disadvantages of this solution are that getting the vehicle seat belt through backside of the holder and sliding it into position is not simple and requires some fiddling since the sliding arrangement will not be smooth. Although it can be possible to modify the design to adapt it for holding a mobile phone, it will still be problematic to attach the mobile phone to the holder as it has to have the same form as the holder gripping part or alternatively the holder needs to be custom made for the specific design of the mobile phone.

KR 1007606 discloses a mobile phone holder comprising a supporting plate and a supporting surface with Vacuum Suction cups. As described in the patent, it is difficult to get the phone to stick to supporting surface if the number of the vacuum suction cups is 2 or less or if the cup is less than 5 mm in diameter. It is also problematic to install the vacuum cups on the supporting surface if the cup is more than 20mm in diameter.

Fastening elements for securing straps like a seat belt are disclosed in US2003140461 and US5653003, but the problem with these elements are that they are not easy to move along the belt as they are developed to stay fixed in position and they are not used for holding any devices.

EP1422107A1 discloses a holder comprising a support means in a form of a case for holding and supporting a mobile phone and a fixing means for fixing the holder to a seat belt. This solution suffers from the disadvantage that it is difficult to properly use the mobile phone while inside the box and that the box must fit all models or that different boxes must be used for different mobile phones.

Object and summary of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to at least partly overcome the above problems by simple, safe and efficient means, and to provide an improved device for holding a mobile phone on a seat belt of a vehicle that enables the vehicle driver to safely and conveniently use the said mobile phone before, during and after driving.

It is still a further object of this invention to be able to quickly and easily detach, attach and comfortably adjust the position of the device without the use of tools.

Hence, the invention relates to a device for detachably holding a mobile phone on a seat belt in a vehicle, wherein the device comprises a mobile phone supporting part, having a respective main extension plane and in turn comprising a mobile phone attachment means arranged to attach the mobile phone supporting part to a mobile phone, and a seat belt attachment part, having a respective main extension plane and arranged to attach the mobile phone supporting device to said seat belt, wherein the mobile phone supporting part and the seat belt attachment part comprise cooperating pivotal engagement means, so that the said parts are in pivotal engagement with each other, which pivotal engagement is arranged to allow a relative angular displacement of the two parts between an open position, in which the mobile phone supporting part and the seat belt attachment part together form an opening into which the seat belt can be introduced, and a closed position, in which the seat belt, parallel to the said respective main extension planes, is clamped between the mobile phone supporting part and the seat belt attachment part and thereby attached to the mobile phone supporting part, and wherein the mobile phone supporting part and the seat belt attachment part are arranged with cooperating engagement means at a respective free end to lock the angular position of said pivotal engagement of the two parts in the said closed position, and is characterized in that the said seat belt attachment part and/or the mobile phone supporting part comprises a friction-increasing means, arranged to, when the two parts are in the said closed position, the mobile phone supporting part is attached to the seat belt and carries the weight of the mobile phone, provide a friction between the device and the seat belt which is sufficiently high for the device not to slide downwards along the seat belt as a consequence of the force of gravity, and at the same time is sufficiently low so that a user can displace the device along the seat belt manually, by pulling the device using hand force.

Brief description of the drawings

The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the present invention. References will be made to the appended drawings, of which:

Figure 1 schematically shows the arrangement of a device in accordance with an

embodiment of the present invention for holding a mobile phone in place on a seat belt of a vehicle. Figure 2 shows the device in the operative position on a seat belt with the mobile phone attached.

Figures 3-5 show different views of the device with its parts in different relative positions and from different angles, there

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the device with its attachment means removed from its rotary engagement means.

Figure 7 is a detail cross-section of the device in it closed position and clamping on the seat belt.

Figure 8 shows the device in open position.

Figure 9 shows the device in closed position. Figures 10-12 show the device being used on top of a bedside table; hanging on the backside of a chair and used as a camera stand, respectively. Figure 13 shoes an underside view of the detachable means according to an embodiment of the invention showing the protrusion with a centrally located slit.

Figure 14 shows a detailed sketch of the elevation according to one embodiment of the invention. Figure 15 shows the arrangement of an adhesion surface suitable for use in a device according to the invention.

Figure 16 shows the device with different opening angular positions.

Figure 17 shows the track of the pivotal engagement in a cross section of the device.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the

accompanying figures, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

In the figures, a device 1 according to the invention, for detachably holding a mobile phone 7 on a seat belt 8 in a vehicle, is shown. The device 1 comprises a mobile phone supporting part 2, having a main plane of extension 9. It is realized that the part 2 may have any shape as such. The term "main plane of extension", as used herein, refers to the general plane 9 of extension of a surface 2B of the part 2 which is arranged to abut against the seat belt 8 when the device 1 is in a closed position (see below).

The mobile phone supporting part 2 in turn comprises a mobile phone attachment means 10, arranged to attach the mobile phone supporting part 2 to the mobile phone 7.

Preferably, the mobile phone attachment means 10 is attachable to both the mobile phone 7 and to the mobile phone supporting part 2, thus acting as an attaching interface between the two.

Furthermore, the device 1 comprises a seat belt attachment part 6, also having a respective main extension plane 16, with the corresponding meaning as the above described main extension plane 9, and specifically considering a surface of the part 6 which is arranged to abut against the seat belt 8 when the device 1 is in a closed position. The part 6 is arranged to attach the mobile phone supporting part 2 to said seat belt 8.

In order to accomplish the latter attachment, the mobile phone supporting part 2 and the seat belt attachment part 6 comprise cooperating pivotal engagement means 12, so that the said parts 2, 6 are in pivotal engagement with each other. This pivotal engagement is arranged to allow a relative angular displacement of the two parts 2, 6 between an open position (as shown in figure 8), in which the mobile phone supporting part 2 and the seat belt attachment part 6 together form an opening into which the seat belt 8 can be introduced, and a closed position (as shown in figure 9, however without the seat belt 8), in which the seat belt 8 is clamped between the mobile phone supporting part 2 and the seat belt attachment part 6, and thereby attached to the mobile phone supporting part 2. In this clamped state, the main extension plane of the seat belt 8 is substantially parallel to the above described main extension planes 9, 16, which are consequently also mutually substantially parallel.

Furthermore, the mobile phone supporting part 2 and the seat belt attachment part 6 are arranged with cooperating engagement means 13 at a respective free end, preferably located on the opposite respective side edge of the respective part 2, 6 as compared to said pivotal engagement means 12. The cooperating engagement means are arranged to lock the angular position of said pivotal engagement 12 of the two parts 2, 6 in the said closed position. Preferably, the cooperating engagement means 13 may be in the form of a latch lock. In the figures, such a latch lock is illustrated as a protruding tab 5, arranged to engage with a side edge of the part 2 and facilitate effortless disengagement of the device 1 from the seat belt 8 by simply pulling on the tab 5. In the figures, the protruded tab 5 is illustrated as belonging to the part 6. It may, however, also be arranged on the part 2. Moreover, other types of latch mechanisms are possible, as long as the present aims of easy angular locking and unlocking of the device 1 are fulfilled.

According to the invention, at least one of the seat belt attachment part 6 or the mobile phone supporting part 2 comprises a friction-increasing means 4, arranged to, when the two parts 2, 6 are in the above described closed position, the mobile phone supporting part 2 is attached to the seat belt 8 and carries the weight of the mobile phone 7, provide a certain friction between the device 1 and the seat belt 8. According to the invention, this certain friction is both sufficiently high for the device 1 not to slide downwards along the seat belt 8 as a consequence of the force of gravity, and at the same time sufficiently low so that a user of the device 1 can displace the device 1 along the seat belt manually, by pulling the device 1 using hand force, preferably only light hand force. Preferably, the friction is selected so that the above is true when using a mobile phone weighting up to at least about 0.2 kg.

It is critical for safety reasons that the vehicle driver is not distracted when navigating in traffic. Therefore, once the device 1 has been fastened to the seat belt 8, it must stay in position and not be able to unintentionally slide along the seat belt 8 as a result of gravity or normal movements of the driver wearing the seat belt 8. However, the present inventors have discovered that these safety requirements can be met with sufficient margin, and at the same time allowing for conveniently sliding the attached device 1 along the seat belt 8 by way of a simple pull of the device 1 along the seat belt 8, using only such a small amount of force so that a normal user has no problem operating the device 1 during such sliding operation.

Preferably, the force required to overcome the static force of friction, and hence to displace the device 1 along a standard seat belt 8 when the device 1 is in its closed position, is between 5 and 20 N. This way, the position of the device 1, when attached to the seat belt 8, can be adjusted as needed, without having to detach and reattach the device 1, and hence requiring only minor loss of attention on the road while driving.

The width W of both the mobile phone supporting part 2 and the seat belt attachment part 6 are adapted such that they, when the device 1 is in its closed position, extend over the entire width of the seat belt 8 and enclose it, preferably with some margin, in order to allow manual smooth sliding along the seat belt 8. Seat belts generally have standard widths of 46- 49 mm, most commonly 47 mm. The width of the parts 2, 6, specifically a space between parts 2, 6 arranged to accommodate the seat belt 8 in the said closed position of the device 1, can therefore be between 55-80 mm, preferably about 70 mm. The length L of the parts 2, 6, perpendicularly to said width W and in the above discussed main extension planes 9, 16, is suitably about 40-100 mm. The overall dimensions of the device 1 in the said main extension planes 9, 16, when the device 1 is in its closed position, will then be roughly the same as the here discussed dimensions of parts 2, 6 in the same plane. The total height of the device 1, when in its closed position, is preferably between 10 and 40 mm, preferably less than 30 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment, the above discussed certain friction is achieved, in particular but not exclusively for a device 1 within the above discussed size range, by a friction-increasing means arranged on a surface of either the seat belt attachment part 6 or the mobile phone supporting part 2 facing the seat belt 8 when the device 1 is in said closed position. Such friction-increasing means is arranged to provide a suitable closed position friction between the device 1 and the seat belt 8 which is larger than a corresponding closed position friction in case the surfaces of parts 2, 6 facing the seat belt 8 were to be flat and in absence of the said friction-increasing means. A preferred type of such friction-increasing means is in the form of an elevation 4 of the type illustrated in the figures, arranged on either a face of part 2 or a face of part 6 (the latter option being illustrated in the figures) facing the seat belt 8 when the device 1 is in its closed position. Preferably, the surface of the elevation 4 arranged to face the seat belt is in itself not a high-friction surface, such as a rubber surface, but rather a smooth surface exposing for instance a hard plastic material surface to the seat belt 8.

According to a preferred embodiment, the elevation 4 is arranged to, when the device 1 is in said closed position, apply a pressing force against the clamped seat belt, perpendicularly to the said main extension planes 9, 16, essentially without bending the seat belt 8 in said main extension planes 9, 16. The non-bending of the seat belt 8 in said main extension planes 9, 16 facilitates an engagement between the device 1 and the seat belt 8 in which the device 1 can be pulled along the seat belt 8 using hand force, but is still securely attached in position during normal use of the device 1 and a mobile phone 7 attached thereto, and when driving the vehicle.

In particular, it is preferred that the elevation 4 is arranged so that it, when the device 1 is in said closed position, presses the seat belt 8 against a counter or abutment surface 14 belonging to the one part of the seat belt attachment part 6 and the mobile phone supporting part 2 of which the elevation 4 is not a part. Preferably, the said counter surface 14 is substantially plane, so that the pressing force applied by the elevation 4 onto the said counter surface 14 does not give rise to a bending of the seat belt 8 in the said main extension planes 9.

A particularly preferred way of achieving this is a device 1 as illustrated in the figures, see in particular figure 7, in which only one of the seat belt attachment part 6 and the mobile phone supporting part 2 comprises an elevation 4 of the said type, preferably acting against a substantially plane counter surface 14.

According to a preferred embodiment, the respective surfaces of the parts 2, 6 are arranged so that, in said closed position of the device 1, only the elevated part 4 and the counter surface 14 will press against the seat belt 8, while the remainder of the seat belt is freely movable in relation to the device 1.

Furthermore, and as illustrated in the figures, it is preferred that the elevation 4 is in the form of a relatively flat structure, extending in the said main extension planes 9 when the device 1 is in the closed position, and arranged with slanted side walls, so that the said pressing force varies, in said main extension planes 9, 16, across the surface area of the seat belt 8 which is contacted by the elevation 4, and decreases towards peripheral side edges of the elevation 4.

In particular, the preferred elevation 4 illustrated in the figures, see in particular figure 7, has a flattened shape with a length of 30-50 mm, preferably 40-50 mm, and a width of 20-30 mm, using the same coordinate system as for the above mentioned width and length of the device 1 itself. The edges of the elevation 4 are preferably curved rather than straight, so that the said pressing force is reduced gradually towards the edges of the elevation 4, providing a smooth gripping action that allows smooth sliding action and avoids making a deformation mark on the seat belt 8. Hence, the contact area between the elevation 4 and the seat belt 8, when the device 1 is in its closed position, is at least 300 mm², preferably at least 500 mm², more preferably between 600 mm² - 1500 mm², most preferably between 1000 mm² - 1300 mm².

Moreover, it is preferred that the width of the elevation 4 is smaller than its length, preferably the elevation is at least three times as long as it is wide, where the length again is measured in a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the seat belt when the device 1 clamps around the seat belt 8 in its closed position according to the above. This provides for a smooth and controlled sliding of the device 1.

The depth of the elevation should be carefully adapted to exert a balanced pressure on the seat belt 8. This is illustrated in figure 7, in which the elevation 4 is shown in a cross-sectional side view. Preferably, the gap, or minimum distance, between the elevation 4 and the counter surface 14, when the device 1 is in its closed position, is about half of the thickness of the seat belt 8, preferably between 0.5-1.2 mm, preferably 0.6-1.0 mm, more preferably 0.65-0.85 mm. The standard thickness of seat belts is between 1.4 mm-1.9 mm.

Using a device 1 according to the present invention, it is possible to insert the seat belt 8 into the space between the parts 2, 6, when the device 1 is in its open position, and place it in the desired position. When adjusted and locked into its closed position, the device 1 will stay in the said desired position by the compressing force onto the seat belt 8 applied by the cooperating parts 2, 6.

As the seat belt 8 is typically made of weaved textile material, which is compressible under pressure, the clamping action of the device 1 is preferably somewhat flexible to allow for tolerances in material and variations of the compressing force. Therefore, the preferred material and thickness for the device 1, and in particular for the seat belt attachment part 6, is preferably selected to be somewhat resilient. Preferably, at least part 6, but preferably both parts 2 and 6 are manufactured from plastic material. This may not, however, be true specifically regarding the mobile phone attachment means 10, see below.

Disconnection of the device 1 from the seat belt is made possible by manual disengaging or unlocking of the mobile phone supporting part 2 from the seat belt attachment part 6, by then pulling the two parts 2, 6 apart at their unhinged ends, possibly after release of the engagement of the tab 5, and finally by pulling the device 1 away from the seat belt 8.

Removal of the mobile phone 7 from the device 1, to the contrary, is made possible by applying a pulling force on the mobile phone 7 and disengaging it from the mobile phone attachment means 10, see below. According to yet another preferred embodiment, the above discussed pivotal engagement means providing the pivotal engagement between parts 2, 6 are arranged with angular fixing means, arranged to releasably fix the relative angular position 15 between the seat belt attachment part 6 and the mobile phone supporting part 2 in at least one, preferably at most three, predetermined angular positions 15 (see figure 1 in combination with figure 16), neither of which is the same as the angular position 15 between said parts 2, 6 assumed when the device 1 is in the said closed position. For the sake of argument, this relative angular position 15 is defined as 0°.

Preferably, each such predetermined angular position 15 is then located at a respective angle of between 30° and 90°, preferably at least 30°, rather at least 40°, in order to facilitate easy removal of the device 1 from the seat belt 8.

In particular, it is preferred that at least one of said predetermined angular positions 15 is arranged with such an angle between the seat belt attachment part 6 and the mobile phone supporting part 2 so as to make it possible for the device 1, when the parts 2, 6 are arranged and locked at the relative angle in question, to be stably positioned on a horizontal surface, whereby a mobile phone 7 supported by the mobile phone supporting part 2 is held in a position in which the display of the mobile phone 7 is clearly visible to a user of the device 1 when viewed from the side. This is illustrated in figure 10.

Suitable predetermined angles for this purpose comprise 40°-80°. Other similar applications include the suspension of the device 1 over a vertical edge, such as a computer screen or on the back of a chair. This is illustrated in figure 11, and involves preferred predetermined angles of 40-60°.

The locking mechanism at one or several predetermined angular positions 15 can be realized in different ways, such as one or several small protrusions on the part 6 cooperating with (a) corresponding dent(s) in the part 2, both oriented so as to rotate into locking engagement one with the other as the parts 2, 6 pivot in relation to each other.

However, according to a preferred embodiment, the pivotal engagement means comprises a track 22 along the width of the hinged end of the mobile phone supporting part 2 and a corresponding edge of the hinged end of the seat belt attachment part 6, so that the said edge is arranged to engage with said track 22 so as to lock the angular position 15 of the pivotal engagement means in a predetermined angular position 15. Such cooperating track and edge can be arranged so that the edge is brought into the track as the device 1 is opened from its closed position, and hence effectively limits the pivoting motion angular range of the two parts 2, 6 in relation to each other. Alternatively, several tracks can be arranged to selectively and individually be engaged with an edge which is free to be brought into engagement with any one of a number of such tracks as the device 1 is opened. To this end, the pivotal engagement means can be arranged so that the seat belt attachment part 6 can both be pivoted, and also translated to a certain limited extent in relation to the mobile phone supporting part 2.

In case several discrete predetermined angular positions are used, it is preferred that they are arranged at even angular positions, such as at every 5 or 10°.

As regards the mobile phone attachment means 10, it is preferred that this means 10 and the mobile phone supporting part 2 are arranged with cooperating rotary engagement means 11,21 arranged so that, when the rotary engagement means are in engagement, the mobile phone attachment means 10 is freely rotatable in relation to the mobile phone support part 2, in a plane which is parallel to the above discusses main extension planes 9, 16 when the device 1 is in the closed position.

This achieves that the rotational position of the mobile phone 7 can be modified without having to remove the mobile phone 7 from the seat belt, in particular during driving. This is important when, for instance, using various functions of the mobile phone 7 requiring it to be held in different angles for optimal performance. Hence, the user is not tempted to detach the mobile phone 7 during driving.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cooperating rotary engagement means 11, 21 allow for the mobile phone attachment means 10 to be removed and replaced by a replacement part when worn out. This is especially preferred in case the attachment part 10 comprises an attachment surface comprising pores as described below.

A preferred way of achieving this is illustrated in the figures, wherein the rotary engagement means 11,21 are in the form of a hole 21 into which a protrusion 11 is insertable and, when accommodated in said hole 21, arranged to be releasably attached in rotary engagement with the hole 21. It is preferred that the hole 21 and the protrusion 11 are arranged with cooperating fixing means 18, arranged to fix the rotary engagement in predetermined rotary angles. One example of such cooperating fixing means 18 is illustrated in the figures (see in particular figures 3, 6 and 13), in the form of a star shaped inner side wall of the hole 21 in combination with a correspondingly star shaped outer side wall of the protrusion 11.

In a preferred embodiment, the mobile phone attachment means 10 is made from an elastomer material, in which case it is further preferred that the said protrusion 11 is arranged on the mobile phone attachment means 10. Such material may be, for instance, rubber.

For such an elastomeric mobile phone attachment means 10, it is preferred that the protrusion 11 is arranged with a slit 19 across a diameter of a cross-section of the protrusion 11, perpendicularly to the main direction of elongation of the protrusion 11. Such a slit can be arranged to, after having been squeezed together during the insertion into the hole 21, impart an expanding spring force from the protrusion 11 side walls onto the hole 21 side walls, so as to improve the grip of the said rotary engagement. To achieve this, a cross- sectional diameter of the protrusion 11 should be slightly larger than a corresponding cross- sectional diameter of the hole 21.

The hole 21 may have a largest diameter of about 10 - 30 mm.

As described above, the mobile phone attachment means 10 is arranged to attach to the the mobile phone 7, preferably via surface attachment. Hence, the mobile phone supporting part 2 is arranged to detachably hold the mobile phone 7 on its outer support surface. To accomplish this, it is provided with a layer of fastening or attaching material to hold the mobile phone 7 in place. It is preferred that the fastening material is arranged so that it detachably can attach to such a mobile phone on its back or front side, in particular on a screen surface of such a mobile phone 7, which is typically covered with glass or a similar smooth and hard material. It is preferred that the fastening material is selected so as to allow a quick attachment and release of the mobile phone 7 simply by use of a weak pulling and pushing force, respectively. In particular, to attach the mobile phone 7 on its screen surface provides a safe means of attachment especially at night as the light from the mobile phone when used does distract the driver or the drivers of the meeting vehicles.

It is realized that the surface 2A of the mobile phone supporting part 2 can be arranged with such an attachment surface, instead of using the attachment part 10. This is preferred as an alternative embodiment, eventhough this does not allow the mobile phone 7 to be easily rotatable in relation to the seat belt 8 via the rotating engagement means 11, 21.

A preferred example of a suitable fastening material is a surface 24, preferably flat, with a plurality, such as at least 100, preferably at least 500, more preferably at least 1000, small vacuum suction cups 17 arranged to attach, by the application of a pressure, to a surface of the mobile phone 7.

Such vacuum cups may preferably be provided in the form of small cavities in the otherwise smooth and plane surface of a flexible, preferably elastomeric material. In the preferred size orders of such cavities, namely with diameters of maximally 100 μιη, such cavities will act as vacuum suction cups, attaching to a hard, smooth surface which is pressed against such cavities. In order to be able to keep the vacuum, the cavities need to be provided with only one opening, namely out through the said surface, effectively enclosing a small volume when attached to the surface of the mobile phone 7. Preferably, such suction cups are distributed across the top surface of the attachment means 10 in a random manner, covering the whole contact area to the mobile phone 7 in an evenly-distributed but random pattern across the surface. Furthermore, the diameters of the cavities preferably varies between different cavities, where the smallest cavities may be at least 3 times smaller than the largest cavities. An example of such a cavity surface is shown in figure 15.

Even though the use of vacuum suction cups is well established as a means to fasten objects on a smooth surface in general, the selection of size and number of such suction cups is important when designing an attachment surface with suitable attachment characteristics, as will be explained in the following.

In general, when an object surface is pressed against a vacuum cup, the air will be pushed out from within the cup, resulting in a vacuum between the vacuum suction cup and the object surface across the whole contact area, and consequently the two surfaces will be held together by an attracting force. To release the object, a pulling force is needed to tear away the object from the surface of the cup. The larger the actual contact area between the cup and the object, the larger is the required pressing and pulling forces for performing the attaching and detaching operation.

According to the invention, it is preferred, as opposed to for instance using one single large suction cup, to use a plurality of suction cups 17. At least two benefits are achieved by this. Firstly, the total actual contact area is reduced, as there will be some void areas 25 in between the cups 17 (see figure 15). This reduces the attachment force required to achieve a good fastening of the mobile phone 7 to the device 1. Secondly, the necessary pressing and pulling forces do not need to be applied all in one go, since individual cups 17 can be sucked on or detached from the mobile phone 7 at different instants. Hence, the attachment and detachment becomes considerably easier.

The force required for attaching and detaching each cup is approximately inversely proportional to the number of used cups:

F = Ftotai/n, where n is the number of used cups. According to a preferred embodiment, which has turned out to yield very good attachment performance in tests carried out by the inventors, at least a majority of the suction cups 17, preferably at least 90% of the suction cups 17, most preferably substantially all suction cups 17, have a respective diameter of at the most 100 μιη, most preferably within the range of ΙΟμιη -ΙΟΟμιη. Such cups 17 achieve good, reliable and forgiving attachment in combination with easy detachment.

It is preferred that the diameter of the said mobile phone attaching means 10 is between 30- 50 mm. It is also preferred that the means 10 has a thickness tau to allow the fastening layer to sufficiently rise above the surface of the mobile phone attachment part 2, in turn in order to simplify the attaching and detaching of mobile phones of different sizes. Therefore, it is preferred that the attaching means 10 is at least 1 mm thick, preferably, and in particular when made from an elastomer material, between 2-5 mm.

The function of the said device 1 should have been understood from the above and from the accompanying drawings. Nevertheless, in the following the use of the device 1 is explained briefly. The seat belt 8 will be placed between the parts 2, 6, placed in the desired location along the seat belt 8 and then the two said parts 2, 6 are locked together around the seat belt 8. The device 1 can then, with some minor sliding force, be moved along the seat belt 8. The mobile phone 7 can then simply be attached to the device 1, by pressing it against the surface of the attachment means 10, so that a sufficient number of the micro suction cups are activated.

The device 1 can be left on the seat belt 8, and for instance be slid down to the end part where the seat belt buckle is located. When entering the car again, and after locking the seat belt, the user can easily pull the device 1 up to the desired position for attachment of the mobile phone 7 once more.

The balanced friction provided in relation to the seat belt 8 by the pivotal engagement means 12 works in combination with the easy attachment and rotationally movable properties of the attachment means 10, so that the ultimate position of the mobile phone 7 in relation to the user can be easily and accurately adjusted, even during driving and without having to take the eyes off the road.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of examples in the drawings and described in detail hereabove. It should be understood, however, that the invention in not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

For example, the elevation 4 can have different basic shapes than the rectangular one described.

It would also be possible to, instead of the cavity-style micro suction cups as shown in figure 15, use an array of equally small suction cups each protruding from a surface of the attachment means 10.

Claims

A device (1) for detachably holding a mobile phone on a seat belt (8) in a vehicle, wherein the device (1) comprises

a mobile phone supporting part (2), having a respective main extension plane (9) and in turn comprising a mobile phone attachment means (10) arranged to attach the mobile phone supporting part (2) to a mobile phone (7), and

a seat belt attachment part (6), having a respective main plane (9,16) of extension and arranged to attach the mobile phone supporting device (2) to said seat belt (8), wherein the mobile phone supporting part (2) and the seat belt attachment part (6) comprise cooperating pivotal engagement means (12), so that the said parts (2,6) are in pivotal engagement with each other, which pivotal engagement is arranged to allow a relative angular displacement of the two parts (2,6) between an open position, in which the mobile phone supporting part (2) and the seat belt attachment part (6) together form an opening into which the seat belt (8) can be introduced, and a closed position, in which the seat belt (8), parallel to the said respective main planes (9, 16) of extension, is clamped between the mobile phone supporting part (2) and the seat belt attachment part (6) and thereby attached to the mobile phone supporting part (2), and wherein the mobile phone supporting part (2) and the seat belt attachment part (6) are arranged with cooperating engagement means (13) at a respective free end to lock the angular position of said pivotal engagement (12) of the two parts (2,6) in the said closed position, characterized in that the said seat belt attachment part (6) and/or the mobile phone supporting part (2) comprises a friction-increasing means (4), arranged to, when the two parts (2,6) are in the said closed position, the mobile phone supporting part (2) is attached to the seat belt (8) and carries the weight of the mobile phone, provide a friction between the device (1) and the seat belt (8) which is sufficiently high for the device (1) not to slide downwards along the seat belt (8) as a consequence of the force of gravity, and at the same time is sufficiently low so that a user can displace the device (1) along the seat belt (8)manually, by pulling the device (1) using hand force.

The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the friction-increasing means (4) comprises an elevation on the surface of either the seat belt attachment part (6) or the mobile phone supporting part (2) facing the seat belt (8) when the device (1) is in said closed position.

The device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the said elevation is arranged to, when the device (1) is in said closed position, apply a pressing force against the clamped seat belt (8), perpendicularly to the said main planes (9, 16) of extension, essentially without bending the seat belt (8) in said main planes (9, 16) of extension.

The device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the elevation is arranged so that it, when the device (1) is in said closed position, presses the seat belt (8) against a counter or abutment surface (14) belonging to the one part of the seat belt attachment part (6) and the mobile phone supporting part (2) of which the elevation is not a part, and wherein said counter or abutment surface (14) is essentially plane so that the pressing force does not give rise to a bending in the said main planes (9, 16) of extension.

5. The device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the elevation is arranged with such a height so that, when the device (1) is in said closed position, the minimum distance between the elevation and the said counter or abutment surface (14) is between 0.5 mm and 1.2 mm, preferably between 0.65 and 0.85 mm.

6. The device (1) according to any one of claims 2-5, wherein the elevation is in the form of a relatively flat structure, extending in the said main planes (9, 16) of extension when the device (1) is in the closed position and arranged with slanted side walls, so that the said pressing force varies across the surface area of the seat belt (8) in said main planes (9, 16) of extension which are contacted by the elevation, and decreases towards peripheral side edges of the elevation.

7. The device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the elevation is arranged so that its contact surface area with the seat belt (8), when the device (1) is in said closed position, is at least 300 mm², preferably at least 500 mm². 8. The device (1) according to any one of claims 2-7, wherein only one of the seat belt attachment part (6) and the mobile phone supporting part (2) comprises an elevation of the said type.

9. The device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said pivotal engagement means (12) are arranged with angular fixing means, arranged to releasably fix the relative angular position between the seat belt attachment part (6) and the mobile phone supporting part (2) in a predetermined angular position (15) which is not the said closed position. 10. The device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined angular position (15) is between 30 and 90 degrees, where 0 degrees is the closed position.

11. The device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the said predetermined angular

position (15) is arranged with such an angle between the seat belt attachment part (6) and the mobile phone supporting part (2) so as to make it possible for the device

(1) to be positioned on a horizontal surface, whereby a mobile phone (7) supported by the mobile phone supporting part (2) is held in a position in which the display of the mobile phone (7) is clearly visible to a user of the device (1) when viewed from the side.

12. The device (1) according to any one of claims 9-11, wherein the said pivotal

engagement means (12) comprises a track (22) along the width of the hinged end of the mobile phone supporting part (2) and a corresponding edge (23) of the hinged end of the seat belt attachment part (6), so that the said edge (23) is arranged to engage with said track (22) so as to lock the angular position of the pivotal engagement means in a predetermined angular position (15).

13. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile phone attachment means (10) and the mobile phone supporting part (2) are arranged with cooperating rotary engagement means (11,21) arranged so that, when in

engagement and the device (1) is the closed position, the mobile phone attachment means (10) is freely rotatable, in the said main planes (9, 16) of extension, in relation to the mobile phone support part (2).

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the rotary engagement means comprises a hole (21) into which a protrusion (11) is insertable and, when accommodated in said hole (21), arranged to be releasably attached in rotary engagement with the hole (21).

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the mobile phone attachment means (10) is made from an elastomer material and the said protrusion (11) is arranged on the mobile phone attachment means (10).

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the protrusion (11) is arranged with a slit (19) across a diameter of its cross-section perpendicularly to its main direction of elongation.

17. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile phone attachment means (10) comprises an attachment surface (24) comprising at least 100 small suction cups (17) arranged to attach, by the application of a pressure, to a surface of the mobile phone (7).

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the suction cups (17) each have a diameter of at the most 100 μιτι.

19. The device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the suction cups (17) are in the form of small cavities in the otherwise smooth and plane surface of a flexible, preferably elastomeric material.

20. The device according to any one of claims 17-19, wherein the suction cups (17) are arranged with varying diameters.