WO1992013394A1

WO1992013394A1 - A holder device for a portable radio

Info

Publication number: WO1992013394A1
Application number: PCT/US1992/000085
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonio Del Sesto; James T. Ii Davis; Robert B. Ford
Original assignee: Motorola, Inc.
Priority date: 1991-01-28
Filing date: 1992-01-14
Publication date: 1992-08-06

Abstract

A holder device (120) for securely holding a portable radio (110) is disclosed which allows an accessory connector (130) of an accessory device (140) to be engaged to the radio. The interior housing of the holder device (120) includes an attachment means (122) to which the accessory connector (130) may be removably attached. Thereafter, the radio (110) may be inserted into the holder device (120) and be engaged to the accessory connector (130).

Description

A HOLDER DEVICE FOR A PORTABLE RADIO

Technical Field

This invention relates generally to the field of portable radios, in particular to an arrangement for engaging an accessory device to a portable radio through a holder device. Background Presently, electronic devices, such as portable radios, are extensively used by many users , such as policemen, and fire fighters, and they rely heavily upon them for performing their daily tasks. Specifically, a user continuously interacts with the portable radio by speaking into a microphone, or by pressing a push-to- talk button (PTT), or by listening to a speaker during transmission or reception. Therefore, it is an important concern of the manufacturers to facilitate the use of such electronic devices.

A portable radio may be carried by the user, or it may be transported by placing it in a vehicular adapter. Generally, one of the convenient methods for carrying the radio is to place it in a carry holder. The carry holder includes a pocket for holding the portable radio, and it may be attached to the user by an attachment means, such as a belt clip. The radio may easily be taken out, when interaction with the radio is required. A radio may couple to accessory devices for facilitating interaction. The accessory device extends radio's interaction elements, such as microphone, speaker, antenna, and push-to-talk button to provide a convenient interaction with the radio. Presently, when the portable radio is being carried by the user, the accessory device and the radio are interconnected through a mating mechanism, which may include a screw for fastening the accessory device to a threaded insert on the portable radio. In this arrangement, a number of contacts on a radio universal connector present the proper interaction signals, such as PTT and audio signals, to corresponding contacts on a accessory connector. Generally, an aligning mechanism for the universal connector and the accessory connector is provided.

An accessory device may connect to a radio via a vehicular adapter when the radio is transported in a car. The vehicular adapter may provide additional features, such as a battery charger, power amplifiers, etc. In this arrangement, the accessory device is connected to the vehicular adapter through an accessory connector located inside the vehicular adapter. Operationally, the radio is inserted into a pocket on the vehicular adapter, and engages the accessory connector either automatically, or by manual actuation. Conversely, the radio may be disengaged from the vehicular adapter by pressing a button or another manual actuation. When engaged, a biasing mechanism in the vehicular adapter maintains the connections between the vehicular adapter's accessory connector and the radio's universal connector. When the radio is inserted in the vehicular adapter, the user/radio interaction is achieved via a vehicular adapter control panel which interface with control circuits. The control circuits of the vehicular adapter are duplicates of the control circuits of the radio itself.

Currently, the radio may designed to directly interface with the accessory units within a vehicle, thereby eliminating the need for the conventional vehicular adapter . In this Arrangement, the accessory connector of the radio is directly coupled to the vehicle's accessory unit via the mating mechanism. In practice, it may become necessary to provide means for securely holding the radio in order to prevent undesired movements when the vehicle is in motion. Also it is desirable to engage and/or disengage the radio to the accessory device quickly and conveniently.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a holder device for the radio having a convenient arrangement for engaging and/or disengaging the portable radio to an accessory device

Briefly, according to the invention, a holder device for a portable radio unit is disclosed. The radio unit is capable of being coupled to an accessory unit via an accessory connector when the accessory connector is attached to the radio unit. The holder device comprises a holder housing which receives the radio unit within its interior portion. An attachment means is coupled to the interior portion of the radio housing which allows removable attachment of the accessory connector to the holder device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 , is an illustration of the carry holder of present invention as utilized in conjunction with a portable radio and an accessory device.

Figure 2, is an illustration of the holder device and radio unit assembly of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Figure 1 , a portable radio unit 110 may be coupled to an accessory device 140 to allow external interaction with radio features. The portable radio unit 110 may comprise a well known battery operated transceiver device, such as those manufactured by Motorola Inc., which are used for two-way radio frequency (RF) communication with other communication devices. A user may interact with the radio through its' internal interaction means , i.e., microphone, speaker, internal PTT (not shown), or through the external accessory device 140. The accessory device 140 may include interfacing circuitry for an external audio and/or RF power amplifier as well as battery charging circuitry for the radio unit 110. External interaction means (not shown), such as an external microphone, may be attached to the interfacing circuitry through a port 142 located on the accessory device 140. The radio 110 includes radio circuitry which are included within a radio housing 112. As is well known, the radio housing 112 includes the means, such as apertures 11 , knobs 116, and antenna 117, to allow internal interaction with the radio features. Additionally, a universal connector 118 is disposed on the radio housing 112 which includes an electrical contact area 115 for allowing electrical interconnection with the accessory devices. The accessory device 140 electrically couples to the radio unit 110 through a cable 138. The cable 138 is terminated at one end with an accessory connector 130 which includes means for mechanical and electrical coupling to the radio unit 110. The accessory connector includes an electrical contact area 134 which after being aligned is electrically coupled to the electrical contact area 115 of the radio unit 110. The accessory connector 130 includes a quick engagement latch 132 and a hook 137 for mechanically attaching the accessory connector 130 to the side connector 118. When attaching the accessory connector 130 to the radio unit 110, the hook 137 is first engaged to a groove 111. Then, the quick engagement latch 132 which comprises a well known spring loaded latch engages the radio unit 110 to the accessory connector 130 by means of a groove 113 formed on the radio housing 112. The user may pull the engagement latch 132 upwardly to disengage the accessory connector 130 from the radio unit 110. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the accessory device 140 is located inside a vehicle, such as a police car, and the user attaches the accessory connector 130 to the radio 110 in order to interact with the radio unit 110 externally. According to the invention, the radio unit 110 may be inserted into a radio holder device 120 which is firmly attached to a panel inside the vehicle, therefore providing a secure base which prevents undesired movements of the radio unit 110.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the holder device 130 is made of a molded plastic material. The holder device 120 includes a back wall 127 being extended from each side to form a side wall 121 , a front wall 123, and a bottom wall 125. The surrounding walls and the bottom walls are shaped, to form, in conjunction with the back wall 127, a holder housing 128. Formed within the holder housing 128 is an interior portion 129 or a pocket for receiving the radio 110. An attachment means 122 is connected to inner side of the side wall 121 via a link 124. The attachment means is held in a stationary position by a spring 126 which is attached between the side wall 121 and the attachment means 122. The attachment means 122 comprise a molded piece made of resilient material which is formed to provide a substantially tight fit for the accessory connector 130. The resiliency of the molded material holds the accessory connector 130 in place when the accessory connector 130 is inserted into the attachment means 122. The connector may be detached from the holder device 120 by pulling it away from the attachments 122. This arrangement allows the accessory connector 130 to be removably attached to the holder device 120. It may be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that other means for attaching the accessory connector 130 to the holder device 110 are available and the preferred embodiment presents only one arrangement for achieving the purpose of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, an assembly 200 which includes the radio 110, the holder device 120 and the accessory connector 130 as arranged according to the present invention is shown. According to the invention, the accessory connector 130 is inserted into the attachment means 122 and is positioned to engage the radio housing 112 when the radio 110 is inserted into the holder 130. In this way, the engagement latch is engaged to the radio housing 132 as explained above. The radio 110 may be quickly disengaged by pulling the latch 132 upwardly and removing the radio 110 from the holder device 130. The device housing 128 includes means on its exterior (not shown) for securely fastening the holder 130 to an appropriate panel inside the vehicle. Because the accessory connector 130 is removably attached to holder device 120, the radio 110 may interact with external accessory devices in the field and the accessory devices 140 in the vehicle as long as these accessory devices have the same accessory connector as the accessory connector 130. Arrangement of the present invention allows, the radio to be securely inserted into the holder device 110 to interact with the accessory device 140 without using a conventional vehicular adapter.

What is claimed is:

Claims

1. A holder device for a portable radio unit having radio circuitry disposed within a radio housing, wherein said portable radio unit may be coupled to an accessory unit via an accessory connector when the accessory connector is attached to the radio housing, said holder device comprising: holder device housing means for receiving said portable radio unit within its interior portion, and attachment means coupled to the interior portion of said holder device housing for removably attaching said accessory connector to said holder device.

2. An assembly; comprising: a portable radio unit having radio circuitry disposed within a radio housing; an accessory connector for coupling said portable radio unit to an accessory unit having engagement means for engaging said accessory connector to the radio housing; a holder device including: holder device housing for receiving said portable radio unit within its interior portion, and attachment means coupled to the interior portion of said holder device housing for removably attaching said accessory connector to said holder device.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said engagement means comprise a latch for quickly engaging or disengaging said accessory connector to and from the radio housing.