Wireless Charger Mounting System

Abstract

A system for attaching a wireless mobile phone charger to a mobile phone including a mobile phone case and a wireless mobile phone charger mount. The mobile phone case defines a bore and a recess disposed adjacent the bore and includes a shell and a first retaining ring having a first metal plate receivable by the recess to secure the first retaining ring to the shell. The wireless mobile phone charger mount has a wireless mobile phone charger, a second metal plate, and an interface with a protrusion receivable by the bore. The wireless mobile phone charger is securable to the mobile phone case when the first retaining ring is secured to the shell by aligning the protrusion with the bore and magnetically coupling the first metal plate with the second metal plate.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] SUMMARY The present disclosure relates generally to a mounting system for attaching a wireless mobile phone charger to a mobile phone case. [Background technology]

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 859,512, filed July 7, 2022, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 290,799, filed December 17, 2021. The disclosures set forth in the referenced applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure is directed to a system for attaching a wireless mobile phone charger to a mobile phone case for charging the mobile phone when the mobile phone is secured to the mobile phone case. The system includes a mobile phone case and a wireless mobile phone charger mount. The mobile phone case defines a bore and a recess disposed adjacent the bore and includes a shell and a first retaining ring having a first metal plate receivable by the recess to secure the first retaining ring to the shell. The wireless mobile phone charger mount has a wireless mobile phone charger, a second metal plate, and an interface with a protrusion receivable by the bore. The wireless mobile phone charger is securable to the mobile phone case when the first retaining ring is secured to the shell by aligning the protrusion with the bore and magnetically coupling the first metal plate with the second metal plate. At least one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate is a magnet. The other of the first metal plate and the second metal plate may be a magnet or may include another metal that is attracted to the magnet of the aforementioned one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate.

[0004] The recess and the first and second metal plates may be circular, and the recess may be disposed around the bore. The bore may include a central bore and at least one lateral slot contiguous with the central bore, and the protrusion may have at least one lateral tab that is received by the slot when the protrusion is received by the bore. For example, there may be four lateral slots spaced 90 degrees apart that are contiguous with the central bore, and the protrusion may have four lateral tabs spaced 90 degrees apart that are received by the slot when the protrusion is received by the bore. The shell may have a rim configured to engage the mobile phone and a base having a bottom that defines the bore and the recess. The attachment system may also include a pick, and the shell may include an upper portion that defines at least one hole. The hole may be accessible by the pick from the upper portion to separate the first retaining ring from the mobile phone case when the first retaining ring is secured to the mobile phone case.

[0005] The mounting system may also include at least one alternative first retaining ring having an alternative first metal plate, the at least one alternative first retaining ring receivable by the recess and securable to the cell phone case as an alternative to the first retaining ring, and the color of the retaining ring may be different than the color of the alternative retaining ring.

[0006] According to some embodiments, the cell phone case may be engageable with a cell phone accessory mount product. According to some embodiments, the first metal plate and the second metal plate may be compatible with magnetic technology known as MAGSAFE Apple Computer, Inc. ("Apple") developed for magnetically fastening or otherwise attaching iPhone products to accessory products.

[0007] These and other features of the present disclosure will be best understood from the following drawings and detailed description.

[0008] The various features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one side of a mounting system according to an illustrative embodiment including a wireless charger mount and a cell phone case. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the other side of the mounting system of FIG. 1A. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one side of a cell phone case of the mounting system of FIGS. 1A and 1B. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the other side of the cell phone case of the mounting system of FIGS. 1A and 1B. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of one side of the wireless charger mount of the mounting system of FIGS. 1A and 1B. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of the other side of the wireless charger mount of the mounting system of FIGS. 1A and 1B. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the center of the cell phone case of the mounting system of FIGS. 1A and 1B. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the mounting system of FIGS. 1A and 1B having a cell phone case attached to a wireless charger mount and a cell phone mount accessory secured thereto. [Figure 6] FIG. 1C is an example of a commercially available cell phone accessory mount that can be secured to the cell phone case of the mounting system of FIGS. 1A and 1B when the wireless charger mount is separated from the cell phone case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description.

[0011] While the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms, several specific embodiments are discussed herein, with the understanding that the disclosure should be considered merely as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the disclosure to the illustrated embodiments.

[0012] 1-5 show a mounting system 10 including a cell phone case 12 and a wireless charger mount and a wireless cell phone charger mount 14 for charging the cell phone when the cell phone is secured to the cell phone case. According to the illustrated embodiment, the cell phone case 12 can be mounted to other cell phone accessory mount products when the wireless charger mount 14 is separated from the cell phone case 12, as described below. The cell phone may be an iPhone or any other handheld cell phone. The mounting system 10 can be used, for example, with Apple's magnetic technology for iPhone products known as MAGSAFE according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] The case of the cell phone case 12 includes a shell 18 having a base 20 and a rim 22 for engaging a cell phone. The base 20 includes a top 32 and a bottom 34. The cell phone case 14 further includes several components secured together, including a retaining ring 40, a metal plate 42 secured to the retaining ring, an interior plate 44, and three casing members including an outer casing member 46, an inner casing member 48, and an inner lining 50. The base 20 has casing members 46, 48, 50. The metal plate 42 is circular and may be in the form of a metal plate including a magnet or another metal that is attracted to a magnet. The bottom 34 defines a recess 60 for receiving the retaining ring 40 and a bore 62 for engaging the wireless charger mount 14. The recess 60 is circular and is disposed about or otherwise surrounds the bore 62. The bore 62 includes a central bore 64 and four lateral slots 66 spaced 90 degrees apart and contiguous with the central bore 64. Four case tabs 68 spaced 90 degrees apart are disposed between the lateral slots 66 and form notches 72 that define gaps 74. The gaps 74 are also contiguous with the central bore 64 and the lateral slots 66. The metal plate 42 may be in the form of a circular magnetic array compatible with Apple's MAGSAFE technology. The recesses 60 and bores 62 may have any other suitable configuration, and the recesses may be adjacent the bores in any other suitable manner according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] The retaining ring 40 includes clips 76. The retaining ring 40 snaps into the recesses 60 of the cell phone case 12 and is retained therein by the clips 76. The illustrated embodiment of the cell phone case 12 defines four holes 80 in continuity with the recesses 60, 62, and the attachment system 10 further includes a pick 84. The pick 84 can access any of the holes 80 from the top 32 of the base 20 to detach and remove the retaining ring 40 from the recesses 60 of the cell phone case 12. The pick 84 can have any suitable construction.

[0015] The attachment system 10 may include multiple retaining rings 40 to allow a user to select between the retaining rings to vary the appearance of the cell phone case 12. For example, each of the multiple retaining rings 40 may be a different color than one or more of the other retaining rings to allow a user to select a desired color of retaining ring to be secured to the cell phone case 12.

[0016] The interior plate 44 may be ultrasonically welded to the inner casing member 48. This construction can eliminate openings and allow for a reduced thickness of the interior plate 44 without providing strength. The reduced thickness or depth of the cell phone case allows for efficient wireless charging of the phone using the Apple MAGSAGE Wireless Charger or other suitable wireless charger.

[0017] The wireless interface of the wireless charger mount 14 further includes a mount base 88 and a protrusion 90 extending from the mount base substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mount base. The protrusion 90 has a central portion 94 and four lateral tabs 96 spaced at 90° intervals. The wireless charger mount 14 includes a fastener 92 received by a hole 98 defined by the wireless charger mount for engaging a mobile phone accessory product 104 (see, for example, FIG. 5 ). The illustrated wireless charger mount 14 further includes a casing 100, a base 102, a wireless charger 106, and a metal plate 108 housed within the casing. The metal plate 108 is circular and may be in the form of a metal plate including a magnet or a metal that is attracted to a magnet. The metal plate 108 may be in the form of a circular magnet array corresponding to the metal plate 42 of the mobile phone case 12 to attract the mobile phone case 12 to the wireless charger mount 14. The metal plate 108 may have any other suitable configuration according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. Metal plate 108 may also be compatible with Apple's MAGSAFE technology.

[0018] The wireless charger mount 14 may be powered by any suitable power source (not shown), including any suitable cable connected to the wireless charger mount 14 in any suitable manner to provide power to the transmit coil 20. The mobile phone case 12 and the casing 100 and base 102 may be constructed of any suitable plastic or any other suitable material and may have any other suitable configuration according to other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] The illustrated mounting system 10 can also be characterized as having two slots 66 spaced 180 degrees apart extending laterally from the central bore 64, and a protrusion 90 on the wireless charger mount 14 having two lateral tabs 96 spaced 180 degrees apart. In this regard, in mounting systems according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the bore can have more or less than two slots and the protrusion can have more or less than four lateral tabs.

[0020] During fastening of the cell phone case 12 to the wireless charger mount 14, the protrusion 90 of the wireless charger mount 14 is aligned with the bore 62, including aligning the lateral tab 96 and the lateral slot 66. The metal plates 42 and 108 are then magnetically coupled with the bore 62 that receives the protrusion 90 and the slot 66 that receives the lateral tab 96. The metal plates 42 and 108 may both be magnets, or one of the metal plates 42 and 108 may be a magnet and the other metal plate may be a metal that is attracted to the aforementioned one of the metal plates 42 and 108. The metal plates 42 and 108 are shown as being circular, but may have any other configuration according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. The mechanical alignment associated with the magnetic attraction provides stronger alignment and shear strength than a typical flat magnetic mount. Once attached, the lateral tabs 96 extend from the mount base 88 substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mount base 88, so that the illustrated embodiment of the cell phone case 12 cannot rotate relative to the wireless charger mount 14 unless separated from the wireless charger mount. The wireless charger 106 functions to charge the cell phone. The wireless charger mount 14 can be easily unfastened from the cell phone case 12 by applying a force greater than the magnetic force of the metal plates 42 and 108.

[0021] The interface of the bottom 34 of the cell phone case 12 may complement the interface of one or more cell phone accessory mount products such that the cell phone case may be secured to other cell phone accessory mount products when the wireless charger mount 14 is removed and not secured to the cell phone case. Examples of such cell phone accessory mount products are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 11,303,143, 941,760, 940,125, 883,922, 10,649,492, 876,316, 10,569,717, 873,812, 870,719, 870,718, 865,252, 852,681, and 9,243,739. 6 shows a commercially available cell phone accessory mount product 200 having an interface comprising a protrusion 202 having four lateral tabs 204 spaced 90 degrees apart and a lever 206 configured to be received by bore 62 when the wireless charger mount 14 is not secured to the cell phone case and when the lever is pressed to define a gap under the lateral tabs. The accessory product interface is received by bore 62 and upon rotation 90 degrees (or in increments of 90 degrees), tab 204 is received within gap 74 of cell phone case 12 and engages the bottom of notch 72 to engage accessory 200 to cell phone case 12.

[0022] Thus, the present disclosure provides several advantages. For example, it provides an efficient way of fastening a wireless charger mount to a cell phone case for wirelessly charging a cell phone fastened to the cell phone case. Furthermore, if desired, when the wireless charger mount 14 is fastened to the cell phone case 12 (see, for example, FIG. 6 ), the cell phone case can be fastened to other cell phone accessory mount products. Additionally, due to the interfaces of the cell phone case 12, the cell phone case can be secured to other cell phone accessory mount products, such as the accessory products shown in FIG. 6 and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,303,143, 941,760, 940,125, 883,922, 10,649,492, 876,316, 10,569,717, 873,812, 870,719, 870,718, 865,252, 852,681, and 9,243,739.

[0023] According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, the magnetic system can be used as a magnetic mount without a wireless charger.

[0024] Numerous variations on the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out the invention. The exclusive rights to all modifications that come within the scope of the appended claims are reserved.

Claims

1. 1. A system for attaching a wireless cell phone charger to a cell phone case for charging a cell phone when the cell phone is secured in the cell phone case, comprising: a mobile phone case including a shell defining a bore opening to an exterior surface of the shell and a first metal plate secured to the shell; a wireless mobile phone charger mount having a wireless mobile phone charger; a second metal plate; and an interface having a protrusion receivable by the bore to secure the wireless mobile phone charger to the mobile phone case, wherein at least one of the first metal plate and the second metal plate is a magnet, and the other of the first metal plate and the second metal plate is magnetically attracted to the magnet, and the wireless mobile phone charger can be secured to the mobile phone case by aligning the protrusion with the bore and magnetically coupling the first metal plate and the second metal plate; the outer surface of the shell further includes a recess disposed about the bore; The system, wherein the cell phone case further includes a first retaining ring receivable within the recess, the first retaining ring securing the first metal plate to the shell.

2. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first retaining ring is attached to the shell by a removable connection.

3. The mounting system of claim 2, wherein the removable connection is at least one clip.

4. The shell defines at least one hole; The mounting system of claim 2 , wherein the hole is continuous with the bore accessible from an exterior surface of the shell for removing the removable connection to separate the first retaining ring from the shell.

5. The mounting system of claim 4, further comprising a pick positionable within at least one of the holes to remove the removable connection.

6. The shell defines at least one hole; The mounting system of claim 3 , wherein the hole is continuous with the bore accessible from an exterior surface of the shell for removing the removable connection to separate the first retaining ring from the shell.

7. The mounting system of claim 6, further comprising a pick positionable within at least one of the holes to remove the removable connection.

8. Further comprising at least one alternative first retaining ring; 8. The mounting system of claim 2, wherein the at least one alternative first retaining ring is receivable by the recess and securable to the mobile phone case as an alternative to the first retaining ring.

9. An installation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first metal plate is fixed to the first retaining ring.

10. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein the recess and the first and second metal plates are generally circular.

11. 2. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein the bore includes a central bore and at least one lateral slot contiguous with the central bore, and the protrusion has at least one lateral tab that is received by the lateral slot when the protrusion is received by the bore.

12. 12. The mounting system of claim 11, wherein the bore includes a central bore and a plurality of lateral slots contiguous with the bore, the lateral tabs being received by the slots when the protrusion is received by the bore.

13. A mounting system as described in claim 12, wherein the bore includes a central bore and two lateral slots spaced 180 degrees apart that are continuous with the central bore, and when the protrusion is received by the bore, the protrusion has two lateral tabs that are spaced 180 degrees apart and received by the slots.

14. 13. The mounting system of claim 12, wherein the bore includes a central bore and four lateral slots spaced 90 degrees apart that are contiguous with the central bore, and the protrusion has four lateral tabs that are spaced 90 degrees apart and that are received by the slots when the protrusion is received by the bore.

15. The central bore is circular; 15. The mounting system of claim 10, wherein at least one lateral tab received by the lateral slot restrains relative rotation of the mobile phone case and the mount within the central bore.

16. The shell further comprises at least one case tab adjacent to at least one of the slots; At least one of the case tabs includes a notch; the notch defines a gap configured to receive a mobile phone mounting accessory; 16. The mounting system of claim 15, wherein the mobile phone mounting accessory has at least one tab receivable within the slot and receivable by the gap during rotation of the mounting accessory relative to the mobile phone case.

17. A mounting system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 and 10 to 14, wherein the shell has a rim configured to engage with a mobile phone and a base having an outer surface that defines the bore and recess.

18. A mobile phone case, A shell and a bore disposed within the shell and opening to an outer surface of the shell; a metal plate fixed to the shell; the shell further includes a recess disposed about the bore and a retaining ring; The retaining ring is receivable within the recess and secures the metal plate to the shell.

19. The mobile phone case of claim 18, wherein the retaining ring is attached to the shell by a removable connection.

20. The mobile phone case of claim 19, wherein the detachable connection is at least one clip.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the shell defines at least one hole; 20. The cell phone case of claim 19, wherein the hole is continuous with the bore accessible from an exterior surface of the shell for removing the detachable connection to separate the retaining ring from the shell.

22. The mobile phone case of claim 21, further comprising a pick positionable within at least one of the holes to remove the detachable connection.

23. The shell defining at least one hole; 21. The cell phone case of claim 20, wherein the hole is continuous with the bore accessible from an exterior surface of the shell for removing the detachable connection to separate the retaining ring from the shell.

24. The mobile phone case of claim 23, further comprising a pick positionable within at least one of the holes to remove the removable connection.

25. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

25. The cell phone case of any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein the at least one alternative retaining ring is receivable by the recess and securable to the cell phone case as an alternative to the retaining ring.

26. A mobile phone case as described in any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein the metal plate is fixed to the retaining ring.

27. ​​A mobile phone case as described in any one of claims 18 to 24, wherein the metal plate is a magnet and / or the metal plate is annular.

28. A mobile phone case as described in claim 25, wherein the metal plate is a magnet and / or the metal plate is annular.

29. The bore includes a central bore and at least one lateral slot continuous with the central bore; 25. The mobile phone case of claim 18, wherein the lateral slot is configured to receive a mobile phone mounting accessory having a protrusion receivable by the central bore and at least one tab receivable within the slot.

30. Further comprising at least one case tab adjacent to at least one of said slots; At least one of the case tabs includes a notch; the notch defines a gap configured to receive a mobile phone mounting accessory; 30. The cell phone case of claim 29, wherein the cell phone mounting accessory has at least one tab receivable within the slot and receivable by the gap during rotation of the mounting accessory relative to the cell phone case.

31. A cell phone case for use with a plurality of cell phone mounting accessories, comprising: A shell and a bore disposed within the shell and opening to an outer surface of the shell; a first metal plate fixed to the shell; In use, the bore receives a protrusion of an interface of a wireless mobile phone charger to secure the mobile phone case to a mobile phone mounting accessory including a wireless charger, and the first metal plate is attracted to a second plate of the wireless mobile phone charger by magnetic attraction; the bore includes a central bore, at least one transverse slot contiguous with the central bore, and at least one case tab adjacent to the at least one slot; At least one of the case tabs includes a notch; the notch defines a gap configured to receive another mobile phone mounting accessory; The cell phone case, wherein the cell phone mounting accessory has at least one tab receivable within the slot and receivable by the gap during rotation of the mounting accessory relative to the cell phone case.

Images