초록 ▼

A securement device to make it much easier for a user to securely hold onto a personal, hand-held, tablet-shaped device such as an electronic reader, a tablet computing device, a cellular phone, a personal data assistant, and a common clipboard, including any of these items that are at least partial

A securement device to make it much easier for a user to securely hold onto a personal, hand-held, tablet-shaped device such as an electronic reader, a tablet computing device, a cellular phone, a personal data assistant, and a common clipboard, including any of these items that are at least partially contained in protective housings—while minimizing the fatigue and discomfort on the user's hands: A typical device solves this problem by providing a system of one or more finger holds formed with a fabric or pliable material that are disposed on the back side of the personal, hand-held, tablet-shaped device. In many devices, the position and fit of the finger holds are easily adjustable by a user via hook-and-loop schemes.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for securely holding a personal tablet-shaped device in a user's hand, said personal tablet-shaped device having a substantially planar portion on its back surface, comprising: a back-panel coupling member configured for attachment to a substantially planar back surface on a personal

1. An apparatus for securely holding a personal tablet-shaped device in a user's hand, said personal tablet-shaped device having a substantially planar portion on its back surface, comprising: a back-panel coupling member configured for attachment to a substantially planar back surface on a personal tablet-shaped device; andat least one finger-grip member configured for detachable coupling to said back-panel coupling member, wherein: said at least one finger-grip member can be detachably coupled to said back-panel coupling member in a user-specified position and orientation relative to a substantially planar back surface of said personal tablet-shaped device;said at least one finger-grip member has a substrate adapted to detachably couple to said back-panel coupling member; andsaid at least one finger-grip member has multiple finger-receiving apertures adapted to snuggly engage two or more user fingers on a user hand;said multiple finger-receiving apertures on said at least one finger-grip member is formed by secure and intermittently spaced attachment of a single strip of elastic material onto said substrate adapted for detachable coupling to said back-panel member, forming a substantially sinusoidal pattern, said secure attachments of elastic material occurring on the side of the substrate opposite of the back-panel-coupling interface of said substrate;each finger-receiving aperture is oriented such that the longitudinal axis of each finger-receiving aperture is substantially parallel to said substantially planar back surface of said personal tablet-shaped device; andsaid snuggly engagement allows a user to securely hold said personal tablet-shaped device without a user having to consciously grip said personal tablet-shaped device. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said detachable coupling between said back-panel coupling member and said at least one finger-grip member is selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop coupling, mechanical-snap coupling, and magnetic coupling. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said detachable coupling between said back-panel coupling member and said at least one finger-grip member is a hook-and-loop coupling;said back-panel coupling member's detachable coupling surface is the “loop” part of a hook-and-loop coupling; andsaid at least one finger-grip member's detachable coupling surface is the “hook” part of a hook-and-loop coupling. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said back-panel coupling member is comprised of one or more of pieces of matting, each piece of which can act as a “loop” part of a hook-and-loop coupling. 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said detachable coupling between said back-panel coupling member and said at least one finger-grip member is a hook-and-loop coupling;said back-panel coupling member's detachable coupling surface is the “hook” part of a hook-and-loop coupling; andsaid at least one finger-grip member's detachable coupling surface is the “loop” part of a hook-and-loop coupling. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said back-panel coupling member is comprised of one or more pieces of matting, each piece of which can act as a “hook” part of a hook-and-loop coupling. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each said finger-receiving aperture is adapted to receive only one user finger. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each at least one finger-grip member has at least one finger-receiving aperture adapted to be adjustably fitted to a user finger. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: said at least one said finger-grip member finger-receiving aperture is defined by a strap of material that is fixedly coupled at a point along said strap to said finger-grip member;said strap of material has a “hook” part of a hook-and-loop coupling on one side, and has a “loop” part of a hook-and-loop coupling on the other side; andsaid strap of material can be made into a variable-sized aperture by detachably coupling a portion of said “loop” part of said strap to a portion of said “hook” part of said strap. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one finger-receiving aperture is substantially comprised of an elastic material. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted for a user to hold a personal tablet-shaped device selected from the group consisting of e-readers, cellular phones, tablet computers, personal data assistants, and clipboards. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is adapted for a user to hold a personal tablet-shaped device that is at least partially encased within a protective covering. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said protective covering is substantially comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, rubber, and silicone. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said back-panel coupling member is configured for attachment to a substantially planar back surface on a personal tablet-shaped device by being incorporated into the structure of a protective covering that is adapted to substantially encase a personal tablet-shaped device. 15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one stylus-grip member configured for detachable coupling to said back-panel coupling member, wherein: said at least one stylus-grip member can be detachably coupled to said back-panel coupling member in a user-specified orientation relative to a substantially planar back surface of said personal tablet-shaped device; and said at least one stylus-grip member is a sleeve of elastomeric material. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising at least one stylus-grip member configured for detachable coupling to said at least one finger-grip member. 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least one stylus-grip member is configured to receive a stylus selected from the group consisting of pens, pencils, computing-device touch-screen stylus, and elongated pointing devices. 18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one stylus-grip member configured for detachable coupling to said back-panel coupling member, wherein: said at least one stylus-grip member can be detachably coupled to said back-panel coupling member in a user-specified orientation relative to a substantially planar back surface of said personal tablet-shaped device andsaid at least one stylus-grip member is a substantially rigid clip adapted to receive a stylus by way of interference fit. 19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said back-panel coupling member substantially covers the entire substantially planar back surface on a personal tablet-shaped device such that a user can detachably couple said at least one finger-grip member to substantially any point located along the back plane of said personal tablet-shaped device. 20. An apparatus for securely holding a personal tablet-shaped device in a user's hand, said personal tablet-shaped device having a substantially planar portion on its back surface, comprising: a protective covering for a personal tablet-shaped device, said protective covering adapted to substantially cover the back-panel of a personal-tablet-shaped device and presenting a substantially planar outer surface;a back-panel coupling member configured for attachment to said substantially planar back surface on said protective covering; andat least one finger-grip member configured for detachable coupling to said back-panel coupling member, wherein: said at least one finger-grip member can be detachably coupled to said back-panel coupling member in a user-specified position and orientation relative to a substantially planar back surface of said protective covering;said at least one finger-grip member has a substrate adapted to detachably couple to said back-panel coupling member; andsaid at least one finger-grip member has multiple finger-receiving apertures adapted to snuggly engage two or more user fingers on a user hand;said multiple finger-receiving apertures on said at least one finger-grip member is formed by secure and intermittently spaced attachment of a single strip of elastic material onto said substrate adapted for detachable coupling to said back-panel member, forming a substantially sinusoidal pattern, said secure attachments of elastic material occurring on the side of the substrate opposite of the back-panel-coupling interface of said substrate;each finger-receiving aperture is oriented such that the longitudinal axis of each finger-receiving aperture is substantially parallel to said substantially planar back surface of said personal tablet-shaped device; andsaid snuggly engagement allows a user to securely hold said personal tablet-shaped device without a user having to consciously grip said personal tablet-shaped device. 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said detachable coupling between said back-panel coupling member and said at least one finger-grip member is selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop coupling, mechanical-snap coupling, and magnetic coupling. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein: said detachable coupling between said back-panel coupling member and said at least one finger-grip member is a hook-and-loop coupling;said back-panel coupling member's detachable coupling surface is the “loop” part of a hook-and-loop coupling; andsaid at least one finger-grip member's detachable coupling surface is the “hook” part of a hook-and-loop coupling. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said back-panel coupling member is comprised of one or more of pieces of matting, each piece of which can act as a “loop” part of a hook-and-loop coupling. 24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein: said at least one finger-grip member has at least one finger-receiving aperture adapted to snuggly engage one or more user fingers on a user hand;each at least one finger-receiving aperture is oriented such that the longitudinal axis of each said at least one finger-receiving aperture is substantially parallel to said substantially planar back surface of said protective covering; andsaid snuggly engagement allows a user to securely hold a personal tablet-shaped device contained in said protective covering without a user having to consciously grip said personal tablet-shaped device. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein: said at least one finger-grip member has a substrate adapted to detachably couple to said back-panel coupling member; andsaid at least one finger-receiving aperture on said at least one finger-grip member is formed by secure attachment of a strip of substantially elastic material, on each end of said strip material forming each finger-receiving aperture, to said substrate adapted to detachably couple to said back-panel coupling member, on the side of the substrate opposite of the back-panel-coupling interface of said substrate. 26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said protective cover is adapted for attachment to a personal tablet-shaped device selected from the group consisting of e-readers, cellular phones, tablet computers, personal data assistants, and clipboards. 27. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising at least one stylus-grip member configured for detachable coupling to said back-panel coupling member, wherein: said at least one stylus-grip member can be detachably coupled to said back-panel coupling member in a user-specified orientation relative to a substantially planar back surface of said protective covering; andsaid at least one stylus-grip member is a sleeve of elastomeric material. 28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said back-panel coupling member substantially covers the entire substantially planar back surface on a personal tablet-shaped device such that a user can detachably couple said at least one finger-grip member to substantially any point located along the back plane of said personal tablet-shaped device.