초록 ▼

Two circular rings or discs which are somewhat rotatable with respect to one another. They are connected by a foldable cover which houses a spring inside. The spring, when collapsed, pushes the discs away from each other while the foldable cover is semi-flexible. When the accessory is collapsed, the

Two circular rings or discs which are somewhat rotatable with respect to one another. They are connected by a foldable cover which houses a spring inside. The spring, when collapsed, pushes the discs away from each other while the foldable cover is semi-flexible. When the accessory is collapsed, the foldable cover folds over itself, whereas when the accessory is expanded, the foldable cover becomes unfolded with a smaller-circumference center ridge which is less flexible or non-flexible, and situated between two larger circumference areas. Flanges on the inner and outer rings abut each other, keeping the spring collapsed and discs locked into each other in some embodiments. When the rings are rotated with respect to one another, the flanges become unlocked and the spring separates the discs such that one or both of the foldable cover or spring become the limiting factor in how far apart the discs spread from another.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An expandable and collapsible phone accessory comprising: an outer circular disc with a circular wall rising perpendicular from said outer circular disc, and a plurality of flanges extending inwards from said circular wall which are spaced apart from said outer circular disc;an inner circular dis

1. An expandable and collapsible phone accessory comprising: an outer circular disc with a circular wall rising perpendicular from said outer circular disc, and a plurality of flanges extending inwards from said circular wall which are spaced apart from said outer circular disc;an inner circular disc with a circular wall rising therefrom and a plurality of flanges extending perpendicular to and outwards from said circular wall of said inner circular disc;a spring positioned between said outer circular disc and said inner circular disc;a flexible cover, physically independent from said spring, attached to said outer circular disc at a first end and said inner circular disc at a second end opposite said first end, said flexible cover enveloping said spring;wherein said phone accessory is held in a collapsed condition by placing said plurality of inward extending flanges of said outer circular disc longitudinally between said plurality of flanges of said inner circular disc and said inner circular disc. 2. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 1, further comprising: a circular disc covering at least a majority of one side of one of said outer circular disc and said inner circular disc, said cover disc having indicia thereupon which is observable by a user observing said accessory, said cover circular disc having two identically sized circular sides and a distance there-between less than a largest diameter of a widest region of said outer circular disc. 3. The expandable and collapsible phone accessory of claim 2, wherein said cover disc covers an exterior surface of at least one of said outer disc or said inner disc, such that said cover disc is observable by a person seeing said phone accessory. 4. A method of using the expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 1, comprising a step of rotating said inner circular disc with respect to said outer circular disc until at least some of said plurality of flanges of said circular wall of said outer circular disc are longitudinally aligned with at least some of said plurality of flanges of said circular wall of said inner circular disc causing said accessory to remain in a collapsed condition with said circular wall of said inner disc abutting said outer circular disc. 5. The method of using the expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 4, wherein said rotating is until said flanges of said inner circular disc are situated between said outer circular disc and said flanges of said circular wall of said outer circular disc, causing said outer circular disc and said inner circular disc to remain in a stationary, first-retracted position, while said spring applies force simultaneously against both said inner circular disc and outer circular disc. 6. The method of using the expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 5, comprising a further step of rotating said inner circular disc with respect to said outer circular disc and said flexible cover until said flanges of said wall of said inner circular disc are situated adjacent to spaces between said flanges of said circular wall of said outer circular disc causing said outer circular disc and said inner circular disc to be pushed away from each other by said spring until reaching a stationary second expanded position. 7. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 1, wherein said expandable and collapsible accessory is bistable and: in a first of two bistable configurations a wall extending perpendicularly from said inner circular disc, and said outer circular disc, are abutted against each other,in said first of said two bistable configurations, said flexible cover is folded, such that an exterior surface of first and second sections of said flexible cover abut one another; andin said second of two bistable configurations, said inner circular disc and said outer circular disc are further away from each other, compared to said first of said two bistable configurations, and said first and second sections of said flexible cover are unfolded with respect to one another. 8. The expandable and collapsible phone accessory of claim 1, wherein said spring is a helical spring. 9. An expandable and collapsible phone accessory, comprising: a complimentary pair of first and second discs, said first disc rotatable within said second disc and each of said first and second disc having a set of alternating flanges and spaces there-between said alternative flanges, said alternative flanges of each of said first and second disc extending perpendicular to walls of each said first and second disc; and wherein the walls rising perpendicular from each of said first and second disc;a hollow metal spring exerting force on each of said first and second discs;a cover extending between said first and second disc which is physically independent from said spring and completely surrounds said spring and which is rotatable with respect to at least one of said first and second discs. 10. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 9, wherein: said spring is held in a collapsed state; andsaid set of said alternating flanges of said first disc exert pressure against said set of said alternating flanges of said second disc due to said spring. 11. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 9, wherein: said spring is an expanded state, and said set of alternating flanges of said first disc are spaced apart from said alternating flanges of said second disc. 12. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 9, wherein a removable third disc without flanges is attached to an exterior circular side of said first disc, such that said third disc is observable by a user observing said accessory. 13. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 12, wherein a circular side of said second disc is removably attached to a phone or phone case, said third disc being in parallel with a side of said phone or said phone case which is attached to said second disc. 14. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 9, wherein said cover folds over itself when said complimentary pair of first and second discs are brought closer together, and is unfolded when said complimentary pair of first and second discs are brought away from each other. 15. The expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 14, wherein said cover has a circular central region which is less flexible than regions of said cover which fold over each other, and in said unfolded condition, has a smaller circular circumference than adjacent regions of said cover. 16. An expandable and collapsible accessory of claim 9, wherein said cover is rotationally fixed to one of said second and first discs.