# US 5,706,345 A · Over the head hands free phone holder

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 5,706,345 A
- Document ID: US5706345A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/616,380
- Filed: 1996-03-15
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1996-03-15
- Inventors: James E. Allen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706345A

## CPC

- H04R 5/0335: {Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests (for monophonic headphones H04R1/105)}
- H04M 1/05: specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
- H04R 1/1008: {Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type}
- H04R 1/1058: {Manufacture or assembly}
- H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

An over the head hands free phone holder comprising an adjustable headband terminated on each end by pivotable rigid housings whose inner surfaces are terminated by resilient ear cushions similar to an audio headset. A phone holding housing has an opening at the lower end which accepts most portable phones. Opposing gripping fingers on the left and right sides of the phone holding housing help hold the phone in place. The opposing, non-phone housing contains a perforated wall to which the resilient ear cushion is attached. A mating inner sliding wall has matching perforations. When the inner wall slides in a downward direction, the holes are misaligned with respect to the non-sliding wall, thereby blocking unwanted ambient noise. The non-phone housing also contains a weight to balance and offset the weight of the phone located on the opposite side of the user's head.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An over the head hands free phone holder for positioning a phone against a head of a person, comprising:
a curved headband having opposite ends;
an elongated hollow phone holding housing attached to one of said ends of said headband, said phone holding housing having a back wall, longitudinal opposite side walls connected orthogonally to opposite side edges of said back wall, and a transverse lower end wall extending between lower ends of said side walls, said side walls being substantially longer than said lower end wall, so that said phone holding housing is defined with a completely open inner side for receiving the phone but completely exposing an inner side of the phone for enabling access to a keypad on the phone, said phone holding housing having a top opening between top ends of said side walls for passing an antenna of the phone; and
an inverted U-shaped cushion attached to a top end of said phone holding housing, said inverted U-shaped cushion having a transverse portion extending between said top ends of said side walls, and longitudinal side portions extending downwardly along said side walls, said inverted U-shaped cushion for enabling the phone to be inserted into said phone holding housing;
a pair of gripping fingers attached to said side walls of said phone holding housing for gripping the phone, each of said gripping fingers being hinged about an axis normal to said back wall, said gripping fingers being elongated in a direction parallel to said back wall for compactness.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The over the head hands free phone holder of claim 1, further including a non-phone holding housing attached to another one of said ends of said headband, said non-phone holding housing including a sliding wall mounted against a fixed wall, a plurality of holes on said sliding wall being in registration with corresponding holes on said fixed wall for passing sound, said sliding wall being movable to move said plurality of holes thereon out of registration with said corresponding holes on said fixed wall for blocking unwanted sound.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The over the head hands free phone holder of claim 1, further including a counterweight arranged in said non-phone holding housing, said counterweight for being generally equal to a weight of the phone so as to balance said phone holder on said person.