Holder for Portable Electronic Devices

Abstract

In one embodiment, a holder for retaining a portable electronic device on a dashboard of an automobile comprises a resilient body that includes a generally wedge-shaped section for resiliently wedging into an angled space formed between the dashboard and a windshield of the automobile, and a device recess configured to snugly hold the portable electronic device. The device recess is located in the resilient body such it that faces an interior of the automobile when the holder is wedged into place, and therefore allows the holder to maintain a portable electronic device in an easily viewed/accessed orientation. In another embodiment, a system for retaining portable electronic devices on automobile dashboards comprises a set of holders. Different holders in the set are characterized by having differently dimensioned device recesses, corresponding to different portable device form factors, and/or by having differently dimensioned wedge-shaped sections, corresponding to different ranges of dashboard-windshield angles.

1 . A holder for retaining a portable electronic device on a dashboard of an automobile, said holder comprising a resilient body including:
 a generally wedge-shaped section for resiliently wedging into an angled space formed between the dashboard and a windshield of the automobile; and   a device recess located in the resilient body such it that faces an interior of the automobile when the holder is wedged into place, and configured to snugly hold the portable electronic device.   
   
   
       2 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient body comprises a front portion that includes the device recess and a back portion that extends rearward from the front portion and includes the generally wedge-shaped section. 
   
   
       3 . The holder of  claim 2 , wherein the resilient body is a unitary body including integrally connected front and back portions, and wherein the device recess is cut or otherwise formed in the unitary body. 
   
   
       4 . The holder of  claim 2 , wherein the front and back portions comprise separate body parts connected together to form the resilient body. 
   
   
       5 . The holder of  claim 4 , wherein the front portion detachably connects to the back portion, to allow different front portions having differently dimensioned device recesses to be connected to the same back portion. 
   
   
       6 . The holder of  claim 4 , wherein the front portion detachably connects to the back portion, to allow different back portions having differently dimensioned generally wedge-shaped sections to be connected to the same front portion. 
   
   
       7 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient body includes one or more slits or other openings into the device recess corresponding to one or more cable connections of the portable electronic device, to thereby provide for cabled usage of the portable electronic device while it is seated in the device recess. 
   
   
       8 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein one or more contact surfaces of the resilient body are coated with a high static friction surface coating, for enhancing wedged retention of the holder. 
   
   
       9 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein one or more contact surfaces of the resilient body are ribbed or slotted, for enhancing wedged retention of the holder. 
   
   
       10 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein a back portion of the resilient body includes a face to which a front portion of the resilient body connects, and wherein the back portion includes opposing top and bottom concave surfaces tapering rearward from the face and terminating in a wedge-shaped protuberance that comprises the generally wedge-shaped section. 
   
   
       11 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein a back portion of the resilient body includes a face to which a front portion of the resilient body connects, and wherein the back portion includes opposing top and bottom surfaces arcuately tapering rearward from the face, thereby forming the generally wedge-shaped section. 
   
   
       12 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient body comprises front and back portions that are connected together to form the holder, and wherein the back portion includes a substantially planar face for mounting the front portion, and wherein the front portion includes a frame that defines the device recess when the front portion is mounted to the face of the back portion. 
   
   
       13 . The holder of  claim 1 , wherein a front portion of the resilient body includes a grid of individually removable foam elements, such that the device recess is formed by a user of the holder plucking or otherwise removing individual ones of the foam elements in a pattern that corresponds to a form factor of the portable electronic device. 
   
   
       14 . A system for retaining portable electronic devices on automobile dashboards comprises a set of holders, each holder comprising a resilient body including a generally wedge-shaped section for resiliently wedging into an angled space formed between a dashboard and a windshield of an automobile, and further including a device recess located in the resilient body such it that faces an interior of the automobile when the holder is wedged into place, said device recess dimensioned for a given size of portable electronic devices, and wherein different holders in the set are characterized by at least one of differently dimensioned device recesses, corresponding to different portable device form factors, and differently dimensioned wedge-shaped sections, corresponding to different ranges of dashboard-windshield angles. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the resilient body of each holder comprises a back portion that includes the generally wedge-shaped section and a front portion that connects to the back portion and defines the device recess, and wherein the system includes at least one standardized back portion having a given wedge-shaped section profile, and includes a plurality of standardized front portions, each having given device recess dimensions, such that a holder for a particular size or style of portable electronic device is constructed by joining the appropriate standardized front portion to the appropriate standardized back portion. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one standardized back portion comprises a plurality of standardized back portions, each having given wedge-shaped section dimensions, such that a holder for a given automobile size or style and for a particular size or style of portable electronic device is constructed by joining the appropriate standardized front portion to the appropriate standardized back portion.