Electronic device with electrically coupling lock

• US 10,108,229 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Te-Yueh
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US15/539,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20170371375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0001 with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof for vehicles E05B81/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0067 for portable computers, e.g. for locking the screen panel to the keyboard panel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In some examples, an electronic device includes an electronic component, a battery pack that is dockable to the electronic component, and a lock to lock a docked battery pack to the electronic device. In some examples, the lock is to move to a locked state in which the docked battery pack is to be locked to the electronic device and electrically coupled to the electronic component to power the electronic component using the docked battery pack and the lock is to move to an unlocked state in which the docked battery pack is to be unlocked from the electronic device and electrically isolated from the electronic component.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an electronic component and including an electrical component contact to receive electrical current to power the electronic component;

a battery pack that is dockable to the electronic component and that includes a battery pack contact to transmit electrical current to the electronic component contact; and

a lock to lock a docked battery pack to the electronic device,

wherein the lock is to move to a locked state in which the docked battery pack is to be locked to the electronic device and electrically coupled to the electronic component to power the electronic component using the docked battery pack,

wherein the lock is to move to an unlocked state in which the docked battery pack is to be unlocked from the electronic device and electrically isolated from the electronic component,

and wherein the electronic component contact is to move with the lock between the locked state and the unlocked state.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the electronic component contact is moved with the lock between the locked state and the unlocked state, the battery pack contact is to be fixed relative to the battery pack.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lock is to slide relative to the electronic device between the locked state and the unlocked state.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a laptop computer to be powered by the battery pack.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile phone to be powered by the battery pack.

6. An electronic device comprising:

an electronic component; and

a lock to selectively secure a docked power input to the electronic device;

wherein the lock is to move relative to the electronic device to a locked state in which the docked power input is to be secured to the electronic device,

wherein the lock is to move relative to the electronic device to an unlocked state in which the docked power input is to not be secured to the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device includes a contact that is to move with the lock to electrically couple the electronic component to the power input in the locked state and to electrically isolate the electronic component from the power input in the unlocked state.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the electronic device comprises the power input, and

wherein the power input is in the form of a battery pack.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the power input is a power cord connectable to an external power supply.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising:

an electronic indicator to indicate whether the electronic component is electrically coupled to the power input.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the electronic indicator is to light up when the electronic component is electrically coupled to the power input.

11. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the lock is a first lock to selectively secure a first portion of the electronic device to the docked power input and wherein the contact is a first contact to electrically couple a first circuit of the electronic component to a first circuit of the power input in the locked state and to electrically isolate the first circuit of the electronic component from the first circuit of the power input in the unlocked state,

wherein the electronic device further comprises:

a second lock that is separately operable with respect to the first lock to selectively secure a second portion of the electronic device to the docked power input;

wherein the second lock is to move relative to the electronic device to a locked state in which the second portion of the electronic device is to be secured to the docked power input,

wherein the second lock is to move relative to the electronic device to an unlocked state in which the second portion of the electronic device is to not be secured to the docked power input; and

a second contact that is to move with the second lock to electrically couple a second circuit of the electronic component to a second circuit of the power input in the locked state and to electrically isolate the second circuit of the electronic component from the second circuit of the power input in the unlocked state.

12. An electronic device comprising:

an electronic component including an electrical component contact to receive electrical current to power the electronic component;

a battery pack that is dockable to the electronic device, the battery pack including a battery pack contact to transmit electrical current to the electronic component contact through the battery pack contact; and

a lock to lock the battery pack to the electronic device, wherein the lock is to move relative to the electronic device and a docked battery pack between a locked state and an unlocked state,

wherein in the locked state the electronic component contact is to be electrically coupled to the docked battery pack contact to power the electronic component using the docked battery pack,

wherein in the unlocked state the electronic component contact is to be electrically isolated from the docked battery pack contact,

and wherein the electronic component contact is to move with the lock between the locked state and the unlocked state.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic device is to electrically isolate the electronic component from both the battery pack and another power input when the electronic device is in the unlocked state.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein when the electronic component contact is moved with the lock between the locked state and the unlocked state, the battery pack contact is to be fixed relative to the battery pack.