Systems and methods for auto-aligning protruding connectors in docking interfaces

• US 10,303,213 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Timothy C., Vier, Bradford Edward, Radloff, Timothy M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoa C
• Assistant Examiner(s): DePew, Keith
• Application Number:
  US15/645,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20190011950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0205 Magnetic circuits with PM in general
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0263 Closures, bags, bands, engagement devices with male and female parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/064 Circuit arrangements for actuating electromagnets circuit arrangements for obtaining special operating characteristics H01F7/18; driving circuits for electromagnets making use of a switching regulator H01H47/325
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/20 without armatures cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 ; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery

Abstract

Systems and methods for auto-aligning protruding connectors in docking interfaces are described. In some embodiments, a docking interface may include a male portion comprising: a first magnetic device, a second magnetic device disposed across from the first magnetic device, and a guidepost disposed between the first magnetic device and the second magnetic device, where the guidepost comprises a third magnetic device. The docking interface may also include a female portion comprising a fourth magnetic device and a fifth magnetic device disposed across from the fourth magnetic device leaving a gap between the fourth magnetic device and the fifth magnetic device, where the gap is configured to receive the guidepost.

Claims

1. A docking interface, comprising:

a male portion, comprising;

a first magnetic device;

a second magnetic device disposed across from the first magnetic device; and

a first guidepost disposed between the first magnetic device and the second magnetic device, wherein the first guidepost comprises a third magnetic device; and

a female portion, comprising;

a fourth magnetic device; and

a fifth magnetic device disposed across from the fourth magnetic device with a gap between the fourth magnetic device and the fifth magnetic device, wherein the gap is configured to receive the first guidepost, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth magnetic devices have a circular shape, and wherein a diameter of the first, second, fourth, and fifth magnetic devices is greater than a diameter of the third magnetic device.

2. The docking interface of claim 1, wherein the first, second, fourth, and fifth magnetic devices have a given polarity orientation, and wherein the third magnetic device has another polarity orientation opposite the given polarity orientation.

3. The docking interface of claim 1, wherein the first, second, fourth, and fifth magnetic devices are clocked with respect to the third magnetic device.

4. The docking interface of claim 1, wherein clamping action between the first and fourth magnetic devices and between the second and fifth magnetic devices increase in response to the third magnetic device approaching a center of the gap during a blind-mating operation between the male and female portions.

5. The docking interface of claim 1, wherein repulsion action between the third magnetic device and the fourth magnetic device and between the third magnetic device and the fifth magnetic device increase in response to the third magnetic device moving away from a center of the gap during a blind-mating operation between the male and female portions.

6. The docking interface of claim 1, further comprising:

another male portion, comprising;

another first magnetic device;

another second magnetic device disposed across from the other first magnetic device; and

a second guidepost disposed between the other first magnetic device and the other second magnetic device, wherein the second guidepost comprises another third magnetic device; and

another female portion, comprising;

another fourth magnetic device; and

another fifth magnetic device disposed across from the other fourth magnetic device with another gap between the other fourth magnetic devices and the firth magnetic device, wherein the other gap is configured to receive the second guidepost; and

a data connector disposed between the first guidepost and the second guidepost.

7. The docking interface of claim 6, wherein the data connector has a length shorter than a length of the first or second guideposts.

8. The docking interface of claim 6, wherein the data connector is supported by a floating connector system.

9. The docking interface of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth magnetic devices comprises an electromagnetic coil.

10. The docking interface of claim 9, wherein a magnetic field created by the electromagnetic coil is manually configurable by an end-user of an information handling system (IHS) comprising the docking interface.

11. The docking interface of claim 9, wherein a magnetic field created by the electromagnetic coil is dynamically configured by an information handling system (IHS) comprising the docking interface.

12. The docking interface of claim 9, wherein the magnetic field created by the electromagnetic coil is configured in response to an event generated by program instructions executed by an information handling system (IHS) comprising the docking interface.

13. The docking interface of claim 9, wherein a magnetic field created by the electromagnetic coil is configured in response to a signal generated by a sensor coupled to an information handling system (IHS) comprising the docking interface.

14. The docking interface of claim 9, wherein the male portion is part of a keyboard component of an information handling system (IHS) and the female portion is part of a display portion of the IHS.

15. The docking interface of claim 9, wherein the male portion is part of a dock and the female portion is part of an information handling system (IHS).