Portable device docking station

• US 20080002354A1
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: National Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,179,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/686
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16

Abstract

A molded external expanding apparatus or “docking station” operable with a portable computer device of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof.

Claims

1. An external expanding apparatus housing formed of molded material, the housing comprising:

a molded wall formed with an inner wall surface which substantially bounds a cavity;

a device bearing surface formed on a first portion of an outer surface of the wall;

an expansion connector presentation surface formed on a second portion of the outer surface of the wall positioned adjacent to an edge of the device bearing surface and having an expansion connector access opening formed therethrough; and

mounting structure formed on a third portion of the outer surface of the wall that is adapted for mounting to an external support structure.

2. The apparatus housing of claim 1, further comprising device receiver structure at least partly projected above the device bearing surface adjacent to a different edge of the bearing surface substantially opposite from the expansion connector presentation surface.

3. The apparatus housing of claim 1 wherein the molded wall further comprises a first molded wall having a first inner wall surface and a second molded wall having a second inner wall surface, the first and second molded walls being connected along a line of mutual contact and the first and second inner wall surfaces substantially bounding the cavity.

4. The apparatus housing of claim 1, further comprising a peripheral device connector presentation surface formed on a third portion of the outer surface of the wall and having one or more openings communicating therethrough with the inner wall surface.

5. The apparatus housing of claim 1, further comprising one or more engaging pins being projected from the first portion of an outer surface of the wall in the vicinity of the device bearing surface.

6. The apparatus housing of claim 5 wherein molded wall further comprises structure formed on a portion of the inner wall surface for supporting a guide mechanism relative to a first portion of the inner wall surface opposite from the first portion of the outer wall surface having the device bearing surface formed thereon.

7. The apparatus housing of claim 6, further comprising:

a guide mechanism coupled to the guide mechanism supporting structure;

an expansion connector drive mechanism having a portion movably coupled to the guide mechanism for motion relative to the expansion connector access opening in the expansion connector presentation surface; and

a computer expansion connector coupled to the movable portion thereof.

37. The apparatus housing of claim 7, further comprising a safety catch operable between the movable portion of the expansion connector drive mechanism and a passage through the first portion of the outer wall surface having the device bearing surface formed thereon and biased toward the device bearing surface.

8. An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer device of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a molded body portion forming an internal cavity bounded by an inner face thereof and adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the molded body portion having a substantially rigid bearing plate formed with a substantially rectangular computer bearing surface on an outer face thereof and a guide mechanism on a portion of the inner face thereof opposite from the bearing surface, an expansion connector presentation surface positioned adjacent to a rear edge of the bearing surface and projected there above and having an access opening formed therethrough in a position for opposing the device I/O connector of the device placed on the bearing surface, and a passage through the bearing plate communicating between the inner and outer faces thereof and positioned between the rear edge of the bearing surface and a front edge thereof opposite from the rear edge;

a pair of engaging pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer, the engaging pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface at opposite corners thereof and adjacent to the rear edge thereof in positions for being matingly received into the pair of locating holes;

an expansion connector drive mechanism having a portion movably coupled to the guide mechanism for moving relative to the inner face of the bearing plate and the access opening formed through the expansion connector presentation surface;

a connector bracket coupled to the movable portion of the expansion connector drive mechanism and projected above the bearing surface of the bearing plate adjacent to the access opening formed through the expansion connector presentation surface, the connector bracket having a pair of substantially rigid guides in spaced apart positions for engaging the pair of positioning apertures provided on the computer back plane on opposite sides of the peripheral component connector;

a computer expansion connector coupled to the connector bracket between the guides thereof, the computer expansion connector being structured to mate with the I/O connector of the computer;

a safety catch operable between the movable portion of the expansion connector drive mechanism and the passage through the bearing plate and biased toward the bearing plate; and

a latch mechanism operable for constraining the computer expansion connector relative to the access opening formed through the expansion connector presentation surface and the computer bearing surface of the molded body portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the molded body portion comprises a body portion molded of an injection moldable material.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the molded body portion comprises a body portion molded of die castable material.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the molded body portion further comprises a computer receiver structure positioned adjacent to the front edge of the bearing surface and projected there above.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the body portion further comprises a pair of cooperating body portions defining the cavity therebetween.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the body portion further comprises:

a peripheral device connector presentation surface having one or more interface connectors adapted to connect to one or more different peripheral devices; and

an external wire harness support positioned adjacent to the peripheral device connector presentation surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the external wire harness support further comprises a strain relief positioned adjacent to the peripheral device connector presentation surface.

15. An external expanding apparatus for expanding the function of a portable electronic device having a device body provided with an input/output (I/O) connector, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a molded apparatus body having a molded wall substantially enclosing a cavity, an outer surface of the molded wall having a bearing surface formed thereof on which the device body is to be placed, a connector presentation surface positioned for opposing the I/O connector of the device body placed on the bearing surface, and a receiver structure positioned adjacent to a front portion of the bearing surface opposite from the connector presentation surface;

a pair of engaging pins positioned on a rear portion of the bearing surface adjacent to the connector presentation surface, the engaging pins being structured for being slidingly received into mating locating holes in the device body;

an expansion connector connectable with the device I/O connector;

an expansion connector drive mechanism coupled to the molded apparatus body and structured for moving the expansion connector relative to the connector presentation surface between a disengaged position spaced away from the bearing surface and an engaged position extended over the bearing surface; and

a mounting structure positioned for adapting the molded apparatus body for mounting to an external support structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the expansion connector drive mechanism further comprises:

a movable frame movably coupled within the cavity of the molded apparatus body for motion relative to the bearing surface, the frame including a connector seat having the expansion connector mounted thereon and a security plate; and

wherein the external expanding apparatus further comprises a releasable safety catch operable between the security plate of the expansion connector drive mechanism frame and an aperture communicating with the bearing surface, the safety catch being movable between a locked position having a sensing portion thereof extended above the bearing surface and having a locking portion thereof interlocked with the security plate, and an unlocked position having the sensing portion thereof depressed relative to the bearing surface and having the locking portion thereof disengaged from the security plate.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a resilient retraction mechanism coupled between the movable frame of the expansion connector drive mechanism and a portion of the molded apparatus body.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the expansion connector drive mechanism further comprises one or more guides positioned on an inner surface of the molded wall substantially opposite from the bearing surface thereof and aligned between the connector presentation surface and the opposing front portion of the bearing surface, and a cooperating follower mechanism formed in a portion of the movable frame.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the molded wall of the molded apparatus body further comprises a peripheral device connector presentation surface integrally formed therein, the peripheral device connector presentation surface having one or more interface connectors presented thereon and adapted to connect to one or more different peripheral devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the molded wall of the molded apparatus body further comprises a wire harness strain relief integrally formed with the outer surface of the molded wall and spaced away from a peripheral device connector presentation surface.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a display unit support mechanism having a substantially rigid support arm rotatably coupled relative to a rear portion of the molded apparatus body adjacent to the connector presentation surface, and

a display unit clamping mechanism positioned on the rigid support arm spaced away from the molded apparatus body, the clamping mechanism comprising;

a substantially rigid anvil having a support surface extended therefrom, and

a substantially rigid jaw that is resiliently coupled to the anvil, the jaw having a substantially rigid finger that is spaced away from the support surface of the anvil and is movable between a first position opposed to the support surface of the anvil, and a second position unopposed to the support surface of the anvil.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the support arm further comprises a molded support arm.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the substantially rigid anvil further comprises a molded anvil integral with the molded support arm.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the substantially rigid jaw further comprises a molded jaw.

25. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the molded apparatus body further comprises:

a first molded wall and a second molded wall, the first and second molded walls being connected along a line of mutual contact and substantially enclosing the cavity;

a molded edge mounting hole formed between the first and second molded walls along the line of mutual contact; and

a molded nut pocket formed on an inner surface of one of the first and second molded walls by a plurality of molded nut pocket walls extended interior of one of the first and second molded walls, the plurality of molded nut pocket walls forming a shaped cavity substantially aligned with the edge mounting hole and an opening thereinto from an outer surface of one of the first and second molded walls.

26. A method of molding an external expanding apparatus housing of molding material, the method comprising:

molding a wall having an inner wall surface which substantially bounds a cavity;

molding a device bearing surface on a first portion of an outer surface of the molded wall;

molding an expansion connector presentation surface on a second portion of the outer surface of the molded wall and positioned adjacent to an edge of the device bearing surface;

forming an expansion connector access opening through the expansion connector presentation surface; and

forming a mounting structure on a third portion of the outer surface of the molded wall that is adapted for mounting to an external support structure.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising projecting at least a portion of a device receiver structure above the device bearing surface adjacent to a different edge of the bearing surface substantially opposite from the expansion connector presentation surface.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein molding a wall further comprises molding a first wall having a first inner wall surface and molding a second molded wall having a second inner wall surface, and

further comprising connecting the first and second walls along a line of mutual contact with the first and second inner wall surfaces being substantially contiguous along the line of mutual contact and substantially bounding the cavity therebetween.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein molding a wall further comprises molding a peripheral device connector presentation surface formed on a third portion of the outer surface of the molded wall, and

further comprising forming one or more openings communicating through the peripheral device connector presentation surface with the inner wall surface.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising substantially permanently coupling one or more engaging pins projected from the first portion of an outer surface of the wall in the vicinity of the device bearing surface.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein molding a wall further comprises molding a structure integrally with a portion of the inner wall surface for supporting an expansion connector drive relative to a first portion of the inner wall surface opposite from the first portion of the outer wall surface having the device bearing surface formed thereon.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

coupling an expansion connector drive mechanism to the expansion connector drive supporting structure such that a portion thereof is movable relative to the expansion connector access opening in the expansion connector presentation surface; and

coupling a computer expansion connector to the movable portion of the expansion connector drive mechanism.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

forming a passage through the molded wall communicating between the first portion of the inner wall surface and the first portion of the outer wall surface having the device bearing surface formed thereon;

coupling a safety catch between the movable portion of the expansion connector drive mechanism and the passage through the molded wall; and

biasing the safety catch toward the device bearing surface.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising coupling a display unit support mechanism to a fourth portion of the outer surface of the molded wall and positioned adjacent to an edge of the device bearing surface, and further comprising rotatably coupling a substantially rigid support arm adjacent to the expansion connector presentation surface and positioning a display unit clamping mechanism on the rigid support arm spaced away from the device bearing surface.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising molding the support arm.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising forming the display unit clamping mechanism of a substantially rigid anvil connected to the support arm and having a support surface extended therefrom over the device bearing surface;

resiliently movably coupling a substantially rigid jaw to the anvil, including spacing a substantially rigid finger portion of the jaw away from the support surface of the anvil in a movable relationship therewith, the finger portion being movable between a first position opposed to the support surface of the anvil, and a second position unopposed to the support surface of the anvil; and

molding one or more of the anvil and the jaw.