CONNECTION STRUCTURE HAVING GUIDING MECHANISM

• US 20120075793A1
• Filed: 09/26/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shuttle Incorporated (Shuttle International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Shuttle Incorporated (Shuttle International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weng, An-Sheng, Chen, His-Yun, Lai, Hsin-Hung, Lee, Chun-Te, Chang, Cheng-Min, Shih, Chai-Wei, CHIEN, Chih-Hsiang
• Application Number:
  US12/890,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20120075793A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7037 making use of a magnetically operated switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery

Abstract

A connection structure having guiding mechanism includes a female connector, a sensing unit and a status-indicating unit arranged on an electronic device, and a male connector, a trigger element and a status-indicating unit arranged a docking station. While the electronic device is close to the docking station, the sensing unit will sense the trigger element and activate the status-indicating unit. Once the status-indicating unit is aligned to the position-marking unit by a user, the female connector will be aligned to the male connector.

Claims

1. A connection structure having guiding mechanism arranged on an electronic device and a docking station, the connection structure comprising:

a female connector arranged on a side of the electronic device;

a male connector arranged on a side of the docking station;

a trigger element arranged in the docking station;

a sensing unit arranged in the electronic device for sensing the trigger element;

a status-indicating unit arranged on the electronic device and electrical connected to the sensing unit and capable of being activated by the sensing unit while the electronic device is close to the docking station and the sensing unit senses the trigger element;

a position-marking unit arranged on an outer surface of the docking station, wherein the distance between the status-indicating unit and the female connector is equal to the distance between the position-marking unit and the male connector, whereby an alignment between female connector and the male connector can be ensured when the activated status-indicating unit is aligned to the position-marking unit by moving the electronic device.

2. The connection structure as claim 1, wherein the status-indicating unit is a light-emitting diode and the sensing unit is a Hall sensor and the trigger element is a magnet.

3. The connection structure as claim 2, wherein the position-marking unit is a light-emitting diode electrically connected to the male connector, the position-marking unit is activated once the female connector is connected to the male connector.

4. The connection structure as claim 1, wherein the status-indicating unit is a light-emitting diode or a laser source exposed out of a bottom side of the electronic device, and the position-marking unit is a light-sensing strip arranged on a top side of the docking station, and the docking station further comprises a connection-indicating unit electrically connected to the male connector, and once the status-indicating unit is activated to emit a light beam downwardly from the bottom side of the electronic device and is aligned to the position-marking unit, the position-marking unit will receive and gather the light beam, and once the female connector is connected to the male connector, the connection-indicating unit will be activated.

5. The connection structure as claim 1, wherein the status-indicating unit is a light-emitting diode or a laser source exposed out of a bottom side of the electronic device, and the position-marking unit is an L-shaped transparent tube arranged in the docking station and exposed out of a top side and a front side of the docking station, and once the status-indicating unit is activated to emit a light beam downwardly from the bottom side of the electronic device and is aligned to the position-marking unit, the position-marking unit will receive the light beam through the top side of the docking station, and the light beam will be deflected to the front side of the docking station.

6. A connection structure having guiding mechanism arranged on an electronic device and a docking station, the connection structure comprising:

a female connector arranged on a side of the electronic device;

a male connector arranged on a side of the docking station;

a trigger element arranged in the electronic device;

a sensing unit arranged in the docking station for sensing the trigger element;

a status-indicating unit arranged on the docking station and electrical connected to the sensing unit and capable of being activated by the sensing unit while the electronic device is close to the docking station and the sensing unit senses the trigger element;

a position-marking unit arranged on an outer surface of the electronic device, wherein the distance between the position-marking unit and the female connector is equal to the distance between the status-indicating unit and the male connector, whereby an alignment between female connector and the male connector can be ensured when the activated status-indicating unit is aligned to the position-marking unit by moving the electronic device.

7. The connection structure as claim 6, wherein the status-indicating unit is a light-emitting diode and the sensing unit is a Hall sensor and the trigger element is a magnet.

8. The connection structure as claim 7, wherein the position-marking unit is a light-emitting diode electrically connected to the female connector, the position-marking unit is activated once the female connector is connected to the male connector.

9. The connection structure as claim 6, wherein the status-indicating unit is a light-emitting diode or a laser source exposed out of a top side of the docking station, and the position-marking unit is a light-sensing strip arranged on a bottom side of the electronic device, and the electronic device further comprises a connection-indicating unit electrically connected to the female connector, and once the status-indicating is activated to emit a light beam downwardly from the top side of the docking station and is aligned to the position-marking unit, the position-marking unit will receive and gather the light beam, and once the female connector is connected to the male connector, the connection-indicating unit will be activated.

10. The connection structure as claim 6, wherein the status-indicating unit is a light-emitting diode or a laser source exposed out of a top side of the docking station, and the position-marking unit is an L-shaped transparent tube arranged in the electronic device and exposed out of a bottom side and a front side of the electronic device, and once the status-indicating is activated to emit a light beam upwardly from the top side of the docking station and is aligned to the position-marking unit, the position-marking unit will receive the light beam through the bottom side of the electronic device, and the light beam will be deflected to the front side of the electronic device.

11. A connection structure having guiding mechanism for connecting an electronic device to a docking station, the electronic device comprising a female connector and the docking station comprising a male connector, wherein the improvement comprises:

a first sensing unit, a first trigger element and a first position-indicating unit all arranged on the electronic device and located at the same side of the female connector, wherein the first position-indicating unit is electrically connected to the first sensing unit; and

a second sensing unit, a second trigger element and a second position-indicating unit all arranged on the docking station and located at the same side of the male connector, wherein second position-indicating unit is electrically connected to the second sensing unit,

whereby while the electronic device is close to the docking station, the first sensing unit will sense the second trigger element and then activate the first position-indicating unit, and the second sensing unit will sense the first trigger element and then activate the second position-indicating unit, and the distance between the first position-indicating unit and the female connector is equal to the distance between the second position-indicating unit and the male connector,

whereby an alignment between the female connector and the male connector can be ensured when the first position-indicating unit is aligned to the second position-indicating unit.

12. The connection structure as claim 11, wherein the first position-indicating unit and the second position-indicating unit are light-emitting diodes, and first sensing unit and the second sensing unit are Hall sensors, and the first trigger element and the second trigger element are magnets.