Cradles having Hinged Back Walls

• US 20140361751A1
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DOK Solution
• Original Assignee: DOK Solution
• Inventors: Strauser, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 9,423,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A consumer electronic system for holding and providing power to any number of consumer electronic devices has cradles and each of the cradles has a pair of folding support walls. The pair of folding support walls are separated by a gap, allowing for a device cable to be routed between the two sections so that, when a consumer electronic device is within the cradle and connected to a power port for charging or use (by the cable) the consumer electronic device sits properly. Since the device cable, passes through this gap, the device cable doesn'"'"'t perturb the consumer electronic device (e.g., allowing for a stable containment of the consumer electronic device at a proper viewing angle).

Claims

1. A consumer electronic system comprising:

an enclosure;

a cradle formed in the enclosure, the cradle having a cavity and two folding support walls, the cavity sized to contain at least one portion of a consumer electronic device, each of the support walls having a deployed position for supporting the consumer electronic device and a collapsed position;

a power port interfaced to the enclosure for accepting a host end connector of a device cable; and

a second end of the device cable having a device end connector for connecting to the consumer electronic device;

whereas, the device cable removably passes through a gap between the two folding support walls for positioning the device end connector and at least a portion of the consumer electronic device within the cavity.

2. The consumer electronic system of claim 1, further comprising a cable manager, the cable manager having a spool portion for winding the device cable and a cap, the cap having a plurality of cable clips for accepting and holding the device cable, thereby preventing the device cable from unwinding from the spool.

3. The consumer electronic system of claim 1, wherein the power port is on the cap.

4. The consumer electronic system of claim 1, further comprising a second cradle is that is staggered with respect to the cradle to reduce blockage of a display of one of the consumer electronic devices by a different one of the consumer electronic devices.

5. The consumer electronic system of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises at least one step and each of the at least one step successively supports smaller consumer electronic devices.

6. The consumer electronic system of claim 1, wherein the power port is a universal serial port (USB port).

15. The consumer electronic system of claim 1, wherein the power port is on the cap.

7. A method of charging a consumer electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a consumer electronic system comprising;

an enclosure;

a cradle formed in the enclosure, the cradle having a cavity and two folding support walls, the cavity sized to contain at least one portion of at least a first consumer electronic device, each of the support walls having a deployed position for supporting one of the consumer electronic devices and having a collapsed position; and

a power port interfaced to the enclosure;

connecting a host end connector of a device cable to the power port;

connecting a device end connector of the device cable to the one of the consumer electronic devices; and

routing the device cable through the gap between the two folding support walls such that the device end connector is situated within the cavity and the one of the consumer electronic devices is supported by the cradle and the two folding support walls.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

winding an excess length of the device cable around a hub of a cable manager and passing the device cable through a cable clip in a cap of the cable manager, thereby maintaining the winding of the device cable around the hub.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the power port is located on the cap of the cable manager.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the cradle comprises at least one step and each of the at least one step successively supports smaller consumer electronic devices.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the power port is a universal serial port (USB port).

12. A consumer electronic system comprising:

an enclosure;

a plurality of cradles formed in the enclosure for supporting any of a plurality of consumer electronic devices, each of the cradles having a cavity and a pair of folding support walls, the cavity sized to contain at least one portion of at least a first consumer electronic device of the plurality of consumer electronic devices, each of the pair of support walls having a deployed position for supporting a consumer electronic device and a collapsed position;

a plurality of power ports interfaced to the enclosure, each power port for accepting a host end connector of a device cable; and

a second end of each of the device cables having a device end connector for connecting to one of the plurality of consumer electronic devices;

whereas, the device cables removably pass through gaps between each pair of folding support walls for positioning each of the plurality of consumer electronic devices and the device end connector at least partially within a corresponding one of the cavities.

13. The consumer electronic system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of cable managers, each of the cable managers having a spool portion for winding one of the device cables and a cap, the cap having a plurality of cable clips for accepting and holding the one of the device cables, thereby preventing the one of the device cables from unwinding from the spool.

14. The consumer electronic system of claim 13, wherein each of the at least one cable managers corresponds to one of the plurality of cradles.

16. The consumer electronic system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the cradles is staggered with respect to another one of the cradles, thereby reducing blockage of a display of one of the consumer electronic devices by a different one of the consumer electronic devices.

17. The consumer electronic system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the cradles comprises at least one step and each of the at least one step successively supports smaller consumer electronic devices.

18. The consumer electronic system of claim 12, wherein the power port is a universal serial port (USB port).

19. The consumer electronic system of claim 12, wherein the consumer electronic system is a clock radio.

20. The consumer electronic system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of cradles further comprises a pair of nubs such that a consumer electronic device fits and rests between the nubs and the pair of folding support walls of the at least one of the plurality of cradles.