SELF-ALIGNING CONNECTION TO A DOCKING STATION

• US 20150043154A1
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Feldstein, George, Balch, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.43
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/22 with approximately constant height, e.g. with constant length of column or of legs F16M11/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor

Abstract

A docking station (2) system for a tablet (1) having a data connector, said docking station (2) comprising: a substantially planar docking platform (4) for receiving a tablet (1), said docking platform (4) having an elevated retaining lip (6) extending along the lower edge of said docking platform (4) to engage at least one edge of said tablet (1), and one or more elevated guide rails (14); a cable slide (7) having a cable platform, said cable platform having one or more elevated cable tabs (12) for mechanically securing said unmodified tablet data cable (17) thereon, and a cable slide cover (10) for applying pressure to, in order to align the unmodified tablet data cable connector (18) to a tablet connector (16) of said tablet (1), and slide the cable slide (7) into said docking station (2).

Claims

1. A docking station system for a tablet having a data connector, said docking station comprising:

(a) a substantially planar docking platform (4) for receiving said tablet (1);

(b) an elevated retaining lip (6) along the lower edge of said docking platform (4), said retaining lip (6) for slidibly engaging one edge of said tablet (1); and

(c) a cable slide (7) having a cable platform, said cable platform having one or more elevated cable tabs (12) for mechanically securing an unmodified tablet data cable (17) thereon;

said cable slide (7) further having a cable slide cover (10) for covering and pushing said cable slide (7) into said docking station (2) until said cable slide cover (10) is flush with said docking station.

2. The docking station system of claim 1, wherein said docking station (2) is mounted in a landscape view position on a stand (3).

3. The docking station system of claim 1, wherein said unmodified tablet data cable (17) is routed in a channel behind said docking platform (4).

4. The docking station system of claim 1, wherein said elevated retaining lip (6) is the only retaining lip along edge of said docking platform (4).

5. The docking station system of claim 1, further comprising an elevated retaining lip extending along the upper lower edge of said docking platform (4).

6. The docking station system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more guide rails disposed longitudinally on said docking platform (4); and

a plurality of elevated guide tabs (13) disposed underneath said cable platform for guidance by said guide rails.

7. The docking station system of claim 5, wherein said planar docking platform (4) has two elevated guide rails (14), each parallel to the other.

8. The docking station system of claim 1, wherein each elevated guide rail (14) has at least two opposing elevated guide tabs (13), each on opposite sides of said elevated guide rail (14), and wherein all opposing elevated guide tabs (13) are loosely spaced apart so that a cable slide (7) is permitted the mechanical freedom to establish alignment of said data cable (17) into said tablet connector (16).

9. The docking station system of claim 1, wherein said data cable (17) is the actual cable provided by its manufacturer.

10. A method for aligning and inserting a tablet data cable routed inside docking station system to a tablet connector, the docking station comprising a substantially planar docking platform having an elevated retaining lip and one or more elevated guide rails, a cable slide having a cable platform having one or more elevated cable tabs for mechanically securing said unmodified tablet data cable, and a cable slide cover providing a surface area for a user to push on, the method comprising:

(a) placing (step of 20) one edge of said tablet behind said elevated retaining lip;

(b) laying (step of 21) said tablet flat down against said docking platform;

(c) sliding (step of 22) said tablet until said tablet connector interacts with said data cable connector;

(d) sliding (step of 23) said tablet into a fully seated position thereby ejecting said cable slide partially out of said docking station; and

(e) pushing (step of 24) said cable slide cover back into said docking station system, thereby guiding said data cable connector into a proper alignment with said tablet connector and fully inserting said tablet data cable connector.

11. A method for using a docking station and a third-party data cable secured therein, the docking station comprising a substantially planar docking platform, said platform comprising an elevated retaining lip, a cable slide having a device data cable, and a cable slide cover for a user to push on, the method comprising:

(a) placing one edge of a device behind said elevated retaining lip;

(b) laying said device flat down against said docking platform;

(c) sliding said device until said device connector interacts with said data cable connector;

(d) sliding said device into a fully seated position thereby ejecting said cable slide partially out of said docking station; and

(e) pushing said cable slide cover back into said docking station system, thereby guiding said data cable connector into a proper alignment with said device connector and fully inserting said device data cable connector.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of ejecting said cable slide partially out and pushing said cable slide cover back into said docking station are carried out using one or more guide rails disposed longitudinally on said docking platform;

and a plurality of elevated guide tabs disposed underneath said cable slide for guidance by said guide rails.