Locking apparatus for a compact computer

• US 6,581,420 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sinox Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sinox Company Limited
• Inventors: Ling, Chong-Kuan, Wu, Chun-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, SUZANNE LALE DINO
• Application Number:
  US09/776,655
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 70/14, 70/57, 70/58, 70/63, 703/12, 701/58--64, 361/683, 361/686, 248/551-553
• US Class Current: 70/58
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/02 with tumbler discs or rings arranged on a single axis, each disc being adjustable independently of the others
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0082 for office machines, e.g. PC's, portable computers, typewriters, calculators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/40 Portable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5009 For portable articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7305 Manually operable

Abstract

A locking device for a compact computer or a small computer, in particular, a personal data accessory or a palm data accessory (hereinafter referred to as PDA), is presented. The invention also includes a blocking device which is connected with the locking mechanism and is convertible between an unlocking position and a locking position, the blocking device is adapted to be locked and secured by the locking mechanism. The blocking device is adapted to be set to the locking position and resist against the incline surface of the stand so as to lock and secure the PDA with the stand.

Claims

1. A locking apparatus for securing a compact computer on a stand, in which the compact computer has at least one longitudinal extended groove formed thereon, and the groove has an upper end and a lower end of which the upper end is formed with an opening and the lower end is configured to a closed end;

the stand has an inclined surface upwardly extending from a front bottom side thereof, the locking apparatus comprises;

a locking mechanism;

at least one protrusion which is connected with the locking mechanism and adapted to be correspondingly inserted into the at least one groove of the compact computer; and

a blocking device which is connected with the locking mechanism and is convertible between a locking position and an unlocking position;

whereby when the blocking device is at the locking position, where the locking mechanism is engaged with the blocking device, the blocking device resists against the inclined surface of the stand; and

when the blocking device is at the unlocking position, where the locking mechanism is disengaged from the blocking device, the blocking device is movable away from the stand.

2. The locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the closed end of the groove of the compact computer is gradually tapered.

3. The locking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the blocking device is pivotally connected with the locking mechanism;

the at least one protrusion has a tapered free end;

when the tapered free end of the protrusion is inserted into the closed end of the groove, the blocking device is adapted to pivotally rotate to the locking position thereof to resist against the inclined surface of the stand and the locking mechanism is adapted to be engaged for the blocking device at the locking position.

4. The locking apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the compact computer has two longitudinal grooves respectively formed on two opposing sides thereof, and the locking apparatus has two protrusions respectively disposed on two opposing sides thereof for being received in the longitudinal grooves;

when the tapered free ends of the two protrusions are inserted into the closed ends of the two grooves, respectively, the blocking device is adapted to pivotally rotate to the locking position to resist against the inclined surface of the stand for the locking mechanism to engage the blocking device at the locking position.

5. The locking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compact computer has two opposing sides and two longitudinal extended grooves formed on the two sides thereof, respectively, wherein the blocking device is a housing, which has two sides, and the locking apparatus further comprises two arms mounted on and adapted to pivotally rotate with respect to the two sides of the housing, and wherein the locking apparatus comprises two protrusions each having a tapered free end and provided on the two arms, respectively;

when the tapered free ends of the two protrusions are inserted into the closed ends of the two grooves, the housing is adapted to pivotally rotate to the locking position to resist against the inclined surface for the locking mechanism to engage the housing at the locking position.

6. The locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the compact computer has two opposing sides and two longitudinal extended grooves formed on the two sides thereof, respectively, wherein the locking apparatus comprises two protrusions, the blocking device is a rod including a curved free end portion and a body portion, the body portion is pivotally connected with the locking mechanism, and wherein one of the protrusions is mounted on the locking mechanism, and the other protrusion is provided on the free end portion of the rod, thereby the two protrusions are adapted to be inserted into the two grooves so that the body portion of the rod resists against the inclined surface of the stand for the locking mechanism to engage the rod at the locking position without rotating about the body portion thereof.

7. The locking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the closed end of each of the grooves of the compact computer is tapered, the rod has a pivotal joint provided between the curved free end portion and the body portion thereof, the protrusion provided on the free end portion is a protruding post having a tapered free end.

8. The locking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compact computer has two opposing sides and two longitudinal extended grooves formed on the two sides thereof, wherein the blocking device is a rod having two pivotal joints, and a free end portion, a body portion and a portion connected with the locking mechanism which are jointed by the two pivotal joints, the portion connected with the locking mechanism is adapted to telescopically move between the unlocking position and the locking position, the free end portion and the portion connected with the locking mechanism, respectively, is adapted to pivotally rotate with respect to the body portion by the two pivotal joints, wherein the locking apparatus comprises two protrusions, one of the protrusions is provided on the locking mechanism and the other protrusion is provided on the free end portion, each of the two protrusions is a protruding post with a tapered free end which is adapted to be inserted into the two grooves;

when the tapered free ends of the two protruding posts are inserted into the closed ends of the two grooves, the body portion of the rod resists against the inclined surface of the stand for the locking mechanism to engage the rod at the locking position.

9. A locking apparatus for securing a compact computer on a stand, in which the compact computer has at least one longitudinal extended groove formed thereon, and the groove has an upper end and a lower end of which the upper end is formed with an opening and the lower end is configured to a tapered closed end;

the stand has an inclined surface upwardly extending from a front bottom side thereof, the locking apparatus comprises;

a housing having a surface configured complementary to the inclined surface of the stand and the housing is adapted to closely resist against the inclined surface of the stand, the housing has at least one-insertion hole;

a locking mechanism provided within the housing;

a latching member which is connected with and controlled by the locking mechanism and is convertible between an unlocking position and a locking position; and

at least one insertion rod having a protrusion thereon, the protrusion is adapted to be correspondingly inserted into the at least one groove of the compact computer, a cavity is provided on the insertion rod, the insertion rod is adapted to be inserted into the insertion hole of the housing, and the latching member is adapted to be inserted into the cavity of the insertion rod at the locking position.

10. The locking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the compact computer has two opposing sides and two longitudinal extended grooves formed on the two sides thereof, respectively, wherein the locking apparatus has an insertion assembly including a connecting part having two sides and two insertion rods mounted on the two sides of the connecting part, respectively, each of the insertion rods is provided with a protrusion which is a protruding post with a tapered free end.

11. The locking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the compact computer has two opposing sides and two longitudinal extended grooves formed on the two sides thereof, respectively, the insertion rod is in a shape of reversed U and has two free ends with two protrusions disposed thereon, respectively, each of the two protrusions is a protruding post with a tapered free end.

12. A locking apparatus for securing a compact computer on a stand, in which the compact computer has at least one longitudinal extended groove formed thereon, the locking apparatus comprises:

a base for the stand to be mounted thereon;

a locking mechanism connected with the base; and

at least one blocking device connected with the locking mechanism, the at least one blocking device is connected with and controlled by the locking mechanism and is convertible between an unlocking position and a locking position;

whereby the blocking device is at the locking position where the locking mechanism is engaged, thereby the blocking device is adapted to be inserted into the at least one groove of the compact computer at the locking position.

13. The locking apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the base of the locking apparatus is integrally formed with the stand.

14. The locking apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the compact computer and the locking mechanism respectively has two sides, and the compact computer has two longitudinal extended grooves respectively formed on the two sides thereof, the at least one blocking device comprises two arms which are mounted on the two sides of the locking apparatus, each of the two arms is provided with a protrusion which is adapted to be inserted into the grooves.