Elevationally adjustable portable computer docking station

• US 6,583,985 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Youens, John E., Nguyen, Minh H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovksy, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/138,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20020159231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/680, 361/686-687, 361/682, 361/688-695, 361/727, 364/708.1, 248/917-924, 248/136, 248/153, 248/175, 248/156, 248/456, 248/166, 248/454, 248/440.1, 248/460-461, 248/465.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.27
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2023/049 Desk stand for laptop computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A portable computer docking station housing is provided on its bottom side with a support foot structure which is pivotable relative to the housing to prop it up on a horizontal work station surface in a selectively variable one of a series of different front-to-rear tilt angles thereon. This permits the opened display screen of a docked portable computer disposed on the top side of the docking station housing to be selectively adjusted upwardly and downwardly in a vertical plane to accommodate the height and viewing preferences of a user of the docked computer. A specially designed spring-loaded, manually operable clutch mechanism is useable to releasably lock the support foot in its selected pivotal orientation relative to the housing. Various peripheral device connection ports are conveniently incorporated in the support foot.

Claims

1. A system for connecting a portable computer to another device, comprising:

a docking station having a tilt adjustment structure utilizing a locking mechanism to releasably lock the docking station in a plurality of different tilt positions, the locking mechanism comprising a plurality of clutch members, each of the plurality of clutch members biased by a spring and having a plurality of teeth that are able to be selectively intermeshed at each of the plurality of different tilt positions.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises a housing to which the tilt adjustment structure is pivotably attached.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising an electrical computer docking connector mounted to the housing.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the tilt adjustment structure further comprises a support foot member pivotably carried on an underside of the housing.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the housing has a front side and an opposite, generally parallel rear side, further wherein the support foot member is pivotable relative to the housing about an axis substantially parallel to the rear side.

8. The system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a connection port to which a peripheral device may be electrically connected, the connection port being electrically coupled to the electric computer docking connector.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the docking station may be held by the locking mechanism in at least three different tilt positions.

6. A system for connecting a portable computer to another device, comprising:

a docking station having a tilt adjustment structure utilizing a locking mechanism to releasably lock the docking station in a plurality of different tilt positions, the locking mechanism comprising a plurality of teeth that are able to be selectively intermeshed at each of the plurality of different tilt positions and a lever movable to selectively disengage the plurality of teeth.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a spring-loaded clutch to resiliently hold the plurality of teeth in an engaged position, wherein actuation of the lever causes the spring-loaded clutch to release the plurality of teeth from their intermeshed engagement.

10. A computer docking system, comprising:

a portable computer; and

a docking station to which the portable computer is releasably mounted, the docking station having a tilt adjustment structure with a plurality of teeth on opposite ends of a cylindrical portion, the plurality of teeth being selectively engagable teeth to hold the docking station and the portable computer at a plurality of angular positions.

11. The computer docking system as recited in claim 10, wherein the tilt adjustment structure engages at least a pair of clutch members that interface with the selectively engageable teeth at an intermeshed position.

12. The computer docking system as recited in claim 10, wherein the portable computer comprises a first electrical docking connector and the docking station comprises a second electrical docking connector for receiving the first electrical docking connector.

13. The computer docking system as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least a pair of clutch members comprises a spring member to bias the selectively engageable teeth to the intermeshed position.

15. The computer docking system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a docking connector for electrically coupling the docking station to the portable computer.

16. The computer docking system as recited in claim 10, wherein the docking station may be held by the locking mechanism in at least three different tilt positions.

17. The computer docking system as recited in claim 16, wherein the portable computer comprises a display screen pivotably coupled to a computer base.

14. A computer docking system, comprising:

a portable computer; and

a docking station to which the portable computer is releasably mounted, the docking station having a tilt adjustment structure with selectively engagable teeth to hold the docking station and the portable computer at a plurality of angular positions, wherein the tilt adjustment structure further comprises a manually operable clutch that biases the selectively engageable teeth to an intermeshed position and a lever that is movable to release the manually operable clutch, the manually operable clutch comprising a spring member to bias the selectively engageable teeth to the intermeshed position.

18. A method for holding a portable computer at a plurality of angular positions, comprising:

using a lever to “

activate a plurality of clutch members, each of them being biased by a spring and having a plurality of teeth”

;

moving a docking station housing to a desired angular position;

adjusting the tilt adjustment structure to a position able to support the docking station housing at the desired angular position; and

locking the tilt adjustment structure at the desired position with a plurality of interfering extensions.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein locking comprises spring-biasing a plurality of teeth to an interfering position.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein adjusting comprises pivoting the tilt adjustment structure with respect to the docking station housing.