Portable device docking station

• US 7,417,855 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards; Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US11/490,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/686, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 710/303
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5009 For portable articles

Abstract

An external expanding apparatus or “docking station” operable with a portable computer device of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof.

Claims

1. An external expanding apparatus that is operable with a portable computer of a type having an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof for interconnecting with a mating connector of the external expanding apparatus, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a substantially rigid apparatus body portion adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the apparatus body portion having a substantially rigid bearing plate formed with a substantially rectangular computer bearing surface on an outer face thereof with a connector presentation surface projected above the bearing surface and having an opening therein facing toward the computer bearing surface of the bearing plate, an expansion connector drive mechanism coupled to an inner face thereof opposite from the bearing surface and being moveable relative to the connector presentation surface, and a substantially rigid bottom plane formed opposite from the bearing plate with a peripheral device connector presentation surface adjacent thereto;

engaging structure projected above the bearing surface at opposite corners thereof and being structured for matingly engaging the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer;

a computer expansion connector structured to mate with the I/O connector of the computer and being movably mounted on the expansion connector drive mechanism adjacent to the opening in the connector presentation surface for moving relative to the computer bearing surface of the bearing plate;

a plurality of peripheral device connectors electrically coupled to the computer expansion connector and presented at the peripheral device connector presentation surface of the apparatus body portion adjacent to the bottom plane thereof, each of the peripheral device connectors being structured to receive a corresponding peripheral device connector; and

an external wire harness support apparatus comprising a plurality of individual cable supports each projected from the bottom plane of the apparatus body portion proximate to a respective one of the peripheral device connectors, each of the individual cable supports comprising a substantially rigid body portion formed with an electrical interface cable attachment surface that is spaced away from the bottom plane and structured to securely receive a cable thereover, and a clearance tunnel extended thereunder and oriented substantially crosswise thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cable attachment surface of each of the individual cable supports of the external wire harness support apparatus further comprises a curved valley with a pair of wall portions tangentially extended from opposite sides thereof and substantially contiguous therewith.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of the wall portions further comprises a crenellated wall portion having one or more embrasures between spaced apart merlons.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the clearance tunnel extended under the cable attachment surface of each of the individual cable supports further comprises a tunnel extended completely through the respective cable support and recessed into the bottom plane of the body portion therebeneath.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the external wire harness support apparatus further comprises three or more of the individual cable supports spaced apart in a row having their respective cable attachment surfaces arranged in substantially parallel orientation.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a single clearance tunnel extended under the cable attachment surfaces of the row of individual cable supports, the single clearance tunnel interconnecting the clearance tunnels under the cable attachment surfaces of the individual cable supports.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cable attachment surface of each of the individual cable supports of the external wire harness support apparatus is further substantially aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of peripheral device connectors.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the external wire harness support apparatus further comprises one or more gang cable supports each positioned on the bottom plane of the body portion spaced away from both the plurality of individual cable supports and the peripheral device connectors, each of the one or more gang cable supports further comprising a substantially rigid body portion formed with a cable attachment surface that is spaced away from the bottom plane on a pair of substantially rigid legs spaced apart at opposite ends thereof and forming a clearance tunnel extended thereunder and oriented substantially crosswise thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cable attachment surface of one or more of the gang cable supports is further oriented substantially crosswise of the cable attachment surface of one or more of the plurality of individual cable supports.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein one or more of the gang cable supports is further spaced away from the peripheral device connector presentation surface of the apparatus body portion and oriented substantially parallel therewith.

11. An external expanding apparatus for expanding the function of a portable electronic device having a device body provided with an input/output (I/O) connector, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body having a bearing surface on which the device body is to be placed, a connector presentation surface for opposing the device I/O connector of the device body placed on the bearing surface, and a peripheral device connector presentation surface;

a pair of engaging pins positioned on a rear portion of the bearing surface adjacent to the connector presentation surface, the engaging pins being structured for being slidingly received into mating locating holes in the device body;

an expansion connector connectable with the device I/O connector;

an expansion connector drive mechanism structured for moving the expansion connector relative to the connector presentation surface between a disengaged position spaced away from the bearing surface and an engaged position extended over the bearing surface;

one or more peripheral device connectors electrically coupled to the expansion connector and presented at the peripheral device connector presentation surface of the apparatus body portion;

one or more cable supports positioned on the apparatus body proximate to a respective one of the one or more peripheral device connectors, each of the one or more cable supports comprising a cable attachment surface that is spaced away from the apparatus body and structured to securely receive an electrical cable thereon and a cable tie there around; and

a mounting structure that is structured to adapt the body portion for mounting to an external support structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least one of the cable supports further comprises a body portion having the cable attachment surface formed on an outer surface thereof and clearance formed between the body portion of the cable support and the apparatus body.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of the cable supports further comprises a body portion a tunnel extended between the body portion thereof and the apparatus body and oriented substantially crosswise of the cable attachment surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the tunnel extended between the cable support body portion and the apparatus body further comprises an aperture formed in the apparatus body.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein at least one of the cable supports further comprises a crenellated wall portion extended on either side of the cable attachment surface and substantially contiguous therewith.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of the cable supports arranged in a row with the respective tunnels extended between the respective cable support body portions and the apparatus body being interconnected in a substantially continuous tunnel.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a gang cable support positioned on the apparatus body and spaced away from the one or more cable supports, the gang cable support comprising a cable attachment surface that is spaced away from the apparatus body, oriented substantially crosswise of the cable attachment surfaces of the one or more cable support, and structured to securely receive a plurality of electrical cables thereon and a cable tie there around.

17. An external expanding apparatus that is operable with a portable computer of a type having an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof for interconnecting with a mating connector of the external expanding apparatus, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a substantially rigid body portion having a substantially rigid bearing plate formed with a substantially rectangular computer bearing surface on an outer face thereof on which the computer device body is to be placed and one or more guides on an inner face thereof opposite from the bearing surface, a connector presentation surface adjacent to the bearing surface along a rear edge thereof and having an opening formed therein projected above the bearing surface in a position for opposing the device I/O connector of the computer device body placed on the bearing surface, a computer device receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a front edge of the bearing surface and projected there above opposite from the connector presentation surface and having a jaw structure with an opening facing toward the connector presentation surface and structured to receive and mate with a front face of the computer device casing, a substantially rigid bottom plane formed opposite from the bearing plate with a peripheral device connector presentation surface adjacent to an edge thereof and having one or more peripheral device connectors;

a pair of engaging pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer device, the engaging pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface at opposite corners thereof and adjacent to the rear edge thereof in positions for being matingly received into the pair of device locating holes;

an expansion connector drive mechanism movable relative to the connector presentation surface, the expansion connector drive mechanism being movably coupled to the one or more guides on the inner face of the bearing plate for moving relative thereto between the front and rear edges of the bearing surface along a drive axis substantially aligned with the opening in the connector presentation surface;

a connector bracket connectable with the pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides of the device I/O connector and being coupled to the expansion connector drive mechanism and projected above the bearing surface of the bearing plate and substantially aligned with the opening in the connector presentation surface, the connector bracket having a pair of substantially rigid guides in spaced-apart positions for engaging the pair of positioning apertures provided on the computer device back plane on opposite sides of the I/O connector;

a computer expansion connector connectable with the I/O connector of the computer, the computer expansion connector being mounted on the connector bracket between the guides thereof and electrically interfaced to one or more of the peripheral device connectors;

the connector bracket being linearly movable substantially parallel with the drive axis of the expansion connector drive mechanism between a first disengaged position having the connector bracket guides and expansion connector retracted within the opening in the connector presentation surface adjacent to the rear edge of the bearing surface, and a second engaged position having the connector bracket guides and expansion connector extended from the opening in the connector presentation surface over the rear edge of the bearing surface; and

an external wire harness support apparatus comprising a plurality of individual cable supports each projected from the bottom plane of the apparatus body portion proximate to the peripheral device connector presentation surface and substantially aligned with a respective one of the peripheral device connectors, each of the individual cable supports comprising;

a substantially rigid body portion formed with a substantially semi-tubular electrical interface cable attachment surface that is substantially longitudinally aligned with the one of the peripheral device connectors corresponding thereto and is spaced away from the bottom plane and is structured to securely receive thereover a cable coupled to the respective peripheral device connector,

a pair of spaced apart crenellated wall portions tangentially extended from the body portion on opposite sides of the cable attachment surface and substantially contiguous therewith, and

a clearance tunnel extended completely through the body portion between the cable attachment surface and the bottom plane and oriented substantially crosswise of the cable attachment surface and sized to receive a cable tie therethrough.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the clearance tunnel of each of the respective individual cable supports further comprises an aperture formed in the bottom plane of the body portion and aligned with the corresponding body portion.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the external wire harness support apparatus further comprises three or more of the individual cable supports spaced apart in a row having their respective cable attachment surfaces arranged in substantially parallel orientation, and having the apertures of the respective clearance tunnel of each of the respective individual cable supports being interconnected with an adjacent one of the clearance tunnels.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the external wire harness support apparatus further comprises one or more gang cable supports each positioned on the bottom plane of the body portion spaced away from both the plurality of individual cable supports and the peripheral device connectors, each of the one or more gang cable supports further comprising a substantially rigid body portion formed with a cable attachment surface that is oriented substantially crosswise of the cable attachment surface of the plurality of individual cable supports and is spaced away from the bottom plane on a pair of substantially rigid legs spaced apart at opposite ends thereof and forming a clearance tunnel extended thereunder and oriented substantially crosswise thereof and sized to receive a cable tie therethrough.