Portable device docking station

• US 7,426,108 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2006
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• 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): Zarroli; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/525,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 724 Days
• Field of Search: 361/686, 361/683, 713/322, 70/57, 439/131, 439/929
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

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 exposed on a surface thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof. The docking station having a rotatable display unit support with a display unit clamping mechanism at one end thereof adapted to resiliently clamp the computer'"'"'s display unit.

Claims

1. An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer 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, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a body portion adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the body portion having a substantially rigid bearing plate formed with a computer bearing surface, a computer receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a front edge of the bearing surface and projected there above;

a pair of locating pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer, the locating pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface in positions for being matingly received into the pair of locating holes;

a computer expansion connector positioned for mating with the input/output (I/O) connector positioned on the back plane of the portable computer;

a rotatable display unit support having a substantially rigid support arm structured with a first end portion that is rotatably coupled to the body portion and is pivotable in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing surface of the bearing plate; and

a display unit clamping mechanism positioned adjacent to a second end portion of the rigid support arm opposite from the first end portion and adapted to clamp the display unit between a substantially rigid support surface and a substantially rigid jaw portion resiliently biased substantially theretoward.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a substantially rigid anvil having the support surface formed thereon configured as a convexly arcuate support surface facing substantially toward the jaw portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a rotatable coupling between wherein the jaw portion and the anvil, the jaw portion being rotatable between a first disengaged position rotated away from the arcuate support surface of the anvil, and a second engaged position substantially opposed to the arcuate support surface of the anvil.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a telescoping mechanism between the anvil portion and the jaw portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a first resilient biasing mechanism coupled between the jaw portion and the anvil and being operable along a first drive axis that is substantially aligned with the telescoping mechanism therebetween;

and

the rotatable coupling between the jaw portion and the anvil is further operable rotationally about the first drive axis of the first resilient biasing mechanism for rotating the jaw portion between the first disengaged position and the second engaged position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the jaw portion further comprises a portion projected from a surface thereof finger facing substantially toward the anvil portion of the display unit, the projected portion being positioned distal from the telescoping mechanism.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a means for retaining the jaw portion in the second engaged position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a means for retaining the jaw portion in the in first disengaged position.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a means for biasing the jaw portion between the first disengaged position and the second engaged position.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the jaw portion is further rotatably coupled for being rotatable about a first substantially rotational drive axis that is oriented substantially crosswise to an axis of the anvil substantially parallel to the pivot plane of the rotatable display unit support arm for rotating the jaw portion between the first disengaged position and the second engaged position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a first substantially rotational resilient biasing mechanism coupled for rotating the jaw portion about the first substantially rotational drive axis.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

the anvil portion of the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a guide pin;

the jaw portion further comprises a complementary tubular counter-bore that is sized to slidingly receive the guide pin; and

further comprising a first resilient biasing mechanism coupled between the jaw portion and the anvil and being operable along a first drive axis that is substantially aligned with the guide pin and the complementary tubular counter-bore.

13. An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer 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 one or more positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a body portion adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the body portion having a substantially rigid bearing plate formed with a computer bearing surface, a computer receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a front edge of the bearing surface and projected there above;

one or more locating pins sized to be matingly received into the locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer, the one or more locating pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface in positions for being matingly received into the locating holes;

a movable computer expansion connector positioned adjacent to a rear edge of the bearing surface opposite from the computer receiver structure the for mating with the input/output (I/O) connector positioned on the back plane of the portable computer;

a rotatable display unit support having a substantially rigid support arm structured with a first end portion that is pivotally coupled to the body portion adjacent to the rear edge of the bearing surface of the bearing plate and is pivotable in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing surface; and

a display unit clamping mechanism adapted to clamp the display unit, the clamping mechanism positioned adjacent to a second end portion of the rigid support arm opposite from the first end portion, the clamping mechanism comprising;

a substantially rigid anvil having a convexly arcuate support surface extended substantially perpendicularly to the pivot plane of the support arm, and

a substantially rigid jaw that is rotatably coupled to the anvil, the jaw having a substantially rigid finger that is spacable away from the arcuate support surface of the anvil and is further rotatable between a first position opposed to the arcuate support surface of the anvil, and a second position unopposed to the arcuate support surface of the anvil.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the finger is further resiliently biased toward the arcuate support surface of the anvil.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the finger portion of the display unit clamping mechanism is further spacable along a drive axis extended between the jaw and the anvil.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the finger portion of the display unit clamping mechanism is further rotatable about the drive axis extended between the jaw and the anvil.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a resilient biasing mechanism coupled for urging the substantially rigid finger toward the arcuate support surface of the anvil.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a detent mechanism operable between the jaw and the anvil.

19. An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer 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, the external expanding apparatus comprising:

a body portion adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the body portion having a substantially rigid bearing plate between opposing side walls and formed with a computer bearing surface, a computer receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a front edge of the bearing surface and projected there above;

a pair of locating pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer, the locating pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface in positions for being matingly received into the pair of locating holes;

a computer expansion connector movable relative to a connector presentation surface positioned adjacent to a rear edge of the bearing surface opposite from the computer receiver structure the for mating with the input/output (I/O) connector positioned on the back plane of the portable computer;

a rotatable display unit support having a substantially rigid support arm structured with a first end portion that is rotatably coupled in a releasably lockable manner to one of the side walls of the body portion adjacent to the connector presentation surface and is rotatable in a plane of rotation that is substantially perpendicular to the computer bearing surface of the bearing plate; and

a display unit clamping mechanism adapted to clamp the inner surface and hard shell backing of the display unit, the clamping mechanism positioned adjacent to a second clamping end portion of the rigid support arm opposite from the first pivot end portion, the display unit clamping mechanism comprising;

a substantially rigid anvil having a substantially smooth part-cylindrical support surface having an axis of rotation extended substantially perpendicularly to the rotation plane of the support arm,

a substantially rigid jaw that is rotatably coupled to a heal portion of the anvil, the jaw having a substantially rigid finger that is nominally spaced away from the arcuate support surface of the anvil and is rotatable about a drive axis extended substantially crosswise axis of rotation of the part-cylindrical support surface of the anvil, the finger being rotatable between a first position opposed to the part-cylindrical support surface of the anvil, and a second position unopposed to the part-cylindrical support surface of the anvil;

a resilient biasing mechanism coupled for urging the substantially rigid finger toward the part-cylindrical support surface of the anvil; and

a detent mechanism between the jaw and the anvil for retaining the finger portion of the jaw in one of the first and second positions.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the detent mechanism of the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a guide pin projected along the drive axis from one of the anvil portion and the jaw portion, and a complementary tubular counter-bore formed along the drive axis in a different one of the anvil portion and the jaw portion, the complementary tubular counter-bore sized to slidingly receive the guide pin.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the resilient biasing mechanism is further coupled between the jaw portion and the anvil portion for operation along the drive axis.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the jaw portion further comprises a portion projected from a surface of the finger facing substantially toward the anvil portion of the display unit, the projected portion being positioned adjacent to an end of the finger that is distal from the tubular counter-bore of the jaw portion.