Portable device docking station

• US 7,508,661 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D Carnevali
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Hung V
• Application Number:
  US11/525,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 913 Days
• Field of Search: 211/41.17, 710/301, 710/304, 710/303, 439/180, 439/296, 439/607, 439/637, 711/5, 711/200, 361679-687, 361724-727
• 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. Any 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 display unit support having a substantially rigid support arm structured with a first end portion that is relatively rotatable in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing surface of the bearing plate; and

a display unit clamping mechanism positioned on the rigid support arm spaced away 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 portion 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 display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a means for retaining the jaw portion in at least one of the first disengaged position and the second engaged position.

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

a display unit support having a substantially rigid support arm structured with a first end portion that is coupled to the body portion adjacent to the rear edge of the bearing surface of the bearing plate and is rotatable 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 being 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.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the finger is further resiliently spacable away from the arcuate support surface of the anvil.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the finger portion of the display unit clamping mechanism is further spacable along an axis extended between the jaw and the anvil.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the finger portion of the display unit clamping mechanism is further rotatable about the axis extended between the jaw and the anvil.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 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.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises a detent mechanism between the jaw and the anvil.

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 backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having one or more locating holes positioned on a bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector exposed on an external surface 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 and having a substantially rigid bearing plate adapted for mounting thereon the casing of the portable computer;

a means positioned adjacent to a front edge of the bearing plate for engaging the casing of the portable computer;

a means for engaging the one or more locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer;

a means for releasably mating a computer expansion connector with the input/output (I/O) connector exposed on the external surface of the portable computer;

a means for supporting the backing surface of the computer display unit opposite from the display screen on the inner surface thereof; and

a means for biasing the computer display unit toward the means for supporting the backing surface of the computer display unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the means for supporting the backing surface of the computer display unit is further disposed at a position spaced away from the bearing plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for biasing the computer display unit toward the means for supporting the backing surface of the computer display unit is further disposed substantially opposite from the means for supporting the backing surface of the computer display unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a means for moving the means for supporting the backing surface of the computer display unit in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing plate.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the means for moving the means for supporting the backing surface of the computer display unit further comprises a means for rotating the supporting means in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing plate.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the means for biasing the computer display unit further comprises means for substantially maintaining engagement of the backing surface of the computer display unit with the supporting means.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a means for substantially maintaining engagement of the biasing means with a lip portion of the display unit surrounding the display screen.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a means for moving the biasing means relative to the supporting means.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the means for moving the biasing means further comprises a means for rotating at least a portion of the biasing means relative to the supporting means.

22. A method for externally expanding 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 one or more locating holes positioned on a bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector exposed on an external surface thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof, the external expanding method comprising:

on a body portion of an external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer and adapted for mounting to an external support structure, engaging the casing of the computer with a computer receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a front edge of a substantially rigid bearing plate of the external expanding apparatus;

engaging one or more locating pins with the one or more locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer;

seating a body portion of the computer against the bearing plate of the external expanding apparatus;

releasably mating a computer expansion connector with the input/output (I/O) connector exposed on the external surface of the portable computer;

engaging an anvil portion of a display unit clamping mechanism with the hard shell backing surface of the computer display unit; and

resiliently biasing the computer display unit toward the anvil portion of the display unit clamping mechanism.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising rotating the anvil portion of the display unit clamping mechanism in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing plate of the external expanding apparatus.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein resiliently biasing the computer display unit further comprises engaging a retaining portion of the display unit clamping mechanism with a portion of the display screen on the inner surface of the computer display unit, and resiliently biasing the retaining portion substantially toward the anvil portion of the display unit clamping mechanism.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising moving the retaining portion of the display unit clamping mechanism away from engagement with the display screen of the computer display unit.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein moving the retaining portion of the display unit clamping mechanism further comprises rotating the retaining portion relative to the anvil portion.