Mobile workstation having power system with removable battery configured for drop-in engagement therewith

• US 7,782,607 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PNC Bank National Association (The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Stinger Industries LLC (Enovate Medical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Harbin, Lee Melvin, Coonan, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright; Ingrid
• Application Number:
  US12/072,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20090268385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.4, 361/679.41, 320/103, 320/113
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A mobile workstation includes a frame having a wheeled base, a power system resident on the mobile workstation and a battery docking station having a holster which defines a guide. The mobile workstation further includes a removable battery assembly configured to dock with the battery docking station via engagement in the guide, and having a housing with a shape complementary to a shape of the guide and an external contour configured to mate with an internal contour of the guide.

Claims

1. A mobile workstation comprising:

a frame which includes a base having an upper side, a lower side and a plurality of wheels mounted at the lower side, the frame further including a mount for a computerized device at a location spaced from the base;

a power system resident on the mobile workstation for supplying power to a computerized device positioned on the mount, the power system including a power bus and a battery docking station mounted to the frame at a location between the base and the mount and electrically connected with the power bus;

the battery docking station further including a holster having an open end and an opposite blind end, and defining a guide extending from the open end to the blind end which includes a shape and an internal contour;

a first battery; and

a removable battery assembly which includes a second battery, the removable battery assembly being configured to dock with the battery docking station via engagement in the guide, and including a housing having a shape which is complementary to the shape of the guide and an external contour configured to mate with the internal contour of the guide;

wherein the removable battery assembly includes a charge state and a discharge state, the removable battery assembly being in the discharge state whenever docked with the battery docking station; and

wherein the power system includes an on state and an off state, the power system further including a plurality of power sourcing modes which each include supplying electrical power to the power bus from one of the first battery and the second battery, and the power system being in one of the plurality of power sourcing modes whenever the power system is in the on state.

2. The mobile workstation of claim 1 wherein the frame defines a vertical axis extending through the upper side and the lower side of the base and includes a support arm assembly extending upwardly from the base, and wherein the holster is mounted in an exposed position on the support arm assembly with the open end positioned vertically higher than the blind end to enable gravity assisted engagement of the battery assembly in the guide.

3. The mobile workstation of claim 2 wherein the guide has a non-polygonal shape and a narrowing taper from the open end toward the blind end, and wherein the housing of the removable battery assembly comprises a complementary non-polygonal shape and a narrowing taper matched to the narrowing taper of the guide.

4. The mobile workstation of claim 3 wherein the guide comprises a key configured to orient the housing of the battery assembly for docking with the docking station.

5. The mobile workstation of claim 4 wherein the docking station comprises a first electrical connector located at the blind end of the holster, and wherein the housing of the battery assembly includes a second electrical connector located at one end of the housing and configured to mate with the first electrical connector when the battery assembly is engaged in the guide.

6. A mobile workstation comprising:

a frame which includes a base having an upper side, a lower side and a plurality of wheels mounted at the lower side, the frame further including a mount for a computerized device at a location spaced from the base;

a power system resident on the mobile workstation for supplying power to a computerized device positioned on the mount, the power system including a power bus and a battery docking station mounted to the frame at a location between the base and the mount and electrically connected with the power bus;

the battery docking station further including a holster having an open end and an opposite blind end, and defining a guide extending from the open end to the blind end which includes a shape and an internal contour; and

a removable battery assembly configured to dock with the battery docking station via engagement in the guide, and including a housing having a shape which is complementary to the shape of the guide and an external contour configured to mate with the internal contour of the guide;

wherein the frame defines a vertical axis extending through the upper side and the lower side of the base and includes a support arm assembly extending upwardly from the base, and wherein the holster is mounted in an exposed position on the support arm assembly with the open end positioned vertically higher than the blind end to enable gravity assisted engagement of the battery assembly in the guide;

wherein the guide has a non-polygonal shape and a narrowing taper from the open end toward the blind end, and wherein the housing of the removable battery assembly comprises a complementary non-polygonal shape and a narrowing taper matched to the narrowing taper of the guide;

wherein the guide comprises a key configured to orient the housing of the battery assembly for docking with the docking station; and

wherein the key comprises an involute flute, and wherein the housing of the battery assembly comprises an exvolute flute configured to engage with the involute flute during docking the battery assembly with the docking station.

7. A mobile workstation comprising:

a frame which includes a base having an upper side, a lower side and a plurality of wheels mounted at the lower side, the frame further including a mount for a computerized device at a location spaced from the base;

a power system resident on the mobile workstation for supplying power to a computerized device positioned on the mount, the power system including a power bus and a battery docking station mounted to the frame at a location between the base and the mount and electrically connected with the power bus;

the battery docking station further including a holster having an open end and an opposite blind end, and defining a guide extending from the open end to the blind end which includes a shape and an internal contour; and

a removable battery assembly configured to dock with the battery docking station via engagement in the guide, and including a housing having a shape which is complementary to the shape of the guide and an external contour configured to mate with the internal contour of the guide;

wherein the frame defines a vertical axis extending through the upper side and the lower side of the base and includes a support arm assembly extending upwardly from the base, and wherein the holster is mounted in an exposed position on the support arm assembly with the open end positioned vertically higher than the blind end to enable gravity assisted engagement of the battery assembly in the guide;

wherein the guide has a non-polygonal shape and a narrowing taper from the open end toward the blind end, and wherein the housing of the removable battery assembly comprises a complementary non-polygonal shape and a narrowing taper matched to the narrowing taper of the guide;

wherein the guide comprises a key configured to orient the housing of the battery assembly for docking with the docking station;

wherein the docking station comprises a first electrical connector located at the blind end of the holster, and wherein the housing of the battery assembly includes a second electrical connector located at one end of the housing and configured to mate with the first electrical connector when the battery assembly is engaged in the guide; and

wherein the housing of the removable battery assembly includes a handle, and wherein the removable battery assembly includes a sensor configured to detect user interaction with the handle.

8. The mobile workstation of claim 7 wherein the power system further comprises a power interface having a first input interface electrically connected with the docking station, a second input interface electrically connected with a back-up battery and an output interface electrically connected with the power bus.

9. The mobile workstation of claim 8 wherein the power system further comprises a microprocessor coupled with the sensor and configured to switch the power interface from a first power sourcing mode receiving power via the first input interface to a second power sourcing mode receiving power via the second input interface, responsive to detecting user interaction with a removable battery assembly docked with the docking station.

10. The mobile workstation of claim 9 wherein the power system further comprises a first display resident on the battery assembly and configured to display a charge state of the battery, and a second display which is not resident on the battery assembly, the second display having a first display mode for displaying a charge state of a battery of the removable battery assembly when the power interface is in the first power sourcing mode, and a second display mode different from the first display mode.

11. The mobile workstation of claim 10 wherein the second display mode comprises a timing mode, and wherein the microprocessor is configured to switch the second display from the first display mode to the second display mode responsive to detecting user interaction with the removable battery.

12. A method of using a mobile workstation having a wheeled base, a frame coupled with the wheeled base and a computerized device mounted to the frame, the method comprising the steps of:

powering the computerized device of the mobile workstation with a removable battery assembly docked with a battery docking station of a power system resident on the mobile workstation, including discharging a battery of the removable battery assembly whenever the removable battery assembly is docked with the battery docking station and the power system is on;

decoupling the removable battery assembly from the battery docking station;

docking a substitute battery assembly with the battery docking station, including engaging the substitute battery assembly in a guide defined by a holster of the battery docking station at a location between the wheeled base and the computerized device, including discharging a battery of the substitute battery assembly whenever the substitute battery assembly is docked with the docking station and the power system is on;

powering the computerized device of the mobile workstation with the substitute battery assembly; and

discharging a third battery whenever neither of the removable battery assembly nor the substitute battery assembly is docked with the battery docking station and the power system is on.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of docking the substitute battery assembly with the battery docking station includes engaging the substitute battery assembly in the guide at least in part via the force of gravity.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the decoupling step includes electrically disconnecting the removable battery assembly from the power system at a first time, and wherein the docking step includes electrically connecting the substitute battery assembly with the power system at a second time, the method further comprising a step of powering the computerized device from a back-up battery resident on the mobile workstation between the first time and the second time.

15. A method of using a mobile workstation having a wheeled base, a frame coupled with the wheeled base and a computerized device mounted to the frame, the method comprising the steps of:

powering the computerized device of the mobile workstation with a removable battery assembly docked with a battery docking station of a power system resident on the mobile workstation;

decoupling the removable battery assembly from the battery docking station;

docking a substitute battery assembly with the battery docking station, including engaging the substitute battery assembly in a guide defined by a holster of the battery docking station at a location between the wheeled base and the computerized device; and

powering the computerized device of the mobile workstation with the substitute battery assembly;

wherein the step of docking the substitute battery assembly with the battery docking station includes engaging the substitute battery assembly in the guide at least in part via the force of gravity; and

wherein the decoupling step includes electrically disconnecting the removable battery assembly from the power system at a first time, and wherein the docking step includes electrically connecting the substitute battery assembly with the power system at a second time, the method further comprising a step of powering the computerized device from a back-up battery resident on the mobile workstation between the first time and the second time;

the method further comprising a step of detecting user interaction with the removable battery assembly prior to completing the step of decoupling the removable battery assembly.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising a step of switching a power interface of the power system from a first power sourcing mode receiving power from the removable battery assembly to a second power sourcing mode receiving power from the back-up battery, responsive to detecting user interaction with the removable battery assembly.