Rotatable dock for portable electronic devices

• US 7,808,779 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LDA LLC
• Original Assignee: LDA LLC
• Inventors: Lum, Myk, Tivnon, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Hung V
• Application Number:
  US12/325,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20100134984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 348/61, 348/373, 439/55, 439/296, 439/352, 439/164, 439/159, 726/35, 320/114, 710/303, 710/304, 710/323, 312/223.2, 312/333, 312/209, 164/38, 163/67, 163/27, 361/679.09, 361/679.17, 361/679.29, 361/679.27, 361/679.39, 361/679.43, 361/679.41, 361/679.55, 361/679.57, 361/725
• US Class Current: 361/679.43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A docking system for supporting a portable electronic device with a vertical operational orientation and a horizontal operational orientation is disclosed. The docking system includes a base stand unit that has a flat top surface. Additionally, there is a device support platform that is rotatably mounted to the base stand unit. The device support platform defines a cradle portion that is engageable to the portable electronic device. The device support platform has a first position corresponding to the vertical operational orientation, and a second position corresponding to the horizontal operational orientation.

Claims

1. A portable device docking system, comprising:

an elongate base with a flat top end, a lateral axis and a longitudinal axis perpendicular thereto, the flat top end defining an access slot; and

a device support arm rotatably mounted to the elongate base along the longitudinal axis thereof and having a first position and a second position, the device support arm being defined by a first arm segment substantially concealing the access slot in the first position.

2. The portable device docking system of claim 1, wherein the elongate base is integrated with a primary unit.

3. The portable device docking system of claim 2, wherein the primary unit is selected from a group consisting of:

a loudspeaker, a stereo receiver, and furniture.

4. The portable device docking system of claim 1, wherein:

the elongate base includes a tilting platform rotatably mounted along the lateral axis, the access slot being defined therein.

5. A portable device docking system, comprising:

an elongate base portion defined by an open top end with a lateral axis and a longitudinal axis perpendicular thereto;

a tilting platform rotatably mounted to the elongate base portion along the lateral axis thereof, the tilting platform defining an access slot; and

a device support arm rotatably mounted to the tilting platform along the longitudinal axis thereof and having a first position and a second position, the device support arm being defined by a first arm segment substantially concealing the access slot in the first position.

6. The portable device docking system of claim 5, wherein the device support arm is defined by a second arm segment substantially concealing the access slot in the second position.

7. The portable device docking system of claim 6, wherein the first arm segment is perpendicular to the second arm segment.

8. The portable device docking system of claim 5, further comprising:

a support receptacle mounted to the tilting platform through the access slot, the device support arm being mounted thereto.

9. The portable device docking system of claim 8, wherein the support receptacle is defined by an open rectangular top end, a vertical side, a rounded bottom segment, and a pair of opposed sidewalls having a profile corresponding to the vertical side and the rounded bottom segment.

10. The portable device docking system of claim 8, wherein the vertical side and the open rectangular top end have substantially identical dimensions.

11. The portable device docking system of claim 5, further comprising:

a device adapter having a frontal receiver, a rear protrusion and an extension arm;

wherein the device support arm defines a universal receptacle engageable to the rear protrusion of the device adapter.

12. The portable device docking system of claim 11, wherein the device adapter is fixable to the device support arm.

13. The portable device docking system of claim 11, wherein the device adapter is interchangeable with another device adapter having an alternative frontal receiver configuration and the identical rear protrusion configuration.

14. A docking system for supporting a portable electronic device having a vertical operational orientation and a horizontal operational orientation, comprising:

a base stand portion having a flat top surface;

a device support platform rotatably mounted to the base stand portion, the device support platform defining a cradle portion engageable to the portable electronic device, the device support platform having a first position corresponding to the vertical operational orientation and a second position corresponding to the horizontal operational orientation; and

a lateral support component extending from the device support platform.

15. The docking system of claim 14, wherein the base stand portion includes:

an elongate stand defining an open top end; and

a tilting platform rotatably mounted to the elongate stand along a first axis thereof, the device support platform and the portable electronic device engaged thereto being rotatable along the first axis to adjust the viewing angle.

16. The docking system of claim 15, wherein the tilting platform defines an access port through which the device support platform is mounted, the device support platform being rotatable along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

17. The docking system of claim 16, wherein:

the device support platform defines a cover portion; and

the cradle portion covers the access port with the device support platform in the first position and the cover portion covers the access port with the device support platform in the second position.

18. The docking system of claim 14, wherein the base stand portion is a part of a stereo receiver unit.

19. The docking system of claim 14 wherein the base stand portion is part of a loudspeaker box.

20. The docking system of claim 14, wherein the portable electronic device rests against the lateral support component with the device support platform in the second position.

21. The docking system of claim 14, wherein the device support platform includes:

a universal adapter; and

an interchangeable device adapter coupled to the universal adapter, the device adapter including the cradle portion.

22. The portable device docking system of claim 14, further comprising a support receptacle defined by an open rectangular top end, a vertical side, a rounded bottom segment, and a pair of opposed sidewalls having a profile corresponding to the vertical side and the rounded bottom segment, the support receptacle being mounted into the base stand unit and receiving the device support platform.

23. A docking system, comprising:

a base housing compartment defined by an open top portion;

a tilt panel rotatably mounted to the open top end of the base housing compartment along a first axis thereof, tilt panel defining a first side section and an opposed second side section, the first side section defining an access slot;

an arm receiver cup mounted to the tilt panel and extending into the base housing compartment, the arm receiver cup having an open rectangular top defined by opposed long edges, opposed short edges, and a lip engageable to the access slot of the tilt panel;

a dock arm rotatably mounted to the arm receiver cup, the dock arm including a first panel defining a universal recess and a second panel perpendicular thereto, the panels each having dimensions substantially equivalent to the open rectangular top of the arm receiver cup; and

an interchangeable device support defined by a universal bottom side and a device-specific top side, the universal bottom side being removably coupled to the universal recess of the dock arm.

24. The docking system of claim 23, wherein the arm mounting cup is defined by a depth, a width, and a length, the depth dimension being substantially equal to the length dimension.

25. The docking system of claim 23, wherein the arm mounting cup is defined by a vertical side section perpendicular to the open rectangular top at a one of the short edges, an arcuate section extending between the vertical side section and a other one of the short edges of the open rectangular top, and opposed circular sector sections having a perimeter defined by the long edges of the open rectangular top, the vertical side section, and the arcuate section.

26. The docking system of claim 25, wherein the arm mounting cup defines a center point, the radial center of the arcuate section and the dock arm mounting point being coincident therewith.

27. The docking system of claim 23, wherein the device support includes a brace extending therefrom.