Dock connector with compliance mechanism

• US 8,986,029 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Webb, Michael J., Colahan, Ian P., Thompson, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhirubhai R
• Application Number:
  US13/791,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20140069710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 174/135, 439246-248, 439/929, 361/724
• US Class Current: 439/248
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack

Abstract

Docking stations having a connector with a compliance mechanism to provide improved durability and flexibility are provided herein. The compliance mechanism may be attached to a connecter in a base of a docking station that extends through an opening in a housing or shell attached to the base. The compliance mechanism may include any or all of a flexure, a torsion bar, damping members, a compressive foam member, and an engineered base plate. The compliance mechanism may be configured to provide sufficient rigidity to the connector to support a portable device when mounted on the connector within the dock in an upright position, sufficient flexibility to allow angular displacement of a mounted portable device, and sufficient elasticity to provide a resilient biasing force to return the connector and a mounted portable device from a displaced position to the upright position.

Claims

1. A docking station for a portable electronic device, the docking station comprising:

a dock base attached to an outer shell, the outer shell having an opening in a docking well defined by;

a movable connector extending from a connector base to an insertable connector tab protruding through the opening in the outer shell, the connector base provided on a first section of the connector disposed below the outer shell and the insertable tab provided on a second section of the connector disposed above the shell and configured to electrically couple to a receptacle connector of the portable electronic device when mated therein; and

a compliance mechanism interfacing with each of the dock base and the movable connector, the compliance mechanism configured to control compliant movement of the connector in response to an external force applied to the second section of the connector, the controlled movement including pivoting the connector about a pivot point at a location on the connector adjacent the opening in the outer shell.

2. The docking station of claim 1, the compliance mechanism being coupled to the connector base a distance away from the pivot point location such that a combination of rotational and translational movement of the connector base pivots the connector about the pivot point.

3. The docking station of claim 1, the connector configured to pivot about the pivot point without attachment to the housing at the pivot point location.

4. The docking station of claim 1, the connector being movable between a displaced position and non-displaced position and the compliance mechanism is configured with a resilient bias towards the non-displaced position of the connector.

5. The docking station of claim 1, the connector base extending laterally in each direction from the connector and the compliance mechanism comprises damping members interfacing with the laterally extending connector base on each side of the connector.

6. The docking station of claim 5, the damping members comprising compressible foam members.

7. The docking station of claim 1, the compliance mechanism comprising a spring having a first and second end, the first end interfacing with the connector base and the second end interfaces with the dock base or associated component.

8. The docking station of claim 7, the compliance mechanism comprising a Z-shaped spring in which the second end interfaces with a damping block coupled with the dock base.

9. The docking station of claim 8, the damping block comprising a corrugated surface interfacing with the second end of the Z-shaped spring such that the Z-shaped spring provides variable or intermittent resilient forces on the connector base according to a position of the second end along the corrugated surface.

10. A docking station for a portable electronic device, the docking station comprising:

a dock base attached to an outer shell, the outer shell having an opening in a docking well defined by the outer shell;

a movable connector extending from a connector base to an insertable connector tab protruding through the opening in the outer shell, the connector base provided on a first section of the connector disposed below the outer shell and the insertable tab provided on a second section disposed above the shell and configured to electrically couple to a receptacle connector of the portable electronic device when mated therein; and

a compliance mechanism coupled with each of the dock base and the connector that supports the movable connector in an upright mounting position, the compliance mechanism comprising an elongate torsion member coupled with the connector base providing resistance to a pivoting movement of the movable connector away from the upright mounting position.

11. The docking station of claim 10, the elongate torsion member comprising one or more torsion bars extending laterally from the connector base substantially orthogonal to a direction of the pivoting movement.

12. The docking station of claim 11, the one or more torsion bars comprising one or more hard stop members that limit pivoting movement of the connector away from the upright mounting position.

13. The docking station of claim 12, the compliance mechanism being configured to inhibit the angular displacement of the second section of the connector beyond a maximum angle within a range of about 10 to 45 degrees from the upright mounting position.

14. The docking station of claim 11, the compliance mechanism further comprising a compressible foam rocker disposed between the torsion member and the dock base so as to increase flexibility beyond that of the torsion member.

15. The docking station of claim 10, the elongate torsion member comprising a torsion wire coupled with the dock base at opposite ends and coupled with the connector base at a central portion so as to provide torsional resistance and resistance to translation of the connector base by tension.

16. The docking station of claim 10, the compliance mechanism being configured with sufficient flexure to allow a forward angular displacement of the connector from the upright mounting position when a forward displacing force is applied to the connector.

17. The docking station of claim 16, the compliance mechanism being configured with sufficient elasticity so as to resiliently return the connector to the upright mounting position when the displacing force is removed.

18. A docking station for a portable electronic device, the docking station comprising:

a dock base attached to a dock housing;

a plug connector configured for removable mating engagement with a corresponding connector of the portable electronic device, the plug connector having a connector base portion and an insertable tab that extends longitudinally away from the connector base portion protruding through an opening in a docking well defined by the dock housing, the insertable tab having a plurality of external contacts formed thereon to enable data and power transmission through the plug connector;

a flexible base plate coupling the plug connector to the base dock base and configured to support the plug connector so that the insertable tab extends away from the base plate in an upright position for mounting of the portable electronic device, the flexible base plate comprising one or more openings that decrease a bending stiffness of the flexible base plate in a direction along which the connector is pivoted.

19. The docking station of claim 18, the one or more openings defining one or more flexure zones in the base plate to allow pivotal compliant movement of the connector when the one or more flexure zones are flexed in response to an external force applied on the insertable tab.

20. The docking station of claim 19, the base plate being configured with sufficient flexure to allow a forward angular displacement of the connector from the upright mounting position when a forward displacing force is applied to the connector.

21. The docking station of claim 20, the base plate being configured with sufficient elasticity so as to resiliently return the connector to the upright mounting position when the displacing force is removed.

22. The docking station of claim 18, the base plate having one or more elongate slots elongated in a lateral direction from the connector so as to allow the flexure zones to flex away from surrounding areas of the base plate and allow pivoting movement of the connector away from the upright position.

23. The docking station of claim 18, the one or more opening comprising two or more openings located in corresponding positions on the base plate on each side of the connector width-wise.

24. The docking station of claim 18, the base plate having at least two L-shaped slots in opposite corners along a side of the base plate substantially parallel to a width of the connector.

25. The docking station of claim 18, the one or more openings comprising elongate slots, curved slots, L-shaped slots or any combination thereof, to provide controlled flexural movement of the connector along one or more axes.