Docking station suitable for portable device

• US 9,195,267 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2012
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Pan, Hung-Sung, Yu, Po-Chin, Chang, Long-Cheng, Chou, Ying-Chi, Lu, Chih-Wei, Wu, Chun-Liang, Shen, Chun-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, RAYMOND NGAN
• Application Number:
  US13/606,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20130111097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 710300-306, 710 62- 64
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer

Abstract

A docking station suitable for a portable device is provided. The docking station includes a base, a pivot assembly, a supporting board and an electrical connection module. The base includes a circuit board, wherein the circuit board has a ring-shaped circuit. The pivot assembly is pivotally connected to the base along a first axis. The supporting board is connected to the pivot assembly and adapted to support the portable device. The supporting board is rotated relative to the base when the pivot assembly is rotated along the first axis. The electrical connection module includes an electrical connection component and a plurality of connecting terminals. The electrical connection component is fixed on the pivot assembly and contacted with the ring-shaped circuit. The connecting terminals are fixed on the pivot assembly and connected to the electrical connection component. The portable device is adapted to be connected to the connecting terminals.

Claims

1. A docking station suitable for a portable device, wherein the docking station comprises:

a base comprising a circuit board, wherein the circuit board has a ring-shaped circuit;

a pivot assembly connected pivotally to the base along a first axis;

a supporting board connected to the pivot assembly and adapted to support the portable device, wherein the supporting board is rotated relative to the base when the pivot assembly is rotated along the first axis; and

an electrical connection module comprising;

an electrical connection component fixed on the pivot assembly and contacted with the ring-shaped circuit; and

a plurality of connecting terminals fixed on the pivot assembly and connected to the electrical connection component, wherein the portable device is adapted to be connected to the connecting terminals.

2. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the supporting board is pivotally connected to the pivot assembly along a second axis, the base comprises a bottom plate and a moving plate, and the docking station further comprises an elastic element, wherein the elastic element is supported between the bottom plate and the moving plate and pushes the moving plate against the supporting board to fix the supporting board to a first position, and when the supporting board is rotated along the second axis, the supporting board pushes the moving plate and moves from the first position to a second position by resisting elastic force of the elastic element.

3. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrical connection component is a pogo connector and comprises a plurality of pogo pins.

4. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the pivot assembly comprises:

a pivot element connected pivotally to the supporting board; and

an assembling element, wherein the pivot element and the assembling element are respectively located on opposite sides of the circuit board, and the circuit board has an aperture, and the assembling element is fixed together with the pivot element through the aperture.

5. The docking station as recited in claim 2, wherein the supporting board and the portable device are expanded from the base when the supporting board is located at the first position, and the supporting board and the portable device are closed on the base when the supporting board is located at the second position.

6. The docking station as recited in claim 2, wherein the moving plate is moved relative to the bottom plate via elastic deformation of the base when the supporting board pushes the moving plate.

7. The docking station as recited in claim 2, wherein the moving plate comprises an opening and the pivot assembly is connected pivotally to the bottom plate and protruded from the opening.

8. The docking station as recited in claim 2, wherein the elastic element is a compression spring and telescoped on the pivot assembly.

9. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the base comprises an input interface.

10. The docking station as recited in claim 9, wherein the supporting board is rotated relative to the base and drives the portable device facing forward or backward to the input interface when the pivot assembly is rotated along the first axis.

11. The docking station as recited in claim 3, wherein the pivot assembly has a bottom cap having a plurality of holes and the pogo pins are contacted with the ring-shaped circuit through the holes.

12. The docking station as recited in claim 4, wherein the pivot assembly comprises a sleeve covering the pivot element, the electrical connection component and the connecting terminals.

13. The docking station as recited in claim 12, wherein the pivot assembly comprises a position-limiting element fixed on the base and restricting a position of the sleeve on the base.

14. A docking station suitable for a portable device, wherein the docking station comprises:

a base comprising a bottom plate and a moving plate;

a pivot assembly connected pivotally to the base along a first axis; and

a supporting board connected pivotally to the pivot assembly along a second axis and adapted to support the portable device, wherein the pivot assembly is rotated along the first axis for the supporting board to rotate relative to the base when the supporting board is located at a first position, the supporting board pushes the moving plate and moves from the first position to a second position when the supporting board is rotated along the second axis, and when the supporting board pushes the moving plate, the moving plate moves relatively to the bottom plate.

15. The docking station as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

an elastic element supported between the bottom plate and the moving plate to push the moving plate against the supporting board so as to fix the supporting board on the first position, wherein when the supporting board is rotated along the second axis, the supporting board pushes the moving plate and moves from the first position to the second position by resisting elastic force of the elastic element.

16. The docking station as recited in claim 14, wherein the bottom plate has a slot, the moving plate is pivotally connected to one side of the slot, and the supporting board pushes the moving plate and moves from the first position to the second position when the supporting board is rotated along the second axis.

17. The docking station as recited in claim 14, wherein the base comprises an input interface.

18. The docking station as recited in claim 14, wherein the supporting board and the portable device are expanded from the base when the supporting board is located at the first position, and the supporting board and the portable device are closed on the base when the supporting board is located at the second position.

19. The docking station as recited in claim 14, wherein the moving plate is moved relative to the bottom plate via elastic deformation of the base when the supporting board pushes the moving plate.

20. The docking station as recited in claim 14, wherein the moving plate comprises an opening and the pivot assembly is pivotally connected to the bottom plate and protruded from the opening.

21. The docking station as recited in claim 15, wherein the elastic element is a compression spring and telescoped on the pivot assembly.

22. The docking station as recited in claim 16, wherein when the supporting board pushes the moving plate, the moving plate is pivotally rotated such that the supporting board is partially located in the slot.

23. The docking station as recited in claim 17, wherein the supporting board is rotated relative to the base and drives the portable device facing forward or backward to the input interface when the pivot assembly is rotated along the first axis.