Portable electronic device to a docking station with improved docking and retention features

• US 9,429,994 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xplore Technologies Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Vier, Bradford Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffberg, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US14/667,107
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a docking station is provided with a support surface configured for supporting a back surface of a portable electronic device, a rotating cradle configured for receiving a base of the portable electronic device, and a floating docking connector that extends out of a recess of the rotating cradle for connecting to a docking connector of the portable electronic device. According to one embodiment, the support surface of the docking station may include one or more magnetic structures, which are positioned to align with one or more magnetic structures on the back surface of the portable electronic device and configured to provide a magnetic force to retain the portable electronic device on the support surface.

Claims

1. A docking station, comprising:

a support surface configured for supporting a back surface of a portable electronic device;

a rotating cradle configured for receiving a base of the portable electronic device, wherein the rotating cradle is connected to a lower portion of the support surface by a pivot point that allows the rotating cradle to be rotated about a rotational axis toward and away from the support surface; and

a floating docking connector, which is concealed within a recess of the rotating cradle when the rotating cradle is rotated about the pivot point away from the support surface for receiving the base of the portable electronic device.

2. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the floating docking connector extends out of the recess for connecting to a docking connector of the portable electronic device when the rotating cradle is rotated about the pivot point towards the support surface.

3. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the support surface comprises a niche for receiving the rotating cradle when the rotating cradle is positioned against the support surface.

4. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the rotating cradle comprises a pair of posts extending inward and substantially perpendicularly from an interior surface of the rotating cradle, wherein the floating docking connector is mounted onto the pair of posts via a pair of holes formed in a rear portion of the floating docking connector, and wherein a diameter of the posts is configured to be smaller than a diameter of the holes so that the floating docking connector can rotate separate and apart from the rotating cradle.

5. The docking station as recited in claim 4, wherein a backside of the floating docking connector comprises a contact pad, which is configured to roll against a corresponding contact pad located within a niche of the support surface when the rotating cradle is rotated about the pivot point away from and towards the support surface.

6. The docking station as recited in claim 5, wherein when the rotating cradle is rotated about the pivot point toward the support surface, the contact pad on the backside of the floating docking connector rolls against the corresponding contact pad located within the niche to extend at least a portion of the floating docking connector out of the recess.

7. The docking station as recited in claim 5, wherein when the rotating cradle is rotated about the pivot point away from the support surface, the contact pad on the backside of the floating docking connector rolls against the corresponding contact pad located within the niche to retract and conceal the floating docking connector within of the recess.

8. The docking station as recited in claim 4, wherein the floating docking connector further comprises a pair of springs, which are coupled between the rear portion of the floating docking connector and the interior surface of the rotating cradle and wound around the pair of posts, and wherein a spring force provided by the pair of springs assists in moving the floating docking connector in and out of the recess when the rotating cradle is rotated about the pivot point away from and towards the support surface.

9. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the floating docking connector comprises a number of pins and the docking connector comprises a number of receptacles configured for receiving the pins.

10. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the floating docking connector of the docking station and the docking connector of the portable electronic device each comprise pinless docking connectors.

11. The docking station as recited in claim 1, wherein the support surface of the docking station comprises one or more magnetic structures, which are positioned to align with one or more magnetic structures on the back surface of the portable electronic device and configured to provide a magnetic force to retain the portable electronic device on the support surface.

12. The docking station as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more magnetic structures positioned on the support surface of the docking station are positioned away from the rotational axis to increase a compressive force applied to the floating docking connector of the docking station and the docking connector of the portable electronic device.

13. The docking station as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more magnetic structures positioned on the support surface of the docking station are arranged near a top edge of the support surface.

14. The docking station as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more magnetic structures positioned on the support surface of the docking station are arranged near a bottom edge of the support surface.

15. The docking station as recited in claim 11, wherein the docking station does not include a mechanical latch for retention of the portable electronic device on the support surface.

16. The docking station as recited in claim 11, further comprising a mechanical latch with a locking mechanism for securing the portable electronic device on the support surface.