Personal electronic device dock

• US 9,434,319 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Oldani, Raymond Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Blankenship, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US14/591,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20160193968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.8, 296/37.12, 296/24.34, 296/70
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0005 Dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0094 characterised by means for covering after user, e.g. boxes, shutters or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards

Abstract

A portable electronic device dock includes a storage unit and a lid, wherein the lid is adapted to clamp a portable electronic device between a portion of the lid and a portion of the storage unit to retain the portable electronic device in a user-accessible display position. The device dock includes a slide assembly adapted to bias the lid to an open position and a clutch assembly adapted to retain the lid in a clamped position on the portable electronic device. A spring member retains the clutch assembly in a released condition as the lid opens. The slide assembly includes a release tab configured to act on the spring member to allow the clutch assembly to convert to an engaged condition once the lid has reached a fully open position.

Claims

1. A device dock, comprising:

a storage compartment having a pivoting lid;

a slide assembly operably coupled to the lid having a release tab;

a clutch assembly gearingly engaged with the slide assembly having a release sleeve; and

a spring member operable between engaged and released positions with the release sleeve, wherein the spring member is moved to the released position by the release tab when the lid is moved to a fully open position.

2. The device dock of claim 1, wherein the slide assembly moves to a loaded position as the lid moves to a closed position.

3. The device dock of claim 2, wherein the slide assembly is configured to bias the lid towards the fully open position as the slide assembly moves from the loaded position to an at-rest position.

4. The device dock of claim 3, wherein the clutch assembly is operable between engaged and released conditions, wherein the lid moves towards the fully open position when the clutch assembly is in the released condition, and further wherein the lid is configured to be retained in a clamped position when the clutch assembly is in the engaged condition.

5. The device dock of claim 1, including:

an actuator assembly operably coupled to a housing of the storage compartment having an actuator button connected to an abutment member, wherein the abutment member engages a collar portion of the release sleeve of the clutch assembly to move the clutch assembly from an engaged condition to a released condition when the actuator button is pressed.

6. The device dock of claim 5, wherein the spring member moves to the engaged position with the collar portion of the release sleeve when the actuator button is pressed to retain the clutch assembly in the released condition as the lid moves to the fully open position.

7. The device dock of claim 6, wherein the lid moves towards the fully open position when the clutch assembly is in the released condition as biased by the slide assembly.

8. The device dock of claim 6, wherein the slide assembly is configured to bias the lid towards the fully open position as the slide assembly slideably moves from a loaded position to an at-rest position, and further wherein the release tab engages the spring member when the lid is in the fully open position, such that the spring member releases the collar portion of the release sleeve, thereby allowing the clutch assembly to revert from the released condition to the engaged condition.

9. A device dock, comprising:

a storage compartment having lid operable between open, closed and clamped positions;

a slide assembly operably coupled to the lid;

a clutch assembly gearingly engaged with the slide assembly between engaged and released conditions; and

a spring member operable between engaged and released positions with the clutch assembly, wherein the spring member retains the clutch assembly in the released position as the lid moves to the open position.

10. The device dock of claim 9, wherein the lid is retained in place when the clutch assembly is in the engaged condition and further wherein the lid moves towards the open position when the clutch assembly is in the released condition as biased by the slide assembly.

11. The device dock of claim 10, including:

an actuator assembly operably coupled to the storage compartment and configured to move the clutch assembly from the engaged condition to the released condition.

12. The device dock of claim 11, including:

a release tab disposed on the slide assembly.

13. The device dock of claim 12, wherein the slide assembly moves from a loaded position to an at-rest position as the lid moves from the closed position to the open position, and further wherein the release tab engages the spring member when the lid is in the fully open position to move the spring member from the engaged position to the released position, thereby allowing the clutch assembly to revert from the released condition to the engaged condition.

14. The device dock of claim 13, wherein the clutch assembly is configured to retain the lid in the clamped position to clamp a portable electronic device between the lid and the storage compartment.

15. A device dock, comprising:

a storage compartment having a slide assembly operably coupled to a lid, wherein the slide assembly includes a release tab;

a clutch assembly operably coupled to the slide assembly, the clutch assembly operable between engaged and released conditions, wherein the clutch assembly includes a release sleeve and is configured to retain the lid in a clamped position on an electronic device in the engaged condition; and

a spring member operably coupled to the storage compartment having an arm with a notch disposed on an engagement end thereof, wherein the engagement end is operable between engaged and released positions and configured to retain the clutch assembly in the released condition as the lid is moved to a fully open position, and further wherein the engagement end is moved from the engaged position to the released position by the release tab of the slide assembly when the lid is in the fully open position.

16. The device dock of claim 15, including:

first and second retaining flanges disposed on an underside of the storage compartment, the first and second retaining flanges defining a channel, wherein the slide assembly is slideably received in the channel between at-rest and loaded positions.

17. The device dock of claim 16, wherein the slide assembly includes a first portion and a second portion, each portion of the slide assembly including a rack.

18. The device dock of claim 17, including:

a housing portion disposed on the slide assembly between the first and second portions of the slide assembly; and

a biasing mechanism housed in the housing portion wherein the biasing mechanism is loaded as the slide assembly is moved from an at-rest position to a loaded position as the lid moves from the fully open position towards a closed position.

19. The device dock of claim 18, wherein the clutch assembly includes a clutch gear that is gearlingly engaged with the rack of the first portion of the slide assembly.

20. The device dock of claim 19, including:

an actuator assembly operably coupled to a housing of the storage compartment and configured to move the release sleeve of the clutch assembly for converting the clutch assembly between the engaged and released conditions.