Docking apparatus for portable device

• US 9,509,087 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Seok-won, Son, Chae-joo
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US14/108,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.1, 455/90.3, 455/3.06, 455/550.1, 455/569.1, 455/572, 455/573, 455/66.1, 439/529
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A docking apparatus for a portable device includes: a mounting unit on which the portable device is to be mounted; a mounting unit support which supports the mounting unit; a connection terminal disposed in the mounting unit and configured to connect with a connector of the portable device; a terminal support part which supports the connection terminal and comprises an opening, and wherein a portion of the terminal support part is exposed through the opening so that the connection terminal can be tilted; and a hinge part which rotatably connects the terminal support part to the mounting unit. The mounting unit includes: a base support which supports a bottom portion of the portable device; and a side support which extends upwardly from a side of the base support to support a rear side portion of the portable device.

Claims

1. A docking apparatus for a portable device, comprising:

a mounting unit on which the portable device is to be mounted, the mounting unit comprising an opening;

a connection terminal disposed in the mounting unit and configured to connect with a connector of the portable device;

a mounting unit support which surrounds the mounting unit;

a terminal support part which supports the connection terminal and rotatably connects to the mounting unit, and wherein a portion of the terminal support part is exposed through the opening so that the connection terminal can be tilted; and

wherein the mounting unit further comprises;

a base support which is configured to support a bottom portion of the portable device, and wherein the opening is formed to a surface of the base support; and

a side support which extends upwardly from a side of the base support and is configured to support a rear side portion of the portable device,

wherein a top portion of the mounting unit support is hollowed inward and a lower portion of the mounting unit extends outward, the lower portion of the mounting unit corresponding to the hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support, and

wherein the hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support and the lower portion of the mounting unit contact with each other when the connection terminal connects with the connector of the portable device, and the mounting unit is separable from the mounting unit support when the connection terminal is disconnected from the connector of the portable device.

2. The docking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation unit comprising a rotational elastic member which is coupled to the terminal support unit and elastically rotates the terminal support part towards the side support of the mounting unit by a predetermined angle.

3. The docking apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a rotational angle restricting unit which restricts a rotational angle of the terminal support part.

4. The docking apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotational angle restricting unit comprises a locking unit which stops the rotation of the terminal support part when the terminal support part rotates by a predetermined angle in a direction away from the side support of the mounting unit.

5. The docking apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the locking unit comprises:

a locking protrusion which is provided to lock the rotation of the terminal support part; and

a locking elastic member which elastically biases the locking protrusion to lock the rotation of the terminal support part, and releases a locking state of the locking protrusion to allow the rotation of the terminal support part towards the side support of the mounting unit when an external force greater than an elastic force of the rotational elastic member is applied to the terminal support part.

6. The docking apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rotational angle restricting unit comprises a stopper which restricts a rotational angle of the terminal support part when the terminal support part rotates towards the side support of the mounting unit.

7. The docking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting unit comprises a wireless transmitting unit which transmits media data stored in the portable device through wireless communication.

8. The docking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the mounting unit further comprises an amplifying unit which amplifies an audio signal transmitted from the portable device and transmits the amplified audio signal to the wireless transmitting unit.

9. The docking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery which supplies electric power to the portable device mounted on the mounting unit.

10. The docking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting unit comprising an external power connector that connects with an external power source, and

wherein the mounting unit and the mounting unit support each comprise respective power terminals which supply the electric power input to the mounting unit support to the mounting unit.

11. The docking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounting unit has an external power connector that connects with an external power source, and wherein the mounting unit and the mounting unit support are integrally provided, and external power inputted through the external power connector of the mounting unit support is supplied to the portable device mounted on the mounting unit.

12. The docking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a battery which supplies electric power to the portable device mounted on the mounting unit.

13. The docking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal support part comprises a hinge part which rotatably connects the terminal support part to the mounting unit.

14. An apparatus for a portable device, comprising:

a mounting unit on which the portable device is to be mounted, the mounting unit comprising an opening;

a connection terminal disposed in the mounting unit and configured to connect with a connector of the portable device;

a mounting unit support which surrounds the mounting unit;

a terminal support part which supports the connection terminal and rotatably connects to the mounting unit, and wherein a portion of the terminal support part is exposed through the

opening so that the connection terminal can be tilted; and

wherein the mounting unit further comprises;

a base support which is configured to support a bottom portion of the portable device, and wherein the opening is formed to a surface of the base support; and

a side support which extends upwardly from a side of the base support and is configured to support a rear side portion of the portable device,

wherein a top portion of the mounting unit support is hollowed inward and a lower portion of the mounting unit extends outward, the lower portion of the mounting unit corresponding to the hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support, and

wherein the hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support and the lower portion of the mounting unit contact with each other when the connection terminal connects with the connector of the portable device, and the mounting unit is separable from the mounting unit support when the connection terminal is disconnected from the connector of the portable device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a rotation unit comprising a rotational elastic member which is coupled to the terminal support unit and elastically rotates the terminal support part towards the side support of the mounting unit by a predetermined angle.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a rotational angle restricting unit which restricts a rotational angle of the terminal support part.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the mounting unit further comprises an amplifying unit which amplifies an audio signal transmitted from the portable device.

18. The docking apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the mounting unit has an external power connector that connects with an external power source, and wherein the mounting unit and the mounting unit support are integrally provided, and external power inputted through the external power connector of the mounting unit support is supplied to the portable device mounted on the mounting unit.

19. An apparatus for a portable device according to claim 14, wherein the terminal support part comprises a hinge part which rotatably connects the terminal support part to the mounting unit.

20. A docking apparatus for a portable device, comprising:

a mounting unit on which the portable device is to be mounted, wherein an opening is formed in the mounting unit;

a mounting unit support which is configured to support the mounting unit;

a connecting unit which is partially disposed between the mounting unit and the mounting unit support and has a portion configured to be exposed through the opening of the mounting unit to connect with a connector of the portable device; and

an external power connector that is disposed at the mounting unit support to connect with an external power source,

wherein external power inputted through the external power connector at the mounting unit support is supplied via the connecting unit to the portable device mounted on the mounting unit,

wherein a top portion of the mounting unit support is hollowed inward and a lower portion of the mounting unit extends outward, the lower portion of the mounting unit corresponding to the hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support, and

wherein the [dented]hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support and the lower portion of the mounting unit contact with each other when the connection terminal connects with the connector of the portable device, and the mounting unit is separable from the mounting unit support when the connection terminal is disconnected from the connector of the portable device.

21. The docking apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising

a side support which extends upwardly from the mounting unit and is configured to support a rear side portion of the portable device.

22. The docking apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the connecting unit comprises a first connection terminal which is connected with the connector of the portable device, the docking apparatus further comprising:

a terminal support part which supports the first connection terminal; and

a rotational elastic member which is coupled to the terminal support part and elastically rotates the terminal support part towards the side support by a predetermined angle.

23. The docking apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a rotational angle restricting unit which restricts a rotational angle of the terminal support part.

24. The docking apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a portion of the terminal support part is exposed through the opening so that the first connection terminal can be tilted.

25. The docking apparatus according to claim 20, wherein further comprising an amplifying unit which amplifies an audio signal transmitted from the portable device.

26. The docking apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a battery which supplies electric power to the portable device mounted on the mounting unit.

27. The docking apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a transmitting unit for transmitting an audio signal from the portable device to an external output device by performing a Bluetooth communication.

28. The docking apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the connecting unit comprises a first connection terminal which is inserted into the connector of the portable device.

29. The docking apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the connecting unit further comprises a second connection terminal which receives the external power inputted through the external power connector at the mounting unit support.

30. The docking apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the mounting unit support comprises a power terminal which is contactable to the second connection terminal of the connecting unit to provide the external power inputted through the external power connector to the portable device.

31. The docking apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the connecting unit comprises a second portion which is disposed inside the mounting unit.

32. A docking apparatus for a portable device, comprising:

a mounting unit on which the portable device is to be mounted, wherein an opening is formed in the mounting unit;

a mounting unit support which is configured to support the mounting unit;

a connection terminal which is partially disposed between the mounting unit and the mounting unit support and has a portion configured to be exposed through the opening of the mounting unit to connect with a connector of the portable device; and

an external power connector that is disposed at the mounting unit support to connect with an external power source,

wherein external power inputted through the external power connector at the mounting unit support is supplied via the connection terminal to the portable device mounted on the mounting unit,

wherein a top portion of the mounting unit support is hollowed inward and a lower portion of the mounting unit extends outward, the lower portion of the mounting unit corresponding to the hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support, and

wherein the hollowed top portion of the mounting unit support and the lower portion of the mounting unit contact with each other when the connection terminal connects with the connector of the portable device, and the mounting unit is separable from the mounting unit support when the connection terminal is disconnected from the connector of the portable device.

33. The docking apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising:

a side support which extends upwardly from the mounting unit and is configured to support a rear side portion of the portable device;

a terminal support part which supports the connection terminal; and

a rotational elastic member which is coupled to the terminal support part and elastically rotates the terminal support part towards the side support by a predetermined angle.

34. The docking apparatus according to claim 33, wherein a portion of the terminal support part is exposed through the opening so that the connection terminal can be tilted.

35. The docking apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the connection terminal comprises a first portion which is inserted into the connector of the portable device.

36. The docking apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the mounting unit support comprises a power terminal which is contactable to the connection terminal to provide the external power inputted through the external power connector to the portable device.

37. The docking apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the connection terminal comprises a second portion which is disposed inside the mounting unit.