Cradle device

• US 9,527,590 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2016
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Masaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US15/053,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20160264244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/00152 Seat back fixtures for removable monitors, e.g. tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 1/00 Frames or casings of engines, machines or apparatus; Frames serving as machinery beds
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/11 Supports for sets, e.g. incorporating armrests
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/15 Protecting or guiding telephone cords

Abstract

A cradle device of the present disclosure includes a tray, a main body, a pop-up mechanism, and a magnet. The pop-up mechanism is disposed on the main body and moves the tray from a stowing position to a taking-out position. The magnet is disposed in the main body at a side opposite to a mounting face of the tray. In a case of taking out the handset is, the magnet attracts the handset toward the tray from the stowing position to the taking-out position and moves to a predetermined retracting position when the handset is taken out of the tray. In a case of returning the handset to the tray, the magnet moves from the retracting position to an attracting position at which the handset is attracted toward the tray when the handset is pushed into the stowing position.

Claims

1. A cradle device to which a terminal device is attached, the cradle device comprising:

a tray having a mounting face on which the terminal device is mounted;

a main body disposed on an attachment face, and supporting the tray from a side opposite to the mounting face;

a pop-up mechanism disposed on the main body, and being configured to move the tray from a stowing position, at which the terminal device is stowed within the attachment face, to a taking-out position at which the terminal device is lifted with respect to the attachment face; and

an attraction member disposed in the main body at a side opposite to the mounting face of the tray, wherein, in a case of taking out the terminal device, the attraction member attracts the terminal device toward the tray from the stowing position to the taking-out position and moves to a predetermined retracting position when the terminal device is taken out of the tray, and, in a case of returning the terminal device to the tray, the attraction member moves from the retracting position to an attracting position at which the terminal device is attracted toward the tray when the terminal device is pushed into the stowing position.

2. The cradle device according to claim 1 further comprising a retracting mechanism that moves the attraction member from the attracting position to the retracting position when the terminal device is taken out of the tray at the taking-out position.

3. The cradle device according to claim 2, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a first elastic member having an elastic force weaker than an attraction force of the attraction member.

4. The cradle device according to claim 2, wherein the retracting mechanism moves the attraction member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the attachment face.

5. The cradle device according to claim 2, wherein the retracting mechanism moves the attraction member in a direction substantially parallel to the attachment face.

6. The cradle device according to claim 1, wherein the attraction member moves from the attracting position to the retracting position by gravity when the terminal device is taken out of the tray at the taking-out position.

7. The cradle device according to claim 1 further comprising a driving mechanism that moves the attraction member from the retracting position to the attracting position when the terminal device is pushed into the stowing position for returning the terminal device to the tray.

8. The cradle device according to claim 7, wherein the driving mechanism has a projection formed on the main body, the projection projecting toward the tray.

9. The cradle device according to claim 7, wherein the driving mechanism has an inclined face formed on the main body, the inclined face guiding the attraction member so as to move from the retracting position to the attracting position as the terminal device is pushed into the stowing position.

10. The cradle device according to claim 1, wherein the pop-up mechanism includes

a locker holding the tray locked at the stowing position,

a release unit for releasing a locked state held by the locker, and

a second elastic member for applying an elastic force for moving the tray to the taking-out position when the locked state held by the locker is released by the release unit.

11. The cradle device according to claim 1, wherein the pop-up mechanism moves the tray while maintaining the tray substantially parallel to the attachment face when the tray is shifted from the stowing position to the taking-out position.

12. The cradle device according to claim 1, wherein the pop-up mechanism moves the tray while tilting the tray so as to allow a first end of the terminal device to project with respect to the attachment face when the tray is shifted from the stowing position to the taking-out position.

13. The cradle device according to claim 1, wherein the attraction member is a magnet or an attraction plate attracted to a magnet disposed on the terminal device.

14. The cradle device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment face is a back face of a backrest of a seat or a face of an armrest of a seat installed in an airplane.