Cradle for electronic device

• US 10,298,036 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Bong-Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trischler, John T
• Application Number:
  US14/835,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20160056647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 320107
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/73 Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]

Abstract

A cradle for an electronic device includes a mounting portion to detachably/attachably accommodate at least a part of the electronic device, a connector disposed in the mounting portion, and a detection member disposed in the mounting portion to detect whether the electronic device is mounted on the mounting portion. Only when the electronic device is attached to the cradle, the cradle may charge a battery or establish an electrical connection automatically with an external device to transmit/receive data. Therefore, a Product Liability (PL) accident can be prevented, and reliability of the cradle can be improved.

Claims

1. A cradle for an electronic device, the cradle comprising:

a mounting portion configured to detachably accommodate at least a part of the electronic device;

a connector disposed in the mounting portion;

a power source electrically connected to the connector;

a detection member disposed on the mounting portion, and configured to detect whether the electronic device is mounted on the mounting portion; and

a locking member configured to maintain a state in which the electronic device is mounted on the mounting portion and including a pair of hooking pieces which are extended upwardly and face each other,

wherein each of the hooking pieces includes a hook disposed at an end portion of the each of the hooking pieces, and the hooking pieces are respectively disposed at an edge along an outer perimeter of the mounting portion,

wherein the electronic device is configured to snap-fit the mounting portion by receiving the hooking pieces at a pair of hooking recesses disposed at a rear side of the electronic device,

wherein the detection member is disposed between the pair of hooking pieces on the mounting portion and disposed around the connector to easily detect whether the electronic device is mounted,

wherein the connector, the detection member, and the pair of hooking pieces are disposed on a center axis in a longitudinal direction of the mounting portion and the electronic device, and

wherein the detection member is configured to establish an electrical connection between the power source and the connector only when the electronic device is completely mounted on the mounting portion.

2. The cradle of claim 1, wherein the power source is at least one of a charging battery pack embedded in the cradle, an external power source connected through a connector port on the cradle, or an external device connected to the connector port to transmit/receive data.

3. The cradle of claim 1, wherein the connector is a protruding connector disposed to be exposed at least in the mounting portion.

4. The cradle of claim 1,

wherein the detection member comprises a detection button protruding from the mounting portion, and

wherein the detection button is configured to maintain a state of being pulled back while the electronic device is mounted on the mounting portion.

5. The cradle of claim 1,

wherein the connector protrudes upwardly from the mounting portion, and

wherein the connector is configured to physically contact a terminal exposed in the rear side of the electronic device when the electronic device is mounted on the mounting portion.

6. The cradle of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a wearable electronic device comprising a main body and a connection portion, the pair of hooking recesses being disposed on a line extended from the connection portion of the main body of the wearable electronic device.

7. The cradle of claim 1, wherein the cradle comprises at least one connector port configured to:

charge a charging battery pack embedded in the cradle to supply power to the electronic device,

charge a battery pack included inside the electronic device, or

be electrically connected to an external device for charging and/or data transmission/reception of the electronic device.

8. The cradle of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a wrist mounted device which excludes a physical keyboard.

9. The cradle of claim 1, wherein the detection member includes a sensor configured to detect whether the electronic device is mounted on the mounting portion.

10. The cradle of claim 9, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a proximity sensor or a pressure sensor.

11. The cradle of claim 1, further comprising at least one notification member configured to provide notification information comprising at least one of charging state information of the electronic device, charging state information of a charging battery pack included in the cradle, or connection information with respect to an external device.

12. The cradle of claim 11, wherein the at least one notification member includes at least one of:

a Light Emitting Diode (LED) disposed in the cradle, at least a part of the LED being visible on the cradle, and configured to visually provide the notification information, or

a speaker device configured to audibly provide the notification information.

13. The cradle of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion further comprises at least one reverse-insertion preventing protrusion extending upwardly to prevent the electronic device from being reversely inserted.

14. The cradle of claim 13, wherein the reverse-insertion preventing protrusion is received at a protrusion guiding hole defined in the rear side of the electronic device if the electronic device is correctly mounted on the mounting portion.

15. The cradle of claim 14, wherein the protrusion guiding hole is defined near at least one speaker hole also defined in the rear side of the electronic device.