DOCKING SLEEVE WITH ELECTRICAL ADAPTER

• US 20170227987A1
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: National Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Carnevali, Jeffrey D., Remmers, Chad Michael, Hersey, Aaron Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,054,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2105/00 Three poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/66 with pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/68 mounted on directly pluggable apparatus

Abstract

A docking sleeve having an elastomeric protective cover, or skin, adapted for partially enveloping a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone or tablet or another portable electronic device of the prior art having a port for a docking connector. The protective cover is a sheath molded of a suitable elastic or flexibly resilient elastomer in a size and shape to fit over and closely conform to the particular portable electronic device so that the cover fits the device like a surgical glove. An adapter is provided for electrically connecting to the female input/output socket of the particular electronic device, including a male plug having a plurality of electrical connectors extended internally of the sheath and arranged for mating with the female input/output socket of the device, and a plurality of contacts electrically coupled to different ones of the plurality of electrical connectors and exposed externally of the sheath.

Claims

1. A protective skin for an electronic device, the skin comprising:

a flexible protective cover configured and arranged to receive an electronic device and extend around four side faces of the electronic device, extend around a peripheral edge of a front face of the electronic device, and extend around at least a peripheral edge of a back face of the electronic device; and

an adapter coupled to the cover, the adapter comprising a male plug comprising a plurality of connectors extending into the cover in an arrangement for mating with a female socket of the electronic device, a contactor comprising a plurality of contacts adjacent to an exterior of the cover and electrically coupled to one or more of the connectors of the male plug, and a positioning interface defining a rim around the contactor of the adapter to guide proper mating of the contactor of the adapter to an external connector.

2. The skin of claim 1, wherein the rim defines an asymmetric shape.

3. The skin of claim 2, wherein the asymmetric shape comprises a straight side and a curved side opposite the straight side.

4. The skin of claim 1, wherein the positioning interface and the contactor form a male structure extending from the cover.

5. The skin of claim 1, wherein the cover is a one-piece, elastomeric cover.

6. The skin of claim 1, wherein the cover is configured and arranged to cover a back surface of the electronic device so that the cover forms an interior cavity configured and arranged to receive the electronic device entirely within the interior cavity.

7. The skin of claim 5, wherein the cover further defines a peripheral cavity, wherein the peripheral cavity is configured and arranged to receive a peripheral device, the skin further comprising a peripheral plug extending into the peripheral cavity in an arrangement for mating with a female socket of the peripheral device, the peripheral plug comprising at least one connector that is electrically coupled to one or more of the contacts of the adapter.

8. The skin of claim 7, wherein the peripheral cavity is adjacent to the interior cavity of the cover so that the peripheral device can be inserted into the peripheral cavity through the mouth and the interior cavity.

9. The skin of claim 7, wherein one of the at least one connector of the peripheral plug and one of the connectors of the male plug are both coupled to a same one of the contacts of the adapter.

10. The skin of claim 1, further comprising a tag element disposed within or on the cover and configured and arranged to a tag query device to indicate presence of the skin.

11. The skin of claim 1, wherein the positioning interface comprises a magnetic coupling element, wherein the magnetic coupling element comprises one of a magnetic material or a magnetically attractive material.

12. The skin of claim 1, wherein the adapter further comprises a plurality of conductors coupling the connectors of the male plug to the contacts of the contactor, wherein each conductor couples one of the connectors to a corresponding one of the contacts, wherein a spatial arrangement of the connectors of the male plug is different than a spatial arrangement of the corresponding ones of the contacts.

13. A docking system, comprising:

the skin of claim 1; and

a docking cradle comprising a tray configured to receive the skin and a docking connector comprising a plurality of contacts positioned to connect with one or more of the plurality of contacts of the contactor.

14. The docking system of claim 13, wherein the docking cradle further comprises a base receiver configured to mate with the positioning interface of the skin.

17. The skin of claim 11, wherein the asymmetric shape comprises a straight side and a curved side opposite the straight side.

15. A protective skin for an electronic device, the skin comprising:

a flexible protective cover configured and arrange to receive an electronic device; and

an adapter coupled to the cover, the adapter comprising a male plug comprising a plurality of connectors extending into the cover in an arrangement for mating with a female socket of the electronic device, a contactor comprising a flat surface opposite the male plug and an arrangement of a plurality of contacts with each of the contacts exposed at the flat surface and at least partially flush with the flat surface and electrically coupled to one or more of the connectors of the male plug, and a male positioning interface defining a rim around the contactor of the adapter and extending away from the cover to the flat surface of the contactor to guide proper mating of the contactor of the adapter to an external connector.

16. The skin of claim 15, wherein the rim defines an asymmetric shape.

18. The skin of claim 15, wherein the positioning interface extends solely between the contactor and an adjacent portion of the cover.

19. A docking system, comprising:

the skin of claim 15; and

a docking cradle comprising a tray configured to receive the skin and a docking connector comprising a plurality of contacts positioned to connect with one or more of the plurality of contacts of the contactor.

20. A protective skin for an electronic device, the skin comprising:

a flexible protective cover defining an interior cavity and a peripheral cavity, wherein the interior cavity is configured and arranged to receive an electronic device and the peripheral cavity is configured and arranged to receive a peripheral device;

a male plug coupled to the cover and comprising a plurality of connectors extending into the interior cavity of the cover in an arrangement for mating with a female socket of the electronic device;

a peripheral plug coupled to the cover and comprising at least one connector extending into the peripheral cavity of the cover in an arrangement for mating with a female socket of the peripheral device;

a contactor comprising a plurality of contacts adjacent to an exterior of the cover; and

a plurality of conductors extending through the cover and electrically coupling the contacts of the contactor with one or more of the connectors of the male plug and at least one of the at least one connectors of the peripheral plug.