Device dock

• US 8,910,990 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• 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, Simon, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daniels, Jason S
• Application Number:
  US13/966,835
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.34, 296/37.8, 296/37.12, 296/70, 224/281, 224/483, 224/485, 206/335, 220/260
• US Class Current: 296/37.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0258 for navigation systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

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. The slide assembly is coupled to an axle member, which is further coupled to support arms disposed on the lid. The slide assembly is further coupled to the clutch assembly on an opposite end such that the clutch assembly can limit movement of the slide assembly to further limit movement of the lid.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device dock, comprising:

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

a slide assembly operably coupled to the lid and adapted to bias the lid to the open position;

a clutch assembly gearingly engaged with the slide assembly and adapted to retain the lid in a clamped position, wherein an electronic device is secured between the lid and the storage compartment; and

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 extended and retracted positions, and further wherein the slide assembly includes a first portion and a second portion, each portion of the slide assembly including a track member.

2. The portable electronic device dock of claim 1, including:

an axle member disposed on the underside of the storage compartment, the axle member having a plurality of drive members coupled thereto.

3. The portable electronic device dock of claim 2, wherein, the plurality of drive members includes first and second arm drivers and a central driver disposed between the first and second arm drivers, the central driver adapted to gearingly engage the track member of the second portion of the slide assembly.

4. The portable electronic device dock of claim 3, including:

first and second support arms operably coupled to an underside of the lid, the first and second support arms having geared sector portions disposed thereon, wherein, the first and second arm drivers are adapted to gearingly engage the geared sector portions of the first and second support arms respectively.

5. The portable electronic device dock of claim 4, including:

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

a biasing member received in and coupled to the housing portion at a first end, the biasing member further coupled to the underside of the storage compartment at a second end.

6. The portable electronic device dock of claim 5, wherein, the clutch assembly includes a clutch gear that is gearlingly engaged with the track member of the first portion of the slide assembly.

7. The portable electronic device dock of claim 6, wherein, the clutch gear is adapted to slip as the lid is moved to the closed position and the slide assembly is moved to the extended position, and further wherein the biasing mechanism is loaded as the slide assembly is moved to the extended position.

8. The portable electronic device dock of claim 7, wherein, the clutch gear is adapted to lock on the track member of the first portion of the slide assembly as the slide assembly is biased by the biasing mechanism to the retracted position, to retain the lid in the clamped position.

9. The portable electronic device dock of claim 8, including:

an actuator assembly coupled to the clutch assembly, the actuator assembly having an actuator button adapted to release the clutch gear, such that the slide assembly is able to move to the retracted position as driven by the biasing mechanism, as the lid moves to the open position from the clamped position.

10. A portable electronic device dock, comprising:

a storage compartment disposed in a vehicle dashboard;

a lid hingedly coupled to the storage compartment;

a slide assembly coupled to both the lid and the storage compartment and adapted to bias the lid to an open position;

a clutch assembly coupled to the slide assembly and adapted to retain the lid in a clamped position to clamp an electronic device between the lid and the storage compartment;

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 extended and retracted positions, and further wherein the lid is moved to an open position as the slide assembly moves to the retracted position;

an axle member disposed on the underside of the storage compartment, the axle member configured to retain the slide assembly in the channel and having a plurality of drive members;

first and second support arms operably coupled to an underside of the lid, each of the support arms having geared sector portions gearingly engaged a drive member of the plurality of drive members;

a first cradle member disposed on the underside of the lid;

a second cradled member disposed on the storage compartment, the first and second cradle members adapted to receive the electronic device when the lid is in the clamped position; and

first and second track members disposed on first and second portions of the slide assembly, wherein the first track member is gearingly engaged with a clutch gear of the clutch assembly, and further wherein the second track member is gearingly engaged with a drive member of the plurality of drive members disposed on the axle member.

11. The portable electronic device dock of claim 10, including:

a biasing member coupled to the slide assembly at a first end, the biasing member further coupled to the underside of the storage compartment at a second end, the biasing member adapted to bias the slide assembly to the retracted position, thereby moving the lid to the open position.

12. The portable electronic device dock of claim 11, wherein, the biasing mechanism is a constant force tape spring having a spool rotatably coupled to the slide assembly.

13. The portable electronic device dock of claim 12, wherein, the clutch gear is adapted to slip as the lid is moved to the closed position and the slide assembly is moved to the extended position, and further wherein the biasing mechanism is loaded as the slide assembly is moved to the extended position, the clutch gear adapted to lock on the track member of the first portion of the slide assembly as the slide assembly is biased by the biasing mechanism to the retracted position, to retain the lid in the clamped position.

14. A portable electronic device dock, comprising:

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

a slide assembly gearingly coupled to the lid,

a biasing member operably coupled to the slide assembly at a first end and further coupled to the storage compartment at a second end, the biasing member adapted to bias the lid to the open position by driving the slide assembly to a retracted position;

a clutch assembly gearingly engaged with the slide assembly and adapted to retain the slide assembly in a partially extended position, such that an electronic device is secured between the lid and the storage compartment;

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 extended and retracted positions, and further wherein the lid is moved to open and closed positions as the slide assembly moves between the retracted and extended positions respectively;

a track member disposed on one of the first and second retaining flanges; and

a damper mechanism disposed on the slide assembly, the damper mechanism gearingly engaged with the track member disposed on one of the first and second retaining flanges, the damper mechanism adapted to damper movement of the lid to the open position as biased by the biasing member.

15. The portable electronic device dock of claim 14, including:

a clutch gear disposed on the clutch assembly, the clutch gear adapted to slip as the lid is moved to the closed position and the slide assembly is moved to the extended position, and further wherein the biasing mechanism is loaded as the slide assembly is moved to the extended position, the clutch gear further adapted to lock the slide assembly as the slide assembly is biased by the biasing mechanism to the retracted position, to retain the lid in the partially extended position.