Portable electronic device support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10063268-B2
Application number	US-201514679354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

In certain embodiments of the present invention, a portable electronic device support comprises a base, a frame, and a rotational mechanism, with the base including a front and a rear panel. The rotational mechanism is attached to the frame at a position offset from the center so that substantially the same viewing angle can be maintained after rotation from landscape to portrait orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device support comprising:
a base having a front panel and a back panel;
a frame for a portable electronic device; and
a rotational mechanism coupling the frame to the back panel of the base, wherein the rotational mechanism is coupled to the back panel so that a single axis of rotation of the frame is at a position offset from a center of the frame so that a center of the rotational mechanism is shifted along both an X and a Y axis of the frame from the center of the frame, the rotational mechanism providing for rotation of the portable electronic device from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation;
wherein the front panel of the base includes a mechanism to hold the frame at a constant viewing angle relative to the front panel of the base, in both portrait and landscape orientations;
wherein the rotation mechanism comprises
a first part coupled to a back side of the frame; and
a second part coupled to a top portion of the back panel, such that the first and second parts engage with each other to couple together and allow rotation relative to each other.

2. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the frame is still centered about an X axis of the base in both landscape and portrait orientations, even with the rotational mechanism not being centered.

3. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the mechanism to hold the frame at a constant viewing angle holds the frame at an angle of between 60-80 degrees relative to the front panel of the base, in both portrait and landscape orientations.

4. The portable electronic device support of claim 3 wherein the mechanism to hold comprises a groove in the front panel of the base.

5. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the support also comprises a case, with the back panel folding with respect to the front panel so that the electronic device is held in-between, and further comprising a latch for securing open ends of the front and back panels together.

6. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the frame is configured to couple to the portable electronic device.

7. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the frame is integral to the portable electronic device.

8. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the frame is the portable electronic device.

9. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a hard plastic, and said front and back panels comprise resilient material with an internal stiffener.

10. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein a center of rotational mechanism is shifted 17 mm in both directions X and Y relative to the center of the frame.

11. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the frame of said portable electronic device support is set at a constant viewing angle of 70 degrees in both landscape and portrait orientation.

12. The portable electronic device support of claim 1 wherein the frame rotates with a 360 degrees rotation relative to the base.

13. A portable electronic device support comprising:
a base having a front panel and a back panel;
a rectangular frame for a portable electronic device;
a rotational mechanism coupling the frame to the back panel of the base, wherein the rotational mechanism is coupled to the back panel at a position offset from a center of the frame so that a center of the rotational mechanism is shifted along both an X and a Y axis of the frame from a center of the frame;
wherein the center of the rotational mechanism is equally offset from the center of the frame along both the X axis and the Y axis of the frame;
wherein a point of attachment of the rotational mechanism to the back panel is shifted off the center of the frame so that the frame is still centered about the X axis of the base in both landscape and portrait orientations, even with the rotational mechanism not being centered;
wherein the front panel of the base includes a mechanism to hold the frame at a constant viewing angle of between 60-80 degrees relative to the front panel of the base, in both portrait and landscape orientations;
wherein the support also comprises a case, with the back panel folding with respect to the front panel so that the electronic device is held in-between, and further comprising a latch for securing open ends of the front and back panels together; and
wherein the frame is configured to couple to the portable electronic device.

14. The portable electronic device support of claim 13 wherein the mechanism to hold comprises a groove in the front panel of the base.

15. The portable electronic device support of claim 13 wherein the rotation mechanism comprises
a first part coupled to a back side of the frame; and
a second part coupled to a top portion of the back panel, such that the first and second parts engage with each other to couple together and allow rotation relative to each other.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15 wherein:
one of the first part and the second part of the rotational mechanism comprises a broken ring of raised walls having gaps therebetween; and
the other of the first and second part of the rotational mechanism comprises a ring adapted to engage the ring of raised walls, and including a movable arm for engaging the gaps of the broken ring, to fix the frame at a plurality of angles.

17. A portable electronic device support comprising:
a base having a front panel and a back panel;
a rectangular frame for a portable electronic device;
a rotational mechanism coupling the frame to the back panel of the base, wherein the rotational mechanism is coupled to the back panel so that a single axis of rotation of the frame is at a position offset from a center of the frame so that the rotational mechanism provides for rotation of the portable electronic device from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation:
wherein the rotational mechanism is positioned so that the center of the rotational mechanism is shifted along both an X and a Y axis of the frame from the center of the frame;
wherein the center of the rotational mechanism is equally offset from the center of the frame along both the X axis and the Y axis of the frame;
wherein a point of attachment of the rotational mechanism to the back panel is shifted off the center of the frame along an X axis of the frame, so that the frame is still centered about the X axis of the base in both landscape and portrait orientations, even with the rotational mechanism not being centered;
wherein the front panel of the base includes a groove in the front panel of the base to hold the frame at a constant viewing angle of between 60-80 degrees relative to the front panel of the base, in both portrait and landscape orientations;
wherein the support also comprises a case, with the back panel folding with respect to the front panel so that the electronic device is held in-between, and further comprising a latch for securing open ends of the front and back panels together;
wherein the frame is configured to couple to the portable electronic device; and
wherein the rotation mechanism comprises:
a first part coupled to a back side of the frame; and
a second part coupled to a top portion of the back panel, such that the first and second parts engage with each other to couple together and allow rotation relative to each other.

Assignees

• Logitech Europe Sa

Inventors

• Gygax Kim
• Shao Yibo
• Wen Li Lun
• Lee Chien-Chang
• Wu Jacky

Classifications

• H04M1/04

  Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers · CPC title

• H04M1/12

  Adjustable supports, e.g. extensible · CPC title

• H04M1/06

  Hooks; Cradles · CPC title

• H04B1/3877 Primary

  Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters · CPC title

• A47B23/043

  adjustable, foldable · CPC title