Engaging mechanism, transmission dock equipped with the same, and electronic apparatus having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10437291-B2
Application number	US-201715782742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 12, 2017
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

An engaging mechanism, a transmission dock equipped with the same, and an electronic apparatus having the same are provided. The engaging mechanism includes a rotary fastening element, a guiding frame and a translating frame. The rotary fastening element rotates about an axis to reach an engaging state. The guiding frame has two opposing outer sidewalls and is protrudingly disposed on a support surface of the transmission dock. The axis is substantially parallel to the support surface. The rotary fastening element protrudes from one of the outer sidewalls in the engaging state. The translating frame has two opposing inner sidewalls and two opposing upper wall surfaces. The two outer sidewalls are disposed between the two inner sidewalls, allowing the rotary fastening element to rotate and reach the engaging state and thereby stop one of the upper wall surfaces, when the translating frame connects with the support surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engaging mechanism, comprising:
at least one rotary fastening element biased to rotate about an axis to an engaging state;
at least one guiding frame having two opposing outer sidewalls and being protrudingly disposed on a support surface of a transmission dock, wherein the axis is substantially parallel to the support surface, and the at least one rotary fastening element protrudes from one of the two outer sidewalls in the engaging state; and
at least one translating frame having two opposing inner sidewalls and two upper wall surfaces adjoining the two inner sidewalls, respectively, arranged such that when the guiding frame is partially received in the translating frame, the two outer sidewalls are disposed between and respectively face the two inner sidewalls, and the at least one rotary fastening element contacts and is driven by one of the two inner sidewalls to quit the engaging state, and when the at least one guiding frame is fully received in the translating frame and the translating frame contacts with the support surface, the at least one rotary fastening element is released from the one of the two inner sidewalls and rotates to the engaging state so as to engage with one of the two upper wall surfaces.

2. The engaging mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rotary fastening element comprises a pivotal portion, an arm and a hook portion, the pivotal portion being positioned proximate to a side of the at least one guiding frame through the axis, allowing the arm and the hook portion to extend from the pivotal portion successively, wherein when the at least one guiding frame is fully received in the translating frame and the translating frame contacts with the support surface and the at least one rotary fastening element rotates to the engaging state, the hook portion protrudes from one of the two outer sidewalls and is stopped at one of the two upper wall surfaces.

3. The engaging mechanism of claim 2 , wherein when the guiding frame is partially received in the translating frame, one of the two inner sidewalls pushes a pushed area of the hook portion to drive the at least one rotary fastening element to rotate and quit the engaging state while the at least one translating frame is moving in a support direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface so as to contact the support surface.

4. The engaging mechanism of claim 2 , wherein a reference line parallel to the support direction crosses the hook portion, one of the two upper wall surfaces and the pivotal portion when the at least one translating frame contacts the support surface and the at least one rotary fastening element is in the engaging state.

5. The engaging mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a linking element and an elastic element, with the at least one rotary fastening element being in a number of two, wherein the linking element connects with the two rotary fastening elements, and the elastic element connects with the linking element so as to bias the two rotary fastening elements to rotate to the engaging state.

6. A transmission dock, adapted to connect with a first electronic device, allowing a connecting lateral side of the first electronic device to align with a support direction and connect with the transmission dock through at least one translating frame, the transmission dock comprising:
a base having a receiving slot for receiving the connecting lateral side;
at least one rotary fastening element biased to rotate about an axis to an engaging state; and
at least one guiding frame having two opposing outer sidewalls and protrudingly disposed on a support surface of a bottom of the receiving slot, wherein the axis is substantially parallel to the support surface,
wherein the at least one translating frame has two opposing inner sidewalls and two upper wall surfaces adjoining the two inner sidewalls, respectively, arranged such that when the guiding frame is partially received in the translating frame, the two outer sidewalls are disposed between and respectively face the two inner sidewalls, and the at least one rotary fastening element contacts and is driven by one of the two inner sidewalls to quit the engaging state, and when the at least one guiding frame is fully received in the translating frame and the translating frame contacts with the support surface, the at least one rotary fastening element is released from the one of the two inner sidewalls and rotates to the engaging state so as to engage with one of the two upper wall surfaces.

7. The transmission dock of claim 6 , wherein the at least one rotary fastening element comprises a pivotal portion, an arm and a hook portion, the pivotal portion being positioned proximate to a side of the at least one guiding frame through the axis, allowing the arm and the hook portion to extend from the pivotal portion successively, wherein when the at least one guiding frame is fully received in the translating frame and the translating frame contacts with the support surface and the at least one rotary fastening element rotates to the engaging state, the hook portion protrudes from one of the two outer sidewalls and is stopped at one of the two upper wall surfaces to allow the first electronic device to be fixed to the transmission dock.

8. The transmission dock of claim 7 , wherein when the guiding frame is partially received in the translating frame, one of the two inner sidewalls pushes a pushed area of the hook portion to drive the at least one rotary fastening element to rotate and quit the engaging state while the at least one translating frame is moving in a support direction substantially perpendicular to the support surface so as to contact the support surface.

9. The transmission dock of claim 7 , wherein a reference line parallel to the support direction crosses the hook portion, one of the two upper wall surfaces and the pivotal portion when the at least one translating frame contacts the support surface and the at least one rotary fastening element is in the engaging state.

10. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a transmission dock;
a first electronic device having a connecting lateral side and at least one translating frame, with the at least one translating frame disposed on the connecting lateral side, allowing the first electronic device to be aligned with a support direction and electrically connected to the transmission dock;
a second electronic device for holding the transmission dock, wherein the transmission dock comprises:
a base having a receiving slot for receiving the connecting lateral side;
at least one rotary fastening element biased to rotate about an axis to an engaging state; and
at least one guiding frame having two opposing outer sidewalls and protrudingly disposed on a support surface of a bottom of the receiving slot, wherein the axis is substantially parallel to the support surface,
wherein the at least one translating frame has two opposing inner sidewalls and two upper wall surfaces adjoining the two inner sidewalls, respectively, arranged such that when the guiding frame is partially received in the translating frame, the two outer sidewalls are disposed between and respectively face the two inner sidewalls, and the at least one rotary fastening element contacts and is driven by one of the two inner sidewalls to quit the engaging state, and when the at least one guiding frame is fully received in the translating frame and the translating frame contacts with the support surface, the at least one rotary fastening element is released from the one of the two inner sidewalls and rotates to the engaging state so as to engage with one of the two upper wall surfaces.

11. The electronic a

Assignees

• Getac Technology Corp

Inventors

• Hsu Wan-Lin
• Chang Juei-Chi

Classifications

• G06F1/1669

  Detachable keyboards · CPC title

• G06F1/1654

  the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F1/1679 Primary

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title