Media device including display and power-delivery mechanism with integrated stand

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11212930-B2
Application number	US-201916574998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 13, 2019
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A media device may include (i) a display device having a front side including a display surface, (ii) a support housing for supporting the display device in each of a plurality of alternative orientations on an external surface, the support housing extending from a back side of the display device between a mounting surface of the support housing abutting the back side of the display device and a distal end of the support housing, (iii) a coupling member disposed at the mounting surface of the support housing and mounted to the display device, and (iv) a battery power supply disposed within the support housing and electrically coupled to the display device via an electrical path extending through the coupling member. Various other systems, devices, assemblies, and methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A media device comprising:
a device housing surrounding electronic components of the media device;
a support member for supporting the device housing in each of a plurality of alternative orientations on an external surface, the support member extending away from a back side of the device housing between a proximal end and a distal end of the support member;
a coupling member comprising a circular extension comprising peripheral mounting extensions for interfacing with corresponding mounting recesses of a mounting socket at the back side of the device housing, the coupling member disposed at the proximal end of the support member and secured to the device housing at the back side, wherein:
the coupling member is rotatably secured within the mounting socket;
the coupling member is rotatable about an axis that extends away from the back side of the device housing; and
the support member extends away from the coupling member and the back side of the device housing at an angle, wherein the support member is rigidly coupled to or integrally formed with the coupling member at a fixed orientation and oblique angle to the coupling member, such that an orientation of the support member is adjustable by rotating the support member and the coupling member as a unit within and relative to the mounting socket about the axis; and

a power-delivery mechanism disposed within the support member and electrically coupled to the electronic components via an electrical path centrally through the support member and centrally through the coupling member.

2. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the support member comprises a rigid material surrounding an interior of the support member.

3. The media device of claim 2 , wherein the support member further comprises an elastomeric material surrounding at least a portion of the rigid material.

4. The media device of claim 1 , further comprising a display device having a display surface at a front side of the device housing, wherein the support member is dimensioned and oriented to incline the display surface at an inclination angle of between approximately 60° and approximately 85° with respect to the external surface when the device housing is supported by the support member on the external surface in each of the plurality of alternative orientations.

5. The media device of claim 4 , wherein the support member is dimensioned and oriented so that a portion of the distal end of the support member and a peripheral region of the device housing abut the external surface when the device housing is supported by the support member on the external surface in each of the plurality of alternative orientations.

6. The media device of claim 5 , wherein:
the device housing is positionable with the display surface in a landscape orientation when a first peripheral side portion of the device housing abuts and extends along the external surface; and
the device housing is positionable with the display surface in a portrait orientation when a second peripheral side portion of the device housing abuts and extends along the external surface.

7. The media device of claim 6 , wherein the support member is dimensioned and oriented to:
incline the display surface at a first inclination angle with respect to the external surface when the display surface is positioned in the landscape orientation; and
incline the display surface at a second inclination angle with respect to the external surface when the display surface is positioned in the portrait orientation.

8. The media device of claim 6 , wherein each of the first and second peripheral side portions of the device housing comprises an elastomeric material that abuts the external surface when the display surface is in the respective landscape and portrait orientations.

9. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the support member is elongated along a support member axis oriented at the oblique angle with respect to the back side of the device housing.

10. The media device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one frictional element disposed between the proximal end of the support member and the device housing to hold the support member in a selected orientation relative to the device housing.

11. The media device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one frictional element comprises two O-rings surrounding the proximal end of the support member.

12. The media device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotational collar in the device housing surrounding an electrical terminal in the mounting socket; and
a fixed surface coupled to the device housing and surrounding the rotational collar, wherein the coupling member is fastened to the rotational collar so that the rotational collar is rotatable with respect to the fixed surface in conjunction with the rotation of the coupling member within the mounting socket.

13. The media device of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling member is disposed nearest an intersection of a first peripheral side and a second peripheral side of four peripheral sides of the device housing; and
the media device further comprises a camera device nearest an intersection of a third peripheral side and a fourth peripheral side of the four peripheral sides.

14. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the coupling member is removably secured to the device housing and comprises an electrical connector removably coupled to an electrical terminal in the device housing to supply power from the power-delivery mechanism to the electronic components within the device housing.

15. The media device of claim 14 , wherein the power-delivery mechanism comprises an electrical cable extending through an inner channel defined within the support member, the electrical cable extending from the electrical connector and protruding from the distal end of the support member.

16. The media device of claim 1 , wherein the power-delivery mechanism comprises a connector socket located at the distal end of the support member and dimensioned to receive a connector plug of a power cable.

17. An assembly for a media device, the assembly comprising:
an elongated support member for supporting a device housing of the media device in at least a portrait orientation resting on a side surface of the device housing at a first inclination angle and a landscape orientation resting on a bottom surface of the device housing at a second inclination on an external surface, the elongated support member defining an inner channel extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end of the elongated support member, wherein the distal end of the elongated support member is configured to be equidistant from the bottom surface and the side surface of the device housing such that the first inclination angle is approximately equal to the second inclination angle;
a coupling member disposed at the proximal end of the elongated support member, wherein the elongated support member is rigidly coupled to or integrally formed with the coupling member at a fixed orientation and oblique angle to the coupling member, the coupling member comprising:
an electrical connector; and
peripheral mounting extensions surrounding the electrical connector and dimensioned to removably secure the coupling member to the device housing by insertion of the peripheral mounting extensions into corresponding mounting recesses in the device housing such that the electrical connector is electrically coupled to an electrical terminal in the device housing and the elongated support member extends away from a back side of the device housing at the oblique angl

Assignees

• Facebook Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bristol Peter Wesley
• Chen Chunli
• Ross Oliver

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K5/0234 Primary

  Feet; Stands; Pedestals, e.g. wheels for moving casing on floor · CPC title

• H04M1/04 Primary

  Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers · CPC title

• H05K5/0247

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title

• H01R43/26

  for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) · CPC title