Electronic apparatus and docking station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9229479-B2
Application number	US-201414281265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic apparatus and a docking station, thereby solving the conventional technical problem that the electronic apparatus is damaged because it cannot sustain the excessive force applied by the user to the auxiliary device during separating the electronic apparatus from the auxiliary device since the electronic apparatus is coupled to the auxiliary device by the spring and the engagement mechanism. The electronic apparatus comprises a first body including N first coupling members; a second body including N second coupling members mated with the first coupling members, wherein when the first body and the second body are kept in contact with each other, the first body is coupled to the second body by cooperation of the N first coupling members and the N second coupling members if the first body and the second body are in a first relative position, and the first body is decoupled from the second body so that the first body is separable from the second body by cooperation of the N first coupling members and the N second coupling members if the first body and the second body are in a second relative position different from the first relative position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a first body including N first coupling members, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1;
a second body including N second coupling members mated with the first coupling members, wherein when the first body and the second body are kept in contact with each other, the first body is coupled to the second body by cooperation of the N first coupling members and the N second coupling members if the first body and the second body are in a first relative position, and the first body is decoupled from the second body so that the first body is separable from the second body by cooperation of the N first coupling members and the N second coupling members if the first body and the second body are in a second relative position different from the first relative position.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first body can move relative to the second body in a first manner and a second manner different from the first manner, wherein the first body is decoupled from the second body after the first body moves relative to the second body in the first manner from the first relative position to the second relative position, and the first body is still kept coupled to the second body after the first body moves relative to the second body in the second manner from the first relative position to the second relative position.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein after the first body moves relative to the second body in the first manner from the first relative position to the second relative position, the N first coupling members switch from a first state to a second state different from the first state, and are decoupled from the N second coupling members so that the first body is decoupled from the second body.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second body further comprises a shaft, and the shaft is disposed on a first side of the N second coupling members so that when the first body and the second body are kept in contact with each other, the first body can rotate relative to the second body around the shaft from the first relative position to the second relative position.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein when the first body and the second body continuously rotate through the shaft from the first relative position through at least one transition position included between the first relative position and the second relative position to the second relative position, the first body is decoupled from the second body so that the first body is separable from the second body.

6. A docking station, wherein the docking station can be separably coupled to an electronic apparatus, and the electronic apparatus is provided with N first coupling members, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and wherein the docking station comprises:
N second coupling members mated with the N first coupling members, wherein when the electronic apparatus and the docking station are kept in contact with each other, the electronic apparatus is coupled to the docking station by cooperation of the N first coupling members and the N second coupling members if the electronic apparatus and the docking station are in a first relative position, and the electronic apparatus is decoupled from the docking station so that the electronic apparatus is separable from the docking station by cooperation of the N first coupling members and the N second coupling members if the electronic apparatus and the docking station are in a second relative position different from the first relative position.

7. The docking station of claim 6 , wherein the electronic apparatus can move relative to the docking station in a first manner and a second manner different from the first manner, wherein the electronic apparatus is decoupled from the docking station when the electronic apparatus moves relative to the docking station in the first manner from the first relative position to the second relative position, and the electronic apparatus is still kept coupled to the docking station when the electronic apparatus moves relative to the docking station in the second manner from the first relative position to the second relative position, and/or
when the electronic apparatus moves relative to the docking station in the first manner from the first relative position to the second relative position, the N first coupling members switch from a first state to a second state different from the first state, and are decoupled from the N second coupling members so that the electronic apparatus is decoupled from the docking station.

8. The docking station of claim 6 , wherein the docking station further comprises a shaft, and the shaft is disposed on a first side of the N second coupling members so that when the electronic apparatus and the docking station are kept in contact with each other, the electronic apparatus can rotate relative to the docking station around the shaft from the first relative position to the second relative position, and/or
when the electronic apparatus and the docking station continuously rotate through the shaft from the first relative position through at least one transition position included between the first relative position and the second relative position to the second relative position, the electronic apparatus is decoupled from the docking station so that the electronic apparatus is separable from the docking station.

9. The docking station of claim 8 , further comprising: a first cam fitted over the shaft, wherein the first cam comprises:
a first engagement member;
a second engagement member; and
a linkage member disposed to the second engagement member to be capable of being separably connected to the second coupling member,
wherein during rotation of the electronic apparatus relative to the docking station from the first relative position to the second relative position, the first engagement member rotates relative to the second engagement member from a first position to a second position, such that the second engagement member slides relative to the shaft in a first direction and drives the second coupling member to slide in the first direction through the linkage member, so that the first coupling member is decoupled from the second coupling member, and thus the electronic apparatus is separable from the docking station.

10. The docking station of claim 9 , wherein the first engagement member comprises a first end provided with at least two recesses;
the second engagement member comprises a second end and a third end different from the second end, the second end is provided with at least two protrusions mated with the at least two recesses, and the linkage member is disposed to the third end; and
when the first engagement member is in the first position relative to the second engagement member, the at least two recesses and the at least two protrusions are in a first state; and when the first engagement member is in the second position relative to the second engagement member, the at least two recesses and the at least two protrusions are in a second state different from the first state.

11. The docking station of claim 6 , wherein the docking station further comprises a force application mechanism, and the force application mechanism is configured to provide a first force to the electronic apparatus such that the electronic apparatus is decoupled and separated from the docking station, when the electronic apparatus and the docking station are in the second relative position.

12. The docking station of claim 6 , wherein when the electronic apparatus is in the second relative position relative to the

Assignees

• Lenovo Beijing Ltd

Inventors

• Han Liang
• Liang Runsheng
• Tian Ping
• Wei Jianglei

Classifications

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title

• G06F1/182

  with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI] · CPC title

• G06F1/1632 Primary

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