Apparatus and method for pivot attachment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354670-B2
Application number	US-201313975947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2013
Priority date	Aug 26, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A modular device and method are disclosed. The modular device includes individual modular units. A first modular unit includes a pivot member and a connector and a second modular unit includes a matching connector and a first mating point. The first mating point is configured to fit a portion of the pivot member. A third modular unit may also be included, where the third modular unit has a second mating point which is configured to fit another portion of the pivot member. The matched connectors align and connect when the second modular unit is rotated about the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit. The third modular unit can also be rotated about the same pivot member with or without the second modular unit connected. The second and third modular units can be rotated independently and/or removed independently.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first modular unit comprising a pivot member and a first connector;
a second modular unit comprising a second connector and a first mating point,
wherein the first mating point is configured to fit a first portion of the pivot member and the second connector is configured to align with the first connector when the second modular unit is rotated about an axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit; and
a third modular unit comprising a third connector and a second mating point,
wherein the second mating point is configured to fit a second portion of the pivot member, the first modular unit further comprises a fourth connector and the third connector is configured to align with the fourth connector when the third modular unit is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit,
wherein the second modular unit and the third modular unit are configured to be rotated independently about the pivot member and the second modular unit can be removed from the pivot member and the second modular unit and the third modular unit can be removed independently from the pivot member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first connector is a first electrical connector, the second connector is a second electrical connector, and the first modular unit further comprises a first mechanical connector,
the second modular unit further comprises a second mechanical connector,
the second mechanical connector is configured to align with the first mechanical connector when the second modular unit is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit, and
the first mechanical connector and the second mechanical connector attach when the second modular unit is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mating point comprises a male hook defining a recess configured to fit the first portion of the pivot member.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the pivot member comprises a pivot rod, where the pivot rod comprises a slot and the second modular unit comprises a stop configured to fit the slot and to prevent the pivot rod from moving along the axis of rotation when the first portion of the pivot rod is fit within the first mating point.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first mating point comprises a pivot member guide defining a seat configured to fit the first portion of the pivot member.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the pivot member guide prevents the pivot member from moving along the axis of rotation when the first portion of the pivot member is fit within the first mating point.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second modular unit comprises a modular unit guide defining a seat configured to fit a portion of the third modular unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the modular unit guide prevents the third modular unit from moving along the axis of rotation when the third modular unit is fit within the modular unit guide.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first modular unit is configured to be powered by the second modular unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second modular unit is configured to be powered by the first modular unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first modular unit comprises a handset unit and the handset unit comprises a computer processor, an input and an output.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second modular unit comprises one of: a battery unit and a sensor unit.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a first modular device configured with a pivot member, a first connector;
a second modular device configured to fit a first portion of the pivot member at a mating point and configured with a second connector; and
a third modular device configured to fit a second portion of the pivot member at a second mating point,
wherein the second modular device and the third modular device rotate independently about an axis of rotation defined by the pivot member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first connector is a first electrical connector, the second connector is a second electrical connector, and the first modular device further comprises a first mechanical connector configured to align with a second mechanical connector on the second modular device when the apparatus is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular device, and
the first mechanical connector is further configured to attach with the second mechanical connector when the apparatus is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a modular unit guide defining a seat configured to fit a portion of a modular unit.

16. A method comprising:
linking a first modular unit and a second modular unit using a pivot member, wherein the first modular unit comprises a first connector and the second modular unit comprises a second connector;
rotating the second modular unit about an axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit, wherein the second connector is configured to align with the first connector when the second modular unit is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit;
linking a third modular unit using the pivot member, wherein the third modular unit comprises a third connector and the first modular unit further comprises a fourth connector; and
rotating the third modular unit about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit, wherein, the third connector is configured to align with the fourth connector when the third modular unit is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit,
wherein the second modular unit and the third modular unit are configured to be independently removable.

17. The method of claim 16 , where, in a first attached configuration, the first modular unit and the second modular unit are in contact and the first modular unit and the third modular unit are in contact and the method further comprises:
in the first attached configuration, rotating the second modular unit about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member out contact with the first modular unit; and
unlinking the first modular unit and the second modular unit while the first modular unit and the third modular unit remain in contact.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, while the first modular unit and the third modular unit remain in contact:
linking a fourth modular unit using the pivot member, wherein the fourth modular unit comprises a fifth connector; and
rotating the fourth modular unit about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit, wherein, the fourth connector is configured to align with the first connector when the fourth modular unit is rotated about the axis of rotation defined by the pivot member into contact with the first modular unit,
wherein the fourth modular unit and the third modular unit are configured to be independently removable.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Derosa Joshua Paul David
• Monroe Richard A
• Beckhusen Gerard Frederick
• Stancato Nicholas Anthony
• Bendall Clark Alexander

Classifications

• H01M50/262

  with fastening means, e.g. locks · CPC title

• H01M50/202

  Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery · CPC title

• H01M50/247

  specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers · CPC title

• H01M50/244

  Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method · CPC title

• G06F1/1615

  with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function (constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206) · CPC title