Mobile device docking station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573532-B2
Application number	US-201314385810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2013
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A docking station ( 10 ) for an elongate rectangular mobile device. A first adjustable slide clamp member ( 14 ) is fitted in aperture ( 28 ) and is capable of adjustment in one direction. A second adjustable rotate clamp member ( 16 ) has a plug ( 85 ) for interconnection with a socket of the mobile device. The slide clamp member ( 14 ) has a clamp surface ( 32 ) and comprises a ratchet arm ( 26 ). The rotate clamp member also has a clamp surface ( 32 c ) and is rotatably disposed with respect to the body so that it can rotate between two positions. In a first position the clamp surface is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slide clamp ( 14 ). In a second position it is parallel to that direction. In the second position, it opens a second aperture opposite the rotate clamp member and in which the slide clamp member can be inserted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A docking station comprising a main body providing a generally flat base and against which base a mobile device is adapted to lie, in use, and two adjustable clamp members arranged to be capable of being moved towards and away from one another between open and closed positions so as to squeeze and release, from between the two adjustable clamp members, the mobile device to be docked in the station, wherein the clamp members are adapted to be positioned in one of at least two orientations with respect to the base, in a first orientation the clamp members moving between said open and closed positions in a first direction substantially parallel to said base and a second orientation wherein the clamp members move between said open and closed positions in a second direction substantially parallel to said base and substantially perpendicular to said first direction.

2. A docking station as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said base is substantially rectangular in outline.

3. A docking station as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said rectangular base has two short sides and two long sides and said first direction is substantially parallel to one of said long sides.

4. A docking station as claimed in claim 3 , in which the clamp members have a width less than the width of the base and, when moving in said first direction, the clamp members are within the confines of the long sides of the base.

5. A docking station as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the clamp members, when moving in said second direction are nearer one short side of the base than the other.

6. A docking station as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one clamp member is a rotate clamp member, has a clamp surface and is rotatably disposed with respect to the body so that the at least one clamp member can rotate between two positions, in a first of which the clamp surface is parallel to said second direction and in a second of which the clamp surface is parallel to said first direction.

7. A docking station as claimed in claim 6 , in which said rotate clamp member has a third position in which the clamp surface is parallel to said first direction and on the opposite side of the base from the first position.

8. A docking station as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the base comprises a front wall, a back wall, and a hub disposed between said front and back walls, wherein said rotate clamp member has a sleeve surrounding said hub and is rotatable thereon, an arm of the rotate clamp member extending from said sleeve between said front and rear walls and on the end of which arm said clamp surface is disposed.

9. A docking station as claimed in claim 8 , wherein an edge wall is formed between said front and back walls to close the body, the sleeve forming said edge wall between said two positions and conforming to the profile of said front and back walls when in either of said two positions.

10. A docking station as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one clamp member is a slide clamp member, has a clamp surface and comprises a ratchet arm on an end of which is disposed said clamp surface, and wherein the body comprises first and second apertures, each of which apertures is adapted to receive said ratchet arm to permit sliding movement of said slide clamp member, in the first aperture in said first direction and in said second aperture in said second direction, said clamp surface being substantially perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement of the slide clamp member.

11. A docking station as claimed in claim 10 , in which said body is provided with a third aperture on the other side of the body from said first aperture and adapted to receive said ratchet arm to permit sliding movement of said slide clamp member in said first direction.

12. A docking station as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the base comprises a front wall, a back wall, and means defining a slot associated with each aperture to receive said ratchet arm, which slot is provided with serrations against which said ratchet arm latches to lock the slide clamp member against retraction from said aperture in any of multiple positions between a first extreme when said clamp members have maximal separation and a second extreme when said clamp members have minimal separation.

13. A docking station as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said ratchet arm comprises a spring-biased knob which, when depressed, releases the latch of the ratchet arm with said serrations to permit free sliding of the ratchet arm in said slot.

14. A docking station as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one clamp member is fixed with respect to said first and second directions.

15. A docking station as claimed in claim 14 , in which said one clamp member is a rotate clamp member having a clamp surface and is rotatably disposed with respect to the body so that it can rotate between two positions, in a first of which the clamp surface is parallel to said second direction and in a second of which it is parallel to said first direction, and the other clamp member is a slide clamp member having a clamp surface and comprises a ratchet arm on the end of which is disposed said clamp surface, and wherein the body comprises first and second apertures, each of which apertures is adapted to receive said ratchet arm to permit sliding movement of said slide clamp member, in the first aperture in said first direction and in said second aperture in said second direction, said clamp surface being substantially perpendicular to the direction of sliding movement of the slide clamp member.

16. A docking station as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the base comprises a front wall, a back wall, and a hub disposed between said front and back walls, wherein said rotate clamp member has a sleeve surrounding said hub and is rotatable thereon, an arm of the rotate clamp member extending from said sleeve between said front and rear walls and on the end of which arm said clamp surface is disposed, and wherein the base further comprises means defining a slot associated with each aperture to receive said ratchet arm, which slot is provided with serrations against which said ratchet arm latches to lock the slide clamp member against retraction from said aperture in any of multiple positions between a first extreme when said clamp members have maximal separation and a second extreme when said clamp members have minimal separation, and in which the slot associated with at least one aperture is defined at least in part through the hub, the sleeve of the rotate clamp member having an aperture on the side thereof opposite the arm and through which the ratchet arm of the slide member is adapted to slide when the rotate arm is in said first position.

17. A docking station as claimed in claim 16 , wherein at least one clamp member is a rotate clamp member, has a clamp surface and is rotatably disposed with respect to the body so that it can rotate between two positions, in a first of which the clamp surface is parallel to said second direction and in a second of which it is parallel to said first direction, in which said rotate clamp member has a third position in which the clamp surface is parallel to said first direction and on the opposite side of the base from the first position, and in which the slots associated with said first and third apertures are collinear and each at least in part defined through the hub.

18. A docking station as claimed in claim 16 , wherein one clamp member is a slide clamp member, has a clamp surface and comprises a ratchet arm on the end of which is disposed said clamp surface, and wherein the body comprises first

Assignees

• Tomtom Int Bv

Inventors

• Riddiford Martin
• Henley Benjamin John

Classifications

• F16M13/022

  repositionable · CPC title

• H01R33/945

  Holders with built-in electrical component · CPC title

• B60R11/0241 Primary

  for telephones · CPC title

• H04M1/6083

  by interfacing with the vehicle audio system · CPC title

• H04M1/04

  Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers · CPC title