Electronic device and external structure configured to attach to or detach from the electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9827494-B2
Application number	US-201214368672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Jan 6, 2012
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an external structure configured to be attached to or detached from an electronic device having a concave portion formed on a surface of a housing, and a connection connector provided in a position of the concave portion receding from the surface of the housing, the concave portion having a cross-sectional shape enabling locking of the external structure, the external structure including a first fitting unit configured to be fitted to the connection connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An external structure configured to one of attach to or detach from an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a housing, a concave portion on a surface of the housing, and a connection connector in the concave portion that recedes from the surface of the housing, wherein the concave portion has a cross-sectional shape that enables the external structure to lock to the electronic device, the external structure comprising:
a first fitting unit configured to fit the connection connector,
a second fitting unit configured to fit a portion of the housing of the electronic device different from the concave portion,
a linking unit configured to link the first fitting unit and the second fitting unit, and
a support unit configured to support the linking unit via a shaft unit,
wherein the second fitting unit comprises a first latching member, a second latching member, and a third latching member,
wherein the first latching member is configured to latch to the portion of the housing of the electronic device, and
wherein the second latching member and the third latching member protrude from a first end of the first latching member and a second end of the first latching member, respectively, in a width direction of the electronic device, based on a movement of the first fitting unit in a direction towards the connection connector.

2. The external structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the housing comprises a first face, a second face that is opposite to the first face, and at least one side face that is orthogonal to each of the first face and the second face, and a joint of one of the first face or the second face and the at least one side face,
wherein a first width of a first portion of the concave portion is greater than a second width of a second portion of the concave portion.

3. The external structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the external structure is an electronic device holding stand configured to hold the electronic device.

4. The external structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first fitting unit is one of disconnected from the connection connector based on the first fitting unit is detached from the linking unit or fitted to the connection connector based on the first fitting unit is fixed to the linking unit.

5. The external structure according to claim 1 , wherein the linking unit is rotatable with respect to the shaft unit along a first axis, and a tilt angle between the linking unit and the support unit is variable along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

6. The external structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the linking unit, the shaft unit, and the support unit is hollow, and
wherein a wiring, configured to supply electricity to the connection connector, is arranged in a hollow portion of the linking unit, a hollow portion of the shaft unit, and a hollow portion of the support unit.

7. The external structure according to claim 1 , wherein the linking unit comprises a member to lock the electronic device.

8. The external structure according to claim 1 , the external structure being a speaker configured to output an audio signal from the electronic device.

9. The external structure according to claim 1 , wherein the external structure is a stand unit configured to rotate the electronic device, and wherein the electronic device acquires an image based on the rotation of the electronic device.

10. The external structure according to claim 1 , the external structure being a game controller module configured to enable an operation of a game executed in the electronic device.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a concave portion on a surface of a housing; and
a connection connector in the concave portion that recedes from the surface of the housing,
wherein the concave portion has a cross-sectional shape that enables an external structure connected to the connection connector to one of attach to or detach from the electronic device,
wherein the external structure comprises:
a first fitting unit configured to fit the connection connector;
a second fitting unit configured to fit a portion of the housing of the electronic device different from the concave portion;
a linking unit configured to link the first fitting unit and the second fitting unit; and
a support unit configured to support the linking unit via a shaft unit,
wherein the second fitting unit comprises a first latching member, a second latching member, and a third latching member,
wherein the first latching member is configured to latch the portion of the housing of the electronic device, and
wherein the second latching member and the third latching member protrude from a first end of the first latching member and a second end of the first latching member, respectively, in a width direction of the electronic device, based on a movement of the first fitting unit in a direction towards the connection connector.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the housing comprises a first face, a second face that is opposite to the first face, and at least one side face that is orthogonal to each of the first face and the second face, and a joint of one of the first face or the second face and the at least one side face, and
wherein a first width of a first portion of the concave portion is greater than a second width of a second portion of the concave portion.

13. The external structure according to claim 1 , wherein a center axis of a cable, connected to the connection connector, is higher than a center axis of the connection connector.

14. The external structure according to claim 13 , wherein a height of an upper end of the cable coincides with a height of an upper end of the housing of the electronic device at a connection portion of the cable.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Motoishi Takuya
• Kubota Yuki
• Yamamoto Ryo
• Kato Masaaki
• Yamamoto Hirotaka
• Sakuma Kazushi
• Kanai Junichi
• Takihara Masahiro

Classifications

• A63F13/92 Primary

  Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing · CPC title

• F16M2200/065

  with a special structure, e.g. reinforced or adapted for space reduction · CPC title

• G06F1/166

  related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle · CPC title

• G06F2200/1633

  Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

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