The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 03, 1999
Filed:
Oct. 18, 1996
Mark H Ruch, Woodlands, TX (US);
Jason Q Paulsel, Conroe, TX (US);
E R Webb, Spring, TX (US);
Scott P Saunders, Spring, TX (US);
Compaq Computer Corporation, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A portable computer docking station has incorporated therein a motorized docking/undocking module which is releasably latched to a housing wall portion of the docking station. The module includes a housing within which a small electric drive motor is operatively mounted, with wall portions of the module housing translationally and rotationally restraining the motor body without the use of screws or other separate fastening members. A docking control system, upon sensing the manual placement of a portable computer on a receiving area adjacent the module energizes the module motor which rotates a cammed worm gear portion of the module which is drivingly linked to latching and ejection portions of the module. The motor-driven latching portion of the module connects to the computer and docks it by forcibly drawing it toward the module in a manner mating facing connectors on the computer and docking station. When it is desired to undock the computer, a signal is transmitted to the control system which, in turn, energizes the module motor to cause the latching portion to release the docked computer, and the ejection portion to push the computer away from the module to thereby forcibly decouple the previously mated computer and docking station connectors.