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:
May. 29, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 03, 1998
Bryan Howell, Austin, TX (US);
Damon Broder, Austin, TX (US);
Orin Ozias, Austin, TX (US);
Peter Skillman, San Carlos, CA (US);
Robert Gregory Twiss, Portola Valley, CA (US);
Dell USA, L.P., Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
A docking apparatus for docking selected portable computers which provides coarse and medium alignment between the docking connector of the computer system and the docking connector of a docking station mounted on a docking tray by providing rails having oppositely facing upright flat faces on a docking tray and notches formed in the underside of the chassis, the notches having corresponding oppositely facing upright flat faces and opposing sloping sidewalls for urging the flat face of the rails toward the flat faces of the notches. The notches are preferably wider at the leading edge of the chassis, away from the connector than at the trailing edge, close to the chassis and the rails are preferably spaced further apart at the leading edge of the tray than they are close to the docking station. Coarse alignment followed by finer alignment is accomplished by providing a closer spacing between the rails as they get closer to the docking station and by providing notches which are narrower closer to the docking station than away from the docking station.