Abstract:
A docking station for a portable computer has a top side from which peripheral rib structures upwardly project and form a receiving and holding area into which the computer may be lowered in preparation for docking. The receiving and holding area complementarily receives the computer, with the rib structures preventing the computer from shifting parallel to the top docking station side. A lever structure is then manually pivoted to responsively move a docking station electrical connector relative to the stationary computer into a releasably mated relationship with a corresponding connector on the computer to complete the docking process. The rotation of the docking lever also interlocks a security latch member with the computer to block its upward removal from the docking station. A Kensington lock may be used to hold the lever in its docking orientation, and thus keep the security latch interlocked with the docked computer. The computer may subsequently be undocked by simply removing the lock and pivoting the lever back to its original position to move the docking station connector out of engagement with the computer connector.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to computer apparatus and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to a docking station mateable with a portable computer and operative to couple it to desktop peripheral devices such as a keyboard, mouse and monitor. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In computer parlance a “docking station” is an interface device to which a portable computer, such as the increasingly popular notebook computer, may be operatively and removably coupled to connect its central processing unit and other internal circuitry to desktop computer peripheral devices such as a keyboard, monitor, printer and mouse. In this manner the portable computer may be used “on the road” by its owner, utilizing its own keyboard, monitor and pointing device, and later used in a home or office desktop work station in conjunction with the larger desktop peripheral devices which are typically considered to be more comfortable to use over extended periods of work time. Thus, a single computer can provide its user with both the compactness, light weight, portability and diminutive work space requirements of the notebook computer and the power and comfort of a desktop system with its larger workspace and peripheral devices. 
     A conventionally configured docking station typically comprises a housing adapted to sit atop the desktop work space and containing the interface electronics used to connect the “docked” portable computer to the desktop peripheral devices operatively coupled to the docking station. The housing has a generally horizontal surface upon which the portable computer is rested, keyboard side up, prior the to the docking operation. To dock the computer, a manual or motorized system is used to engage it and move it rearwardly along the top side of the docking station to forcibly mate an electrical connector on the moving computer with a stationary electrical connector on the docking station. 
     Particularly in a motorized docking system, this need to engage and move the computer along the docking station housing on which it initially rests tends to undesirably increase both the mechanical complexity of the docking system and the force required to effect the docking process. In turn, this tends to increase the cost of producing a given docking station, and the difficulty and expense of subsequently maintaining it. 
     In view of this it can readily be seen that a need exists for an improved technique for operatively mating a portable computer to an associated docking station. It is to this need that the present invention is directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, a specially designed docking station is provided for use in operatively coupling a portable computer, having a first electrical docking connector structure thereof, to at least one desktop computer peripheral device. The docking station includes a housing having a wall portion with an area upon which the portable computer may be supported, and a holding structure associated with the wall portion and operative to stationarily restrain the supported portable computer against appreciable movement relative to the housing parallel to the wall portion area. 
     A second electrical docking connector structure is carried by the housing for movement relative thereto toward and away from the wall portion area and is releasably mateable with the first electrical docking connector. A force exerting structure is linked to the second electrical docking connector structure and is operative to selectively drive it relative to the housing into and out of mating engagement with the first electrical docking connector structure of the supported portable computer when it is stationarily restrained on the wall portion area by the holding structure. Preferably, the second electrical docking connector structure is movable relative to the housing in directions parallel to the wall portion area. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the docking station the wall portion is a top side wall portion of the housing and has peripheral edge portions, and the holding structure includes upwardly projecting rib structures disposed on the peripheral edge portions and bounding with the wall portion area an open-topped receiving area configured to downwardly and complementarily receive the portable computer base housing. Illustratively, the top side wall portion has a generally rectangular shape with front, rear, left and right side edge portions, and the rib structures project upwardly from each of the front, rear, left and right side edge portions. 
     The force exerting structure illustratively includes a manually operable lever member pivotally connected to the docking station housing and drivingly coupled to the movable second electrical docking connector structure, the lever member having a manually graspable outer end portion projecting outwardly from the housing and being movable between docking and undocking limit positions. According to another aspect of the invention, the housing has an exterior lock opening positioned adjacent the lever member outer end portion and to which a lock member may be connected to block movement of the lever member outer end portion from its docking limit position to its undocking limit position. 
     In accordance with another feature of the invention the docking station further comprises a security latch member linked to the second electrical docking connector structure for driven movement therewith relative to the housing. The security latch member is operative to engage the stationarily supported portable computer and releasably prevent its removal from the wall portion area, in a direction transverse thereto, when the second electrical docking connector structure is releasably mated with the first electrical docking connector structure. 
     The docking station housing is restable on a horizontal support surface and, in accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the docking station further comprises a tilt adjustment mechanism movably carried by the housing and engageable with the support surface in a manner selectively varying the angle of the wall portion relative to the support surface. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable computer docking station embodying principles of the present invention, the docking station being in a pivotally lowered orientation; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the docking station of FIG. 1 with a portable computer operatively docked thereto; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale right side elevational view of the docking station and portable computer shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 3A is a view similar to that in FIG. 3, but with a movable docking connector portion of the docking station being rearwardly shifted out of engagement with the stationary portable computer; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale bottom side perspective view of a top side portion of the docking station removed from the balance of the docking station and illustrating the structure and operation of the movable docking connector portion of the docking station; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale top side perspective view of the movable docking connector portion; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale top side perspective view of a slidable security latch member utilized in the docking station; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale partial cross-sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  through the portable computer and docking station shown in FIG.  2  and illustrating the operation of the slidable security latch member; 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to that in FIG. 2, but with the docking station and the portable computer being in a pivotally raised orientation; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged scale top side perspective view of a bottom portion of the docking station removed from the balance thereof and illustrating an assembled, clutch-based pivotal elevation system incorporated in the docking station and embodying principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9A is an exploded perspective view of the pivotal elevational system and the associated bottom portion of the docking station 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged scale cross-sectional view taken through a lower housing part of the docking station along line  10 — 10  of FIG.  9  and illustrating a portion of the spring-loaded clutch apparatus in the pivotal elevation system, with the clutch apparatus being in its operatively engaged orientation; and 
     FIG. 10A is a view similar to that in FIG. 10, but with the clutch apparatus being manually moved to its disengaged orientation. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Perspectively illustrated in FIG. 1 is a specially designed docking station  12  which embodies principles of the present invention and is operative to electrically couple a portable notebook computer  14  (see FIG. 2) to desktop peripheral devices (not shown) such as a keyboard, monitor, mouse and printer. The docking station  12  is restable on a horizontal support surface, such as the illustrated desktop  16 , and includes a generally rectangular hollow housing  18  having separable upper and lower sections  18   a  and  18   b . Upper housing section  18   a  has a top side  20 , opposite front and rear side edge portions  22  and  24 , and opposite left and right side edge portions  26  and  28 . 
     Various restraining ribs project upwardly from these side edge portions, including a front restraining rib  30  projecting upwardly from the front side edge portion  22  and longitudinally extending along nearly its entire length, a pair of rear restraining ribs  32 , 34  projecting upwardly from the rear side edge portion  24  and spaced apart along its length, a left restraining rib  36  projecting upwardly from a front part of the left side edge portion  26 , and a right restraining rib  38  projecting upwardly from a front part of the left side edge portion  28 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the notebook computer  14  has a rectangular base housing  40  with top and bottom sides  42  and  44 , opposite front and rear sides  46  and  48 , and opposite left and right ends  50  and  52 . A keyboard  54  is operatively mounted on the top base housing side  42  (see FIG.  2 ), and an electrical docking connector socket  56  (see FIG. 3A) is recessed into a central portion of the rear side  48 . A hinge mechanism  58  located on a top rear corner portion of the computer base housing  40  secures a thinner rectangular lid housing  60  to the base housing. Lid housing  60  has a rectangular display screen  62  on its front or inner side  64 . 
     The lid housing  60  is pivotable relative to the base housing  40  between an opened use position (shown in FIG. 2) in which the lid housing  60  is generally vertically oriented with the display screen  62  facing the user of the computer, and a closed storage and transport orientation (shown in FIG. 3) in which the lid housing  60  is swung downwardly to extend along and cover the top base housing side  42 . A suitable latch mechanism (not shown) is operable to releasably retain the lid housing  60  in its closed position. 
     The inner side surfaces of the docking station retaining ribs  30 , 32 , 34 , 36 , 38  peripherally bound a rectangular receiving and holding area  66  disposed on the top side  20  of the upper docking station section  18   a  (see FIG. 1) and configured to complementarily receive the notebook computer base housing  40  when the notebook computer  14  is placed on the top side  20  prior to operatively coupling the computer  14  to the docking station  12  in a manner later described herein. When the notebook computer  14  is placed in the receiving and holding area  66  (see FIG.  2 ), the horizontally inner side surfaces of the ribs  30 , 32 , 34 , 36 , 38  define abutment surfaces that face corresponding side surfaces of the base housing  40  and preclude appreciable movement of the received computer  14  relative to the docking station  12  parallel to its top side  20 . 
     With the received notebook computer  14  firmly restrained in this manner against horizontal front-to-rear and side-to-side movement relative to the docking station  12 , the computer may be “docked” to the station  12  using a docking connector body  68  (see FIGS. 1,  3  and  3 A) which, according to a feature of the present invention, projects upwardly past the docking station rear side edge portion  24  and is movable toward and away from the rear side  48  of the stationary base housing  40  in a front-to-rear direction as indicated by the double-ended arrow  70  in FIG.  3 A. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1,  4  and  5 , the connector body  68  forms a portion of a specially designed movable docking connector structure  72  which includes a multi-pin electrical plug connector  74  projecting forwardly from a front upper side portion  76  of the connector body  68  and being flanked on its opposite ends by a pair of forwardly projecting guide pin members  78 . Also projecting forwardly from the connector body  68 , just below the connector  74 , is a slide plate structure  80  (see FIG. 5) having opposite left and right side edges  82 , 84  and a forwardly projecting central front tab portion  86  having an oblong slot  88  formed in an outer end portion thereof. 
     An elongated rectangular security latch plate member  90  (see FIG. 6) is associated with the slide plate structure  80  as later described herein, and has front and rear ends  92  and  94 , a front end notch  96  having opposite left and right side edges  98  and  100  and at the rear end of which a latch projection  102  upwardly extends and has a forwardly extending hook portion  104  on its upper end, a rectangular rear end opening  106  having front and rear edges  108  and  110 , and a longitudinally central opening  112  having opposite left and right side edges  114 , 116 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 4, which perspectively illustrates the bottom side  118  of the upper section  18   a  of the docking station housing  18 , the slide plate structure  80  extends along the bottom side  118  and is slidably supported thereon, for forward and rearward movement relative thereto, by a parallel pair of elongated brackets  120  formed on the bottom side  118 , spaced apart in a left-to-right direction, and longitudinally extending in front-to-rear directions. Brackets  120  define elongated grooves  122  that slidably receive the opposite left and right side edges  82 , 84  of the slide plate structure  80 . 
     Still referring to FIG. 4, a rear end portion of the security latch plate  90  underlies the front tab portion  86  and is carried on the bottom side  118 , for forward and rearward movement relative thereto, by generally L-shaped tabs  124  formed on the bottom side  118 , extending downwardly through the latch plate openings  96  and  112 , and slidably receiving the latch plate opening side edge portions  98 , 100  and  114 , 116  (see FIG.  6 ). The latch projection  102  projects upwardly through an opening  126  (see FIGS. 1 and 7) extending between the top and bottom sides  20 , 118  of the upper docking station housing section  18   a  and elongated in a front-to-rear direction. 
     The mechanism used to operatively couple the stationary notebook computer  14  to the docking station  12  also includes an elongated lever member  128  disposed on the bottom side  118  of the upper docking station housing section  18   a  as perspectively illustrated in FIG.  4 . Lever member  128  has an inner end portion  128   a  pivotally connected, as at  130 , to the upper housing section  18   a  adjacent its left side edge portion  26 , and an outer end portion  128   b  that projects outwardly beyond a right side portion of the docking station housing  18 . A drive pin  132  is suitably anchored to a longitudinally central portion of the lever  128  and extends upwardly therefrom into the slot  88  in the slide plate front tab portion  86  (see FIG. 5) and the rear end opening  106  of the security latch plate  90  (see FIG.  6 ). 
     Lever  128  is pivotable about its pivot location  130 , as indicated by the double-ended arrow  134  in FIG. 4, between a forwardly pivoted docking position (see FIG. 3) in which the outer lever end  128   b  is moved to a forward limit position relative to the docking station housing  18 , and a rearwardly pivoted undocking position (see FIG. 3A) in which the outer lever end  128   b  is moved to a rearward limit position relative to the docking station housing  18 . Via the drive pin  132 , forward pivoting of the lever  128  to its docking position correspondingly slides the latch plate  90 , the slide plate  80  and the movable connector body  68  (see FIG. 3) forwardly to front limit positions thereof, and rearward pivoting of the lever  128  to its undocking position correspondingly slides the latch plate  90 , the slide plate  80  and the movable connector body  68  (see FIG. 3A) to rear limit positions thereof. 
     To dock the notebook computer  14 , the user grasps the outer lever end portion  128   b  and pushes it rearwardly to its FIG. 3A rear limit position, thereby rearwardly shifting the movable docking connector structure  72  relative to the housing  18  to its FIG. 3A undocking orientation. Computer  14  is then downwardly placed in the previously described receiving and holding area  66  (see FIG. 1) disposed on the top side of the docking station housing  18 . This aligns the rear side computer connector socket  56  (see FIG. 3A) with the now rearwardly shifted connector plug  74  and associated guide pins  78 . 
     Next, the user simply grasps the outwardly projecting outer lever end portion  128   b  and pulls it forwardly to its FIG.  3  docking position. This, in turn, forwardly drives the movable docking connector structure  72  relative to the stationary computer  14  to the FIG. 3 docking position of the connector structure  72  and causes the connector plug  74  to be forcibly and removably mated with the facing computer connector socket  56  (compare FIGS.  3  and  3 A), with the guide pins  78  being received in corresponding guide openings (not shown) formed in the rear side of the computer adjacent opposite ends of the socket  56 . 
     When the notebook computer  14  is initially placed in the receiving and holding area  66 , with the lever  128  rearwardly pivoted to its undocking position, the latch hook  104  (see FIG. 7) which projects upwardly into the receiving and holding area  66  (see FIG. 1) upwardly enters a bottom side recess  136  formed in a front underside portion of the computer base housing  40  and extending rearwardly from a forwardly extending latching opening  138  (see FIG. 7) in the bottom side of the computer base housing  40 . As the lever  128  is forwardly pivoted to effect the docking of the computer  14 , the latch plate  90  is forwardly shifted to thereby cause the latch hook portion  104  to forwardly enter the computer underside latching opening  138  as shown in FIG.  7 . In this forwardly shifted orientation of the latch plate  90 , the hook  104  overlies a downwardly offset bottom base housing wall portion  44   a  to thereby prevent a front portion of the computer  14  from being lifted upwardly out of the receiving and holding area  66 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3A, a small Kensington lock opening  140  is formed in the right side wall of the lower docking station housing section  18   b  adjacent the outer lever end  128   b . When the outer lever end  128   b  is moved to its FIG. 3 docking position, a Kensington lock  144  may be inserted into the opening  140  and locked to the docking station  12 . The attached lock  144  prevents the rearward movement of the outer lever end  128   b  from its FIG. 3 position. This, in turn, prevents the rearward undocking shifting of the movable docking connector structure  72  and the rearward shifting of the latch plate  90  from its FIG. 7 position. Accordingly, the in-place lock  144  prevents the removal of the docked notebook computer  14  from the docking station  12 . 
     To undock the notebook computer  14 , the lock  144  is simply removed, and the outer lever end  128   a  is pushed rearwardly from its FIG. 3 docking position to its FIG. 3A undocking position, thereby rearwardly uncoupling the movable connector plug  74  (see FIG. 3A) from the stationary computer connector socket  56 , and also rearwardly shifting the latch plate  90  to rearwardly withdraw its hook portion  104  from the computer latching opening  138  (see FIG. 7) and permit the now undocked notebook computer  14  to be lifted out of the docking station top side receiving and holding area  66 . While the mating docking connectors have been representatively illustrated as being a plug on the docking station and a socket on the computer, it will be readily appreciated that other types of mating electrical connectors could be alternatively utilized if desired. 
     The docking station  12  also includes an elevational adjustment member which is representatively in the form of an adjustment foot  146  that is pivotally secured to the docking station housing  18 . Foot  146  is useable in a manner later described herein to adjust the front-to-rear tilt angle of the docking station  12  (and the notebook computer  14  docked thereto) relative to the horizontal support surface  16  among a series of varying tilt orientations including a generally horizontal minimum tilt orientation shown in FIG. 3 and a maximum tilt orientation shown in FIG.  8 . 
     When the notebook computer  14  is operatively coupled to the docking station  12  as previously described, the resulting mating of the movable docking station connector  74  and the stationary computer connector  56  appropriately couples the schematically depicted computer circuitry  148  (see FIG. 3) to schematically depicted interface circuitry  150  operatively disposed within the interior of the docking station housing  18 . As best illustrated in FIG. 9A, foot member  146  is of a hollow construction and has (as viewed in FIG. 9A) top and bottom sides  152  and  154 , a hollow cylindrical front side portion  156 , a rear side  158 , and opposite left end right ends  160  and  162 . 
     To facilitate the connection of various desktop peripheral devices to the docking station  12 , and thus to the docked notebook computer  14 , various connection ports are mounted on the support foot  146 . These connection ports include (1) audio, microphone, headphone and DC power connection ports  164 , 166 , 168 , 170  carried on the left end of the support foot  146 ; (2) monitor, printer and serial ports  172 , 174 , 176  carried on the top side  152  of the support foot  146 ; and (3) mouse, keyboard, USB and RJ 45  ports  178 , 180 , 182 , 184  carried on the right end  162  of the support foot  146 . These peripheral connection ports are operatively coupled to the docking station interface circuitry  150  by various leads  186  connected to the connection ports and extended through the interior of the support foot  146  to the interface circuitry  150 . 
     Turning now to FIGS. 9 and 9A, the bottom docking station housing section  18   b  has an elongated, semicircularly cross-sectioned mounting portion  188  which is open on its bottom side and longitudinally extends along a horizontal axis  190  (see FIG. 9A) which is parallel to the rear side  192  of the bottom docking station housing section  18   b  and is forwardly offset from the rear side  192  approximately one third of the total distance between the rear side  192  and the front side  194  of the bottom docking station housing section  18   b . A top side portion of the hollow cylindrical front side portion  156  of the support foot  146  is upwardly received in the mounting portion  188 , and captively retained therein as later described herein, in a manner permitting the support foot  146  to pivot about the axis  190  relative to the docking station housing  18  between the support foot pivotal limit positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. 
     When the support foot  146  is in its FIG. 3 minimum pivotal limit position, the support foot side surface  154  contacts the desktop surface  16  in a manner causing the support foot  146  to prop the docking station  12  and docked notebook computer  14  up at a rearwardly and upwardly inclined tilt angle of approximately ten degrees relative to the desktop surface  16 . When the support foot  146  is in its FIG. 8 maximum pivotal limit position, the support foot side surface  158  contacts the desktop surface  16  in a manner causing the support foot  146  to prop the docking station  12  and docked notebook computer  14  up at a rearwardly and upwardly inclined tilt angle of approximately 60 degrees relative to the desktop surface  16 . In a manner later described herein, the support foot  146  may be releasably locked in these two pivotally adjusted positions, and in several other pivotally adjusted positions therebetween, to selectively vary the tilt angle of the docking station  12  and the notebook computer  14  docked thereto. This pivotal adjustment capability provides the docking station  12  with two primary advantages over conventional fixed orientation docking stations. 
     First, with the docked computer display housing  60  opened to a generally vertical orientation as illustrated in FIG.  8  and being used instead of a desktop monitor, the viewing height of the display screen  62  may be selectively varied (to suit users of varying heights) simply by pivotally adjusting the support foot  146  to correspondingly vary the tilt angle of the docking station  12 . Due to the positioning of the foot pivot axis  190  (see FIG. 9A) forwardly of the rear side of the docking station housing approximately one third of the front-to-rear distance between the front and rear sides of the docking station housing, if the foot  146  is kept in stationary contact with the desktop surface  16  and the housing  18  is pivoted relative to the foot  146  to effect the housing tilt angle change, the vertical distance of the display screen  62  above the desktop surface  16  may be conveniently adjusted without substantially changing the horizontal distance between the user and the display screen  62 . Second, when the display screen  62  is being utilized in lieu of a desktop computer monitor, the ability to pivot the docking station  12  upwardly substantially reduces the vertical footprint of the docking station/portable computer assembly  12 , 14  on the desktop work surface  16 . 
     Turning now to FIGS. 9-10A, the pivotally adjustable support foot  146  is releasably lockable in any selected one of its various pivotal orientations relative to the docking station housing  18  by means of a specially designed clutch system  200  that includes, on each of the left and right side edge portions  202 , 204  of the bottom docking station housing section  18   b , a clutch member  206 , a cylindrical coiled compression spring  208 , a retaining plate  210 , and a drive lever plate member  212 . 
     As best illustrated in FIG. 9A, each clutch member  206  has a rectangular body  214  with a front side  216  from which a cylindrical portion  218  outwardly projects, and a cavity  220  formed in its rear side. An annular array of clutch teeth  222  is disposed on the outer end of the cylindrical portion  218  and circumscribes a smaller diameter cylindrical mounting boss  224  projecting outwardly beyond the teeth  222 . Each retaining plate  210  has an elongated slot  226  therein and a spaced apart pair of upstanding pivot support brackets  228 . Each drive lever plate  212  has an inner end portion  230  from which a spaced pair of drive fingers  232  depend, a pair of pivotal support projections  234  disposed on opposite side edges of the inner end portion  230 , and a downwardly offset outer end portion  236 . 
     With reference now to FIGS. 9-10A, the opposite ends of the hollow cylindrical front side portion  156  of the support foot  146  have annular arrays of clutch teeth  222   a  which are complementarily configured relative to the clutch teeth  222  on the clutch members  206 . The clutch members  206  are slidably received in open-topped well areas  238  formed in the bottom docking station housing section  18   b  adjacent its left and right side edge portions  202  and  204 . Retaining plates  210  overlie the clutch members  206  and captively retain them in the wells  238 , with the retaining plates  210  being removably secured to housing bosses  240  with screws  242 . The clutch member cylindrical portions  218  face one another and project outwardly through the wells  238 , with the bosses  224  being rotatably received in the opposite ends of the support foot cylindrical side portion  156  and the clutch teeth  222 , 222   a  being releasably mated with one another. 
     The compression springs  208  are also received in the wells  238  and bear at their opposite ends on outer well wall sections  244  and the inner side surfaces  246  of the clutch member body cavities  220 , thereby resiliently biasing the clutch members  206  toward one another, resiliently holding the clutch teeth  222 , 22   a  in meshed engagement with one another, and resiliently holding the clutch member bosses  224  in the ends of the support foot side portion  156  to thereby captively and pivotally retain the foot member  146  on the docking station housing  18 . 
     The drive lever inner end portions  230  overlie the retaining plates  210 , with the drive lever support projections  234  being pivotally received in the retainer plate support brackets  228  and the drive fingers  232  extending downwardly through the retainer plate slots  226 , straddling the cylindrical clutch portions  218 , and bearing against the facing side surfaces  220  of the rectangular clutch member bodies  214 . With the support foot member  146  adjusted to a desired pivotal position relative to the docking station housing  18 , the clutch system  200  assumes its FIG. 10 position, with the outer drive lever end portions  236  extending outwardly through openings  248  in the opposite left and right side edge portions  202 , 204  of the bottom docking station housing section  18   b  and downwardly offset from upper lip sections  202   a , 204   a  of the side edge portions  202 , 204 . 
     When it is desired to change the pivotal orientation of the support foot member  146  relative to the docking station housing  18 , the user simply pinches the outwardly projecting lever portions  236  upwardly against the housing edge lip sections  202   a , 204   a  (see FIG.  10 A). This pivots the levers  212  about their pivot projections  234  (compare FIG. 10A to FIG. 10) to thereby drive the clutch members  206  away from one another, compress the springs  208 , and disengage the clutch member teeth  220  from the teeth  220   a  on the opposite ends of the support member side portion  156 . This, in turn allows the foot member  146  and the docking station housing  18  to be pivotally adjusted relative to one another to another pivotal orientation at which time the user simply releases the lever ends  236  to permit the springs  208  to drive the clutch members  206  back toward one another, thereby re-engaging the clutch teeth  222  with the clutch teeth  222   a  and again releasably locking the support foot  146  against pivotal movement relative to the docking station housing  18 . 
     Representatively, the support foot  146  is pivotally adjustable in twenty degree increments between its FIG. 3 minimum limit orientation and its FIG. 8 maximum limit orientation, thereby illustratively providing the docking station  12  and the docked notebook computer  14  with seven different available tilt angles. It will, of course, be readily appreciated that the docking station  12  could be provided with more or fewer available tilt orientations if desired, that a tilt adjustment member other than the pivotally mounted support member  146  could be used if desired, and a clutch system configured differently than the clutch system  200  could be utilized if desired. 
     It should also be noted that the configuration of the top side of the docking station  14  which, as previously described, holds the notebook computer  14  stationary while the docking station connector structure  72  is moved relative to the computer to effect docking and undocking, facilitates the docking and undocking of the computer even while the docking station is upwardly and rearwardly tilted at a substantial angle. For example, during docking, the front restraining rib  30  (see FIG. 8) braces the computer  14  to receive the docking force of the moving docking station connector structure  72  and also prevents gravity from subsequently causing an undocking movement of the upwardly and rearwardly tilted computer  14 . Further, the rear restraining ribs  32  and  34  (see FIG. 1) brace the computer  14  against the rearward undocking force created thereon during rearward movement of the docking station connector structure  72  relative to the computer. 
     The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims.