Patent Publication Number: US-2023152846-A1

Title: Accessory Display Device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/074,632, filed Oct. 20, 2020, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/673,920, filed Nov. 4, 2019. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Laptop computers have been a huge benefit for people who like to have the ability of a personal computer wherever they are. Whether it be for work, study, or entertainment, the portability of laptop computers has been very advantageous. However, the tradeoff for laptop computers portability has always been the size of the display screen. The bigger the display, the bigger the laptop computer and the less portable it becomes. Therefore, there is a need for a device which allows for the laptop computer display to be expanded. There is also a need for a device that allows for the laptop computer display to be expanded and may be added onto the laptop computer easily and is also compact and portable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An example embodiment relates to an accessory display device for a computer. The device includes a housing having a first side and a second side movable relative to one another. The device also includes a first rail coupled to the first side and a second rail coupled to the second side, wherein the first rail is slidable relative to the second rail. The device also includes a tensioning member configured to place tension between the first side and the second side. The device also includes a first engagement portion coupled to the first side and a second engagement portion coupled to the second side. The first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are configured to engage the side of a display device under force created by the tensioning member. The device also includes a first display coupled to the housing, wherein the first display is movable from a stowed position to a use position. 
     Another example embodiment relates to an accessory display device for a computer. The device includes a housing having a first side and a second side movable relative to one another. The device also includes a first rail coupled to the first side and a second rail coupled to the second side, wherein the first rail is slidable relative to the second rail. The device further includes a tensioning member configured to place tension between the first side and the second side. The device also includes a first engagement portion coupled to the first side and a second engagement portion coupled to the second side. The first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are configured to engage the side of a display device under force created by the tensioning member. The device also includes a first display coupled to the housing, wherein the first display is movable from a stowed position to a use position. 
     Another example embodiment relates to an accessory display device for a computer. The device includes a means for housing at least one display screen, wherein the means for housing the at least one display screen has a first side and a second side slidable relative to one another. The device further includes a first means for engaging a side of a display device, wherein the first means for engaging a side of the display device is associated with the first side. The device further includes a second means for engaging a side of the display device, wherein the second means for engaging a side of the display device is associated with the second side. The device further includes a means for tensioning the first side and the second side, wherein the means for tensioning the first side and the second side places tension between the first side and the second side, whereby the means for tensioning the first side and the second side provides forces to the first means for engaging a side of the display device and the second means for engaging a side of the display device. The device further includes a first display means within the means for housing at least one display, wherein the first display means is movable from a stowed position to a use position. 
     In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the disclosure set forth herein. The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes and/or other subject matter described herein will become apparent in the disclosures set forth herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a depiction of an accessory display device for a laptop computer in accordance with an example embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is an example embodiment of the accessory display device of  FIG.  1    removed from the laptop computer. 
         FIG.  3    is an example embodiment of the housing accessory display device of  FIG.  1    in an exploded view. 
         FIG.  4    is an example embodiment of a female rail of the housing. 
         FIG.  5    is an example cross-sectional view of the female rail of  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  6    is an example embodiment of a side view of a display showing a rail guide. 
         FIG.  7    is an example embodiment of a front view of the display of  FIG.  6    showing a rail guide. 
         FIG.  8    is an example embodiment of a perspective end view of the left side housing portion. 
     
    
    
     The use of the same symbols in different drawings typically indicates similar or identical items unless context dictates otherwise. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , a computer display accessory  100  is depicted coupled to a laptop computer  110 . Computer display accessory  100  is not limited to laptop computers but may be used on any type of display device including but not limited to tablets, e -readers, gaming devices, desktop displays, television displays, etc. Therefore, computer display accessory  100  is not limited to computers and in fact may be utilized on any type of display. Display accessory  100  adds two additional screens  120  and  125  to any existing display. Display accessory  100  expands the screen display real estate with two slidable screens that pull out from the back edges of a housing  130 . Housing  130  itself is universal, fitting laptops of all sizes and uses tension from elastic to tighten around the edges of the laptop screen. 
     Referring to  FIG.  2   , housing  130  includes a mechanism that allows the screens to engage with the lid of the computer display accessory  110  and to pull out from either side. Housing  130  uses an elastic band  140  or other tensioning member to create tension between a right frame clip  150  and a left frame clip  155  which creates force when pulled apart to put on the lid, effectively clamping either side to the computer lid. There is also a lip  160  on the top of right frame clip  155  and a lip  165  on the top of left frame clip  155 . The lip helps to further secure display accessory  100  on the top of computer  110  display and helps further secure computer display accessory  100  to computer  110 . When a user pulls apart the left and right sides of housing  130 , an increasing tension is created in the elastic band forcing either side back towards each other. This is what creates the “clamping” effect of the right frame clip  150  and the left frame clip  155 . 
     In accordance with an example embodiment, elastic band  140  may be replaced with any type of suitable tensioning member, including but not limited to a spring, a rubber band, resilient plastic portions, etc. These tensioning members may be coupled to housing portions  170  and  175  in any of a variety of ways including but not limited to with glue, by melting, by tying or sewing, by clipping, etc. In one example, the band  140  may be threaded through a cutout on each portion of housing  130 . Once threaded through the cutout, a blocking piece which does not fit through the cutout is affixed to the band so the band does not slip back through the cutout and maintains tension on the band. Any of a variety of ways may be used to attach the tensioning member to the two housing portions without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  3   , the main part of housing  130  is shown as an exploded view of the two primary portions, right portion  170  and left portion  175 . Right portion  170  includes an upper rail  180  and a lower rail  190 . Likewise, left portion  175  includes an upper rail  185  and a lower rail  195 . Upper rail  185  comprises a hollow female rail while upper rail  180  acts as a male rail complementary to rail  185  and slidable within rail  185 . Lower rail  190  comprises a hollow female rail while lower rail  195  acts as a male rail complementary to rail  190  and slidable within rail  190 . This design allows for housing  130  to be expandable to clamp onto virtually any size and type of display housing. 
     Once housing  130  is affixed to a computer or other display, a user may pull either or both of two display screens  120  and  125  from a stowed position to a use position as depicted in  FIG.  1   . 
     Referring now to  FIG.  4   , a triangular notch on the female sides of upper rail  185  and also lower rail  190  which are both the female rails, act to engage a triangular guiding slide  410  as depicted in  FIG.  6    and  FIG.  7    for display  125 . Likewise, a triangular guiding slide is on the bottom edge of display  120 . The cross-sectional view depicted in  FIG.  6    shows how the triangular guiding slide  410  interfaces with the triangular notch  400 . 
     Triangular guiding slide  400  also serves as a stopper to prevent the screen from falling out of rail  185  as display  125  is extended. Triangular guiding slide  400  also acts as a stopper on the other end of female rail  185  so that display  125  doesn&#39;t fall out the rail internally when display  125  is stowed. 
     Referring now to  FIG.  8   , an end view of the rails  185  and  195  of the left portion  175  of the housing  130  is depicted. Male rail  195  includes two guides that run along the length of rail  810 . Guides  810  engage with female rail  190  which has a female cross-section similar to the female cross-section of rail  185 . Rail  185  is depicted with a pair of opposing notches  820  that run along rail  185  and are configured to engage guides on male rail  180  like guides  810  of rail  195 . The use of a combination of guides and complementary notches on rails  185  and  180  and similarly rails  195  and  190  allows for accurate sliding engagement of the two portions  170  and  175  of housing  130 . The rail-to-rail engagement depicted is one example of an arrangement to enable expandability of housing  130  however any of a variety of other ways may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     It should be noted that the device described may be formed of a number of different materials and formed in a variety of shapes without departing from the scope of the invention. Also, it should be noted that embodiments of the accessory device are designed to couple to the display device, such as but not limited to a laptop computer display, in a manner that is secure enough to carry the laptop computer with the accessory device attached thereto. In this way the portability of a device, such as a laptop computer is not compromised. 
     In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as “configured to,” “configured by,” “configurable to,” “operable/operative to,” “adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize that such terms (e.g. “configured to”) generally encompass active-state components and/or inactive-state components and/or standby-state components, unless context requires otherwise. 
     While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to claims containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.” 
     With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art will appreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed in any order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictates otherwise.