Patent Abstract:
Among other things, a receptacle supports an electronic device; support legs connected to the receptacle are movable in a common plane between a first, retracted position and a second, extended position; and a coupling translates movement of one of the support legs between the positions to corresponding movement of at least another one of the support legs.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This description relates to supporting an electronic device. 
     Stands for supporting audio, video, and other electronic equipment sometimes include legs. Tripods, for example, have three legs connected at a central hub on which the electronic equipment is mounted. The lower free ends of the legs are splayed out to provide stable support. In some tripods, all three legs can be collapsed by pivoting at the central hub, sometimes in a coordinated motion. 
     SUMMARY 
     In general, in an aspect, a receptacle supports an electronic device; support legs connected to the receptacle are movable in a common plane between a first, retracted position and a second, extended position; and a coupling translates movement of one of the support legs between the positions to corresponding movement of at least another one of the support legs. 
     Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The receptacle inhibits insertion of the electronic device into the receptacle when the support legs are in the first, retracted position. Movement of the support legs between the extended position and the retracted position is inhibited when the electronic device is supported by the receptacle. The coupling includes: a link plate and linkage arms, and each of the linkage arms has a first end mounted to the link plate and a second end mounted to a corresponding one of the support legs. The link plate is linearly displaceable relative to the receptacle. The support legs lie in a common plane. The electronic device includes a loudspeaker. The support includes electronics operable to control one or more aspects of the electronic device. The electronics include one or more of an audio control circuit, an amplifier, and an equalizer. The electronics include an electrical connector on the receptacle, and the electronics are configured to communicate with the electronic device through the electrical connector. The receptacle is keyed to the electronic device. 
     In general, in an aspect, an electronic device is supported by extending one of multiple support legs of a support device from a retracted position toward an extended position to cause corresponding and co-planar movement of at least one other support leg, and a mating electronic device is inserted into a corresponding receptacle of the support device. 
     In general, in an aspect, a receptacle to support an electronic device; support legs are movable in a common plane between a first, retracted position and a second, extended position; and a lockout mechanism limit operations of the device based on a condition of the receptacle. 
     Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The lockout mechanism prevents insertion of the electronic device into the receptacle when the support legs are in the first, retracted position. The lockout mechanism includes a stopper that extends into the receptacle when the support legs are in the first, retracted position. The lockout mechanism prevents movement of the support legs from the extended position toward the retracted position when the electronic device is disposed in the receptacle. A deployment mechanism responds to movement of a first one of the support legs between the positions by causing corresponding movement of another one of the support legs. 
     These aspects and features and other combinations of these and other aspects and features can be expressed as methods, apparatus, systems, and as means for performing functions, and in other ways. 
     Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and the claims. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a support stand and an electronic device. 
         FIG. 2A through 2C  are bottom, top, and perspective views of a support stand. 
         FIG. 3A  is a bottom perspective view of a support stand. 
         FIG. 3B  is a partial exploded perspective view of a portion of a support stand. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are top perspective views of portions of a support stand. 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of a portion of a support stand. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A,  2 B, and  2 C, a support stand  10  for an electronic device  20  (e.g., a floor standing personal amplification system including a line array loudspeaker such as sold under the trade name Cylindrical Radiator® by Bose Corporation of Framingham, Mass.; and other described in United States patent application publications 2004/0264726, filed Jun. 30, 2003, and 2004/0264716 filed Jun. 30, 2003, both of which are incorporated here by reference in their entirety) includes an oblong base  12  and a plurality of (four in the example) support legs  30  at the four corners of the base. Each of the support legs  30  is moveable, relative to the base  12 , between a retracted position ( FIG. 2A ) and an extended position ( FIG. 2B ). All four support legs  30  are mechanically linked to induce synchronized movement of all four support legs  30  in a common plane so that movement of one of the support legs  30  between the two positions causes simultaneous corresponding movement of the other support legs  30  as indicated by arrows  31  in  FIG. 2C . In the retracted position each of the legs lies in a position substantially within the footprint defined by the base. Thus, when the legs are in the retracted position, the stand is more compact and can be more easily transported and stored. When the stand is to be used, the support legs  30  are moved to the extended position and lie in a common plane close to the ground, providing stable support to the stand and the electronic device mounted on it. For storage or transport, the legs are moved to their retracted position. 
     As shown, for example, in  FIGS. 3A-3B , the base  12  is an assembly that includes a chassis  14  (e.g., a metal chassis) having a central support bar  16 , overhanging ridges  18  extending laterally from the central support bar  16 , and a cover plate  11  ( FIG. 3B ). The support legs  30  (each of which is made of plastic and/or metal) are mounted for rotation at points  13   a - d  on the overhanging ridges  18  at the corners of the base. As shown in  FIG. 3B , each of the support legs  30  includes a cylindrical pivot  32  that projects from a first surface  33  at one end  34  of the leg  30 . Each pivot  32  extends through corresponding holes  15 ,  17  in the cover plate  11  and overhanging ridges  18  of the chassis  14 . A mounting plate  35  is attached to the tip of the cylindrical pivot  32  (i.e., using a mechanical fasteners  40  to transfer rotation of the support leg  30  into rotation of the mounting plate  35 ). Bushings  41  and  42  are provided at the mating surfaces between the support leg  30 , the chassis  14 , and the mounting plate  35  to permit free rotation. The mounting plate  35  includes a protuberance  36  which forms a connection with a deployment mechanism  50  ( FIGS. 4A and 4B ) to transfer rotation of the support leg  30  to the deployment mechanism  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the deployment mechanism  50 , on the other side of chassis  14  from the legs, provides for synchronized movement of the support legs  30 . Specifically, the deployment mechanism  50  includes a link plate  52  mounted on the topside of the cover plate  11  of the chassis  14  using shoulder screws  102 ,  104  that ride in slots  106 ,  108 , and four linkage arms  54 , one for each leg. Each of the linkage arms  54  includes one end  53  attached to the link plate  52  using a nut  110  and another end  55  attached to the protuberance  36  of the mounting plate  35  of a corresponding one of the support legs  30 . When one of the support legs  30  is rotated (as indicated by arrow  120  of  FIG. 4B ) it drives the end  55  of the corresponding linkage arm  54  radially about point  13   a , as indicated by arrow  122 . Because the end  55  is mounted off-center from the center of rotation of the support leg  30 , rotation of the leg  30  is translated into a cam-like movement of the linkage arm  54  at the end  55 , which, in turn, exerts a force on the link plate  52  at the end  53  causing linear displacement of the link plate  52 , as indicated by arrow  124 . The linear movement of the link plate  52  exerts a force (in the direction of arrow  124 ) at ends  53  of the other linkage arms  54 , which, in turn, is transferred to the ends  55  resulting in rotation (i.e., about points  13   b - 13   d , as indicated by arrows  126 ,  127 ,  128 ) of the other support legs  30 . 
     The support stand  10  also includes a receptacle  60  to mate with and support a bottom end  114  ( FIG. 1 ) of the electronic device  20  ( FIG. 1 ). The receptacle  60  is mounted to the chassis  14  and is shaped to conform roughly to the shape of the outer surface of the bottom of the electronic device  20 . The receptacle  60  can include keys  61  to form lock-and-key type interfaces with lock surfaces (not shown) on the bottom end of the electronic device  20 ; i.e., to require the electronic device  20  to be supported in a particular orientation. 
     The support stand  10  can also include a lockout mechanism  70  for preventing or inhibiting insertion of the electronic device  20  into the receptacle  60  unless and/or until the support legs  30  are in the fully extended position ( FIG. 4B ), and preventing or inhibiting retraction of the support legs  30  (i.e., from the extended position ( FIG. 4B ) toward the retracted position ( FIG. 4A )) unless and/or until the electronic device  20  is removed from the receptacle  60 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the lockout mechanism  70  is connected to the link plate  52  and operated by movement of the link plate  52  as the support legs  30  are moved between the retracted and extended positions. As shown, for example, in  FIG. 4A , the lockout mechanism  70  includes a stopper  72  which extends into the receptacle  60  (i.e., through aperture  62 ) when the support legs  30 , and deployment mechanism  50 , are in the retracted position ( FIG. 4A ), thereby preventing insertion of the electronic device  20 . When the support legs  30  are moved into the extended position, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the corresponding movement of the link plate  52  displaces the stopper  72  to a position outside of the receptacle  60 , allowing the electronic device  20  to be inserted. Furthermore, the presence of the electronic device  20  in the receptacle  60  prevents the stopper  72  from reentering the receptacle  60  and, as result, prevents retraction of the support legs  30  as long as the electronic device is inserted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the support stand  10  can also include electronics  80  mounted on two circuit boards  81 , and  83 , for example, an audio control circuit, an amplified, and/or an equalizer to be used with the electronic device  20 . The control electronics  80  can include an electrical connector  82 , shown in  FIG. 2B , disposed at a bottom surface  64  of the receptacle  60 . The electrical connector  82  provides an interface for communication with the electronic device  20  (e.g., through a mating connector). 
     As shown in the drawings and described above, the support stand  10  is arranged as multiple layers of subassemblies. For example, the deployment mechanism  50  is disposed between the circuit boards  81 , and  83  of the electronics  80  and the cover plate  11  of the chassis. Similarly, the chassis, or at least the cover plate  11  and overhanging ridges  18  of the chassis  11 , form a layer between the support legs  30  and the deployment mechanism. 
     Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. 
     For example, in some embodiments, the support stand can include a user interface  86  ( FIGS. 1 and 2B ) (e.g., in communication with the control electronics) for controlling operation of the electronic device based on a user input. In some implementations, the user interface can include an input/output (I/O) panel for communication with one or more secondary devices, such as microphones and musical equipment (e.g., instruments, recording equipment, etc.). The I/O panel can include, for example, a primary input channel connection for receiving an input signal from a secondary device; an input trim control for input level adjustment for the secondary device; a preset selector (e.g., for selecting between predetermined parameter settings, each specific to a corresponding secondary device); a line out connector (e.g., for connecting the electronics to external recording equipment); channel insert jacks (e.g., for connecting the electronics to digital effects processors; one or more I/O jacks for linking the electronics of multiple support stands together (i.e., for communication between two or more support stands); a remote connector for connecting the electronic to a remote control; a main power connector (e.g., for connecting to a 120V, 15V power source; and/or a power on/off switch for switching electrical power to the electronics on and off. 
     While the support stands described above include support legs that are rotatable between the retracted and extended positions, other embodiments can include support legs that are movable linearly between extended and retracted positions. For example, in some embodiments, the support legs can include telescoping members that are extendable, in a substantially linear direction, outward from chassis (and collapsible inward, towards the chassis). 
     In some implementations, the base  12  can include a housing  15  ( FIGS. 1 and 2B ) that overlies the electronics and/or deployment mechanism. In some embodiments, the housing  15  and/or chassis  14  include(s) a carry handle  17  ( FIGS. 1 and 2B ) for portability. In some implementations, the carry handle  17  is disposed on the support stand so as to urge the link plate towards the retracted position when the support stand is lifted by the carry handle  17 . 
     In some embodiments, the electronics include fans  85  ( FIG. 5 ) to provide an air flow across the electronics (i.e., for convective cooling of electronic components). The chassis and/or housing can also include vents  90  (e.g., defined by the overhanging ridges, as shown, for example, in  FIG. 3B ) to allow for passage of an air flow through the support stand.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5