Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20030128506
Timestamp: 2017-09-23 07:41:28
Document Index: 727449493

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 45', 'arts 45', 'arts 45', 'art 63', 'art 63', 'arts 45', 'art 47', 'arts 45', 'art 47', 'arts 45', 'art 47', 'art 61', 'art 61', 'art 61', 'art 61', 'art 61']

Patent US20030128506 - Notebook computer and docking station having anti-theft lock - Google Patents
A notebook computer having a computer main body and a docking station detachably installed to a lower part of the computer main body, cooperating with the computer main body. the notebook computer includes a KENSINGTON lock having a lock member that extends through a lock hole part provided in the docking...http://www.google.com/patents/US20030128506?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20030128506 - Notebook computer and docking station having anti-theft lock
Publication number US20030128506 A1
Application number US 10/166,096
Also published as US6744627
Publication number 10166096, 166096, US 2003/0128506 A1, US 2003/128506 A1, US 20030128506 A1, US 20030128506A1, US 2003128506 A1, US 2003128506A1, US-A1-20030128506, US-A1-2003128506, US2003/0128506A1, US2003/128506A1, US20030128506 A1, US20030128506A1, US2003128506 A1, US2003128506A1
Inventors Bum-Young Won, Hyun-Soo Kim
US 20030128506 A1
1. A locking system for use with a notebook computer having a computer main body, comprising:
a lock having a lock member;
a docking station detachably installed to a lower part of the computer main, said docking station including a lock hole through which the lock member is inserted;
a link slidably installed in said docking station to move between a lock position and a release position according to a lock and a release state of the lock member;
a lock part provided in said docking station to allow said docking station to be coupled to or released from the lower part of the computer main body according to the lock state and the release state of the lock member; and
a rotation-limiting part provided between said link and said lock part to limit a rotation of said lock part when said link is locked to the lock member and which moves according to a sliding movement of said link between the lock position and the release position.
2. The locking system according to claim 1, wherein said link further comprises a spring to elastically bias said link to the lock position be locked to the lock member.
4. The locking system according to claim 3, wherein:
said rotation-limiting part further comprises a rotation arm,
the rotation arm comprises a first wing and a second wing that are rotatably combined in said docking station,
the first wing is in contact with another side of said link, and
the second wing is in contact with or separated from said lock part according to the sliding movement of said link.
5. The locking system according to claim 2, wherein said rotation-limiting part comprises a rib extended from one side of said link toward said lock part in order to be in contact with or separated from said lock part according to the sliding movement of said link.
6. The locking system according to claim 5, wherein:
7. A docking station for use with a detachable computer and an external lock, comprising:
a casing including a docking side to receive the computer and a lock hole to receive the external lock while the computer is attached to said casing;
a transmission member in said casing having a first end and a second end, where the first end is positioned according to a lock state or a release state of the external lock when inserted through the lock hole; and
a locking member that extends through said casing to lock or release the received computer according to a movement of the second end in response to the position of the first end.
8. The docking station according to claim 7, wherein said locking member comprises a locking part that is inserted into a groove of the received computer, and when the second end is moved due to the lock state of the external lock, the locking part engages a side of the groove so as to prevent the computer from being detached while the external lock is in the lock state.
9. The docking station according to claim 8, wherein the locking part comprises a locking hook that hooks the side of the groove when the external lock is in the lock state.
10. The docking station according to claim 7, further comprising an ejection member that is engaged with said transmission member, wherein said ejection member is responsive to the movement of the second end and detaches the received computer from said casing when the external lock is in the release state and said locking member releases the received computer.
said transmission member further comprises a rotation limiting unit,
the rotation limiting unit engages with said rotation member to prevent said rotation member from disengaging the locking part when the external lock is in the lock state; and
the rotation limiting unit disengages said rotation member to allow said rotation member to disengage the locking part when the external lock is in the release state.
14. The docking station according to claim 13, further comprising an ejection member that is engaged with said transmission member, wherein:
said rotation member is further slideably in contact with said ejection member,
when the external lock is in the release state, the movement of the lever rotates said rotation member to slideably move said ejection member so as to push the computer away from said casing, and
when the external lock is in the lock state, the rotation limiting unit prevents said rotation member from rotating so as to prevent said ejection member from being slideably moved so as to push the computer away from said casing.
15. The docking station according to claim 13, wherein the rotation limiting unit comprises a prong that does not move relative to said transmission member and limits the rotation of said rotation member due to the movement of the second end of said transmission member.
said transmission member comprises an opening into which an element of the external lock is inserted while in the locking state, and
the first end of said transmission member remains at a locking position while the element of the external lock is inserted into the opening, and moves to a release position when the element of the external lock is removed from the opening.
18. The docking station according to claim 14, wherein:
19. The docking station according to claim 18, wherein the rotation limiting unit does not move relative to said transmission member and limits the rotation of said rotation member due to the movement of the second end of said transmission member.
a computer comprising a central processing unit and a computer casing, the computer casing including a lock receiving part; and
a docking station to which said computer is detachably mated, said docking station comprising:
a dock casing including a docking side to receive the computer casing and a lock hole to receive the external lock while said computer is mated to said docking station,
a transmission member in the dock casing having a first end and a second end, where the first end is positioned according to a lock state or a release state of the external lock when inserted through the lock hole, and
a locking member that extends through the dock casing to be received in the lock receiving part and which locks or releases said computer according to a movement of the second end in response to the position of the first end.
22. The computer station according to claim 21, wherein:
the lock receiving part comprises a groove,
the locking member comprises a locking part that is inserted into the groove, and
when the second end is moved due to the lock state of the external lock, the locking part engages a side of the groove so as to prevent said computer from being detached from said docking station while the external lock is in the lock state.
23. The computer station according to claim 22, wherein the locking part comprises a locking hook that hooks the side of the groove when the external lock is in the lock state.
said docking station further comprises an ejection member that is engaged with the transmission member, and
the ejection member is responsive to the movement of the second end and detaches said computer from the dock casing when the external lock is in the release state and the locking member releases said computer.
25. The computer station according to claim 24, wherein:
said docking station further comprises a rotation member rotatably attached to the dock casing and slideably in contact with the ejection member,
the rotation member comprises a lever extending external to the dock casing, and
when the external lock is in the release state, the movement of the lever rotates the rotation member to slideably move the ejection member so as press against the computer casing so as to push said computer away from the dock casing.
26. The computer station according to claim 22, wherein:
said docking station further comprises a rotation member rotatably attached to the dock casing and slideably in contact with the locking part,
when the external lock is in the release state, the movement of the lever rotates the rotation member to slideably move the locking member to disengage from the side of the groove of said computer.
27. The computer station according to claim 26, wherein:
the transmission member further comprises a rotation limiting unit,
the rotation limiting unit engages with the rotation member to prevent the rotation member from disengaging the locking part when the external lock is in the lock state; and
the rotation limiting unit disengages the rotation member to allow the rotation member to disengage the locking part when the external lock is in the release state.
28. The computer station according to claim 27, wherein:
said docking station further comprises an ejection member that is engaged with the transmission member,
the rotation member is further slideably in contact with the ejection member,
when the external lock is in the release state, the movement of the lever rotates the rotation member to slideably move the ejection member to press against the computer casing so as to push said computer away from the dock casing, and
when the external lock is in the lock state, the rotation limiting unit prevents the rotation member from rotating so as to prevent the ejection member from being slideably moved so as to push said computer away from the dock casing.
29. The computer station according to claim 27, wherein the rotation limiting unit comprises a prong that does not move relative to the transmission member and limits the rotation of the rotation member due to the movement of the second end of said transmission member.
the transmission member comprise s an opening into which an element of the external lock is inserted while in the locking state, and
the first end of the transmission member remains at a locking position while the element of the external lock is inserted into the opening, and moves to a release position when the element of the external lock is removed from the opening.
32. The computer station according to claim 22, wherein:
the transmission member comprises an opening into which an element of the external lock is inserted while in the locking state, and
33. The computer station according to claim 28, wherein said docking station further comprises an interface through which data is received or transmitted from said computer.
[0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a computer main body and a docking station of a notebook computer according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018]FIG. 2 is a top plan partial view showing an inner part of the docking station according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;
[0019]FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a main portion of FIG. 2;
[0020]FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing a configuration and an operation state of the lock part of FIG. 2;
[0021]FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing partially an inner part of the docking station, illustrating the locking state of the docking station; and
[0022]FIG. 6 is a view showing a state which the computer main body is fastened to a table by a KENSINGTON lock, by way of example.
[0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a computer main body 11 and a docking station 21 of a notebook computer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing partially an inner part of the docking station 21 according to the present invention and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a main portion of FIG. 2. As illustrated therein, a notebook computer according to the present invention includes the computer main body 11 equipped with a central processing unit (CPU), a display unit 19 to receive a picture signal generated from the computer main body 11 and to display the picture. the docking station 21 is detachably installed on a lower part of the computer main body 11 and cooperates with the computer main body 11. A lock 81 includes a lock member 83 and a cable 85 (shown in FIG. 6). According to an embodiment of the invention, the lock 81 is a KENSINGTON lock, but can be any lock suitable to secure the docking station 21.
The docking station 21 includes a lock hole 31 allowing a lock member 83 of the lock 81 to be inserted or released. A link 33 locks or releases the lock member 83 of the lock 81. First and second lock parts 45 a, 45 b allow the docking station 21 to be coupled to or released from a bottom face of the computer main body 11. A rib 71 and a rotation arm 73 are respectively formed between opposite end parts of the link 33 and the first and second lock parts 45, 45 b to limit a rotation of the first and second lock parts 45 a, 45 b when the link 33 fastens the lock member 83 of the lock 81 according to a sliding movement of the link 33.
The holder part 63 includes a bar-shaped rod 65 that is advanced or retracted. the holder part 63 is closely coupled to the outer circumference of the cam 58 of the rotating plate 49. A hook 67 is at an end of the rod 58. According to an embodiment of the invention, the hook 67 is a bent end of the rod 65. the hook 67 is detachably coupled to the hook groove 17 on the rear face of the computer main body 11. On the outer circumference of the rod 65 is provided an auxiliary spring 69 to elastically bias the rod 65 to be restored to its original, retracted, position.
[0036]FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing the configuration and the operation of the lock parts 45 a, 45 b of FIG. 2. Specifically, FIG. 4A shows a state before the rotator part 47 of the lock parts 45 a, 45 b is rotated, and FIG. 4B shows a state after the rotator part 47 of the lock parts 45 a, 45 b is rotated. As illustrated therein, if the lever 53 of the rotator part 47 is rotated counterclockwise, the rotating plate 49 and the guide 57 are rotated counterclockwise. the counterclockwise rotation lifts the lift part 61 upward as the lift part 61 slides along the inclined face of the guide 57. the lift part 61 is thereby pressed up against the bottom face of the computer body 11. the pressing action of the lift part 61 allows the computer main body 11 to be more easily detached from the docking station 21. However, it is understood that the lift part 61 need not be used in all instances.
[0048]FIG. 6 shows the state that the main body of the notebook computer and the docking station according to the present invention are locked to a desk 100 by the lock 81. the shown example is a KENSINGTON lock, but it is understood that other types of locks could be used.
US8646818 * Nov 25, 2011 Feb 11, 2014 King Slide Works Co., Ltd. Locking device for case of portable electronic device
US9326397 * May 8, 2014 Apr 26, 2016 Fujitsu Limited Attachment device, electronic apparatus, and locking mechanism
US20130134721 * Nov 25, 2011 May 30, 2013 King Slide Technology Co., Ltd. Locking device for case of portable electronic device
US20140347815 * May 8, 2014 Nov 27, 2014 Fujitsu Limited Attachment device, electronic apparatus, and locking mechanism
WO2010073242A3 * Dec 10, 2009 Aug 19, 2010 Meir Avganim Anti-theft devices for portable objects such as laptops
U.S. Classification 361/679.57, 361/726
International Classification G06F1/16, E05B73/00, G06F1/00
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WON, BUM-YOUNG;KIM, HYUN-SOO;REEL/FRAME:012996/0746;SIGNING DATES FROM 20020527 TO 20020603