Patent ID: 7828249

Claim:
A method of docking first and second portions of a docking system, comprising: a. moving said first and second portions of said docking system together, wherein said first and second portions of said docking system are releasably connectable with one another; b. contacting a relatively central concave element of said second portion of said docking system with a relatively central mating convex element of said first portion of said docking system; c. inserting a plurality of relatively distal coupling elements of one of said first and second portions of said docking system into a corresponding plurality of relatively distal sockets of the other of said first and second portions of said docking system; and d. capturing said plurality of relatively distal coupling elements with a corresponding plurality of relatively distal latch mechanisms associated with said corresponding plurality of relatively distal sockets responsive to inserting said plurality of relatively distal coupling elements into said corresponding plurality of relatively distal sockets, wherein each of said corresponding plurality of relatively distal latch mechanisms is automatically mechanically actuated by contact with a corresponding relatively distal coupling element of said plurality of relatively distal coupling elements so as to provide for capturing said plurality of relatively distal coupling elements within said corresponding plurality of relatively distal sockets, said plurality of relatively distal coupling elements are rigidly connected to said one of said first and second portions of said docking system, and each of said plurality of relatively distal coupling elements and sockets is relatively distal with respect to said relatively central concave and mating convex elements.