Patent ID: 7583495

Claim:
An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an input/output (I/O) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof, the external expanding apparatus comprising: a body portion adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the body portion having an inner surface substantially enclosing an interior space and having a bearing plate formed with a computer bearing surface on an outer face thereof and a guide mechanism on an inner face thereof opposite from the bearing surface, a computer receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a first edge of the bearing surface and projected there above, and a passage through the bearing plate communicating between the inner and outer faces thereof and positioned between the first edge of the bearing surface and an opposite second edge thereof; a pair of engaging pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer, the engaging pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface at opposite corners thereof and adjacent to the rear edge thereof in positions for being matingly received into the pair of locating holes; a computer expansion connector structured to mate with the I/O connector of the computer; an expansion connector drive mechanism structured for moving the expansion connector relative to the bearing surface between a disengaged position spaced away from the bearing surface and an engaged position extended over the bearing surface, the expansion connector drive mechanism comprising a movable frame having an expansion connector seat that is structured for having the expansion connector mounted thereon and an edge portion having an opening therein, the movable frame being movably coupled to the apparatus body for moving the expansion connector seat relative to the bearing surface thereof; and an internal Universal Serial Bus (USB) socket connector positioned completely within the interior space of the body portion, the internal Universal Serial Bus socket connector being electrically coupled for communication with the computer expansion connector.