Patent ID: 6952344

Claim:
A coupling unit for docking a portable electronic device to a docking station that is vertically aligned with the portable electronic device along a vertical direction, the portable electronic device being formed with a first engaging member, said coupling unit being adapted to be mounted in the docking station and comprising: an elongated frame part extending in a longitudinal direction that is adapted to be perpendicular to the vertical direction, having top and bottom ends, and formed with an inclined rail member that extends downwardly and inclinedly relative to the vertical direction and to the longitudinal direction from said top end to said bottom end of said frame part and that has upper and lower ends; and a second engaging member adapted to extend outwardly in the vertical direction through the docking station toward the portable electronic device and mounted slidably on said rail member so as to be slidable along said rail member between said upper and lower ends of said rail member in such a manner that said second engaging member is adapted to engage the first engaging member when positioned at said lower end of said rail member and that said second engaging member is adapted to disengage from the first engaging member when positioned at said upper end of said rail member; wherein said second engaging member includes a sliding plate extending in the longitudinal direction, and an engaging post projecting upwardly from said sliding plate and adapted to extend outwardly through the docking station toward the portable electronic device to engage the first engaging member of the portable electronic device when said second engaging member is positioned at said lower end of said rail member; and wherein said frame part includes a base plate extending in the longitudinal direction and having two opposite sides, and a pair of parallel side plates extending upwardly and respectively from said opposite sides of said base plate, each of said side plates being formed with a pair of parallel inclined grooves and an inclined rail between said inclined grooves, said inclined rails of said side plates cooperatively defining said inclined rail member, said sliding plate being formed with a pair of parallel elongated openings that extend in the longitudinal direction and that are slidably and respectively sleeved on said inclined rails, thereby permitting sliding movement of said second engaging member along said inclined rails, said engaging post being disposed between said openings.