This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-161347, filed on Aug. 18, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The embodiment discussed herein is related to a function extension device and an electronic device fixing method.
Recently, an information processing device is further downsized and various simple devices easy to carry such as a table type terminal and a compact notebook PC (personal computer) are provided. In such tablet type terminal and notebook PC, various functions are often omitted in order to realize a compact size; there are many models without an extension connector, for example.
Therefore, there is the tablet type terminal and the notebook PC to which a docking station is provided as a function extension device for extending the functions. The docking station is a device to which the tablet type terminal and the notebook PC are connected for providing a keyboard and other extension connectors to the connected devices. Among the docking stations, the one supporting the tablet type terminal is sometimes referred to as a “cradle” and the one supporting the notebook PC is sometimes referred to as a “port replicator”. They are hereinafter collectively referred to as the docking stations.
The information processing device connected to the docking station is fixed such that the connection is maintained by a claw and the like. However, in order to take advantage of portability of the compact information processing device, it is designed such that the information processing device is easily removed from the docking station.
Such compact information processing device is supposed to be displayed or put on store shelves in a state of being connected to the docking station to be used by a client. In such a case, since the information processing device is easily removed from the docking station and the information processing device itself is compact, there is a risk that the information processing device is removed from the docking station to be taken away without permission. There also is a risk that the information processing device is taken away together with the docking station.
Therefore, there is a case in which a mechanism for preventing the docking station and the information processing device from being taken away is provided when the information processing device connected to the docking station is left out of sight. For example, a security slot meeting Kensington standards is often provided on the information processing device and peripheral devices thereof. Herein, an antitheft mechanism using the Kensington slot is referred to as a “Kensington lock”. The Kensington lock includes a wire which may be fixed to an unremovable object. The Kensington lock inserted into the slot and rotated by 90 degrees is be removed from the slot, so that this prevents the device on which the Kensington lock is mounted from being stolen from a place at which the wire is fixed. There is conventional technology similar to the Kensington lock to inhibit movement of a latch member which is inserted into a hole and rotated by 90 degrees, thereby preventing a shutter covering a storage medium from opening, for example.
However, when the Kensington lock is attached to both the docking station and the information processing device, cables for the Kensington locks extend from both of them. In such a state, the cable of the Kensington lock which fixes the information processing device is visible from front, so that this is out of shape. Especially, in the case of the information processing device which is wanted to be made compact, it is difficult to arrange the Kensington slot in a thickness direction and it is difficult to hide the cable as seen from front. Therefore, as the technology of reducing the number of security cables, there is conventional technology to disable rotation of a lever for disengaging a hook of the port replicator which engages with an electronic device by locking the port replicator.
Meanwhile, there is the conventional technology which covers a screw of a case covering the electronic device with a plate to make the case unopenable as antitheft technology regarding the information processing device.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-65437
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-26234
Patent Literature 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 01-244088
However, when the conventional technology of preventing the information processing device from being removed is used on the docking station side, if the docking station is disassembled or broken and the locking mechanism becomes accessible, the locking mechanism may be removed. Therefore, there is a risk that the locking mechanism is easily removed and the information processing device is taken away.
When the conventional technology to cover the screw is used, the screw is covered at times other than locked time, so that there is a disadvantage in operation such as maintenance in a state in which there is no danger of being taken away. There is operation to remove covering, so that the operation such as maintenance becomes complicated.
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a function extension device includes: a holding unit that locks to hold an electronic device so as not to be removed when the electronic device is connected and releases the lock such that the electronic device is removed in response to first operation; a release restricting unit that restricts release of the lock of the holding unit in a state in which the electronic device is connected in response to second operation; and a preventing unit that prevents contact with a fixing member that fixes the release restricting unit in a locked state by the holding unit.
The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to accompanying drawings. Meanwhile, the function extension device and the electronic device fixing method disclosed in the present application are not limited by the following embodiment.
Herein, a direction indicated by an arrow on an X-axis in each drawing is referred to as an “X direction” and a direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow on the X-axis is referred to as an “opposite X direction” in the following description. A direction indicated by an arrow on a Y-axis in each drawing is referred to as a “Y direction” and a direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow on the Y-axis is referred to as an “opposite Y direction”. Furthermore, a direction indicated by an arrow on a Z-axis in each drawing is referred to as a “Z direction” and a direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow on the Z-axis is referred to as an “opposite Z direction”.
A side of a liquid crystal screen 21 of a tablet type terminal 2 in the state in which the tablet type terminal 2 is connected to a docking station 1 is hereinafter referred to as a “front surface”. That is to say, the opposite Z direction is the direction toward the front surface of the docking station 1 in
In
Furthermore, the docking station 1 includes a slot meeting the Kensington's standards not illustrated on the rear surface thereof, for example. A Kensington lock 3 is inserted into the slot on the rear surface of the docking station 1 to be fastened as illustrated in
The tablet type terminal 2 may utilize an extended function by using the device and the network connected to various extension connectors of the docking station 1. The tablet type terminal 2 corresponds to an example of the “electronic device”.
The key receiver 12 includes a key hole into which a key 11 is inserted. An antitheft locking mechanism for restricting movement of the fixing hooks 13 and 14 as described later is arranged on the back of the key receiver 12, that is to say, inside the docking station 1.
Turning the key 11 inserted into the key hole of the key receiver 12 fastens antitheft lock as described later. Turning the key 11 corresponds to an example of “second operation”.
The fixing hooks 13 and 14 are inserted into locking holes not illustrated provided on the tablet type terminal 2. Hereinafter, positions of the fixing hooks 13 and 14 in which the fixing hooks 13 and 14 may be inserted into and removed from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2 without colliding with them are referred to as lock releasing positions. The fixing button 15 to be described later is pressed and the fixing hooks 13 and 14 slide from the lock releasing positions in the X direction to engage with the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. According to this, the fixing hooks 13 and 14 lock such that the connected tablet type terminal 2 is not removed from the docking station 1. Hereinafter, a state in which the fixing hooks 13 and 14 engage with the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2 is referred to as a state in which the tablet type terminal 2 is fixed. The fixing hooks 13 and 14 correspond to an example of “locking claws”.
The fixing button 15 is the button for fixing the tablet type terminal 2 to the docking station 1. The fixing button 15 is pressed in the opposite Y direction by an end opposed to the docking station 1 of the tablet type terminal 2 when the tablet type terminal 2 is connected to the docking station 1. When the fixing button 15 is pressed, the fixing hooks 13 and 14 located in the lock releasing positions in a state of being inserted into the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2 slide in the X direction to engage with the locking holes.
The releasing button 16 is the button for disengaging the fixing hooks 13 and 14 from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2, thereby releasing fixing of the tablet type terminal 2 to put the same into a state removable from the docking station 1. When the releasing button 16 is pressed in the state in which the fixing hooks 13 and 14 engage with the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2, the fixing hooks 13 and 14 slide in the opposite X direction to move to the lock releasing positions and they are disengaged from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. Pressing the releasing button 16 corresponds to an example of “first operation”.
As illustrated in
A fixing screw 103 is the screw for fixing the antitheft locking mechanism to the housing of the docking station 1. The antitheft locking mechanism is fixed to the housing of the docking station 1 with a plurality of screws; the antitheft locking mechanism is not removed from the housing of the docking station 1 unless at least the fixing screw 103 is removed.
A sliding member 110 is formed of metal. The sliding member 110 has a shape extending in the X direction and includes the fixing hooks 13 and 14 projecting in the Y direction not illustrated in
The screw protecting member 111 is also formed of metal. When the sliding member 110 slides, the screw protecting member 111 slides together with the fixing hooks 13 and 14. The screw protecting member 111 is located in a place away from a position to cover the fixing screw 103 when the fixing hooks 13 and 14 are in the lock releasing positions. Then, in the state in which the fixing hooks 13 and 14 engage with the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2, the screw protecting member 111 is located in a place to cover the fixing screw 103. The screw protecting member 111 is formed of metal, so that this may certainly prevent access from outside to the fixing screw 103 by covering the fixing screw 103. The screw protecting member 111 corresponds to an example of a “preventing unit”.
The locking plate receiving member 112 is a region which is brought into contact with a locking plate 102 to be described later to stop the sliding of the sliding member 110 when the antitheft lock is fastened. The locking plate receiving member 112 includes a plate member including a surface on an XZ plane projecting from the sliding member 110 in the Z direction. Furthermore, the locking plate receiving member 112 in which an end on a side of the antitheft locking mechanism of the plate member in an XZ plane direction is bent in the Y direction at right angle includes a contact surface with the locking plate 102 on a YZ plane orthogonal to a sliding direction of the sliding member 110. The contact surface with the locking plate 102 of the locking plate receiving member 112 is located in a place opposed to the locking plate 102 when the antitheft lock is fastened.
The antitheft locking mechanism includes the key receiver 12 and a locking part 101. The locking part 101 includes the locking plate 102 projecting in an XY plane direction.
The locking part 101 is coupled to the key hole of the key receiver 12. When the key 11 inserted into the key receiver 12 is turned, the locking part 101 rotates about a rotary axis R. The locking part 101 corresponds to an example of a “release restricting unit”.
The locking part 101 rotates about the rotary axis R, and according to this, the locking plate 102 rotates on the XY plane. Then, the antitheft lock is fastened in a state in which an end in a longitudinal direction of the locking plate 102 is located in a place opposed to the locking plate receiving member 112. When the releasing button 16 is pressed in this state, the locking plate 102 is brought into contact with the locking plate receiving member 112 to prevent the sliding member 110 from sliding. According to this, the fixing hooks 13 and 14 maintain the state of being engaged with the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. Therefore, the state in which the tablet type terminal 2 is fixed to the docking station 1 is maintained. The locking plate 102 corresponds to an example of a “restricting member”.
The locking plate 102 is such that the longitudinal direction thereof is a direction toward the locking plate receiving member 112 in the state in which the antitheft lock is fastened. That is to say, when the sliding member 110 slides, the locking plate 102 is subjected to force to disengage the fixing hooks 13 and 14 from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2 in the longitudinal direction from the end which is in contact with the locking plate receiving member 112. Since the locking plate 102 is subjected to the force in the longitudinal direction in this manner, this has high strength against the force to disengage the fixing hooks 13 and 14 from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. Therefore, even when the sliding member 110 is forcedly slid, the locking plate 102 is not easily broken and the state in which the antitheft lock is fastened may be maintained.
On the other hand, the conventional antitheft lock is subjected to the force to disengage the fixing hooks 13 and 14 from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2 in a thickness direction of the plate-shaped locking plate 102. Therefore, the conventional antitheft lock is often broken by the force to disengage the fixing hooks 13 and 14 from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. In this manner, the antitheft locking mechanism according to this embodiment is less likely to be broken as compared to the conventional antitheft lock, so that it is possible to more certainly prevent the tablet type terminal 2 from being taken away.
Next, operation of the antitheft locking mechanism is collectively described with reference to
When the tablet type terminal 2 is connected to the docking station 1 in the state in
When the sliding member 110 slides in the X direction, the screw protecting member 111 moves to the position to cover the fixing screw 103 as illustrated in
However, in this state, although the tablet type terminal 2 is fixed to the docking station 1, the antitheft lock is not activated, so that when the releasing button 16 is pressed, the sliding member 110 slides in the opposite X direction, the fixing hooks 13 and 14 move to the lock releasing positions, and the fixing hooks 13 and 14 are disengaged from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. In this manner, in the state in
Then, the key 11 is turned from the state in
The locking plate 102 is put into a state in which the direction from the rotary axis R in the X direction, that is to say, the direction toward the locking plate receiving member 112 is the longitudinal direction in the state in which the antitheft lock is fastened. According to this, as described above, the locking plate 102 has the high strength against the force to disengage the fixing hooks 13 and 14 from the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2.
A flow of the operation of the antitheft locking mechanism in the docking station 1 according to the embodiment is next described with reference to
The tablet type terminal 2 is inserted into the docking station 1 to be connected to the docking station 1 (step S1).
The fixing hooks 13 and 14 are inserted into the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. The fixing button 15 is pressed by the tablet type terminal 2. The sliding member 110 slides, so that the fixing hooks 13 and 14 move from the lock releasing positions to engage with the locking holes of the tablet type terminal 2. According to this, the tablet type terminal 2 is fixed by the fixing hooks 13 and 14 (step S2).
At that time, the sliding member 110 slides, so that the screw protecting member 111 moves to cover the fixing screw 103 (step S3).
Thereafter, the operation of the docking station 1 is branched according to whether the key 11 is used and the antitheft locking mechanism is activated (step S4).
When the antitheft locking mechanism is activated (step S4: YES), the locking part 101 rotates and the locking plate 102 rotates to the position in which this extends from the rotary axis R in the direction toward the locking plate receiving member 112. That is to say, the locking plate 102 moves to the position in which the end in the longitudinal direction is opposed to the locking plate receiving member 112 (step S5).
The releasing button 16 is pressed in this state (step S6). In this case, the locking plate 102 is brought into contact with the locking plate receiving member 112 and the locking plate 102 restricts the sliding of the sliding member 110 (step S7).
According to this, the state in which the tablet type terminal 2 is fixed to the docking station 1 is maintained (step S8).
On the other hand, when the antitheft locking mechanism is not activated (step S4: NO), the releasing button 16 is pressed in this state (step S9). In this case, the sliding member 110 slides and the fixing hooks 13 and 14 move to the lock releasing positions, so that the fixing of the tablet type terminal 2 to the docking station 1 is released (step S10).
At that time, the sliding member 110 slides, so that the screw protecting member 111 moves from the position above the fixing screw 103 (step S11). According to this, the fixing screw 103 may be accessed from outside.
Since the fixing to the docking station 1 is released, the tablet type terminal 2 is removed (step S12).
As described above, in the docking station according to this embodiment, the screw to fix the antitheft locking mechanism to the housing is covered when the antitheft locking mechanism is activated. According to this, when the antitheft lock is fastened, it is difficult to remove the antitheft locking mechanism by disassembling or breaking the docking station. Therefore, it is possible to certainly prevent the electronic device connected to the docking station from being taken away.
The docking station according to this embodiment is subjected to the force to release the fixing of the electronic device on the end of the locking plate as the force in the longitudinal direction of the locking plate. According to this, this may maintain the high strength against the force to release the fixing of the electronic device, so that it is possible to more certainly prevent the electronic device from being taken away.
Furthermore, the docking station according to this embodiment may fasten the antitheft lock of the electronic device without directly fixing the connected electronic device with a cable such as the wire. Therefore, appearance of the docking station to which the electronic device is connected may be made excellent.
An aspect of the function extension device and the electronic device fixing method disclosed by the present application has an effect of certainly preventing the electronic device from being taken away.
All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2015-161347 | Aug 2015 | JP | national |