US 5,436,792 · Granted 1995-07-25
The Pivoting Dock That Turned Tablet Computers Into Office Workstations
Imagine a dock for a tablet computer that can swivel and tilt to any angle you want, letting you prop it upright when you're using its screen or lay it flat when you're using an external monitor instead. Compaq patented this simple pivot mechanism in 1995 to make portable computers actually useful at a desk.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a docking station with a pivotable mounting system that holds a tablet or notepad computer and allows it to rotate between an upright position (useful for viewing the device's built-in display) and a low-angle position (useful for using it as an input overlay while viewing an external monitor). What's also protected is the removable receiving tray design that lets you swap in different-sized trays to accommodate different computer sizes.
Why it matters
In the early 1990s, when portable computers were getting smaller and lighter, there was a real problem: they didn't work well as primary office workstations. This patent solved that by creating a dock that could transform a handheld device into a flexible multi-monitor setup. By letting users angle the computer to suit their exact task, Compaq made portability actually compatible with productivity—an important step toward today's docking stations and convertible laptops.
Real-world use
When you place a modern tablet into a desk stand that lets you tilt it from portrait to landscape mode, you're benefiting from the same pivoting principle Compaq locked down nearly 30 years ago.
Original USPTO abstract
A docking station for use with a notepad computer is disclosed. The main electronic housing of the docking station is pivotably mounted with a receiving tray to provide a number of positions for the notepad computer between an upright position and a low angle position. The more upright positions are useful when using the internal display of the notepad computer, particularly if an external keyboard and pointing device are used. The low angle position is useful when an external monitor is used and the overlay of the notepad computer is used for input. The receiving tray is removably mounted to the docking station and may be replaced with another receiving tray of a different size for use with a different notepad computer of a different size.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,436,792
- Filing date
- 1993-09-10
- Grant date
- 1995-07-25
- Assignee
- Compaq Computer Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- LEMAN; MICHAEL V., TAYLOR; MICHAEL E.
- CPC class
- G06F1/1632
Want to file your own patent?
If you're designing a desk accessory or stand for tablets or laptops, check whether similar pivoting mechanisms are already claimed by searching our patent database before you build your prototype.
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