Circular dongle winding mechanism with enhanced retaining features
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorHin Loong Justin Wong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An information handling system mobile peripheral adapter interfaces with an information handling system through a cable connector that extends from a circular housing so that the information handling system can use peripherals coupled to ports of the circular housing. The cable and connector retract into a cavity of the circular housing so that at a fully retracted position a magnet in a bottom surface of the upper circular housing portion biases a magnet of the cable connector inward.
Claims20
A mobile peripheral adapter comprising:
- a first circular housing portion having plural port openings;
- plural ports disposed at the plural port openings, each of the plural ports configured to accept a predetermined cable plug;
- a second circular housing portion rotationally coupled to the first circular housing portion to define a cable cavity having an upper surface, a lower surface, an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter;
- a cable disposed in the cable cavity and interfaced with the plural ports, the cable winding to a stored position when the first and second circular housing portions rotate in a first direction and unwinding to an extended position when the first and second circular housing portions rotate in a second direction, the cable terminating with a connector;
- a first magnet coupled in a bottom surface of the first circular housing portion above the cable cavity, the first magnet having a first polarity alignment;
- and
- a second magnet coupled in an upper surface of the cable connector, the first and second magnets interacting to bias the cable connector fully into the cable cavity.
A method for managing a mobile peripheral adapter cable, the method comprising:
- capturing the cable between first and second circular housing portions;
- rotating the first and second circular housing portions in a first manner to extend the cable;
- rotating the first and second circular housing portions in a second manner to retract the cable;
- and
- fully retracting a connector at the end of the cable into a cavity between the first and second circular housing portions by interaction of a first magnet disposed at a bottom side of the first housing portion and a second magnet disposed at a top side of the connector.
A mobile peripheral adapter comprising:
- first and second circular housing portions rotationally coupled to each other to define a cable cavity;
- a cable having a connector coupled to the first housing portion, the cable retracting when the first and second housing portions are rotated in a first manner and extending when the first and second housing portions are rotated in a second manner;
- a first magnet coupled in the first housing portion bottom side to align above the cable connector when the cable connector fully retracts into the cavity;
- and
- a second magnet coupled in the cable connector upper side aligned to fully retract the cable connector into the cavity by magnetic interaction with the first magnet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.