A recently filed Nintendo patent shows a very interesting design within what seems to be a new dock design, most likely if utilized will be for a future switch console, but it could also be utilized on current systems as well if a retro fit kit is supplied.

Looking at the pictures of what the objective is for the rotating port hub I see a smaller square hub that looks to turn, seemingly for the purpose to provide better pathway options for users and their setups. In this first picture, Fig. 12, the swivel hub seems to attach to the dock where the cables currently reside inside the Switch dock. This seems perfectly logical. The design seems to use a circular bracket that mounts the swivel block merging the two objects. I cannot tell if this will rotate 360 degrees but seems to have a significant range of motion. 

 Looking further into this design, it looks as though signal for the swivel port is via ribbon cable. The use of this reduces of course the area in which traditional wires can take up and manage them nicely. Being an engineering technician, I often test lots of electronic parts to be used in our products, so the only concern I see is if the ribbon cable was not put through testing for longevity and durability through means of flex and rotational methods it may or may not be a problem. I’m sure significant testing was done on this though.

I also see a different picture that seems to show the whole back of the dock rotating. Could this be for a new switch console while the smaller one could be an upgrade to the current dock that can either be purchased and modified by the customer or possibly sent in at a cost to be upgraded for use with a new technology or feature coming out from Nintendo. We cannot be sure, but it is fun to speculate.

As always as we analyze patents from any company, it is imperative to know that most patents never mount to anything so please note that this may never come to pass. What do you think about this patent and what does it show for future consoles from Nintendo. Let us know your thoughts.

Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.

Nintendo Pow Block Podcast – Wednesdays at 7AM ET

Nintendo Pow Block is Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network’s Nintendo podcast. Each week, Edward, Corey, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk about the week in Nintendo, including news, rumors, new games, questions, and the fan-favorite Snacktendo segment. Check out Nintendo Pow Block Live on Twitch every Monday night at 8:30PM Eastern / 5:30PM Pacific or on Podcast Services and YouTube Wednesday mornings at 7AM. If you enjoy the show, consider leaving us a five star rating on iTunes and Spotify. Thanks for listening to Nintendo Pow Block!

Advertisements

REPORT THIS AD

Anchor | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Overcast | Pocket CastsFollow Nintendo Pow Block on Social Media: 
Twitter | Discord | Instagram | Twitch | YouTube | Facebook Group | FacebookShows also available on the Nintendo Pow Block Podcast feeds:

• Nintendo Pow Block Expansion Pass
• The Nintendo Direct Recap Show
• Nintendo Spoiler Alert
• Ranking Nintendo Episodes of Standard Definition: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

Source: ppubs.uspto.gov