U.S. patent application number 11/481603 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-14 for electronic device with positioning unit.
This patent application is currently assigned to WISTRON CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Chu-Hsian Chian, Yang-Po Chiu, Shu-Hsien Chu, Cheng-Shing Luo, Hua-Chung Tseng.
Application Number | 20060278787 11/481603 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32228226 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060278787 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tseng; Hua-Chung ; et
al. |
December 14, 2006 |
Electronic device with positioning unit
Abstract
An electronic device includes first and second housings which
are pivoted to each other, and a spring-biased stopper mounted
movably on an upper wall of the first housing. The stopper is
movable in a transverse direction relative to the upper wall
between an engaging position, in which the stopper projects
outwardly of the first housing through the upper wall and engages
the second housing, and a second position, in which the stopper is
received in the first housing and disengages from the second
housing.
Inventors: |
Tseng; Hua-Chung; (Taipei
Hsien, TW) ; Chu; Shu-Hsien; (Taipei Hsien, TW)
; Luo; Cheng-Shing; (Taipei Hsien, TW) ; Chian;
Chu-Hsian; (Taipei Hsien, TW) ; Chiu; Yang-Po;
(Taipei Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Richard P. Berg;c/o LADAS & PARRY
Suite 2100
5670 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles
CA
90036-5679
US
|
Assignee: |
WISTRON CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
32228226 |
Appl. No.: |
11/481603 |
Filed: |
July 5, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10661282 |
Sep 12, 2003 |
7100876 |
|
|
11481603 |
Jul 5, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/274.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 248/917 20130101;
G06F 1/1681 20130101; G06F 1/1679 20130101; G06F 1/162 20130101;
Y10S 248/921 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/274.1 |
International
Class: |
E04G 3/00 20060101
E04G003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 11, 2002 |
TW |
091218068 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. An electronic device comprising: a first housing having an
upper wall and a rear end, said upper wall being formed with a
pivot-mounting hole adjacent to said rear end of said first
housing, and a retaining groove adjacent to said pivot-mounting
hole; a pivot unit being rotatably mounted in said housing and
including a rotatable part that projects upwardly through said
pivot-mounting hole and that is rotatable relative to said first
housing about a first axis which extends in a transverse direction
relative to said upper wall of said first housing, said rotatable
part having two opposite ends, each of which is formed with an
engaging groove; a second housing having a rear end that is pivoted
to said rotatable part so as to be rotatable relative to said first
housing about a second axis which is perpendicular to said first
axis and so as to be rotatable together with said rotatable part
about said first axis relative to said first housing between first
and second angular positions; and a positioning unit including a
stopper that is slidably mounted in said retaining groove and that
is slidably between an engaging position, in which said stopper
extends into and engages said engaging groove in an adjacent one of
said ends of said rotatable part when said second housing is
positioned at a corresponding one of said first and second angular
positions, thereby preventing rotation of said second housing and
said rotatable part about said first axis, and a disengaging
position, in which said stopper moves out of and disengages from
said engaging groove, thereby permitting rotation of said second
housing and said rotatable part about said first axis.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application
No. 091218068, filed on Nov. 11, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a portable electronic device with
a positioning unit.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional notebook computer 1
including a main board module 11, a display module 12 with a
screen, and a pivot-and-positioning assembly 13 coupled to rear
ends of the main board and display modules 11, 12 so as to permit
rotation of the display module 12 relative to the main board module
11 about a first axis (X) and about a second axis (Z) that is
perpendicular to the first axis (X).
[0006] A pair of spring-biased auxiliary positioning members 14
(only one is shown) are respectively provided to interconnect the
main board and display modules 11, 12 to enhance positioning of the
display module 11. Each of the auxiliary positioning members 14 is
mounted movably on a respective side of the main board module 11,
and engages releasably a respective side of the display module 12.
A releasing member 142 is provided to disengage each auxiliary
positioning member 14 from the display module 12.
[0007] The conventional notebook computer is disadvantageous in
that the display module 12 tends to rub undesirably against the
auxiliary positioning members 14 during rotation about the second
axis (Z). Moreover, if the display module 12 is misaligned with the
main board module 11 during closing of the notebook computer, the
screen of the display module 12 may undesirably strike against one
of the auxiliary positioning members 14 and be damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide an electronic device with a positioning unit that is
capable of overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior
art.
[0009] According to this invention, there is provided an electronic
device that comprises: a first housing having an upper wall and a
rear end, the upper wall being formed with a pivot-mounting hole
adjacent to the rear end of the first housing; a pivot unit being
rotatably mounted in the first housing and including a rotatable
part that projects upwardly through the pivot-mounting hole and
that is rotatable relative to the first housing about a first axis
which extends in a transverse direction relative to the upper wall
of the first housing; a second housing having a rear end that is
pivoted to the rotatable part so as to be rotatable relative to the
first housing about a second axis which is perpendicular to the
first axis and so as to be rotatable together with the rotatable
part about the first axis relative to the first housing between
opposite first and second angular positions; a positioning unit
mounted in the first housing and including a spring-biased stopper
that is disposed adjacent to the rotatable part, and that is
movable in the transverse direction relative to the first housing
between an engaging position, in which, the stopper moves upwardly
to engage one of the rotatable part and the rear end of the second
housing when the second housing is positioned at one of the first
and second angular positions, thereby preventing rotation of the
rotatable part and the second housing about the first axis, and a
disengaging position, in which the stopper moves downwardly to
disengage from the one of the rotatable part and the rear end of
the second housing, thereby permitting rotation of the second
housing and the rotatable part about the first axis; and an urging
member for urging the stopper to move to the engaging position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention,
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional notebook
personal computer with a pivot-and-positioning assembly;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment
of a notebook computer with a pivot-and-positioning assembly
according to this invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating how a
stopper engages a rotatable part of the pivot-and-positioning
assembly shown in FIG. 2;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the
engagement between the stopper and the rotatable part shown in FIG.
3;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating how
the stopper disengages from the rotatable part of the
pivot-and-positioning assembly shown in FIG. 2;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the stopper shown in FIG.
3;
[0017] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a second preferred
embodiment of the electronic device according to this invention,
which includes a catch unit with a latch projecting from the
stopper shown in FIG. 3 to position the stopper at an engaging
position;
[0018] FIG. 8 is an exploded side view of the catch unit shown in
FIG. 7;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating how a
pair of clamping arms of the catch unit engage the latch shown in
FIG. 7;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating how the
clamping arms of the catch unit disengage from the latch shown in
FIG. 9;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a third
preferred embodiment of the notebook computer according to this
invention, which includes a guide protruding from the rotatable
part and engageable with an arcuate guiding groove formed in the
stopper shown in FIG. 3;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view to illustrate how
the guide disengages from the arcuate guiding groove shown in FIG.
11;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view to illustrate how
the guide engages the arcuate guiding groove shown in FIG. 11;
[0024] FIG. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fourth
preferred embodiment of the notebook computer according to this
invention, which includes a latch mounted slidably on the stopper
shown in FIG. 3;
[0025] FIG. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating how the
latch of FIG. 14 engages a latch hole in a lug secured to a housing
of the notebook computer of FIG. 3;
[0026] FIG. 16 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating how the
latch of FIG. 14 disengages from the latch hole shown in FIG.
15;
[0027] FIG. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fifth
preferred embodiment of the notebook computer according to this
invention, which includes a spring-biased base plate with an
engaging groove that is engageable with an engaging tongue formed
on the rotatable part shown in FIG. 3;
[0028] FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating how
the engaging groove disengages from the engaging tongue shown in
FIG. 17;
[0029] FIG. 19 is a fragmentary sectional view of a sixth preferred
embodiment of the notebook computer according to this invention,
which includes a magnetic latch that is engageable with a latch
hole, and a magnetic block embedded in the rotatable part shown in
FIG. 3;
[0030] FIG. 20 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating how the
magnetic latch disengages from the latch hole by the magnetic block
shown in FIG. 19;
[0031] FIG. 21 is a fragmentary perspective view of a seventh
preferred embodiment of the notebook computer according to this
invention, which includes a stopper modified from that shown in
FIG. 3; and
[0032] FIG. 22 is a fragmentary perspective view of an eighth
preferred embodiment of the notebook computer according to this
invention, which includes a stopper modified from that shown in
FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] For the sake of brevity, like elements are denoted by the
same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
[0034] FIGS. 2 to 6 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of an
electronic device, such as a notebook computer 2, according to this
invention. The notebook computer 2 includes: a main board module
with a first housing 3 having an upper wall 30 and a rear end 301,
the upper wall 30 being formed with a pivot-mounting hole 302
adjacent to the rear end 301 of the first housing 3; a rotatable
part 41 that is mounted rotatably in the first housing 3, that
projects upwardly through the pivot-mounting hole 302, and that is
rotatable relative to the first housing 3 about a first axis (Z)
which extends in a transverse direction relative to the upper wall
30 of the first housing 3; a display module with a second housing 4
having two opposite side faces 45, 46, and a rear end 40 that is
pivoted to the rotatable part 41 through a pivot 411 (see FIG. 4)
so as to be rotatable relative to the first housing 3 about a
second axis (X) which is perpendicular to the first axis (Z) and so
as to be rotatable together with the rotatable part 41 about the
first axis (Z) relative to the first housing 3 between a first
angular position, in which the side face 45 of the second housing 4
faces frontwardly and the side face 46 faces rearwardly, and a
second angular position, in which the side face 45 faces rearwardly
and the side face 46 faces frontwardly, the rear ends 301, 40 of
the first and second housings 3, 4 being substantially parallel to
each other when the second housing 4 is positioned at one of the
first and second angular positions; a positioning unit 5 mounted in
the first housing 3 and including a spring-biased stopper 51 that
is disposed adjacent to the rotatable part 41, and that is movable
in the transverse direction relative to the first housing 3 between
an engaging position (see FIGS. 3 and 4), in which the stopper 51
moves upwardly to engage the rotatable part 41 (note that instead
of engaging the rotatable part 41, the stopper 51 can engage the
rear end 40 of the second housing 4 in order to achieve the same
function) when the second housing 4 is positioned at one of the
first and second angular positions, thereby preventing rotation of
the rotatable part 41 and the second housing 4 about the first axis
(Z), and a disengaging position (see FIG. 5), in which the stopper
51 moves downwardly to disengage from the rotatable part 41,
thereby permitting rotation of the second housing 4 and the
rotatable part 41 about the first axis (Z); and a first urging
member 52 including a pair of coil springs 521 (see FIG. 6) for
urging the stopper 51 to move to the engaging position.
[0035] The stopper 51 projects through the pivot-mounting hole 302,
and has an engaging end 516 with an end face 5160 that extends
outwardly of the pivot-mounting hole 302 in the transverse
direction and that faces rearwardly. The rotatable part 41 has two
opposite engaging ends 412 (only one is shown), each of which has
an end face 4120 that conforms to and that is in face-to-face
contact with the end face 5160 of the engaging end 516 of the
stopper 51 when the stopper 51 is positioned at the engaging
position and when the second housing 4 is positioned at one of the
first and second angular positions.
[0036] FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a second preferred embodiment of
the notebook computer 2 according to this invention, which has a
structure similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, except
that the positioning unit 5 further includes a seat 53 that is
mounted securely in the first housing 3 below the stopper 51 and
that is formed with a pair of through-holes 534. The stopper 51
includes a base plate 510 that is exposed from the pivot-mounting
hole 302 and that extends in a lateral direction relative to the
upper wall 30 of the first housing 3, and a pair of posts 512
extending downwardly from the base plate 510 through the
through-holes 534, respectively. Each of the coil springs 521 is
sleeved around a respective one of the posts 512, and abuts against
a periphery of a respective one of the through-holes 534 and the
base plate 510.
[0037] The positioning unit 5 further includes a catch unit 54
mounted on the seat 53 between the through-holes 534 and including
a casing 542 that is formed with an upper opening 5420, and a
spring biased catch 541 mounted slidably in the casing 542 and
formed with a pair of elastic clamping arms 545. A second urging
member 544 is disposed in the casing 542 for urging the catch 541
to move upwardly away from the upper opening 5420. The clamping
arms 545 cooperate with each other to define a clamping space 5450
therebetween, and have opposite end faces 5451 that are spaced
apart from each other by a width greater than that of the upper
opening 5420 in the casing 542. The stopper 51 further includes a
latch 55 that extends downwardly from the base plate 510 into the
clamping space 5450 and that abuts against the catch 541. The catch
541 is slidable between a catch position (see FIG. 10), in which
the clamping arms 545 move into the casing 542 through the upper
opening 5420, and are pressed by the casing 542 to move elastically
toward each other to clamp the latch 55 when the stopper 51 is
moved downwardly to the disengaging position, thereby preventing
upward movement of the stopper 51 to the engaging position, and a
release position (see FIG. 9), in which the clamping arms 545 are
moved out of the casing 542 by urging action of the second urging
member 544 and are released from the casing 542 to move elastically
away from each other to release the latch 55, thereby permitting
upward movement of the stopper 51 to the engaging position. The
catch 541 is formed with a generally heart-shaped groove 546
defined by a groove-defining wall and having a first end and a
second end that is opposite to the first end and that is disposed
adjacent to the clamping arms 545. The groove-defining wall is
formed with first and second steps 5461, 5462 at the first and
second ends of the hear-shaped groove 546, respectively. The casing
542 is formed with a boss 548 that slidably engages the
heart-shaped groove 546 in such a manner that the boss 548 engages
the first step 5461 of the groove-defining wall and is prevented
from moving along the heart-shaped groove 546 when the catch 541 is
disposed at the release position and that the boss 548 engages the
second step 5462 of the groove-defining wall and is prevented from
moving along the heart-shaped groove 546 when the catch 541 is
disposed at the catch position, thereby retaining the catch 541 on
the casing 542 and controlling movement of the catch 541 relative
to the casing 542.
[0038] FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate a third preferred embodiment of
the notebook computer 2 according to this invention, which has a
structure that is similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2,
except that the base plate 510 of the stopper 51 is formed with an
arcuate guiding groove 514 that opens upwardly and that has two
opposite ends 5140. The rotatable part 41 is formed with a pair of
opposing guides 413 that protrude downwardly from an adjacent one
of the engaging ends 412 of the rotatable part 41 and that are
laterally and respectively aligned with the opposite ends 5140 of
the guiding groove 514 (see FIG. 11) when the stopper 51 is
positioned at the disengaging position so as to permit receiving of
one of the guides 413 into the guiding groove 514 (see FIG. 13)
during rotation of the second housing 4 together with the rotatable
part 41 about the first axis (Z), thereby facilitating rotation of
the second housing 4 from one of the first and second angular
positions to the other of the first and second angular
positions.
[0039] FIGS. 14 to 16 illustrate a fourth preferred embodiment of
the notebook computer 2 according to this invention, which has a
structure that is similar to the first preferred embodiment shown
in FIG. 2, except that the base plate 510 of the stopper 51 is
formed with a recess 515 that opens upwardly and that is defined by
a recess-defining wall which is formed with a laterally extending
slit 516. The positioning unit 5 further includes a latch 56 that
has a head 561 received in the recess 515 and spanning the slit
516, a shank 563 extending downwardly from the head 561 through the
slit 516, and a tail 562 extending laterally from the shank 563. A
lug 33 projects downwardly and inwardly from the upper wall 30 of
the first housing 3, and is disposed adjacent to the latch 56. The
lug 33 is formed with a latch hole 31. The latch 56 is slidable
along the length of the slit 516 between a locking position (see
FIG. 15), in which the tail 562 of the latch 56 moves into and
engages the latch hole 31 when the stopper 51 is positioned at the
disengaging position, thereby preventing upward movement of the
stopper 51 to the engaging position, and an unlocking position (see
FIG. 16), in which the tail moves away and disengages from the
latch hole 31, thereby permitting upward movement of the stopper 51
to the engaging position.
[0040] FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate a fifth preferred embodiment of
the notebook computer 2 according to this invention, which has a
structure modified from the first preferred embodiment shown in
FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the rotatable part 41 is formed with a
pair of opposing laterally extending engaging tongues 414. The
stopper 51 includes a spring-biased base plate 62 that is urged by
the first urging member 52, and that is formed with an engaging
groove 621 which receives and engages an adjacent one of the
engaging tongues 414 when the stopper 51 is positioned at the
engaging position (see FIG. 17) and when the second housing 4 is
positioned at one of the first and second angular positions,
thereby preventing rotation of the second housing 4 about the first
axis (Z). The engaging groove 621 moves away and disengages from
the adjacent one of the engaging tongues 414 (see FIG. 18) when the
stopper 51 is moved downwardly to the disengaging position, thereby
permitting rotation of the second housing 4 about the first axis
(Z). A button 61 projects upwardly from the base plate 62 through
the pivot-mounting hole 302 in the upper wall 30 of the first
housing 3 so as to facilitate operation of the stopper 51.
[0041] FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate a sixth preferred embodiment of
the notebook computer 2 according to this invention, which has a
structure that is similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2,
except that the positioning unit 5 further includes a pair of
magnetic Z-shaped latches 8, each of which has two opposite ends
81, 82, and a pair of second urging members 522, each of which has
two opposite ends connected to and abutting respectively against
the base plate 510 and the end 81 of a respective one of the
Z-shaped latch 8. The positioning unit 5 further includes a pair of
lugs 53 mounted securely in the first housing 3 and disposed
adjacent to the respective latches 8. Each lug 53 is formed with a
latch hole 538 that receives and that engages the end 82 of a
respective Z-shaped latch 8 (see FIG. 19) when the stopper 51 is
positioned at the disengaging position, thereby preventing upward
movement of the stopper 51 to the engaging position. A magnetic
block 7 is embedded in the rotatable part 41, is offset from the
Z-shaped latches 8 when the second housing 4 is positioned at one
of the first and second angular positions, and is vertically
aligned with the Z-shaped latches 8 when the second housing 4 moves
to a middle angular position between the first and second angular
positions (see FIG. 20) so as to attract each Z-shaped latch 8 to
move away from the respective latch hole 538 and so as to permit
disengagement of the end 82 of each Z-shaped latch 8 from the
respective latch hole 538, thereby permitting upward movement of
the stopper 51 to the engaging position.
[0042] FIG. 21 illustrates a seventh preferred embodiment of the
notebook computer 2 according to this invention, which has a
structure that is modified from the first preferred embodiment
shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the upper wall 30 of the first
housing 3 is formed with a circular pivot-mounting hole 302 defined
by a hole-defining wall 3020. Each engaging end 412 of the
rotatable part 41 has a first engaging end face 4120 that
cooperates with a segment of the hole-defining wall 3020 to confine
a sector 3021 of the pivot-mounting hole 302. The stopper 51 has a
second engaging end face 517 and a shape conforming to that of the
sector 3021 of the pivot-mounting hole 302, and is mounted
pivotally on the first housing 3 adjacent to the pivot-mounting
hole 302 so as to be rotatable between an engaging position, in
which the stopper 51 is received in the sector 3021 of the
pivot-mounting hole 302 and in which the first and second engaging
end faces 4120, 517 are in face-to-face contact with each other
when the second housing 4 is positioned at one of the first and
second angular positions, thereby preventing rotation of the second
housing 4 and the rotatable part 41 about the first axis (Z), and a
disengaging position, in which the stopper 51 is moved out of the
sector 3021 of the pivot-mounting hole 302, thereby permitting
rotation of the second housing 4 and the rotatable part 41 about
the first axis (Z).
[0043] FIG. 22 illustrates an eighth preferred embodiment of the
notebook computer 2 according to this invention, which is modified
from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the
upper wall 30 of the first housing 3 is further formed with a
retaining groove 11 adjacent to the pivot-mounting hole 302. Each
engaging end 412 of the rotatable part 41 has two opposite ends
415, each of which is formed with an engaging groove 416 (only one
is shown). The stopper 51 is slidably mounted in the retaining
groove 11, and is slidable between an engaging position, in which
the stopper 51 extends into and engages the engaging groove 416 in
an adjacent one of the ends 415 of the rotatable part 41 when the
second housing 4 is positioned at a corresponding one of the first
and second angular positions, thereby preventing rotation of the
second housing 4 and the rotatable part 41 about the first axis
(Z), and a disengaging position, in which the stopper 51 moves out
of and disengages from the engaging groove 416, thereby permitting
rotation of the second housing 4 and the rotatable part 41 about
the first axis (Z).
[0044] Since the stopper 51 of the positioning unit 5 of the
notebook computer 2 of this invention is mounted movably on the
upper wall 30 of the first housing 3, rotation of the second
housing 4 about the second axis (X) to a closed position relative
to the first housing 3 results in pressing and thus downward
movement of the stopper 51, thereby preventing possible damage to
the screen of the display module. Moreover, the aforesaid undesired
rubbing between the auxiliary positioning member and the display
module as encountered in the prior art can be eliminated.
[0045] With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that
various modifications and variations can be made without departing
from the spirit of the present invention.
* * * * *