U.S. patent application number 12/955945 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-29 for soft ring.
This patent application is currently assigned to ASKEY COMPUTER CORP.. Invention is credited to CHING-FENG HSIEH, JUI-CHING YANG.
Application Number | 20120074153 12/955945 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45869621 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120074153 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
YANG; JUI-CHING ; et
al. |
March 29, 2012 |
SOFT RING
Abstract
A soft ring addresses issues, such as casing deformation,
waterproof capacity, and dust control. The soft ring is configured
for use with a casing of an electronic device, and the casing has a
first housing and a second housing coupled together. A ring-shaped
receiving groove is disposed on the first housing for receiving the
soft ring and a ring-shaped flange is disposed on the second
housing for pressing the soft ring along the coupling portion of
the first housing and the second housing. The soft ring is
characterized in that a channel is disposed along the soft ring.
The soft ring advantageously features a high compressed capacity
and a low reaction force to thereby prevent the casing from
deformation and improve the waterproof capacity and dust control of
the casing.
Inventors: |
YANG; JUI-CHING; (SHULIN
CITY, TW) ; HSIEH; CHING-FENG; (TAIPEI CITY,
TW) |
Assignee: |
ASKEY COMPUTER CORP.
TAIPEI
TW
|
Family ID: |
45869621 |
Appl. No.: |
12/955945 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/694 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 1/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/694 |
International
Class: |
B65D 90/00 20060101
B65D090/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 28, 2010 |
TW |
099132793 |
Claims
1. A soft ring configured for use with a casing of an electronic
device, the casing having a first housing and a second housing
coupled together, a ring-shaped receiving groove being disposed on
the first housing for receiving the soft ring and a ring-shaped
flange being disposed on the second housing for pressing the soft
ring along the coupling portion of the first housing and the second
housing, and the soft ring being characterized in that a channel is
disposed along the soft ring.
2. The soft ring of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the channel
is one of square, rectangular, C-shaped, U-shaped, and
V-shaped.
3. The soft ring of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the soft
rings one of round, square, and rectangular.
4. The soft ring of claim 1, wherein the channel is disposed on a
bottom side of the soft ring.
5. The soft ring of claim 1, wherein the channel is disposed on a
lateral side of the soft ring.
6. The soft ring of claim 1, wherein a width of an opening of a
cross-section of the channel is less than a width of an end portion
of a cross-section of the ring-shaped flange under the condition
that the opening of the channel faces the ring-shaped flange.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This non-provisional application claims priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn.119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 099132793 filed in
Taiwan, R.O.C. on Sep. 28, 2010, the entire contents of which are
hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY
[0002] The present invention relates to soft rings, and more
particularly, to a soft ring advantageously characterized by a high
compressed capacity and a low reaction force such that the casing
is protected against deformation and advantageously characterized
by enhanced waterproof capacity and dust control.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The ongoing information explosion brings about tremendous
development of electronic devices required for circulation of
information, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants
(PDA) connectable to the Internet, and audiovisual players. FIGS. 1
through 3 are an exploded view of a conventional ring-shaped
plastic ring disposed on a casing, a cross-sectional view of the
conventional ring-shaped plastic ring, and a cross-sectional view
of the conventional ring-shaped plastic ring disposed on the
casing, respectively. As shown in the drawings, to facilitate
assembly of an electronic device, enhance its protection
(waterproof capacity and dust control), and ensure ease of
disassembly to facilitate maintenance, it is typical for a
conventional electronic device to comprise a casing 1 and a solid
ring-shaped plastic ring 2. The casing 1 usually has a first
housing 11 and a second housing 12 coupled together. The
ring-shaped plastic ring 2 is received in a ring-shaped receiving
groove 111 provided on the first housing 11 along the coupling
portion of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. A
ring-shaped flange 121 is disposed on the second housing 12 to
press the ring-shaped plastic ring 2. In addition, to reduce the
costs and weight of the electronic device, it is typical for the
first housing 11 and the second housing 12 to be made of plastics.
The advantage of the casing 1 being composed of the first housing
11 and the second housing 12 lies in the ease of putting a circuit
board or electronic components in the casing 1 during an assembly
process of an electronic device. The conventional ring-shaped
plastic ring 2 is positioned at the coupling portion of the first
housing 11 and the second housing 12. When pressed by the
ring-shaped flange 121, the ring-shaped plastic ring 2 deforms and
closes the gap at the coupling portion of the first housing 11 and
the second housing 12. In so doing, moisture and dust are prevented
from intruding into the casing 1 through the coupling portion of
the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 to damage the
circuit board or electronic components in the casing 1. To cut the
costs of assembly of the electronic device and give considerations
to the design of the other ports (such as a headphone jack port,
USB port, or recharging port) on the lateral side of the casing 1,
it is typical for the four corners of the casing 1 to be fixed in
position with a screw 3 after the first housing 11, the second
housing 12, and the ring-shaped plastic ring 2 are put together, so
as to finalize the assembly process of electronic device.
[0004] However, due to its solid structure, the conventional
ring-shaped plastic ring 2 is not resilient, but rigid and unlike
to deform. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the deformed
conventional ring-shaped plastic ring 2 disposed on the casing. As
shown in the drawing, once the conventional ring-shaped plastic
ring 2 and the plastic first and second housings 11, 12 are put
together, the press given by the ring-shaped flange 121 in the
vicinity of the four corners of the casing 1 is relatively great,
because the four corners of the casing 1 are fixed in position with
the screws 3; hence, the solid ring-shaped plastic ring 2 can still
deform and close the gap at the point of coupling in the vicinity
of the four corners of the casing 1. Nonetheless, due to the
relatively weak press given by the ring-shaped flange 121 at
portions of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 between
the screws 3, the solid ring-shaped plastic ring 2 is unlikely to
be pressed and deformed, but the portions of the first housing 11
and the second housing 12 between the screws 3 deform because of
the reaction to the press. Since the solid ring-shaped plastic ring
2 is not pressed and deformed by the ring-shaped flange 121, the
solid ring-shaped plastic ring 2 is unlikely to close the gap at
the coupling portion of the first housing 11 and the second housing
12. As a result, water or dust can intrude into the casing 1 to
damage the circuit board or electronic components therein.
[0005] Accordingly, it is imperative to invent a soft ring
advantageously characterized by a high compressed capacity and a
low reaction force such that the casing is protected against
deformation and advantageously characterized by enhanced waterproof
capacity and dust control.
SUMMARY
[0006] In view of the drawbacks of the prior art, it is an
objective of the present invention to provide a soft ring
advantageously characterized by a high compressed capacity and a
low reaction force such that the casing is protected against
deformation and advantageously characterized by enhanced waterproof
capacity and dust control.
[0007] In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the
present invention provides a soft ring configured for use with a
casing of an electronic device, the casing having a first housing
and a second housing coupled together. A ring-shaped receiving
groove is disposed on the first housing for receiving the soft ring
and a ring-shaped flange is disposed on the second housing for
pressing the soft ring along the coupling portion of the first
housing and the second housing, and the soft ring is characterized
in that: a channel is disposed along the soft ring.
[0008] Accordingly, the soft ring of the present invention
advantageously features a high compressed capacity and a low
reaction force such that the casing is protected against
deformation and advantageously characterized by enhanced waterproof
capacity and dust control.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] A detailed description of further features and advantages of
the present invention is given below so that a person skilled in
the art can understand and implement the technical contents of the
present invention and readily comprehend the objectives, features,
and advantages thereof by reviewing the disclosure of the present
specification and the appended claims in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a conventional ring-shaped
plastic ring disposed on a casing;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional
ring-shaped plastic ring;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional
ring-shaped plastic ring disposed on the casing;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the deformed conventional
ring-shaped plastic ring disposed on the casing;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a soft ring in a first
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the soft ring coupled to a
casing in the first preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the soft ring coupled to
the casing in the first preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the soft ring coupled to the
casing in the first preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0018] FIG. 9 is another cross-sectional view of the soft ring
coupled to the casing in the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 10 is yet another cross-sectional view of the soft ring
coupled to the casing in the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a further cross-sectional view of the soft ring
in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the soft ring in a
second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the soft ring coupled
to the casing in the second preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 14 is another cross-sectional view of the soft ring
coupled to the casing in the second preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0024] FIG. 15 is yet another cross-sectional view of the soft ring
coupled to the casing in the second preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0025] FIG. 16 is a further cross-sectional view of the soft ring
in the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the soft ring couple to
the casing in another aspect of the first preferred embodiment of
the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the soft ring coupled
to the casing in yet another aspect of the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0028] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the soft ring in a
further preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] FIGS. 5 through 8 are a cross-sectional view of a soft ring,
an exploded view of the soft ring coupled to a casing, a
cross-sectional view of the soft ring coupled to the casing, and a
perspective view of the soft ring coupled to the casing, in a first
preferred embodiment of the present invention, respectively. As
shown in the drawings, the soft ring 5 is configured for use with a
casing 4 of an electronic device and is made of rubber or any other
resilient material. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the
soft ring 5 is round or any other geometric shape. The casing 4 has
a first housing 41 and a second housing 42 coupled together. To cut
the costs of assembly of the electronic device and give
considerations to the design of the other ports (such as a
headphone jack port, USB port, or recharging port) on the lateral
side of the casing 4, it is typical for the four corners of the
casing 4 to be fixed in position with four screws 6, respectively,
so as for the first housing 41 and the second housing 42 to be
coupled together. The first housing 41 and the second housing 42
are usually made of plastics in order to cut costs and reduce
weight. A ring-shaped receiving groove 411 is disposed on the first
housing 41 to receive the soft ring 5 along the coupling portion of
the first housing 41 and the second housing 42. A ring-shaped
flange 421 is disposed on the second housing 42 to press the soft
ring 5 for causing deformation thereof, so as to close the gap at
the coupling portion of the first housing 41 and the second housing
42. In so doing, water or dust is prevented from intruding into the
casing 4 through the gap at the coupling portion of the first
housing 41 and the second housing 42, otherwise water or dust can
intrude into the casing 4 to damage the electronic components
therein. According to the present invention, the soft ring 5 is
characterized in that a channel 51 is disposed along the soft ring
5. The cross-section of the channel 51 is square or rectangular.
The channel 51 is open downward and away from the ring-shaped
flange 421 of the second housing 42. The channel 51 decreases the
rigidity of the soft ring 5 but increases the resilience thereof.
Given a press exerted on the soft ring 5 by the ring-shaped flange
421 of the second housing 42 to the same degree, the soft ring 5 is
likely to be pressed and deformed, and thus the shape of the first
housing 41 and the second housing 42 remains unchanged. As a
result, the gap at the coupling portion of the first housing 41 and
the second housing 42 is sealed off, so as to prevent moisture or
dust from intruding into the casing 4 to damage electronic
components therein.
[0030] FIGS. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views of the soft ring
coupled to the casing in the first preferred embodiment of the
present invention, respectively. As shown in the drawings,
alternatively, the channel 51 of the soft ring 5 is open inward or
outward as needed.
[0031] FIG. 11 is a further cross-sectional view of the soft ring
in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Depicted in the drawing are the C-shaped cross-section of a channel
51' of a soft ring 5', the U-shaped cross-section of a channel 51''
of a soft ring 5'', and the V-shaped cross-section of a channel
51''' of a soft ring 5'''. The disclosure of FIG. 11 should not
limit the present invention, as the cross-section of the channel of
the soft ring of the present invention can assume whatever
geometric shapes as needed.
[0032] FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views of the soft ring,
and the soft ring coupled to the casing, in the second preferred
embodiment of the present invention, respectively. Depicted in the
drawings are the rectangular cross-section of a soft ring 7 and the
square cross-section of the soft ring 7. As shown in the drawings,
a channel 71 of the soft ring 7 is open downward. The shape of the
cross-section of the soft ring 7 should not limit the present
invention, as the cross-section of the soft ring of the present
invention can assume whatever geometric shapes as needed.
[0033] FIGS. 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views of the soft ring
coupled to the casing in the second preferred embodiment of the
present invention, respectively. As shown in the drawings, the
channel 71 of the soft ring 7 is open outward or inward as
needed.
[0034] FIG. 16 is a further cross-sectional view of the soft ring
in the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Depicted in the drawing are the C-shaped cross-section of a channel
71' of a soft ring 7', the U-shaped cross-section of a channel 71'
of a soft ring 7'', and the V-shaped cross-section of a channel
71''' of a soft ring 7'''. The disclosure of FIG. 16 should not
limit the present invention, as the cross-section of the channel of
the soft ring of the present invention can assume whatever
geometric shapes as needed.
[0035] FIGS. 17 and 18 are cross-sectional views of the soft ring
coupled to the casing in different aspects of the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawings, in
the situation where the opening of the channel 51 of the soft ring
5 faces the ring-shaped flange 421 of the second housing 42, the
width of the opening of the cross-section of the channel 51 has to
be less than the width of the end portion of the cross-section of
the ring-shaped flange 421, so as for the ring-shaped flange 421 to
press against the soft ring 5 and thereby not to protrude into the
channel 51. As a result, the soft ring 5 deforms to thereby seal
off the gap at the coupling portion of the first housing 41 and the
second housing 42.
[0036] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the soft ring in a
further preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in
the drawing, the soft rings 5, 7 each have a plurality of channels
as needed.
[0037] The foregoing embodiments are provided to illustrate and
disclose the technical features of the present invention so as to
enable persons skilled in the art to understand the disclosure of
the present invention and implement the present invention
accordingly, and are not intended to be restrictive of the scope of
the present invention. Hence, all equivalent modifications and
variations made to the foregoing embodiments without departing from
the spirit and principles in the disclosure of the present
invention should fall within the scope of the present invention as
set forth in the appended claims.
* * * * *