U.S. patent application number 13/562331 was filed with the patent office on 2013-02-07 for electronic device and connection port thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Hung-Tien Chang, Chien-Chia Huang. Invention is credited to Hung-Tien Chang, Chien-Chia Huang.
Application Number | 20130034973 13/562331 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47613481 |
Filed Date | 2013-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130034973 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang; Hung-Tien ; et
al. |
February 7, 2013 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CONNECTION PORT THEREOF
Abstract
A portable electronic device including a main body and a
connection port is provided. The main body has a containing cavity.
The connection port includes a supporting component and a
connector. The supporting component is slidably disposed at the
main body along a sliding direction and slides between an
accommodating position and an operation position relative to the
main body. The connector is disposed on the supporting component
and has a plugging direction. When the supporting component is
located at the accommodating position, the connector is contained
in the containing cavity and the plugging direction is
perpendicular to the sliding direction. When the supporting
component is located at the operation position, the connector is
located out of the containing cavity, and the supporting component
has a tilting angle relative to the main body.
Inventors: |
Chang; Hung-Tien; (Taipei
City, TW) ; Huang; Chien-Chia; (Taipei City,
TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Chang; Hung-Tien
Huang; Chien-Chia |
Taipei City
Taipei City |
|
TW
TW |
|
|
Assignee: |
COMPAL ELECTRONICS, INC.
Taipei City
TW
|
Family ID: |
47613481 |
Appl. No.: |
13/562331 |
Filed: |
July 31, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61514456 |
Aug 2, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/76.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 13/501 20130101;
H01R 13/447 20130101; G06F 1/1656 20130101; H01R 13/60 20130101;
H01R 2201/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/76.1 |
International
Class: |
H05K 7/16 20060101
H05K007/16 |
Claims
1. A portable electronic device, comprising: a main body, having a
containing cavity; and a connection port, comprising: a supporting
component, slidably disposed at the main body along a sliding
direction and sliding between an accommodating position and an
operation position relative to the main body; and a connector,
disposed on the supporting component and having a plugging
direction, wherein the connector is contained in the containing
cavity and the plugging direction is perpendicular to the sliding
direction when the supporting component is located at the
accommodating position, and the connector is located out of the
containing cavity and the supporting component has a tilting angle
relative to the main body when the supporting component is located
at the operation position.
2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a
height of the connector in the plugging direction is shorter than a
length of the connector in the sliding direction when the
supporting component is located at the accommodating position.
3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
main body is placed on a surface, and when the supporting component
is located at the operation position, the supporting component is
rotated relative to the main body to lean against the surface so as
to drive the connector to tilt from the surface.
4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
containing cavity has an opening, the connector is moved in or out
of the containing cavity through the opening, the supporting
component has a covering plate, and the covering plate covers the
opening when the supporting component is located at the
accommodating position.
5. The portable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein
when the supporting component is located at the accommodating
position, the covering plate and the main body are co-planar.
6. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
connection port further comprises a connection wire, the main body
has a circuit board therein, the connection wire is connected
between the connector and the circuit board and flexed with the
supporting component sliding and tilting.
7. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
main body is placed on a surface, when the supporting component is
located at the operation position, the supporting component tilts
and slides relative to the main body to lean against the surface so
as to drive the connector to tilt from the surface.
8. A connection port, adapted to a portable electronic device
comprising a main body having a containing cavity, the connection
port comprising: a supporting component, slidably disposed at the
main body along a sliding direction and sliding between an
accommodating position and an operation position relative to the
main body; and a connector, disposed on the supporting component
and having a plugging direction, wherein the connector is contained
in the containing cavity and the plugging direction is
perpendicular to the sliding direction when the supporting
component is located at the accommodating position, and the
connector is located out of the containing cavity and the
supporting component has a tilting angle relative to the main body
when the supporting component is located at the operation
position.
9. The connection port according to claim 8, wherein a height of
the connector in the plugging direction is shorter than a length of
the connector in the sliding direction when the supporting
component is located at the accommodating position.
10. The connection port according to claim 8, wherein the main body
is placed on a surface, and when the supporting component is
located at the operation position, the supporting component tilts
and slides relative to the main body to lean against the surface so
as to drive the connector to tilt from the surface.
11. The connection port according to claim 8, wherein the main body
is placed on a surface, and when the supporting component is
located at the operation position, the supporting component is
rotated relative to the main body to lean against the surface so as
to drive the connector to tilt from the surface.
12. The connection port according to claim 8, wherein the
containing cavity has an opening, the connector is moved in or out
of the containing cavity through the opening, the supporting
component has a covering plate, and the covering plate covers the
opening when the supporting component is located at the
accommodating position.
13. The connection port according to claim 12, wherein when the
supporting component is located at the accommodating position, the
covering plate and the main body are co-planar.
14. The connection port according to claim 8, further comprising a
connection wire, wherein the main body has a circuit board therein,
and the connection wire is connected between the connector and the
circuit board and flexed with the supporting component sliding and
tilting.
15. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
the main body has a stopping structure located in the containing
cavity, and the supporting component leans against the stopping
structure to limit the tilting angle of the supporting component
when the supporting component is located at the operation
position.
16. The portable electronic device according to claim 15, wherein
the stopping structure has at least one sliding slot, the
supporting component has a sliding portion slidably disposed in the
sliding slot, and when the supporting component is located at the
operation position, the sliding portion leans against one end of
the sliding portion so as to limit the tilting angle of the
supporting component.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority benefits of U.S.
provisional application Ser. No. 61/514,456, filed on Aug. 2, 2011.
The entirety of the above-mentioned patent applications is hereby
incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this
specification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention is directed to an electronic device
and a connection port thereof and more particularly, to a portable
electronic device and a connection port thereof.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Along with the rapid development of science and technology,
portable devices such as tablet computers or notebook computers
(NBs) have been broadly used due to portable carrying and easy
operation. Most of the NBs are equipped with connection ports for
connecting analog video signal transmission (D-sub) connectors, for
example.
[0006] A video connection port of the NB is mostly disposed at a
side edge of the NB, and thus, the thickness of its chassis must be
greater than the thickness of the connection port so as to entirely
enclose the connection port. In other words, the thickness at the
side of the NB should be at least equal to its chassis thickness
plus the thickness of the connection port for successfully
disposing the connection port at the NB. In order to disposing the
video connection port at the NB, the chassis thickness has to be
designed as greater than the universal norm height of the video
connection port. As a result, the design manner of the current
connection ports limits miniaturization development of the NBs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed to a portable electronic
device, having a connection port with a smaller in height.
[0008] The present invention is directed to a connection port
having a smaller in height.
[0009] The present invention is directed to a portable electronic
device including a main body and a connection port. The main body
has a containing cavity. The connection port includes a supporting
component and a connector. The supporting component is slidably
disposed at the main body along a sliding direction and slides
between an accommodating position and an operation position
relative to the main body. The connector is disposed on the
supporting component and has a plugging direction. When the
supporting component is located at the accommodating position, the
connector is contained in the containing cavity, and the plugging
direction is perpendicular to the sliding direction. When the
supporting component is located at the operation position, the
connector is located out of the containing cavity, and the
supporting component has a tilting angle relative to the main
body.
[0010] The present invention is directed to a connection port,
adapted to a portable electronic device. The portable electronic
device includes a main body. The main body has a containing cavity.
The connection port includes a supporting component and a
connector. The supporting component is slidably disposed at the
main body along a sliding direction and slides between an
accommodating position and an operation position relative to the
main body. The connector is disposed on the supporting component
and has a plugging direction. When the supporting component is
located at the accommodating position, the connector is contained
in the containing cavity, and the plugging direction is
perpendicular to the sliding direction. When the supporting
component is located at the operation position, the connector is
located out of the containing cavity, and the supporting component
has a tilting angle relative to the main body.
[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the
supporting component is located at the accommodating position, a
height of the connector in the plugging direction is smaller than a
length of the connector in the sliding direction.
[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the main body is
placed on a surface. When the supporting component is located at
the operation position, the supporting component is rotated
relative to the main body to lean against the surface so as to
drive the connector to tilt from the surface.
[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, the containing
cavity has an opening. The connector is moved in and out of the
containing cavity through the opening. The supporting component has
a covering plate and the covering plate covers the opening when the
supporting component is located at the accommodating position.
[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the
supporting component is located at the accommodating position, the
covering plate and the main body are co-planar.
[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the connection
port further comprises a connection wire, and the main body has a
circuit board therein. The connection wire is connected between the
connector and the circuit board and flexed with the supporting
component sliding and tilting.
[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, the main body is
placed on a surface. When the supporting component is located at
the operation position, the supporting component tilts and slides
relative to the main body to lean against the surface so as to
drive the connector to tilt from the surface.
[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, the main body has
a stopping structure located in the containing cavity. When the
supporting component is located at the operation position, the
supporting component leans against the stopping structure to limit
the tilting angle of the supporting component.
[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, the stopping
structure has at least one sliding slot, and the supporting
component has a sliding portion slidably disposed in the sliding
slot. When the supporting component is located at the operation
position, the sliding portion leans against one end of the sliding
portion so as to limit the tilting angle of the supporting
component.
[0019] Based on the above, with the supporting component of the
connection port of the present invention, the connector is driven
to be hidden in the containing cavity of the main body or to be
moved out of the containing cavity. When the user does not use the
connection port, the connector on the supporting component can be
contained in the main body in a proper angle for having a smaller
in height. When the connection port is to be used, the connector is
moved out of the main body to allow the supporting component to
tilt, so that the connector tilts in an angle suitable for plugging
an external connector. With such design of the connection port
capable of adjusting the connector angle, the thickness of the main
body of the portable electronic device can be correspondingly
reduced so as to meet the miniaturization trend of the portable
electronic device.
[0020] In order to make the aforementioned and other features and
advantages of the invention more comprehensible, embodiments
accompanying figures are described in detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The accompanying drawings constituting a part of this
specification are incorporated herein to provide a further
understanding of the invention. Here, the drawings illustrate
embodiments of the invention and, together with the description,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating a
portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0023] FIG. 2A through FIG. 2C are flowcharts of operating the
connection port depicted in FIG. 1.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating the
portable electronic device depicted in FIG. 2C.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrated an external
connector plugged in the connector depicted in FIG. 3.
[0026] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a portion of
components of the portable electronic device depicted in FIG.
1.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a partial three-dimensional diagram illustrating a
portable electronic device according to another embodiment of the
present invention.
[0028] FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating the
portable electronic device depicted in FIG. 6 from another view
angle.
[0029] FIG. 8 is a side diagram illustrating the portable
electronic device of FIG. 6.
[0030] FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating the
portable electronic device depicted in FIG. 6 from still another
view angle.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0031] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating a
portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 2A through FIG. 2C are flowcharts of
operating the connection port depicted in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG.
1 and FIG. 2A, a portable electronic device 100 of the present
embodiment includes a main body 110 and a connection port 120. The
main body 110 has a containing cavity 112. The connection port 120
includes a supporting component 122 and a connector 124. The
supporting component 122 is slidably disposed at the main body 110,
and the connector 124 is disposed on the supporting component
122.
[0032] The supporting component 122 is adapted to slide between an
accommodating position P1 illustrated in FIG. 2A and an operation
position P2 illustrated in FIG. 2B relative to the main body 110.
When the supporting component 122 is located at the accommodating
position P1, the connector 124 is contained in the containing
cavity 112. When the supporting component 122 is located at the
operation position P2, the connector 124 is located out of the
containing cavity 112, as shown in FIG. 2B.
[0033] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating the
portable electronic device depicted in FIG. 2C. When the supporting
component 122 is located at the operation position P2, the
supporting component 122 is adapted to rotate relative to the main
body 110 so as to drive the connector 124 to have a tilting angel
relative to the main body 110, as shown in FIG. 2C and FIG. 3. FIG.
4 is a schematic diagram illustrated an external connector plugged
in the connector depicted in FIG. 3. When the connector 124 tilts
as illustrated in FIG. 3, a user may plug an external connector 50
in the connector 124 (depicted in FIG. 3), as shown in FIG. 4.
[0034] In the aforementioned disposition, the connection port 120
drives the connector 124 to be hidden in the containing cavity 112
of the main body 110 or to be moved out of the containing cavity
112 by the supporting component 122. When the user does not use the
connection port 120, the connector 124 on the supporting component
122 is contained in the main body 110 in a proper angle, as shown
in FIG. 2A, for having a smaller in height. When the connection
port 120 is to be used, the connector 124 is moved out of the main
body 110, as shown in FIG. 2B, to allow the supporting component
122 to tilt, as shown in FIG. 2C, so that the connector 124 tilts
in an angle suitable for plugging the external connector 50. With
such design of the connection port 120 capable of adjusting the
angle of the connector 124, the thickness of the main body 110 of
the portable electronic device 100 can be correspondingly reduced
so as to meet the miniaturization trend of the portable electronic
device.
[0035] The portable electronic device 100 of the present embodiment
is, for example, a notebook computer (NB), and the main body 110 is
a host of the NB. The connector 124 is, for example, an analog
video signal transmission (D-sub) connector, and the external
connector 50 is, for example, an analog video signal transmission
(D-sub) joint. In other embodiments, the portable electronic device
100 may be any other type of device, the connector 124 and the
external connector 50 may be any other type of connection
interface, and the invention is not limited thereto.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 2A, in detail, the supporting component
124 of the present embodiment is slidably disposed at the main body
110 along a sliding direction D1. The connector 124 has a plugging
direction D2. When the supporting component 122 is located at the
accommodating position P1, the plugging direction D2 is
perpendicular to the sliding direction D1, and a height H of the
connector 124 in the plugging direction D2 is smaller than a length
L of the connector 124 in the sliding direction D1. By containing
the connector 124 in the main body 110 as the plugging direction D2
is perpendicular to the sliding direction D1, the connector 124 has
a smaller in height H so as to reduce the thickness of the main
body 110. When the connector 124 is in the sate as illustrated in
FIG. 2C, the plugging direction D2 of the connector 124 tilts so
that the connector 124 is adapted to plug the external connector 50
along the plugging direction D2, as shown in FIG. 4.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 2A though FIG. 2C, in the present
embodiment, the main body 110 is adapted to be placed on a surface
S. When the supporting component 124 is located at the operation
position P2, the supporting component 124 is adapted to rotate
relative to the main body 110 or to tilt and slide relative to the
main body 110 so as to lean against the surface S, as shown in FIG.
2C. Thus, the connector 124 is driven to tilt from the surface S,
and the position of the connector 124 is steadily fixed with
support of the surface S, so that the external connector 50 is
plugged in the connector 124, as shown in FIG. 4.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, in the present embodiment,
the containing cavity 112 has an opening 112a, the connector 124 is
moved in or out of the containing cavity 112 through the opening
112a. The supporting component 122 of the present embodiment has a
covering plate 122a. When the supporting component 122 is located
at the accommodating position P1, the covering plate 122a covers
the opening 112a so that the connector 124 is hidden in the main
body 110. Accordingly, the portable electronic device 100 can have
a better appearance and protect the connector 124 from being
polluted by dust from the outside. When the supporting component
122 is located at the accommodating position P1 and the covering
plate 122a covers the opening 112a, the covering plate 122a and the
main body 110 are co-planar so that the portable electronic device
100 has a better appearance.
[0039] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a portion of
components of the portable electronic device depicted in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2A with FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the
connection port 120 further includes a flexible connection wire
126. The main body 110 has a circuit board 114 therein. The circuit
board 114 is, for example, a motherboard of the NB. The connection
wire 126 is connected between the connector 124 and the circuit
board 114 for signal transmission. When the supporting component
124 is operated in the state as illustrated in FIG. 2B or FIG. 2C,
the connection wire 126 is adapted to be flexed with the supporting
component 124 sliding and tilting. With the flexible feature of the
connection wire 126, the electrical connection between the
connector 124 and the circuit board 114 is maintained through the
connection wire 126 while the supporting component 124 drives the
connector 124 to be operated.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a partial three-dimensional diagram illustrating a
portable electronic device according to another embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional diagram
illustrating the portable electronic device depicted in FIG. 6 from
another view angle. FIG. 8 is a side diagram illustrating the
portable electronic device of FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 6 through
FIG. 8, a portable electronic device 200 of the present embodiment,
a main body 210 has a stopping structure 216. The stopping
structure 216 is located in a containing cavity 212 of the main
body 210. When a supporting component 222 is located at an
operation position P2', as shown in FIG. 6 through FIG. 8, the
supporting component 222 leans against the stopping structure 216
to limit a tilting angle of the supporting component 222.
[0041] In detail, the stopping structure 216 has at least one
sliding slot 216a (illustrated as two), and the supporting
component 222 has a sliding portion 222b. The sliding portion 222b
of the supporting component 222 is slidably disposed in the sliding
slot 216a of the stopping structure 216 so that the supporting
component 222 is adapted to slide along the sliding slot 216a by
the sliding portion 222b to be contained in the containing cavity
212 of the main body 210 or to be moved to the operation position
P2', as shown in FIG. 6 through FIG. 8. When the supporting
component 222 is located at the operation position P2', the sliding
portion 222b leans against an end 216b of the sliding slot 216a, as
shown in FIG. 7, to limit the tilting angle of the supporting
component 222. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, the supporting component
222 can not only steadily fix the position of the connector 224
with support of a surface S', but also increase the entire
structure strength with interference of the stopping structure 216
and the sliding portion 222b, so that the supporting component 222
can bear the force applied from the user plugging an external
connector to the connector 224
[0042] FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional diagram illustrating the
portable electronic device depicted in FIG. 6 from still another
view angle. Referring to FIG. 9, the supporting component 222 of
the present embodiment has a concave slot 222c. For a more
convenient operation, the user can apply force on the concave slot
222c to drive the supporting component 222. In other embodiments, a
convex rid or any other suitable structure can be formed on the
supporting component 222 for the user to apply force in replacement
with the concave slot 222c, and the present invention is not
limited thereto.
[0043] To sum up, in the connection port of the present invention,
the connector is driven by the supporting component to be either
hidden in or moved out of the containing cavity of the main body.
When the user does not use the connection port, the connector on
the supporting component can be contained in the main body in a
proper angle for having a smaller in height. When the connection
port is to be used, the connector is again moved out of the main
body to allow the supporting component to tilt, so that the
connector tilts in an angle suitable for plugging an external
connector. Accordingly, with such design of the connection port
capable of adjusting the connector angle, the thickness of the main
body of the portable electronic device can be correspondingly
reduced so as to meet the miniaturization trend of the portable
electronic device.
[0044] Although the invention has been described with reference to
the above embodiments, it will be apparent to one of the ordinary
skill in the art that modifications to the described embodiment may
be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the scope of the invention will be defined by the
attached claims not by the above detailed descriptions.
* * * * *