Abstract:
A support mechanism comprises a support board, a bracket and a stopping mechanism. The support board comprises an end portion and a center portion, the support board end is configured to pivotably connect to a housing. The bracket comprises a first end and a second end, the first end is configured to pivotably connected to the support board center portion. The stopping mechanism is adapted for coupling the second end to the housing such that the bracket is selectively and stably stopping at a closed position and an open position or positions between the closed position and the open position.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The exemplary disclosure relates to support mechanisms, particularly to support mechanisms used in electronic devices. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Some portable electronic products will come with a bracket on the back of the casing. Thus, when the bracket is propped up, the portable electronic product can sit on the desk or other supporting planes to make it more comfortable for the users to view the displays. Folding the bracket flush with the back of the unit makes them more convenient to carry. 
     However, the brackets of the existing portable electronic products do not have adjustable lengths and as a result, the supporting angle of the portable electronic product cannot be changed to satisfy some requirements of the users. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the exemplary support mechanism and electronic device using the support mechanism can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. 
       These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present support mechanism and electronic device. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 1  is a exploded view of an electronic device support mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled and partially enlarged view of the electronic device with the support mechanism in a closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is an another assembled view of the electronic device of  FIG. 2 , showing another aspect thereof. 
         FIG. 4  is similar to the  FIG. 2 , showing the support mechanism in an open position. 
         FIG. 5  is similar to the  FIG. 4 , but showing the electronic device in another aspect thereof. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the electronic device of  FIG. 3  along the line of VI-VI. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An embodiment of an electronic device  100  incorporating a support mechanism (not labeled) is shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of the device  100 .  FIG. 2  illustrates, in perspective view, the support mechanism in a first or closed state. For clarity, latching board  11  of support mechanism is not shown in  FIG. 2   
     The device  100 , which may be, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, includes the support mechanism, a housing  20  and a display  30 . In the closed state  200 , the support mechanism is secured in the housing  20  to allow the portability of the device. The support mechanism may also be pivotably adjusted to an open position shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , to advantageously provide support of the device  100 . For clarity, the latching board  11  of support mechanism is not shown in the  FIG. 4 . 
     The housing  20  includes a front surface  22  and a back surface  24  opposite to the front surface  22 . The housing  20  has a first mounting portion  222  that is a concave recess in the front surface  22 , and a second mounting portion  242  that is an opening which is defined in the back surface  24  and aligned to and communicating with the first mounting portion  222 . The display  30  is positioned on the front surface  22 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the support mechanism includes two sliders  12  opposite to and spaced from each other to accommodated slidably in the first mounting portion  222  of the housing  20 . A support board  13  is coupled pivotably to the housing  20  by a first shaft  42  and a bracket  14  is coupled pivotably to the support board  13  by a second shaft  44 . 
     Two slide enabling members (not labeled) are illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Each slide enabling member provides a mechanism for one corresponding slider  12  to slidably engage with the first mounting portion  222 . Each slide enabling member, in this embodiment, comprises a set of rails  224  and a set of tracks  122  that engage the rails  224 . Each set of rails  224  are protruding from a bottom of the first mounting portion  222  and located adjacent to a side of the second mounting portion  242  and each set of tracks  122  are defined in each of the sliders  12 . The tracks  122  have the same shape as the rails  224 , but are larger than the rails  224 , so that the sliders  12  can be slid laterally relative to the housing  20  along the arrow  50  shown in  FIG. 2  when the sliders  12  are mounted to the first mounting portion  222 . 
     A first resisting member  15  is coupled between the sliders  12 . The first resisting member  15  exerts a force on the sliders  12 , causing the sliders  12  to slide toward each other along the rails  224  when an external force separating the sliders is released. The first resisting member  15  may be an elastic resisting member (such as an expansion spring, a compression spring, or an elastic band). In this embodiment, the first resisting member  15  includes two parallel compression springs in which two ends of each compression spring are respectively retained on the sliders  12 . 
     The first shaft  42  is configured to be pivotably coupled to one end portion  132  of the support board  13  to the housing  20  at one end  244  of the second mounting portion  242 . The support board  13  can be rotated relative to the housing  20  from the closed position shown in  FIG. 2  or retracted from the open position shown in  FIG. 4 . The support board  13  in this embodiment is complementary in shape to the second mounting portion  242  of the housing  20 . The support board  13  is accommodated in the second mounting portion  242  when the support mechanism is in a closed state. 
     A second resisting member  16  is coupled between the support board  13  and the housing  20 . The second resisting member  16  exerts a force on the support board  13  and the housing  20 , causing the support board  13  to rotate about the first shaft  42  relative to the housing  20 . The second resisiting member  16  may be an elastic resisting member, such as a compression spring. In this embodiment, the second resisting member  16  could also be used for resisting or latching the support board  13  in the closed position shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     The second shaft  44  is configured to pivotably couple one end  142  of the bracket  14  to a center portion  134  of the support board  13 , such that the bracket  14  can be rotated relative to the support board  13  from the closed position shown in  FIG. 2  or to retract from the open position shown in  FIG. 4  or  5 . 
     A stopping mechanism (not labeled) is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 2  and  FIG. 5 . The stopping mechanism provides a mechanism that defines the points at which the bracket  14  stops in the closed position shown in  FIG. 2  and the open position shown in  FIG. 5  or other open positions between the closed position shown in  FIG. 2  and the open position shown in  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, the stopping mechanism comprises two sets of stopping grooves  124  and a set of stopping members  144  that engages the two set of stopping grooves  124 . Each set of the stopping grooves  124  includes a plurality of stopping grooves  124 , which are longitudinally defined in one side of one slider  12  and facing the other slider  12 . Each stopping groove  124  of each set of the stopping grooves  124  is facing to and aligned with one corresponding stopping grooves  124  of another set of the stopping grooves  124 . In this embodiment, one stopping groove  124  of one set of the stopping grooves  124  and one corresponding stopping groove  124  of the another set of the stopping grooves  124  cooperatively forms a pair of stopping groove  124 , which cooperatively engage with the stopping members  144 . The stopping members  144  are located on the second end  146  of the bracket  14  opposite to the first end  142 , are engaged with one pair of the plurality stopping grooves  124  of the two sets of the stopping grooves  124 . Thus, defining a corresponding angle A (see  FIG. 5 ) between the support board  13  and the bracket  14  such that an angle B (see  FIG. 5 ) between the housing  20  and the bracket  14  is defined for viewing of the display  30 . Angle A can be changed in such manner that the stopping members  144  slidably engage from one set of the plurality stopping grooves in the set of stopping grooves  124  to another set of the plurality of stopping grooves in the set of stopping grooves  124 . Such that angle B is adjusted for better viewing of the display  30 . 
     An actuating member (not labeled) is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3 . The actuating configuration provides a mechanism for driving the sliders  12  to slide away from each other, thereby facilitating the stopping members  144  slidably engaged in one pair of the plurality of stopping grooves to another pair of the plurality of stopping grooves defined in the set of stopping grooves  124 . The actuating member, in this embodiment, comprises a wedged notch  126  (see  FIG. 2 ) defined between the sliders  12 . When the sliders  12  are assembled in the first mounting portion  222  of the housing  20 , and a trigger  17  which is slidably mounted in a hole  262  (see  FIG. 3 ) define an inside surface  26  of the housing  20  and have a wedged portion  172  (see  FIG. 3 ) extending into the wedged notch  126 . The wedged notch  126 , in this embodiment, is defined by two opposite wedged walls  1262  that are respectively formed at one end of each slider  12 . The wedged portion  172  of the trigger  17  moves along the wedged walls  1262  to cause the sliders  12  to slid away from each other when the trigger  17  moves toward the sliders  12 . Such that the stopping members  144  are released from one pair of the plurality of stopping grooves to slidably engage with another pair of the plurality of stopping grooves defined in the set of stopping grooves  124 . Thus, angle A (see  FIG. 5 ) between the support board  13  and the bracket  14  is changed, and angle B (see  FIG. 5 ) between the housing  20  and the bracket  14  is adjusted for a better view of the display. 
     The support mechanism could also further include a guiding configuration (not labeled) illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The guiding configuration provides a mechanism for guiding the bracket  14  to slide relative to the sliders  12  when the sliders  12  move away from each other to release the latching members  144  under the trigger  17 . In this embodiment, the guiding configuration comprises a guiding member  112  and a guiding groove  148  that engages the guiding member  112 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , the guiding member  112  is protruding from the latching board  11  that is latched in the first mounting portion  222  by a plurality of latching members  226  (e.g. L-shaped hook). The guiding groove  148  is defined in the second end  146  of the bracket  14  between the stopping members  144 . The bracket  14  slides relative to the sliders  12  with the guiding member  112  slid in the guiding groove  148  when the stopping members  144  slidably engage with the plurality of stopping grooves defined in the set of stopping grooves  124  to adjust angle as shown in  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, the latching board  11  further includes two blocks  114  protruding from a surface  116  thereof facing the sliders  12 . The blocks  114  resist the sliders  12  when the latching board  11  is latched in the first mounting portion  122 , which acts as a securing mechanism for retaining the sliders  12  in the first mounting portion  222 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5 , during operation, the trigger  17  is pushed. The wedged portion  172  of the trigger  17  is then moved along the wedged walls  1262  to cause the sliders  12  to slide away from each other to release the stopping members  14  from the plurality of stopping grooves defined in the set of stopping grooves  124 . The support board  13  is then rotated about the first shaft  42  relative to the housing  20  to angle angle B. During this motion, the bracket  14  is moved together with the support board  13  and is rotated about the second shaft  44  relative to the support board  13  to angle angle A. After that, angle A is changed in such manner that the stopping members  144  slidably engage from one pair of the plurality of stopping grooves defined in the set of stooping groove  124  to another pair of the plurality of stopping grooves, such that angle B is adjusted for better viewing of the display  30 . 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.