Abstract:
The present invention is to provide a modular stand structure being applied to the back panel of a portable electronic device, which comprises a first board and a cover disposed on a second board. The top of one surface of the first board has a movable button, such that when the movable button is pushed forward, it moves a sliding member and an another sliding member located in the first board towards both sides such that a stand on the other side of the first board will be detached from its embedding latch due to the sliding of those sliding members, while the outward force produced by a spring at one end of a support rod drives two longitudinal grooves disposed on another side of the first board to slide downward to a fixed position in order to constitute a stable supporting angle and give better viewing angle and better operating angle for the portable electronic device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a stand modular structure, more particularly to a modular stand structure for supporting a display panel of an electronic device to provide users a good viewing and an operating angle.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     In general, a portable electronic device (such as a notebook computer, a PDA, and plat panel computer) features the portablility as its name suggests. Unlike desktop computers having a large volume for the whole set of equipment and occupying lot of space; if the portable electronic device is a notebook computer, then it has a main system, a keyboard installed on the main system, and a display screen pivotally coupled to the rear side of the main system by a hinge such that users can lift up or close the display monitor from/to the main system; if the portable device is a plat panel computer, it has a main system, a display screen embedded into a surface of the main system, and at least one communication cable connected between the display screen and the main system for the signal connection, so that users can enter information to the main system by a plurality of function keys on the main system, and such information is sent to the display screen through these communication lines, and the related content of the information will be displayed on the display screen.  
         [0005]     However, the display screen of the flat panel computer can be attached flatly onto the main system. In other words, the included angle between the main system and the display screen is zero, and users are unable to adjust the viewing angle and height, and thus causing inconvenience in the application and giving many limitations. For notebook computers, although the display screen can be lifted up from the main system by means of a hinge to give better viewing for users, its keyboard is set on the main system, therefore its application is incomparable with the desktop computer that provides a detachable keyboard and a monitor and allows adjustment or heightening of the monitor. Such configuration goes into a direction opposite to the development trend of the present portable electronic devices.  
         [0006]     To solve the problem of erecting the foregoing portable electronic device, the traditional electronic designers and manufacturers generally uses a stand with simple structure disposed directly at the back panel of the flat panel computer (such stand is not observed at the back panel of notebook computers yet). However, the strength of the traditional stand is not strong and stable enough, and its structure is too rough that easily causes the stand to fall or incline after the flat panel computer erects.  
         [0007]     Therefore, unlike the traditional ones, a modular stand structure can be applied to notebook computers or flat panel computers to improve the erecting problem, so that such stand can have the features of an electronic portable device without the shortcoming of occupying a large volume and space while maintaining the convenience of the traditional desktop computer. Such arrangement can improve the utility of the electronic device, and also can meet the severe competition in the information market; it is definitely a big improvement and breakthrough as well as a benefit to our society.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a modular stand structure that can be applied to the back panel of a portable electronic device (such as a notebook computer and a flat panel computer, etc). Such stand module comprises a first board and a cover disposed on a second board, and the top of one surface of the first board has a movable button, such that when the movable button is pushed forward, it moves a sliding member and an another sliding member located in the first board towards both sides such that a stand on the other side of the first board will be detached from its embedding latch due to the sliding of those sliding members, while the outward force produced by a spring at one end of a support rod drives two longitudinal grooves disposed on another side of the first board to slide downward to a fixed position in order to constitute a stable supporting angle and give better viewing angle and better operating angle for the portable electronic device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram of the disassembled parts of the modular stand structure of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is another perspective diagram of the disassembled parts of the modular stand structure of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an illustrative diagram of the assembling movement of the modular stand structure of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is another illustrative diagram of the assembling movement of the modular stand structure of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is an illustrative diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     Refer to  FIG. 1  for the “Modular stand structure” of the present invention, which can be applied to any portable electronic device (such as a notebook computer and a flat panel computer, etc.). Such modular stand comprises a first board  10 , a movable button  20 , a second board  30 , and a stand  40 . In  FIG. 1 , the first board  10  at its top on one side proximate the middle has a U-shaped accommodating groove  11 , and a groove  111  respectively extended downward for a distance along the two corresponding sides at the bottom of the accommodating groove  11  and a corresponding L-shaped groove hole  112  and another groove hole  113  respectively penetrating the bottom of the two grooves  111 , and a protruded pillar  114  disposed in the horizontal space of the groove hole  112  and another groove hole  113 .  
         [0016]     Please refer to  FIG. 2 . A pair of corresponding first longitudinal sliding grooves  115  and a pair of corresponding second longitudinal sliding grooves  117  are disposed on the other side of the first board  10 , and a predetermined gap is maintained between the first longitudinal sliding grooves  115  and the second longitudinal sliding grooves  117 , wherein the two first longitudinal sliding grooves  115  at the position corresponding to the bottom of the two grooves  111  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) each has a penetrating hole  116  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), and the pair of second longitudinal sliding grooves  117  respectively have another penetrating hole  118  corresponding to the position of the vertical space of a side wall of the groove hole  112  and another groove hole  113  (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ).  
         [0017]     In  FIG. 1 , a movable button  20  being substantially in the shape of a square comprises a flange  21  at its top; two corresponding sides at its bottom; a rod body  22  disposed at a distance extended to a distance downward; a pair of hooks  221  in opposite direction to each other respectively disposed at the bottom of the two rod bodies  22 , so that the movable button  20  can be accommodated in the accommodating groove  11  of the first plate body  10  and the flange  21  at the upper section can protrude outside (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) such that the two rod bodies  22  can be accommodated exactly into the two grooves  111 .  
         [0018]     In  FIG. 1 , a L-shaped sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13  are respectively disposed in the space of the groove hole  112  and another groove hole  113 , and these sliding members  12 ,  13  respectively comprise a hole  121 ,  131  at their horizontal main body, such that these holes  121 ,  131  can be sleeved onto a protruded pillar  114  of the groove hole  112  and another groove hole  113  and slid horizontally (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). A first embedding member  122 ,  132  respectively disposed on the main body of the sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13  has a first embedding member  122 ,  132 , and the first embedding members can be exposed in the penetrating holes  116  of the two first longitudinal sliding grooves  115  (as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) and at the position proximate the first embedding member  122 ,  132 . An embedding section  123 ,  133  mutually engaged to a hook  221  of the rod body  22 .  
         [0019]     Further, a first second embedding member  124 ,  134  is disposed respectively on a sidewall of the vertical main body of a sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13 . The second embedding member  124 ,  134  can be exposed in another penetrating hole  118  of the second longitudinal sliding groove  117  (as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ), and another sidewall of the vertical main body of a sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13  respectively props up against the inner wall of the groove hole  112  and another groove hole  113  by a first spring  125 ,  135  (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ), such that after the sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13  are slid horizontally, they can resume their original positions quickly. Furthermore, a bottom surface of the first board  10  proximate the middle has another accommodating groove  14 , and a damper  141  and a second spring  142  (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ) are disposed in another accommodating groove  14 . In the meantime, the size of the two boards  30  substantially allows the cover to be mounted onto a surface of the first board  10 .  
         [0020]     In  FIG. 1 , a latch hook  41  is disposed respectively on both sides of a top surface of the stand  40 , which can be slid in the two longitudinal sliding grooves  117  of another surface of the first board  10  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). Further, a pair first corresponding longitudinal ribs  42  and a pair of second longitudinal ribs  43  are respectively disposed on the surface of the stand  40 ; a predetermined gap is kept between the adjacent first pair of longitudinal ribs  42  and the adjacent second pair of longitudinal ribs  43 ; a pivotal connecting section  421  is disposed in the middle between two adjacent first longitudinal ribs  42 , and an embedded groove  431  is disposed in the middle between two adjacent second longitudinal ribs  43 .  
         [0021]     The present invention further comprises a support rod  50  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), having one end coupled to the pivotal connecting section  421  of the stand  40  and the other end coupled to a damper  141  in an accommodating groove  14  of the first board  10 , and pressed by the second spring  142  (as shown in  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4 ).  
         [0022]     From the foregoing structure, it is clear that when the stand  40  flatly attaches onto another surface of the first board  10  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ), the support rod  50  is folded between the two first longitudinal ribs  42  of the stand  40  and another surface of the first board  10 . The first embedded member  122 ,  132  of the sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13  respectively passes through the penetrating hole  116  of the two first longitudinal sliding groove  115  in order to be embedded into the two embedded grooves  431  of the stand  40 .  
         [0023]     Please refer to  FIG. 5 . The foregoing modular stand can be applied to a back panel  61  of a notebook computer  60 . When a flange  21  of the movable button  20  is pulled out by a hand, the flange  21  will be embedded into a hook  221  of the embedding section  123 ,  133  of the sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13 , and in turn will drive and press against the sliding member  12  and another member  13  to slide sideway (as shown in  FIG. 3 ), so that the first embedded member  122 ,  132  will separate from the two embedded grooves  431 . At that time, the second spring  142  will in turn prop another end of the support rod  50  out (as shown in  FIG. 4 ), so that the stand  40  produces a pushing force to push the two hooks  41  along the two longitudinal sliding grooves  117  and slide down to the second embedded member  124 ,  134 . By means of the damper  141 , it can prevent the speed of sliding down from going too fast or produce noises. When the pull-down force is eliminated, the sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13  will be pressed by the first spring  125 ,  135  to resume its original position quickly. In the meantime, the second embedded members  124 ,  134  will fix the two hooks  41  of the stand  40  into a position.  
         [0024]     When a user wants to store the stand  40 , the user can pull the flange  21  of the movable button  20  outward by a hand, while pushing the notebook  60  backward to separate the connection of two hooks  41  of the stand  40  from the two embedded members  124 ,  134 , such that the two hooks  41  will then slide to the top along the second longitudinal sliding groove  117 , while pressing a second spring  142  at another end of the support rod  50  to retreat to the original position, and return to the original position of flatly attaching onto another surface of the first board  10 , and embedding the sliding member  12  and another sliding member  13  of the first embedded member  122 ,  132  into the two embedded grooves  431  of the stand  40 .  
         [0025]     Further, refer to  FIGS. 1, 4 , and  5 . In order to store the stand  40  into a fixed position, and securely embed the first embedding member  122 ,  132  into the two embedding grooves  431  of the stand  40 , a contractible pad  119  is disposed on each of the both sides of another top of the first board  10 . The two contractible pads  119  respectively have a third spring  120  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), so that when the stand  40  is stored and the notebook computer  60  is pushed back and laid on the desktop, the stand  40  is secured by the elastic compression of the third spring  120  in the contractible pads  119 , and pressing on the desktop by a protruded pad  44  disposed on another surface of the stand  40  (as shown in  FIGS. 2, 4 , and  5 ).  
         [0026]     Further, the movable button  20  may have a rectangular hole  23  on its square structure and a concave hole  110  at he accommodating groove  11  of the first board  10 , and a fourth spring  24  is disposed between the rectangular hole  23  and the concave hole  110 , such that the fourth spring  24  can strengthen the automatic recovery movement of the movable button  20 .  
         [0027]     Furthermore, the modular stand of the present invention is made of aluminum alloy, and thus having the advantages of small volume, sufficient strength, and high reliability and enabling portable electronic device to have better displaying angle and operating angle. Unquestionably, this invention is a big contribution to the consumers.  
         [0028]     While the present invention has been described by the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.