Abstract:
A modularized universal jacket for a personal digital assistant is described. The jacket includes a housing consisting of an upper shell and a lower shell for enclosing to define a first section, a second section and a third section, and three modules respectively mounted in the three sections and electrically connected to each other and an adapting board coupled on the housing. Furthermore, each of the modules can be replaced according to instructions, or predetermined or upgrade needs, and the modules can be a battery module, a wireless module and a main circuit board module, respectively.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a jacket for a personal digital assistant (PDA) and, more particularly, to a modularized universal jacket capable of matching various kinds of PDAs to facilitate use.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    A personal digital assistant (PDA) is a new kind of portable device. Its volume is much smaller than that of a notebook computer so that it can be placed on a palm and operated. Recently, the PDAs have been much valued, and more and more people start to use them.  
           [0005]    A PDA has many functions. For instance, it can store thousands of pieces of personal information including address book, schedules, agenda, memos, and so on. In addition to the above basic function, most PDAs can link with a computer by a jacket that offers functions, such as charging, external power supply, computer linking, wireless communication or data transmission between electronic cards.  
           [0006]    At present, the convention jacket designed and manufactured must match up the appearance and layout of the specific PDA, hence when a new kind of PDA is marketed, a new jacket also must be simultaneously available due to the short product life of the PDA. It costs high to redesign a new jacket and reorder a new mold for a newly developed PDA.  
           [0007]    Furthermore, the convention jacket fails to match all various kinds of PDAs to facilitate use due to the non-replaceable components (or modules). In light of the foregoing, there is a need to provide a modularized universal jacket modularizing commonly used components (or modules) of various kinds of jackets for achieving a function of the replaceable components (or modules).  
           [0008]    Additionally, the convention jackets in different factories still have different connectors and placements for the various kinds of PDAs. The present invention aims to resolve the above problems in the prior art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a modularized universal jacket for palm-sized computer devices.  
           [0010]    To achieve the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a modularized universal jacket for a personal digital assistant, which includes a housing consisting of an upper shell and a lower shell for enclosing to define a first section, a second section and a third section in an interior space thereof. A module set has three modules respectively mounted in the three sections and electrically connected to each other. An adapting board is coupled on the housing. Each of the modules is replaced according to instructions, or predetermined or upgrade needs. The modules are a battery module, a wireless module and a main circuit board module, respectively. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more clearly and readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is an exploded diagram illustrating the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram illustrating the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is an exploded diagram illustrating the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is an assembly diagram illustrating the essential part of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 4 according to this invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of FIG. 5;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a backside view of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 illustrates the installation of the battery module according to this invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7A is an enlarged view of FIG. 7; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is the present invention in connection with the PDA. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    Referring to FIGS.  1  to  4 , a modularized universal jacket for a personal digital assistant (PDA) in accordance with the present invention comprises adapting means including a cover body  1  and an adapting board  2 , a housing consisting of an upper shell  3  and a lower shell  7 , a module set including a battery module  4 , a wireless module  5  and a main circuit board module  6 .  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 1, the adapting board  2  is a circuit board of a plate body type. The adapting board  2  has a receptacle connector  21  and the other electronic components arranged on its top. The adapting board  2  provides an adapter connector  22 , a power socket  23 , a jack  24  and other electronic components at its bottom. The above electronic components respectively situated on the top and bottom of the adapting board  2  are electrically connected to a board body of the adapting board  2 .  
         [0024]    An aperture  36  is formed on the upper shell  3  of the housing. At the periphery of the bottom side of the upper shell  3  of the housing, a plurality of wedging slots  31  are distributed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5A. A fillister  35  used to accommodate a seesawing plate  33  is provided on the upper shell  3  of the housing. A supporting needle  34  is disposed at one end of the seesawing plate  33 . The seesawing plate  33  is placed in the fillister  35 . A cover plate  32  is placed on the seesawing plate  33 . As shown in FIG. 2, the supporting needle  34  at one end of the seesawing plate  33  protrudes from one hole of the cover plate  32 . The other end of the seesawing plate  33  protrudes from a side of the upper shell  3  of the housing.  
         [0025]    The battery module  4  can be any type of battery. The battery module  4  has four sides, two of which have symmetric sliding slots  41 . One of the other two sides of the battery module  4  has a recess  42 .  
         [0026]    The wireless module  5  can obey any protocol such as Bluetooth, IEEE802.11b, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, PHS, 3G or the like and the combination. The wireless module  5  comprises a protrusion  51  and a recess  52 .  
         [0027]    The main circuit board module  6  comprises an adapter connector  61 , which is connected to the corresponding adapter connector  22  of the adapting board  2 . The lower shell  7  of the housing has an opening  79 . At the inner periphery of the lower shell  7  has a wedging protrusion  76  corresponding to the wedging slot  31 . A first, second and third sections  71 ,  72  and  73  are provided on the lower shell  7 . The first section  71  communicates with the opening  79 . The first section  71  has symmetric guiding tracks  711  at its two sides for guiding the battery module  4  as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 5A. A movable wedge  77  is disposed at an inner periphery of the first section  71  corresponding to the recess  42  of the battery module  4 . The third section  73  is used to accommodate the above main circuit board module  6 . A slot  74  is provided in the back of the lower shell  7  corresponding to the third section  73 . A card connector  741  is provided in the slot  74 . In use, an electronic card  742  is inserted into the slot  74  and is electrically connected to the card connector  741 . The slot  74  is covered by a cover  75 . The second section  72  between the first and second sections is used to accommodate the above wireless module  5 . A recess  722  is disposed in the inner periphery of the second section  72  corresponding to the protrusion  51  of the wireless module  5 . A protrusion  721  is disposed in the inner periphery of the second section  72  corresponding to the recess  52  of the wireless module  5 .  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 7A, the above movable wedge  77  is connected to a switch  78  (best seen in FIG. 6) located on the back of the lower shell  7 . The switch  78  has a pair of claws  781  penetrating through the lower shell  7 . The pair of claws  781  further penetrates through the apertures  771  on the movable wedge  77 , whereby the switch  78  and the movable wedge  77  are shifted synchronously. The movable wedge  77  comprises a flexible arm  772  abutting against the inner periphery of the above lower shell  7 . The flexible arm  772  provides resilient force when the movable wedge  77  is shifted.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the main circuit board module  6  is mounted in the third section  73  of the lower shell  7  by means of a plurality of screws. The card connector  741  is located in the slot  74 . An electronic card is inserted in or pulled out from the card connector  741 . A cover  75  is provided to cover the slot  74 . The wireless module  5  is mounted in the second section  72  through the protrusion  51  buckled to the corresponding recess  722  and the corresponding protrusion  721  buckled to the recess  52 . As shown in FIG. 5, the battery module  4  is guided into the first section  71  of the lower shell  7  of the housing through the guiding tracks  711  and corresponding sliding slots  41  of the battery module  4 . As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 7A, when the battery module  4  is pushed into the end, the movable wedge  77  buckles to the recess  42  of the battery module  4 , thereby fixing the battery module  4  in the first section  71 . The battery module  4 , the wireless module  5  and the card connector  741  are electrically connected to the main circuit board module  6 .  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the upper shell  3  of the housing with the seesawing plate  33  thereon is joined together with the lower shell  7  through the wedging slots  31  distributed at the inner periphery of the upper shell  3  and the corresponding wedging protrusions  76  (as best seen in FIG. 5 and FIG. 5A). The upper shell  3  and the lower shell  7  join together to form an enclosing housing. The adapter connector  61  of the main circuit board module  6  is exposed by the aperture  36  of the upper shell  3 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, such that the adapter connector  22  of the adapting board  2  is able to electrically connect to the adapter connector  61  of the main circuit board module  6  when the adapting board  2  is installed on the upper shell  3 . The adapting board  2  and the cover body  1  are together mounted on the upper shell  3  by means of a plurality of screws, as shown in FIG. 4. The jacket shown in FIG. 4 is suitable for a PDA  8  as shown in FIG. 8. The PDA connector (not shown) is electrically connected to the receptacle connector  21  (shown in FIG. 4) to activate various functions of the jacket of this invention. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8, when the seesawing plate  33  is adjusted, the support needle  34  inserts into the corresponding reset hole (not shown) of the PDA  8  to reset the PDA  8 .  
         [0031]    In light of the foregoing jacket structure of the present invention, it is advantageous to use the present invention because the lower shell  7  has first, second and third sections  71 - 73 . Any type of communicating device can be installed in the second section  72  as the above wireless module  5 . The buckling mechanism, including the recesses and protrusions, makes it easy to change different wireless modules, without the need of changing designs.  
         [0032]    Any type of battery can be installed in the first section  71  since the battery module  4  has two symmetric sliding slots on two sides. Further, even for a large sized battery, since the first section  71  communicates with the opening  79  of the lower shell  7 , a portion of the large sized battery is exposed by the housing. Moreover, by moving the switch  78  on the back of the jacket, the movable wedge  77  is easily shifted and disengaged from a buckling status, thereby changing the battery module.  
         [0033]    Since the main circuit board module  6  is mounted in the third section  73  of the lower shell  7  through a plurality of screws, when an additional electronic device is needed or when an electronic device is to be deleted, the main circuit board module can be changed without changing the design of other parts. Since the upper shell  3  joins with the lower shell  7  by a buckling means (or some screws), the disassembly is convenient for changing the above wireless module  5  and the main circuit board module  6 .  
         [0034]    Since the adapter connector  22  of the adapting board  2  is electrically connected to the adapter connector  61 , the adapting board  2  can be directly changed even though there is a height difference between the left and right sides, as shown in FIG. 8. There is no need to change the design of other parts. In case different buttons are required to meet a customer&#39;s requirements or to fit a new model of PDA, only the adapting board  2  and corresponding cover body  1  are replaced. This solves the biggest problem of making the universal modularized jacket: different manufacturers and different models use different connectors and placements.  
         [0035]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, 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 invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.