Abstract:
A sliding mechanism and a portable electronic device using the same are disclosed. The sliding mechanism includes a base plate, a siding plate, a connecting plate and a support plate. The sliding plate is slidably assembled with the base plate and located upon the base plate. The connecting plate is hinged to the sliding plate and configured to be located above the corresponding sliding plate when in a closed configuration or be rotated to form an angle with the sliding plate. The support plate with two ends thereof rotatably couple with the connecting plate and the base plate. The support plate is configured to be operatably laid on the base plate in a closed configuration or form an angle with the base plate to support the corresponding connecting plate.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This disclosure generally relates to sliding mechanisms, particularly to a sliding mechanism and a portable electronic device using the same. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Conventional portable electronic devices can be classified into three different categories, bar-type devices, rotating-type devices, and sliding-type devices. 
     All three types of these electronic devices have the same following problems. When a user wants to watch a display of the electronic device that is resting on a table, it is required to use external support to hold the electronic device in a tilted position to give the display a better viewing angle. Alternatively, the user may hold the electronic device with his hands to get the proper viewing angle. However, this may become uncomfortable after a long time of viewing. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments of a sliding mechanism and a portable electronic device using the sliding mechanism can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the sliding mechanism and the portable 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  shows an exploded view of a portable electronic device using a sliding mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  shows a partially assembled view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows an assembled perspective view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 , in a closed configuration. 
         FIG. 4  shows an assembled perspective view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 3 , in an open configuration. 
         FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but viewed from another aspect. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4  show an exemplary embodiment of a portable electronic device  200  including a base body  210 , a cover body  230 , and a sliding mechanism  100  slidably coupling the base body  210  to the cover body  230 . The base body  210  includes a housing  211  and a key board  213  mounted on the housing  211 . The key board  213  includes a plurality of keys  215  disposed thereon. The cover body  230  includes a display  231 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , in the closed configuration, the cover body  230  lies upon the base body  210 , and both the base body  210  and the cover body  230  are coplanar and adjacent to each other. As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , in the opened configuration, the cover body  230  is slid relative to the base body  210  along the ‘A’ direction shown in  FIG. 3  to expose the keys  215  of the key board  213 . The cover body  230  is laterally offset from the base body  210  and forms an obtuse angle relative to the base body  210  for providing a user with a comfortable viewing angle. 
     Also referring to  FIG. 2 , the sliding mechanism  100  includes a base plate  10 , an elastic assembly  20 , a sliding plate  30 , a connecting plate  40 , a support plate  50 , and three connecting pins  60 . The sliding plate  30  is slidably assembled to the base plate  10  and is located upon the base plate  10 . The connecting plate  40  is hinged to the sliding plate  30  around one connecting pin  60  and is positioned above the corresponding sliding plate  30  when in the closed configuration. The support plate  50  is coupled with the connecting plate  40  and the base plate  10 , and overlaps upon the base plate  10  when in the closed configuration. The two ends of the support plate  50  are rotatably hinged to the connecting plate  40  and the base plate  10  around the two connecting pins  60 . 
     The base plate  10  includes two guiding rails  11  at two opposite ends. The two guiding rails  11  longitudinally extend from opposite ends of the base plate  10 , substantially perpendicular to the base plate  10  and deformed to the base plate  10 . Two first pin barrels  13  are spaced at one side of the middle portion of the base plate  10 , thereby forming a first coupling gap  15  between the two first pin barrels  13 . The two first pin barrels  13  rotatably connect the base plate  10  with the support plate  50  around the connecting pin  60  shown in  FIG. 4 . The base plate  10  defines a through assembling hole  17 . 
     The elastic assembly  20  may include two arcuate band springs  21  with different radius of curvature and two connecting posts  25 . Each end of each band spring  21  is curved to form a ring shaped connecting end  23 . The two arcuate band springs  21  are assembled as a whole by the two connecting posts  25  to form the substantially closed arcuate elastic assembly  20 . One end of the elastic assembly  20  is coupled to the base plate  10  with one corresponding connecting post  25  inserting and being fixed to the assembling hole  17  of the base plate  10 . The opposite end of the elastic assembly  20  is secured to the sliding plate  30 . 
     The sliding plate  30  is substantially U-shaped and includes a hinged portion  31  and two sliding portions  33  substantially perpendicularly extending from opposite ends of the hinged portion  31 . The hinged portion  31  includes spaced second pin barrels  311  away from the two sliding portions  33 , thereby forming hinged gaps  312  therebetween. The hinged portion  31  is rotatably connected with the connecting plate  40  around the connecting pin  60 . A resisting block  313  protrudes from the substantially middle portion of the opposite side of the hinged portion  31  toward the two sliding portions  33  for resisting against the connecting plate  40 . A mounting hole  315  is defined through the hinged portion  31  adjacent to the resisting block  313  and assembled with the corresponding other end of the elastic assembly  20 . The elastic assembly  20  is elastically held between the base plate  10  and the sliding plate  30  when the sliding mechanism  100  in the closed configuration shown in  FIG. 2 . Two opposite sliding slots  331  are respectively defined in the two sliding portions  33  corresponding to the two guiding rails  11  of the base plate  10 , such that, the base plate  10  can be slidably assembled with the sliding plate  30 . 
     The connecting plate  40  is substantially U-shaped and includes a coupling portion  41  and fixing portions  43  extending substantially perpendicularly from each end of the coupling portion  41 . The coupling portion  41  includes spaced third pin barrels  411  on one side, and away from the two fixing portions  43  corresponding to the hinged gaps  312 . The coupling portion  41  is hinged to the hinged portion  31  with the third pin barrels  411  engaging with the corresponding hinged gaps  312  about the connecting pin  60 . Two hinged barrels  413  are spaced on the other side of the coupling portion  41  opposite to the hinged barrels  41  and toward the two fixing portions  43 . The two hinged barrels  413  are located between the two fixing portions  43 , thereby forming a second coupling gap  415  therebetween. 
     The support plate  50  couples with the base plate  10  and the connecting plate  40 . Two ends of the support plate  50  form coupling barrels  51  corresponding to the first coupling gap  15  of the base plate  10  and the second coupling gap  415  of the connecting plate  40 . The two ends of the support plate  50  are rotatably connected respectively with the two hinged barrels  413  of the connecting plate  40  and two first pin barrels  13  of the base plate  10  around two connecting pins  60 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , when assembling the sliding mechanism  100 , the two ends of the elastic assembly  20  are respectively fixed to the assembling hole  17  of the base plate  10  and the mounting hole  315  of the sliding plate  30  by the two connecting posts  25 . The two guiding rails  11  of the base plate  10  slidably engage respectively within the corresponding two sliding slots  331  of the sliding plate  30 . The third pin barrels  411  of the coupling portion  41  of the connecting plate  40  engage and align with the corresponding second pin barrels  311  of the hinged portion  31  of the sliding plate  30 . One pin  60  passes through the corresponding second pin barrels  311  and the third pin barrels  411  to rotatably hinge the connecting plate  40  to the sliding plate  30 . One end of the support plate  50  engages within the second coupling gap  415  of the connecting plate  40  and aligns with the two hinged barrels  413 , one connecting pin  60  passes through the two hinged barrels  413  and the coupling barrel  51  of the support plate  50  to rotatably hinge the support plate  50  to the connecting plate  40 . The other end of the support plate  50  engages within the second coupling gap  415  of the connecting plate  40  and aligns with the two first pin barrels  13 . One connecting pin  60  passes through the two first pin barrels  413  and the other coupling barrel  51  of the support plate  50  to rotatably hinge the support plate  50  to the base plate  10 , and then the sliding mechanism  100  is assembled. When assembling the portable electronic device  200 , the base body  210  is fixed to the base plate  10  of the sliding mechanism  100 , the cover body  230  is fixed to the fixing portions  43  of the connecting plate  40 . 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , in use, the cover body  230  is slid relative to the base body  210  along the arrow A from the closed configuration shown in  FIG. 3  to an opened configuration shown in  FIG. 4 , to expose the keys  215  of the base body  210 . During this process, the cover body  230  and the connecting plate  40  slide substantially parallel to the base body  210 , and the connecting plate  40  overlaps with the sliding plate  30  sliding relative to the base plate  10  to compress the elastic assembly  20 . When the keys  215  of the base body  210  are completely exposed, the cover body  230  and the connecting plate  40  are lifted upward away from the base body  210 , urging the connecting plate  40  to rotate relative to the support plate  50  and the sliding plate  30 . The cover body  230  forms an obtuse angle relative to the base body  210 . The user can conveniently operate the keys  215  with a comfortable viewing angle of the display  231 . When closing the cover body  230 , the cover body  230  is operated in reverse to the previously mentioned operating steps, as the cover body  230  is closed completely and positioned upon the base body  210 , the resisting block  313  resists against the connecting plate  40  to prevent the cover body  230  from automatically sliding relative to the base body  210 . 
     It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary 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 exemplary invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.