Abstract:
A foldable keyboard includes a first input module, a second input module, a folding support member, a magnetic element and a ferromagnetic element. The magnetic element and the ferromagnetic element put on the second input module and the folding support member separately that the folding support member can close with the second input module. Using magnetic element avoid wearing away by traditional fastener and reducing the complexity of production.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INSTANT DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Instant Disclosure 
     The instant disclosure relates to a foldable keyboard; in particular, to a foldable keyboard comprising a folding support member having magnetic latch that can be used to retain the foldable keyboard in a folded position. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     As potable electronic devices, with touch panel, such as tablet computer and smartphone, becoming increasingly popular, user have become accustomed to providing input through typing on the touch screen, because most of compact electronic devices are not equipped with physical keyboards. However, while being intuitive and convenient for casual usage, the touching input method can only support limited typing speed. When a user needs to provide input of great volume, on screen input method through touch panes becomes impractical to. Thus, the compact foldable keyboards are provided to address this problem. 
     Taiwan Patent NO. 1270807 disclosures a foldable keyboard that comprises two key portions: an upper cover and a lower cover. The upper cover and lower cover are configured to snap onto each other through a mechanical latch to provide a placing space, and the two key portions, while in the folded state, can place in the placing space. Moreover, the upper cover is configured to support an electronic device. However, the mechanical latch, which is made by plastic material, wears out relatively easily, thus reduce the durability of the product. 
     Taiwan Patent NO. M419143 discloses a foldable keyboard comprising a left keyboard module and a right keyboard module assembled together through a connection module including a shaft, a subsidiary board, a pin axis and a plug. The right keyboard module and left keyboard module can rotate freely around the axis defined by the connection module. Thereby, the keyboard can be folded. However, the connection is complicated with a amount of components, which translates to higher production cost and manufacture complexity. 
     To address the above issues, the inventions strive via industrial experience and academic research to present the instant disclosure, which can effectively improve the limitations described above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INSTANT DISCLOSURE 
     The object of the instant disclosure is to provide a foldable keyboard which has a slidable and rotatably folding support member to be put electronic device. The folding support member is sucked with the keyboard by magnetism to fix keyboard after folding. The traditional fastener on the folding support member is smaller, so the time of manufacture is longer to get higher accuracy. The way of fixing can save time to abject pattern and avoid the fracture on the traditional fastener. On the other hand, it don&#39;t need change the appearance for fixing. 
     In order to achieve the aforementioned object, according to an embodiment of instant disclosure, the foldable keyboard includes a first input module, a second input module, a folding support member, a magnetic element and a ferromagnetic element. The magnetic element is arranged on the second input module, and the ferromagnetic element is arranged on the first input module. The second input module and the folding support member are respectively pivotally connected to two adjacent sides of the first input module, thereby establishing pivotal connection between the first and the second input modules in a side by side configuration. 
     The magnetic element on the second input module and the ferromagnetic element on the folding support member are arranged in such a way that, when the second input module is folded toward the first input module and the folding support member is folded toward the second input module, the magnetic element and the ferromagnetic element magnetically latched onto each other. Thereby, the folding support member serves as a latch that can retain the foldable keyboard in a folded configuration. 
     According to another embodiment, the instant disclosure further provides a hinge module comprising a C-clip, and the first input module and the second input module are connected through the hinge module. 
     The instant disclosure provides a foldable keyboard having simplified structure and lower production cost through the use of magnetic/ferromagnetic elements as latching mechanism, which may avoid mechanical wearing of the traditional fastener, thus prolonging the operational life-time of the product. 
     In order to further the understanding regarding the present invention, the following embodiments are provided along with illustrations to facilitate the disclosure of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a three-dimensional assembled view of the foldable keyboard of the instant disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  show a three-dimensional exploded view of the hinge module of the foldable keyboard of the instant disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  show a three-dimensional exploded view of the foldable keyboard of the instant disclosure in folding state; 
         FIG. 4  shows a three-dimensional exploded view of the foldable keyboard of the instant disclosure in storage state; 
         FIG. 5  shows three-dimensional assembled view of the folding support member the foldable keyboard of the instant disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  shows a three-dimensional assembled view of the foldable keyboard of the instant disclosure in using state; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The instant closure provides a foldable keyboard  100  for use with an electronic device without a physical keyboard, such as tablet computer and smartphone. Please refer to  FIG. 1 , the foldable keyboard  100  comprises a first input module  10 , a second input module  20 , and a folding support member  30 . The first input module  10  and the second input module  20  are arranged side by side and pivotally connected. The folding support member  30  is connected with the side of the first input module which next to the inside. 
       FIG. 2  shows a partial enlargement of the pivotal connection between the first input module  10  and the second input module  20 . Please refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the first input module  10  have a top surface  11 , a bottom surface  12  opposing the top surface  11 , a hinging side  13 , a connecting side  14  adjacent to the hinging side  13 , and a shaft seat  15  on the hinging side  13 . The top surface  11  of the input module  12  has a first key portion  111 , and the connecting side  14  could have a slide rail. 
     The second input module  20  has a top surface  21 , a bottom surface  22  opposing the top surface  21 , a hinging side  23 , and a hinging seat  24  on the hinging side  23 . The top surface  21  of the second input module  20  has a second key portion  211 . The first key portion  111  and the second key portion  211  respectively house a plurality of keys. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the first input module  10  and the second input module  20  are pivotally connected to each other through a hinge module  60 . In this exemplary embodiment, the hinge module  60  has a shaft  61  and a C-clip  62 . The shaft  61  pierces through the shaft seat  15  and the hinging seat  24 . The shaft  61  has a flute  611  between the shaft seat  15  and the hinging seat  24 , and the C-clip  62  clamps on the flute  611  tightly, preventing the shaft  31  from separating with the shaft seat  15  and the hinging seat  24  when the foldable keyboard  100  is moved or shaken. That means the shaft  61  may be separated from the shaft seat  15  and the hinging seat  24  through the removal of the C-clip  62 . The first input module  10  and the second input module  20  could rotate from a flat configuration to a folded configuration. 
     Because of the hinge module  60 , the foldable keyboard can be taken apart or re-assembled easily, the first input module  10  and the second input module  20  can be hinged steadily to reduce the chance of separation while in use. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3  which shows that the second inputting  20  turn and cover with the first input module  10 , the bottom surface  22  of the second input module  20  has a projection  221  which forms a drop space to provide that the folding support member  30  cover with the second input module  20 . When the foldable keyboard  100  is flat, the projection  221  and the bottom surface  12  of the first input module  10  are coplanar. The projection  221  could have a non-slip gasket  70 , at least one, to raise the friction between the foldable keyboard  100  and the table. Thereby, that avoids slipping for typing force, when the user is typing. The bottom surface  12  of the first input module  10  could have a non-slip gasket  70  too (not in Figs.). 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the first input module  10  and the second input module  20  are folding, and the folding support member  30  has an angle with the first input module  10  and the second input module  20 . The folding state means that the first input module  10  and the second input module  20  are covered each other, and the first key portion  111  and the second portion  211  are face to face. The user can put the electronic device on the folding support member  30 , so the electronic device has an angle with the first input module  10  to make the user convenient to watch. With reference to  FIG. 1 , in this exemplary embodiment, the first input module  10  has a groove  110 , and the second input module  20  has a tenon  210 . The groove  110  and the tenon  210  help the second input module  20  to fix on the first input module  10 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , the storage state means that the first input module  10  and the second input module  20  are in the folding state and the folding support member  30  is covered with the second input module  20 . The storage state provides a smaller keyboard which is easy to take. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3-4 , the second input module  20  has a magnetic element  40  inside, and the folding support member  30  has an ferromagnetic element  50  inside or outside. The magnetic element  40  could be the two circular, rectangular or square magnetisms. The form and amount of the magnetic element  40  are not limited. To avoid interfering with the magnetic field when the electronic device is put on the folding support member  40 , the ferromagnetic element  50  could be a tagger. The form of the ferromagnetic element  50  could be rectangular or circular, not limited. 
     When the foldable keyboard  100  is on the storage state, the magnetic element  40  relates with the ferromagnetic element  50 , the folding support member  30  can be sucked with the second inputting  20  by magnetism. In this exemplary embodiment, fixing the folding support member  30  through the magnetic element  40  can simplify the structure. Thereby, the foldable keyboard  100  avoids wearing from traditional fastener, adjusting pattern long time, breaking easily and influencing appearance. 
     Please refer to FIGS.  1 , 3  and  5 . The folding support member  30  have a supporting board  31 , a slider  32 , a supporting frame  33  and a under board  34 . The slider  32  is connected with the connecting side  14  of the first input module  10  slidably. The supporting board  31  hinges with the two relative side of the slider  32 . Thereby, the folding support member  31  can be slid along with the connecting side  14  of the first input module  10  and rotated to have an angle between the first input module  10  and the supporting board  31 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the supporting frame  33  is hinged with the supporting board  31 , and the place of hinging set on a face which doesn&#39;t front the top surface  21  of the second input module  20  in the storage state. The supporting frame  33  is formed with curve to like a piano wire. The top side of supporting frame  33  is hinged with the supporting board  31 , and the bottom side of supporting frame  33  could touch and connect with the under board  34 . Thereby, the supporting board  31  has a settling angle with the first input module. 
     The under board  34  is hinged with the side of supporting board  31  closed to the first connecting side  14 . The under board  34  has several bumps  341 . These bumps  341  are set abreast and parallelized to provide a gap, and the supporting frame  33  can be set in the gap. The amount of these bumps  341  decides how many settling angle the supporting board  31  have. When the user put the electronic device on the supporting board  31 , the user can adjust the supporting frame  33  to set between these different bumps  341 , and thereby have a different angle between the supporting board  31  and the under board  34 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , the folding support member  30  has a hollow space related to the shape and the height of the under board  34 . The hollow space is a placing space  311 . The placing space  311  have a piano wire notch related to the supporting frame  33 , and the supporting frame  33  can be put in the notch. In the storage state, the under board  34  is put in the placing space  311 , the supporting frame is set between the under board  34  and the supporting board  31 . 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the foldable keyboard  100  is using. With reference to  FIG. 1  first, the first input module  10  and the second input module  20  are in a flatting state, the flatting state means that the first input module  10  and the second input module  20  are coplanar. When the foldable keyboard  100  is in the flatting state, the user can put the electronic device in the folding support member  30 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In using the foldable keyboard  100 , the folding support member  30  is provided an adjustable angle between the electronic device and the first input module  10  to adjust the angle of view of the electronic device. With reference to  FIG. 6 , the place of the electronic device on the foldable keyboard could be adjusted. The folding support member  30  are slid from the first input module  10  to the second input module  20  through the slider  32 , that means the user could move the electronic device to the middle of the side of the foldable keyboard  100  extended from the connecting side  14 . Thereby, the user&#39;s ray can be in front without strabismus and turning, when the user types message to the electronic device in using the foldable keyboard  100 . 
     Based on the above, the instant disclosure has at least the following advantages: 
     1. In this instant disclosure, a magnetic element and a ferromagnetic element substitute for traditional fastener, that simplify the structure to reduce the effect of appearance and cost, and increase the time of product&#39;s life. 
     2. In this instant disclosure, the foldable keyboard is easy to take apart and difficult to separate in fixing through the hinge module having C-clip. 
     3. In this instant disclosure, the supporting board has several settling angles to be chosen by user. 
     The descriptions illustrated supra set forth simply the preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure; however, the characteristics of the instant disclosure are by no means restricted thereto. All changes, alternations, or modifications conveniently considered by those skilled in the art are deemed to be encompassed within the scope of the instant disclosure delineated by the following claims.