Electronic device and positioning structure thereof

An electronic device includes a base, an intermediate member and a lens. The base includes a guiding portion, and a first, second and third connecting portions. The intermediate member includes a first, second and third engaging portions connected to the first, second and third connecting portions, respectively. The lens is disposed at a predetermined position via the intermediate member. When the first engaging portion situated in a first position is connected to the first connecting portion, the intermediate member has at least two degrees of freedom. When the intermediate member is positioned at a second position from the first position by the guide of the guiding portion, the second and third engaging portions are connected to the second and third connecting portions, wherein the intermediate member has zero degree of freedom, and the lens is disposed at the predetermined position via the intermediate member.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 097208736, filed on May 20, 2008, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a positioning structure, and in particular relates to an electronic device and a positioning structure thereof capable of positioning and engaging via rotation.

2. Description of the Related Art

With respect to an electronic device (e.g. a laptop) provided with a lens, a circuit board for the lens is provided with several electronic components thereon. When the lens and the circuit board thereof are positioned on the electronic device, the electronic components of the circuit board of the lens are generally interfered with by the structure of the electronic device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the inconvenience mentioned above, a positioning structure is provided to avoid interference during the installation of the lens. The positioning structure comprises a first body and a second body. The first body comprises a guiding portion, a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion. The second body movably switched from a first position to a second position with respect to the first body comprises a first engaging portion, a second engaging portion and a third engaging portion. The first engaging portion, the second engaging portion and the third engaging portion of the second body are engaged to the first connecting portion, the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion of the first body, respectively. When the first engaging portion of the second body located at the first position is engaged to the first connecting portion of the first body, the second body is provided with at least two degrees of freedom with respect to the first body. When the first engaging portion of the second body, movably switched from the first position toward the second position and guided by the guiding portion of the first body, is positioned at the second position, the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion of the first body are positioned at the second engaging portion and the third engaging portion of the second body, respectively, and the second body is provided with zero degree of freedom with respect to the first body.

Further, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device comprises a substrate, an intermediate member and a lens. The substrate comprises a guiding portion, a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion and a third connecting portion. The intermediate member movably switched from a first position to a second position with respect to the substrate comprises a first engaging portion, a second engaging portion and a third engaging portion. The first engaging portion, the second engaging portion and the third engaging portion of the intermediate member are engaged to the first connecting portion, the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion of the substrate, respectively. The lens is disposed at a predetermined position via the intermediate member with respect to the substrate. When the first engaging portion of the intermediate member located at the first position is engaged to the first connecting portion of the substrate, the intermediate member is provided with at least two degrees of freedom with respect to the substrate. When the first engaging portion of the intermediate member, movably switched from the first position toward the second position and guided by the guiding portion of the substrate, is positioned at the second position, the second connecting portion and the third connecting portion of the substrate are positioned at the second engaging portion and the third engaging portion of the intermediate member, respectively. The intermediate member is provided with zero degree of freedom with respect to the substrate, and the lens is disposed at the predetermined position via the intermediate member.

Thus, the lens is prevented from interfering with other structures and electronic components located on the substrate by the positioning structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1A and 1Bare assembled and exploded views of an electronic device E of the embodiment.

The electronic device E comprises a positioning structure K, a cover3having a side surface, and a lens4positioned by the positioning structure K to be outwardly exposed at the side surface of the cover3. The positioning structure K comprises a first body1and a second body2. In this embodiment, the electronic device E is a display, the first body1is a base of the electronic device E, the second body2is an intermediate member, and the lens4is disposed between the first body1and the cover3, thus, exposing the lens4through the cover3by the intermediate member. To briefly describe the relationship of the components of the electronic device E, hereinafter, the first body is defined by the substrate1and the second body is defined by the intermediate member2.

FIG. 2Ais an enlarged view of a region R inFIG. 1B, wherein the intermediate member2carrying the lens4is separated from the substrate1. The substrate1comprises a base surface100f, a guiding portion10, a first connecting portion11, a second connecting portion12, a third connecting portion13, a fourth connecting portion14and a fifth connecting portion15, and the first, second, third, fourth and fifth connecting portions11,12,13,14and15are formed on the base surface100f. In this embodiment, the guiding portion10, and the first, second, third, fourth and fifth connecting portions11,12,13,14and15are protruded structures which are integrally formed on the base surface100fand characterized with different functions. For example, the guiding portion10inFIG. 2Bis formed into a triangular-like structure which includes a slanted surface100s1and a thrust surface100s2, the first connecting portion11inFIG. 2Cis formed into a cylindrical structure, the second connecting portion12inFIG. 2Cis formed into a similar L-shaped structure, the third connecting portion13inFIG. 2Dis formed into a similar L-shaped structure, the fourth connecting portion14inFIG. 2Dis formed into a cylindrical structure containing a slanted surface140s, and the fifth connecting portion15inFIG. 2Ais formed into a post structure containing a thrust surface150s. In this embodiment, the amount of the guiding portion10is two, but it is not limited thereto.

To clearly show the geometrical relationship of the guiding portion10, the first connecting portion11, the second connecting portion12, the third connecting portion13, the fourth connecting portion14and the fifth connecting portion15which are located on the base surface100f, a coordinate system X-Y-Z including three coordinate axes X/−X, Y/−Y and Z/−Z is provided to define the locations of the base surface100f, the guiding portion10, and the first, second, third, fourth and fifth connecting portions11,12,13,14and15. The base surface100fof the first body1is defined at a plane XY which is formed by the coordinate axes X/−X and Y/−Y and provided with four quadrants: a first quadrant I, a second quadrant II, a third quadrant III and a fourth quadrant IV. Hereinafter, the base surface100fis represented by the plane XY, the first connecting portion11is defined at an origin (0, 0) intersected by the coordinate axes X/−X and Y/−Y, two guiding portions10are respectively defined at two coordinate points (x10, y10) and (x10′, y10) of the first quadrant I, the second connecting portion12is defined at a coordinate point (x12, y12) of the third quadrant III, the third connecting portion13is defined at a coordinate point (x13, y13) of the fourth quadrant IV, the fourth connecting portion14is defined at a coordinate point (x14, y14) of the fourth quadrant IV, and the fifth connecting portion15is defined at a coordinate point (x15, y15) of the fourth quadrant IV. In this embodiment, the coordinate system X-Y-Z is a rectangular coordinate system, wherein the coordinate axes X/−X and Y/−Y are perpendicular to each other.

Hereinafter the positions of the guiding portion10, the second connecting portion12, the third connecting portion13, the fourth connecting portion14and the fifth connecting portion15are described relative to the first connecting portion11.

Referring toFIGS. 2A and 2Bsimultaneously,FIG. 2Bis an enlarged view of a region r1which contains the guiding portion10located at the coordinate point (x10, y10) inFIG. 2A. Two guiding portions10having the same structure are spaced from each other and located in the first quadrant I, and the arranged direction of the guiding portions10is parallel to the coordinate axis Y/−Y, i.e., one of the guiding portions10has the same distance as the other with respect to the coordinate axis Y/−Y. An angle θ1is formed between the slanted surface100s1of the guiding portion10and the plane XY, and another angle θ2is formed between the thrust surface100s2of the guiding portion10and the plane XY. In this embodiment, the angle θ1is an obtuse angel (greater than 90 degrees), and the angle θ2is a right angel (equal to 90 degrees).

Referring toFIGS. 2A and 2Csimultaneously,FIG. 2Cis an enlarged view of a region r2which contains the second connecting portion12located at the coordinate point (x12, y12) inFIG. 2A. The second connecting portion12located in the third quadrant III comprises a recess120rwhich is constructed by an inner top surface1200and two inner sidewall surfaces1201/1202perpendicular to the inner top surface1200, wherein the inner top surface1200is parallel to the plane XY, and the inner sidewall surfaces1201/1202are substantially perpendicular to each other and respectively parallel to the coordinate axes X/−X and Y/−Y.

Referring toFIGS. 2A and 2Dsimultaneously,FIG. 2Dis an enlarged view of a region r3which contains the third connecting portion13and the fourth connecting portion14located at the coordinate points (x13, y13) and (x14, y14) inFIG. 2A, respectively. The third connecting portion13located in the fourth quadrant IV comprises a recess130rwhich is formed by an inner top surface1300and an inner sidewall surface1301perpendicular to the inner top surface1300, wherein the inner top surface1300is parallel to the plane XY. The fourth connecting portion14is located in the fourth quadrant IV. An angle α is formed between the slanted surface140sof the fourth connecting portion14and the plane XY. The inclining direction of the slanted surface140sof the fourth connecting portion14is the same to that of the slanted surface100s1of the guiding portion10.

As shown inFIG. 2A, the intermediate member2comprises a top surface2001, a bottom surface2002, a front end portion2011, a rear end portion2012, two side end portions2013/2014, a first engaging portion21, a second engaging portion22, a third engaging portion23and a fourth engaging portion24. The first engaging portion21and the fourth engaging portion24are hole structures (e.g. through holes) penetrating through the top surface2001and the bottom surface2002. The second engaging portion22is a cornered structure formed at an intersection of the front end portion2011and the side end portion2014. The third engaging portion23is a rectangular part formed at front end portion2011and the side end portion2013(i.e. on the top surface2001closing to the side end portion2013). The first engaging portion21, the second engaging portion22and the third engaging portion23of the intermediate member2are engaged to the first connecting portion11, the second connecting portion12and the third connecting portion13of the substrate1, respectively. In this embodiment, the intermediate member2is a printed circuit board (PCB), and the lens4is disposed on the top surface2001of the intermediate member2.

Referring to FIGS.3A and2A-2D simultaneously, when the first engaging portion21of the intermediate member2is pivoted to the first connecting portion11of the substrate1in the direction of the coordinate axis Z, the intermediate member2can be movably switched from a first position i1to a second position i2(shown inFIG. 3C) with respect to the substrate1. Because the first engaging portion21of the intermediate member2can freely move along the first connecting portion11of the substrate1in the direction of the coordinate axis Z, the intermediate member2is provided with two degrees of freedom with respect to the substrate1, i.e., one rotation (about the coordinate axis Z) and one transverse (along the axial direction of the coordinate axis Z). Note that an angle 90 degrees is substantially formed between the first position i1and the second position i2.

Referring to FIGS.3B and2A-2D simultaneously, when the intermediate member2is switched from the first position i1toward the second position i2, the front end portion2011of the intermediate member2is contacted by the guiding portions10, the intermediate member2is then uplifted by the guidance of the slanted surfaces100s1of the guiding portions10, and the bottom surface2002of the intermediate member2simultaneously slides on the guiding portions10.

Referring to FIGS.3C and2A-2D simultaneously, when the bottom surface2002of the intermediate member2fully passes by the slanted surface100s1of the guiding portions10, the rear end portion2012of the intermediate member2slides on the thrust surface100s2of the guiding portions10by the guidance of the thrust surface100s2of the guiding portions10. The fourth engaging portion24of the intermediate member2is positioned at the fourth connecting portion14and the side end portion2014of the intermediate member2is pressed against the inner sidewall surface1201of the second connecting portion12simultaneously. The front end portion2011of the intermediate member2is simultaneously pressed against the inner sidewall surface1202of the second connecting portion12, the thrust surface150sof the fifth connecting portion15and the inner sidewall surface1301of the third connecting portion13. The inner top surface1200of the second connecting portion12is contact with the top surface2001of the intermediate member2, and the inner top surface1300of the third connecting portion13is contact with the outer surface of the third engaging portion23, so that the intermediate member2is positioned at the second position i2. The intermediate member2positioned at the second position i2is provided with zero degree of freedom, i.e., without rotation or transverse with respect to the substrate1. The lens4is disposed at the predetermined position p1via the intermediate member2positioned at the second position i2, and the lens4disposed at the predetermined position p1is fixed without sliding.

By the positioning structure K of the embodiment, the lens4is not interfered with other structures and electronic components (not shown) located on the substrate1.