Electronic device

An electronic device includes a first body, a second body, a baffle, and a drive mechanism. The second body includes an opening on a bottom surface thereof, and the baffle is disposed on the bottom surface to cover the opening. The baffle is pivotally connected to the second body to rotate with respect to the second body. The drive mechanism includes a pivot, a linkage and a cam. The pivot connects the first body and the second body. The linkage is sleeved over the pivot. The cam is sleeved over the linkage and located corresponding to the baffle. While the first body rotates with respect to the second body, the pivot rotates with the first body and drives the linkage to make the cam rotate. Meanwhile, the cam pushes the baffle and makes the baffle rotate and expose part of the opening to enhance cooling effect of the electronic device.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 101142687 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on 2012 Nov. 15, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

This disclosure relates to an electrical device, and more particularly to an electrical device which can move a baffle to expose an opening for enhancing cooling effect for the electronic device.

2. Related Art

Nowadays, the portable electronic products, such as laptop computers, tablet PCs, ultra mobile personal computers, etc, have gradually developed toward miniaturization. The compactness brings advantage of easy carrying and enhances the convenience of usage.

However, the compactness also brings some disadvantages. With limited available internal spaces, some portable electronic devices are not equipped with fans or other enhancing means for cooling inside. There are many electronic components, such as CPUs, graphics cards, etc., inside the devices. These electronic components generate lots of heat while operating. Take a notebook as an illustration, when the notebook works under high temperature environment with the bottom surface placed on the table, the heat the notebook will not be exhausted in time, and high internal temperature with damage the notebook. Therefore, cooling is an important issue to a compact electronic device.

To solve the cooling issue inside the portable electronic device, the current approach is to set up heat exhausting holes on the bottom surface of the portable electronic device, so as to exhaust heat generated by the electronic components through these heat exhausting holes. A gap between the bottom and the table is required for these heat exhausting holes, therefore pads have to be set up on the bottom of the electronic device to raise the electronic device to keep the aforementioned gap.

Considering the appearance of the electronic device, heat exhausting holes often set up on the bottom of the electronic device, or the number and area of the holes are limited. However, the current portable electronic devices have pretty high work performance, and generate a lot of heat. Relying only on heat exhausting holes to exhaust the heat is insufficient to drop the operating temperature of the electronic device, so this way can not fulfill the cooling needs of high performance laptops.

SUMMARY OF THIS DISCLOSURE

In view of the above problems, this disclosure provides an electronic device to solve the cooling issue of the current portable electronic devices.

The electronic device of this disclosure includes a motherboard disposed therein, wherein the motherboard is used to execute the default functions of the electronic device. The electronic device includes a first body, a second body, a baffle, and a drive mechanism. The second body is pivotally connected to the first body and has an opening on one side thereof. The baffle is disposed on the side surface with the opening of the second body. One side edge of the baffle is pivotally connected to the second body, and the baffle is able to rotate with respect to the second body. The drive mechanism includes a pivot, a linkage, and a cam. Two ends of the pivot are respectively connected the first body and the second body. The linkage is sleeved over the pivot. The cam is sleeved over the linkage and disposed at a position corresponding to that of the baffle.

When the first body rotates with respect to the second body, the first body drives the pivot to rotate, and the pivot drives the linkage to make the cam rotate. Meanwhile, the cam pushes or pulls the baffle and makes the baffle rotate with respect to the second body and cover or expose part of the opening.

When the first body is opened and the electronic device operates, the first body also drives the baffle to rotate and to expose at least part of the opening on the bottom surface, so as to increase the cooling space under the electronic devices and enhance the internal airflow circulating. Therefore, the heat dissipating efficiency is enhanced while the compactness requirement of portable electronic devices is simultaneously satisfied.

These and other objects and advantages of this disclosure can be better appreciated from the following detailed description of this disclosure, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS DISCLOSURE

Refer toFIG. 1,FIG. 2A,FIG. 2B, andFIG. 2C, an electronic device100according to the first embodiment of this disclosure is equipped with a motherboard110disposed inside the electronic device100. The motherboard110is electrically configured with a plurality of electronic components to execute default functions of the electronic device100. It is noted that the electrical device100described in this disclosure is but not limited to a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or any electronic device that can be connected to computer peripheral devices. The following detailed description of this disclosure will use a laptop computer as an illustration. The attached drawings are for reference and description purposes only, not to limit this disclosure.

Refer toFIG. 1,FIG. 2A,FIG. 2B, andFIG. 2C, the electronic device100includes a first body120, a second body130, a baffle140, and a drive mechanism150. In the present embodiment, the first body120is a display of the electronic device100and the second body130is a host body of the electronic device100. The motherboard110is disposed in the second body130. The first body120is pivotally connected to the second body130, and the detailed connecting mechanism will be described later. The bottom surface131of the second body130has an opening132disposed near the edge of the bottom surface131of the second body130. The interior of the second body130communicates the outside through the opening132. It is noted that the opening132could also choose to set up on the other side of the second body130, not limited as described herein.

In addition, the bottom surface131of the second body130further has a plurality of pads160respectively disposed on the respective corners of the second body130, so that the second body130is raised to a certain height for use convenience when placed on a plane.

The baffle140is disposed on the bottom surface131of the second body130, and the size of the baffle140matches or is large than that of the opening132, so that the baffle140can cover the opening132. The electronic device100includes a pivotal rotation mechanism180. The pivotal rotation mechanism180includes a first connecting piece181, a second connecting piece182, and a shaft183. The first connecting piece181is fixed to the bottom surface131of the second body130and near the position of the opening132, the second connecting piece182is fixed to one side edge of the baffle140, and the first connecting piece181and the second connecting piece182are pivotally connected with each other via the shaft183, such that the first connecting piece181and the second connecting piece182are able to rotate with respect to each other. The baffle140is connected to the second body130via the pivotal rotation mechanism180, and the baffle140is able to rotate with respect to the second body130via the pivotal rotation mechanism180and exposes part of the opening132.

The electronic device100further includes an elastic element170. In the present embodiment, the elastic element170is a tension spring. One end of the elastic element170is connected to the baffle140, and the other end of the elastic element170is connected to the second body130. The elastic element170can provide a return tension force to the baffle140, making the baffle140stay in the position that covers the opening132.

As are shown inFIG. 1,FIG. 2A,FIG. 2B, andFIG. 2C, the drive mechanism150includes a pivot151, a linkage152, a cam153, a first fixing board154, and a second fixing board155. The first fixing board154is fixed to the first body120, and the second fixing board155is fixed to the second body130. The first fixing board154has a first aperture1541, and the second fixing board155has a second aperture1551. Two ends of the pivot151respectively run through the first aperture1541and the second aperture1551, so as to pivotally connect the first body120to the second body130. Therefore, the first body120can rotate with respect to the second body130to the opened position or the closed position.

The linkage152includes a first linkage element1521, a second linkage element1522, and a third linkage element1523. The first linkage element1521is sleeved over the pivot151. One end of the second linkage element1522is pivotally connected to the first linkage element1521, and the other end of the second linkage element1522is pivotally connected to the third linkage element1523, and the third linkage element1523is mutually sleeved over the cam153. The cam153is disposed corresponding to the position of the baffle140. The action of the pivot151and the linkage152of the drive mechanism150can drive the cam153to rotate.

Although the linkage152is consist of three linkage elements in this embodiment, people having ordinary skill in the art can make proper modification to the configuration of the linkage elements according to the actual design requirement, not limited to the present embodiment.

Refer toFIG. 2A,FIG. 2B,FIG. 3A,FIG. 3B, andFIG. 3C, when the first body120rotates with respect to the second body130to the opened position, the pivot151connecting the first body120are driven to rotate as well, and the pivot151drives the linkage152to make the cam153rotate as well. In the meantime, the cam153pushes the baffle140via the protruding end thereof, such that the baffle140rotates via the end thereof pivotally connected to the second body130. As a result, the other end of the baffle swings outwardly, and part of the opening132is exposed. In this way, the cooling space of the electronic device100increases, boosting the airflow between the interior and external of the electronic device100. The baffle140of the present embodiment has a plurality of heat exhausting holes142, enhancing the cooling performance of the electrical device100.

The baffle140further includes a stopper141. The stopper141is disposed on the edge of the baffle140, and the relative position of the stopper141corresponds to that of the second body130. When the baffle140swings outwardly to a certain angle, the stopper141withstands the bottom surface131of the second body130, such that the baffle140rotates in a limited range of angle and that bigger dust or dirt could not enter the interior of the second body130via the opening132.

The maximum rotation angle of the baffle140is limited by the stopper141, and the maximum distance between baffle140and the bottom surface131of the second body130after the baffle140rotates is shorter than the height of the pads160, such that the baffle140will not interferes the second body130while in use, that is, the electronic device100will stay fixed when placed on a plane without being influenced by the baffle140.

It is noted that this disclosure does not limit the rotation angle of the baffle140. People having ordinary skill in the art can make proper modification to adjust the maximum rotation angle of the baffle according to actual conditions. The maximum displacement distance of the baffle140after the baffle rotates can even be larger than the height of the pads160, not limited to the embodiments of this disclosure herein.

Refer toFIG. 2A,FIG. 2B,FIG. 4A,FIG. 4B, andFIG. 4C, when the first body120rotates with respect to the second body130and leaves the opened position, for example, the first body120rotates to the closed position when electronic device100is not in use, the pivot151connecting the first body120are driven to rotate as well, and the pivot151drives the linkage152to make the cam153rotate as well. In the meantime, the cam153separates from the baffle140, so that the cam153does not apply a pushing force to the baffle140. And the elastic element170respectively connecting to the second body130and the baffle140provides restoring pull force. From the stretched state back to the initial state, the elastic elements170pull the baffle140back to the position to cover the opening132, and appearance of second body130remains integrally.

Refer toFIG. 5toFIG. 7B, the structure of the electronic device100of the second embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment. The difference lies in that the electronic device100of the second embodiment further includes an electronic port190. The electronic port190can be but not limited to HDMI port, USB port, and network adapter port. The electronic port190is disposed on the side surface, facing the interior of the second body130, of the baffle140. The electronic port190electronically connects with motherboard110by flexible electronic connecting elements such as flexible cables or a flexible circuit board.

As shown inFIG. 6AandFIG. 6B, when the baffle140moves with respect to the second body130and exposes part of the opening132, the electronic port190will be exposed through the opening132with the movement of the baffle140. And the computer peripheral devices (not shown in the figures) can electronically connect electronic device100through the electronic port190. The electronic port190of the embodiment can be completely exposed by the exposure of the opening132, such that users can electronically insert the electronic connections of the computer peripheral devices into the electronic port190.

As shown inFIG. 7AandFIG. 7B, when the first body120rotates with respect to the second body130and leaves the opened position, the baffle140will be pulled by the elastic element170and cover the opening132. In the meantime, the electronic port190will move into the interior of the second body130, making the appearance of the second body130remains integrally.

The following table shows the measurement of the operating temperatures of main electronic components of the electronic device of the prior art and this disclosure:

From the above table, we can clearly know that when the electronic device100of this disclosure is in use, by driving the drive mechanism150to push the baffle140to expose part of the opening132, the electronic device100is efficiently cooled to lower overall operating temperature of the electronic device100. The drive mechanism150and baffle140of this disclosure do not occupy extra internal space of the electronic device100. Therefore, the electronic device100of this disclosure has both high cooling performance and compact feature.

Though the embodiments of this disclosure are disclosed as described above, this is not to limit this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claim. It is therefore to be understood that this disclosure is not to be limited by the foregoing description but only by the appended claims.