Electronic device and electronic assembly

An electronic device including a body, a speaker, and a latch is provided. The speaker has a first rail. The speaker and the latch are movably assembled to the body respectively. The latch is coupled to both of the first and the second rails, wherein the first rail and the second rail have an acute angle therebetween. An object is suited for being assembled to the body detachably and pushes the latch to move along the first and the second rails at the same time, such that the latch drives a portion of the speaker to protrude out of the body. An electronic assembly is also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 103118062, filed on May 23, 2014. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an electronic device and an electronic assembly, and particularly relates to an electronic device and an electronic assembly with a speaker having a variable speaker box capacity.

2. Description of Related Art

As science and technology advance, a variety of portable electronic devices have been broadly used in our daily lives. The portable electronic devices are generally designed with the objective of having a light, thin, and compact external appearance for the ease of being carried around.

In generally, the portable electronic devices are mounted with small speakers for the purpose of audiovisual entertainment. However, the capability of this kind of small speakers to play music or sounds is usually equivalent to or slightly better than buzzers. The loudness and sound quality of sounds produced by the small speakers are less than ideal. The main reason is that these speakers are confined by the external appearance design and capacity of sound producing elements and sound boxes. Also, due to the special requirement that the external appearance of the portable electronic devices needs to be light and thin, it is inevitable to make sacrifice to the capacity of the speaker or design the speaker to be a flat structure. However, such sacrifice and design tend to make the speaker box of the speaker overly small and lose the function it should have.

This is because the design of speaker box structure has a crucial influence on the overall efficiency and sound performance of the speaker. Thus, how to meet the requirement on the external appearance design of the portable electronic devices and the sound quality of speakers at the same time is certainly an issue that relevant researchers need to work on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an electronic device and an electronic assembly with a speaker having a variable speaker box capacity and capable of improving sound quality.

An electronic device of the invention includes a body, a speaker, and a latch. The speaker and the latch is movably assembled to the body. The speaker has a first rail, and the body has a second rail. The latch is simultaneously coupled to the first rail and the second rail, and an acute angle is included between the first rail and the second rail. An object is adapted to be detachably combined to the body and push the latch to move along the first rail and the second rail simultaneously, so as to make the latch drive a part of the speaker to protrude out of the body.

An electronic assembly of the invention includes a first body, a speaker, a latch, and a second body. The speaker and the latch are movably assembled to the first body. The speaker has a first rail, and the first body has a second rail. The latch is simultaneously coupled to the first rail and the second rail, and an acute angle is included between the first rail and the second rail. A second body is adapted to be detachably combined to the first body and push the latch to move along the first rail and the second rail simultaneously, so as to make the latch drive a part of the speaker to protrude out of the body.

Based on the above, by setting the first rail of the speaker and the second rail of the first body to include an acute angle, thus making the latch coupled to the first rail and the second rail simultaneously, a linkage mechanism is formed between the speaker, the latch, and the body. Therefore, when the object (or the second body) is assembled to the first body, the object (or the second body) pushes the latch to make the latch move along the first rail and the second rail simultaneously, so as to drive the speaker. Consequently, the speaker is driven by the latch to protrude out of or be submerged into the first body. Such design allows the speaker to have a variable capacity. Namely, a speaker box capacity of the speaker may be increased as the speaker protrudes out of the first body. Therefore, the speaker is allowed to maintain the sound effect thereof without being confined by an external appearance of the first body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a schematic view illustrating an electronic assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.FIG. 2is a partial schematic view illustrating the electronic assembly ofFIG. 1after being assembled. Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2simultaneously, in this embodiment, an electronic assembly10includes an electronic device100and an expansion base200. In addition, the electronic device100is a tablet computer, for example, and the expansion base200is an input module including a keyboard and a touch pad, for example, configured as an option for the user to operate the electronic device100after being assembled with the electronic device100. However, the invention does not intend to limit types of the electronic device100and the expansion base200. In another embodiment not shown herein, the electronic device may also be a smart phone, and the expansion base may also be a charging seat to carry and provide power to the electronic device at the same time. Thus, the invention applies to any detachable structures or devices providing an additional function when being assembled together.

The electronic device100includes a first body110, a speaker120, and a latch130. The first body110has a display114, a component112, and a notch112a. In addition, the display114is a plane parallel to the Y-Z plane inFIG. 1, while the notch112ais facing toward the negative Z-axis direction inFIG. 1. The speaker120and the latch130are movably assembled inside the first body110, the latch130is capable of moving back and forth along Z-axis, and the speaker120is capable of moving back and forth along the X-axis. Correspondingly, the expansion base200includes a second body210and an input element220(e.g. a keyboard or touch pad as shown in the figure, but the invention is not limited thereto). In addition, the second body210includes a main body212, a hinge214, and a protruding part216. The input element220is disposed on the main body212, the hinge214is rotatably connected to a side edge of the main body210about the Y-axis, and the protruding part216is disposed on the hinge214.

As shown inFIG. 1, by combination of the protruding part216and the notch112a, the electronic device100and the expansion base220are structurally and electrically assembled together. In addition, with the hinge214, the electronic device100is allowed to rotate with respect to the main body212. Thus, the user may operate the electronic device100by using the input element220and adjust a viewing angle of the display114with respect to the user based on the user's needs. Here, an assembling configuration between the electronic device100and the expansion base200is not limited. Assembling of the electronic device100and the expansion base200may be achieved by making the protruding part216extend into the notch112aby using conventional assembling techniques such as engagement, magnetic suction, etc. with relevant techniques of connectors. Meanwhile, the protruding part216may also serve as a supporting structure of the electronic device100.

Relevant components, such as the protruding part216, the notch112a, and the speaker120shown in this embodiment are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the expansion base200and the electronic device100symmetrically. Therefore, in the following description, only components at one of the two sides are described, and the components at the other side are omitted as these components have the same features. Moreover, to keep lines for describing the components in the drawings simple and explicit, the component112and the latch130are drawn in dotted lines inFIGS. 1 and 2, while detailed illustration and description will be provided in the subsequent drawings.

FIGS. 3 and 4are respectively partial schematic views illustrating the electronic device shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, a state of the speaker shown inFIG. 3corresponds toFIG. 1, while a state of the speaker shown inFIG. 4corresponds toFIG. 2. Here, dotted lines are used to illustrate the first body110to clearly identify structural features in the first body110. Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4together with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2as well, as previously noted, the latch130is capable of moving back and forth along the Z-axis, while the speaker120is capable of moving back and forth along the X-axis. Thus, when the protruding part216of the expansion base200moves into the notch112aof the electronic device100, the latch130is driven to move along the positive Z-axis direction, and the latch130thus drives the speaker120to move along the positive X-axis direction and protrude out of a surface116of the first body110, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 4. Namely, the state shown inFIG. 3is changed into the state shown inFIG. 4. It should be noted that although the component112serves as a component of the body to carry the latch130and is characterized as having the notch112a, the component112may substantially be a structure integrally formed with the first body110and may be considered as a part of the first body110.

FIGS. 5 and 6are respectively exploded views illustrating part of components inside an electronic device. Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6together, specifically, the speaker120includes a first rail122, a speaker portion124, and a bellows portion126. In addition, the first rail122is disposed on a side surface of the speaker portion124and substantially faces toward the component112. The bellows portion126is disposed inside the first body110and expands or shrinks along the Z-axis. The speaker portion124is assembled on the bellows portion126. Due to a foldable feature of the bellows portion126, the speaker portion124may be substantially considered as a floating component disposed inside the first body110.

Correspondingly, the component112has a second rail112bfacing toward the first rail122, and the latch130is movably coupled to the first rail122and the second rail112bat the same time. In this embodiment, the first rail122and the second rail112bare respectively located on different planes parallel to the X-Z plane, and an acute angle is included between orthogonal projections of the first rail122and the second rail112bon the X-Z plane. Moreover, the latch130is serially connected to the first rail122and the second rail112balong the Y-axis, so a structure similar to a linkage structure is formed between the speaker120having the first rail122, the latch130, and the component112having the second rail112b(may be considered as the first body110) to achieve a linkage effect between components. Therefore, movement of any one of the components may influence the other two components.

Accordingly, it can be learned fromFIGS. 3 to 5that the second rail112bis substantially parallel to the Z-axis, and the first rail122is tilted with respect to the Z-axis. Therefore, when the latch130moves along the second rail112b(i.e. Z-axis), the latch130also moves along the first rail122. Since the speaker portion124is substantially in a floating state, the speaker portion124is driven by the latch130to move along the X-axis. In this way, the speaker portion124protrudes out of the surface116of the first body110, as shown inFIG. 2, or be submerged under the surface116of the first body110.

More specifically, referring toFIGS. 5 and 6simultaneously, the component112further has a pair of third rails112clocated on the same side surface as the second rail112b. The pair of third rails112care respectively parallel to the second rail112band make the second rail112blocated between the pair of third rails112c. The latch130includes a pushing part132, a pair of wing parts134located at opposite sides of the pushing part132, and a pillar136disposed on the pushing part132and located between the wing parts134. In addition, the pillar136extends toward the speaker120, passes through and is coupled to the first rail122and the second rail112bsimultaneously. As noted previously, the component112may be considered as a part of the first body110. Therefore, from the perspective of the notch112a, the second rail112is substantially located on a sidewall in the notch112a, a part of the latch130(i.e. the pillar136) passes through the sidewall, and another part of the latch130(i.e. the pushing part132) is protruding in the notch112aand located on a moving path that the protruding part216of the second body210moves into the notch112a. Moreover, a direction of an opening of the notch112ais substantially parallel to the second rail112a. Consequently, when the first body110and the second body210are combined, the protruding part216directly pushes the pushing part132of the latch130along the second rail112ain a mutual assembling axial direction (equivalent to Z-axis) of the first body110and the second body210.

In addition, the wing parts134are respectively and correspondingly coupled to the third rails112cand located at opposite sides of the pillar136. The wing parts134are configured to avoid rotation (about the pillar136) when the pushing part132and the pillar136move along the second rail112a.

Besides, in this embodiment, the electronic device100further includes an elastic member140connected between the first body110and the latch130. Specifically, the elastic member140is a compressible spring. One end of the elastic member140is disposed on the pillar136of the latch130, and the other end of the elastic member140is disposed on a protruding part112dof the component112. When the second body210is combined to the first body110to make the protruding part216of the second body210push the pushing part132of the latch130, thereby making the latch130move from a position shown inFIG. 3to a position shown inFIG. 4, the latch130(compressively) deforms the elastic member140. Thus, when the first body110is detached from the second body120, namely when the protruding part216is moved out from the notch112, a restoring force of the elastic member140drives the latch130to restore to the position shown inFIG. 3. Meanwhile, since the pillar136is restored, the latch130drives the speaker120to restore from the state shown inFIG. 2to the state shown inFIG. 1.

FIGS. 7 and 8are schematic views illustrating different states between the speaker and the latch. InFIGS. 7 and 8, profile lines of some components are omitted to explicitly specify corresponding relations between the first rail122of the speaker120, the second rail112bof the first body110, and the latch130. Referring toFIGS. 7 and 8together, as noted previously, since the bellows portion126of the speaker120is capable of expanding or shrinking along the X-axis, the speaker126is in a floating state with respect to the first body110. Therefore, when the protruding part216of the second body210moves into the notch112a, the latch130is pushed to move toward the positive Z-axis direction. Thus, for the speaker portion124, the pillar136of the latch130consequently moves along the first rail122to drive the speaker portion124to move in the positive X-axis direction. Accordingly, making the speaker portion124move along the X-axis drives the bellows portion126to expand, and a space inside the bellows portion126clearly increases from a space S1shown inFIG. 7to a space S2shown inFIG. 8. Thus, for the speaker120, such design effectively increases a speaker box capacity. In addition, as shown inFIG. 8(orFIG. 2), the increased speaker box capacity is along a thickness direction (i.e. X-axis) of the electronic device100. In other words, sound production of the speaker120is no longer confined by a profile of an external appearance of the speaker120. Therefore, even under the trend that pursues a lighter, thinner, and more compact design, the electronic device100is still capable of maintaining or gaining the sound effect thereof with the expandable speaker box capacity.

In view of the foregoing, in the embodiments of the invention, the speaker of the electronic device has the first rail, and the first body has the second rail. In addition, an acute angle is included between the first rail and the second rail, and the latch passes through and is coupled to the first rail and the second rail simultaneously, thereby forming the linkage relation between the speaker, the first body, and the latch.

Therefore, when the electronic device is combined with an object (the expansion base in the above embodiments), the latch drives the speaker to protrude from or be submerged into the first body by using the object to drive the latch.

Specifically, the speaker includes the bellows portion disposed inside the first body and the speaker part disposed on the bellows portion. The bellows portion may be driven to expand or shrink, so when the speaker is driven by the latch to protrude out of the first body, the bellows portion expands accordingly. Such design increases the internal space of the bellows portion. Thus, for the speaker, there is a greater speaker box capacity when the speaker protrudes out of the first body. Thus, the speaker is no longer limited to the size of the external appearance. In other words, even though the electronic device is designed with the objective of being thinner, lighter, and more compact, the sound effect of the speaker is still maintained or gained by increasing the speaker box capacity.