Electronic device

An electronic device including a case, a covering plate, at least one first fixing unit, at least one second fixing unit, a circuit board disposed in the case, and a plurality of screwing members is provided. The case covered by the covering plate has a first datum surface and a second datum surface, where a distance between the covering plate and the first datum surface is greater than a distance between the covering plate and the second datum surface. The first and the second fixing units are disposed on the first and the second datum surfaces respectively. The first fixing unit includes a first screwing boss and at least one first rib adjacent thereto. The second fixing unit includes a second screwing boss and at least one second rib adjacent thereto. The screwing members pass through the covering plate and are screwed to the corresponding first and second screwing bosses.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of China application serial no. 201110370976.4, filed on Nov. 21, 2011. 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 present invention generally relates to an electronic device, and in particular, to a docking station.

2. Description of Related Art

Since a notebook computer has the same functions as a common desktop computer and has a light and thin design to implement the portability for a user, the notebook computer becomes an indispensable portable tool for some users. In recent years, with the advance of sciences and technologies, the shapes and functions of the notebook computers are increasingly varied, and convenience and practicability make the notebook computers more popular and capable of being used for different purposes.

To enhance the usability, in addition to the functions built in the notebook computer, a docking station is further arranged to connect an external connection device such as a printer, a camera, a flash drive, an external hard disk, a network connector, a keyboard, and a mouse, so as to omit repeated actions of plugging in and out to enhance the usability. According to different use and volume limits, some docking stations may be disposed with more connection ports to provide more use functions.

Currently, for a common notebook computer, due to the problem of space disposition, screwing bosses for screwing screws have different specifications. For example, according to a requirement of whether a circuit board is disposed or not, screws used when the docking station is assembled have two lengths. However, in a situation that the circuit board is disposed, the screws need to pass through the circuit board to be screwed to the screwing bosses in the action of screwing. In this way, a distance passing through the circuit board needs to be considered in the design of the screw, that is, a length of this screw is greater than that of a screw used in a situation that the circuit board is not disposed. In another aspect, the above screws for assembling the docking station have different size specifications. In this way, when the docking station is assembled in a production line, different stations are required in the production line to screw screws with different specifications, which causes more trouble to the assembly in the production line. Moreover, in the assembly of the docking station, the screws with different specifications are required and cannot be shared, so a risk of screwing an incorrect screw may occur in the assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an electronic device, in which screwing members have wider applicability.

The present invention provides an electronic device, including a case, a covering plate, at least one first fixing unit, at least one second fixing unit, a circuit board, and a plurality of screwing members. The case is covered by the covering plate. The case has a first datum surface and a second datum surface. A distance between the covering plate and the first datum surface is greater than a distance between the covering plate and the second datum surface. The first fixing unit is disposed on the first datum surface. The first fixing unit includes a first screwing boss and at least one first rib, and the first rib is adjacent to the first screwing boss. The second fixing unit includes a second screwing boss and at least one second rib, and the second rib is adjacent to the second screwing boss. The circuit board is disposed in the case. The screwing member pass through the covering plate and are screwed to the corresponding first and second screwing bosses to fix the circuit board in the case.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a support part is further included, which is disposed between the circuit board and the covering plate, so that the circuit board is pressed against at least one of the corresponding first screwing boss and second screwing boss by the support part.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a height of a top of the first screwing boss with respect to the first datum surface is greater than a height of a top of the first rib with respect to the first datum surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board includes a plurality of open holes, and an inner diameter of each open hole is greater than an outer diameter of the first screwing boss, so that a top of the first screwing boss is located in the corresponding open hole. A part of the circuit board around each open hole leans against the first rib.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the screwing member is a screw, and an outer diameter of a screw head of the screw is smaller than an inner diameter of the open hole, so that a pressing location of the support part by the screw head of the screw is in an orthogonal projection location of the open hole on the support part.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a height of a top of the first screwing boss with respect to the first datum surface is smaller than a height of a top of the circuit board with respect to the first datum surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the support part includes a body and a suppressing portion, and the circuit board is pressed between the suppressing portion and the first rib.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a height of the suppressing portion with respect to the first datum surface is smaller than a height of the body with respect to the first datum surface.

Based on above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board and the screwing member are not screwed directly because of the disposition of the open hole of the circuit board and the corresponding screwing bosses and ribs. Therefore, a thickness of the circuit board is not under consideration in the above process. In other words, the screwing members required in the production line to complete the assembly process are in the same specification so as to increase the production efficiency and yield.

In order to make the features and advantages of the present invention clearer and more comprehensible, the present invention is described in detail below with reference to embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1is a schematic view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2andFIG. 3are exploded views of a docking station inFIG. 1with different view angles respectively, so as to clearly recognize an inner structure of a case. Referring toFIG. 1toFIG. 3at the same time, the electronic device100of this embodiment is, for example, a docking station, which is used as a device platform of implementing docking functions of a notebook computer, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the electronic device100includes a case110, a covering plate120, a circuit board130, a plurality of screwing members140, a plurality of first fixing units114, and a plurality of second fixing units116. Furthermore, a relevant external device (for example, the notebook computer, not shown) borne on the electronic device100can be seen in the prior art and will not be described here again.

In this embodiment, the circuit board130is disposed in the case110, and the covering plate120covers the case110. The case110has a first datum surface112aand a second datum surface112b, where a distance between the covering plate120and the first datum surface112ais greater than a distance between the covering plate120and the second datum surface112b. That is to say, the first datum surface112ais farther away from the covering plate120than the second datum surface112b, so that the extra distance may accommodate relevant means such as the circuit board130, that is, the circuit board130in this embodiment is disposed in a space above the first datum surface112a.

The first fixing units114are disposed on the first datum surface112a. Each first fixing unit114has a first screwing boss114aand a plurality of first ribs114b, and the first ribs114bare adjacent to the first screwing boss114a. The second fixing units116are disposed on the second datum surface112b. Each second fixing unit116has a second screwing boss116aand a plurality of second ribs116b, and the second ribs116bare adjacent to the second screwing boss116a.

For a space in the case110and above the second datum surface112b, the screwing member140is, for example, a screw, which passes through the covering plate120to be screwed to the second screwing boss116a, so that the covering plate120leans against the second rib116band is fixed with the case110.

For a space in the case110and above the first datum surface112a, since a fixing effect of the circuit board130needs to be considered, the electronic device100of this embodiment further includes a support part150located between the covering plate120and the circuit board130, and the circuit board includes a plurality of open holes132. The screwing member140passes through the covering plate120, the support part150, and the open holes132of the circuit board130in sequence and is screwed to the first screwing boss114a. With this disposition, the circuit board130is fixed in the space above the first datum surface112aby using the covering plate120, the support part150, and the screwing member140.

FIG. 4is a schematic sectional view of the docking station inFIG. 1along Line A-A. Referring toFIG. 4, a height H1of a top of the first screwing boss114awith respect to the first datum surface112ais greater than a height H2of a top of the first rib114bwith respect to the first datum surface112a, and the height H1of a top of the first screwing boss114awith respect to the first datum surface112ais smaller than a height H3of a top of the circuit board130with respect to the first datum surface112a.Accordingly, the top of the first rib114bleans against the circuit board130, and the support part150leans against the circuit board130, that is, the circuit board130is clamped between the support part150and the first rib114b.

Furthermore, the support part150has a body152and a suppressing portion154. The suppressing portion154is a sinking structure with respect to the body152, so a height of the suppressing portion154with respect to the first datum surface112ais smaller than a height of the body152with respect to the first datum surface112a.

An outer diameter D3of a screw head of the screwing member140is smaller than an inner diameter D1of the open hole132, and the inner diameter Dl of the open hole132is greater than an outer diameter D2of the first screwing boss114a. In other words, a pressing location of the support part by the screw head of the screwing member140is in an orthogonal projection location of the open hole132on the support part150, that is, an orthogonal projection of the screwing member140on the first datum surface112ais located in a range of an orthogonal projection of the open hole132on the first datum surface112a.

When the screwing member140is screwed to the first screwing boss114a, the screw head of the screwing member140presses against the covering plate120, and the covering plate120presses against the suppressing portion154, so that the circuit board130is pressed between the suppressing portion154and the first rib114b. As such, a clamping force applied by the suppressing portion154to the circuit board130can be enhanced through a moment generated when the screwing member140is screwed.

Since the first screwing boss114apasses through the open hole132of the circuit board130(that is, the top of the first screwing boss114ais located in the open hole132), although a screw relationship does not exist between the circuit board130and the screwing member140, a screw length of the screwing member140does not need to be increased. That is to say, in the selection of a specification of the screwing member140, a screw distance on the screwing member140does not need to be considered due to a thickness of the circuit board130. In this way, a length of the screwing member140can be effectively reduced, and the screwing members140with the same specification (for example, the same screw length) are applicable to screwing at both the first datum surface112aand the second datum surface112b.

To sum up, in the embodiment of the present invention, with the disposition of the support part, the open hole of the circuit board, and the corresponding screwing bosses and ribs, after the screwing members are screwed to the screwing bosses, the circuit board is pressed between the support part and the ribs, so in the selection of the specification of the screwing members, a thickness of the circuit board does not need to be considered, thereby improving the applicability of the screwing member. In other words, when the electronic device is assembled, only the screwing members with the same specification are required in the production line to complete the assembly process of relevant means, thereby increasing the production efficiency and yield.