Electronic device with rotating supporting member

An electronic device includes a case (20) and a supporting member (10). The case includes a bottom wall (50) defining a receiving recess (54). A receiving hole (56) is defined in the bottom wall at the receiving recess. The supporting member includes a main portion (12), a connecting member (14) rotatably received in the receiving hole, and at least one protruding portion (16) located at a periphery of the connecting member. The main portion includes two locating protrusions (126). The case includes two first sockets (500) and two second sockets (502). The locating protrusions are selectively received in either the first sockets or the second sockets. When the electronic device is used in a horizontal position, the supporting member is fully received in the recess of the case; and when the electronic device is stood in an upright position, the supporting member is perpendicular to the recess of the case.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to electronic devices typically used on desktops or tabletops, and particularly to an electronic device with a rotating supporting member.

2. General Background

Electronic devices such as access points (APs), modems, and so on, are gaining in popularity. Many of these electronic devices can be placed in an upright position or in a horizontal position on a desktop or tabletop. When an electronic device needs to be placed in an upright position, an additional supporting member is conventionally used for supporting the electronic device and preventing the electronic device from falling down or out of position. However, the supporting member and the electronic device are generally not integrated, which can lead to problems in packaging or transportation. Furthermore, the separate supporting member is liable to be misplaced. Some conventional devices have equipped an attachable supporting member, however, their structures are usually complicated and difficult to manufacture, especially in the molding process.

Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to resolve the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

SUMMARY

In an exemplary embodiment, an electronic device comprises a case and a supporting member. The case comprises a bottom wall. The bottom wall comprises a receiving recess. A receiving hole is defined in the bottom wall at the receiving recess. The supporting member comprises a main portion, a connecting member extending from a middle of the main portion, and at least one protruding portion. The connecting member is rotatably received in the receiving hole and movably engaged with an inside of the bottom wall. The at least one protruding portion is located at a periphery of the connecting member. The main portion comprises a pair of opposite locating protrusions. The bottom wall at the receiving recess comprises a pair of transversely aligned first sockets and a pair of longitudinally aligned second sockets. The locating protrusions are selectively received in either the first sockets or the second sockets. When the electronic device is used in a horizontal position on a desktop or tabletop, the supporting member is fully received in the recess of the case, with the locating protrusions received in the second sockets. When the electronic device is in an upright position on a desktop or tabletop, the supporting member is perpendicular to the bottom wall of the case, with the locating protrusions received in the first sockets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG. 1, an electronic device in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a supporting member10and a case20. The electronic device may for example be a network communication device such as a modem or an access point (AP). The case20comprises a cover30and a base40.

Referring also toFIG. 3, the supporting member10is rotatably attached to the case20. The supporting member10comprises a main portion12, a connecting member14extending from a middle of the main portion12, and four protruding portions16protruding from a distal end of the connecting member14. The main portion12comprises a pair of opposite locating protrusions126protruding from a first face122thereof, and a pair of arc-shaped slots120. The locating protrusions126are positioned on opposite sides of the connecting member14. The slots120are also positioned on opposite sides of the connecting member14, adjacent to the locating protrusions126. The slots120, allow the main portion12at the locating protrusions126to resiliently deform. The connecting member14comprises a neck portion142and an end portion144. Each of the protruding portions16has a fan blade shape, and is located at a periphery of the end portion144. In alterative embodiments of the present invention, each protruding portion16can have a truncated sector shape, a square shape, a generally trapezoidal shape, and so on. In another alterative embodiment of the present invention, the protruding portions16can instead be a single, annular protruding portion. The protruding portions16are used for preventing the supporting member10from disengaging from the case20.

As shown inFIGS. 1-2and4, the case20comprises a bottom wall50, which itself comprises a first bottom wall portion52and a second bottom wall portion54. The first bottom wall portion52is formed on the cover30, and the second bottom wall portion54is formed on the base40. A receiving recess56is defined in the bottom wall50, for receiving the main portion12of the supporting member10. A thickness of the main portion12is substantially equal to a depth of the receiving recess56. A receiving hole58is defined in the bottom wall50at a middle of the receiving recess56. The neck portion142of the connecting member14is rotatably received in the receiving hole58. The receiving hole58comprises a first channel582defined in the first bottom wall portion52, and a second channel584defined in the second bottom wall portion54. A pair of transversely aligned first locating sockets500and a pair of longitudinally aligned second locating sockets502are formed in the bottom wall50at the receiving recess56. The sockets500are formed by way of circular raised bushings respectively, and the sockets502are formed by way of semicircular raised bushings respectively. A half of each of the second sockets502is formed in the first bottom wall52, and the other half of each of the second sockets502is formed in the second bottom wall54. One of the first sockets500is formed in the first bottom wall52, and the other first socket500is formed in the second bottom wall54. The locating protrusions126can be selectively received in either the first sockets500or the second sockets502. When this occurs, the locating protrusions126cannot freely slide out of the corresponding first sockets500or second sockets502. The case20defines a chamber200, which comprises a first half portion defined in the cover30and a second half portion defined in the base40.

Referring toFIGS. 1-6, in assembly, the neck portion142of the connecting member14is placed in the second channel584of the second bottom wall portion54, with corresponding of the protruding portions16being received in the second half portion of the chamber200at an inside of the second bottom wall portion54. Then, the cover30is attached onto the base40. The neck portion142of the connecting member14is thus also received in the first channel582of the first bottom wall portion52, and corresponding of the protruding portions16are received in the first half portion of the chamber200at an inside of the first bottom wall portion52. Thus the supporting member10is mounted to the case20. In this position, the locating protrusions126of the supporting member10are received in the corresponding second sockets502of the case20. The supporting member10is fully received in and aligned with the receiving recess56of the case20, and is defined as being in a first position. In the first position, the electronic device is readily oriented in a horizontal position on a reference plane like a desktop or tabletop.

Referring also toFIG. 7, when the electronic device is to be used in an upright position, the supporting member10is rotated to a second position wherein the supporting member10is perpendicular to the receiving recess56of the case20. In the second position, the locating protrusions126of the supporting member10are received in the first sockets500of the case10, and the main portion12of the supporting member10is coplanar with opposite ends of the bottom wall50. In the second position, the electronic device can be stood upright on the reference plane like the desktop or tabletop. The electronic device is maintained in position not only by the opposite ends of the bottom wall50, but also by the transversely oriented supporting member10. Thus, the electronic device is stably set in the upright position.

Because the locating protrusions126of the supporting member10cannot freely slide out of the corresponding first sockets500or second sockets502of the case20, the supporting member10is stably held in the selected first position or second position. Therefore the electronic device is stably maintained in either the horizontal position or the upright position.

When the electronic device is in the horizontal position, the supporting member10is fully received in the receiving recess56of the case20. Thus, the electronic device is compact and aesthetically pleasing. Further, because the supporting member10can be fully received in the receiving recess56, packaging and transportation of the electronic device is easier. This helps reduce costs.

While various exemplary embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.