Push-push type stylus eject mechanism

A push-push type stylus eject mechanism includes a rail disposed on a substrate, a hook disposed on the substrate, a slide device sliding relative to the substrate, an elastic device connecting the slide device and the hook, and a guide arm having an end pivoted on the slide device and another end having a pin. The slide device could couple to a stylus. The slide device has a pressing element. The rail has a first positioning point and a second positioning point. The pin is moved between the first positioning point and the second positioning point when the stylus is pushed, and the guide arm is pressed by the pressing element to prevent the pin releasing from the rail.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 98144580, filed Dec. 23, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a stylus eject mechanism. More particularly, the present invention relates to a push-push type stylus eject mechanism.

2. Description of Related Art

With the rapid development of 3C industry, information technology and highly popularized applications of computers, portable and miniature electronic apparatus have been extensively used in daily life. In pursuit of facility and practicality, the tendency of current portable electronic apparatus is toward light, thin, small-footprint designs to meet market expectations. For example, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, and a smart phone have become popular in daily life.

The stylus is one of the operating devices used to operate the electronic apparatus. The stylus is positioned in the stylus containing chamber of the electronic apparatus when the stylus is not in use, and the stylus is pulled from the stylus containing chamber to operate the portable electronic apparatus. A push-push type stylus eject mechanism is a popular latch mechanism for positioning the stylus, wherein the stylus is positioned in the portable electronic apparatus when the stylus is pushed, and the stylus can be ejected from the portable electronic apparatus when the stylus is pushed again. The tendency of the portable electronic apparatus is becoming lighter and lighter, thus how to reduce the space of the push-push type stylus eject mechanism for positioning the stylus has become a problem.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a push-push type stylus eject mechanism to reduce the space for positioning the stylus in the electronic apparatus.

An aspect of the invention provides a push-push type stylus eject mechanism, which includes a rail disposed on a substrate and having a first positioning point and a second positioning point, a hook disposed on the substrate, a slide device sliding relative to the substrate, an elastic device connecting the slide device and the hook, and a guide arm having an end pivoted on the slide device and another end having a pin. The slide device includes a coupling portion for coupling to a stylus and a pressing element. The pin is moved between the first positioning point and the second positioning point when the stylus is pushed, and the guide arm is pressed by the pressing element to prevent the pin releasing from the rail.

The rail can be a heart-shaped rail. The push-push type stylus eject mechanism further includes a protrusion disposed on the substrate. The slide device includes a slot. The protrusion is located in the slot and the slot slides relative to the protrusion when the slide device slides relative to the substrate. The slot can be a T-shaped slot. The coupling portion has plural clamping arms to couple to the stylus. Each clamping arm has a salient, and the stylus has an annular groove, and the salients are coupled to the annular groove. The pressing element can be V-shaped or U-shaped. The push-push type stylus eject mechanism further includes a containing chamber disposed on the substrate to contain the stylus. The substrate includes a housing of an electronic apparatus. The elastic device can be a spring.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In the following descriptions of this specification, electronic device which is mentioned below can be a hand held electronic apparatus, such as Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), electronic translator, Notebook (NB), mobile phone or the like. Also, “push-push type” eject mechanism in the invention can be named as “push-lock and push-release type”, “push-lock and push-open type”, or “alternate type” of eject mechanism.

Refer toFIG. 1.FIG. 1is an explosion diagram of an embodiment of the push-push type stylus eject mechanism of the invention. The push-push type stylus eject mechanism100is utilized in the electronic apparatus200to position the stylus190in the electronic apparatus200or to eject the stylus190form the electronic apparatus200. The push-push type stylus eject mechanism100is disposed on a substrate110, which can be a housing for the electronic apparatus200. The push-push type stylus eject mechanism100includes a containing chamber112disposed on the substrate110, a rail120disposed on the substrate110, a slide device130, a hook140disposed on the substrate110, and an elastic device150for connecting the hook140and the slide device150.

The slide device130has a coupling portion132to couple to the stylus190. The slide device130has a pressing element134. The push-push type stylus eject mechanism100further includes a guide arm160. An end of the guide arm160is pivoted on the slide device130, and another end of the guide arm has a pin162thereon. The pin162slides in the rail120when the stylus190is pushed. The pressing element134would press the pin162to prevent the pin releasing from the rail120when the pin162is slid in the rail120.

The rail120can be a heart-shaped rail or an arrow-shaped rail. The tip of the rail120points to the containing chamber112, which holds the stylus190. The rail120has a first positioning point122and a second positioning point124. The first positioning point122and the second positioning point124are the sharp portions of the rail120, wherein the first positioning point122is arranged between the second positioning point124and the stylus190. Namely the first positioning pint122is close to the stylus190, and the second positioning point124is opposite to the stylus190. The pin162of the guide arm160is moved between the first positioning point122and the second positioning point124when the slide device130slides relative to the substrate110.

The coupling portion132of the slide device130has plural clamping arms136for clamping the stylus190, so that the stylus190can be coupled to the coupling portion132of the slide device130. Each clamping arm136has a salient138. The stylus190has an annular groove192. The salients138would couple to the annular groove192to clamp the stylus190between the clamping arms136when the stylus190inserts into the predetermined position of the containing chamber112.

The push-push type stylus eject mechanism100further includes a protrusion170disposed on the substrate110. The slide device130has a slot135corresponding to the protrusion170. The protrusion170is located in the slot135. The slot135includes a bar-shaped portion, and the bar-shaped portion is designed parallel to the pushing direction of the stylus190. The slot135slides relative to the protrusion170when the slide device130slides relative to the substrate110. The sliding route of the sliding device130is restricted by the bar-shaped portion of the slot135.

The substrate110can be a housing of the electronic apparatus200. The material of the slide device130can be metal or plastic. The elastic device150is a spring. The shape of the slot135can be T-shaped for better assembling the protrusion. The shape of the cross-section of the pressing element134can be V-shaped, U-shaped. The pressing element134contacts the guide arm16and presses the guide arm160.

Refer toFIG. 2AandFIG. 2B.FIG. 2AandFIG. 2Bare schematic diagrams of different states of the push-push type stylus eject mechanism inFIG. 1. The stylus190is coupled to the coupling portion132of the slide device130. The slide device130slides relative to the substrate110when the stylus190and the slide device130are pushed. The sliding route of the slide device130is restricted by the slot135and the protrusion170.

InFIG. 2A, the pin162of the guide arm160is located at the first positioning point122of the rail120. The stylus190is coupled to the slide device130and is exposed at the electronic apparatus200. The stylus190is pushed into the electronic apparatus200, and the slot135of the slide device130, which is coupled to the stylus190, slides relative to the protrusion170of the substrate110. Thus the guide arm160pivoted on the slide device130is pushed relatively, and the pin162of the guide arm160is slide in the rail120till to the second positioning point124, as shown inFIG. 2B.

InFIG. 2B, the stylus190is pushed into the electronic apparatus200, and the pin162of the guide arm160is located at the second positioning point124. The elastic device150is extended, and a force generated by the deformation of the elastic device150would position the pin162at the second positioning point124in the rail120, so that slide device130and the stylus190coupling to the slide device130are positioned. When the stylus190is pushed again, the slide device130slides relative to the substrate110along the slot135, and the pin162is departed form the second positioning point124and moved to the first positioning point in the rail120, as shown inFIG. 2A. The stylus190is exposed of the electronic apparatus200, and the user can pull out the stylus190from the slide device130.

Refer toFIG. 3.FIG. 3is a partial side view diagram of the push-push type stylus eject mechanism inFIG. 2A. The pressing element134contacts and slightly interferes the guide arm160to provide a pressing force to the guide arm160when the pin162is slid in the rail. The pin162of the guide arm160can be slid in the rail120stably but not releasing from the rail120by the pressing force provided by the pressing element134.

According to the above descriptions, the pressing element of the slide device can provide the pressing force to the guide arm to ensure the pin moving in the rail stably but not releasing from the rail in the push-push type stylus eject mechanism.