Casing for all-in-one electronic device

A casing for all-in-one electronic devices includes a main body and a rail assembly. The main body has a bottom surface and a through hole disposed opposite to the bottom surface. The through hole communicates an interior of the main body. The rail assembly has a guide member and a slide member. The guide member is disposed in the main body, and extends toward the through hole. The slide member is movably combined with the guide member to be moved in a longitudinal direction to pass through the through hole, so as to protrude out of the main body. A display is fixed to one end of the slide member to be driven by the slide member, so as to change a height of the display relative to the bottom surface of the main body.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 99200867 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on 2010 Jan. 15, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a casing for an all-in-one electronic device, and more particularly to a casing for an all-in-one electronic device which allows removing and replacing a display and changing the height of the display.

2. Related Art

An all-in-one computer combines a display with a computer casing to form a unity. Generally speaking, the all-in-one computer has a similar appearance to a flat-panel-display, except that the all-in-one computer has a greater thickness in order to accommodate a mother board, a hard drive, an optical disk drive, a power supply module, and the like. Since the display is combined with the computer case to form a unity, at least the video transmission cables and display power cables no longer exist outside the all-in-one computer, and the all-in-one computer is more convenient for the user to transport, compared with conventional desktop computers.

However, the all-in-one computer has two disadvantages.

Firstly, in order to prevent the all-in-one computer from having an excessively large volume, the thickness of the all-in-one computer is generally slightly larger than the thickness of an ordinary flat panel display. After a display panel, a backlight module and a display driving circuit are installed, the internal space of the all-in-one computer becomes rather limited. Therefore, electronic components used in the all-in-one computer are generally those used for laptop computers, such as customized mother boards, memory modules for laptop computers, low-voltage central processing units (CPUs), thin-type optical disk drives, and hard disks for laptop computers. These electronic components have a higher cost than electronic components for desktop computers. Since the display panel is combined in the computer casing, it is inconvenient to adjust the height or angle of the display panel.

Secondly, the size of the display panel of an all-in-one computer cannot be changed after the design of the all-in-one computer is finished, and the user cannot replace the original display panel with a larger one. Manufactures must design and manufacture all-in-one computers individually for different display panel sizes, if the display panel of the all-in-one computer fails, the user cannot replace the display panel, and must send the computer to the retailer or manufacture for repair.

Due to these disadvantages, at present the all-in-one computer is still unable to replace ordinary desktop computers.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a casing for an all-in-one electronic device, in which the casing has internal space larger than that of an all-in-one computer in the art, and allows the user to replace a display or adjust the height and angle of the display.

A casing for an all-in-one electronic device of the present invention includes a main body and a rail assembly. The main body includes a bottom surface and a through hole disposed opposite to the bottom surface, and the through hole communicates an interior of the main body. The rail assembly includes a guide member and a slide member. The guide member is disposed in the main body, and extends toward the through hole. The slide member is movably combined with the guide member to be moved in a longitudinal direction, so as to pass through the through hole and to protrude from the main body.

Preferably, the present invention further includes a display, fixed to the slide member, to be driven by the slide member sliding on the guide member, so as to change a height of the display relative to the bottom surface of the main body.

In the present invention, the display is not directly combined in the main body, so the display can be removed and replaced at will. And the main body has a relatively large internal space, so that low-cost electronic components for desktop computers can be used. Through the driving of the slide member, the height of the display can be changed.

Preferably, the display is pivoted to the slide member, such that the display is capable of swaying relative to the slide member, thereby facilitating user adjustment of the display angle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, a casing100for an all-in-one electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided. The casing100includes a main body110and a rail assembly120.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 3, the main body110has a bottom surface111, a front side surface112, and a rear side surface113. The front side surface112and the rear side surface113respectively connected to two opposite side edges of the bottom surface111.

The rear side surface113is a planar surface, and the front side surface112is a convex curved-surface. The main body110further includes a through hole114located opposite to the bottom surface111and communicates with an interior of the main body110. The through hole114is at least partially formed on the front side surface112. The main body110further includes a top surface115, located opposite to the bottom surface111and connects the front side surface112and the rear side surface113. The top surface115and the front side surface112are connected to each other to form a curved-surface, and the through hole114extends from the front side surface112to the top surface115.

Referring toFIG. 4, in which the main body110has an accommodation space S defined therein for accommodating circuit boards such as a mother board of a computer. An opening133ais formed on the rear side surface11communicate the accommodation space S. The main body further includes a side cover113bfor enclosing the opening113ato form the rear side surface113of the main body110. The main body110further includes a fixing frame130disposed therein corresponding to the through hole114.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, the rail assembly120includes a guide member121, a slide member122, a fixing member123, and a plurality of elastic members124.

The guide member121is disposed in the main body110, and fixed to the fixing frame130. The slide member122is movably combined with the guide member121, and the guide member121extends toward the through hole114. Therefore the slide member122is capable to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the guide member121to pass through the through hole114and to protrude out of the main body110. In addition, the fixing member123is pivoted to a portion of the slide member122protruding out of the main body110.

The fixing member123is pivoted to the slide member122through a shaft125, and a friction element126is disposed between the fixing member123and the slide member122. The friction element of the present invention includes a spring126aand a friction washer126bsleeved on the shaft125, so as to provide a frictional force against the fixing member123, such that the fixing member123is easily to be rotated relative to the slide member122.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, the elastic members124are disposed in the guide member121, and connected to the guide member121and the slide member122. In an embodiment of the present invention, the elastic members124are coil springs, each having one end connected to the guide member121and the other end connected to the slide member122, and are used for generating an elastic force to move the slide member122in a direction extending out of the main body110.

In order to ensure that the slide member122can be maintained at a fixed position, in an embodiment of the present invention, the casing100for an all-in-one electronic device further includes a locking device190, disposed in the guide member121, and exposed through a groove116on a surface of the main body110. The locking device190is used for passing through a perforation of the guide member121and one of a plurality of positioning holes of the slide member122, so as to fix a position of the slide member122relative to the guide member121.

Referring toFIGS. 7A and 7B, in which by the slide member122sliding relative to the guide member121, the slide member122can pass through the through hole114, so as to change the height of one end thereof, that is, to change the height of the fixing member123relative to the bottom surface111of the main body110. The fixing member123is used for fixing an object thereon and thus fixing the object to the main body110, such that the height of the object can be changed along with the sliding of the slide member122.

Referring toFIGS. 8 and 9, in which in an embodiment of the present invention, the casing100for an all-in-one electronic device further includes a fastener170and a display180.

Referring toFIGS. 8 and 10, in which the fastener170is fixed to a rear surface of the display180for fastening the fixing member123, and includes two clamping pieces171and a stopping piece172. The clamping pieces171are used for clamping the fixing member123, and the stopping piece172is used for stopping a top edge of the fixing member123, so as to suspend the display180on the fixing member123, thereby fixing the display180to the fixing member123. In addition, a latching member173passes through the stopping piece172and is fixed to the fixing member123, thereby enhancing the fixation.

Referring toFIGS. 11A and 11B, by the fastener170fastening the fixing member123, the display180is fixed to the slide member122, and by the slide member122sliding on the guide member121, the position of the display180relative to the main body110can be changed, thereby changing the height of the display180relative to the bottom surface111of the main body110. In addition, since the fixing member123is pivoted to the slide member122, the display180is also capable of swaying relative to the slide member122, thereby facilitating user adjustment of the display angle180.

Referring toFIG. 8, the casing100further includes a shielding cover181fixed to the display180for covering the fixing member123and the fastener170, so as to prevent the fixing member123and the fastener170from being exposed, and provide an integral appearance for the display180.

As described above, the elastic members124are disposed between the guide member121and the slide member122, so that by the balance between pulling forces of the elastic members124, a weight of the display180, and a static friction force between the guide member121and the slide member122, the display180can be maintained at a fixed position after the height of the display180is changed. The locking device190may further lock the slide member122to the guide member121, thereby further fixing the height of the display180.

In the present invention, since the display180is not combined within the main body110, no space needs to be reserved in the main body110for disposing the display180. Therefore, the casing100for an all-in-one electronic device of the present invention has a larger internal space compared with the all-in-one computer in the prior art, so that low-cost electronic components for desktop computers can be used, instead of using small but expensive electronic components for laptop computers.

Through the driving of the slide member122, the height of the display180can be changed, and the display180can sway relative to the slide member, thereby facilitating user adjustment of the display angle180.

In addition, in the present invention, the displays180of different sizes may be used in combination with the same main body110at will by the connection of the rail assembly. Therefore, compared with the all-in-one computer in the art, the present invention allows more choices with regard to the display180, and since the display180is located outside the main body110, the display180can be rapidly replaced by means of the user, thereby facilitating the replacement and repair of the display180.