Abstract:
The present disclosure discloses a flexible support structure, which is applied to a portable electronic device and comprises two support members having flexibility and respectively installed on two sides of the portable electronic device, wherein each support member has a pivotal end whereby the support member is pivotally coupled to the side of the portable electronic device, and wherein the two support members can be deformed to have appropriate shapes to keep the portable electronic device standing up or clamp the portable electronic device onto an object.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a flexible support structure, which is applied to a portable electronic device to support a portable electronic device or to clamp the portable electronic device onto a table or the thigh/arm of a user. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The manufacturers have persistently proposed various new styles of portable electronic devices (such as tablet PC) that are slim and lightweight to improve portability and operation. For application convenience, the related manufacturers have also persistently developed various accessories for portable electronic devices. 
         [0005]    US patents of publication Nos. 2006/0166720A1, 2008/0087789A1 and 2009/0095854A1 respectively disclosed auxiliary devices, which are optional, to support the portable electronic devices standing up in accordance with the users&#39; demands. However, there is inconvenience that the extra accessory (meaning the auxiliary devices) must be separately stored and carried when the auxiliary device is detached from the portable electronic device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a flexible support structure to support a portable electronic device or clamp the portable electronic device onto an object, such as a table or the thigh/arm of the user, wherein two side bars of the flexible support structure not in use can be retrieved and attached to the side of the portable electronic device. 
         [0007]    The present disclosure provides a flexible support structure, which is applied to a portable electronic device and comprises two flexible support members respectively oppositely installed on two opposite sides of the portable electronic device, wherein each flexible support member having a pivotal end whereby the both support members are pivotally coupled to the both sides of the portable electronic device, wherein each flexible support member having a pivotal end is pivotally coupled to the side of the portable electronic device, and the flexible support member can be deformed to appropriate shapes so as to support the portable electronic device. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, the flexible support member is a flexible wire. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, the flexible support member is a flexible plate. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the flexible support member further comprises a flexible tube wrapping the flexible support member 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, the flexible support member further comprises a fixing element arranged opposite to the pivotal end and detachably coupled to the edge of the portable electronic device. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, the flexible support member further comprises at least one fixing element detachably coupled to the edge of the portable electronic device. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the side of the portable electronic device further comprises a recess for detachably fitting the fixing element. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the fixing element is a protrusion. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the fixing element is a magnet. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the portable electronic device is a tablet PC, a portable computer, a music playing device, or a video playing device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view schematically showing a portable electronic device with a flexible support structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view schematically showing a portion of a portable electronic device with a flexible support structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a portable electronic device with a flexible support structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view schematically showing a portion of a flexible support structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view along Line A-A in  FIG. 4  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view along Line A-A in  FIG. 4  according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7A  is a diagram schematically showing a portable electronic device with a flexible support structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0024]      FIG. 7B  is a diagram schematically showing a portable electronic device with a flexible support structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0025]      FIG. 8A  is a diagram schematically showing a portable electronic device with a flexible support structure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0026]      FIG. 8B  is a side view of the portable electronic device with the flexible support structure shown in  FIG. 8A ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 9A  is a diagram schematically showing the application of a portable electronic device with a flexible support structure according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 9B  is a side view of the portable electronic device with the flexible support structure shown in  FIG. 9A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    Below, the embodiments are described in detail to demonstrate the technical contents of the present disclosure. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view schematically shows a portable electronic device  20  with a flexible support structure  10  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The present disclosure proposes a flexible support structure  10  to support a portable electronic device  20 . The flexible support structure  10  comprises two support members symmetrically arranged on two opposite sides  202  of the portable electronic device  20 . The present disclosure does not restrict that the flexible support member  11  should be arranged symmetrically on the portable electronic device  20  but allows the flexible support member  11  to be arbitrarily arranged on the portable electronic device  20 . The flexible support member  11  can be deformed and maintain the post-deformation shape to attain various positions, whereby the flexible support structure  10  can support the portable electronic device  20  to stand up or clamp the portable electronic device  20  onto the thigh or arm of the user. In the present disclosure, the portable electronic device  20  may be a tablet PC, a portable computer, a music playing device, or a video playing device. 
         [0031]    In this embodiment, the two flexible support members  11  are respectively arranged on the left and right side  202  of the portable electronic device  20 . Each flexible support member  11  has a pivotal end  112  pivotally coupled to the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20  and closely contacting the side  202 . Each flexible support member  11  also has a free end  113  opposite to the pivotal end  112  and detachably coupled to the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , each flexible support member  11  is pivotally coupled to the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20  via a pivotal element  12 , whereby the flexible support member  11  can rotate with respect to the portable electronic device  20  with the pivotal element  212  being the rotation axis. In  FIG. 1 , shows that the flexible support member  11  can rotates upward by an angle of 90 degrees to a vertical position. It should be mentioned particularly that the flexible support member  11  can maintain the curved posture after deformation. Therefore, the user can rotate and/or bend the flexible support member  11  to have postures required by an application. 
         [0033]    To enable the flexible support members  11  to fixedly attach to the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20 , each support member  11  has a fixing element  111  opposite to the pivotal end  112 . The fixing element  111  can detachably connect with the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20 . 
         [0034]    In another embodiment, each flexible support member  11  has at least one fixing element  111  arranged between the pivotal end  112  and the free end  113  and detachably coupled to the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20 . 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 4  is a perspective view schematically showing a portion of a flexible support structure  10  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the fixing element  111  is a protrusion protruding toward the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20 . 
         [0036]    In another embodiment, the fixing element  111  is a magnet. The flexible support member  11  is magnetic attached to the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20  via the magnetic force of the fixing element  111 , not shown. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  is a front view of a portable electronic device  20  with a flexible support structure  10  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20  has at least one recess  21  to receive the fixing element  111 . The flexible support member  11  can be secured in position via the engagement of the fixing element  111  and the recess  21 . 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 5  is a sectional view along Line A-A in  FIG. 4  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the flexible support member  11  is a flexible wire or a flexible plate, such as a steel wire or a steel plate. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a sectional view along Line A-A in  FIG. 4  according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the flexible support member  11  is sleeved by a flexible tube  13  made of plastic or rubber materials. 
         [0040]    In summary, the present disclosure proposes a flexible support structure  10  comprising two flexible support members  11  respectively installed on two sides  202  of a portable electronic device  20 . When not in use, the two flexible support members  11  respectively closely attach to the left and right sides  202  of the portable electronic device  20 . Each flexible support member  11  rotates with respect to the portable electronic device  20  via the pivotal element  12  and bent arbitrarily with respect to the portable electronic device  20 . Therefore, the flexible support members  11  can present various postures to support the portable electronic device  20  to stand up or clamp the portable electronic device  20  onto an object or on user&#39;s thigh/arm. 
         [0041]    Referring to  FIG. 7A  and  FIG. 7B , diagrams schematically shows a first application of a portable electronic device  20  with a flexible support structure  10  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. When intending to clamp the portable electronic device  20  to an object or the thigh of the user, first the user rotates the two flexible support members  11  downward, as shown in  FIG. 7A . Next, the two flexible support members  11  are respectively placed on two sides of the object  30  and bent toward the object  30 . Thereby, the two flexible support members  11  clamp the portable electronic device  20  onto the object  30  to convenience the operation, as shown in  FIG. 7B . 
         [0042]    Referring to  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B , it is the second application of the present disclosure.  FIG. 8A  is a diagram schematically showing a portable electronic device  20  with a flexible support structure  10  according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 8B  is a side view of the portable electronic device  20  with the flexible support structure  10  shown in  FIG. 8A . When intending to maintain the portable electronic device  20  at a specified tilt angle, the user first rotates the two flexible support members  11  downward. Next, the two flexible support members  11  are bent toward to the center of the lower face of the portable electronic device  20  to form two arcs, as shown in  FIG. 8A . Thereby, the two pivotal ends  112  of the flexible support members  11  raise the top end of the portable electronic device  20 . Thus, the portable electronic device  20  placing on a table  50  is maintained at an appropriate tilt angle; depending on user&#39;s preference, the tilt angle can be adjusted through the pivotal element  12 . 
         [0043]    Refer to  FIG. 9A  and  FIG. 9B  for a third application of the present disclosure.  FIG. 9A  is a diagram schematically showing a portable electronic device  20  with a flexible support structure  10  according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 9B  is a side view of the portable electronic device  20  with the flexible support structure  10  shown in  FIG. 9A . The user rotates the two flexible support members  11  upward, when intending to support a piece of paper  40  or a book to stand up. Then the two flexible support members  11  are bent toward to the center of the upper face of the portable electronic device  20  to form two arcs, as shown in  FIG. 9A . Thus, the two flexible support members  11  are deformed to have a rack-like structure to support the paper  40  or book standing up. 
         [0044]    In conclusion, the present disclosure proposes a flexible support structure  10  to support a portable electronic device  20  standing up or clamp the portable electronic device  20  onto an object. When not in use, the two flexible support members  11  of the flexible support structure  10  can be retrieved and attached to the side  202  of the portable electronic device  20 , not affecting the appearance nor occupying any space. 
         [0045]    The embodiments described above are only to exemplify the present disclosure but not to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any equivalent modification or variation according to the spirit of the present disclosure is to be also included within the scope of the present disclosure.