Abstract:
A computer mouse includes a housing, a cable, and an elastic cable retainer. The cable is capable for connecting the computer mouse to a host device. The elastic cable retainer defines a number of holes for allowing the cable to pass through. When the housing moves, the cable retainer stretched by the housing, allowing the cable to change from a compressed state to an extended state.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a computer mouse. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A wired computer mouse is used to position a pointer on a screen of a graphical user interface (GUI). The computer mouse usually includes a housing, which is connected to a computer by a cable, when the mouse is moved over a surface such as a mouse pad a pointer moves on a screen. In order to move the mouse, the cable must have some slack near the housing. Otherwise, the user cannot freely move the mouse relative to the surface on which it is resting. However, the cable often tends to fall over the back of a desk or through a hole in a desk surface, eliminating the slack. 
         [0005]    Therefore, what is needed is a computer mouse to overcome the described shortcoming. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a computer mouse in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded view of the computer mouse of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the computer mouse of  FIG. 1 , with a cover of the computer mouse omitted. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a partial, enlarged view of a cable retainer of the computer mouse of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of a mediating member and a rotating member of the computer mouse of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an embodiment of a computer mouse  100  is illustrated. The computer mouse  100  includes a housing  10 , a cable  400  and a cable retainer  101 . The cable  400  includes a connector (i.e. a USB connector) used to connect the computer mouse  100  to a host device (not shown). When the housing  10  is moved on a support surface (not shown), the computer mouse  100  produces electronic signals according to the movement of the housing  10 , and transmits the electronic signals to the host device through the cable  400 . The host device receives the electronic signals, and converts the electronic signals to the movement of a pointer on a screen of a graphical user interface (GUI). 
         [0012]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3-4 , the cable retainer  101  includes a number of connection elements  103  connected to each other and a number of holes defined in the connection elements  103 . In one embodiment, the connection element  103  is made of metal. Each connection element  103  is V shaped, and includes a first connection portion  103   a , a second connection portion  103   b  opposite to the first connection portion  103   a , and a middle portion  103   c  connecting the first connection portion  103   a  to the second connection portion  103   b . When pulled, the cable retainer  101  can be elastically stretched. Each first connection portion  103   a  defines a first hole  102   a  adjacent to the middle portion  103   c , and each second connection portion  103   b  defines a second hole  102   b  away from the middle portion  103   c . The cable  400  passes through each first hole  102   a  and each second hole  102   b  in turn, and distorts to have a number of V shaped segments. Because it is being retained in the cable retainer  101 , the cable  400  takes up less space and will not become tangled. 
         [0013]    The housing  10  includes a base  200  and a cover  300  fixed on the base  200 . The base  200  includes a mediating member  201  and a first protruding wall  202  matching the mediating member  201 . The cover  300  includes a second protruding wall  301  (see  FIG. 2 ) opposite to the first protruding wall  202  and matching the mediating member  201 . The mediating member  201  includes two opposite grooves  2011  (see  FIG. 5 ) respectively formed at a top surface and a bottom surface thereof. The second protruding wall  301  is received in one of the grooves  2011  and the first protruding wall  202  is received in the other one of the grooves  2011 . The mediating member  201  is thus fixed between the base  200  and the cover  300  after the base  200  and the cover  300  are connected together. The mediating member  201  further includes a sliding groove  2012  extending along the widthwise direction of the housing  10 . 
         [0014]    Referring also to  FIG. 5 , the base  200  further includes a rotating member  203  including a connecting bar  204 , a wheel portion  205 , and a seat  206 . The connecting bar  204  is hollow and includes a ring  2041  extended around the outer surface of one end  204   a  of the connecting bar  204 . A protruding wall  2041   a  radially extends from the outer surface adjacent to the ring  2041 . In the embodiment, the protruding wall  2041   a  is substantially U shaped. The wheel portion  205  is rotatably arranged around the connecting bar  204  between the protruding wall  2041   a  and the ring  2041 . The wheel portion  205  is slidably received in the sliding groove  2012 . The connecting bar  204  further includes a rotation portion  2042  at the other end  204   b  thereof. Two opposite axles  2043  respectively extend from opposite ends of the rotation portion  2042 . The axles  2043  are cylindrical. The seat  206  is fixed on the base  200 , and includes two spaced arms  2062  each defining an axle hole  2061 . The two axles  2043  are respectively received in the two opposite axle holes  2061 , and are rotatable in the two axle holes  2061 , thereby rotatably connecting the rotation portion  2042  to the seat  206 . 
         [0015]    One end of the cable  400  passes through the cable retainer  101  and is connected to a connector, and the other end passes through the connecting bar  204  to be fixed inside of the housing  10 . 
         [0016]    When the computer mouse  100  moves along a horizontal direction in a small predetermined range, the wheel portion  205  rolls in the sliding groove  2012  and a relative rotation movement occurs between the rotation portion  2042  and the housing  10 , allowing the cable retainer  101  to maintain limited movement. In addition, the weight of the cable retainer  101  can also be calculated for maintaining the limited movement when the computer mouse  100  moves along a horizontal direction in a predetermined range. 
         [0017]    Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of the exemplary embodiment thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.