Abstract:
A hand-held electronic device with a hidden keyboard, especially for small size electronic devices with a display screen (such as PDAs, mobile phones, etc), provides a keyboard coupling design to allow a retractable keyboard retreated and hidden inside a device body of the electronic device when not in use, and pulled out for data entry when in use.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a hand-held electronic device with a hidden keyboard and particularly a small information device (such as PDA, mobile phone) coupled with a keyboard for users to selectively enter data therewith. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Rapid innovations and developments in communication technology now enable people using hand-held personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones or other devices to access and enjoy a wide variety of added value services and multimedia information and contents from the Internet anytime anywhere. 
     Although the related technologies are well developed at present, there are still bottlenecks to be overcome in terms of accessing networks in mobile fashion. For instance, difficulty of data entry on small size information products (such as PDAs, mobile phones, etc.) is one of the problems not yet fully resolved. In order to facilitate carrying and offer desired portability, the small information products often are being made about the size of a human palm. They usually have a display screen for displaying messages, especially the PDAs. For a general PDA, the display screen almost occupies the entire casing with only a small space left for a few function keys. Data entry usually is done manually through a T P (Touch Panel). Mobile phones generally do not have display screens as large as the PDAs, and have numeric keys and some function keys on the casings. Nevertheless, when there is a need to enter a large amount of data, T P or numeric key data entry simply is too slow and cumbersome to meet users&#39; requirements. 
     To address the inconvenience of data entry on small size information products, there are designs equipped with attached keyboards now available on the market. FIG. 1 shows one of the examples that has a keyboard and a display screen facing each other. The keyboard and display screen are respectively mounted to two independent bodies and are engaged together through a hinge. When in use, open the product from the middle to extend and lay the display screen and keyboard. Then the keyboard may be used for data entry. When not in use, the bodies may be folded and the display screen will be encased in the bodies and not visible. As the product should be opened when in use, it is not user-friendly. The keyboard also is exposed to exterior when not in use and occupies an extra space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of aforesaid disadvantages, the primary object of the invention is to provide a handheld electronic device with a keyboard for data entry that has a novel keyboard structure to allow the display screen visible from outside all the times and conceal the keyboard when not in use to save space. 
     To achieve the foregoing objects, the electronic device according to the invention is coupled with a retractable keyboard which may be hidden inside the device body when not in use and may be pulled out when in use to allow users entering data. 
     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional small size information product equipped with a keyboard. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the invention, with the keyboard drawn out. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic bottom view of the invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross section taken along line A—A in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a cross section taken along line B—B in FIG.  6 . 
     FIGS. 9-13 are schematic views for pulling out the keyboard from the device body. 
     FIGS. 14-15 are schematic views for inserting the keyboard into the device body. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 2,  3  and  4 , the hand-held electronic device of the invention includes of a device body  10 , a keyboard  20  and a support frame  30 . 
     The device body  10  includes a display screen  11  located on a front side and a housing chamber  12  for holding and concealing the keyboard  20  in the device body. The keyboard  20  is movable in the housing chamber  12 , and may be moved for a displacement relative to the device body  10  and exposed to the exterior of the device body  10  at a “use position” (as shown in FIG.  5 ), or be withdrawn and hidden inside the device body  10  at a “retreat position”. At the “use position”, the keyboard  20  is exposed to the exterior of the device body  10  for data entry. At the “retreat position”, the keyboard  20  is hidden in the housing chamber  20 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6, the device body  10  and keyboard  20  have respectively a guide channel  13  and a matching stub shaft  21  on the adjacent sides. The stub shaft  21  is coupled with the guide channel  12  (shown in FIG. 7) and is slidable therein. In addition, the guide channel  13  includes a linear chute  131  and a curved chute  132 . The curved chute  132  is located at the opening of the housing chamber  12  to allow the stub shaft  21  of the keyboard  20  engaging with an elastic anchor means  22  and moving in the curved chute  132  for a turned displacement (will be discussed below). 
     The elastic anchor means  22  is located in the keyboard  20  for wedging in the guide channel  13  to allow the keyboard  20  engaging with the device body  10  when moved to the “retreat position” and “use position”. The elastic anchor means  22  includes an anchor ball  221  and an elastic element  222  located in a nest trough  23  formed in one side of the keyboard  20  for pressing the anchor ball  221  against the guide channel  13 . The device body  10  also has matching anchor cavities  133  and  134  located in the guide channel  13  corresponding to the “retreat position” and “use position” to engage with the anchor ball  221 . Hence when the keyboard  20  is moved to the “retreat position” and “use position”, the keyboard  20  may form an anchored and latched relationship with the device body  10  (as shown in FIG.  8 ). 
     The support frame  30  is pivotally engaged with the back side of the device body  10 . When the keyboard  20  is at the “retreat position”, the support frame  30  is flatly folded on the device body  10 . When the keyboard  20  is at the “use position”, the support frame  30  is extended relative to the device body  10  to lift the device body  10  at an inclined angle on a supporting plane. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the support frame  30  includes at least a main bracket  31  and a secondary bracket  32 . The main bracket  31  has one end pivotally engaged with the back side of the device body  10  on a pivotal joint and has a depress blade  311  extended beyond the pivotal joint and reached the housing chamber  12  through a first opening  14  formed on the device body  10 . The main bracket  311  has another end pivotally engaged with the secondary bracket  32 . The pivotal joint on the device body  10  is coupled with a first torsional spring  33  for urging the main bracket  31  outwards relative to the device body  10 . The secondary bracket  32  has one end formed a slide end  321  movable in the housing chamber  321  through a second opening  15  formed on the device body  10  and another end pivotally engaged with the main bracket  31  on another pivotal joint. The pivotal joint of the main bracket  31  and secondary bracket  32  is coupled with a second torsional spring  34 . When the keyboard  20  is at the “use position”, the first and second torsional springs  33  and  34  urge the main and secondary brackets  31  and  32  to form a selected extending angle so that the support frame  30  can support the back side of the device body  10  to make the device body  10  and keyboard  20  forming a suitable angle thereby users can operate the keyboard  20  and view the display screen  11 . In the movements for pushing the keyboard  20  into the housing chamber  12 , the main and secondary brackets  31  and  32  are harnessed by the depress blade  311  and channeled by the slide end  321  to fold gradually on the back side of the device body  10 . 
     By means of aforesaid constructions, the device body  10  is coupled with a hidden keyboard  20  which may be pulled out for data entry whenever needed. In order to facilitate the movement of the keyboard, the keyboard  20  may have a pulling section  24  for users to grasp with hands. The keyboard  20  further may have at least one foot stub  25  jutting from the bottom side to keep the keyboard horizontal when pulled out for use. 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 through 13 for the operations of the invention in use, when the keyboard  20  is pulled outwards from the device body  10  for a selected displacement, the originally depressed main and secondary brackets  31 ,  32  will be extended because of the depress blade  311  and slide end  321  are relieved by the torsional springs  31  and  32 . The main and secondary brackets  31 ,  32  will turn relative to the device body  10  and extend. The main and secondary brackets  31 ,  32  further have respectively at least one retain finger  312 ,  322  located thereon to contact the device body  10  so that the main and secondary brackets  31 ,  32  will be extended at a selected angle relative to each other without overrun (the selected angle is constant and may be set according to requirements, and may be altered by changing the length of the main and secondary brackets  31 ,  32 . This technique is known in the art, and will be omitted here). 
     When the keyboard  20  is completely pulled out from the device body  10  and turned relative to the device body  10 , the support frame  30  will lift the device body  10  to allow the display screen  11  tilted at a desired angle. 
     Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, when the keyboard  20  is not in use, the keyboard  20  may be pushed into the housing chamber  12 , and the main and secondary brackets  31 ,  32  may be folded and stacked on the bottom side of the device body  10 . 
     The construction of the invention set forth above thus overcomes the disadvantage of difficult to make large data entry that happens to conventional hand-held devices. The keyboard  20  may be hidden inside the device body  10  when not in use to save total space of the device. The hidden design of the keyboard  20  allows the display screen  11  exposed to the exterior of the device body  10  and visible all the times to facilitate viewing. When the keyboard  20  is pulled out for use, the display screen  11  may also be positioned at a desired viewing angle. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiment thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.