Abstract:
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first body, a second body, a speaker cabinet and a link mechanism. The second body rotates relative to the first body by a hinge. The speaker cabinet, disposed in the first body, is selectively lengthened or shortened. The link mechanism connects the hinge with the speaker cabinet. When the second body is closed relative to the first body, the speaker cabinet is concealed in the first body, and when the second body is opened relative to the first body, the hinge drives the link mechanism to press the speaker cabinet, enabling the speaker to be lengthened or to be shortened

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 099115075, filed on May 12, 2010, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular, to an electronic device comprising a retractable speaker cabinet. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In a conventional electronic device, the disposition of the speaker is to provide the user with sound effect. The speaker cabinet included by the speaker is utilized to enhance the low frequency effect of the sound to facilitate sound quality. However, in the arrangement of a portable computer, the height of the speaker cabinet is limited by the thickness of the base of the portable computer, and thus an improved performance cannot be achieved. In addition, as development trend of miniaturization, the thickness of the portable computer is designed to be lighter and thinner, such that the volume of the speaker cabinet is further compressed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first body, a second body, a speaker cabinet and a link mechanism. The second body rotates relative to the first body by a hinge. The speaker cabinet, disposed in the first body, is selectively lengthened or shortened. The link mechanism connects the hinge with the speaker cabinet. When the second body is closed relative to the first body, the speaker cabinet is concealed in the first body, and when the second body is opened relative to the first body, the hinge drives the link mechanism to press the speaker cabinet, enabling the speaker to be lengthened or to be shortened. 
         [0007]    A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIGS. 1A to 1C  are schematic views of an electronic device of the invention showing the continuous operation of a speaker cabinet; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic view of a linking mechanism of the electronic device of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  is an exploded view of the linking mechanism of the electronic device of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the linking mechanism of the electronic device of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  is a schematic view of a abutting frame of the electronic device of the invention; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 4B  is a schematic view of the electronic device of the invention showing an abutting member inserting into the abutting frame. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]      FIGS. 1A to 1C  are schematic views of an electronic device of the invention showing the continuous operation of a speaker cabinet. Referring to FIGS.  1 A to  1 C, the electronic device  100  of the invention, for example a portable computer, comprises a first body  210 , a second body  220 , a hinge  300 , a speaker cabinet  400 , a linking mechanism  500  and a pad  600 . 
         [0016]    The first body  210  and the second body  220  are such as a base (a computer body) and a cover (a display device or a screen) of the portable computer, respectively. The first body  210  and the second body  220  could be relatively opened or closed with each other by the hinge  300 . When the first body  210  is closed relative to the second body  220 , the speaker cabinet is concealed in the first body  210  (as shown in  FIG. 1A ), and when the first body is opened relative to the second body  220 , a portion of the speaker cabinet  400  is exposed outside of the bottom portion of the first body  210  (as shown in  FIGS. 1B and 1C ). The pad  600  is disposed on a bottom portion of the speaker cabinet  400  to prevent the damage of the speaker cabinet  400  and to decrease the external impact on the electronic device  100 . 
         [0017]    The speaker cabinet  400  comprises a top end e 1 , a bottom end e 2 , a cabinet body  410  between the top end e 1  and the bottom end e 2 , and an abutting frame  420 . A continuously bending structure  400 B (a flexible tube) is formed on the cabinet body  410 . The top end e 1  is fixed on a surface of the first body  210  and the bottom end e 2  is movably disposed under the cabinet body  410  and connected with the pad  600 . The abutting frame  420 , facing the linking mechanism  500 , is fixed below the bending structure  400 B and connected with the cabinet body  410 . When the abutting frame  420  is pushed by the linking mechanism  500  (referring below), the abutting frame selectively presses the bending structure  400 B, enabling the cabinet body  410  to be extended (as shown in  FIG. 1C , extended position) or retracted (as shown in  1 A, retracted position). The extension and the retraction of the bending structure  400 B enable a height H of the speaker cabinet  400  to be lengthened or shortened; therefore, the sound quality can be improved by increasing the volume of the speaker cabinet  400  through the variation of the height thereof. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 2A  is a schematic view of a linking mechanism of the electronic device of the invention,  FIG. 2B  is an exploded view of the linking mechanism of the electronic device of the invention and  FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the linking mechanism of the electronic device of the invention. The linking mechanism  500  comprises a first linking member  510  and a second linking member  520 . The first linking member  510  comprises a first connecting body  511 , a connecting member  512  and a first engage portion  513 . The connecting member  512  is disposed on a side of the first connecting body  511 , and the first engage portion  513  is disposed on an end of the first connecting body  511  to correspond with the hinge  300 . The second linking member  520  comprises a second connecting body  521 , a sliding track  522 , an abutting member  523  and an axle A. The sliding track  522  is formed on the second connecting body  521  and being corresponded to the connecting member  512 . The abutting member  523  is connected with the second connecting body  521  and inserted into the abutting frame  420  for pushing the speaker cabinet  400 , such that the height H of the speaker cabinet  400  would be lengthened or shortened. By the engagement between the connecting member  512  and the sliding track  522 , the first linking member  510  is connected with the second linking member  520  in a moveable manner. For example, referring to  FIG. 3 , the first linking member  510  and the second linking member  520  are moved relatively toward the direction D 1 . Additionally, the axle A is disposed fixedly on the second linking member  520 , and mounted on a fixing portion  212  of the first body  210  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ). Thus, with the connection between the first linking member  510  and the second linking member  520 , the relatively movement could be achieved through the connection between the connecting member  512  and the sliding track  522 . Furthermore, because the axle A is mounted on the fixing member  212 , the second linking member  520  is able to rotate along the direction D 2 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , where  FIG. 4A  is a schematic view of a abutting frame of the electronic device of the invention, and  FIG. 4B  is a schematic view of the electronic device of the invention showing an abutting member inserting into the abutting frame. The abutting frame  420  is fixed on a side of the cabinet body  410  and formed as a U-shaped limiting space  422  to accommodate and limit the abutting member  523  of the second linking member  422 . When the abutting member  523  moves in the limiting space  422 , the cabinet body  410  connected with the abutting frame  420  is pushed to extend or shorten the bending structure  400 B. Moreover, in an embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4B , the fixing member  212  is formed on the first body  210  to support the axle A of the second linking member  520 , such that the second linking member  520  is able to move relative to the first body  210 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 1A-1C  and  4 A- 4 B, the hinge  300  comprises a second engage portion  303 . The first linking member  510  is engaged with the hinge  300  by the engagement of the first engage portion  513  and the second engage portion  303 . The second linking member  520  is rotatably disposed in the first body  210  by the axle A, and the abutting member  523  of the second linking member  520  extends into the limiting space  422  of the abutting frame  420  of the speaker cabinet  400 . 
         [0021]    In detail, referring to  FIGS. 1A-1C  and  FIG. 3  again, when the second body  220  is opened relative to the first body  210 , and the hinge  300  is rotated thereby, the second engage portion  303  of the hinge  300  pushes the first engage portion  513 , such that the connecting member  512  of the first linking member  510  is moved in the sliding track  522  of the second linking member  520 . Once the connecting member  512  slides from an side of the sliding track  522 , corresponding to a position below the axle A, to the other side of the sliding track  522  (for example, from the position P 1  to the position P 2  as shown in  FIG. 3 ), the axle A is forced to rotate due to the lever principle. Simultaneously, the second linking member  520  fixed to the axle A is also rotated (the axle A and the second linking member  520  are rotated clockwise as shown in  FIG. 3 ). Afterwards, due to the rotation of the second linking member  520 , the abutting member  523 , in the abutting frame  420 , of the second linking member  520  is drived to press the abutting frame  420  downward, enabling the cabinet body  410  connected to the abutting frame  420  to extend downward. The bending structure  400 B is extended thereby to lengthen the height H of the speaker cabinet  400  so as to increase the volume of the inner space of the speaker cabinet  400 . 
         [0022]    When the second body  220  is rotated relative to the first body  210  in an opposite direction (to a closed status), the bending structure  400 B is forced to a retracted position (compressed) by the weight of the electronic device  100 , thereby shortening the height H of the speaker cabinet  400  and allowing the speaker cabinet  400  being concealed within the first body  210  (as shown in  FIG. 1A ). 
         [0023]    The electronic device  100  of the invention is equipped with a retractable speaker cabinet  400 . When the second body  220  is opened relative to the first body  210 , the height H of the speaker cabinet  400  is lengthened to increase the volume of the speaker cabinet  400 , raising the sound efficiency. In the contrary, when the second body  220  is closed relative to the first body  210 , the height H of the speaker cabinet  400  is shortened to allow the speaker cabinet  400  being concealed within the first body  210 , improving the aesthetic value of the electronic device  100 . 
         [0024]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.