Abstract:
A stylus comprises a shell, a stylus body and at least one stopping member. The shell has a compartment defined therethrough, the shell further has at least one first stopping hole and at least one second stopping hole defined in an inner surface thereof and adjacent to the first stopping hole. The stylus body is accommodated in the compartment and is capable of tilting relative to the shell. The at least one stopping member is retractably mounted to the stylus body, each stopping member is configured for selectively resisted one first stopping hole and one second stopping hole with the tilting of the stylus body relative to the shell so as to orient the stylus body in a retracted state or in a tilted state.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to co-pending U.S. Patent Applications (Attorney Docket No. US33384, US33390 AND US33393), entitled “STYLUS”, by Liang et al. These applications have the same assignee as the present application and have been concurrently filed herewith. The above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    This exemplary disclosure generally relates to styluses. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    It is well-known that a variety of devices include a touch screen. Examples of such devices include smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), pagers, personal organizers, and the like. These devices typically include a display module under the touch screen. The display module generates target images associated with menu options, programs, user choices, and other operations. The user controls the device by pressing the touch screen over the target image with a stylus. However, stylus bodies of typical styluses can not rotate relative to housings and thereof can be convenient to use. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Many aspects of the exemplary stylus can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary stylus. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the diagrams. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an exemplary stylus. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an assembled view of the stylus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the stylus shown in  FIG. 2  along the line III-III, and wherein the stylus is in a retracted state. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but wherein the stylus is in a tilted state. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but wherein the stylus is in another tilted state. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the stylus shown in  FIG. 2  along the line VI-VI. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the stylus shown in  FIG. 2  along the line VII-VII. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    In this exemplary embodiment, the stylus is used to contact a touch screen display of an electronic device such as a mobile telephone. The mobile telephone described herein is a representation of the type of wireless communication device that may benefit from the exemplary embodiment. However, it is to be understood that the exemplary embodiment may be applied to any type of hand-held or portable device including, but not limited to, the following devices: radiotelephones, cordless phones, paging devices, personal digital assistants, portable computers, pen-based or keyboard-based handheld devices, remote control units, portable media players (such as an MP3 or DVD player) that have wireless communication capability and the like. Accordingly, any reference herein to the mobile telephone should also be considered to apply equally to other portable wireless electronic devices. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the stylus  100  includes a housing  10 , a shell  20  mounted in the housing  10 , a stylus body  30  rotatably mounted to one end of the shell  20 , two stopping members  40  mounted to the stylus body  30  for stopping the stylus body  30  in a retracted state  200  shown in  FIG. 3 , a first tilted state  300  shown in  FIG. 4  and a second tilted state  400  shown in  FIG. 5 . The stylus  100  further includes an elastic member  50  positioned between the stopping members  40 , and a cover  60  mounting to the stylus body  30  for shielding the stopping member  40  and the elastic member  50 . The stylus body  30  is rotatably mounted to the shell  20  by a pin  70 , and two ends of the pin  70  are retained to the housing  10  to mount the shell  20  to the housing  10 . 
         [0017]    The housing  10  is hollow, and longitudinally defines a receptacle  12  therethrogh. The housing  10  further includes two aligned retaining holes  14  defined at one end thereof. The retaining holes  14  are for retaining the pin  70  to the housing  10 . 
         [0018]    The shell  20  is tubular and has generally the same shape as, but is slightly smaller than the receptacle  12  of the housing  10  so the shell  20  can be accommodated in the receptacle  12 . The shell  20  includes a compartment  24  longitudinally defined therethrough for accommodating the stylus body  30 . One end of the shell  20  transversely defines two aligned bores  224  for retaining the pin  70  therein. When the shell  20  is located in the housing  10 , the bores  224  are aligned with the retaining holes  14 . Another end of the shell  20  defines a notch  222  therethrough to provide a tilting space for the stylus body so the stylus body  30  can tilt relative to the shell  20  (see  FIG. 4 ). Referring to  FIG. 6 , the shell  20  further defines two aligned first stopping holes  2222 , two aligned second stopping holes  2223  and two aligned third stopping holes  2224 , and the connecting line L of each first stopping hole  2222 , neighboring second stopping hole  2223  and neighboring third stopping hole  2224  is an arc centered at neighboring bore  224 . Each first stopping hole  2222  latches with one of the stopping members  40  so the stylus body  30  is held in the retracted state  200 . Each second stopping hole  2223  latches with one of the stopping members  40  so the stylus body  30  is held in the first tilted state  300 . Each third stopping hole  2224  latches with one of the stopping members  40  so the stylus body  30  is held in the second tilted state  400 . 
         [0019]    The stylus body  30  includes a body  32  and a head  34  protruding from the body  32 . The body  32  defines an orifice  324  at one end thereof and engaging around the pin  70 . When the stylus body  30  is mounted in the shell  20 , the orifice  324  is aligned with the bores  224 . The body  32  further defines a mounting groove  322  that is enclosed by two opposite sidewalls  326  and two opposite end walls  327 . The mounting groove  322  is for mounting the stopping members  40  and the elastic member  50  to the stylus body  30 . The body  32  defines two aligned openings  3262 , and each of which is defined through one of the sidewalls  326 . Each opening  3262  is for one of stopping members  40  to pass through corresponding sidewall  326 . Each sidewall  326  further defines a guiding groove  3264  communicating with corresponding opening  3262  for guiding the stopping members  40  to the openings  3262 . Each end wall  327  protrudes a hook  3272  for latching the cover  60  the stylus body  30 . 
         [0020]    The stopping members  40  are illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . The stopping members  40  are coupled between the shell  20  and the stylus body  30  for holding the stylus body  30  in the retracted state  200 , the first tilted state  300  and the second tilted state  400 . In this exemplary embodiment, each stopping member  40  includes a resisting board  42 , a stopping block  44  protruding from one side of the resisting board  42  and a retaining block  46  protruding from another side of the resisting board  42 . Each resisting board  42  resists one of sidewalls  326  to prevent the stopping members  40  from separating from the stylus body  30 . Each stopping block  44  passes through one of the openings  3262  to latch with corresponding first stopping hole  2222 , corresponding second stopping hole  2223  and corresponding third stopping hole  2224 . The retaining blocks  46  are for retaining the elastic member  50  therebetween. 
         [0021]    The cover  60  includes a plate  62  and two catches  64  bending from two opposite side of the plate  62 . Each catch  64  latches with one of hooks  3272  to retain the cover  60  to the stylus body  30 . When the cover  60  mounts to the stylus body  30 , the plate  62  resists the stopping members  40  to firmly hold the stopping members  40  in the stylus body  30 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , in assembly, two ends of the elastic member  50  are respectively wrapped around the retaining blocks  46  to hold the elastic member  50  between the stopping members  40 . The stopping members  40  are pushed toward each other so the elastic member  50  is compressed to exert elastic force on the stopping members  40 . The stopping blocks  44  respectively enter into the openings  3262  by the guiding of the guiding grooves  3264 . Then the stopping members  40  move away from each other under the elastic force of the elastic member  50 , until the resisting boards  42  resist the sidewalls  326 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the catches  64  latch with the hooks  3272  to retain the cover  60  to the stylus body  30 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  7 , the shell  20  is inserted into the receptacle  12  until the bores  224  are aligned with the retaining holes  14 . The stylus body  30  is then inserted into the compartment  24  until the orifice  324  is aligned with the bores  224  and the stopping blocks  44  latch with the first stopping holes  2222 . The pin  70  is inserted into the retaining holes  14 , the bores  224  and the orifice  324  to hold the shell  20  and the stylus body  30  in the housing  10 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-6 , in operation, the stylus body  30  rotates about the pin  70  relative to the shell  20  so the stopping blocks  44  slide out of the first stopping holes  2222  until to latch with the second stopping holes  2223 , the stylus body  30  enter into the notch  222  so the stylus body  30  is located in the first tilted state  300 . Continue to rotate the stylus body  30 , the stopping blocks  44  will slide out of the second stopping holes  2223  until to latch with the third stopping holes  2224  so the stylus body  30  is located in the second tilted state  400  for the convenience of using it. 
         [0024]    It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the exemplary invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.