Abstract:
A fixing device and an electronic device using the same are disclosed, wherein the fixing device is mounted in the electronic device&#39;s case for fixing the electronic device on a plane. The fixing device includes a suction cap, a cap cover, an elastic element, and a pressing element. The suction cap includes a suction section and a suction cap main body. The suction section has a suction surface and the body contains an accommodating area for accommodating the elastic element. The cover portion has a bottom part which is connected to a cover portion main body of the cap cover. The pressing element includes a pressing part and of which the shape matches the accommodating area. When the pressing element is pressed, the air flow within the accommodating area is blocked by the pressing part substantially.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a fixing device and an electronic device using the same; more particularly, the present invention relates to a fixing device for fixing an electronic device on a plane. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Due to size limitation, there is no built-in fixing device for a laptop computer. A user has to use an additional fixing device to fix the laptop computer, such that the laptop computer can be fixed on the plane. However, this is very inconvenient and user unfriendly. 
         [0005]    A suction cap is a common fixing device. However, in most conventional suction cap usage modes, the suction cap is fixed to a tabletop by means of changing the contact area between a suction surface and the tabletop, or changing the pressure between the suction surface and the tabletop, such that the external atmospheric pressure is greater than the atmosphere pressure between the suction surface and the tabletop. However, for such usage modes, it is required to apply a force to the suction cap in order to change the pressure or contact area between the suction surface and the tabletop, therefore this kind of suction caps need a comparatively larger working space, which is more difficult to be applied to laptop computers. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is a need to provide a fixing device and an electronic device mounted with the same to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing device for fixing an electronic device on a plane. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic device having a fixing device. 
         [0009]    To achieve the abovementioned objects, the present invention discloses a fixing device and an electronic device using the same. The fixing device is mounted in a case of the electronic device, and is used for fixing the electronic device on a plane. The fixing device comprises: a suction cap, an elastic element, a cover portion and a pressing element. The suction cap includes: a suction section and a suction cap main body, wherein the suction section has a suction surface, the suction cap main body is combined with the suction section, and the suction cap main body comprises an accommodating area. The elastic element is accommodated in the accommodating area. The cover portion includes: a bottom part and a cover portion main body, wherein the bottom part is arranged on the suction section, the cover portion main body is combined with the bottom part, and is arranged on the suction cap main body. When the pressing element is pressed, the bottom part would push against the suction section, such that the suction surface is contacted with the plane so as to squeeze out the air between the suction surface and the plane. The pressing element comprises a pressing part and of which the shape matches the accommodating area. When the pressing element is pressed, the pressing part substantially blocks the air flow from entering the accommodating area. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressing element comprises a button and the pressing part, and the button and the pressing part is combined as a whole. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, which disclose several embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the drawings are to be used for purposes of illustration only, and not as a definition of the invention. 
           [0012]    In the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a cross sectional schematic drawing of an electronic device and its fixing device when the fixing device is at a pressed position according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross sectional schematic drawing of the electronic device and the fixing device when the fixing device is not at the pressed position according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded schematic view of the fixing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic drawing of a bottom surface of the electronic device and the fixing device when the fixing device is at the pressed position according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  illustrates a schematic drawing of the bottom surface of the electronic device and the fixing device when the fixing device is not at the pressed position according to the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded schematic view of the fixing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0019]    Please refer to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , which are related to an electronic device and its fixing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1  illustrates a cross sectional schematic drawing of the electronic device and its fixing device when the fixing device is at a pressed position;  FIG. 2  illustrates a cross sectional schematic drawing of the electronic device and the fixing device when the fixing device is not at the pressed position;  FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded schematic view of the fixing device;  FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic drawing of a bottom surface of the electronic device and the fixing device when the fixing device is at the pressed position; and  FIG. 5  illustrates a schematic drawing of the bottom surface of the electronic device and the fixing device when the fixing device is not at the pressed position. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the present invention, the fixing device  1  of the present invention passes through a case  101  of the electronic device  100 , and is mounted in the case  101 , so as to fix the electronic device  100  on a plane  90 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fixing device  1  of the present invention comprises a suction cap  10 , an elastic element  20 , a cover portion  30 , a pressing element  40  and a sleeve element  50 . The suction cap  10  comprises a suction section  11 , a suction cap main body  12  and a top part  13 . The cover portion  30  comprises a bottom part  31  and a cover portion main body  32 . The pressing element  40  comprises a button  41  and a pressing part  42 . The sleeve element  50  comprises a notch  51 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the suction section  11  is approximately a disc-shaped object, and the suction section  11  has a suction surface  111 . The suction cap main body  12  is approximately a hollow cylindrical object, and comprises an accommodating area  121  as a non-limiting example. The top part  13  is approximately a flange. The suction cap main body  12  is located above the suction section  11 , and the top part  13  is located above the suction cap main body  12 . The suction section  11 , the suction cap main body  12  and the top part  13  are combined as a whole, but please note the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above description. The accommodating area  121  is capable of accommodating the elastic element  20 . The elastic element  20  of the present invention is, but not limited to, a spring. As shown in  FIG. 1 , when the elastic element  20  is pressed, the suction section  11  of the suction cap  10  would be pushed, such that the suction surface  111  would be contacted with the plane  90 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the cover portion  30  is arranged on the suction cap  10 . The bottom part  31  of the cover portion  30  is approximately a disc-shaped object, and the cover portion main body  32  is approximately a hollow cylindrical object. The cover portion main body  32  is located above the bottom part  31 , and is combined with the bottom part  31  as a whole, but please note the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above description. The cover portion main body  32  comprises a guide slot  321  and a connection slot  322 . The guide slot  321  is approximately a curve-shaped opening, and comprises a first end P 1 , a second end P 2  and a position limiting area  3211 , wherein the position limiting area  3211  is located close to one side of the first end P 1 . In this embodiment, the location of the first end P 1  is lower than the location of the second end P 2 . The connection slot  322  is approximately a rectangular opening, and is capable of accommodating the top part  13  of the suction cap  10 , so as to combine the cover portion  30  with the suction cap  10 . 
         [0023]    The pressing element  40  comprises the button  41  and the pressing part  42 , wherein the button  41  is located above the pressing part  42 . The pressing part  42  is approximately a spherical ball as a non-limiting example. The button  41  comprises a guide pin  411 . The guide pin  411  is accommodated in the guide slot  321 , and is capable of moving within the guide slot  321 . When the button  41  is pressed and therefore moves downwards, the guide pin  411  would be driven to move between the first end P 1  and the second end P 2  of the guide slot  321 . When the guide pin  411  moves to the first end P 1 , the guide pin  411  would be held within the position limiting area  3211 , and at this time the suction cap  10  is contacted with the plane  90  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). When the guide pin  411  leaves the position limiting area  3211  and moves to the second end P 2 , the suction cap  10  is departed from the plane  90  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). Therefore, according to the cooperation between the guide slot  321  and the guide pin  411 , the moving process of the button  41  can be controlled. 
         [0024]    When the button  41  is pressed and therefore moves downwards to make the guide pin  411  reach the first end P 1  of the guide slot  321 , the guide pin  411  would be held within the position limiting area  3211 , such that the button  41  would stop moving. At this time, the pressing part  42  would push against the elastic element  20 , such that the elastic element  20  would push against the suction section  11  of the suction cap  10 ; meanwhile, the cover portion  30  would move downwards to push against the suction section  11  of the suction cap  10 . Therefore, the suction surface  111  would be contacted with the plane  90 , so as to squeeze out the air between the suction surface  111  and the plane  90 . At this time, as shown in  FIG. 1 , part of the ball body of the pressing part  42  would substantially block the air flow from entering the accommodating area  121  of the suction cap main body  12 , so as to avoid adhesion degradation. As a result, the force for adhering the suction cap  10  to the plane  90  can be kept, such that the suction surface  111  can be stably fixed to the plane  90 . Please note that the pressing part  42  can be an element of any shape as long as it can block the accommodating area  121  to achieve the object of blocking the air flow from entering the suction cap  10 . 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the sleeve element  50  is approximately a hollow cylindrical object as a non-limiting example. The sleeve element  50  is arranged on the cover portion  30  and the suction cap  10 . The sleeve element  50  is combined with the case  101  via the notch  51 , such that the fixing device  1  can be stably combined with the case  101 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , when the button  41  is pressed and therefore moves downwards, the button  41  would drive the sleeve element  50  to push against the cover portion  30 , such that the cover portion  30  would push against the suction section  11 , and therefore the suction surface  111  would be contacted with the plane  90 , so as to squeeze out the air between the suction surface  111  and the plane  90 . 
         [0026]    When the fixing device  1  of the present invention needs departing from the plane  90 , the button  41  needs to be rotated so as to make the guide pin  411  leave the position limiting area  3211 . At this time, the button  41  moves upwards to the second end P 2  of the guide slot  321 , the pressing part  42  is departed from the cover portion main body  32 , and the elastic element  20  is recovered (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). At this time, the cover portion  30  is not contacted with the suction cap  10 , and the air flow would enter the suction cap  10  via the accommodating area  121 , so as to release the adhesion between the suction surface  111  and the plane  90 , such that the suction cap  10  can leave the plane  90 . 
         [0027]    Further, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , when the fixing device  1  of the present invention is pressed, part of the suction cap  10  of the fixing device  1  would be protruded from the electronic device  100 . The height of the protrusion is approximately the same as or slightly higher than the height of the footpad generally installed in the bottom of the electronic device  100 . Therefore, the fixing device  1  of the present invention not only can fix the electronic device  100 , but also can replace the footpad generally installed in the bottom of the electronic device  100 . Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5 , when the fixing device  1  of the present invention is not pressed, part of the button  41  of the fixing device  1  would be protruded from the case  101  of the electronic device  100  for facilitating a user to press the button  41 . And the suction cap  10  and the cover portion  30  would be retracted in the electronic device  100 . Please note the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above description, the button  41  and the case  101  can be positioned at the same level as well. 
         [0028]    Please refer to  FIG. 6 , which is related to the electronic device and its fixing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded schematic view of the fixing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0029]    The major difference between the fixing device  1   a  of the second embodiment and the fixing device  1  is: the button  41  and the pressing part  42   a  of the pressing element  40   a  the fixing device  1   a  of the present invention are combined as a whole, wherein the pressing part  42   a  is curve-shaped as a non-limiting example. The pressing part  42   a  is not limited to curve-shaped, the pressing part  42  can be an element of any shape as long as it can block the accommodating area  121  to achieve the object of blocking the air flow from entering the suction cap  10 . The operation process of the fixing device  1   a  is the same as the operation process of the fixing device  1 , therefore there is no need for further description. 
         [0030]    Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.