Abstract:
A protective carrying apparatus for a portable keyboard unit and a portable electronic device includes a case unit and a portable keyboard unit accommodated therein. The case unit has a first accommodating portion for accommodating the portable electronic device and a second accommodating portion having at least a magnetic coupler. The portable keyboard unit includes a magnetic member that can be selectively coupled to the magnetic coupler of the second accommodating portion of the case unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is related to a portable keyboard and electronic device carrying case, and more particular to a protective carrying apparatus having magnetic fixing mechanism for securely accommodating a detachable keyboard unit and a portable electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Most portable electronic devices, such as tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), and mobile phones, have touch screens. Because a touch screen is a delicate piece of equipment that is easily damaged, specialized case units (such as leather cases) are designed to provide protection for the sophisticated electronic devices and their touch screens. 
         [0005]    Although the modem touch screen devices are more intuitive and convenient to operate in comparison to conventional human interface devices (HID) such as keyboards, there remains the need for traditional HIDs particularly when extensive textual inputs are required. Thus, most portable electronic devices are designed to be adaptable with external operating input devices, such as external keyboards, when extensive data inputs are required. However, conventional case units for the portable devices are often designed with compactness in mind and cannot accommodate an additional input device, such as an external keyboard. Thus, the add-on keyboard has to be stored and carried separately from the portable electronic device, causing inconvenience to the device user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The object of the invention is to provide a carrying case of a keyboard and a portable electronic device, including a case unit and a portable keyboard unit accommodated therein. The case unit comprises a first accommodating portion for accommodating a portable electronic device and a second accommodating portion having a magnetic coupler. The keyboard unit is detachably disposed in the second accommodating portion and may be electrically connected to the portable electronic device. The portable keyboard unit includes a magnetic member disposed thereon. The portable keyboard unit can be selectively coupled to the second accommodating portion of the case unit through the attraction force between the magnetic member of the keyboard unit and the magnetic coupler of the case unit. 
         [0007]    The other object of the invention is to provide a carrying case for a keyboard and a portable electronic device, including a case unit having a first accommodating portion accommodating a portable electronic device and a second accommodating portion and a detachable keyboard unit disposed in the second accommodating portion and electrically connected to the portable electronic device, wherein at least one magnetic member is disposed on the second accommodating portion, and an magnetic coupler is disposed in the keyboard unit, the magnetic member attracts the magnetic coupler so that the keyboard unit is detachably disposed in the second accommodating portion. 
         [0008]    The carrying case of the invention can accommodate keyboard and portable electronic device. It is easy to carry the keyboard along with the portable electronic device. 
         [0009]    For further understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description illustrating the embodiments and examples of the present invention. The description is for illustrative purpose only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claim. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the first embodiment of a carrying case for a keyboard and a portable electronic device of the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the second embodiment of a carrying case for a keyboard and a portable electronic device of the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the third embodiment of a carrying case for a keyboard and a portable electronic device of the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the fourth embodiment of a carrying case for a keyboard and a portable electronic device of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the fifth embodiment of a carrying case for a keyboard and a portable electronic device of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The First Embodiment 
       [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a keyboard unit  50  and a portable electronic device  7  are accommodated in a case unit  10 . The case unit  10  has a first accommodating portion  12  and a second accommodating portion  14  opposite to the first accommodating portion  12 . The portable electronic device  7  is accommodated in the first accommodating portion  12 . The keyboard unit  50  is detachably disposed in the second accommodating portion  14 . When the portable keyboard unit  50  is used, the keyboard unit  50  can be fixed to the accommodating portion  14 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  can be detached from the second accommodating portion  14 . The keyboard unit  50  could be electrically connected to the portable electronic device  7  by means of wireless connection, such as Bluetooth, or by wire. 
         [0016]    A magnetic member, such as a plate-shaped magnet  52  is disposed in the keyboard unit  50  in this embodiment. A magnetic coupler, such as an iron plate  18  is disposed in the second accommodating portion  14 . The keyboard unit  50  is fixed to the second accommodating portion  14  by means of the magnet  52  attracting the iron plate  18 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  can be pulled to separate from the second accommodating portion  14 . 
       The Second Embodiment 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , similar to the first embodiment, the keyboard unit  50  and the portable electronic device  7  are accommodated in the case unit  10 . 
         [0018]    Similar to the first embodiment, two stripped magnets  54  are disposed on the bottom of the keyboard unit  50  near the lateral sides of the keyboard unit  50 . An iron plate  18  is disposed in the second accommodating portion  14 . The keyboard unit  50  is fixed to the second accommodating portion  14  by means of the magnets  54  attracting the iron plate  18 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  can be pulled to separate from the second accommodating portion  14 . 
       The Third Embodiment 
       [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , similar to the first embodiment, the keyboard unit  50  and the portable electronic device  7  are accommodated in the case unit  10 . 
         [0020]    The structure of the third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments. An iron plate  56  having area substantially equal to the bottom of the keyboard unit  50  are disposed on the bottom of the keyboard unit  50 . A plurality of circular magnets  16  is disposed in the second accommodating portion  14 . There are four circular magnets  16  disposed on four corner of the second accommodating portion  14 . The keyboard unit  50  is fixed to the second accommodating portion  14  by means of the magnets  16  attracting the iron plate  56 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  can be pulled to separate from the second accommodating portion  14 . 
         [0021]    In the structure of the third embodiment, since the magnets  16  are disposed on the four corners of the second accommodating portion  14 , attractive force is large, the keyboard unit  50  is stably fixed to the second accommodating portion  14 . It is not easy to detach the keyboard unit  50 . 
       The Fourth Embodiment 
       [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , similar to the described embodiments, a keyboard unit  50  and a portable electronic device  7  are accommodated in a case unit  10 . The case unit  10  has a first accommodating portion  12  and a second accommodating portion  14  opposite to the first accommodating portion  12 . In this embodiment, the first accommodating portion  12  includes a bag-shaped structure defining a receiving space. The outer surface of the first accommodating portion  12  forms the second accommodating portion  14 . The first accommodating portion  12  and the second accommodating portion  14  are overlapped. The keyboard unit  50  is detachably disposed in the second accommodating portion  14 . When the keyboard unit  50  is used, the keyboard unit  50  is fixed in the second accommodating portion  14 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  is pulled to separate from the second accommodating portion  14 . 
         [0023]    A plate-shaped magnet  52  is disposed in the keyboard unit  50 . An iron plate  18  is disposed the second accommodating portion  14 . The keyboard unit  50  is fixed to the second accommodating portion  14  by means of the magnets  52  attracting the iron plate  18 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  can be pulled to separate from the second accommodating portion  14 . 
         [0024]    When the portable electronic device  7  is not used, it can be accommodated in the first accommodating portion  12 . When the portable electronic device  7  is used, it can be pulled out and the keyboard unit  50  is fixed to the second accommodating portion  14 . 
         [0025]    Although the magnet  54  is disposed in the keyboard unit  50  and the iron plate  18  is disposed in the second accommodating portion  14 , it is not limited to the structure. It is possible that the stripped magnets  54  are disposed in the keyboard unit  50  or the magnets  16  are disposed in the second accommodating portion  14 , and correspondingly the iron plate  18  is disposed in the second accommodating portion  14  or the iron plate  56  is disposed in the keyboard unit  50 . 
       The Fifth Embodiment 
       [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , a keyboard unit  50  and a portable electronic device  7  are accommodated in a case unit  20 . The case unit  20  has a first accommodating portion  22  and a second accommodating portion  24  opposite to the first accommodating portion  22 . In this embodiment, the first accommodating portion  22  is a bag-shaped compartment. The outer surface of the first accommodating portion  22  forms the second accommodating portion  24 . The first accommodating portion  22  and the second accommodating portion  24  are overlapped. The keyboard unit  50  is detachably disposed in the second accommodating portion  24 . When the keyboard unit  50  is used, the keyboard unit  50  is fixed in the second accommodating portion  24 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  is pulled to separate from the second accommodating portion  24 . 
         [0027]    A plate-shaped magnet  52  is disposed in the keyboard unit  50 . An iron plate  128  is disposed the second accommodating portion  24 . The keyboard unit  50  is fixed to the second accommodating portion  24  by means of the magnets  52  attracting the iron plate  28 . When the keyboard unit  50  is not used, the keyboard unit  50  can be pulled to separate from the second accommodating portion  24 . 
         [0028]    When the portable electronic device  7  is not used, it can be accommodated in the first accommodating portion  22 . When the portable electronic device  7  is used, it can be pulled out to reveal the screen  6  and the keyboard unit  50  is fixed to the second accommodating portion  24 . 
         [0029]    Although the magnet  54  is disposed in the keyboard unit  50  and the iron plate  28  is disposed in the second accommodating portion  24 , it is not limited to the structure. It is possible that a magnet is disposed in the second accommodating portion  24  and correspondingly an iron plate is disposed in the second accommodating portion  24 . 
         [0030]    In the described embodiments, the case unit  10  can be made of animal leather or artificial leather. The keyboard unit  50  can be made of plastic or silicon gel. 
         [0031]    The carrying case of the invention can accommodate keyboard and portable electronic device. It is easy to carry the keyboard along with the portable electronic device. 
         [0032]    The description above only illustrates specific embodiments and examples of the present invention. The present invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the present invention, provided they fall within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following appended claims.