Abstract:
An apparatus for mounting in a secure manner a stylus pen in an information device, in which there are a casing and the stylus pen. A guide unit having an inlet and an outlet is configured to have an opened top at the inlet and a closed bottom at the outlet, extended along a length direction of the casing, for accommodating the stylus pen.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to the earlier filing date of a Korean Patent Application filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Aug. 22, 2011 and assigned Serial No. 10-2011-0083332, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an information device, and more particularly, to an apparatus for mounting a stylus pen used to input data to an information device. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    An information device according to the present invention is typically a portable device such as a cellular phone, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a smart phone, a smart pad, a Personal Digital Assistant PDA, etc.). Such a portable device is provided with an information input/output unit like a touch screen. A user inputs information by touching the touch screen with his or her fingers or a stylus pen. The widely used stylus pen is carried with the portable device, strapped to the portable device or detachably mounted to the portable device. 
         [0006]    Prior art stylus mounting devices are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1999-28891, Korea Registered Utility Model No. 0148909, Korea Patent Publication No. 2010-88487, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,471. 
         [0007]    A prior art stylus pen mounting apparatus in a prior art information device is shown with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
         [0008]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a battery pack (in the interest of clarity, not shown) is detachably mounted to a casing  50  of a portable information device. A stylus pen  51  is inserted into or removed from the casing  50 . A guide unit  52  is formed to allow insertion or removal of the stylus pen  51  into or from the casing  50 . The guide unit  52  includes a plurality of guide holders, specifically an upper-end guide holder  524 , an upper guide holder  525 , and a lower-end guide holder  526  and a plurality of guide openings, specifically an upper-end guide opening  521 , an upper guide opening  522 , and a lower-end guide opening  523 . The guide unit  52  is linearly extended along a length direction of a side surface of the casing  50 , with the upper-end guide opening  521 , the upper guide opening  522 , and the lower-end guide opening  523  exposed to the outside. That is, the inside and outside of the casing  50  spatially communicates with each other by means of the three guide openings  521 ,  522  and  523 . In addition, the upper-end guide holder  524 , the upper guide holder  525 , and the lower-end guide holder  526  are provided respectively beside the upper-end guide opening  521 , the upper guide opening  522 , and the lower-end guide opening  523 , for keep the inserted stylus pen  51  secured in the guide unit  52 .  FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the stylus pen  51  inserted into the casing  50 . 
         [0009]    Due to the nature of mold fabrication for forming the casing, the guide unit for allowing the stylus pen to be inserted into or removed from the information device is configured to have a plurality of guide openings and a plurality of guide holders. 
         [0010]    If the guide unit has a configuration with upper-end, upper, and lower-end guide openings and upper-end, upper, and lower-end guide holders formed in the casing, the gaps between the openings and the holders are exposed to the outside and thus introduce foreign material into the casing. 
         [0011]    Especially, water may be introduced into the casing. If an additional attachment is used to close the gaps, product cost increases and an assembly process is degraded. 
         [0012]    In the case where a spring (not shown) is installed in the guide unit to keep the stylus pen secured stably and enable smooth insertion and removal of the stylus pen, the use of the spring also increases the product cost and degrades the assembly process. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    An aspect of the present invention is to address at least the problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a stylus pen mounting apparatus for enabling stable insertion and removal of a stylus pen in an information device. 
         [0014]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a stylus pen mounting apparatus for preventing introduction of foreign materials into a casing through a guide unit in an information device. 
         [0015]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a stylus pen mounting apparatus for, keeping the stylus pen secured stably when a stylus pen is completely inserted in the mounting apparatus, using elastic force of an elastic member in an information device. 
         [0016]    A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a stylus pen mounting apparatus with a guide unit having simplified outward appearance in an information device. 
         [0017]    In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for mounting a stylus pen in an information device, in which there are a casing and the stylus pen, a guide unit having an inlet and an outlet, configured to have an opened top at said inlet and a closed bottom at said outlet, extended along a length direction of the casing, which accommodates the stylus pen. 
         [0018]    In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for mounting a stylus pen in an information device, in which there are a casing and the stylus pen, a guide unit has an inlet and an outlet, is configured to have an opened top at said inlet and a closed bottom at said outlet, extended along a length direction of the casing, which accommodates the stylus pen, and an elastic member mounted to the outlet of the guide unit, for forming the closed bottom of the outlet, for separating the guide unit from the interior of the casing and for keeping the stylus pen secured. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    The above features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a guide unit in a casing of a prior art information device; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an enlarged important part of the guide unit in the casing of the prior art information device; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are perspective views of a stylus pen mounted to the casing of the prior art information device, illustrating the outside and inside of the casing, respectively; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating a guide unit in a casing of an information device according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating an enlarged part of a portion of the guide unit in the casing of the information device according to the embodiment of present invention shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a stylus pen inserted into the guide unit in the casing of the information device according to the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a frontal view illustrating the stylus pen to be inserted into or removed from the guide unit according to the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view illustrating an elastic member provided in an outlet of the guide unit according to the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view illustrating a lower end portion of the stylus pen inserted into the elastic member according to the present invention; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a sectional view illustrating interaction between a guide in the guide unit and the stylus pen according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0030]    Throughout the drawings, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features and structures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purposes of clarity and simplicity, a detailed description of a generally known function and structure of the present invention will be avoided lest it should obscure the subject matter of the present invention. 
         [0032]    The configuration of a stylus pen mounting apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In these drawings, like reference numerals denote the same components. 
         [0033]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , the configuration of the stylus pen mounting apparatus according to the present invention will be described below.  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  illustrate the stylus pen mounting apparatus used in an information device. The information device may be, for example, a smart phone which has recently become very popular, a tablet PC, or a laptop computer. In  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the X axis represents a length direction (latitudinal direction) of a casing  10 . Specifically, +X axis represents a direction in which a stylus pen  40  is inserted and −X axis represents a direction in which the stylus pen  40  is removed. Y axis represents a thickness direction of the casing  10 . Specifically, +Y axis represents an upward direction of a guide unit  20  provided in the casing  10  and −Y axis represents a downward direction of the guide unit  20 . The +Z axis represents a longitudinal direction of the casing  10 . 
         [0034]    The stylus pen mounting apparatus is mounted in the casing  10 , particularly a lower casing of the information device in view of the external design of the information device. The stylus pen mounting apparatus is disposed at a predetermined position of the casing  10 , spatially fully isolated from the interior of the casing  10  to prevent introduction of external foreign materials into the casing  10  and keep the stylus pen  40  secured stably. The stylus pen mounting apparatus includes the casing  10 , the stylus pen  40 , the guide unit  20 , and an elastic member  30 . 
         [0035]    The guide unit  20  provides a path in which the stylus pen  40  is inserted or removed and stably accommodates the stylus pen  40 . The guide unit  20  includes an inlet  21  corresponding to an upper end area and an outlet  22  corresponding to a lower end area. The top of the guide unit  20  is opened (in the +Y axis direction) and its bottom is closed (in the −Y axis direction), extended along the length (X) direction of the casing  10 . Since the bottom of the guide unit  20  is closed, the guide unit  20  is completely spatially isolated from the interior of the casing  10 . Therefore, it is impossible for external foreign materials to be introduced into the casing  10  through the guide unit  20 . Considering the lower casing  10  of the information device is vulnerable to introduction of foreign materials while the information device is held in a user&#39;s hand or pouch, carried in a bag, or placed on a table, the stylus pen mounting apparatus of the present invention is preferably mounted in the lower casing  10 . 
         [0036]    The inlet  21  and the outlet  22  keep the stylus pen  40  secured by locking an upper portion and a lower end portion of the stylus pen  40  inserted into the guide unit  20 . The inlet  21  is provided with a guide  23  surrounding the outer circumferential surface of a predetermined upper area of the inserted stylus pen  40 . The guide  23  is extended perpendicularly to the length direction of the guide unit  20  (i.e. in the Z axis direction), for securing the upper portion of the inserted stylus pen  40 . The outlet  22  is engaged with the later-described elastic member  30 , for securing the lower end portion of the stylus pen  40 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of the stylus pen  40  according to the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 8 , the stylus pen  40  includes a head  41 , a body  42 , and a lower end portion  43 . The head  41  is non-cylindrical, the body  42  is cylindrical, and the lower end portion  43  is substantially conical. When the stylus pen  40  is completely inserted into the guide unit  20 , the non-cylindrical head  41  is positioned at the inlet  21  of the guide unit  20 , non-rotatably. That is, the head  41  is shaped roughly into a hexahedron and a second catching protrusion  44  interworks with a first catching protrusion during insertion of removal of the stylus pen  40 . When the stylus pen  40  is completely inserted, the lower end portion  43  is inserted into the later-described elastic member  30  and kept secured. The second catching protrusion  44  is formed on an upper outer circumferential surface of the stylus pen  40 , protruding in an outer circumferential direction. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the elastic member  30  is engaged with the outlet  22 , thus closing the guide unit  20  from the interior of the casing  10 . This elastic member  30  functions to keep the inserted stylus pen  40  secured stably without movement. The elastic member  30  is formed of highly elastic rubber, including an elastic body  31 , an engagement portion  32 , a catching portion  33 , and a holder  34 . The engagement portion  32  is extended from one end portion of the elastic body  31  and inserted into the outlet  22 . The inserted engagement portion  32  is positioned inside the casing  10 . At least one catching portion  33  is provided in the elastic body  31 , for securing the elastic body  30  in the outlet  22 . The engagement portion  32  and the catching portion  33  fix the elastic member  30  firmly in the outlet  22 . The holder  34  is recessed into a surface of the elastic body  31  opposite to the engagement portion  32 , for allowing the lower end portion  43  of the stylus pen  40  to be elastically inserted thereinto and keeping the lower end portion  43  fixed. 
         [0039]    In addition, when the stylus pen  40  is fully inserted, the elastic member  30  absorbs an insertion impact so that the user may stably insert or remove the stylus pen  40 . 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 11 , a device is further provided between the guide  23  and the stylus pen  40  to prevent the stylus pen  40  from getting out of place. The device includes the first and second catching protrusions  23   a  and  44 . The first catching protrusion  23   a  protrudes downward from an inner surface of the guide  23  provided in a predetermined area of the guide unit  20 . As described before, the second catching protrusion  44  protrudes in the outer circumferential direction from the upper outer circumferential surface of the stylus pen  40 . As the stylus pen  40  is inserted or removed, the stylus pen  40  moves back and forth along the guide unit  20 , not getting out of place due to interworking between the first and second catching protrusions  23   a  and  44 . Obviously, the afore-described elastic member  30  also keeps the inserted stylus pen  40  secured at the position where it is inserted. 
         [0041]    As is apparent from the above description, since the guide unit of the present invention is adopted in an information device, it prevents introduction of foreign materials into the casing. Especially, the guide unit is simplified in structure and thus also simplified in outward design. Furthermore, the present invention provides a stable, simplified stylus pen mounting structure using an elastic member. 
         [0042]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims