Abstract:
A mounting apparatus, able to maintain the relative position of a camera during rotations between portrait and landscape presentations of an electronic device, includes a camera. The mounting apparatus is mounted to an electronic device, which has a display screen. When the electronic device is rotated from a first presentation state to a second presentation state, the camera remains in position above the display screen.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application No. 105116075, filed on May 24, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to camera mountings. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Cameras are mounted above display screens of electronic devices, for example computers, to capture images. When the electronic device rotates from a vertical screen mode to a landscape mode, the existing camera rotates from a position above the display screen to a position on the left or on the right of the display screen. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a camera mounting apparatus mounted on an electronic device in a first state. 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , the electronic device being in a second state. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the camera mounting apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the camera mounting apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ., with a rear cover omitted. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the camera mounting apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 ., with the rear cover omitted. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. 
     The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series, and the like. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a camera mounting apparatus  100  mounted to an electronic device  200 , the electronic device  200  including a display screen  80 . The camera mounting apparatus  100  includes a camera  20  for capture images. When the electronic device  200  rotates from an exemplary first placement state as in  FIG. 1  to an exemplary second placement state as in  FIG. 2 , the camera  20  remains in position above the display screen  80  even though the display screen  80  has been rotated to the left side or the right side for ninety degrees. 
     The electronic device  200  further includes a frame  82  surrounding the display screen  80 . The frame  82  includes a first wall  84 , a second wall  86  and a third wall  88 . The second wall  86  and the third wall  88  are attached to two ends of the first wall  84 .  FIGS. 3 to 5  illustrate that the camera mounting apparatus  100  further includes a housing  22  for receiving the camera  20 , a rotatable member  30 , and a fastening member  50 . The rotatable member  30  is rotatably attached to the fastening member  50  and is mounted to the electronic device  200 . When the electronic device  200  is rotated, the rotatable member  30  and the electronic device  200  both rotate relatively to the fastening member  50 . The rotatable member  30  includes a shaft  32 . The fastening member  50  defines a shaft hole  52 . The shaft  32  is rotatably received in the shaft hole  52  and is mounted to the electronic device  200 . The shaft  32  and a rear shell  81  of the electronic device  200  define a number of first fixing holes (not labeled) and a number of second fixing holes (not labeled) aligned with the first fixing holes. A number of screws are screwed in the first fixing holes and the second fixing holes to mount the rotatable member  30  to the electronic device  200 . In another embodiment, the shaft  32  is magnetic. A part of the rear shell  81  facing the shaft  32  is also magnetic. The shaft  32  and the rear shell  81  are attracted to each other by magnetic force to mount the rotatable member  30  to the electronic device  200 . 
     The rotatable member  30  defines a first location groove  36 , a second location groove  38 , and a third location groove  40 . The second location groove  38  and the third location groove  40  are located at two sides of the first location groove  36 . The rotatable member  30  includes a first rail  42  connected to the first location groove  36  and the second location groove  38 , and a second rail  44  connected to the first location groove  36  and the third location groove  40 . The first rail  42  and the second rail  44  have arced surfaces. A length of the first wall  84  is greater than that of the second wall  86  and the third wall  88 . The arced surfaces protrude toward the camera  20 . 
     The fastening member  50  includes a front cover  58  and a rear cover (not shown). The front cover  58  is mounted to the rear cover to form a receiving space  56 . An end of the front cover  58  defines a gap  57 . The gap  57  is in air communication with the receiving space  56 . The housing  22  is received in the receiving space  56  and slides in the gap  57 . 
     A rolling member  70  is mounted to an end of the housing  22  away from the camera  20 . The housing  22  includes a first shell  24  and a second shell  26  mounted to the first shell  24 . Two protrusion pieces  25  respectively extend from an end of the first shell  24  and an end of the second shell  26  away from the camera  20 . Each protrusion piece  25  defines a through hole  27 . In  FIG. 1 , the rolling member  70  includes a wheel  72  and a fastening shaft  74  passing through the wheel  72 . The fastening shaft  74  is received in the two through holes  27 . The wheel  72  is positioned between the two protrusion pieces  25 . The wheel  72  can roll on the fastening shaft  74 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment as shown in  FIG. 4 , when the first wall  84  is horizontal, the rolling member  70  locks in the first location groove  36  and the camera  20  is thereby positioned above the first wall  84 . In  FIG. 4 , when the electronic device  200  is rotated in a first direction M in the plane of the display screen  80 , the rolling member  70  rolls along the first rail  42  to drive the housing  22  to slide in a direction perpendicular in the gap  57 . The electronic device  200  can be rotated until the first wall  84  is vertical as shown in  FIG. 5 , the rolling member  70  is then locked in the second location groove  38 . The camera  20  is thereby positioned above the second wall  86 , the second wall  86  now being horizontal. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, when the first wall  84  is horizontal and the electronic device  200  is rotated in a second direction N which is the opposite of the first direction in the plane of the display screen  80 , the rolling member  70  rolls along the second rail  44  to drive the housing  22  to slide in a direction perpendicular in the gap  57 . The electronic device  200  can be rotated until the first wall  84  is again vertical, however, the first wall  84  in the instant embodiment is substantially rotated to another direction with respect to the camera  20 , the rolling member  70  is then locked in the third location groove  40  and the camera  20  being positioned above the now-horizontal third wall  88 . 
     The second wall  86  and the third wall  88  are connected and are perpendicular to the first wall  84 . The second location groove  38  and the third location groove  40  are symmetrically positioned on two sides of the first location groove  36 . A plan view of the respective centers of the first, second, and third location grooves  36 ,  38 , and  40  reveals an isosceles triangle. When the first wall  84  is parallel to the horizontal plane, the camera  20  is positioned above the first wall  84 . When the electronic device  200  rotates 90 degrees toward the first direction M, the camera  20  is positioned above the second wall  86 . When the electronic device  200  rotates 90 degrees toward the second direction N, the camera  20  is positioned above the third wall  88 . 
     The camera mounting apparatus  100  further includes two tension springs  62 . The ends of the two tension springs  62  are mounted at opposite sides of the housing  22 , and the other ends of the two tension springs  62  are mounted to the fastening member  50 . When a user rotates the electronic device  200 , the two tension springs  62  provide resistance and feedback as to the location of the housing  22 . 
     In  FIG. 3 , the front cover  58  forms a number of first beveled protrusions  64  surrounding the shaft hole  52 . The camera mounting apparatus  100  further includes a leaf spring  76 . The leaf spring  76  includes a number of second beveled protrusions  78  substantially matching the shapes of the first beveled protrusions  64 . The leaf spring  76  is mounted to the rotatable member  30  and surrounds the rotation shaft  32 . The second beveled protrusions  78  abut the first beveled protrusions  64 . When the rotatable member  30  rotates following the electronic device  200 , the second beveled protrusions  78  provide resistance to prevent unwanted rotations by the electronic device  200 . 
     A number of fastening pillars (not labeled) are mounted to a side of the rotatable member  30  away from the rotation shaft  32 . The camera mounting apparatus  100  further includes a wire spring  75 . The wire spring  75  defines a number of installing holes (not labeled). The fastening pillars are received in the installing holes to fix the wire spring  75  to the rotatable member  30 . The wire spring  75  further defines a first restriction groove  71  and a second restriction groove  79 . The first restriction groove  71  and the second restriction groove  79  are symmetrically positioned at two sides of the rotation shaft  32 . The first restriction groove  71  is positioned at a side of the rotation shaft  32  away from the second location groove  38 . The second restriction groove  79  is positioned at a side of the rotation shaft  32  away from the third location groove  40 . The front cover  58  includes a location pillar  77  positioned below the shaft hole  52 . When the rolling member  70  locks in the second location groove  38  as shown in  FIG. 5 , the location pillar  77  is received in the first restriction groove  71  and the wire spring  75  prevents the rotation of the rotatable member  30 . Similarly, when the rolling member  70  locks in the third location groove  40 , the location pillar  77  is received in the second restriction groove  79  and the wire spring  75  prevents the rotation of the rotatable member  30 . 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous descriptions and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.