Abstract:
An electronic device assembly includes an electronic device and a bracket holding the electronic device. The bracket includes a first supporting seat defined a first receiving groove therein and a second supporting seat defined a second receiving groove therein. The first supporting seat is disengagably attachable to the second supporting seat according to either of two selectable arrangements. In a first one of the arrangements, the first receiving groove and the second receiving groove cooperatively define a first receiving chamber having a first width for holding the electronic device in a first orientation. In a second one of the arrangements, the first receiving groove and the second receiving groove cooperatively define a second receiving chamber having a second width for holding the electronic device in a second orientation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is related to a co-pending application entitled “CONSUMER ELECTRONIC PRODUCT ASSEMBLY WITH BRACKET” (attorney docket number US35792), assigned to the same assignee of this application and filed on the same date as this application. The related application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to an electronic device assembly having a bracket and an electronic device supported by the bracket. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    As electronic products continue to develop, portable AV (audiovisual) products are becoming widely used. These portable AV products include LCDs (liquid crystal displays), portable DVD (digital video disc) players, tablet PCs (personal computers), mobile phones, etc. A bracket is generally used to support the portable AV product on a desk or another kind of supporting surface. However, the bracket is secured on the portable AV product and cannot change its position with respect to the portable AV product. Such supporting of the portable AV products cannot meet consumers&#39; requirements for displaying of the video image at different orientations. 
         [0006]    It is desirable to provide an electronic device assembly with a bracket which can overcome the described limitations. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an electronic device assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but shown from another aspect. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the electronic device assembly of  FIG. 1 , wherein a two-part bracket of the electronic device assembly is assembled according to a first arrangement. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an assembled view of the electronic device assembly of  FIG. 1 , but wherein the two-part bracket of the electronic device assembly is assembled according to a second arrangement. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is similar to  FIG. 4 , but only shows the two-part bracket. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an electronic device assembly is shown. The electronic device assembly includes an electronic device  3 , and a bracket  1  holding the electronic device  3 . 
         [0013]    In the description that follows, the stated orientations of all of the elements of the electronic device assembly are with reference to the orientations of all of the elements as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0014]    The electronic device  3  is typically a portable AV device, such as an LCD, portable DVD player, tablet PC, mobile phone etc. In this embodiment, the electronic device  3  is thin and essentially rectangular. 
         [0015]    The bracket  1  includes a first supporting seat  10 , and a second supporting seat  30  removably attached to the first supporting seat  10 . 
         [0016]    The first supporting seat  10  includes a rectangular main body  11 , a supporting bar  13 , and a hollow cover  15 . A top surface of the main body  11  is longer than a left surface of the main body  11 . The supporting bar  13  is elongated and configured to support part of the electronic device  3 . The supporting bar  13  extends rightward from a bottom left corner of a front of the main body  11 . A left end of the supporting bar  13  and the left surface of the main body  11  are coplanar. An electrical connecter  131  extends from a top surface of the supporting bar  13  to electronically connect to the electronic device  3 . The cover  15  is generally rectangular, and covers a right side of the front of the main body  11 . A right end of the supporting bar  13  adjoins a left side of a bottom end of the cover  15  to form an L-shaped configuration. Top and bottom ends of the cover  15  are coplanar with top and bottom surfaces of the main body  11 , respectively. Loudspeakers  17  are arranged on the main body  11  and covered by the cover  15  to output audio signals of the electronic device  3 . 
         [0017]    The main body  11 , the supporting bar  13  and the cover  15  cooperatively define a first receiving groove  19  therebetween. The top surface of the supporting bar  13  is a first boundary  191  of the first receiving groove  19 . A left surface of the cover  15  is a second boundary  193  of the first receiving groove  19 . The first boundary  191  and the second boundary  193  are elongated and adjoin each other. The first boundary  191  is equal in width to the second boundary  193 , and is longer than the second boundary  193 . 
         [0018]    Two first latching portions  112  are defined in the top surface and left surface of the main body  11 , respectively. In this embodiment, each first latching portion  112  is a U-shaped groove. One of the first latching portions  112  is located at a front side of the top surface of the main body  11 , and extends rightwards from a middle portion of the top surface of the main body  11  to the rightmost end of the top surface of the main body  11 . The other first latching portion  112  is located at a front side of the left surface of the main body  11  and extends from a middle portion of the left surface of the main body  11  to the bottommost end of the left surface of the main body  11  (see  FIG. 2 ). Two first connecting portions  114  are formed on rear sides of the top and left surfaces of the main body  11 , respectively. In this embodiment, each first connecting portion  114  includes a rectangular hole. 
         [0019]    The second supporting seat  30  is similar to the first supporting seat  10 , and includes a rectangular main body  31 , a supporting bar  33  and a hollow cover  35 . A length of a right surface of the main body  31  is equal to that of the left surface of the main body  11  of the first supporting seat  10 . A top surface of the main body  31  is shorter than the top surface of the main body  11 . The supporting bar  33  is elongated and configured to support another part of the electronic device  3 . The supporting bar  33  extends from a bottom right corner of a front of the main body  31 . A right end of the supporting bar  13  and the right surface of the main body  31  are coplanar. The cover  35  is generally rectangular, and covers a left side of the front of the main body  31 . A left end of the supporting bar  33  adjoins a right side of a bottom end of the cover  35  to form an L-shaped configuration. Top and bottom ends of the cover  35  are coplanar with top and bottom surfaces of the main body  31 , respectively. Loudspeakers  37  are arranged on the main body  31  and covered by the cover  35  to output audio signals of the electronic device  3 . 
         [0020]    The main body  31 , the supporting bar  33  and the cover  35  cooperatively define a second receiving groove  39  therebetween. A top surface of the supporting bar  33  is a first boundary  391  of the second receiving groove  39 . A right surface of the cover  35  is a second boundary  393  of the second receiving groove  39 . The first boundary  391  and the second boundary  393  are elongated and adjoin each other. The first boundary  391  is equal in width to the second boundary  393 , and shorter than the second boundary  193 . The first boundary  391  is shorter than the first boundary  191  of the first receiving groove  19 . The second boundary  393  is equal in length to the second boundary  193  of the first receiving groove  19 . A width of the second boundary  393  is equal to that of the second boundary  193 . 
         [0021]    Two second latching portions  312  are formed on the top surface and right surface of the main body  31 , respectively. In this embodiment, each second latching portion  312  is a U-shaped plate protruding from the corresponding surface, and can be received in a corresponding first latching portion  112  of the main body  11  of the first supporting seat  10 . One of the second latching portions  312  is located at a front side of the top surface of the main body  31  and extends rightwards from the leftmost end of the top surface along a direction parallel to the first boundary  391 . The other second latching portion  312  is located at a front side of the right surface of the main body  31  and extends upwards from the bottommost end of the right surface along a direction parallel to the second boundary  393 . The second latching portion  312  at the right surface of the main body  31  corresponds to the first latching portion  112  at the left surface of the main body  11 . The second latching portion  312  at the top surface of the main body  31  corresponds to the first latching portion  112  at the top surface of the main body  11 . 
         [0022]    Two second connecting portions  314  are formed on rear sides of the top surface and right surface of the main body  31 , respectively. In this embodiment, each second connecting portion  314  is a rectangular detent that can be received in the corresponding first connecting portion  114 . In particular, the second connecting portion  314  at the right surface of the main body  31  corresponds to the first connecting portion  114  at the left surface of the main body  11 . The second connecting portion  314  at the top surface of the main body  31  corresponds to the first connecting portion  114  at the top surface of the main body  11 . A front surface of each second connecting portion  314  has elastic metallic tabs (not labeled) provided thereon, for electrically connecting with the corresponding first latching portion  112 . Thus the connection of either second connecting portion  314  with its corresponding first connecting portion  114  provides both mechanical and electrical utility. That is, the connection of the second connecting portion  314  with the first connecting portion  114  helps avoid the first and second supporting seats  10 ,  30  detaching from each other, and provides electrical connection between the first and second supporting seats  10 ,  30 . 
         [0023]    Two operating portions  316  are formed on the rear surface of the main body  31  (see  FIG. 2 ), and connect the two second connecting portions  314 , respectively. Each operating portion  316  is operated by a user to make the corresponding second connecting portion  314  retract or extend with respect to the main body  31 . 
         [0024]    When the electronic device assembly is used, the first supporting seat  10  can be engaged with the second supporting seat  30  in two different ways. This enables the electronic device  3  to be maintained in two different positions according to a user&#39;s particular requirements. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , when the bracket  1  is assembled according to a first arrangement, the second supporting seat  30  is firstly positioned adjacent to but below the first supporting seat  10 . The second latching portion  312  located at the right surface of the second supporting seat  30  is aligned with the first latching portion  112  of the left surface of the first supporting seat  10 . The second supporting seat  30  is then elevated to slidingly engage the second latching portion  312  in the first latching portion  112 . That is, the second supporting seat  30  is slid along the first latching portion  112  until fully received in the first latching portion  112 . Simultaneously, the operating portion  316  connected to the second connecting portion  314  located at the right surface of the second supporting seat  30  is manually operated so that the second connecting portion  314  retracts with respect to the right surface. When the second latching portion  312  is fully received in the first latching portion  112 , the operating portion  316  is released and the second connecting portion  314  extends and enters the corresponding first connecting portion  114  of the first supporting seat  10 . 
         [0026]    In this state, the bracket  1  is completely assembled according to the first arrangement. The top surfaces of the main bodies  10 ,  30  are coplanar. The first receiving groove  19  communicates with the second receiving groove  39 . The first receiving groove  19  and the second receiving groove  39  cooperatively define a rectangular receiving chamber  40 . The first boundary  191  of the first receiving groove  19  is located at a lateral side of and aligned with the first boundary  391  of the second receiving groove  39 . The first boundary  191  and the first boundary  391  are coplanar and cooperatively form a bottom boundary  41  of the receiving chamber  40 . The second boundaries  193 ,  393  of the first and second receiving grooves  19 ,  39  function as opposite lateral boundaries  43 ,  45  of the receiving chamber  40 , and are located at opposite sides of the bottom boundary  41 . 
         [0027]    A short side of the electronic device  3  is received in the receiving chamber  40  of the bracket  1 , with the electrical connecter  131  of the supporting bar  13  of the first supporting seat  10  engaging in the electronic device  3 . Thus, the electronic device  3  is assembled on the bracket  1 . The electronic device  3  is oriented vertically. 
         [0028]    Referring to FIGS.  1  and  4 - 5 , when the bracket  1  is assembled according to a second arrangement, firstly, the first supporting seat  10  is rotated 90° clockwise and positioned at a left side of the second supporting seat  30 . The second supporting seat  30  is rotated 90° counterclockwise until the top surfaces of the main bodies  11 ,  31  of the first and second supporting seats  10 ,  30  are parallel to each other. Then the second supporting seat  30  is positioned adjacent to but below the first supporting seat  10 . The second latching portion  312  at the top surface of the second supporting seat  30  is aligned with the first latching portion  112  at the top surface of the first supporting seat  10 . The second supporting seat  30  is then elevated to slidingly engage the second latching portion  312  in the first latching portion  112 . That is, the second supporting seat  30  is slid along the first latching portion  112  until fully received in the first latching portion  112  of the top surface of the main body  11 . Simultaneously, the operating portion  316  connected to the second connecting portion  314  located at the top surface of the second supporting seat  30  is manually operated so that the second connecting portion  314  retracts with respect to the top surface. When the second latching portion  312  is fully received in the first latching portion  112 , the operating portion  316  is released and the second connecting portion  314  extends and enters the corresponding first connecting portion  114  of the first supporting seat  10 . 
         [0029]    In this state, the bracket  1  is completely assembled according to the second arrangement. A top end of the main body  11  exceeds a top end of the main body  31 . The left surface of the main body  11  is located at a top of and parallel to the right surface of the main body  31 . The first receiving groove  19  communicates with the second receiving groove  39 . The first receiving groove  19  and the second receiving groove  39  cooperatively define a rectangular receiving chamber  50 . The second boundary  193  of the first receiving groove  19  is located at a lateral side of and aligned with the second boundary  393  of the second receiving groove  39 . The second boundary  193  and the second boundary  393  are coplanar and cooperatively form a bottom boundary  51  of the receiving chamber  50 . The first boundaries  191 ,  391  of the first and second receiving grooves  19 ,  39  function as opposite lateral boundaries  53 ,  55  of the receiving chamber  50 , and are located at opposite sides of the bottom boundary  51 . 
         [0030]    A longer side of the electronic device  3  is received in the receiving chamber  50  of the bracket  1 , with the electrical connecter  131  of the supporting bar  13  of the first supporting seat  10  engaging in the electronic device  3 . Thus, the electronic device  3  is assembled on the bracket  1 . The electronic device  3  is oriented horizontally. 
         [0031]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary embodiment(s) have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiment(s), 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 disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.