Abstract:
A method for fixing a movable module of an electronic apparatus is provided, wherein the movable module is installed inside a housing of the electronic apparatus, and the movable module moves when the electronic apparatus is in operation. The method includes providing a fixing member installed on the housing of the electronic apparatus and a positioning member installed on the electronic apparatus, and using a cushion to push the fixing member to the positioning member when the cushion is attached to the housing of the electronic apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a method for fixing a movable module of an electronic apparatus, and more specifically, to a method for preventing damage due to shaking of the movable module when carrying the electronic apparatus, and an electronic apparatus utilizing the method.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     n the latest decade, the development of computer peripherals and other electronic apparatus progresses day by day and they are utilized universally in daily life. Take a scanner as example. A scanner is a very popular electronic apparatus for scanning a document and generating corresponding data, or converting image data, such as photographs, into digital format that can be operated on and modified with a computer. In addition, the scanner may provide some additional functions such as facsimileing image data through a telephone line, or sending image data in e-mail through the Internet, or copying image data as a copy machine, or even posting converted image data on the Internet.  
         [0005]     Please refer to  FIG. 1  showing an external view of a conventional scanner  10 . The scanner  10  includes a housing  12 , a transparent platform  14 , a track  16 , a light source  20 , and a scanning module  18 . The transparent platform  14  is installed on the housing  12  for placing a document, and the scanning module  18  is installed on the track  16  and can move in either direction along the X axis for scanning the document to generate corresponding image signals. When the scanner  10  scans, the scanning module  18  moves along the track  16  to scan the document, and when the scanning is finished, the scanning module  18  moves back to a specific point A so that the scanner  10  is in idle mode.  
         [0006]     As described above, the scanning module is a main device of the scanner. However, in the conventional scanner, a device for fixing the scanning module does not exist. Therefore, when the scanner is in idle mode or not switched on, the scanning module is positioned at the specific point A, but if the scanner is shaken, the scanning module may move to a undesired place due to the absence of fixing devices. Especially when the scanner is carried, for example from a factory to a selling area, the scanner and the scanning module inside could be shaken several times, possibly damaging the scanning module or other devices of the scanner.  
         [0007]     Similarly, typical electronic apparatuses include several precision devices that cannot be shocked or shaken. Especially when an electronic apparatus has a movable module like the scanning module mentioned above, the movable module could be damaged, deviate from the normal position, or even collide with other devices. Conventionally when packaging the electronic apparatus, a cushion is attached outside of the housing of the electronic apparatus to prevent damage due to vibration. Although the cushion protects the electronic apparatus from being shaken or shocked, the movable module inside is not protected so that the movable module could slide and collide with other devices, causing damage to the devices inside the electronic apparatus.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a method for fixing a movable module of an electronic apparatus, and an electronic apparatus utilizing the method, to solve the problems mentioned above.  
         [0009]     Briefly summarized, a method for fixing a movable module of an electronic apparatus is provided. The movable module is installed inside a housing of the electronic apparatus and the movable module moves when the electronic apparatus is in operation. The method includes providing a fixing member installed on the housing of the electronic apparatus and a positioning member installed on the electronic apparatus, and using a cushion to push the fixing member to the positioning member when the cushion is attached to the housing of the electronic apparatus.  
         [0010]     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  illustrates an external view of a conventional scanner.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  illustrates an external view of a scanner according to the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the scanner along line C-C″ in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the scanner attached with a cushion along line C-C″ in  FIG.2 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  illustrates an external view of a scanner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  illustrates a partially enlarged view of a side of the scanner in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     The method according to the present invention can be applied to any kind of electronic apparatus requiring inner part fixation, especially electronic apparatuses with a movable module inside which moves along a direction when operated.  
         [0018]     The first embodiment of the present invention is a scanner. Please refer to  FIG. 2 , showing an external view of a scanner  30  according to the present invention, and  FIG. 3 , showing a cross-sectional view of the scanner  30  along line C-C″ in  FIG. 2 . The scanner  30  includes a housing  32 , a transparent platform  34 , a track  36 , a scanning module  38 , and four footpads  40 . The transparent platform  34  is installed on the housing  32  for placing documents, and the footpads  40 , are installed under the housing  32  for stability and support of the scanner  30 . The track  36  is installed inside of the housing  32  along a longer side of the housing  32  and the scanning module  38  is installed on the track  36  to be perpendicular to the track  36 . When the scanner  30  operates, the scanning module  38  moves along a direction of the Y axis to scan the document. After scanning is finished, the scanning module  38  moves back to point B.  
         [0019]     The scanning module  38  further includes a positioning member  42 , and a fixing member  44  is installed on a position opposite to the positioning member  42  on the housing  32 . As shown in  FIG.3 , in this embodiment, the positioning member  42  is a recess, and the fixing member  44  is a tip with a protrusion D that can fit in the recess. When the protrusion D fits into the recess, the scanning module  38  can be locked and fixed on point B. The scanner  30  in  FIG. 3  is under normal condition or idle mode (not carried). In this situation, the fixing member  44  protrudes from the housing  32  due to its weight, and the protrusion D does not attach the scanning module  38 . Under this condition, the fixing member  44  does not interrupt the movement of the scanning module  38 .  
         [0020]     Please refer to FIG. 4  showing a cross-sectional view of the scanner  30  attached with a cushion  46  along line C-C″ in  FIG.2 . When carrying the scanner  30 , the cushion  46  is attached to the scanner to prevent vibration and collision. The cushion  46  is generally made of materials such as styrene foam. While being carried, the scanner  30  is not switched on so that the scanning module  38  is located at point B. The position of the fixing member  44  corresponds to the position of the positioning member  42  of the scanning module  38  when stopped at point B as shown in  FIG. 4 . When the cushion  46  is attached to the scanner  30 , the fixing member  44  is pushed by the cushion  46  to move upwards, so that the protrusion D is inserted into the positioning member  42  to lock on the scanning module  38 . After the cushion  46  is detached, the fixing member  44  will return to its original position so that the scanning module  38  can operate.  
         [0021]     In this embodiment, the fixing member  44  protrudes from the housing  32  under normal condition. In order to ensure the fixing member  44  returns to its original position after the cushion  46  is detached, an elastomer such as a rubber ring or a spring can be installed on the fixing member  44  to pull it to the original position shown in FIG. 3  by elasticity. Moreover, the positioning member  42  and the fixing member  44  can be designed in other ways. For example, the positioning member  42  and the fixing member  44  can be hooks to engage each other when the cushion  46  is attached on, in order to lock the scanning module  38 .  
         [0022]     A typical electronic apparatus has a connecting port for exchanging data with other electronic apparatuses, e.g. a scanner can have USB ports for connecting to other printers or computers. These connecting ports may be installed on the housing of the electronic apparatus without any cover allowing dust to enter the electronic apparatus. The second embodiment of the present invention provides a protection to the connecting port of the electronic apparatus being carried. In this embodiment, a scanner is also used as an example.  
         [0023]     Please refer to  FIG. 5  showing an external view of a scanner  60  according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 6  showing a partially enlarged view of a side of the scanner  60  in  FIG. 5 . The scanner  60  includes a housing  62 , a transparent platform  64  installed on the housing  62 , a track  66  installed inside the housing  62 , a scanning module  68  connected to the track  66 , a fixing device  70 , and a plurality of connecting ports  72  installed alongside of the housing  62 . When the scanner  60  operates, the scanning module  68  moves along direction Z, and after scanning is finished, the scanning module  38  moves back to point E. The fixing device  70  is installed on a side of the housing  62  under the connecting ports  72 .  
         [0024]     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the fixing device includes a slide bar  70 A, a hook  70 B, and an elastic device  70 C. The slide bar  70 A is on the surface of a side of the housing  62 , the hook  70 B is inside the housing  62  and connected to the elastic device  70 C. A fixing device  68 A corresponding to the hook  70 B is installed on the scanning module  68 . When a cushion  74  is attached to the scanner  60  upwards along direction Z in  FIG. 5 , the cushion  74  pushes the slide bar  70 A upwards along direction Z and the hook  70 B is moved along with the slide bar  70 A toward the fixing device  68 A to clip on the fixing device  68 A and lock on the scanning module  68 . Meanwhile, the slide bar  70 A covers the connecting ports  72 , protecting the connecting ports  72  from dust. And when the cushion  72  is detached from the scanner  60 , the fixing device  70  will be released with help of the elastic device  70 C and separated from the fixing device  68 A to return to the original position, so that the scanning module  68  can move normally, and the uncovered connecting port  72  is capable of transmitting data.  
         [0025]     In contrast to the prior art, the method for fixing a movable module of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention is accompanied with a conventional cushion that can lock on inner devices of the electronic apparatus so that the devices can be protected from deviation or collision due to movement of tthe electronicapparatus. The method according to the present invention does not require any change in the conventional cushion. After the cushion is removed, the movable module will be unlocked. Thus, other designs similar to the present invention for preventing deviation of a movable module also belong to the range of the present invention.  
         [0026]     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.