Abstract:
An electronic device, which is capable of multidirectional rotation, includes a connecting unit, which has a connecting portion at one end detachably connectable to an external electronic device and a spherical ball socket at an opposite end, and a body unit having a housing and an electronic circuit assembly mounted inside the housing. The housing has a coupling structure that receives the spherical ball socket for allowing rotation of the spherical ball socket relative to the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to electronic devices and more specifically, to an electronic device capable of multidirectional rotation. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     When electrically connecting a first electronic device to a second electronic device, the first electronic device may be required to be rotatable relative to the second electronic device to fit the surroundings. 
     Conventionally, the transmission of signal adopts the stable wired signal transmitting method. However, following fast development of wireless transmission technology, wireless signal transmitting methods have been intensively used in electronic devices to substitute for the conventional wired signal transmitting method. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,075 discloses a rotatable folding-type wireless network card that allows angular adjustment in two directions to adjust the antenna to an optimum receiving position. According to this design, a female connecting portion is coupled to a male connecting portion for allowing rotation in a first direction within 90°, and a shaft connects the male connecting portion to the antenna for biasing in a second direction. This complicated coupling structure uses too many parts, resulting in a complicated installation procedure and a high manufacturing cost. Further, the complicated two-step adjustment procedure of adjusting the antenna to the desired angle is still not convenient to the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a multidirection rotatable electronic device, which uses a single coupling structure to achieve multidirectional rotation adjustment, thereby saving component parts and cost. 
     To achieve this object of the present invention, the electronic device comprises a connecting unit having a connecting portion, which is disposed at one end thereof and connectable to an external electronic device, and a pivoting portion having substantially a spherical contour disposed an opposite end thereof, and a body unit. The body unit includes a housing and an electronic circuit assembly mounted inside the housing. The housing has a coupling structure for receiving the pivoting portion of the connecting unit for allowing rotation of the pivoting portion of the connecting unit relative to the housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  corresponds to  FIG. 1 , showing a part of the electronic device assembled. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective assembly view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view in section of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view in section of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing showing one adjustment example of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic drawing showing another adjustment example of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an exploded view of a part of an alternate form of the electronic device according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1–5 , a multidirection rotatable electronic device in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a connecting unit  10  and a body unit  20 . 
     The connecting unit  10  comprises a connecting member  11  and an adapter  12 . The connecting member  11  has a front connecting portion  13  made in the form of, for example, a USB (universal serial bus) plug, and a rear mounting portion  14  at the back side of the front connecting portion  13 . The adapter  12  is comprised of a coupling member  16  and a limiter  17 . The coupling member  16  is formed of two symmetrical half shells  161  and  162 , having a hollow base  163 , a pivoting portion  164  backwardly extending from the back side of the base  163 , an accommodating chamber  165  defined in the hollow base  163 , and a front opening  166  at the front side of the hollow base  163  in communication with the accommodating chamber  165 . The pivoting portion  164  is a semispherical ball socket in this preferred embodiment. The rear mounting portion  14  of the connecting member  11  is received in the accommodating chamber  165  of the coupling member  16 . The front connecting portion  13  of the connecting member  11  extends out of the hollow base  163  of the coupling member  16  through the front opening  166 . The limier  17  is a hollow, semispherical member having a rib  171  protruded from the periphery of the semispherical body thereof, a neck  173  perpendicularly extending from the flat bottom wall thereof, and longitudinal crevices  172  cut through the tubular neck  173  at two sides. The tubular neck  173  is coupled to the pivoting portion  164  of the coupling member  16 , allowing free rotation of the limiter  17  relative to the coupling member  16 . 
     The body unit  20  comprises a housing  21  and an electronic circuit assembly  22 . The housing  21  has a coupling structure  23 . The coupling structure  23  comprises a locating groove  231  formed in the front side of the housing  21  for receiving the ribs  171  of the limiter  17 , and two bearing blocks  232  bilaterally fixedly provided inside the housing  21  for supporting the pivoting portion  164  of the coupling member  16  and the limiter  17  in the coupling member  16 . The bearing blocks  232  each have an arched slot  233 . The electronic circuit assembly  22  is a transmitter receiver circuit board mounted inside the housing  21  for transmitting and receiving specific wireless signal. 
     The use and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description. 
     At first, the two half shells  161  and  162  are attached to the connecting member  11  and fastened together to have rear mounting portion  14  of the connecting member  11  be received in the accommodating chamber  165  of the coupling member  16  and the front connecting portion  13  extend out of the coupling member  16  through the front opening  166 , and then the tubular neck  173  of the limiter  17  is inserted into the pivoting portion  164  of the coupling member  16  with force for allowing free rotation of the limiter  17  relative to the coupling member  16 , and then the pivoting portion  164  with the limiter  17  are set in the coupling structure  23  of the housing  21  and supported between the bearing blocks  232  to have the rib  171  of the limiter  17  be engaged in the locating groove  231  of the coupling structure  23  to limit turning of the limiter  17  relative to the housing  21  to a vertical direction (see  FIG. 6 ). When assembled, the crevices  172  of the limiter  17  are constantly kept in communication with the arched slots  233  of the bearing block  232  for the passing of an electric wire that connects the electric contacts (not shown) in the connecting member  11  to the electronic circuit assembly  22 . This electric wire (not shown) has one end electrically connected to the electronic circuit assembly  22 , and the other end inserted in proper order through the arched slots  233  of the bearing blocks  232  and the crevices  172  of the limiter  17  into the pivoting portion  164  and then extended through the hollow base  163  of the coupling member  16  into the front connecting portion  13  of the connecting member  11  and electrically connected to the electric contacts in the connecting portion  13  of the connecting member  11 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the coupling member  16  can be rotated over 360° relative to the limiter  17 , i.e., the connecting unit  10  can be rotated over 360° relative to the housing  21 . 
       FIG. 8  shows an alternate form of the present invention. According to this second embodiment, stop rods  169  and  175  are respectively provided inside the pivoting portion  164  and at the limiter  17  to limit the angle of rotation of the pivoting portion  164  (i.e., the coupling member  16 ) relative to the limiter  17 , preventing overtwist of the electric wire, i.e., the connecting unit  10  can be rotated within 360° relative to the housing  21 . Further, in order to reinforce the connection strength between the pivoting portion  164  and the limiter  17 , the pivoting portion  164  is made having an inside annular flange  167  coupled to an outside annular groove  174  around the periphery of the tubular neck  173  of the limiter  17 . 
     When connected the front connecting portion  13  of the connecting unit  10  to a corresponding port of a computer, signal from the computer is transmitted through the front connecting portion  13  to the electronic circuit assembly  22 , and then modulated by the electronic circuit assembly  22  and transmitted to the outside wirelessly. When received an external wireless signal, the electronic circuit assembly  22  demodulates the signal and then transmits the demodulated signal to the front connecting portion  13  and then to the computer. The location or angle of the electronic circuit assembly  22  may have to be changed to fit the transmission or receiving of a wireless signal. In this case, the user can conveniently adjust the position of the body unit  20  relative to the computer to the desired angle. 
     The invention can be used in a wireless network receiver or wireless mouse receiver, as well as any of a variety of other electronic devices. For example, the electronic circuit assembly  22  can be a data storage circuit assembly to form a mobile memory stick; the electronic circuit assembly  22  can be an electric connector to form an electric adapter; the electronic circuit assembly  22  can be a socket terminal circuit assembly to form an electric outlet; the electronic circuit assembly  22  can be an electric plug terminal circuit assembly to form an electric plug. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.