Patent Publication Number: US-6657142-B2

Title: Power switch apparatus

Description:
This application incorporates by reference Taiwan application Serial No. 90215463, filed Sep. 07, 2001. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a power switch apparatus equipped in a personal digital assistant (PDA), particularly to a power switch apparatus capable of preventing the loss of data due to accidentally turning off the power. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The personal digital assistant (PDA) has been popular in the market owing to the characteristics of convenience and portability. More and more people select PDAs to replace notebooks, calendar books, and address books. However, a session of using the PDA is often interrupted by turning off the power switch unintentionally because the power switch is installed on the surface of the PDA. This interruption can cause the lost of unsaved data and frustration for the user. The said power switch design allows the user to turn on the PDA by simply pushing the power switch. However such configurations increase the probability of erroneously turning off the power switch and ending the session before the user is prepared to do so. 
     From the above description, the conventional configuration of the power switch needs to be revised to prevent unintentionally turning off the power switch and causing the accidental loss of data. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a power switch apparatus with one-step turning-on and two-step turning-off operations. Another object of the present invention is to provide a power switch apparatus capable of preventing the loss of data caused by unintentionally turning off the power switch apparatus. 
     The power switch apparatus of the present invention is applicable in an electronic product comprising a switch device capable of being switched between the ON and OFF conditions. The power switch apparatus comprises an active element and a flexible arm. The active element installed inside the electronic product comprises a first connector and is coupled to the switch device. The ON and OFF conditions of the switch device correspond to the different positions of the active element along a first direction. The flexible arm installed inside the electronic product comprises a fixer, a contactor, and a second connector. The fixer is positioned at one end of the flexible arm and is connected to the housing of the electronic product. The contactor is positioned at the other end of the flexible arm and is able to move along a second direction. The second connector is used to clip with the first connector at the ON condition. 
     When the power switch apparatus is at the OFF condition, the active element moves along the first direction and the first connector slides over the second connector. At the same time, the active element promotes the shifting of the switch device until the power switch apparatus is changed to the ON condition. The active element is not able to move due to the locking relation between the first connector and the second connector. If the power switch apparatus is changed to the OFF condition, the flexible arm will be deformed by the pushing of the contactor. Therefore, the locking relation between the first connector and the second connector is released and the active element promotes the shifting of the switch device. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1A shows the top view of a flexible arm according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 1B shows the side view of the flexible arm arrangement of FIG. 1A; 
     FIG. 1C shows the top view of an active element according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 1D shows the side view of the active element arrangement of FIG. 1C; 
     FIG. 2A shows a power switch apparatus in the power-OFF condition after the flexible arm of FIG. 1A combines with the active element of FIG. 1C; 
     FIG. 2B shows a power switch apparatus of FIG. 2A in the power-ON condition; 
     FIG. 2C shows the flexible arm elevated according to the power switch apparatus of FIG. 2B in the power-ON condition. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention discloses a power switch apparatus comprising a flexible arm and an active element. Please refer to FIG. 1A, which shows the top view of a flexible arm according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The flexible arm  100  equipped in a housing  190  is composed of a flexible material, such as a plastic, spring, and so forth. The flexible arm  100  comprises a fixer  110 , a contactor  121 , and a connector  131 . The fixer  110  is positioned at one end of the flexible arm  100  and is used to fix the flexible arm  100  to the housing  190 . The contactor  121  is positioned at the other end of the flexible arm  100  and comes in contact with an inner side  191  of the housing  190 . The surface of the contactor  121  in contact with the inner side  191  further comprises a recess  123 . The connector  131  comprises a sliding surface  133  and a clipping surface  134 . 
     Next, FIG. 1B shows the condition of FIG. 1A as viewed from the left side. As shown in FIG. 1B, there is a hole  194  on the housing  190 , and a touch pen (not shown in the figure) attached with a PDA can pass through the hole  194  to push the contactor  121 . The hole  194  is positioned directly opposite to the recess  123 , such that the recess  123  is not covered by the housing  190  and remains exposed to the external environment. 
     Please refer to FIG. 1C, which shows the top view of an active element according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1C, there is a switch device  193  inside the housing  190 , and the switch device  193  is electrically connected to the battery (not shown in the figure) of the PDA. The positions of the switch element  193  indicate that the power is ON or OFF. The active element  150  installed in the housing  190  can move along the X direction and it comprises a sustaining arm  160  and a connector  132 . The sustaining arm  160  can clip the switch device  193  to change the position of the switch device  193 , as the active element  150  shifts along the X direction. The connector  132  comprises a sliding surface  135  and a clipping surface  136 , which form the shape shown in FIG.  1 C. The active element  150  is attached to an inner side  192  of the housing  190  and a surface of the active element  150  in contact with the inner side  192  further comprises a recess  124 . 
     Referring to FIG. 1D, it shows the condition of FIG. 1C as viewed from the left side. In FIG. 1D, a fingering structure  195  is directly inside the recess  124  and it can promote the moving of the recess  124 . From the outer surface of the housing  190 , a user can finger the fingering structure  195  along the X direction and the recess  124  is shifted so as to move the whole active element  150 . Therefore, the sustaining arm  160  clipping the switch device  193  moves accordingly. 
     Next, FIG. 2A shows a power switch apparatus in the power-OFF condition after the flexible arm of FIG. 1A combines with the active element of FIG.  1 C. The flexible arm  100  and the active element  150  are both equipped on the housing  190  (not shown in FIG.  1 C). As the fingering structure  195  promotes a moving of the active element  150  along the X direction, the sliding surface  135  slides over the sliding surface  133  and the flexible arm  100  is elevated slightly. The flexible arm  100  is composed of a flexible material, such that the connector  132  can slide over the connector  131 . At the same time, the sustaining arm  160  moves by clipping the switch device  193  until the switch device  193  is at the ON condition. 
     Referring to FIG. 2B, it shows a power-ON condition of the power switch apparatus of FIG.  2 A. The clipping surface  134  of FIG. 1A is attached to the clipping surface  136  of FIG.  1 C. The connector  132  is locked by the connector  131  and thus the power source cannot be turned off by moving only the active element  150 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2C, it shows that the flexible arm  100  is elevated according to the power-ON condition of FIG.  2 B. The size of the hole  194  is designed such that a touch pen attached with the PDA can pass through. By utilizing the touch pen, the contactor  121  is pushed along the Y direction and the flexible arm  100  is deformed to be elevated slightly. Accordingly, the clipping surface  134  separates from the clipping surface  136 , as shown in FIG.  2 C. Upon separation, the active element  150  is pushed along the X direction and the sustaining arm  160  promotes the moving of the switch device  193  to turn off the power source. 
     From the above description, a power switch apparatus comprising a flexible arm  100  and an active element  150  is disclosed in the present invention. The turning-off operation comprises two steps: first, moving the flexible arm  100  and then, pushing the active element  150 . Moreover, a touch pen is required to be used in the step of moving the flexible arm  100 . Compared with the conventional power switch configuration, the complexity of the turning-off operation disclosed herein is increased and thus, the probability of turning off the power source erroneously is decreased. Furthermore, the turning-on operation is still only one step, and the operating convenience is not affected. 
     Once given the above disclosure, many other features, modifications, and improvements will become apparent to the skilled artisan. Such other features, modifications, and improvements are, therefore, considered to be a part of this invention, and the scope of the following claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation.