Patent Publication Number: US-2012032884-A1

Title: Wireless mouse

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a mouse, and particularly relates to a bendable wireless mouse. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     With the advent of Windows Operating System, a computer mouse has become an indispensable computer peripheral equipment. It has brought great convenience to users, and improved working efficiency greatly. Therefore, since the emergence of the mouse, new technology and new products of the mouse, from a mechanical mouse to an optical mouse, from a wired mouse to a wireless mouse, are continuously coming out. Due to no connection cable being needed, a wireless mouse is convenient to use, and therefore, it is rapidly gaining in popularity. For power-saving purpose, a power switch is provided for powering off the wireless mouse when the wireless mouse is not operated. Typically, the power switch is positioned outside a wireless mouse to be manually accessible and operable so that a user can activate the wireless mouse by simply depressing or switching the power switch. 
     However, because of being positioned outside the wireless mouse, the power switch is susceptible to incorrect or undesired activation when the mouse is not in use, thereby leading to inconvenience and trouble of using the mouse. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To solve the above-mentioned problem, an objective of the present invention is to provide a wireless mouse, which is capable of reliably turning on/off a power switch thereof 
     To achieve the above objective, the invention provides a wireless mouse comprising a mouse body, a main body, a power switch, a connection portion, and an elastic shell. The main body comprises a baseboard, a pressing element, and a plurality of board elements. The baseboard is fixed on an end of the mouse body and defines a holding slot in a side thereof The pressing element is secured to a surface of the baseboard. The pressing element comprises a holding portion and a pressing portion extending from a side of the holding portion. The plurality of board elements connects with each other. One of the board elements connects with the baseboard. An angle is formed between the surface of baseboard and a surface of the one of the board elements, and between opposing surfaces of two adjacent board elements. Each of the board elements comprises a base plate. The board element next to the baseboard comprises a resisting piece protruding from the base plate thereof to selectively depress the pressing portion. The power switch is secured in the holding slot of the baseboard. The power switch comprises a button. An end of the pressing portion of the pressing element selectively depresses the button of the power switch. The connection portion is fixed on the main body. The elastic shell covers the main body. 
     The wireless mouse of present invention utilizes the pressing portion of the pressing element, which functions similar to a lever, to multiply movement distance of a turned resisting piece during using, thereby providing the button of the power switch with enough movement distance. As a result, the power switch can be reliably actuated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention may be best understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wireless mouse according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the wireless mouse shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of a main body of the wireless mouse shown in  FIG. 2  after being assembled; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a baseboard of the main body of the wireless mouse shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a pressing element of the main body of the wireless mouse shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the baseboard, the pressing element, and a power switch of the wireless mouse shown in  FIG. 2 , wherein the base board, the pressing element, and the power switch are assembled together; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the main body and a power switch of the wireless mouse shown in  FIG. 2 , wherein the main body and the power switch are assembled together; and 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the wireless mouse shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein the wireless mouse is bent. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a wireless mouse constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally designated at  100 , comprises a mouse body  1 , a main body  2 , a power switch  3 , a connection portion  4 , and an elastic shell  5 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the main body  2  includes a baseboard  10 , a pressing element  20 , and a plurality of board elements  30 . The baseboard  10  is mounted to an end of the mouse body  1 . The baseboard  10  comprises a pair of first holding bumps  11  forwardly protruding from two side portions of a front surface thereof The baseboard  10  defines a holding slot  12  in the front surface thereof, and is recessed besides the holding slot  12  to form a receiving groove  13  in communication with the holding slot  12 . The receiving groove  13  has a sidewall through which a holding hole  14  is defined. The baseboard  10  also defines in the front surface thereof a supporting groove  15  at a location adjacent to one of the first holding bumps  11 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  5 , and  6 , the pressing element  20  is secured to the front surface of the baseboard  10 . The pressing element  20  comprises a circular holding portion  21 , and a bar-like pressing portion  22  extends from a side of the holding portion  21 . An arc-shaped force-receiving section  23  is formed on a middle of the pressing portion  22  and protrudes outside the baseboard  10 . The pressing portion  22  comprises an L-shaped elastic portion  24  formed by bending an end thereof The holding portion  21  is secured in the supporting groove  15  of the baseboard  10 . The elastic portion  24  has an end received in the receiving groove  13  and secured in the holding hole  14  to provide a restoration force after removal of a pressure acting on the pressing element  20 , thereby preventing permanent deformation of the pressing element  20  after repeated depression of the pressing portion  22 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  7 , each of the board elements  30  comprises a pair of second holding bumps  31  forwardly protruding from two side portions of a front surface thereof, and a pair of holding grooves  32  defined in two side portions of a rear surface thereof corresponding to the first holding bumps  11  or the second holding bumps  31 . Each of the board elements  30  comprises a rectangular base plate  33 . The base plate  33  of the board element  30  defines a pair of connecting grooves  34  in opposite sides of the base plate  33 . One of the board elements  30  that is next to the baseboard  10  comprises a T-shaped resisting piece  35  protruding from the base plate  33  thereof. The resisting piece  35  is engageable with the force-receiving section  23  of the pressing portion  22 . The baseboard  10  connects with one of the board elements  30  and adjacent ones of the board elements  30  connect with each other. An angle is formed between the front surface of the baseboard  10  and the rear surface of the board element  30  connected thereto, and an angle is also formed between the front surface and the rear surface of two adjacent board elements  30 . The first holding bumps  11  and the second holding bumps  31  are received respectively in corresponding holding grooves  32 , thereby properly positioning the board elements  30  during assembling the main body  2 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  6 , and  7 , the power switch  3  is secured in the holding slot  12  of the baseboard  10 . The power switch  3  comprises a button  40  that is depressible by an end of the pressing portion  22  of the pressing element  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the connection portion  4  is fixed to the main body  2  and comprises a plurality of engaging plates  50 , an upper flectional plate  60 , and a lower flectional plate  70 . The engaging plates  50  are inserted into and retained in the connecting grooves  34 , respectively. The upper and lower flectional plates  60 ,  70  are respectively positioned on upper and bottom surfaces of the baseboard  10  and the board elements  30  for fastening the base board  10  and board elements  30  as an integral unit and providing a retention force for the main body  2  in a bent condition. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the elastic shell  5  is provided for covering the main body  2 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  7 , and  8 , when the wireless mouse  100  is bent, the one of the board elements  30  that is next to the baseboard  10  is turned at such an angle that the rear surface of the board element  30  comes into tight contact with the front surface of the baseboard  10 . Simultaneously, the remaining board elements  30  are turned respectively at an angle to make the front surface and the rear surface of two adjacent board elements  30  contacting each other. The resisting piece  35  is moved with the turning of the board element  30  next to the baseboard  10  to depress the force-receiving section  23  of the pressing element  20 . Being acted upon by the resisting piece  35 , the pressing portion  22  of the pressing element  20  turns an angle around the holding portion  21  so that the end of the pressing portion  22  that corresponds to the button  40  of the power switch  3  moves a distance to engage and actuate the button  40 , thereby turning on the power of the wireless mouse  100 . 
     When the wireless mouse  100  is not operated, the wireless mouse  100  is expanded to restore an original flat shape. Under the circumstances, the pressing element  20  is acted upon by the restoration force thereof and a force applied to the elastic portion  24  by the holding hole  14  to restore the original condition. Simultaneously, the button  40  of the power switch  3  restores to an original state as the end of the pressing portion  22  of the pressing element  20  restores and thus the wireless mouse  100  is powered off 
     The wireless mouse  100  of present invention utilizes the pressing portion  22  of the pressing element  20 , which functions similar to a lever, to multiply movement distance of turned resisting piece  35  during using, thereby providing the button  40  of the power switch  3  with enough movement distance. As a result, the power switch  3  can be reliably turned on and off 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, 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 invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.