Patent Publication Number: US-2013242471-A1

Title: Forward lid-lift device and electronic apparatus having the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 101204635 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on 2012 Mar. 14, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure relates to a lid-lift device, and in particular to a forward lid-lift device with a turning lid to lift a main lid in an equal direction. 
     2. Related Art 
     Currently, point of sales (POS) devices such as electronic data capture (EDC) system and card readers are commonly used in retailers to accept plastic money from customers; for example, expense cards, credit cards and debit cards. Such electronic payment can quickly and easily complete transactions and provide requested services for the customers. With the advent of prepaid cards and other smart cards, the number of POS devices used for various purposes will increase substantially in the next few years. 
     POS devices such as thermal receipt printers, which use paper rolls to print data, are widely used. In particular, the thermal receipt printers need easily loaded and replaced paper rolls. For the convenience of replacing paper rolls, the POS device must have a lid-lift cover structure. However, the lid-lift cover structure is commonly designed for a reversed opening action. The lid-lift cover structure has a cover and a turning member arranged thereon, and the lifting direction of the cover is different from that of the turning member. Thus, users need to lift the cover in an opposite direction after lifting the turning member, causing inconvenience of operation. Consequently, manufacturers in this industry are committed to explore this issue. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, in an embodiment of the disclosure, a forward lid-lift device is provided to assemble to a counteraction member of an electronic apparatus. The counteraction member has a first turning path. The forward lid-lift device includes a main lid and a turning lid. The main lid includes a first rotary shaft and an engaging end. The first rotary shaft connects to the counteraction member. The engaging end is fastened at the end of the electronic apparatus opposite to the first rotary shaft. The turning lid includes a second rotary shaft, a poking end and a pushing member. The second rotary shaft connects to the main lid. The poking end is at a side by the second rotary shaft. The pushing member is at the other side by the second rotary shaft. The pushing member has a second turning path. When the pushing member rotates from a start point to an end point along the second turning path, the interference between the first turning path and the second turning path is increased gradually, meanwhile the main lid and the turning lid will turn in the same direction to complete lid-lift action. 
     In another embodiment, an electronic apparatus is also provided to allow the forward lid-lift device to assemble thereon. The electronic apparatus includes a shell body and the counteraction member. The shell body connects the first rotary shaft of the main lid. The counteraction member is disposed on the shell body to contact with the pushing member. The counteraction member has the first turning path which is shorter than the second turning path corresponding to the pushing member. When the pushing member rotates from a start point to an end point along the second turning path, the interference between the second turning path and the first turning path corresponding to the counteraction member is increased gradually, meanwhile when the pushing member turns in a first direction, the main lid and the turning lid will both turn in a second direction to complete lid-lift action. 
     A lid-lift action is completed once by the main lid and the turning lid of the forward lid-lift device, so users may operate it easily. Meanwhile, the turning lid and the pushed counteraction member have a different rotation center and different turning path, respectively. A force applied by users increases gradually until the lid-lift action is over, so users can apply the force smoothly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus not limitative of the disclosure, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a stereoscopic schematic diagram according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic diagram according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is the other exploded schematic diagram according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a stereoscopic schematic diagram when lifting the lid according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section schematic diagram when lifting the lid according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section schematic diagram after lifting the lid according to another embodiment; and 
         FIG. 7  is a stereoscopic schematic diagram after lifting the lid according to another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 .  FIG. 1  is a stereoscopic schematic diagram according to an embodiment.  FIG. 2  is an exploded schematic diagram according to another embodiment.  FIG. 3  is the other exploded schematic diagram according to another embodiment. 
     A forward lid-lift device  100  in the figures of the disclosure is assembled to a counteraction member  22  of an electronic apparatus  200 . The counteraction member  22  preferably is as an upper shell of the electronic apparatus  200 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The counteraction member  22  has a first turning path  221  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ). The counteraction member  22  includes a recess  22   a  to form the first turning path  221 . The forward lid-lift device  100  includes a main lid  11  and a turning lid  12 . 
     The main lid  11  is an arc-shaped plate and has a first rotary shaft at an end of the main lid  11  to connect with the counteraction member  22  of the electronic apparatus  200 , for example, using a shaft with a hole. The main lid  11  further has an engaging end  112  at the other end of the main lid  11 . The engaging end  112  is fastened at the end of the electronic apparatus  200  opposite to the first rotary shaft  111 . The engaging end  112  includes a catching groove  113  and a rod  114 . 
     The turning lid  12  is a poking element and includes a second rotary shaft  121 , a poking end  122  and a pushing member  123 . The second rotary shaft  121  connects to the main lid  11  to allow the turning lid  12  to turn circularly according to the second rotary shaft  121  as a center. The poking end  122  is at a side by the second rotary shaft  121  and exposed to the main lid  11  to facilitate poking operation by the user&#39;s finger thereon. The pushing member  123  is arranged at the other side by the second rotary shaft  121  and formed as an arc-shaped bump. The pushing member  123  has a second turning path  124  and rotates according to the second rotary shaft  121  as a center. When the pushing member  123  rotates from a start point  31  to an end point  32  (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), along the second turning path  124 , the interference between the first turning path  221  and the second turning path  124  is increased gradually. Here, the radius of the first turning path  221  is smaller than the radius of the second turning path  124 , and the position of the center of the first turning path  221  is different from that of the second turning path  124 . Meanwhile, the first turning path  221  is tangent to the second turning path  124  and overlaps the second turning path  124  to form an interacting section  23  which is a gradual expansion area from small to large. Consequently, a force applied by users while turning the turning lid  12 , increases gradually to complete a lid-lift action, so users can apply the force smoothly. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7 . When the turning lid  12  is turned, the pushing member  124  of the turning lid  12  rotates in a first direction (e.g., counterclockwise direction), and the main lid  11  and the turning lid  12  turn in a second direction (e.g., clockwise direction), so that the lid-lift action is completed in a one-time and continuous manner after lifting up the lid. The lifting method provided by the forward lid-lift device  100  not only saves effort, but also has user-friendly advantages of being effortless and easy to use. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Here, the electronic apparatus  200  may be a card reader for credit cards, access cards, etc., but is not limit to. The electronic apparatus  200  may include any type of input elements (e.g., buttons), a reading element, a display element (e.g., a screen), a printing element or a paper roll (not shown in figures). The electronic apparatus  200  includes a shell body  21  and a counteraction member  22 . 
     The shell body  21  is preferably formed by a upper shell and a lower shell. A part of the shell body  21  is a hollow section. The hollow section on the upper shell is where the counteraction member  22  is disposed. The shell body  21  connects to the first rotary shaft  111  of the main lid  11 . 
     The counteraction member  22  is disposed on the two sidewalls of the shell body  21 . The counteraction member  22  may has a cambered surface or a recess  22   a.  The counteraction member  22  contacts with the pushing member  123  and has the first turning path  221  shorter than the second turning path  124  of the pushing member  123  as aforementioned. The operation between the counteraction member and the rotated pushing member  123  has mentioned previously, and we do not describe it further herein. Therefore, after lifting up the lid, the paper roll placed inside the shell body  21  can be taken out. 
     In an embodiment, the electronic apparatus  200  further includes a connection module  24  disposed on the shell body  21 . The connection module  24  includes a holding portion  241 . The holding portion  241  is preferably as a locking groove type, and has an elastic locking stick. 
     When the rod  114  at the engaging end  112  of the main lid  11  is put into the holding portion  241 , the rod  114  will be locked by the elastic locking stick to be fixed in the locking groove. 
     In the disclosure, the turning lid and the main lid of the forward lid-lift device can be lifted in the same direction to complete the lid-lift action one time continuously, so that users can operate it easily. Meanwhile, the turning lid and the pushed counteraction member have different rotation center and different turning path, respectively. A force applied by users increases gradually until the lid-lift action is over, so users can apply the force smoothly. 
     While the present invention has been described by the way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention need not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.