Patent Publication Number: US-2012039662-A1

Title: Stylus

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This exemplary disclosure generally relates to retractable/extendable styluses. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is well-known that a variety of devices include a touch screen. Examples of such devices include smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), pagers, and personal organizers. These devices typically include a display module under the touch screen, that generates target images associated with menu options, programs, user choices, and other operations. The user controls the device by pressing the touch screen with a stylus over the target image. However, typical styluses have no other functions then to be used with a touch screen. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the exemplary stylus can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the exemplary stylus. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the diagrams. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a stylus. 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled view of a stylus body assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the stylus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is another assembled view of the stylus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the stylus in  FIG. 3  along the line V-V. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the stylus in  FIG. 4  along the line VI-VI. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the stylus is used to contact a touch screen display of an electronic device such as a mobile telephone. The mobile telephone described herein is a representation of the type of wireless communication device that may benefit from the exemplary embodiment. However, it is to be understood that the exemplary embodiment may be applied to any type of hand-held or portable device including, but not limited to, the following devices: radiotelephones, cordless phones, paging devices, personal digital assistants, portable computers, pen-based or keyboard-based handheld devices, remote control units, portable media players (such as an MP3 or DVD player) that have wireless communication capability. Accordingly, any reference herein to the mobile telephone should also be considered to apply equally to other portable wireless electronic devices. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a stylus  100  includes a housing  10 , a stylus body assembly  20 . The stylus body assembly  20  includes a stylus body  22 , a stylus head  24  located at one end of the stylus body  22  and a pen  26  (e.g., ballpoint pen) located at the other end of the stylus body  22 . The housing  10  defines a receptacle  12  ( FIG. 5 ) at one end thereof for selectively accommodating the stylus head  24  and the pen  26 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the stylus body  22  includes a grip portion  222 , a first retaining portion  223  protruding from one end of the grip portion  222 , and a second retaining portion  224  protruding from the other end of the grip portion  222 . The stylus body  22  further defines a compartment  226  ( FIG. 5 ) in the second retaining portion  224  and extending into the grip portion  222 . The grip portion  222  is for the user to hold the stylus body  22 . The first retaining portion  223  and the second retaining portion  224  are for selective accommodation in the receptacle  12  to retain the stylus body assembly  20  in the housing  10 . The compartment  226  is for accommodating the pen  26  therein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the stylus head  24  is used to contact a touch screen display (not shown) of an electronic device such as a mobile telephone. The pen  26  may include a pen body  262  including a main body  2622  and a pen head  2624  protruding from one end of the main body  2622 , and a shell  264 . The main body  2622  is accommodated in the compartment  226  and the pen head  2624  extends out of the compartment  226 . The shell  264  covers the stylus body  22  and is retained in the compartment  226  to hold the pen body  262  in the compartment  226 . The shell  264  further defines a passage  2642  for the pen head  2624  to pass through the shell  264 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3  and  5 , in assembly, the pen body  262  is inserted into the compartment  226  with the pen head  2624  extending out of the compartment  226 . The shell  264  covers the pen head  2624  with the pen head  2624  passing through the passage  2642  and the shell  264  so the pen body  262  is retained in the stylus body  22 . Finally, either the first retaining portion  223  or the second retaining portion  224 , is accommodated in the receptacle  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , to use the stylus head  24  to touch a touch screen on an electronic device, the second retaining portion  224  is retained in the receptacle  12  to protect the pen head  2624  and the stylus head  24  is exposed for use. Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 6 , to use the pen  26  the grip portion  222  is held by the user and then the second retaining portion  224  is pulled until the second retaining portion  224  slides out of the receptacle  12 . Then the first retaining portion  223  is retained in the receptacle  12  to protect the stylus head  24  and the pen head  2624  is exposed for use. 
     It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the exemplary embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, 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 exemplary invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.