Patent Publication Number: US-2007107000-A1

Title: Portable disk player

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a portable disk player, and more especially to a portable disk player enabling preferable visual effect in various direction.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Generally a known portable disk player includes a base unit defining a disk driven device and a disk read processing device, a display pivotable on one side of the base unit, and a cable connected between the base unit and the display. In use, by pivoting the display from a horizontal position to an inclined position, users can view contents recorded in the disk.  
      Under certain situation, because of limitation of space users hope the display to be turned to a suitable angle so as to obtain better visual effect. However, current disk players could not satisfy this requirement.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A primary object of the present invention is to provide a portable disk player enabling preferable visual effect in various direction.  
      To achieve the above-mentioned object, a portable disk player comprising: a base unit defining a disk driven device and a disk read processing device therein, said base unit forming a mounting base on a bottom cover thereof, said mounting base including a protrusion; a display being pivotally connected with one side of said base unit; and a connecting hinge connecting said base unit with said display and including a horizontal tube extending horizontally, a longitudinal tube extending longitudinally, said longitudinal tube including a projection; wherein when said connecting hinge is located in a first position, one side of said projection of said longitudinal tube resists against one side of said protrusion of said mounting base, and when said connecting hinge is located in a second position, the other side of said projection of the longitudinal tube resists against the other side of said protrusion of said mounting base.  
      In accordance with the present invention, the horizontal tube of the T-shaped connecting hinge above-mentioned is located on the display to ensure that the display can be rotated along the rotation axis of the horizontal tube. The longitudinal tube is located on the base unit to ensure that the display can be rotated along a rotation axis of the longitudinal tube. The projection and the protrusion located on the longitudinal tube and the bottom cover respectively can ensure that the rotation will cease after the display is turned to certain angle. In general it is convenient for users to adjust any position of the display so as to obtain preferred visual effect.  
      Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a portable disk player in accordance with the present invention showing a closed state;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the portable disk player of  FIG. 1  when use;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a connecting hinge of the portable disk player of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of a bottom cover of the portable disk player of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a damper of the portable disk player of  FIG. 1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a portable disk player in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a base unit  1  and a displayer  2 . The base unit  1  forms a disk driven device and a disk read processing device therein (not shown). The display  2  is pivotally connected with one side of the base unit  1 . A connecting hinge  3  connects the base unit  1  with the display  2 . In a closed state, the display  2  flatly rests on a surface of the base unit  1  while in a use state the display  2  is unfolded and can be rotated in a horizontal direction.  
      Referring to  FIG. 3  together, an opening (not shown) in which the connecting hinge  3  is mounted is formed in a center of the conjunction where the display  2  is pivotally connected with the base unit  1 . The connecting hinge  3  is a T-shaped hollow tube and includes a horizontal tube  32  extending horizontally, a longitudinal tube  34  extending longitudinally and a turnplate  36  located between the horizontal tube  32  and the longitudinal tube  34 . The horizontal tube  32  is mounted in the opening above-mentioned. The longitudinal tube  34  is mounted on the base unit  1 . A projection  342  extends radially from a free end of the longitudinal tube  34 . The projection  342  is shaped as a quarter of a circle so as to engage with the base unit  1  to position during rotation of the display  2  (see later detailed description). A bottom of the turnplate  36  defines a circular slide rail  362  depressed downwardly therefrom and having a pit  364 . There is a hard ball (not shown) on a surface of the base unit  1  corresponding to the position of the turnplate  36  which can roll in the slide rail  362  and can be locked within the pit  364 . There is a large touch area between the slide rail  362  and the hard ball thereby increasing friction to facilitate rotation and position of the display  2 . The hard ball is locked in the pit  364  when the display  2  turns to an ultimate position, which reminds the user to stop turning the display  2  so as to avoid damage to the display  2 .  
      Then referring to  FIG. 4 , a bottom cover  10  of the base unit forms a mounting base  12  for mounting the longitudinal tube  34  of the connecting hinge  3 . The mounting base  12  defines a recess  14  for insertion of the free end of the longitudinal tube  34  and a protrusion  16  projecting from the recess  14 . The protrusion  16  is shaped as a quarter of a circle. The connecting hinge  3  can be rotated from the first position to the second position. In this embodiment an angle rotatable of the connecting hinge  3  is 180°. When the connecting hinge  3  is located in the first position, one side of the projection  342  of the longitudinal tube  34  resists against one side of the protrusion  16  of the mounting base  12 , and when he connecting hinge  3  is located in the second position, the other side of the projection  342  of the longitudinal tube  34  resists against the other side of the protrusion  16  of the mounting base  12 , so that the rotation of the display  2  will cease once reaching the first position and the second position. It should be understood that the projection  342  and the protrusion  16  can be designed as arcs with different length according to the angle ratatable of the display  2 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , a cable  4  connects the base unit  1  and the display  2  across an inner of the connecting hinge  3 . A damper  5  is formed on one end of the horizontal tube  32 . The damper  5  includes an axis  52 , a mounting sheet  54  for mounting the damper  5  into the connecting hinge  3 , a plurality of damper sheets  56  and a nut  58 . One end of the axis  52  is tabular and defines several through holes by which this end can be locked into the display  2 . The mounting sheet  54 , the damper sheets  56  and the nut  58  are hitched onto the other end of the axis  52  in turn and all of them are arranged in the horizontal tube  32  of the connecting hinge  3 . The mounting sheet  54  is L-shaped and has a longitudinal sheet  542  extending longitudinally and a horizontal sheet  544  extending horizontally. The longitudinal sheet  542  is hitched onto the axis  52  and the horizontal sheet  544  is located in a lower portion in the horizontal tube  32  of the connecting hinge  3 . Each damper sheet  56  is bent to an arc and defines a hole (not shown) therein. The shape and size of the hole are similar to the axis in corresponding position, that is, both are not circular and have a relative long diameter and a relative short diameter, which the damper  56  can be installed onto the axis  52  stably and turned accompanying with the axis  52 . The nut  58  is a nylon nut of which one end of the screw thread has nylon material. In assembly, since the damper sheets  56  are impacted between the mounting sheet  54  and the nut  58  to make elastic deformation, there produce friction among the damper sheets  56  thereby ensuring any visual angle for the display  2 . The amount of the damper sheets  56  depends on resistance desired, that is, the more damper sheets  56  the more resistance. So, this structure can avoid the cover being broken by overturning the display  2  unduly.  
      Referring back to  FIG. 2 , as an improvement to the above embodiment, tabs  22  and depressed holes  18  are formed on the display  2  and the corresponding panel of the base unit  1  respectively. In a closed state, the tabs  22  are inserted into the depressed holes  18  to block free rotation of the display  2 . The display  2  further forms cushions on the side adjacent to the base unit  1  for avoiding the screen of the display being damaged during rotation. On the top of the display  2  there is a magnet  26  which is across the front and rear surface of the display  2 . Correspondingly the base unit  1  forms an iron block to engage with the magnet  26  by magnetism so that the display  2  may rest on the base unit  1 . The structure is simple and easy to use.  
      The horizontal tube  32  of the T-shaped connecting hinge  3  above-mentioned is located on the display  2  to ensure that the display  2  can be rotated along the rotation axis of the horizontal tube  32 . The longitudinal tube  34  is located on the base unit  1  to ensure that the display  2  can be rotated along a rotation axis of the longitudinal tube  34 . The projection  342  and the protrusion  16  located on the longitudinal tube  34  and the bottom cover  10  respectively can ensure that the rotation will cease after the display  2  is turned to certain angle. In general it is convenient for users to adjust any position of the display  2  so as to obtain preferred visual effect.  
      It is believed that the present invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.