Patent Publication Number: US-2011063804-A1

Title: Portable Electronic Device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to an external power supply for portable electronic devices, and particularly to a portable electronic device having integrated power converter. 
     Generally, the power supply of portable electronic devices (for example, notebook computers) is provided by batteries or power adapters which are capable of modulating commercial alternating power to direct current. However, batteries usually have limited capacity, and power adapters are usually additional accessories, which are inconvenient to carry. 
     Taiwan patent No. 555074 discloses an external power adapter for installing in a portable electronic device. A receiving space for assembling the external power adapter is defined in the portable electronic device to improve convenience of carrying. However, the external power adapter is fixed to the portable electronic device. 
     In addition, Taiwan patent No. 389424 also discloses a power adapter which is formed into a single member received in a slot of a portable computer to improve convenience to carry. 
     In another aspect, Taiwan patent 200803069 discloses a power adapter having an electrical cable rotatably and detachably mounted to a main body of the power adapter. Thus, the electrical cable and the main body of the power adapter can be separated for carrying. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a portable electronic device having a detachably power converter. It is very convenient to carry the power converter together with the portable electronic device, and the portable electronic device also has improved appearance integration grade. In particular, the power converter can be optionally detached from the main body thereby reducing the weight of the portable electronic device. 
     The portable electronic device comprises a main body and a power converter. The main body includes a first housing and a main circuit disposed within the first housing and the main circuit includes a power input end located on a side surface of the first housing. The power converter includes a second housing and a power modulating circuit. A side surface of the second housing is detachably assembled to the side surface of the first housing. The modulating circuit is disposed in the second housing and includes a power output end and a utility power input end. The power output end is located on the side surface of the second housing and the utility power input end is located on another side surface of the second housing. The power modulating circuit is capable of modulating utility power from the utility power input end to modulated power suitable for the main circuit and the modulated power is outputted from the power output end. When the side surface of the second housing is assembled to the side surface of the first housing, the power output end on the second housing is electrically connected to the power input end on the first housing thereby transmitting the modulated power to the main circuit. 
     Because the power converter of the present portable electronic device is detachably assembled to the main body, thus it is very convenient to carry the power converter together with the portable electronic device when the power converter is required. In addition, the power converter can be detached from the main body when the power converter is not required to save space and reduce the weight of the portable electronic device. 
     Other aspects, details, and advantages of the present portable electronic device are further described as follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the portable electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a plane sketch of the portable electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view illustrating a portable electronic device in accordance with another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 to 3  illustrates an embodiment of the present portable electronic device. The portable electronic device  100  includes a main body  1 , a power converter  3 , and an inner battery  5  (see  FIG. 3 ). As shown in  FIG. 2 , the power converter is detachably mounted to a side surface  101  of the main body  1 . In addition, referring to  FIG. 1 , a length of the power converter is substantially same to that of the main body  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the main body  1  includes a first housing  10  and a main circuit  12  disposed within the first housing  10 . The side surface  101  of the first housing  10  is configured for assembling the power converter  3 , and the side surface  101  defines a groove  102  to an inner portion of the main body  1  for receiving the inner battery  5 . The main circuit  12  includes a power input end  121  and a battery power input end  122  for receiving power from the power converter  3  and the inner battery  5  respectively. The power input end  121  of the main circuit  12  is disposed on the side surface  101  of the first housing  10 , and the battery power input end  122  is disposed on an inner wall  103  of the groove  102 . When assembled into the groove  102 , an output end  51  of the inner battery  5  is electrically connected to the battery power input end  122  on the inner wall thereby the power from the inner battery  5  can be transmitted to the main circuit  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the power converter  3  includes a second housing  30 , a power modulating circuit  31  and an electrical cable  32 . A side surface  301  of the second housing  30  is detachably mounted to the side surface  101  of the first housing  10 . The size (e.g., the length and width) of the side surface  301  of the first housing  30  are substantially same to that of the side surface  101  of the first housing  10 . In addition, a latching hook  303  is formed on the side surface  301  of the second housing  30 , and correspondingly, a latching hole  104  is defined in the side surface  101  of the first housing  10 . Thus, the second housing  30  can be mounted to the side surface  101  of the first housing  10  by triggering a latching button  304  such that the latching hook  303  of the second housing  30  is latched in the latching hole  104  of the first housing  10 . As such, the power converter  3  is assembled to the main body  1 , and thus improves an appearance integration grade of the portable electronic device  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the electrical cable  32  connects a utility power supply (for example, an indoor electrical outlet) to the power converter  3  to transmit utility power to the power modulating circuit  31 . The power modulating circuit  31  is disposed in the second housing  30 , and has a power output end  311  and a utility power input end  312 . The power output end  311  is located on the side surface  301  of the second housing  30 , and the utility power input end  312  is located on another side surface  302  of the second housing  30 . The utility power input end  312  is used to connect a power output connector  321  of the electrical cable  32 . The power modulating circuit  31  is capable of modulating utility power from the utility power input end  312  to direct current suitable for the main circuit  12 , and the direct current is supplied to the main circuit  12  via the power output end  311 . When the side surface  301  of the second housing  30  is assembled to the side surface  101  of the first housing  10 , the power output end  311  on the second housing  30  is electrically connected to the power input end  121  on the first housing  10  such that the power from the power modulating circuit  31  can be transmitted to the main circuit  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a power output connector  321  and a utility power plug  322  are respectively formed at two opposite ends of the electrical cable  32 . The power output connector  32  is detachably connected to (for example, plugged into) the utility power input end  312  on the second housing  30 . The utility power plug  31  is configured for connecting to an indoor electrical outlet (not shown). As such, the electrical cable  32  can be detached according to practical requirement, and it is very convenient to separately store the electrical cable  32 . 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a portable electronic device  200  in accordance with another embodiment. The portable electronic device  200  is similar to the portable electronic device  100  illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 3  except that the power converter  3  is assembled to the main body  1  using a slide rail to replace the latching mechanism (i.e., the latching hook  304  and the latching hole  104 ). In the present embodiment, the first housing  10  defines a slide groove or a dovetail groove  105 , and correspondingly, a slide rail  305  structured to mate with the slide groove  105  is formed on the second housing  30 . When the second housing  30  is assembled to the side surface  101  of the first housing  10 , the slide rail  305  is received and positioned in the slide groove  105 . The main body  1 , the inner battery  5  and the electrical cable  32  of the power converter  3  are described in the embodiment associated with  FIGS. 1 to 3 , and won&#39;t be discussed here for concision purpose. 
     According to above description, it is understood that the power converter of the present portable electronic device is detachably assembled to the main body. Thus, it is very convenient to carry the power converter together with the main body when the power converter is required, and further, it also can be detached from the main body to reduce weight and safe space for the portable electronic device. In addition, the portable electronic device also has an improved appearance integration grade. 
     The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the disclosure disclosed herein, including configurations ways of the recessed portions and materials and/or designs of the attaching structures. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.