Patent Publication Number: US-2012026094-A1

Title: Keyboard assembly and portable electronic device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a keyboard assembly and a portable electronic device, and more particularly, to a keyboard assembly and a portable electronic device for fixing a keyboard with magnetic attraction. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In the conventional procedure of assembling the keyboard is to screw the keyboard on a main body of the notebook computer. For example, a bolt on a bottom of the keyboard can be screwed on a motherboard for assembling the keyboard on the main body of the notebook computer. The bolt can support the keyboard on the motherboard stably. However, it has disadvantages as follows. The bolts support the keyboard with multi-point distribution instead of planar distribution, resulting in floating tactile feeling when operating the keyboard. For preventing interference between the blots and other electronic components on the motherboard, the arrangement of the bolts has to correspond with various types of motherboards, resulting in complicate mechanical design. Furthermore, screwing means increases inconvenience in assembly and repair. For solving above-mentioned problems, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/652,732 discloses a rotary mechanism for fastening the keyboard without utilizing screws for reducing difficulty and manufacture cost of assembly. However, it needs manufacturing precision to engage hooks on the keyboard inside slots on the housing. In conclusion, there is a need to design a keyboard assembly capable of being installed easily and conveniently. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a keyboard assembly and a portable electronic device for fixing a keyboard with magnetic attraction for solving above drawbacks. 
     According to the claimed invention, a keyboard assembly includes a keyboard disposed inside a sunken part of a housing of a portable electronic device, a magnetic metal component combined with the housing, and a magnetic component connected to the keyboard for attracting the magnetic metal component so as to fix the keyboard inside the sunken part of the housing. 
     According to the claimed invention, the magnetic component is a rubber magnet. 
     According to the claimed invention, the keyboard assembly further includes a releasing mechanism for pushing the keyboard so as to separate the keyboard from the sunken part of the housing. 
     According to the claimed invention, the releasing mechanism includes a pin passing through the sunken part of the housing, and a pressing component for driving the pin to push the keyboard so as to separate the keyboard from the sunken part of the housing when being pressed. 
     According to the claimed invention, a plurality of hooks is formed on a lateral side of the keyboard for inserting inside a plurality of slots of the housing. 
     According to the claimed invention, a portable electronic device includes a housing whereon the sunken part is formed, and a keyboard assembly installed on the housing. The keyboard assembly includes a keyboard disposed inside the sunken part of the housing, a magnetic metal component combined with the housing, and a magnetic component connected to the keyboard for attracting the magnetic metal component so as to fix the keyboard inside the sunken part of the housing. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing of a portable electronic device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing a keyboard assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of a keyboard combining with a magnetic component according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of a housing according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged diagram of the keyboard assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing of a portable electronic device  50  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The portable electronic device  50  can be a notebook computer. The portable electronic device  50  includes a housing  52  for covering internal components. The portable electronic device  50  further includes a keyboard assembly  54  installed on the housing  52 . Please refer to  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the keyboard assembly  54  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. For clearly illustration, a display of the portable electronic device  50  is omitted herein. The keyboard assembly  54  includes a keyboard  56 , a magnetic metal component  58 , and a magnetic component  60 . A sunken part  521  is formed on a side of the keyboard  52 , and the keyboard  56  is disposed inside the sunken part  521  of the housing  52 . The magnetic metal component  58  is combined with the housing  52 , and the magnetic metal component  58  can be an iron plate. The magnetic component  60  is connected to the keyboard  56  for attracting the magnetic metal component  58  so as to fix the keyboard  56  inside the sunken part  521  of the housing  52 . The magnetic component  60  can be a magnet, such as a rubber magnet made by injection molding. The housing  52  can be a magnetic metal housing, for integrating the magnetic metal component  58  and the housing  52  as unity structure for being attracted by the magnetic component  60 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  is a diagram of the keyboard  56  combining with the magnetic component  60  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The magnetic component  60  can be installed on the back of the keyboard  56 , that is, disposed on the side of the keyboard  56  facing the sunken part  521  of the hosing  52 . For example, the magnetic component  60  can be glued on the back of the keyboard  56  or combined with the keyboard  52  in other manners. Besides, a plurality of hooks  62  is formed on a lateral side of the keyboard  56 . Please refer to  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  is a diagram of the housing  52  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of slots  523  is formed on the housing  52  adjacent to the sunken part  521 . The plurality of hooks  62  on the keyboard  56  can be respectively inserted inside the plurality of slots  523  on the housing  52  so as to fix the keyboard  56  inside the sunken part  521  of the housing  52 . That is, the keyboard  56  of the present invention can be fastened inside the sunken part  521  of the housing  52  stably due to magnetic attraction of the magnetic component  60  on the keyboard  56  and the magnetic metal component  58  on the housing  20  and engagement of the plurality of hooks  62  on the keyboard  56  and the plurality of slots  523  on the housing  52 . It provides a keyboard fixing mechanism with easy assembly and without utilizing screws. Furthermore, the engagement of the plurality of hooks  62  on the keyboard  56  and the plurality of slots  523  on the housing  52  can be applied selectively, and the keyboard  56  is fastened inside the sunken part  521  of the housing  52  stably only with magnetic attraction of the magnetic component  60  on the keyboard  56  and the magnetic metal component  58  on the housing  20 . It depends on actual design demand. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  is an enlarged diagram of the keyboard assembly  54  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The keyboard assembly  54  further includes a releasing mechanism  64  for pushing the keyboard  56  so as to separate the keyboard  56  from the sunken part  521  of the housing  52 . The releasing mechanism  64  includes a pin  66  passing through the sunken part  521  of the housing  52  and disposed on the side of the keyboard  56 . The releasing mechanism  64  further includes a pressing component  68  for driving the pin  66  to push the keyboard  56  so as to separate the keyboard  56  from the sunken part  521  of the housing  52  when being pressed. For example, the pin  66  and the pressing component  68  can be formed as a seesaw structure. When the user presses the pressing component  68  downward, the pin  66  can be moved up to lift the housing  52  upward so as to separate the keyboard  56  from the sunken part  521  of the housing  52 . The mechanical design of the releasing mechanism  64  is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the releasing mechanism  64  can be a stick passing through a bottom of the housing  52  and the sunken part  521  of the housing  52  for lifting up the keyboard  52 . The releasing mechanism  64  also can be applied selectively, and the user can pry the keyboard  56  directly to overcome the attraction force between the magnetic component  60  and the magnetic metal component  58 . 
     In contrast to the prior art, the keyboard assembly and the portable electronic device of the present invention utilizes the magnetic attraction force to fasten the keyboard instead of screws. It can reduce difficulty and manufacture cost of assembly and can improve the floating tactile feeling of the conventional keyboard assembly due to the magnetic attraction with planar distribution of the present invention. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.