Patent Publication Number: US-2006006674-A1

Title: Electronic apparatus and magnetic lock device thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of Invention  
      The invention relates to an electronic apparatus and lock device thereof and, in particular, to an electronic apparatus and magnetic lock device thereof.  
      2. Related Art  
      With the coming of the electronic times, the dependence and need of electronic products for people are increasing. In addition, the technology changes with each passing day, so consumers determine whether a product to be bought not only with considering the product&#39;s price but also considering the features and friendly use of the product. Therefore, the manufacturers of the electronic products always make the effort to think about how to fit the requirements of consumers.  
      For understanding the present invention easily, herein the notebook is taken as an example. With reference to  FIG. 1 , a conventional notebook comprises a monitor  1  and a host  2 , which is pivoted on the monitor  1 . The screen  12  of the monitor  1  faces to the host  2  and covers the upper surface  22  of the host  2 . The notebook further comprises a lock device  4 .  
      The lock device  4  comprises a hook  41 , a press-key  42  and a connected part  43 . The hook  41  and the press-key  42  of the conventional notebook are located on the front middle of the monitor  1  and the connected part  43  is located on the upper surface  22  of the host  2 . When the notebook is in a closed state, the hook  41  is protruding from the monitor  1  and can be fasten to the connected part  43  of the upper surface  22  of the host  2 . For opening the notebook, the press-key  42  is pushed to separate the hook  41  and the connected part  43 .  
      The action of opening the notebook is to make the hook  41  disengage from the connected part  43 . Thus, the users can exert an outside force between the monitor  1  and the host  2  to separate one another for opening the notebook. However, since the notebook tends toward more thin design, users are still difficult to open it, even the hook  42  is disengaged from the connected part  43 , due to the gap between the monitor  1  and the host  2  is too narrow to exert force.  
      Therefore, according to the mentioned above, it is a subjective to provide a lock device, which is much easily used for users to open the notebook.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In view of the foregoing, the invention is to provide an electronic apparatus, which is much easier for user to open the notebook, and magnetic lock device thereof.  
      To achieve the above, a magnetic lock device of the invention is separately located on a first body and a second body. The first body and the second body are pivoted with each other. The magnetic device comprises a first magnetic element, a second magnetic element, and a control module. In the invention, the first magnetic element is located on the first body and comprises a first part and a second part. The first part has a first polarity and the second part has a second polarity. The second magnetic element is located on the second body and comprises a third part and a fourth part. The third part has the first polarity and the fourth part has the second polarity. The second polarity is opposite to the first polarity. When the first body and the second body are closed, the first part faces to the fourth part for providing a magnetic attraction between the first body and the second body. The control module is located on the second body. When the control module is triggered, the first part faces to the third part for providing a magnetic repulsion between the first body and the second body.  
      To achieve the above, an electronic apparatus of the invention comprises a first body, a second body, a first magnetic element, a second magnetic element, and a control module. In the invention, the first body and the second body are pivoted with each other. The first magnetic element is located on the first body and comprises a first part and a second part. The first part has a first polarity and the second part has a second polarity. The second magnetic element is located on the second body and comprises a third part and a fourth part. The third part has the first polarity and the fourth part has the second polarity. The second polarity is opposite to the first polarity. When the first body and the second body are closed, the first part faces to the fourth part for providing a magnetic attraction between the first body and the second body. The control module is located on the second body. When the control module is triggered, the first part faces to the third part for providing a magnetic repulsion between the first body and the second body.  
      As mentioned above, the electronic apparatus and the magnetic lock device thereof of the invention utilize the polarities or locations changing between the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element as well as working on the principle of unlike poles attract. Thus, the first body and the second body that this magnetic lock device is set in are closed because of they are attracted with each other. While working on the principle of like poles repel, the first body and the second body are repelled to separate and then have a gap, which is for users to exert force to open the notebook. Moreover, this invention also provides a lock device, which has designed features as well as makes opening the notebook by one hand possible. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the conventional notebook;  
       FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the magnetic lock device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view showing the magnetic lock device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional enlarged lateral view showing the magnetic lock device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a sectional enlarged lateral view showing the motion of the magnetic lock device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the magnetic lock device according to another preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.  
      With reference to  FIG. 2 , the magnetic lock device  3  according to the embodiment of the invention is separately located on a first body  5  and a second body  6 . The magnetic lock device  3  comprises a first magnetic element  31 , a second magnetic element  32 , and a control module  33 . The first body  5  is a monitor while the second body  6  is a host. Certainly, the first body  5  also can be a host while the second body  6  is a monitor.  
      In the present embodiment, as is shown in  FIG. 3 , the first magnetic element  31 , which is located on the first body  5 , comprises a first part  311  and a second part  312 . The first part  311  has a first polarity and the second part  312  has a second polarity. The second magnetic element  32 , which is located on the second body  6 , comprises a third part  321  and a fourth part  322 . The third part  321  has the first polarity and the fourth part  322  has the second polarity. However, the second polarity is opposite to the first polarity. The first magnetic element  31  and the second magnetic element  32  are magnets. In this case, the first part is the N-pole portion while the second part is the S-pole portion, and the first polarity is normal magnetic polarity while the second polarity is reversed magnetic polarity. Relatively, the first polarity may be reversed magnetic polarity while the second polarity is normal magnetic polarity.  
      With reference to  FIG. 4 , when the first body  5  and the second body  6  are closed, the magnetic element  32  is located on a first position S 1 . And the first part  311  of the first magnetic element  31  faces to the fourth part  322  of the second magnetic element  32 . As the polarity of the first part  311  is the first polarity while the polarity of the fourth part  322  is the second polarity and base on the principle of unlike poles attract, a magnetic attraction is, accordingly, provided between the first part  311  and the fourth part  322  to enable the first body  5  and the second body  6  attracting with each other and being in a closed state.  
      The control module  33  comprises a touch element  331 , a bearing element  332 , an elastic element  333 , and a blocking element  334 . In the present embodiment, the touch element  331  and the bearing element  332  are connected. The second magnetic element  32  is set on the bearing element  332 . The blocking element  334  is set in the second body  6 . The elastic element  333  is located between the blocking element  334  and the bearing element  332 . The control module  33  is set on the second body  6 . Moreover, the second magnetic element  32  is moved corresponding to the control module  33 .  
      When the touch element  331  of the control module  33  is triggered by a outside force to move in a first direction d 1 , the second magnetic element  32  set on the bearing element  332  is driven to leave away from the first position S 1  to a second position S 2  (as is shown in  FIG. 5 ). At this time, the first part  311  of the first magnetic element  31  faces to the third part  321  of the second magnetic element  32 . As the polarities of the first part  311  and the third part  321  are the same, there is a magnetic repulsion between the first part  311  and the third part  321 . Therefore, the first body  5  and the second body  6  are capable of being separated because of the magnetic repulsion relieving the closed state. When the bearing element  332  moves in the first direction d 1  and presses the elastic element  333  located between the bearing element  332  and the blocking element  334 , due to the blocking element  334  is fixed in the second body  6  and the movement of the elastic element  333  is restricted by the blocking element  334 , the elastic element  333  has a backward elasticity in a second direction d 2 , which is opposite to the first direction d 1  (as is shown in  FIG. 4 ).  
      As mentioned above, the touch element  331  of the control module  33  can be a push-button device (as is shown in  FIG. 4 ), and it also can be designed for a press-key device (as is shown in  FIG. 6 ). The elastic element  333  is a spring.  
      Alternatively, the first magnetic element  31  is also composed of the first part  311  and the second part  312 , which are set in parallel (as is shown in  FIG. 6 ).  
      Additionally, regarding to the magnetic lock device  3  according to another embodiment of the invention, its compositions and dispositions are the same as those mentioned above, so the detailed descriptions are omitted herein. The difference is that the first magnetic element  31  or the second magnetic element  32  can be an electromagnet, which is by means of changing the current to interfere the magnetic effect. By controlling the current to let the polarities of the first magnetic element  31  and the second magnetic element  32  opposite to one another, a magnetic attraction is generated between the first magnetic element  31  and the second magnetic element  32 , and then enables the first body  5  and the second body  6  in a closed state. Alternatively, by controlling the current to let the polarities of the first magnetic element  31  and the second magnetic element  32  the same, a magnetic repulsion is generated between the first magnetic element  31  and the second magnetic element  32  and then enables the first body  5  and the second body  6  in a separated state. As mentioned above, the generated magnetic attraction or magnetic repulsion is also base on the principle of unlike poles attract or like poles repel to achieve the first body  5  and the second body  6  in the closed state or in the opened state.  
      Additionally, the electronic apparatus according to additional embodiment of the invention comprises a first body  5 , a second body  6 , a first magnetic element  31 , a second magnetic element  32 , and a control module  33 . The first body  5  and the second body  6  are pivoted with each other. When the first body  5  and the second body  6  are closed, the first magnetic element  31  faces to the second magnetic element  32 , which is located on the first position S 1 . Accordingly, a magnetic attraction is generated for making the first body  5  and the second body  6  in a closed state. When the control module  33  drives the second magnetic element  32  to the second position S 2 , the first magnetic element  31  faces to the second magnetic element  32 . Accordingly, a magnetic repulsion is generated. Through the magnetic changes, the first body  5  and the second body  6  repel due to the principle of unlike poles attract. Therefore, the user can easily open the electronic apparatus by exerting a force through the gap between the two bodies.  
      Due to the structures, the depositions and the actions of the first magnetic element  31 , the second magnetic element  32 , and the control module  33  in this embodiment are the same as those of the previously mentioned magnetic device  3 , the detailed descriptions are omitted for concise purpose. To be noted, the magnetic lock device  3  set on the electronic apparatus can be carried out by a press key or a push button. Moreover, the first magnetic element  31  and the second magnetic element  32  of this lock device are magnets, which can open the computer base on the different magnetic polarities thereof. Furthermore, the first magnetic element  31  or the second magnetic element  32  also can be an electromagnet that has changing polarity caused by the current. As a result, the electromagnet with changed polarity can then interfere the magnetic field for opening the computer.  
      In conclusion, the magnetic device according to the embodiment of the invention can close the first body and the second body with a magnetic attraction caused by the first magnetic element and the second magnetic whose polarities are unlike. While the first magnetic element and the second magnetic whose polarities are like, a magnetic repulsion is generated to enable the first body and the second body to be separated. The electronic apparatus on which this magnetic lock device is set can not only provide a lock device having a user-friendly design for exerting force easily, but also present a high-quality design feature.  
      Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.