Patent Abstract:
A hidden fastening structure applied to an electronic device is provided, which comprises a actuator and a fastener controlled by the actuator, wherein the fastener is rotatably disposed on the electronic device. When the actuator is pushed by external forces in the horizontal direction, the fastener is driven to rotate about the electronic device, thereby providing a hidden position accommodated within the electronic device or a fastening position outside the electronic device.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a fastening structure, and more particularly, to a hidden fastening structure suitable for electronic devices that can be covered. 
     2. Related Art 
     The configuration of a conventional notebook computer is generally divided into two parts: a base and a screen which can be connected to the base via a rotating shaft mechanism. When the notebook is used, the screen is opened from the base. When the screen is closed, a fastener is mounted on the base, so as to fix the screen to the base when the notebook is put away or carried along; otherwise, the screen opens, resulting in scratching of the surface of the screen, dust entering into the gaps of the keyboard, or damage to the rotating shaft mechanism. 
     However, a notebook-like computer has a liquid crystal screen that can be converted from a notebook mode to a tablet mode, i.e., the liquid crystal screen is turned backwards, such that the panel faces outwards and then is drawn close to the keyboard to be closely combined with the keyboard. As such, a liquid crystal display is obtained, i.e., a tablet PC. A locking element is usually disposed at a position where the screen covers the base, so as to prevent the liquid crystal screen from being opened freely. Moreover, the locking element also can be used for locking and positioning when the liquid crystal screen is rotated to be folded into a briefing mode for writing and reading. 
     U.S. Patent Publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,107 provides a hidden fastening mechanism, which comprises an extending arm and a winding rope with one end connected to a pivot joint within the screen, and the other end of the winding rope is connected to the extending arm extended from the fastener. Under external forces, the extending arm drives the winding rope, and the winding rope further drives the fastener, such that the fastener is selectively hidden in the screen or exposed from the screen. However, the assembly manner is not practical and the winding rope requires a large space, and thus, it cannot be used in a narrow frame space. 
     U.S. Patent Publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,740 provides a-two-way fastening device, wherein both surfaces of the cover overlay and fastened on the base. When external forces are applied to an actuator, the actuator has four statuses of moving positions, such that a fastener is driven to protrude from the base to be fastened or to be released and dropped out from the base, and thus, a restorer drives the fastener and the actuator to return to the initial status. 
     U.S. Patent Publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,965,512 provides a mechanism system with a movable hook, wherein the hook is released from the fixing device when being rotated to be hidden within the lower body, and it is combined with the fixing device when being rotated to be exposed from the lower body, such that the upper body and the lower body are fixedly closed. Moreover, the fastening device includes a handle, a tension spring, and an actuator. The fastening device is used to push the tension spring and further push the handle and the fastener, such that the hook rotates relative to the lower body. However, there are too many parts, and the assembling process is difficult. 
     U.S. Patent Publication US 20050180562 provides a hidden hook driving structure, wherein a connecting lever is driven by pressing a key, and the connecting lever is pivotally connected to a magnetic hook, such that the hook is snapped due to being attracted by the magnetic pieces of the body. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above disclosed prior arts, a large number of parts are required and the assembling process is difficult, and the assembly method cannot be applied to products in practice. Besides, a large space is demanded, such that it cannot be used in a narrow body. Furthermore, the operating process of the fastener is complicated. Therefore, the present invention provides a hidden fastening structure, wherein the fastening effect in the rotating direction is achieved when being applied with forces in the horizontal direction. 
     The hidden fastening structure disclosed by the present invention is applied to electronic devices, which comprises an actuator and a fastener, wherein the actuator is movably disposed on an electronic device and further comprises an activation button and a guide piece with a guiding slot. Under an external force, the activation button drives the guide piece, such that they together move to a first position and a second position. Further, the fastener is rotatably disposed on the electronic device and has a hidden position accommodated within the electronic device or a fastening position rotatably exposed from the electronic device. Besides, a shaft lever that can be extended into the guiding slot is disposed on one side of the fastener. When the activation button is located at the first or second position, the guide piece drives the fastener to move along the guiding slot, such that the fastener is located at the hidden or fastening position. 
     According to the above object, the present invention further discloses a hidden fastening structure for electronic devices, which comprises a first body, a second body, an actuator, and a fastener. The first body has a fastening slot, while the second body is pivotally connected to the first body. The actuator is movably disposed on the second body and comprises an activation button and a guide piece with a guiding slot. Under an external force, the activation button drives the guide piece and together move to a first position and a second position. Moreover, the fastener is rotatably disposed on the second body and has a hidden position accommodated within the second body or a fastening position rotatably exposed from the second body. Besides, a shaft lever that can be extended into the guiding slot is disposed on one side of the fastener. When the activation button is disposed at the first or second position, the guide piece drives the fastener to move along the guiding slot, such that the fastener is disposed at the hidden or fastening position. 
     The hidden fastening structure disclosed by the present invention not only can reduce the amount of the elements required in the prior art, thereby simplifying the structural configuration, but also convenient and simple to operate, and particularly, it is easy for a user to rotate the fastener by applying forces in the horizontal direction, so as to perform fastening and releasing operations. Moreover, the manufacturing process is simple, and thus the manufacturing cost is reduced. 
     The detailed features and advantages of the present invention are discussed below in detail through the following embodiments. It is easy for any skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present invention and to implement accordingly. Furthermore, with reference to the content disclosed in the specification, claims, and drawings, the relevant objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, which thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a structure of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a structure of a guide piece according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the appearance of a notebook. 
         FIG. 4A  is a schematic view of the using status when the present invention is applied to a notebook. 
         FIG. 4B  is another schematic view of the using status when the present invention is applied to a notebook. 
         FIG. 5A  is a schematic view of positioning an activation button according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5B  is another schematic view of positioning the activation button according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The hidden fastening structure disclosed by the present invention is applied to an electronic device, which can be, but not limited to, a tablet PC or a notebook, and any device that can be correspondingly closed or opened may utilize the technology disclosed in the present invention. A notebook is taken as an application embodiment in the following detailed description of the present invention. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  of an exploded view of a hidden fastening structure of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a hidden fastening structure  10  comprises an actuator  11  and a fastener  15 . The actuator  11  comprises an activation button  13  and a guide piece  14 . The activation button  13  is provided with a key body  131  at one side, and a fastening part  132  at the other side. The guiding slot  141  is disposed at the guide piece  14 , and a fastening hole  142  is disposed corresponding to the fastening part  132 . A shaft lever  151  is disposed at one side of the fastener  15  which corresponds to the guiding slot  141 , and a pivot shaft  152  is disposed at the other side. Besides, an inverted hook  154  is formed at one end of the fastener  15 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2  of a schematic view of a guide piece according to the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the activation button  13  in the actuator  11  is embedded into the fastening hole  142  in the guide piece  14  via the fastening part  132 . The fastening hole  142  is adjacent to the guiding slot  141 . A first positioning hole  1411  and a second positioning hole  1412  are further disposed at two opposite ends of the guiding slot  141 . The guiding slot  141  allows the shaft lever  151  of the fastener  15  to be extended. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 , it shows an operation status of a notebook  30 . The notebook  30  has a first body  32  and a second body  33 . The first body  32  is either a host or a display screen. Likewise, the second body  33  is either a display screen or a host corresponding to the first body  32 . In the present invention, the first body  32  is a display screen and the second body  33  is a host. The first body  32  has a bottom wall  322 , a top wall  323  corresponding to the bottom wall  322 , and a side wall  324  disposed between the bottom wall  322  and the top wall  323 . A fastening slot  3221  is formed in the bottom wall  322 . The surface of the second body  33  has a panel  332  with a plurality of keys  333  accommodated therein, and a sliding slot  335  is correspondingly disposed on one side of the panel  332 . An opening  336  is formed in the panel  332  corresponding to the fastening slot  3221 . The activation button  13  protrudes from the sliding slot  335  via the key body  131 . Moreover, the second body  33  is pivotally connected to the first body  32 , such that the first body  32  and the second body  33  are correspondingly closed and opened. When the first body  32  is intended to cover the second body  33 , the bottom wall  322  approaches and substantially contacts the panel  332  of the first body  32 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 A, and  4 B, since the activation button  13  is movably disposed on the second body  33 , and the activation button  13  is embedded in the fastening hole  142  via the fastening part  132 , when being applied with an external force, the activation button  13  drives the guide piece  14  and together move to a first position P 1  or a second position P 2 . The pivot shaft  152  on the other side of the fastener  15  is disposed on a fixing bracket  331  of the second body  33 , such that the other side of the fastener  15  is pivotally connected to the fixing bracket  33 - 1 , and thereby the fastener  15  rotates relative to the second body  33 . When the activation button  13  moves along the sliding slot  335  from the first position P 1  to the second position P 2  under an external force, it simultaneously drives the guide piece  14  to move from the first position P 1  to the second position P 2 , and the guide piece  14  further drives the fastener  15  to move along the guiding slot  141 . The fastener  15  glides within the guiding slot  141  via the shaft lever  151 , i.e., the shaft lever  151  glides from the first positioning hole  1411  to the second positioning hole  1412 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . As such, the fastener  15  rotates relative to the second body  33  to protrude from the opening  336 , i.e., moving from a hidden position P 3  accommodated within the second body  33  to a fastening position P 4  outside the second body  33 , as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . Likewise, if the activation button  13  is intended to move from the second position P 2  to the first position P 1 , the guide piece  14  drives the fastener  15  to move along the guiding slot  141 . The fastener  15  glides within the guiding slot  141  via the shaft lever  151 , i.e., the shaft lever  151  glides from the second positioning hole  1412  to the first positioning hole  1411 , such that the fastener  15  rotates relative to the second body  33 , i.e., moving from the fastening position P 4  outside the second body  33  to the hidden position P 3  accommodated within the second body  33 . 
     When the first body  32  is intended to cover the second body  33 , the bottom wall  322  approaches and substantially contacts the panel  332  of the first body  32 . At this time, the activation button  13  located at the first position P 1  is pushed, such that the shaft lever  151  of the fastener  15  is located at the second positioning hole  1412 . The activation button  13  is located at the second position P 2 , and the fastener  15  is located at the fastening position P 4 , such that the fastener  15  is fastened to the fastening slot  3221  via the inverted hook  154 . When the second body  33  is intended to rotate relative to the first body  32  to make the first body  32  be released from the second body  33 , the activation button  13  at the second position P 2  is pushed, such that the shaft lever  151  of the fastener  15  is positioned at the first positioning hole  1411 . As such, the activation button  13  is located at the first position P 1 , the fastener  15  is located at the hidden position P 3 , such that the fastener  15  is removed from the fastening slot  3221  via the inverted hook  154  and then released from the fastening slot  3221 . 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 5A and 5B .  FIG. 5A  is a schematic view of positioning an activation button according to the present invention.  FIG. 5B  is another schematic view of positioning the activation button according to the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 5A , the activation button  13  is further provided with a plurality of positioning slots  133 A, and a positioning salient point  338 A is disposed on the second body  33  corresponding to each of the positioning slots  133 A. When the activation button  13  is pushed to perform the fastening operation, each of the positioning salient points  338 A is sequentially embedded in each of the positioning slots  133 A. As shown in  FIG. 5B , the activation button  13  is further provided with a plurality of positioning salient points  133 B, and positioning slots  338 B are disposed on the second body  33  corresponding to each of the positioning salient points  133 B. When the activation button  13  is pushed to perform the fastening operation, each of the positioning salient points  133 B is sequentially embedded in each of the positioning slots  338 B. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4