Patent Abstract:
A free-standing portable electronic device is described. The portable electronic device includes a cover member, a body member and a support assembly rotatably mounted to the cover member and is used to stand the personal electronic device in an upright manner.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to portable electronic devices and, particularly, to a portable electronic device with a free-standing supportability. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Many portable electronic devices, e.g., mobile phones and personal digital assistants, are equipped with a video playing function. Due to their small size, a portable electronic device cannot be stably stood upright on a flat surface. Therefore, it is difficult to watch video images. In such case, users need to hold a portable electronic device in their hands to watch video image. However, the video image may shake and become blurry when users manually hold the portable electronic device. In addition, users may become tired if they are holding a portable electronic device for a long time. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the portable electronic device can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present portable electronic device. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding sections throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of the portable electronic device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the support assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled, isometric view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 3  taken along line IV-IV. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 3  taken along line V-V. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the portable electronic device shown in  FIG. 3  when the support assembly is opened. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The exemplary portable electronic device  100  shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  5  may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc. The portable electronic device  100  includes a body member  10 , a cover member  20  and a support assembly  30 . The cover member  20  is mounted to the body member  10 . The support assembly  30  is mounted to the cover member  20 . 
     The cover member  20  may be a battery cover and mounted to the body member  10  by a typical means e.g., elastic latching means. The cover member  20  defines a receiving space  13  used to receive the support assembly  30  therein. The receiving space  13  is enclosed by a first wall  131 , a second wall  132  opposite to the first wall  131 , and two opposite side walls  133 . Each side walls  133  has a symmetric pivoting column  1331  protruding therefrom adjacent to the second wall  132 . The two symmetric pivoting columns  1331  are coaxial and face each other. A bottom wall of the receiving space  13  further defines a latching slot  134  adjacent to the pivoting columns  1331 . The latching slot  134  can be V-shaped (see  FIG. 5 ). The latching slot  134  is configured to allow the support assembly  30  to rotate to a predetermined angle. A protrusion  137  protrudes from the first wall  131 , thus forming a clamping slot  1371  between the protrusion  137  and the bottom wall of the receiving space  13  (best seen in  FIG. 6 ). The cover member  20  further defines an operation slot  15  adjacent to the first wall  131 . The operation slot  15  is used to facilitate a user&#39;s access to the support assembly  30  when it is received in the receiving space  13 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the support assembly  30  includes a support board  31 , an elastic member  32  and two connecting sleeves  33 . The support board  31  is configured to be received in the receiving space  13 . The support board  31  includes a first end  311  and a second end  312  parallel and opposite to the first end  311 . The support board  31  includes a mounting cavity  3111  adjacent to the first end  311 , and a latching portion  3113 . In this exemplary embodiment, the mounting cavity  3111  has a semicircular cross-section. A bottom wall of the mounting cavity  3111  defines two mounting slits  3112  perpendicular with the cross-section of the mounting cavity  3111 . The latching portion  3113  is used to latch into the latching slot  134 . The connecting sleeve  33  includes a main portion  331 , a connecting block  332  protruding from an end surface of the main portion  331 , and a pivoting cavity  333  defined on the other end surface of the main portion  331 . The connecting sleeves  33  further define two mounting ribs  334  protruding from a peripheral wall of the main portion  331  corresponding to the mounting slits  3112 . The mounting ribs  334  are slidably received in the corresponding mounting slits  3112  so that the two connecting sleeves  33  are slidably mounted to the support board  31  with the connecting blocks  332  facing each other. The elastic member  32  is a coil spring received in the mounting cavity  3111  and sandwiched between the two connecting sleeves  33 . The connecting block  332  of one connecting sleeve  33  is received into an end of the elastic member  32 , and the connecting block  332  of the other connecting sleeve  33  is received into the other end of the elastic member  32 . The second end  312  has a clamp  3121  protruding from the middle portion. The clamp  3121  latches into the clamping slot  1371  to latch the support assembly  30  to the cover member  20  (see  FIG. 6 ). An operation bar  3122  (see  FIG. 6 ) also protrudes from the second end  312  corresponding to the operation slot  15 . The operation bar  3122  is exposed in the operation slot  15  and allows easy user access to the operation slot  15 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3  together, in assembly, the two connecting sleeves  33  are pushed towards each other, compressing the elastic member  32 . Then the first end  311  with the two connecting sleeves  33  and the elastic member  32  is inserted into the receiving space  13  and the pivoting cavities  333  are aligned with the pivoting columns  1331 . At this time, the connecting sleeves  33  are released and the elastic member  32  repells the connecting sleeves  33  to slide towards the pivoting columns  1331  until the pivoting columns  1331  are rotatably received in the corresponding pivoting cavities  333 . Then, the support board  31  is rotated around the pivoting columns  1331  towards the cover member  20  until the clamp  3121  latches into the clamping slot  1371 . At this time, the support assembly  30  have been retracted and received in the cover member  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 7 , in use, a user can access the operation bar  3122  of the support board  31  by the operation slot  15  to make the clamp  3121  go over the protrusion  137  and out of the clamping slot  1371 . Then the support board  31  is rotated around the pivoting columns  1331  until the latching portion  3113  latches into the latching slot  134 . At this time, the latching portion  3113  abuts against a bottom wall of the latching slot  134  and the support board  31  can stably support the portable electronic device  100  upright. Thus, a user can easily enjoy the video images of the portable electronic device  100  without holding the portable electronic device  100  in his/her hands. 
     In alternative embodiments, the number of the mounting slits  3112  may be greater than two, and correspond to the number of mounting ribs. 
     In further alternative embodiments, a cavity can be defined on an end surface of the connecting sleeves  33  instead of the connecting block  332 . An end of the elastic member  32  is received in the hole. 
     It is to be understood that the shape of the latching slot  134  can be changed to allow the support board  31  rotate for different angles. 
     It is to be understood that the latching slot  132  can be defined on different portions of the cover member  20 . 
     In other alternative embodiments, the support assembly  30  may be directly mounted to the body member  10 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of sections within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms, in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5