Patent Abstract:
A housing includes a bottom shell and a plurality of protection blocks. The bottom shell includes a bottom wall, a peripheral wall extending from a periphery of the bottom wall, and a support wall extending from a side surface of the peripheral wall toward the interior of the housing. The support wall includes a plurality of corners. Each of the plurality of corners encloses a protection groove holding a protection block, thus building protection against impacts within the existing profile of the housing, instead of the protection being attached to the exterior of the housing.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to device housings and particularly, to a housing of an electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    An electronic device often includes a bottom shell, a support frame, and a display. The support frame is fixed on the bottom shell. The screen is fixed on the support frame. However, upon an impact, the display screen and the bottom shell can be easily damaged due to insufficient structural strength at the corners of the display screen and the bottom shell. A plurality of protection blocks is fixed outside of the corners by fasteners to absorb impacts against the corners. However, such protection blocks increase a size of the electronic device and reduce the aesthetic appearance of the electronic device. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and all the views are schematic. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is an assembled, isometric view of one embodiment of an electronic device. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the electronic device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a circled portion III in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged, assembled, isometric view of the circled portion III in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a partial, cross sectional view of the electronic device taken along line V-V of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show one embodiment of an electronic device  100 . The electronic device  100  includes a housing  10 , a display panel  30 , a frame  50 , and other various functional modules (not shown) received in the housing  10 . The display panel  30  and the frame  50  are mounted on the housing  10 . The other various functional modules implement a variety of functions. For simplicity, only the housing  10 , the display panel  30 , and the frame  50  are described in detail. The electronic device  100  can be a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a digital photo frame or a liquid crystal display. In an illustrated embodiment, the electronic device  100  is a tablet computer. 
         [0013]    Referring also to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , the housing  10  includes a bottom shell  11 , a plurality of protection blocks  13  positioned at corners of the bottom shell  11 , and a plurality of fasteners  15  to fix the protection blocks  13  to the bottom shell  11 . In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom shell  11  is made of metal, such as aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy, and stainless steel, and is formed by punching. The bottom shell  11  includes a bottom wall  111 , a peripheral wall  113 , and a support wall  115 . The peripheral wall  113  substantially perpendicularly extends from a periphery of the bottom wall  111 . The support wall  115  extends from side surfaces of the peripheral wall  113  toward the interior of the housing  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall  111  is substantially rectangular. A connecting portion of the peripheral wall  113  and the bottom wall  111  is substantially curved to add to the aesthetics. The support wall  115  is substantially rectangular and frame-like. The support wall  115 , the peripheral wall  113 , and the bottom wall  111  cooperatively form a receiving space  102  to receive the functional modules, through an opening  101 . 
         [0014]    In the illustrated embodiment, a height of the peripheral wall  113  is greater than a height of the support wall  115  along a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall  111 , such that the peripheral wall  113  and the support wall  115  cooperatively define a receiving groove  1150  around the opening  101 , to receive the frame  50 . The support wall  115  includes two first end surfaces  1151  away from the bottom wall  111  and two second end surfaces  1152  away from the bottom wall  111 . Opposite ends of each first end surface  1151  are substantially perpendicularly connected to one end of each second surface  1152 . A first mounting groove  1153  is defined in a substantially middle portion of each first end surface  1151  facing the receiving space  102 . The first mounting groove  1153  is substantially trapezoidal. A second mounting groove  1154  is defined in a substantially middle portion of each second end surface  1152  facing the receiving space  102 . The second mounting groove  1154  is substantially arcuate. A corner  1159  formed between each first end surface  1151  and each second end surface  1152  defines a protection groove  1156  for receiving the protection blocks  13 . The protection groove  1156  is substantially L-shaped. In the illustrated embodiment, there are four corners  1159  each defining a protection groove  1156  for receiving a protection block  13 , in a top surface away from the bottom wall  111 . A plurality of fixing holes  1157  is defined in a bottom surface of the protection groove  1156 . In other embodiments, a shape of the bottom shell  11  is variable, the quantity of the corners  1159 , the quantity of the protection grooves  1156 , and the quantity of the protection blocks  13  can be changed accordingly. 
         [0015]    Each protection block  13  is substantially L-shaped, and is engaged in the protection groove  1156 . A plurality of engaging holes  131  is defined in the protection block  13 , according to the fixing holes  1157  in the support frame  115 . In the illustrated embodiment, a thickness of each protection block  115  is substantially equal to a depth of each protection groove  1156 , such that a top surface of the protection block  115  is coplanar with the first end surface  1151  and the second end surface  1152 . Each protection block  115  is made of stainless steel or tungsten steel. 
         [0016]    Referring also to  FIG. 5 , each fastener  15  includes a fixing portion  151  and an end portion  153  connected to the fixing portion  151 . The fixing portion  151  passes through the engaging hole  131  of the protection block  13 , to be securely mounted in the fixing hole  1157  of the support wall  115 . The end portion  153  is wholly received in the engaging hole  131  of the protection block  13 , such that a top surface of the end portion  513  is not higher than coplanar with a top surface of the protection block  13 . A quantity of the fasteners  15  is same as a quantity of the fixing holes of the support wall  115 . The fasteners  15  can be screws, pins, or rivets. In other embodiments, the protection blocks  13  can be fixed to the bottom shell  11  by latching, interference fitting, or other means. 
         [0017]    The display panel  30  is substantially a rectangular plate, and is securely mounted on the support wall  115 . The display panel  30  includes two first sidewalls  31 , two second sidewall  33 , two first extending portion  312 , and two second extending portions  332 . Opposite ends of each first sidewall  31  are each substantially perpendicularly connected to one end of one second sidewall  33 . Each first extending portion  312  extends from a substantially middle portion of one first sidewall  31  according to the first mounting groove  1153 . Each second extending portion  332  extends from a substantially middle portion of one second sidewall  33  according to the second mounting groove  1154 . Top surfaces of the first sidewalls  31  and two second sidewall  33  are coplanar with the first end surfaces  1151  and the second end surfaces  1152 . In other embodiments, the quantity of the first mounting grooves  1153  or of the second mounting grooves  1154  can be changed, and the quantity of the first extending portions  312  or of the second extending portions  332  can be changed accordingly. 
         [0018]    The frame  50  is substantially rectangular. A size of the frame  50  is substantially same as a size of the receiving groove  1150 . The frame  50  is securely received in the receiving groove  1150  above the protection blocks  13 , the first extending portions  312 , and the second extending portions  332 , as the base structure on which the display panel  30  is mounted. The frame  50  is made of plastic. 
         [0019]    In assembly, the protection blocks  13  are firstly attached to the support wall  115  in the receiving grooves  1156  by adhesive, and then the fixing portions  151  pass through the engaging holes  131  of the protection blocks  13  to be securely mounted in the fixing holes  1157  of the support wall  115 . Secondly, the first extending portions  312  and the second extending portions  332  are securely mounted in the first mounting grooves  1153  and the second mounting grooves  1154  respectively, such that the display panel  30  is positioned on the support wall  15 . Lastly, the frame  50  is securely fixed in the receiving groove  1150  above the base structure of the protection blocks  13 , the first extending portions  312 , and the second extending portions  332 . 
         [0020]    When the electronic device  100  is violently impacted, for example, by being dropped, the protection blocks  13  absorb all the external force, such that the housing  10  and the display panel  30  are protected from damage by the protection blocks  13 . The protection blocks  13  being fixed between the frame  50  and the bottom shell  11  save and reduce the occupied volume of the electronic device  100 , such that the electronic device  100  can be made thinner. In addition, because the top surface of the protection block  115  is coplanar with the first end surface  1151  and the second end surface  1152 , an assembly process is not prejudiced or negatively affected, such that a yield of the electronic device  100  is improved. 
         [0021]    The side plates  12  can also extend perpendicular to the bottom plate  11 . The elongated grooves  23  can also be omitted, where the support frame  20  is actually fixed to the bottom shell  10  by plastic welding or hook structures. The adhesive grooves  32  of the protection blocks  30  can also be omitted, where the protection blocks  30  are actually fixed in the bottom shell  10  by plastic welding. 
         [0022]    While the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6