Patent Abstract:
An exemplary portable electronic device includes a housing, a circuit board, starting module set on the circuit board for starting the portable electronic device, and an assembly module. The assembly module helps assembles the housing and the circuit board together and forms a part of circuitry associated with the starting module. When the assembly module is disassembled from the housing and the circuit board, the starting module cannot start the portable electronic device.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to portable electronic devices, and particularly to a portable electronic device which cannot be started when the portable electronic device is disassembled. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Manufacturers usually need much time and money to design and make new products. However, once a new product is on the market, commercial competitors of the manufacturer may reverse engineer the new product. That is, a competitor may disassemble the new product to learn the electronic and mechanical structures of the new product. The competitor can further analyze the functions of the new product after starting to disassemble the new product. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, exploded view of a portable electronic device, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially disassembled view of an assembly module and a circuit board of the portable electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled view of the assembly module and the circuit board of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic, exploded view of a portable electronic device  100 , according to an exemplary embodiment. The portable electronic device  100  includes a housing  10 , a circuit board  20 , a starting module  30 , and an assembly module  40 . The assembly module  40  assembles the housing  10  and the circuit board  20  together. When the assembly module  40  is disassembled from the housing  10  and the circuit board  20 , the portable electronic device  100  cannot be started by the starting module  30 . 
     The housing  10  includes a case  11  and a cover  12 . The case  11  includes a bottom wall  111 , and four side walls  112  extending perpendicularly up from four sides of the bottom wall  111 . The four side walls  112  together with the bottom wall  111  form a receiving space  113  for receiving the circuit board  20 . A plurality of positioning posts  114  extend up from two sides of the bottom wall  111 . 
     The cover  12  is matched with the case  11 , and can be attached to the case  11  with the help of the assembly module  40 . A plurality of positioning holes  121  are defined in two sides of the cover  12 , corresponding to the positioning posts  11 . 
     The circuit board  20  is a substantially rectangular board, which is received in the receiving space  113 . A plurality of mounting holes  21  are defined in the circuit board  20 . The mounting holes  21  correspond to the positioning posts  114  and the positioning holes  121 . When the circuit board  20  is received in the receiving space  113 , the mounting holes  21  are aligned with the positioning posts  114  and the positioning holes  121 . A plurality of pad groups  22  are attached on the circuit board  20 , corresponding to the mounting holes  21 . Each pad group  22  includes two opposite pads  221  surrounding the corresponding mounting hole  21 . Each pad  221  is substantially a semi-annular conductive sheet. 
     The starting module  30  includes a first starting member  31 , a second starting member  32 , a first connecting wire  33 , and a second connecting wire  34 . The first starting member  31  may be a central processing unit (CPU). The second starting member  32  may be a power supply for the CPU. The first and second starting members  31 ,  32  may be integrated circuits for starting the portable electronic device  100 . The first and second starting members  31 ,  32  are set on the circuit board  20  and are connected to the pads  221  in one of the pad groups  22  by the first and second connecting wires  33 ,  34 . In particular, the first connecting wire  33  connects the first starting member  31  to one pad  221  of the one pad group  22 . The second connecting wire  34  connects the second starting member  32  to the other pad  221  of the one pad group  22 . The first and second connecting wires  33 ,  34  are set inside the circuit board  20 , and are invisible from the outside of the circuit board  20 . When the two pads  221  of the pad group  22  are electrically connected, that is, the first starting member  31  is electrically connected to the second starting member  32 , the portable electronic device  100  can be started. Otherwise, the portable electronic device  100  cannot be started. 
     The assembly module  40  includes a conductive member  41 , and an assembly member  42 . The conductive member  41  may be a metallic annular sheet or washer. The conductive member  41  can be attached to the pad group  22  to electrically interconnect the two pads  221 . The assembly member  42  may be a screw or bolt, etc. The assembly member  42  can extend through the corresponding positioning hole  121 , the conductive member  41 , and the corresponding mounting hole  21 , and engage with the corresponding positioning post  114 . Thus, the case  11 , the cover  12 , and the circuit board  20  can be assembled together with the help of the assembly member  42 . In addition, the conductive member  41  is sandwiched between the circuit board  20  and the cover  12 , and attached to the pad group  22 . Thereby, electrical connection between the first starting member  31  and the second starting member  32  is completed by the conductive member  41 , and the portable electronic device  100  can be started. 
     When the assembly member  42  is disengaged from the positioning post  114  and the portable electronic device  100  is disassembled, the conductive member  41  is detached from the pad group  22 . Thus, the first starting member  31  is electrically disconnected from the second starting member  32 , and the portable electronic device  100  cannot be started. Therefore even though the portable electronic device  100  is disassembled, the working principles of the portable electronic device  100  cannot be easily further analyzed. 
     In other embodiments, the conductive member  41  can be omitted. When the case  11 , the cover  12 , and the circuit board  20  are assembled together with the help of the assembly member  42 , the assembly member  42  contacts the pads  221  surrounding the mounting hole  21 , and thereby electrically interconnects the first connecting wire  33  and the second connecting wire  34 . Thus, the portable electronic device  100  can be started. 
     In the above-described alternative embodiment, when the assembly member  42  is disengaged from the positioning post  114  and detached from the pads  221 , the first connecting member  31  is electrically disconnected from the second connecting member  32 . Thus, the portable electronic device  100  cannot be started by the starting module  30 . 
     It is believed that the exemplary embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6