Patent Abstract:
A sliding mechanism includes a first plate ( 32 ) having a sliding slot ( 322 ) and a control slot ( 325 ) defined therein. The sliding slot and the control slot having a certain angle therebetween and communicating with each other. A second plate ( 38 ) is longitudinally slidably connected to the first plate. The second plate including a sliding member ( 381 ) formed on a surface thereof facing the first plate. The sliding member engages with the sliding slot and includes an elastic positioning assembly ( 389 ). A control assembly ( 34 ) is slidably received in the control slot. A main elastic member ( 36 ) has one end thereof being fixed to one end of the sliding slot, the other end thereof being fixed with the sliding member. A portable electronic device ( 100 ) using the sliding mechanism is also disclosed.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to sliding mechanisms and, particularly, to a portable electronic device with two or more housings configured with a sliding mechanism such that one housing is allowed to slide with respect to another housing in a longitudinal direction. 
     2. Description of related art 
     Portable electronic devices have been increasingly widely used with a multiplicity of functions. A mobile phone is exemplified as a portable electronic device that provides wireless communication services to its subscriber while wirelessly communicating with its base station. Rapid development in the field of information and telecommunication business has made it possible for mobile users to use a variety of functions and types of mobile phones available on the market. These mobile phones are generally classified into three or more types of handsets, such as, e.g., a bar-type handset, a flip-type handset with a flip cover, and a foldable handset with a folding mechanism adapted to be opened and closed about a main body at a given angle. 
     The sliding type of mobile handset has recently become more widely used. The sliding-type design typically includes two housings in which one housing is slidably opened or closed with respect to the other housing. However, these sliding type mobile handsets do not yet offer a variety of different designs, and for this reason, its users may feel some inconvenience in that they have to manually slide one housing with respect to the other housing in order to open or close it. 
     Thus, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the sliding mechanism and portable electronic device using the same 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 sliding mechanism and portable electronic device using the same. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a mobile handset incorporating a sliding mechanism in a standby state, in accordance with a preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the mobile handset shown in  FIG. 1  with a cover slid away from a base. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, isometric view of the sliding mechanism shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a disassembled view of a body of the mobile handset. 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled view of a body of the mobile handset. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded, isometric view of the sliding mechanism shown in  FIG. 3  viewed from another aspect. 
         FIG. 6  is a cut-away view of the mobile handset shown in  FIG. 1  along an upper surface of a main board of the sliding mechanism. 
         FIG. 7  is a cut-away view of the mobile handset shown in  FIG. 2  along an upper surface of a main board of the sliding mechanism. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present sliding mechanism is suitable for portable electronic devices with a main body and a slide unit, such as mobile phone handsets, digital cameras, etc. 
     Referring to the drawings in detail,  FIGS. 1 and 2  show an exemplary mobile phone handset  100 . The mobile phone handset  100  includes a base  10  as the main body and a sliding cover  20  as the slide unit. The sliding cover  20  is oriented face-to-face with the base  10  and is slidably movable with respect thereto, due to the sliding mechanism (described below). As illustrated, the base  10  is provided with a keypad section  12  facing towards the sliding cover  20 , and the sliding cover  20  is equipped with a display unit  22  and function key section  24  on its outside. When the mobile phone handset  100  is in a standby state, the keypad section  12  is protected by the sliding cover  20 . Once the sliding mechanism enables the sliding cover to slide relative to the base  10 , the keypad section  12  is exposed and available for use. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the sliding mechanism includes a first plate  32 , a control assembly  34 , an elastic unit  36  and a second plate  38 . The first plate  32  is fixed to the base  10  and the second plate  38  is fixed to the sliding cover  20 . The control assembly  34  and the elastic unit  36  are both configured for positioning in the first plate  32 . 
     The first plate  32  is generally rectangular and fixed to the base  10  by a screw or a latching mechanism (not shown). The keypad section  12  is configured adjacent to one end of the first plate  32 . A sliding slot  322  is defined in the upper surface  320  of the first plate  32  beside the keypad section  12 . A latching slot  323  is defined perpendicularly to the end of the sliding slot  322  near the keypad section  12 . A control slot  325  is defined between the sliding slot  322  and a side surface  321  of the first plate  32 . The control slot  325  communicates perpendicularly with the sliding slot  322  and the side surface  321  of the first plate  32 . The control slot  325  is divided into three parts, including a first sliding area  3252  adjacent to the side surface  321 , a second sliding area  3254  connected to the sliding slot  322 , and a receiving area  3256  between the first sliding area  3252  and the second sliding area  3234 . The diameter of the receiving area  3256  is larger than the diameters of both the first and second sliding area  3252  and  3254 , and the diameter of the first sliding area  3252  is larger than the diameter of the second sliding area  3256 . 
     The control assembly  34  includes a reset spring  341  and an operating member  343 . The operating member  343  is generally cylindrical and includes a pressing portion  345  and a resisting portion  347 , and a stopper portion  349  positioned between the pressing portion  345  and the resisting portion  347 . The diameter of the pressing portion  345  is lager than the diameter of the resisting portion  347 . The stopper portion  349  is a flange at one end of the pressing portion  345 , and the diameter of the stopper portion  349  is larger than the pressing portion  345 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the reset spring  341  is coiled around the resisting portion  347 , and then received in the control slot  325 . The pressing portion  345  is received in the first sliding area of the control slot  325  and partly exposed out of the control slot  325  for contact by a user&#39;s finger or palm. The stopper portion  349  and the reset spring  341  are retained in the receiving area  3256  of the control slot  325 . The resisting portion  347  is received in the receiving area  3256  and the second sliding area  3254 . The resisting portion  347  is slightly recessed in the control slot  325  and forms a space between the free end of resisting portion  347  and the sliding slot  322 . One end of the reset spring  341  resists the inner wall of one end of the receiving area  3256 , the other end of reset spring  341  contacts with the stopper portion  349  and abuts the inner wall of the other end of the receiving area  3256 . Due to a compression force of the reset spring  341 , the operating member  343  can stably received in the control slot  325 . 
     The elastic unit  36  includes a retaining member  361  and a main spring  362 . The retaining member  361  includes a rectangular base  363  having a first retaining protrusion  365  protruding from a surface of the base  363 . A pair of first positioning blocks  367  are configured in both sides of the first retaining protrusion  365  and form an arc space therebetween. Referring to  FIG. 5 , one end of the main spring  362  is coiled around the first retaining protrusion  365 , and then the main spring  362  and the retaining member  361  are received in the sliding slot  322 , with the base  363  of the retaining member  361  received in the latching slot  323 . 
     The second plate  38  is generally rectangular. An exemplary second plate  38  is an inner housing of the sliding cover  20 . The second plate  38  is fixed to the sliding cover  20  by a screw or a latching mechanism (not shown). A sliding member  381  protrudes from a surface  380  of the second plate  38  facing the first plate  32  and slidably cooperates with the sliding slot  322 . The sliding member  381  includes a base block  382 . A second retaining protrusion  383  protrudes from a surface of the base block  382 . A pair of second positioning block  385  is configured in both sides of the second retaining protrusion  383  and form an arc space therebetween. One end of the main spring  362  is coiled around the second retaining protrusion  383 . A through hole  387  is defined through the base block  382  and is axially perpendicular to the second retaining protrusion  383 . 
     A positioning assembly  389  is configured and received in the through hole  387 . The positioning assembly  389  includes a first sliding block  3891 , a positioning spring  3893  and a second sliding block  3895 . Both of the first sliding block  3891  and the second sliding block  3895  are stage-shaped columns each of which includes two columns of different diameters. A smaller end of the first sliding block  3891  is used as a first latching portion  3892  to fix the positioning spring  3893 . A smaller end of the second sliding block  3895  is used as a second latching portion  3896  for positioning the sliding member  381 . The first sliding block  3891 , the positioning spring  3893  and the second sliding block  3895  are received in the through hole  387 . One end of the positioning spring  3893  is coiled around the first latching portion  3892 , the other end resists the second sliding block  3895 . In a normal state of the positioning spring  3893 , the second latching portion  3896  is exposed out of the through hole  387 . 
     When being assembled, the control assembly  34  is received in the control slot  325  in the first plate  32 . The retaining member  361  of the elastic unit  36  is fixed in one end of the sliding slot  322 . One end of the main spring  362  is fixed to the retaining member  361 . The sliding member  381  on the second plate  38  is received in the sliding slot  322  and resists the other end of the main spring  362 . 
     When used, in a standby state, the second plate  38  is closed relative to the first plate  32 . The sliding member  381  compresses the main spring  362 , to make the through hole  387  face and communicate with the control slot  325 . The second latching portion  3896  is inserted into the second sliding area  3254  of the control slot  325 , in the space adjacent the free end of the resisting portion  347 , thereby retaining the first plate  32  and second plate  38  in a fixed relative position. 
     If the second plate  38  should be slid away from the first plate  32 , a user can press the pressing portion  345  of the control assembly  34  to cause the resisting portion  347  to push the second latching portion  3896  out from the control slot  325  and into the through hole  387 . The positioning spring  3893  is compressed. With the release of the stored compression force of the main spring  341  by the release of the latching action of latching portion  3896  and control slot  325 , the sliding member  381  automatically slides to the other end of the sliding slot  322 . When the pressing portion  345  is released, with a compression force of the reset spring  341 , the operating member  343  automatically returns to its initial position. And then, the second plate  38  slides relative to the first plate  32 , and the keypad section  12  is exposed. 
     If the second plate  38  should be closed relative to the first plate  32 , a user can push the second plate  38  along the sliding slot  322  until the sliding member  381  connects with the control slot  325 , and the through hole  387  in the sliding member  381  communicates with the control slot  325 . With a compression force of the positioning spring  3893 , the second latching portion  3896  of the sliding member  381  is exposed out of the through hole  387  and inserted into the control slot  325 . The second plate  38  stops and is latched in a fixed position relative to the first plate  32  and the keypad section  12  in the base  10  is shielded. 
     It should be understood that, one end of the main spring  362  can be welded or bonded with the first plate  32  in one end of the sliding slot  322 , so that the latching slot  323  and the retaining member  361  can be omitted. The other end of the main spring  362  can also be fixed to the sliding member  381  by welding or bonding. Additionally, the through hole  387  can also be omitted. The first sliding block  3891 , the positioning spring  3893  and the second sliding block  3895  can be an elastic member protruding on the sidewall of the sliding member instead. With an outer force, the elastic member can be shrunk to the sidewall of the sliding member  381 . Furthermore, each of the reset spring  341 , the main spring  362  and the positioning spring  3893  can be instead with an elastic member made of elastic material. 
     Moreover, a protrusion or a recess can be defined in the sidewall of the sliding slot  322  along the sliding direction of the second plate  38 , another recess corresponding to the protrusion or another protrusion corresponding to the recess can be defined in a side surface of the sliding member  381  parallel to the sidewall of the sliding slot  322 . The corresponding protrusion and recess engage with each other to prevent the sliding member  38  pop out of the sliding slot  322 . Of course, the first plate  32  and the second plate  38  can be connected by another ways, such as by connecting rail. 
     A main advantage of the sliding mechanism and the portable electronic device  100  using the same is that, the second plate  38  can be slid away from the first plate  32  by only one key, that is, just by pressing the operating member  341 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7