Abstract:
A casing structure and function changing method thereof are disclosed. The casing structure has a casing space divided into a first space and a second space. The first space is provided for accommodating an electronic apparatus like a laptop computer while the second space is provided for storing a brace member. The brace member can be turned into a temporary holder for supporting the electronic apparatus as well as a computer table of the laptop computer.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a casing structure and function changing method thereof, and more particularly to a brace member added in a casing structure. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    More and more people are using laptops than desktop computers. People may use their laptop computers in public places like airports, railroad/bus stations, department stores and coffee bars. People may use their knees to be temporary computer tables for operating their laptop computers. However, the poses for keying keyboards and for watching screens of these laptop computers may not meet ergonomics when these laptop computers are put on user&#39;s knees. 
         [0003]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram illustrates operating a conventional laptop computer. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a user  10  usually sits on a public seat  11  to use the laptop computer. Without any table, the user  10  then puts the laptop computer  12  on the user&#39;s knees for operation. However, because the laptop computer  12  is put on the knees, the user  10  must look askance  13  the laptop computer  12  that causes inconvenience. An image showed from the laptop computer  12  is not clear and the eyesight of the user  10  may be harmed when the user  10  looks askance the screen of the laptop computer  12 . In addition, the laptop computer  12  is close to the user  10  when the laptop computer  12  is put on the knees. The user  10  operates the laptop computer at a direction  14  that must be toward the keyboard of the laptop computer  12  from a top. This is uncomfortable and can be a tiring exercise when the user  10  operates the laptop computer  12 . 
         [0004]    Therefore, it will be an important issue for providing a comfortable operating environment in public places for a laptop computer user as well as working at homes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In view of the foregoing issues, an objective of the present invention is to provide a casing structure and function changing method thereof. A conventional notebook case is then improved to become a holder for a portable computer while keeping the carry function. It should be noted that the casing structure disclosed by the present invention can further accommodate other electronic apparatus and can be turned into a holder or table legs for supporting a portable laptop computer. 
         [0006]    The casing structure comprises a casing body, at least one partition layer and a brace member. The casing body is preferably a computer case, a baggage or a casing space. The partition layer is disposed in the casing space to partition the casing space into a first space and a second space. The first space is provided for accommodating an electronic apparatus while the second space is provided for storing the brace member. In the second space, the brace member has at least one end which is pivotally coupled to a plane of the partition layer. When the second space is opened, the brace member can be turned into a holder or table legs for supporting the casing body. 
         [0007]    In addition, the brace member comprises a first brace and a second brace. The first brace comprises a first end which is pivotally coupled to the plane of the partition layer. The second brace also has a second end which is pivotally coupled to the plane of the partition layer as well as the first brace. 
         [0008]    Moreover, the first brace has a first supporting cylinder which is extended from the first end. The second brace also has a second supporting cylinder which is extended from the second end. The first brace has a third supporting cylinder which is extended from a third end pivotally coupled to the plane of the partition layer, and the second brace has a fourth supporting cylinder which is extended from a fourth end pivotally coupled to the plane of the partition layer. 
         [0009]    Furthermore, the interior walls of the supporting cylinders have a first extension cylinder, a second extension cylinder, a third extension cylinder and a fourth extension cylinder respectively. The extension cylinders can be pulled from or retained in the supporting cylinders. To hook the extension cylinders after pulling, the outer walls of the supporting cylinders have a first hooking member, a second hooking member, a third hooking member and a fourth hooking member. The interior wall of any extension cylinder has a hole and an elastic body. When the extension cylinder is pulled from the interior wall of the supporting cylinder, the elastic body is sprung to protrude a protruding portion of the elastic body for engaging with a side edge of the hooking member. In order to facilitate extension cylinder being retracted into the interior wall of the supporting cylinder, the side edge of the hooking member has a notch and a sliding groove extending from the notch toward the interior wall of the hooking member. When the extension cylinder is pressed back by an external force into the interior wall of the supporting cylinder, the protruding portion of the elastic body is therefore pressed through the notch back into the interior wall of the extension cylinder along the sliding groove. 
         [0010]    Under the foregoing disclosure of the casing structure having a plurality of supporting cylinders pivotally coupled to a plane of the casing body, the present invention also discloses a function changing method for the casing structure to be turned into the holder or the table legs. The function changing method comprises the following steps:
       (a) An opening of the casing body is opened to allow the supporting cylinders to be showed so as to perform the function changing.   (b) The supporting cylinders are pivoted to allow the supporting cylinders corresponding to the casing body to form a standing status so that the casing body could set upon the floor.   (c) The extension cylinders are pulled from the interior walls of the supporting cylinders to adjust heights for the casing body.   (d) After adjusting the required heights, the extension cylinders are hooked at a position of the supporting cylinders through the hooking members collared on the outer walls of the supporting cylinders in advance and holes and elastic bodies predetermined in the interior walls of the extension cylinders.       
 
         [0015]    In the function changing method, the casing body is preferably a computer case or a baggage. When the extension cylinder is pulled from the interior wall of the supporting cylinder, the elastic body is sprung to protrude a protruding portion of the elastic body from the hole to hook at a side edge of the hooking member. In order to facilitate extension cylinder being retracted into the interior wall of the supporting cylinder, the side edge of the hooking member has a notch and a sliding groove extending from the notch toward the interior wall of the hooking member. When the extension cylinder is pressed by an external force into the interior wall of the supporting cylinder, the protruding portion of the elastic body is pressed through the notch back into the interior wall of the extension cylinder along the sliding groove. 
         [0016]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference made to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of operating a conventional laptop computer; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a casing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a side view block of a casing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of a casing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective drawing of a brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a structural drawing of a supporting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of an extension cylinder and a supporting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is another perspective view of an extension cylinder and a supporting cylinder according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart of a function changing method for a casing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram of adding a storage trough and pulling function in a brace member according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    Refer to the related figures for a casing structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the same elements are described by the same reference numerals. 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating a casing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the casing structure  2  comprises a casing body  20 , at least one partition layer  21  and a brace member (not shown). 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a side view according to  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the casing body  20  has a casing space that is partitioned by the partition layer  21  into a first space  30  and a second space  31 . The first space  30  is provided for accommodating an electronic apparatus while the second space  31  is provided for disposing and storing the brace member. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view according to  FIG. 2 . As shown, the brace member  40  has at least one pivot end  41 ,  42 ,  43  or  44  pivotally coupled to a plane of the partition layer  21 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a perspective drawing illustrating the brace member according to  FIG. 4 . As shown, the brace member  40  comprises a first brace  50  and a second brace  51 . Both the first brace  50  and the second brace  51  are pivotally coupled to the plane of the partition layer  21  respectively. The first brace  50  and the second brace  51  comprise a first supporting cylinder  501 , a second supporting cylinder  511 , a third supporting cylinder  502  and a fourth supporting cylinder  512 . These supporting cylinders  501 ,  511 ,  502  and  512  are respectively extended from a first pivot end  42 , a second pivot end  44 , a third pivot end  41  and a fourth pivot end  43  that are taken to be the pivot ends on the plane of the partition layer  21 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a structural drawing illustrating the first supporting cylinder according to  FIG. 5 . It should be noted that the first supporting cylinder as shown in  FIG. 5  is taken to be an example for illustrating the function of each supporting cylinder. Other supporting cylinders are not repeatedly illustrated. 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 6 , the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501  has a first extension cylinder  60  for telescopically outward extension along a direction  601 . In addition, the outer wall surface of the first supporting cylinder  501  has a first hooking member  61  for fastening the first extension cylinder  60  after pulling. The interior wall of the first extension cylinder  60  has a hole  62 . An elastic body  63  is provided in the hole  62 . The elastic body  63  can perform elastic displacement toward the outside from the hole  62 . The elastic body  63  then moves back and forth through the hole  62  at a direction D by the elastic force of the elastic body  63  per se and by the pressing force of the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501  pressing the elastic body  63 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , because the position of the hole  62  of the first extension cylinder  60  is retained in the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501 , the elastic body  63  is still pressed by the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501  and the elastic force of the elastic body  63  cannot be released. 
         [0034]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram illustrating the first extension cylinder  60  pulled from the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501  according to  FIG. 6 . As shown, when the first extension cylinder  60  is pulled from the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501  and the hole  62  on the interior wall of the first extension cylinder  60  is not covered by the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501 , the elastic body  63  then releases the elastic force to achieve the elastic displacement. The elastic body  63  is then sprung from the hole  62  to protrude a protruding portion  70  of the elastic body  63  so as to hook at a side edge of the first hooking member  61 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  is another perspective view of the drawing shown in  FIG. 7 . As shown, a side edge of the first hooking member  61  has a notch  80 . A sliding groove  81  is extended from the notch  80  toward the interior wall of the first hooking member  61  from the notch  80 . By implementing an external force to rotate the first hooking member  61 , the protruding portion  70  of the elastic body  63  will be put into the notch  80  such that the protruding portion  70  is then pressed back to the interior wall of the first extension cylinder  60  along the sliding groove  81 . The first extension cylinder  60  is then retained in the interior wall of the first supporting cylinder  501 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating the method of the function changing for a casing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to the mentioned above, the casing body has a plurality of supporting cylinders in advance and these supporting cylinders are pivotally coupled to a plane of the casing body respectively. The method of the function changing for the casing structure comprises the following steps: 
         [0037]    Step  90 : firstly, the supporting cylinders retained in the casing body must appear wherein a zipper member is provided and disposed on the casing body to open at least an opening from the casing body. 
         [0038]    Step  91 : the supporting cylinder pivotally coupled to the casing body are rotated to allow the supporting cylinders which correspond to the casing body to form a standing status as the holder of the casing body. 
         [0039]    Step  92 : a user can pull the extension cylinder predetermined within the interior wall of each supporting cylinder based on a required height for the casing body. 
         [0040]    Step  93 : the extension cylinder hooked to the supporting cylinder can be accomplished by the hooking member predetermined on the outer wall of each supporting cylinder and the hole and the elastic body predetermined in the interior wall of the extension cylinder. 
         [0041]      FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram illustrating the pulling function and a storage trough formed in the brace member shown in  FIG. 4 . The brace member  40  comprises the pivot ends  41 ,  42 ,  43  and  44  that are pivotally coupled to a plane of the partition layer  21 . The brace member  40  has a pulling rod kit P 4  for storing a pulling rod P 1 . The pulling rod kit P 4  cooperates with the pulling rod P 1  to provide the pulling function. Moreover, the partition layer  21  has a storage trough P 2 . The storage bag P 3  is provided on the storage trough P 2  for conveniently storing backup batteries or other things. 
         [0042]    The casing body is preferably a computer case or a baggage. When the extension cylinders are pulled from the interior walls of the supporting cylinders, the elastic bodies are sprung from the holes to protrude the protruding portions to engage with the side edges of the hooking members for fastening the extension cylinders thereon. 
         [0043]    In order to retract the holder or the legs, the hooking member is rotated to allow the protruding portion to be put within the notch disposed at the side edge of the hooking member, wherein a sliding groove is provided and extended from the notch toward the interior wall of the hooking member. When the protruding portion is put in the position of the notch, the extension cylinders are retracted into the supporting cylinders in order to press the protruding portion back to the interior wall of the extension cylinder along the sliding groove so that the extension cylinder can be retained in the interior wall of the supporting cylinder. Lastly, the supporting cylinder is pivoted to parallel with the plane of the partition layer, and the opening is closed to therefore store the holders or the table legs. 
         [0044]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in this field that various modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.