Patent Description:
With the development of technology, the application of electronic devices has become more and more popular. In particular, portable electronic devices (such as laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc.) have increasingly been favored by consumers due to their convenience. In order to enhance the usability and performance of portable electronic devices, many bases and expansion equipment that match the portable electronic devices have appeared on the market. However, existing bases are not satisfactory in all respects, and there is still room for improvement.

<CIT> discloses a docking station for electronic apparatus that includes a base, a hinge, a support, and a connector mechanism. <CIT> discloses a base of tablet computer including a housing, a moving member and an interface assembly.

The present disclosure provides a supporter. The supporter includes a base, a holder, and a linkage assembly. The base has a surface and a groove that is formed on the surface. The holder is disposed on the surface of the base. The linkage assembly is disposed in the base and rotatable relative to the base. The linkage assembly includes a first shaft, a second shaft, and a linkage member. The first shaft is at least partially disposed in the groove. The second shaft is connected to the holder. The linkage member is connected to the first shaft and the second shaft, and is configured to link the first shaft to the second shaft.

The present disclosure provides an electronic assembly. The electronic assembly includes a supporter and an electronic device. The supporter includes a base, a holder, and a linkage assembly. The base has a surface and a groove that is formed on the surface. The holder is disposed on the surface of the base. The linkage assembly is disposed in the base and rotatable relative to the base. The linkage assembly includes a first shaft, a second shaft, and a linkage member. The first shaft is at least partially disposed in the groove. The second shaft is connected to the holder. The linkage member is connected to the first shaft and the second shaft, and is configured to link the first shaft to the second shaft. The electronic device is removably disposed in the groove. The electronic device abuts the holder.

The disclosure may be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

The supporters and electronic assemblies of some embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the following description. However, it should be appreciated that the following detailed description of some embodiments of the disclosure provides various concepts of the present disclosure which may be performed in specific backgrounds that may vary widely. The specific embodiments disclosed are provided merely to clearly describe the usage of the present disclosure by some specific methods without limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

In addition, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom," "upper" or "top" may be used in the following embodiments in order to describe the relationship between one element and another element in the figures. It should be appreciated that if the device shown in the figures is flipped upside-down, the element located on the "lower" side may become the element located on the "upper" side.

It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, materials and/or portions, these elements, materials and/or portions are not limited by the above terms. These terms merely serve to distinguish different elements, materials and/or portions. Therefore, a first element, material and/or portion may be referred to as a second element, material and/or portion without departing from the teaching of some embodiments in the present disclosure. Unless defined otherwise, the first or second element, material and/or portion in the claims may be interpreted as any element, material and/or portion in the specification as long as it conforms to the description in the claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should be appreciated that, in each case, the term, which is defined in a commonly used dictionary, should be interpreted as having a meaning that conforms to the relative skills of the present disclosure and the background or the context of the present disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal manner unless so defined in the present disclosure. In addition, the terms "substantially," "approximately" or "about" may also be recited in the present disclosure, and these terms are intended to encompass situations or ranges that is substantially or exact the same as the description herein. It should be noted that unless defined specifically, even if the above terms are not recited in the description, it should be read as the same meaning as those approximate terms are recited.

<FIG> illustrates a perspective view of an electronic assembly <NUM> in accordance with some embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, the electronic assembly <NUM> may include a supporter <NUM> and an electronic device <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may include a tablet device (for example, any other suitable electronic device such as a tablet), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the supporter <NUM> includes a base <NUM>, an expansion slot <NUM> formed on the base <NUM>, and a holder <NUM> disposed over the base <NUM>. The electronic device <NUM> may be disposed on the base <NUM>, so that the electronic device <NUM> may be supported at an appropriate angle, providing users with a good visual experience.

For example, the expansion slot <NUM> may include an interface for transmitting data by such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or any other suitable method, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As such, when the electronic device <NUM> is installed on the base <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may be connected to other devices or equipment via the expansion slot <NUM> to enhance the performance of the electronic device <NUM>. In addition, the holder <NUM> may be configured to abut the electronic device <NUM>, thereby providing a more stable support for the electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a perspective view of the supporter <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, the base <NUM> has an upper surface <NUM>, a groove <NUM> formed on the upper surface <NUM>, and a plurality of sidewalls <NUM> surrounding the upper surface <NUM>. In the present embodiment, the upper surface <NUM> may be inclined with respect to a horizontal plane (for example, the X-Y plane), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The groove <NUM> may be configured to accommodate the electronic device <NUM>. In the present embodiment, the supporter <NUM> further includes a connector <NUM> and a positioning portion <NUM> that protrude from the surface of the groove <NUM> (for example, the bottom surface of the groove <NUM>). The connector <NUM> may be electrically connected to the electronic device <NUM> for transmitting electrical signals from the electronic device <NUM>, so that the electronic device <NUM> is electrically connected to the expansion slot <NUM> and other devices. The positioning portion <NUM> may be configured to correspond to the electronic device <NUM> for a positioning purpose. However, the configuration shown in the present disclosure is only an example, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

In addition, the holder <NUM> includes an annular wall <NUM> and side surfaces <NUM>, wherein the annular wall <NUM> is disposed to surround and connect the side surfaces <NUM> that are opposite to each other, and the annular wall <NUM> is configured to abut the electronic device <NUM>. The above design may achieve the effect of simple and beautiful appearance. It should be understood that, although the holder <NUM> has an annular structure in the present embodiment, the structure of the holder <NUM> may be adjusted by those skilled in the art as required.

<FIG> illustrates an internal structure of the supporter <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that, in order to clearly illustrate the internal structure of the supporter <NUM>, the upper surface <NUM> of the base <NUM> and the side surface <NUM> of the holder <NUM> are not shown in the present embodiment. As shown in <FIG>, the supporter <NUM> further includes a first shaft <NUM> and a second shaft <NUM>, which are respectively connected to the sidewalls <NUM> of the base <NUM>. More specifically, the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> are respectively received in receiving structures <NUM> of the sidewalls <NUM> and rotatable relative to the base <NUM> in the receiving structures <NUM>.

In addition, the connection belt <NUM> connects the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM>, and is configured to drive the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> to rotate synchronously. More specifically, when the first shaft <NUM> rotates, the connection belt <NUM> is driven by the first shaft <NUM> to rotate at the same time, thereby driving the second shaft <NUM> to rotate relative to the base <NUM>. Similarly, when the second shaft <NUM> rotates, the connection belt <NUM> is driven by the second shaft <NUM> to rotate at the same time, thereby driving the first shaft <NUM> to rotate relative to the base <NUM>. The operation mode of the first shaft <NUM>, the second shaft <NUM> and the connection belt <NUM> will be further explained below in accompany with <FIG> and <FIG>.

In the present embodiment, a plane <NUM> is formed on the first shaft <NUM>, and the connector <NUM> and the positioning portion <NUM> are disposed on the plane <NUM>. At least a portion of the plane <NUM> is disposed in the groove <NUM> so that the connector <NUM> and the positioning portion <NUM> are disposed in the groove <NUM>. As such, the connector <NUM> and the positioning portion <NUM> are rotatable with the first shaft <NUM> relative to the base <NUM>. Although the circuit structure is not explicitly shown in the present embodiment, those skilled in the art should understand that a circuit may be disposed inside the base <NUM> in any suitable manner to electrically connect the connector <NUM> and the expansion slot <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>), so that the electronic device <NUM> is connected to other devices or equipment via the expansion slot <NUM>. In addition, in some embodiments, a counterweight (not shown) may be disposed in the base <NUM> as required to adjust the weight distribution of the base <NUM> so that the base <NUM> may hold the electronic device <NUM> more stably.

In the present embodiment, the side surface <NUM> of the holder <NUM> is not shown to clearly show the internal structure of the holder <NUM>. A support column <NUM> is connected to the second shaft <NUM> and may penetrate the annular wall <NUM> and/or the upper surface <NUM> of the base <NUM> to be connected to the holder <NUM>. In some embodiments, a speaker <NUM> may be disposed in the holder <NUM>. Similarly, although the circuit structure is not explicitly shown in the present embodiment, those skilled in the art should understand that the connector <NUM> and the speaker <NUM> may be electrically connected in any suitable manner. As such, when the electronic device <NUM> is electrically connected to the connector <NUM>, sound may come out of the speaker <NUM>, providing a good user experience for the users.

<FIG> illustrates an exploded view of the support column <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, the support column <NUM> includes a first section <NUM> and a second section <NUM>. For example, the first section <NUM> may be connected to the second shaft <NUM>, and the second section <NUM> may be connected to the holder <NUM>, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, the first section <NUM> has a protrusion <NUM>, the second section <NUM> has a through hole <NUM>, and the protrusion <NUM> is correspondingly disposed in the through hole <NUM> for combining the first section <NUM> and the second section <NUM>. In other words, the first section <NUM> may surround a portion of the second section <NUM>. That is, the maximum width of the first section <NUM> may be greater than the maximum width of the second section <NUM>, wherein the maximum width of the first section <NUM> and the second section <NUM> may be measured along the X axis, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

With the above configuration, the second section <NUM> may be movably pivoted to the first section <NUM>, so that the holder <NUM> is movable according to the position of the electronic device <NUM>. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the through hole <NUM> may be greater than the cross-sectional area of the protrusion <NUM>, wherein the cross-sectional areas of the protrusion <NUM> and the through hole <NUM> may be measured along the Y-Z plane, for example, so that the second section <NUM> may move more flexibly. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any method is acceptable as long as the first section <NUM> and the second section <NUM> may be movably combined with each other. For example, in some embodiments, the first section <NUM> has a through hole, and the second section <NUM> has a protrusion. The protrusion of the second section <NUM> may be combined to the through hole of the first section <NUM> to movably combine the first section <NUM> and the second section <NUM> with each other. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the through hole of the first section <NUM> may be greater than the cross-sectional area of the protrusion of the second section <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a perspective view of the electronic assembly <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, a first angle θ1 between the electronic device <NUM> and the horizontal plane (such as the X-Y plane) may be in a range from <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees, such as <NUM> degrees. However, it is only an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> is disposed on the base <NUM> and abuts against the holder <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates a partial enlarged view of the region A shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the groove <NUM> has a first sidewall <NUM>, a second sidewall <NUM> and a bottom surface <NUM>. The bottom surface <NUM> is located between the first sidewall <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM>, and the first sidewall <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM> are connected to the bottom surface <NUM>. In some embodiments, an angle is formed between the first sidewall <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may optionally lean on the first sidewall <NUM> or the second sidewall <NUM>. When the electronic device <NUM> leans against the first sidewall <NUM>, a gap is between the electronic device <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM>. When the electronic device <NUM> abuts against the second sidewall <NUM>, there is a gap between the electronic device <NUM> and the first sidewall <NUM>. In other words, the first sidewall <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM> are not parallel. To be more specific, the angle between the first sidewall <NUM> and a horizontal plane (such as the X-Y plane) is different from the angle between the second sidewall <NUM> and the horizontal plane. For example, the angle between the first sidewall <NUM> and the horizontal plane may be, for example, <NUM> degrees, and the angle between the second sidewall <NUM> and the horizontal plane may be, for example, <NUM> degrees. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, since the upper surface <NUM> is inclined, the top of the first sidewall <NUM> is higher than the top of the second sidewall <NUM>, but it is not limited thereto. With the arrangement of the first sidewall <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM>, the angle of the electronic device <NUM> relative to the user may be controlled, and the user may adjust the angle of the electronic device <NUM> as required to have the best experience. For example, the included angle between the first sidewall <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM> may be in the range from <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees, but it is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, a buffer material is disposed in the groove <NUM> to prevent damage due to the insertion force or wear of the mating interface (not shown) of the electronic device <NUM>, the connector <NUM>, and the positioning portion <NUM>. Alternatively, a chamfered structure or a rounded structure (not shown) is disposed in the opening of the groove <NUM> to increase the angle of introduction when the tablet is inserted, and also to prevent the tablet from colliding with the corners of the groove <NUM> when inserted.

<FIG> illustrates a schematic view of the electronic assembly <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the holder <NUM> may be pushed to move along the direction B, thereby changing the angle between the electronic device <NUM> and the horizontal plane (for example, the X-Y plane). Similarly, the electronic device <NUM> may also be pushed to move the holder <NUM> along the direction B. As shown in <FIG>, a second angle θ2 between the electronic device <NUM> and the horizontal plane may be in the range from <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees, such as <NUM> degrees. However, it is only an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the second angle θ2 may be smaller than the first angle θ1. At this time, the electronic device <NUM> is located between the first sidewall <NUM> and the second sidewall <NUM> of the groove <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>).

<FIG> illustrates a schematic view of the electronic assembly <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the holder <NUM> may be further pushed to move in the direction B, thereby changing the angle between the electronic device <NUM> and a horizontal plane (such as the X-Y plane). The electronic device <NUM> may also be pushed to make the holder <NUM> moves in the direction B. As shown in <FIG>, a third angle θ3 between the electronic device <NUM> and the horizontal plane may be in the range from <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees, such as <NUM> degrees. However, it is only an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the third angle θ3 may be smaller than the second angle θ2. At this time, the electronic device <NUM> may lean on the first sidewall <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>). It should be understood that the movable angular range of the electronic device <NUM> depends on the included angles between the first sidewall <NUM> of the groove <NUM> and a horizontal plane and between the second sidewall <NUM> of the groove <NUM> and the horizontal plane. Therefore, the movable angular range of the electronic device <NUM> may be changed by adjusting the included angles between the first sidewall <NUM> and the horizontal plane and between the second sidewall <NUM> and the horizontal plane.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate schematic views of the operation of the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As set forth above, the connection belt <NUM> connects the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> and is configured to drive the first shaft <NUM> and the second shaft <NUM> to rotate synchronously. As shown in <FIG>, when the holder <NUM> is pushed to move in the direction B, the second shaft <NUM> that is connected to the holder <NUM> via the support column <NUM> would rotate in the direction E, driving the connection belt <NUM> to rotate in the direction C, and then the first shaft <NUM> is driven to rotate in the direction E. As such, the support column <NUM> (or the holder <NUM>) moves closer to the connector <NUM> (or the electronic device <NUM> disposed on the connector <NUM>). Similarly, the connector <NUM> may also be moved to drive the connection belt <NUM> to rotate in the direction C, which will not be described in detail.

As shown in <FIG>, when the holder <NUM> is pushed to move in the direction opposite to the direction B, the second shaft <NUM> that is connected to the holder <NUM> via the support column <NUM> would rotate in the direction F, which is the opposite direction of the direction E, driving the connection belt <NUM> to rotate in the direction D, and then the first shaft <NUM> is driven to rotate in the direction F. As such, the support column <NUM> (or the holder <NUM>) moves away from the connector <NUM> (or from the electronic device <NUM> disposed on the connector <NUM>). Similarly, the connector <NUM> may also be moved to drive the connection belt <NUM> to rotate in the direction D, which will not be discussed in detail. In the present embodiment, the radius R1 of the first shaft <NUM> is greater than the radius R2 of the second shaft <NUM>. Therefore, the electronic device <NUM> connected to the first shaft <NUM> may be adjusted to the desired angle by slightly pushing the holder <NUM> connected to the second shaft <NUM>, which is effortless. It should be noted that the electronic device <NUM> needs to face the connector <NUM> to be connected to the connector <NUM>. That is, the electronic device <NUM> needs to be oriented in a direction that is parallel to the connector <NUM> in order to be inserted into the connector <NUM>. With the above design, even if the user removes the electronic device <NUM> from the base <NUM>, next time the electronic device <NUM> would still remain at the angle set by the user.

In summary, the present disclosure provides a supporter and an electronic assembly that may adjust the angle of an electronic device. By arranging the sidewalls of the groove for accommodating the electronic device to be non-parallel and matching the transmission assembly inside the supporter, the user may adjust the angle of the electronic device as required to have the best experience. In addition, the supporter may be designed to match other electronic equipment to expand the functions of the electronic device. In addition, the present disclosure also provides a beautiful and concise design, which is both functional and attractive, and meets the needs of consumers.

Claim 1:
A supporter (<NUM>) for supporting an electronic device (<NUM>), comprising:
a base (<NUM>) having a surface and a groove (<NUM>) formed on the surface;
a holder (<NUM>) disposed on the surface of the base (<NUM>);
a linkage assembly disposed in the base (<NUM>), wherein the linkage assembly is rotatable relative to the base (<NUM>), and comprises:
a first shaft (<NUM>) at least partially disposed in the groove (<NUM>);
a second shaft (<NUM>) connected to the holder (<NUM>); and
a linkage member connected to the first shaft (<NUM>) and the second shaft (<NUM>) and configured to link the first shaft (<NUM>) to the second shaft (<NUM>); and
a connector (<NUM>) disposed on the first shaft (<NUM>) and protruding from the groove (<NUM>) for connecting the electronic device (<NUM>), wherein the base (<NUM>) further has a positioning portion (<NUM>) protruding from the groove (<NUM>) for positioning the electronic device (<NUM>);
a support column (<NUM>) penetrating the surface of the base (<NUM>) and connected to the holder (<NUM>), wherein the support column (<NUM>) is fixedly connected to the second shaft (<NUM>), and the support column (<NUM>) comprises:
a first section (<NUM>) connected to the second shaft (<NUM>); and
a second section (<NUM>) connected to the holder (<NUM>) and pivoted to the first section (<NUM>),
characterized in that the first section has a protrusion (<NUM>), the second section has a through hole (<NUM>), the protrusion (<NUM>) is accommodated and rotatable in the through hole (<NUM>), and the first section (<NUM>) is pivoted to the second section (<NUM>) via the protrusion (<NUM>).