Patent ID: 12239900

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions with the accompanying drawings. The inclusion of such details provides a thorough understanding of the disclosure sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments but it is for the purpose of illustration only and should not be understood to limit the disclosure. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects of the disclosure described herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present disclosure. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present disclosure can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present disclosure without utilizing other features.

It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of better understanding the descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings and connections. As used herein, the terms “substantially” or “approximately” may describe a slight deviation from a target value, in particular a deviation within the production accuracy and/or within the necessary accuracy, so that an effect as present with the target value is maintained. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the phrase “at least one” as used herein may mean that the quantity of the described element or component is one or more than one but does not necessarily mean that the quantity is only one. The term “and/or” may be used herein to indicate that either or both of two stated possibilities.

Firstly, referring toFIG.1, one embodiment of the disclosure provides a control assembly1configured to be installed on a portable electronic device9(also called “electronic device” hereinafter). The electronic device9may be any typical smartphone or tablet and is not intended to limit the disclosure. The control assembly1may be in communication with the electronic device9via a wired or wireless manner and therefore becomes an approach for user to control the electronic device9.

The control assembly1may include a link mechanism10and two controllers (e.g., a controller H1and a controller H2as shown). The controllers H1and H2are respectively removably installed on two opposite sides of the electronic device9and configured for user to hold in hands and to operate the electronic device9. Optionally, the controllers H1and H2may each have one or more buttons (not numbered) thereon for the operation of the electronic device9. It is noted that the design and number of the button on each controller are provided for better understand the disclosure but not intended to limit the disclosure. The link mechanism10is connected between the controllers H1and H2and allows the position adjustment of the controllers H1and H2relative to each other.

The details of the control assembly1are given below with reference toFIG.1and further reference toFIGS.2-4. In this embodiment, the link mechanism10of the control assembly1may include a retractable mechanism receptacle11and at least two flexible parts (e.g., a flexible part12and a flexible part13as shown). The flexible part12is connected between the controller H1and the retractable mechanism receptacle11; in other words, the controller H1is connected to the retractable mechanism receptacle11via the flexible part12. The flexible part13is connected between the controller H2and the retractable mechanism receptacle11; in other words, the controller H2is connected to the retractable mechanism receptacle11via the flexible part13. The flexible part12and the flexible part13may have the same or similar configuration. The flexible parts12and13may be made of any suitable flexible material, such as rubber, silicon, or combination thereof. In one embodiment, the flexible parts12and13are each in a strip shape. As such, the controllers H1and H2are movably connected to two opposite sides of the retractable mechanism receptacle11respectively via the flexible parts12and13, and thus the position of the flexible part12and/or flexible part13is changeable.

The retractable mechanism receptacle11may be a hollow cylinder. At least part of each of the flexible parts12and13is retractably accommodated in the retractable mechanism receptacle11, thus a first distance D1between an axis AX of the retractable mechanism receptacle11and the controller H1and a second distance D2between the axis AX of the retractable mechanism receptacle11and the controller H2are changeable. As such, the distance between the controllers H1and H2is adjustable to fit different lengths of different electronic devices. In other embodiments, the flexible parts12and13are integrally formed with each other. In another embodiment, the flexible parts12and13are two independent pieces.

The controllers H1and H2may be similar or the same in appearance and thus only the controller H1will be introduced in detail below. In this embodiment, the controller H1may include a first surface21and a second surface22opposite to each other. The first surface21may face toward user while the controller H1is in an in-use status. One or more buttons may be arranged on the first surface21. The “in-use status” means a status of the controller H1or H2when the controllers H1and H2are in positions located relatively away from each other and suitable for being held in hands to operate or control the electronic device9. The second surface22may located opposite to the user when the controller H1is in the in-use status. The controller H1may have a recess221at the second surface22for the placement of human finger when in the in-use status. In this embodiment, the controller H1may have a holding slot23located between the first surface21and the second surface22and configured to receive or accommodate part of the electronic device9. Optionally, there may be one or more connector (not numbered) arranged in the holding slot23for electrically connected to the electronic device9. It is noted that the shape and size of the holding slot23may be modified as required.

Optionally, the controllers H1and H2may each have a magnetically attractive portion223. On the controller H1, the magnetically attractive portion223may be located at part of the second surface22away from the flexible part12. On the controller H2, the magnetically attractive portion223may be located at part of the second surface22away from the flexible part13. The magnetically attractive portion223may include any suitable magnet therein. The magnetically attractive portion223of the controller H1and the magnetically attractive portion223of the controller H2may have opposite poles, thus the magnetically attractive portions223on the controllers H1and H2are attracted to each other when they come close to each other.

The controllers H1and H2may have similar or the same thickness variation. Taking the controller H1as an example, the controller H1has a first thickness T1between parts of the first surface21and the second surface22located at the magnetically attractive portion223, the controller H1has a second thickness T2between parts of the first surface21and the second surface22located away from the magnetically attractive portion223, and the second thickness T2is thinner than the first thickness T1. In other words, the controllers H1and H2have thicker portion at parts with the magnetically attractive portions223; that is, the parts of the controllers H1and H2located away from the magnetically attractive portions223are thinner.

Since the flexible parts12and13are flexible and partially retractable from the retractable mechanism receptacle11, the position of both the controllers H1and H2can be changed into a folded status when the control assembly1is not installed on the electronic device9.

Please further refer toFIGS.5-6, as shown, by deforming the flexible parts12and13, the second surfaces22of the controllers H1and H2may contact each other. In specific, by deforming the flexible parts12and13, the magnetically attractive portions223of the controllers H1and H2can be in contact with each other and therefore are attracted to each other to keep the second surfaces22of the controllers H1and H2contacting each other.

Meanwhile, the recesses221on the second surfaces22may together form a first accommodation space S1configured for accommodating the retractable mechanism receptacle11. Thus, the recess221of the controller H1and the recess221of the controller H2may each have a contour mating part of the retractable mechanism receptacle11. Also, as, discussed, the thickness between the parts of the first surface21and the second surface22of the controllers H1and H2located away from the magnetically attractive portions223is thinner, thus when the magnetically attractive portions223of the controllers H1and H2contact each other, parts of the controllers H1and H2located away from the magnetically attractive portions223may together form a second accommodation space S2configured for accommodating the two flexible parts12and13. Therefore, when the control assembly1is switched into the folded status to make the controllers H1and H2arranged side by side, the link mechanism10can be accommodated within the space defined between the controllers H1and H2so that the control assembly1can be transformed into a smaller and more portable size.

According to the control assembly as discussed in the above embodiments of the disclosure, the controllers, which are able to be installed on a portable electronic device, are connected to each other by the link mechanism and the link mechanism has flexible parts retractably stored in the retractable mechanism receptacle, thus the distance between the controllers is adjustable to adopt lengths of different electronic devices, and the control assembly is able to be transformed into a smaller and more portable size by folding the flexible parts and changing the relationships between the controllers and the link mechanism.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary embodiments only, with a scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.