Patent ID: 7023430

Claim:
A stylus retaining and releasing mechanism suitable for use within a housing that can receive a stylus having a retaining slot formed thereon, wherein the housing has a cavity into which the stylus can be slidably inserted, the stylus retaining and releasing mechanism comprising: a stylus-releasing device, wherein the stylus-releasing device is arranged at a location of the housing that terminates the cavity so that, in a first stage of operation, the stylus-releasing device can store resilient force in a stable configuration after the stylus being inserted in the cavity presses on the stylus-releasing device to engage into the first stable configuration, and in a second stage of operation, the stylus-releasing device can exert a resilient force on the stylus being held immobile in the cavity to eject the stylus out of the cavity after a short pressing action is applied on the inserted stylus to disengage the stylus-releasing device from the stable configuration; and a retainer, wherein the retainer is arranged adjacent to the cavity so that the retainer can resiliently deviate when contacted with the stylus being inserted in the cavity, the retainer further includes a protruding clamping member that inserts in the retaining slot of the stylus to hold and immobilize the stylus in the cavity once the inserted stylus engages the stylus-releasing device in the stable configuration; wherein the stylus retaining and releasing mechanism further comprises an impeding member made of a material with relatively high friction coefficient, which is so arranged to be in contact with the stylus in the cavity to moderate the ejection of the stylus.