Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a portable electronic device, and in particular relates to a semi-automatic slidable electronic device. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Portable devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, and personal digital assistants are typically divided into four types: all in one, flip cover, rotating cover, and sidekick-esque. The sidekick-esque portable devices have become increasingly popular in the consumer market, as users are able to open or close a sliding cover with only one hand, and the sliding cover is capable of being integrated with various operating interfaces. 
         [0005]    The sliding cover of the conventional sidekick-esque portable device is connected by a sliding mechanism which is disposed respectively on a main body and a sliding cover, and moves between a closed position and a full-open position.  FIG. 1  shows a conventional sliding mechanism  10 , wherein a hinge  11  slides along a track  12 . The disadvantage of the conventional sliding mechanism  10  is the width of span length D is too narrow to fit a sidekick-esque portable device or a sliding mechanism with big span length. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides an improved portable electronic device, and in particular an improved portable electronic device for a sidekick-esque sliding cover or a sliding cover with a big span length. An elastic assembly in the improved portable electronic device is further provided for assisting in the positioning of a sliding cover via an elastic force of the elastic assembly, which solves the problem of positioning deviation due to manual operation. 
         [0007]    The portable electronic device comprises a main body, a sliding cover, and an elastic assembly. The main body comprises at least one sliding rod package. The sliding cover is disposed on the main body and slidable between a closed position and a full-open position on the main body, and at least comprises one sliding rod. The sliding rod is slidably inserted into the sliding rod package. The elastic assembly is connected to both the main body and the sliding cover to control the sliding cover at the closed position or the full-open position. 
         [0008]    The elastic assembly further comprises a plurality of pogo pins, a pin fixture, and a plurality of fixing components, wherein the pogo pins comprise retractable pistons whose lengths are compressible due to externally applied forces. The elastic force of the elastic assembly is capable of stopping unintentional movement of the sliding cover at the full-open position or the closed position. When the sliding cover slides close to the full-open position or the closed position, the elastic force of the elastic assembly provides an auxiliary force assisting the sliding cover in automatically sliding to the full-open position and the closed position. 
         [0009]    Another embodiment of the invention comprises an elastic assembly, which comprises at least one spring, a spring fixture, and a plurality of fixing components, wherein the spring is compressible such that the spring length is adjustable according to the externally applied force. The elastic force of the elastic assembly is capable of stopping unintentional movement of the sliding cover at the full-open position or the closed position. When the sliding cover slides close to the full-open position or the closed position, the elastic force of the elastic assembly provides an auxiliary force assisting the sliding cover in automatically sliding to the full-open position or the closed position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional sliding mechanism; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a portable electronic device; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2B  is a side disposition view of a fixing stand, a sliding rod, and a sliding rod package of the portable electronic device in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an elastic assembly in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  show applied forces on the elastic assembly; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5A  is a top view of a sliding cover located at a full-open position on a main body; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5B  is a side view of a sliding cover located at the full-open position on the main body; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6A  is a top view of a sliding cover located at a closed position on the main body; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6B  is a side view of a sliding cover located at the closed position on the main body; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another embodiment of an elastic assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B ,  FIG. 2A  shows an embodiment of a portable electronic device  20  which comprises a main body  21 , a sliding cover  22 , and an elastic assembly  30 .The main body  21  comprising two sliding rod packages  211  which are respectively disposed on a top side and a bottom side of the main body  21 , a surface of the sliding rod packages  211  are made of a self-lubricating material which can be Polyoxymethylene.  FIG. 2B  shows the sliding rod packages  211  comprising a shaft hole  214  for insertion of a sliding rod  222 . 
         [0023]    The sliding cover  22  is disposed on the main body  21  and slidable between a full-open position (see  FIG. 5A ) and a closed position (see  FIG. 6A ), and comprises two sliding rods  222  and two fixing stands  221  corresponding to the locations of two sliding rod packages  211  on the top side and the bottom side of the sliding cover  22  and used to mount the sliding rods  222  on the sliding cover  22  in parallel. In order to restrain the sliding rods  222  to be mutually parallel, a distance between axes of the shaft holes  214  on the main body  21  is a constant, therefore the sliding cover  22  slides parallel to axes of the sliding rods  222 , and a sliding direction of the sliding cover  22  on the main body  21  is parallel to an axis direction of the sliding rod  222 . The surfaces of the sliding rods  222  are made of stainless steel with high surface finish which possesses anti-rust and low contact friction characteristics. Via adjusting the distance between the axes of the sliding rods  222 , the invention is applicable to various sidekick-esque portable electronic devices or portable electronic devices with big span width. 
         [0024]    The sliding cover  22  is slidable between the full-open position and the closed position, wherein the closed position is defined by a first restraint surface  212  on the main body  21  and a second restraint surface  223  on the sliding cover  22 , and the full-open position is defined by a third restraint surface  213  on the sliding rod package  211  and a fourth restraint surface  224  on the fixing element  221 . A detail description of the closed position and the full-open position are described in the following. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  shows the perspective view of the elastic assembly  30 . The elastic assembly  30  is connected to the midst of both the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22  respectively. The elastic assembly  30  comprises two fixing components  31 , four pogo pins  32 , and a pin fixture  33 , wherein the fixing component  31  comprises two fixing pins  311 . The elastic assembly  30  is pivotally connected to the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22  via the two fixing pins  311 . The pogo pin  32  comprises a base  321  and a retractable piston  322 , wherein the retractable piston  322  is compressible such that the length is adjustable according to externally applied force. The pin fixture  33  comprises a first side  331  and a second side  332 , wherein the numbers of the pogo pins  32  on the first side  331  and on the second side  332  are equivalent and the pogo pins  32  are assembled in the pin fixture  33  which is made of plastic. Although, the numbers of the pogo pins  32  are respectively two on the first side  331  and the second side  332  in this embodiment, the numbers of the pogo pins are not limited thereto. Additionally, the bases  321  of the pogo pins  32  on both the first side  331  and the second side  332  are disposed in reverse in the pin fixture  33 , and the retractable pistons  322  are disposed in the fixing components  31 . The elastic assembly  30  is connected to the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22  via the fixing components  31 , and provides an anti-slip force F 2  and a return force F 3  between the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22 . Further, the manufacturing process of the elastic assembly  30  is not limited to the described process and can be made by insert molding which binds the pogo pins  32  in the pin fixture  33 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B ,  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B  show the force application on the elastic assembly  30 , wherein the applied force F 1  in  FIG. 4A  and the applied force F 1  in  FIG. 4B  are in reverse direction and indicate respectively the different applied forces F 1  for opening the sliding cover  22  (direction C) or closing the sliding cover  22  (direction B). When the sliding cover  22  is under the applied force F 1 , the sliding cover  22  is initially under a resistant anti-slip force F 2  until the elastic assembly  30  passes over a center line E, wherein the anti-slip force F 2  prevents unintentional movement of the, sliding cover  22  at the full-open position or the closed position. The maximum resistant elastic force is provided when the elastic assembly  30  passes the center line E. After the elastic assembly  30  passes over the center line E, the elastic assembly  30  provides a return force F 3  which drives the sliding cover  22  to automatically slide to the full-open position or the closed position. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B ,  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  show the full-open position of the sliding cover  22  on the main body  21 , the full-open position is a restraint position of the sliding cover  22  on the main body  21 . When the applied force F 1  is on the sliding cover  22  to drive the sliding cover  22  to slide in direction C, the sliding cover  22  is initially under the resistant anti-slip force F 2  until the elastic assembly  30  passes over the center line E (see  FIG. 4A ). After the elastic assembly  30  passes the center line E, the sliding cover  22  is under the return force F 3  which drives the sliding cover  22  to automatically slide to the full-open position on the main body  21 . Meanwhile, the third restraint surface  213  on the sliding rod package  211  leans against the fourth restraint surface  224  on the fixing element  221  to define the full-open position of the sliding cover  22  on the main body  21 , and the overlapping area between a first overlaying surface  501  on the main body  21  and a second overlaying surface  502  on the sliding cover  22  is a minimum, the exposure area of the first overlaying surface  501  is a maximum. The maximum exposure area of the first overlaying surface  501  and the exposure area of the second overlaying surface  502  are capable of accommodating elements such as a keypad, a screen display, or buttons. 
         [0028]    Referring the  FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B ,  FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B  show the closed position of the sliding cover  22  on the main body  21 , the closed position is a restraint position of the sliding cover  22  on the main body  21 . When the applied force F 1  on the sliding cover  22  in direction B to drive the sliding cover  22  to move in direction B, the sliding cover  22  is initially under the resistant anti-slip force F 2  until the elastic assembly  30  passes over the center line E (see  FIG. 4B ). After the elastic assembly  30  passing over the center line E, the sliding cover  22  is under the return force F 3  which drives the sliding cover  22  to automatically slide to the closed position on the main body  21 . Meanwhile, the overlapping area between the first overlaying surface  501  on the main body  21  and the second overlaying surface  502  on the sliding cover  22  is a maximum, the first restraint surface  212  on the main body  21  leans against the second restraint surface  223  on the sliding cover  22  to define the closed position of sliding cover  22  on the main body  21 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 7  shows another embodiment of an elastic assembly  34 , the elastic assembly  34  is connected to the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22 , comprises two fixing components  31 , a spring fixture  36 , two spring sleeves  362 , four linkages  37 , and two springs  361 , wherein the fixing components  31  comprise the fixing pins  311  via which the elastic assembly  34  is respectively pivotally connected to the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22 . The linkages  37  comprise a plurality of first sidewalls  371  and a plurality of second sidewalls  372 , wherein the first sidewalls  371  are mounted in the fixing component  31 . The springs  361  are assembled in the spring fixture  36 , and the two sides of the spring  361  respectively lean against the second sidewalls  372  of the two linkages  37 , wherein the spring fixture  36  is made of plastic material. Although, there are two springs  361  and two corresponding spring sleeves  362  in the spring fixture  36  of the embodiment, the numbers of the springs  361  and the spring sleeves  362  are not limited to this embodiment. Additionally, the dispositions of the fixing components  31  on opposite sides of the spring fixture  36  are respectively on the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22  and the fixing pins  311  are mutually in opposite directions. The elastic assembly  34  is respectively connected to the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22  via the fixing components  31 , provides the anti-slip force F 2  and the return force F 3  between the main body  21  and the sliding cover  22 . 
         [0030]    Thus, the distance between axes of two sliding rods of a portable electronic device of the invention is not limited by a span length of a conventional transmission mechanism; the portable electronic device can be applied to the sidekick-esque portable electronic device or a transmission mechanism with the big span length. Further, an elastic force of an elastic assembly is capable of assisting the positioning of a sliding cover, thus the problem of positioning deviation due to manually operation is solved. 
         [0031]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Technology Category: 5