Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051412-B2
Application number	US-201816649858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Nov 27, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device includes a middle frame, a display assembly, a rear member, and a protective member. The middle frame includes a sidewall disposed in an encircled manner; the display assembly is located at a front side of the middle frame; the rear member is located at a back side of the middle frame; the protective member is movably disposed on the sidewall of the middle frame. In an initial state, a front end and a rear end of the protective member are respectively lower than or flush with a surface of the display assembly or the rear member. The protective member can move toward the back side of the middle frame from the initial state to enable the rear end of the protective member to go beyond the rear member so as to protect the rear member when the electronic device falls off.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a middle frame comprising a sidewall;
a display assembly located at a front side of the middle frame;
a rear member located at a rear side of the middle frame;
a protective member coupled to the sidewall of the middle frame and movable in forward and rearward directions, wherein the protective member has an initial position where a front end of the protective member is lower than or flush with an outer surface of the display assembly and a rear end of the protective member is lower than or flush with an outer surface of the rear member; and a front position where the front end of the protective member exceeds the outer surface of the display assembly and protects the display assembly when the electronic device drops; and
a driving assembly provided to the middle frame and configured to drive the protective member to move away from the initial position and move back to the initial position,
wherein the driving assembly comprises an elastic member, a first magnet, and at least one second magnet; the elastic member has a first end coupled with the first magnet and a second end fitted with the protective member; and the at least one second magnet cooperates with the first magnet to urge the elastic member to drive the protective member to move towards the front position,
wherein the middle frame is formed with a mounting groove, the elastic member is arranged in the mounting groove, and the elastic member is configured to be elastically deformable in a moving direction of the protective member to normally drive the protective member to be restored to the initial position.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the protective member further has a rear position where the rear end of the protective member exceeds the outer surface of the rear member protects the rear member when the electronic device drops.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one second magnet cooperates with the first magnet to urge the elastic member to drive the protective member to move towards the rear position.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the first magnet is a permanent magnet, and the second magnet is an electromagnet.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to sense a dropping state of the electronic device; and
a controller coupled with the at least one second magnet and the sensor, and configured to control the at least one second magnet.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller controls the at least one second magnet to be powered on and to urge the elastic member to drive the protective member to move towards the front position, when the sensor senses a fall of the electronic device with the display assembly facing downwards; and the controller controls the at least one second magnet to be powered off, when the sensor senses a standstill of the electronic device.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller controls the at least one second magnet to be powered on and to urge the elastic member to drive the protective member to move towards the rear position, when the sensor senses a fall of the electronic device with the rear member facing downwards; and the controller controls the at least one second magnet to be powered off, when the sensor senses a standstill of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein the protective member is formed with a fitting groove, and the second end of the elastic member is inserted into the fitting groove to be fitted with the protective member.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the elastic member comprises:
an elastic arm provided in the mounting groove, a first movement space defined between a side surface of the elastic arm adjacent to the display assembly and an inner wall of the mounting groove opposite to the side surface of the elastic arm adjacent to the display assembly, and a second movement space defined between a side surface of the elastic arm away from the display assembly and an inner wall of the mounting groove opposite to the side surface of the elastic arm away from the display assembly; and
a snapping head provided on the elastic arm and inserted into the fitting groove to be fitted with the protective member.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein the elastic arm is movable in a direction close to and away from a center of the middle frame, and the snapping head is movable between a first position where the snapping head is fitted with the fitting groove and a second position where the snapping head is separated from the fitting groove.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the protective member is formed in a closed-loop shape and is located outside the display assembly, and a plurality of driving assemblies are provided and spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the display assembly.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein one of the middle frame and the protective member is provided with a plurality of limiting grooves spaced apart from each other, and the other one of the middle frame and the protective member is provided with a plurality of limiting protrusions fitted with the limiting grooves.

13. An electronic device comprising:
a middle frame comprising a sidewall;
a display assembly located at a front side of the middle frame;
a rear member located at a rear side of the middle frame;
a protective member movably coupled to the sidewall of the middle frame, wherein the protective member has an initial position where a front end of the protective member is lower than or flush with an outer surface of the display assembly and a rear end of the protective member is lower than or flush with an outer surface of the rear member; and a rear position where the rear end of the protective member exceeds the outer surface of the rear member and protects the rear member when the electronic device drops; and
a driving assembly provided to the middle frame and configured to drive the protective member to move from the initial position to the rear position,
wherein the driving assembly comprises an elastic member, a first magnet, and at least one second magnet; the elastic member has a first end coupled with the first magnet and a second end fitted with the protective member; the at least one second magnet cooperates with the first magnet to urge the elastic member to drive the protective member to move towards the rear position,
wherein the protective member is formed with a fitting groove, and the second end of the elastic member is inserted into the fitting groove to be fitted with the protective member;
the middle frame is formed with a mounting groove, the elastic member is arranged in the mounting groove, and the elastic member is configured to be elastically deformable in a moving direction of the protective member to normally drive the protective member to be restored to the initial position.

14. An electronic device, comprising:
a middle frame comprising a sidewall;
a display assembly located at a front side of the middle frame;
a rear member located at a rear side of the middle frame;
a sensor configured to sense a dropping state of the electronic device; and
a protective member movably coupled to the sidewall of the middle frame, wherein the protective member has an initial position where a front end of the protective member is lower than or flush with an outer surface of the display assembly and a rear end of the pr

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Zeng Yuanqing

Classifications

• G06F2200/1633

  Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1633 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626 · CPC title

• G01P13/00

  Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement (electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00) · CPC title

• H01F7/126

  Supporting or mounting · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title