Electronic device and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9354666-B2
Application number	US-201313897449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2013
Priority date	May 22, 2012
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device including a first body, an input module and a second body is provided. The first body has a positioning structure. The input module is slidably disposed on the first body and positioned at a first position by the positioning structure. The second body is pivoted with the first body. When the second body is expanded relative to the first body to obtain a first included angle between the first body and the second body, the second body drives the positioning structure to release the input module, such that the input module is capable of sliding from the first position to a second position relative to the first body and separating from the positioning structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a first body, having a positioning structure;
an input module, slidably disposed on the first body and positioned at a first position by the positioning structure; and
a second body, pivoted with the first body, wherein when the second body is expanded relative to the first body to obtain a first included angle between the first body and the second body, the second body drives the positioning structure to release the input module, so that the input module is capable of sliding from the first position to a second position relative to the first body and separating from the positioning structure,
wherein when the second body is expanded relative to the first body, the positioning structure is adapted to position the input module by stopping the input module from moving away from the positioning structure.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein when the second body is expanded from the first body and the input module is forced to slide from the second position to the first position relative to the first body, the positioning structure positions the input module at the first position.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein when a second included angle greater than the first included angle exists between the first body and the second body and the input module is positioned at the first position by the positioning structure, the second body is adapted to pivot relative to the first body so that the second included angle is reduced to a third included angle, so as to drive the positioning structure to release the input module by the second body.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic element, wherein the elastic element is connected between the first body and the input module, and when the positioning structure releases the input module, the input module is capable of sliding from the first position to the second position relative to the first body through an elastic force of the elastic element.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4 , wherein the second body is connected to the input module, and when the positioning structure releases the input module and the first included angle exists between the first body and the second body, the second body resists the elastic force of the elastic element to prevent the input module sliding from the first position to the second position relative to the first body, and when the second body continuously expands relative to the first body so that the first included angle is increased to a fourth included angle, the input module slides from the first position to the second position relative to the first body through the elastic force of the elastic element.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the second body comprises a main body and a supporting assembly, the supporting assembly is pivoted with the first body, the main body is slidably disposed on the supporting assembly, and when the supporting assembly is pivoted relative to the first body so that the main body expands from the first body, the main body is adapted to slide relative to the supporting assembly, so as to vary a relative position of the first body and the second body.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning structure comprises an elastic positioning element, the input module has a positioning portion and is positioned at the first position by a structural interference between the positioning portion and the elastic positioning element, and when the second body pushes against the elastic positioning element so that the elastic positioning element is elastically deformed, the structural interference between the positioning portion and the elastic positioning element is removed to release the input module.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the second body has a rotation shaft and is pivoted with the first body by the rotation shaft, a pushing element is disposed on the rotation shaft, the pushing element has a protrusion, and the pushing element is adapted to be driven through a pivot of the second body relative to the first body, so that the protrusion pushes against the positioning structure to drive the positioning structure to release the input module.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein after the second body is expanded relative to the first body, the protrusion is adapted to move away from the positioning structure through the pivot of the second body relative to the first body.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the second body has a housing, the rotation shaft is disposed in the housing, the housing has an opening, the protrusion protrudes out of the housing via the opening, and when the second body is pivoted relative to the first body, the housing pushes the protrusion through an inner wall of the opening.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensing element, wherein the sensing element is disposed on the first body or the input module, the first body has a touch module, the input module slides to the first position to expose the touch module or slides to the second position to shield the touch module, and when the input module slides to the second position to trigger the sensing element, the first body turns the touch module off.

12. An operating method of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a first body, an input module and a second body, the first body having a positioning structure, the input module slidably disposed on the first body, the second body pivoted with the first body, and the operating method comprising:
when the input module is positioned at a first position by the positioning structure, driving the second body to expand relative to the first body to obtain a first included angle between the first body and the second body, so as to drive the positioning structure to release the input module by the second body;
after the positioning structure releases the input module, driving the input module to slide from the first position to a second position relative to the first body to be separated from the positioning structure; and
when the second body is expanded relative to the first body and the input module is located at the second position, driving the input module to slide from the second position to the first position relative to the first body, so as to position the input module at the first position by the positioning structure stopping the input module from moving away from the positioning structure.

13. The operating method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
when a second included angle greater than the first included angle exists between the first body and the second body and the input module is positioned at the first position by the positioning structure, driving the second body to pivot relative to the first body so that the second included angle is reduced to a third included angle, so as to drive the positioning structure to release the input module by the second body.

Assignees

• Chen Li-Fang
• Chen Yung-Hsiang
• Huang Pei-Pin
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Chen Li-Fang
• Chen Yung-Hsiang
• Huang Pei-Pin

Classifications

• Y10T16/540255

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F1/1624

  with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display · CPC title

• G06F1/1618

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · CPC title

• G06F1/1662 Primary

  Details related to the integrated keyboard · CPC title

• G06F1/162

  changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user · CPC title