Electronic device and protective housing of the electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9535453-B2
Application number	US-201514671185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Dec 1, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device is provided according to the present application. The electronic device includes a housing provided with a sliding groove. A protrusion extending towards an inner side of the sliding groove is provided at an upper edge of the sliding groove, a slidable elastic strip is slidably cooperated between the protrusion and the bottom of the sliding groove. The slidable elastic strip includes two slidable components and an elastic component, and the two slidable components are fixedly connected to two ends of the elastic component, respectively. The housing is provided with at least two locking structures which are detachably connected to the two slidable components, respectively, and are configured to allow the elastic component to slide out of the sliding groove to form a convex structure perpendicular to the housing in a case that the slidable components are immobilized to the locking structure. The structure in the present application is simple and convenient to use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a sliding groove provided on the housing;
a slidable elastic strip slidably received in the sliding groove; and
at least two locking positions provided in the sliding groove, the at least two locking positions comprising a first locking position located at two ends of the sliding groove and a second locking position located in the middle of the groove;
wherein in a case that at least one part of the slidable elastic strip slides to the second locking position and is immobilized at the second locking position, the slidable elastic strip is elastically deformed to form a convex structure between the first locking position and the second locking position, the convex structure and an edge of the housing of the electronic device forming a support surface.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the slidable elastic strip comprises two slidable components and an elastic component connected between the two slidable components, and the two slidable components are slidable in the sliding groove, and the at least two locking positions are respectively configured to lock the two slidable components.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the length of the sliding groove is equal to the length of a first edge of the housing.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein
the length of the slidable elastic strip is equal to the length of the sliding groove, and the slidable elastic strip covers the sliding groove.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first locking structure, wherein the first locking structure corresponds to the first locking position located at two ends of the sliding groove, and the first locking structure is an end surface of the sliding groove.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second locking structure, wherein the second locking structure corresponds to the second locking position located in the middle of the sliding groove, and the second locking structure is a locking-unlocking structure.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein
the locking-unlocking structure comprises:
a retaining hook arranged in the housing and exposed at the second locking position of the sliding groove;
a groove arranged on a surface, contacting with the sliding groove, of the slidable component, wherein the retaining hook and the groove cooperate to immobilize the slidable component at the second locking position; and
an unlocking structure, which allows the retaining hook to be disengaged from the groove, wherein the slidable elastic strip backs to a state in which the slidable elastic strip covers the sliding groove under the action of the elastically deformed elastic component.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein
the retaining hook is provided with an inclined surface in a direction towards the sliding direction of the sliding component under the action of an external force.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein
the retaining hook is movably connected to the housing via a spring, and a hook head of the retaining hook is exposed to the sliding groove via the spring;
a bottom surface of the groove is an operational surface of the slidable component, and the operational surface of the slidable component is made of a flexible material, and an external force is applied towards the operational surface to force the hook head to slide out of the groove, thus disengaging the retaining hook from the groove; and
wherein after the retaining hook is disengaged from the groove, the slidable elastic strip backs to a state in which the slidable elastic strip covers the sliding groove under the action of the elastically deformed spring, and under the action of the spring to the retaining hook, the hook head is exposed to the sliding groove and is covered by the slidable elastic strip.

10. The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein
a state in which the slidable elastic strip covers the sliding groove completely is a tablet usage attitude or a desktop usage attitude;
a state in which a convex structure, which is formed by the elastic component elastically deformed with respect to the outer surface of the housing, together with an edge of the housing of the electronic device, which has a relatively small distance from the convex structure, forms a supporting surface, is a stand usage attitude; and
a state in which a convex structure, which is formed by the elastic component elastically deformed with respect to the outer surface of the housing, together with an edge of the housing of the electronic device, which has a relatively large distance from the convex structure, forms a supporting surface, is an inclining usage attitude.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a sliding groove provided on the housing;
an elastic strip including two slidable components that are retained in the sliding groove and slidable in the sliding groove;
a first locking structure configured to immobilize the two slidable components of the elastic strip at two ends of the sliding groove; and
a second locking structure configured to immobilize at least one of the two slidable components of the elastic strip at a location between the two ends of the sliding groove, causing the elastic strip to elastically deform and form a convex structure between the two slidable components, the convex structure and an edge of the housing of the electronic device forming a supporting surface.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the location is in the middle of the sliding groove.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the second locking structure is configured to immobilize both of the two slidable components of the elastic strip at locations between the two ends of the sliding groove.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein a distance between the first and second locking structures is less than half of a length of the elastic strip.

15. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the sliding groove is defined by a bottom edge and a pair of side walls, and at least one of the side walls is in an inverted L shape.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein two ends of the elastic strip form the two slidable components.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16 , wherein the elastic strip is in an H shape, and the two ends of the elastic strip form vertical segments of the H shape.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17 , wherein each of the side walls of the sliding groove is in the inverted L shape, and a horizontal segment of the inverted L shape forms two cuff edges of the sliding groove.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18 , wherein the two ends of the elastic strip are captured between the bottom edge of the sliding groove and the two cuff edges of the sliding groove.

20. The electronic device according to claim 18 , wherein the elastic strip includes a transverse segment extending between the two ends of the elastic strip, and a width of the transverse segment is less than a distance between the two cuff edges of the sliding groove.

Assignees

• Lenovo Beijing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dong Shujie

Classifications

• F16M13/005

  integral with the apparatus or articles to be supported · CPC title

• F16M11/10

  around a horizontal axis {(F16M11/12 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

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

• G06F2200/1633

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

• F16M11/00

  Stands or trestles as supports for apparatus or articles placed thereon {; Stands for scientific apparatus such as gravitational force meters} (without heads F16M13/00; easels or stands for blackboards or the like A47B97/04; show-stands A47F7/00; for workmen E04G1/32; {sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22;} supporting or suspending for lighting devices F21V21/00) · CPC title