Portable electronic device capable of preventing a display from falling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9864402-B1
Application number	US-201715427024-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A portable electronic device utilizes a control unit for controlling a power unit to provide electricity for an electromagnetic component to generate a first active magnetic property for magnetically repulsing or magnetically attracting a moving magnetic component with a first magnetic property, so as to drive the moving magnetic component to move to a first position when the control unit determines an included angle between a first module and a second module is greater than a predetermined angle. When the moving magnetic component is located at the first position, a pivoting mechanism disposed between a supporting frame and the second module drives the supporting frame to pivotally unfold relative to the second module, so as to support the second module on a supporting surface, which prevents the second module from falling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device capable of preventing a display from falling, the portable electronic device comprising:
a first module;
a second module rotatably connected to the first module, an accommodating slot being formed on a side of the second module;
a supporting frame pivoted to the second module, the supporting frame being selectively received inside the accommodating slot or pivotally unfolded away from the accommodating slot outwardly;
a pivoting mechanism disposed on a side of the accommodating slot and pivotally connecting the supporting frame and the second module, the pivoting mechanism providing a torsional resilient force for the supporting frame to bias the supporting frame to pivotally unfold away from the second module;
a moving magnetic component movably disposed inside the second module and having a first magnetic property;
an electromagnetic component disposed inside the second module and adjacent to the moving magnetic component, the electromagnetic component selectively driving the moving magnetic component to move toward or away from the electromagnetic component;
a detecting module for detecting an included angle between the first module and the second module;
a power unit coupled to the electromagnetic component and the detecting module, the power unit providing electricity for the electromagnetic component and the detecting module; and
a control unit coupled to the power unit and the detecting module, when the control unit determines the included angle detected by the angle detecting module is greater than a predetermined angle, the control unit controlling the power unit to provide a first current for the electromagnetic component, so that the electromagnetic component generates a first active magnetic property for magnetically repulsing or magnetically attracting the moving magnetic component with the first magnetic property to a first position, when the moving magnetic component is located at the first position, the torsional resilient force driving the supporting frame to pivotally unfold away from the second module, so as to support the second module on a supporting surface.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a first fixing magnetic component disposed inside the supporting frame and located at a position corresponding to a position of the moving magnetic component, the first fixing magnetic component having a second magnetic property, when the moving magnetic component is located at the first position, a magnetic repulsing force being generated between the moving magnetic component with the first magnetic property and the first fixing magnetic component with the second magnetic property, so that a resultant force of the torsional resilient force and the magnetic repulsing force drives the supporting frame to pivotally unfold away from the second module.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second fixing magnetic component disposed inside the second module and having a third magnetic property; and
a third fixing magnetic component disposed inside the supporting frame and having a fourth magnetic property;
wherein a constant magnetic attracting force is generated between the second fixing magnetic component with the third magnetic property and the third fixing magnetic component with the fourth magnetic property at all times, when the moving magnetic component is located at the first position, the resultant force of the torsional resilient force and the magnetic repulsing force is greater than the constant magnetic attracting force so as to drive the supporting frame to pivotally unfold away from the second module.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3 , wherein when the control unit determines the included angle detected by the detecting module is less than the predetermined angle, the control unit controls the power unit to stop providing the first current or to provide a second current opposite to the first current for the electromagnetic component, so as to drive the moving magnetic component to move to a second position, when the moving magnetic component is located at the second position, a magnetic attracting force is generated between the moving magnetic component with the first magnetic property and the first fixing magnetic component with the second magnetic property, so that a resultant of the constant magnetic attracting force and the magnetic attracting force is greater than the torsional resilient force for restraining the supporting frame from pivotally unfolding away from the second module.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein when the control unit determines the included angle detected by the detecting module is less than the predetermined angle, the control unit controls the power unit to stop providing the first current or to provide a second current opposite to the first current for the electromagnetic component, so as to drive the moving magnetic component to a second position oppositely, when the moving magnetic component is located at the second position, a magnetic attracting force is generated between the moving magnetic component with the first magnetic property and the first fixing magnetic component with the second magnetic property, so that the magnetic attracting force is greater than the torsional resilient force for restraining the supporting frame from pivotally unfolding away from the second module.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moving magnetic component is slidably disposed inside the second module.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6 , wherein an engaging portion is formed on the supporting frame, the moving magnetic component comprises an engaging hook, when the electromagnetic component drives the moving magnetic component to slide to the first position, the engaging hook is driven to disengage from the engaging portion, so that the torsional resilient force drives the supporting frame to pivotally unfold away from the second module.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein when the control unit determines the included angle detected by the detecting module is less than the predetermined angle, the control unit controls the power unit to stop providing the first current or provide a second current opposite to the first current for the electromagnetic component to drive the moving magnetic component to slide to a second position and to drive the engaging hook to engage with the engaging portion, so as to restrain the supporting frame from pivotally unfolding away from the second module.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the moving magnetic component is rotatably disposed inside the second module.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9 , wherein an engaging portion is formed on the supporting frame, the moving magnetic component comprises an engaging hook, when the electromagnetic component drives the moving magnetic component to rotate to the first position, the engaging hook is driven to disengage from the engaging portion, so that the torsional resilient force drives the supporting frame to pivotally unfold away from the second module.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein when the control unit determines the included angle detected by the detecting unit is less than the predetermined angle, the control unit controls the power unit to stop providing the first current or provide a second current opposite to the first current for the electromagnetic component to drive the moving magnetic component to rotate to a second position and to drive the engaging hook to engage with the engaging portion, so as to restrain the supporting fr

Assignees

• Wistron Corp

Inventors

• Liang Chen-Yi
• Hsieh Ming-Ju

Classifications

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0202

  Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device · CPC title

• G06F1/1677 Primary

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title

• H01F7/0252

  PM holding devices (H01F7/021, H01F7/0215, H01F7/0226 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16M11/06

  allowing pivoting · CPC title