Assembling structure for peripheral accessories of portable computer

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6711006
  • Patent Number
    6,711,006
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, February 6, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 23, 2004
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Datskovsky; Michael
    Agents
    • Troxell Law Office PLLC
Abstract
Assembling structure for peripheral accessories of portable computer, including a clamping section and a preset electric apparatus. The clamping section includes a first board member, a second board member and a resilient bridge section connected between the first and second board members. At least one ball seat is disposed on the second board member for jointing the clamping section with the preset electric apparatus such as a light and a monitor with a joint ball. The first board member is longer than the second board member. The first and second board members are slightly inward oppositely inclined to define an opening therebetween. Any portion of the panel of the portable computer can be clamped in the opening so as to mount the electric apparatus on the portable computer.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is related to an assembling structure for peripheral accessories of portable computer, by which peripheral accessories of the portable computer can be simply jointed thereon.




Portable computers are widely used in various fields. However, there are still some inconveniences existing in some situations of use of the portable computers. For example, in a dim or dark place such as a compartment and a bedroom, a user can hardly have a clear vision and may key in wrong characters. Moreover, after a period of use, the user's eyes will feel very tired.




Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 296812 discloses a computer light free from external power supply. The light serves as a peripheral equipment of a portable computer, including a plug connectable with the portable computer, a flexible support rod connected with the plug and a projecting section mounted at top end of the support rod. In a dim place, the light provides sufficient illumination for a user to clearly see the panel and the keys of the portable computer.




However, the above computer light still has some shortcomings as follows:




1. It is uneasy to store the computer light. The support rod has a fixed length. When not used, it is necessary wind the support rod for storage. Such procedure is troublesome and the support rod will occupy much room.




2. The computer light is not durable. The plug is fixedly connected with the support rod. After frequently wound and unwound, the inbuilt wires may disconnect from the electric contact of the plug.




3. It is impossible to expand the computer light. The support rod is fixedly connected with the projecting lamp so that other peripheral equipment such as a camera and a microphone cannot be further assembled with the support rod. Accordingly, when it is desired to assemble other electric equipment with the portable computer, it is necessary to detach the computer light from the portable computer and then connect the electric equipment with the portable computer. Such procedure is quite inconvenient.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an assembling structure for peripheral accessories of portable computer, by which various peripheral accessories of the portable computer can be simply jointed on a rim of the panel of the portable computer.




According to the above object, the assembling structure for peripheral accessories of portable computer of the present invention includes a clamping section and a preset electric apparatus. The clamping section includes a first slat-like board member, a substantially L-shaped second board member and a resilient bridge section connected between the first and second board members. At least one ball seat is disposed on second board member. The preset electric apparatus such as a light and a monitor has a joint ball corresponding to the ball seat, whereby the preset electric apparatus can be jointed on the clamping section. The first board member is longer than the second board member. The bridge section is bighted and the first and second board members are inward oppositely inclined to define an opening therebetween. The resilient bridge section enables the first and second board members to resiliently clamp a rim of the panel of the portable computer so as to simply mount the electric apparatus on the portable computer.




Two opposite inner edges of the bridge section are formed with two ribs at the adjoining sections between the bridge section and the first and second board members are respectively formed with two ribs. After the rim of the panel is fitted into the opening of the clamping section, the two ribs respectively abut against top face and back face of the rim. Therefore, the rim is more firmly inlaid and clamped by the clamping section.




A free end of the second board member is formed with a slightly outward arched section opposite to the opening. When the rim is inserted into the opening, the arched face of the arched section can easily slide over the rim to smoothly stretch open the opening. Accordingly, the rim can be easily inlaid into the clamping section.




The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the clamping section of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the clamping section and the light of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a side assembled view according to

FIG. 2

, showing the application of the present invention to the portable computer; and





FIG. 4

shows another embodiment of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Please refer to FIG.


1


. The assembling structure for peripheral accessories of portable computer of the present invention includes a clamping section


1


and a preset electric apparatus


2


. The clamping section


1


includes a first board member


11


, a second board member


12


and a bridge section


13


connected between the first and second board members


11


,


12


. At least one ball seat


121


is disposed on outer face of the second board member


12


. The ball seat


121


has a form of a basin. The ball seat


121


is formed with a central joint socket


122


.




The preset electric apparatus


2


can be a peripheral electric apparatus such as a light


21


or a monitor


22


(as shown in FIGS.


3


and


4


). The electric apparatus


2


has a joint ball


211


(


221


) corresponding to the joint socket


122


of the ball seat


121


, whereby the electric apparatus


2


can be jointed on the clamping section


1


and universally revolved and adjusted in position.




In a preferred embodiment, the first board member


11


is an elongated slat, while the second board member


12


is an L-shaped plate member. The bridge section


13


is integrally connected the first and second board members


11


,


12


. The first board member


11


has a length longer than the extending length of the second board member


12


.




The bridge section


13


is bighted and has a certain resilience. The two board members


11


,


12


inward obliquely extend opposite to each other to define an opening


14


between the two board members


11


,


12


. The opening


14


permits the first and second board members


11


,


12


and the bridge section


13


to resiliently clamp an object.




Two opposite inner edges of the bridge section


13


are formed with two ribs


131


,


132


at the adjoining sections between the bridge section


13


and the first and second board members


11


,


12


. After the rim


31


of a panel


3


is fitted into the opening


14


of the clamping section


1


, the two ribs


131


,


132


respectively abut against top face and back face of the rim


31


. Therefore, the rim


31


of the panel


3


is more firmly inlaid and clamped in the clamping space


123


of the clamping section


1


inward extending from the opening


14


thereof (as shown in FIG.


3


).




A free end of the second board member


12


is formed with a slightly outward arched section


124


opposite to the opening


14


. When the rim


31


is inserted into the opening


14


, the arched face of the arched section


124


can easily slide over and abut against the corner of the rim


31


to smoothly stretch open the opening


14


. Accordingly, the rim


31


can be easily inlaid into the clamping section


1


.




A buffing pad


15


is disposed on the inner face of the first board member


11


extending from the rib


131


to free end of the first board member


11


. When the rim


31


of the panel


3


is clamped by the clamping section


1


, the buffing pad


15


provides a damping effect between the first board member


11


and a lateral wall of the rim


31


to avoid slippage.




Referring to

FIGS. 2 and 3

, the light


21


is composed of a lamp seat


212


and a support rod


213


. The joint ball


211


and a clip


214


are respectively disposed at two ends of the support rod


213


. The joint ball


211


is held in the ball seat


121


to form a universal joint. The lamp seat


212


is clipped by the clip


214


.




Referring to

FIG. 3

, through the opening


14


of the clamping section


1


, the upper rim


31


of the panel


3


is inlaid and clamped by the board members


11


,


12


of the clamping section


1


. Under such circumstance, the bridge section


13


provides a resilient buffing effect for the board members


11


,


12


to properly clamp the rim


31


. The two ribs


131


,


132


abut against the rim


31


to more firmly clamp the rim


31


. After the clamping section


1


clamps the panel


3


, the support rod


213


clipping the lamp seat


212


can be revolved to adjust the lighting angle of the light


21


.




Referring to

FIG. 4

, in addition, a ball seat


121


can be disposed on the surface of top side of the second board member


12


. A support rod


221


is disposed on a monitor


22


. A joint ball


222


is disposed at free end of the support rod


221


. The joint ball


222


is held in the ball seat


121


to joint the monitor


22


on the second board member


12


. Accordingly, by means of the clamping section


1


, the monitor


22


can be mounted on the upper rim


31


of the panel


3


for operating video signal of multimedia. According to the above arrangement, by means of the clamping section


1


of the present invention, peripheral electric apparatus such as a light


21


and a monitor


22


can be simply mounted on the portable computer.




The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. An assembling structure for peripheral accessories of a portable computer comprising:a) a first board member; b) a second board member having an L-shape, the first board member being longer than the second board member; c) a resilient bridge section having a curved shape, and a first bridge end and a second bridge end, the first bridge end connected to a first end of the first board member and the second bridge end connected to a first end of the second board member, the first board member and the second board member being spaced apart by the curved bridge section and moveable between an un-clamped position and a clamped position; and d) at least one ball seat having a central joint socket and extending from an exterior side of the second board member.
  • 2. The assembling structure according to claim 1, wherein the first board member, the bridge section, and the second board member are integrally made.
  • 3. The assembling structure according to claim 1, further comprising an arched section located on a second end of the second board member.
  • 4. The assembling structure according to claim 1, further comprising a buffing pad connected to a side of the first board member, such that the buffing pad is positioned between the first and second board members.
  • 5. The assembling structure according to claim 1, further comprising a first and a second rib located between the first and the second board members, the first rib being formed on the first end of the first board member and the second rib being formed on the first end of the second board member.
  • 6. The assembling structure according to claim 1, further comprising at least one electrical apparatus having a support rod connected to a joint ball, the joint ball being pivotally and rotatably connected to the central joint socket of the at least one ball seat.
  • 7. The assembling structure according to claim 6, wherein each of the at least one electric apparatus is selected from the group of electric apparatuses consisting of a light and a monitor.
  • 8. The assembling structure according to claim 7, wherein electrical apparatus comprises a light and wherein the light includes a lamp seat and a clip, the clip is connected to the support rod on an end opposite the joint ball and removably connected to the lamp seat.
  • 9. The assembling structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one ball seat includes two ball seats.
  • 10. The assembling structure according to claim 9, further comprising two electric apparatuses, each of the two electric apparatuses have a support rod connected to a joint ball, one joint ball being pivotally and rotatably connected to each central joint socket of each of the two ball seats.
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Number Name Date Kind
5103384 Drohan Apr 1992 A
5379201 Friedman Jan 1995 A
5619395 McBride Apr 1997 A
5855343 Krekelberg Jan 1999 A
6222501 Yajima et al. Apr 2001 B1
6239841 Verstockt et al. May 2001 B1
6481681 Stunkel et al. Nov 2002 B1
6591001 Oda et al. Jul 2003 B1
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number Date Country
410136241 May 1998 JP
411153832 Jun 1999 JP
411284882 Oct 1999 JP