1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connecting assembly and an electronic device having the connecting assembly; more particularly, the invention relates to a connecting assembly configured for a detachable electronic device and a detachable electronic device having the connecting assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
In this modern information society, touch modules have been used as input units for various electronic devices. Among them, touch display devices combining touch and display functions, such as tablet computers, have become most favorable products nowadays. However, since tablet computers are designed to be light, thin and compact so as to meet demands, functions and expandability thereof cannot be put on a par with desktop computers or notebook computers having relatively larger space.
In light of the foregoing, a docking station is introduced in the related art, such that tablet computers may be assembled to the docking station so as to expand functions thereof, such as a function of a standard keyboard. The tablet computer and the docking station usually are structured to be assembled together by a connecting assembly. Therefore, it is of importance to design the connecting assembly that allows the tablet computer to be stably assembled to the docking station.
The invention provides a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly is configured for an electronic device and may stably assemble two bodies of the electronic device.
The invention provides an electronic device having the aforesaid connecting assembly, which may stably assemble two bodies of the electronic device.
A connector assembly of the invention is adapted for an electronic device. The electronic device includes a first body and a second body. The connecting assembly is disposed between two opposite assembling sides of the first body and the second body, such that the first body may be detachably assembled to the second body. The connecting assembly includes an engaging member, an engaging portion and an elastic fixing mechanism. The engaging member is pivoted to the first body and the engaging portion is fixed to the second body. The elastic fixing mechanism is connected to the first body. When the first body is assembled to the second body, the engaging member rotates relative to the engaging portion from a first position to a second position, such that the engaging member is infixed to the engaging portion and the second body. Then, elastic force of the elastic fixing mechanism fixes the engaging member together with the engaging portion and the second body, such that the first body is assembled to the second body. When the first body is disassembled from the second body, the engaging member overcomes the elastic force and rotates from the second position to the first position, such that the first body is disassembled from the second body.
An electronic device of the invention includes a first body, a second body and at least one connecting assembly. The at least one connecting assembly is disposed between two opposite assembling sides of the first body and the second body, such that the first body is detachably assembled to the second body. The at least one connecting assembly includes an engaging member, an engaging portion and an elastic fixing mechanism. The engaging member is pivoted to the first body and the engaging portion is fixed to the second body. The elastic fixing mechanism is connected to the first body. When the first body is assembled to the second body, the engaging member rotates relative to the engaging portion from a first position to a second position, such that the engaging member is infixed to the engaging portion and the second body. Then, elastic force of the elastic fixing mechanism fixes the engaging member together with the engaging portion and the second body, such that the first body is assembled to the second body. When the first body is disassembled from the second body, the engaging member overcomes the elastic force and rotates from the second position to the first position, such that the first body is disassembled from the second body.
In an embodiment of the invention, the engaging member is a polygon. When the first body is assembled to the second body, the engaging member rotates from the first position to the second position, such that two of adjacent sides of the engaging member are infixed with one side of the engaging portion and the second body, respectively.
In an embodiment of the invention, the elastic fixing mechanism is a spring. One end of the spring is fixed to the first body, while the other end thereof is located next to the engaging member. When the first body is assembled to the second body, the engaging member rotates from the first position to the second position, and the spring presses against the engaging member so as to fix the engaging member together with the engaging portion and the second body.
In an embodiment of the invention, the elastic fixing mechanism includes an elastic member and a positioning member. The elastic member is connected between the positioning member and the first body. When the first body is assembled to the second body, the engaging member rotates from the first position to the second position, and the elastic member presses against the positioning member, such that the positioning member, the engaging portion and the second body together fix the engaging member so as to fix the engaging member.
In an embodiment of the invention, the elastic fixing mechanism includes an elastic clip and a positioning member. The elastic clip is fixed to the engaging member, while the positioning member is fixed to the first body. When the first body is assembled to the second body, the engaging member rotates from the first position to the second position, and the elastic clip holds the positioning member to fix the engaging member.
In an embodiment of the invention, the positioning member is a polygon, and the elastic clip holds sides of the polygon.
In an embodiment of the invention, the elastic fixing mechanism includes a plurality of springs and a positioning member. The plurality of springs are fixed to the engaging member, while the positioning member is fixed to the first body. When the first body is assembled to the second body, the engaging member rotates from the first position to the second position, and the springs together hold the positioning member so as to fix the engaging member.
In an embodiment of the invention, the positioning member is a polygon, and the spring presses against a plurality of sides of the polygon so as to hold the positioning member together.
In an embodiment of the invention, a quantity of the connecting assembly is two, and the connecting assemblies are located at two opposite sides of the electronic device, respectively.
In view of the foregoing, the first body and the second body of the electronic device are assembled to each other by means of rotating the engaging member of the connecting assembly and then infixing the first body with the second body. Moreover, the elastic force generated by the elastic fixing mechanism of the connecting assembly is also implemented to fix the engaging member. Thereby, the first body and the second body may be stably fixed together.
To make the aforesaid features and advantages of the invention more comprehensible, several embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below to further describe the invention in details.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The present embodiment is illustrated by taking an example of the electronic device 100 having two connecting assemblies 130, and the two connecting assemblies 130 are located at two opposite sides of the electronic device 100, respectively. In other embodiments, the electronic device 100 may include only one connecting assembly 130, which also allows the first body 110 to be detachably assembled to the second body 120. In addition, the two connecting assemblies 130 of the electronic device 100 substantially include the same components. One of the connecting assemblies 130 (e.g., the connecting assembly 130 on the right side of
The connecting assembly 130 includes an engaging member 132, an engaging portion 134 and an elastic fixing mechanism 136. The engaging member 132 is pivoted to the first body 110 and the engaging portion 134 is fixed to the second body 120. The elastic fixing mechanism 136 is connected to the first body 110. As illustrated in
The elastic fixing mechanism 136 of the present embodiment is a spring. One end of the spring is fixed to the first body 110, while the other end thereof is located next to the engaging member 132. In addition, the engaging member 132 of the present embodiment is shaped as a triangle. When the engaging member 132 is located relative to the engaging portion 134 at the first position P1, the spring presses against one of sides of the triangle.
When the user intends to disassemble the first body 110 from the second body 120, the user may reverse the aforesaid assembling process. Specifically, when the first body 110 is disassembled from the second body 120, the first body is moved away from the second body 120 along the assembling direction D1. In addition, the user may apply force on the first body 110 for the engaging member 132 to overcome the elastic force generated by the elastic fixing mechanism 136 and reverse a rotation from the second position P2 depicted in
It should be noted that the present embodiment is illustrated with the engaging member 132 in a triangle shape. When the first body 110 is assembled to the second body 120, two adjacent sides of the triangle are infixed to one side of the engaging portion 134 and the second body 120, such that the engaging member 132 may be stably fixed to the second body 120. In other embodiments, the engaging member 132 may be in other polygons.
In the present embodiment, the first body 110 and the second body 120 of the electronic device 100 are assembled to each other by means of rotating the engaging member 132 of the connecting assembly 130 and engaging the first body 110 with the second body 120. Moreover, the elastic force generated by the elastic fixing mechanism 136 of the connecting assembly 130 is also implemented to fix the engaging member 132. Thereby, the first body 110 and the second body 120 may be stably fixed together. Additionally, when the first body 110 is assembled to or disassembled from the second body 120, the first body 110 is handled straight up or down along the same assembling direction D1, such that the two bodies are assembled to or disassembled from each other in a simple and fast manner.
The connecting assembly may be illustrated in various embodiments according to designs for the elastic fixing mechanism. Each connecting assembly in each embodiment is described below with reference to drawings.
The following embodiments use the reference numerals and parts of the contents of the aforesaid embodiments, wherein same reference numerals are adopted to represent the same or similar elements, and repetitive explanations of the same technical content is omitted. Concerning the omitted illustrations, please refer to the aforesaid embodiments. The same technical content is not reiterated in the following embodiments.
The connecting assembly 230 includes an engaging member 232, an engaging portion 234 and an elastic fixing mechanism 236. The engaging member 232 is pivoted to the first body 110 and the engaging portion 234 is fixed to the second body 120. The elastic fixing mechanism 236 is connected to the first body 110. In the present embodiment, the elastic fixing mechanism 236 includes an elastic member 236a and a positioning member 236b, wherein the elastic member 236a is connected between the positioning member 236b and the first body 110.
In the present embodiment, both the engaging member 432 and the positioning member 436b are triangles, and the elastic clip 436a holds a side of the positioning member 436b. Certainly, the invention is not limited herein. As illustrated in the aforesaid embodiments, the engaging member 432 or the positioning member 436b may be other polygons. In addition, in the present embodiment, both the elastic clip 436a and the positioning member 436b are located inside the engaging member 432 and thereby the invention has an advantage of effective space utilization.
It is worth to note that, in the embodiments illustrated in
In summary, the first body and the second body of the electronic device are assembled to each other by means of rotating the engaging member of the connecting assembly and then engaging the first body with the second body. Moreover, the elastic force generated by the elastic fixing mechanism of the connecting assembly is also implemented to fix the engaging member. Thereby, the first body and the second body may be stably fixed together. Furthermore, when the first body is assembled to or disassembled from the second body, the first body is handled straight up or down along the same assembling direction, such that the two bodies are assembled to or disassembled from each other in a simple and fast manner. Additionally, the elastic fixing mechanism has various structures, such that the electronic device may be designed in great potentials.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the priority benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/813,647, filed on Apr. 19, 2013. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61813647 | Apr 2013 | US |