BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to an electronic device, and in particular to an electronic device providing a replaceable abutment to hold an indexing device.
Electronic products such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and gaming devices typically provide a touch panel controlled by a stylus. Conventionally, these electronic products provide a hole for receiving the stylus therein when idle, or a recess or several protrusions integrally formed on an outer surface of the host to hold the stylus thereon.
The stylus may become stuck, however, too deeply to be easily removed from the hole when the hole expands or the structure near the hole is deformed. Furthermore, as the recess or protrusions integrally formed on the housing of the host become worn, they may fail to hold the stylus, resulting the need to replace the entire housing of the host.
SUMMARY
The electronic device of the invention comprises a housing, an abutment and an indexing device. The housing comprises an engaging portion and an outer surface. The abutment disposed on the housing comprises a clamping portion accessible through the housing via the engaging portion. The indexing device is detachably disposed on the exposed clamping portion of the abutment on the housing.
A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an electronic device (E) of an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the electronic device (E) of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 1C is an enlarged perspective view of a region (Z) of the electronic device (E) of FIG. 1B;
FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of the electronic device (E) of FIG. 1B; and
FIG. 2B is an enlarged perspective view of a region (Z1) of the electronic device (E) of FIG. 2A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of an electronic device E of the invention, and FIG. 1C is an enlarged perspective view of a region Z in FIG. 1B. The electronic device E such as a gaming device or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) comprises a housing H having a first body 1 and a second body 2, two abutments 3, an indexing device 4, a circuit board M and a touch panel 10. In this embodiment, the electronic device E is a gaming device, and the indexing device 4 is a stylus for controlling the touch panel 10. The circuit board M disposed in the housing H functions as a calculation unit. The touch panel 10 disposed on the first body 1 is electrically connected to the circuit board M.
In FIGS. 1B and 1C, the second body 2 is a rounded plate comprising two engaging portions 21 and an outer surface 211. The engaging portions 21 are openings formed on the outer surface 211 and penetrating the second body 2. The abutments 3 disposed on the second body 2 of the housing H are exposed by the outer surface 211 via the engaging portions 21, i.e., the abutments 3 positioned in the engaging portions 21 protrude from the outer surface 211 to secure the indexing device 4 thereon.
FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of the electronic device E of FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged perspective view of a region Z1 of the electronic device E of FIG. 2A.
In FIG. 2A, the second body 2 further comprising an inner surface 212, and a longitudinal recess 22 is formed on the outer surface 211 intersecting the engaging portions 21.
In FIG. 2B, the abutment 3 comprises a base portion 30 and a clamping portion 31. The clamping portion 31 comprising a C-shaped structure is connected to the base portion 30 and a shoulder 32 is formed therebetween. In this embodiment, the base portion 30 and the clamping portion 31 are integrally formed and comprising rubber.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 1B, as the abutment 3 fitted in the engaging portion 21 and clamped by the assembled first body 1 and the second body 2, the clamping portion 31 fitted in the engaging portion 21 is exposed by the outer surface 211 of the second body 2, and the shoulder 32 of the abutment 3 is pressed against the inner surface 212. The indexing device 4 is then detachably disposed on the clamping portions 31 of the abutments 3 and received in the recess 22 of the second body 2, i.e., the indexing device 4 is detachably received on the outside of the housing H.
Thus, the indexing device 4 can be easily positioned on the clamping portions 31 of the abutments 3, and the indexing device 4 is substantially hidden below the outer surface 211 of the housing H. Additionally, the abutments 3 are easily replaced when worn or fail to hold the indexing device 4 any longer.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to accommodate various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Patent Application
20050225528
