Patent Application
20130242471
This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. ยง119(a) on Patent Application No. 101204635 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on 2012 Mar. 14, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a lid-lift device, and in particular to a forward lid-lift device with a turning lid to lift a main lid in an equal direction.
2. Related Art
Currently, point of sales (POS) devices such as electronic data capture (EDC) system and card readers are commonly used in retailers to accept plastic money from customers; for example, expense cards, credit cards and debit cards. Such electronic payment can quickly and easily complete transactions and provide requested services for the customers. With the advent of prepaid cards and other smart cards, the number of POS devices used for various purposes will increase substantially in the next few years.
POS devices such as thermal receipt printers, which use paper rolls to print data, are widely used. In particular, the thermal receipt printers need easily loaded and replaced paper rolls. For the convenience of replacing paper rolls, the POS device must have a lid-lift cover structure. However, the lid-lift cover structure is commonly designed for a reversed opening action. The lid-lift cover structure has a cover and a turning member arranged thereon, and the lifting direction of the cover is different from that of the turning member. Thus, users need to lift the cover in an opposite direction after lifting the turning member, causing inconvenience of operation. Consequently, manufacturers in this industry are committed to explore this issue.
Accordingly, in an embodiment of the disclosure, a forward lid-lift device is provided to assemble to a counteraction member of an electronic apparatus. The counteraction member has a first turning path. The forward lid-lift device includes a main lid and a turning lid. The main lid includes a first rotary shaft and an engaging end. The first rotary shaft connects to the counteraction member. The engaging end is fastened at the end of the electronic apparatus opposite to the first rotary shaft. The turning lid includes a second rotary shaft, a poking end and a pushing member. The second rotary shaft connects to the main lid. The poking end is at a side by the second rotary shaft. The pushing member is at the other side by the second rotary shaft. The pushing member has a second turning path. When the pushing member rotates from a start point to an end point along the second turning path, the interference between the first turning path and the second turning path is increased gradually, meanwhile the main lid and the turning lid will turn in the same direction to complete lid-lift action.
In another embodiment, an electronic apparatus is also provided to allow the forward lid-lift device to assemble thereon. The electronic apparatus includes a shell body and the counteraction member. The shell body connects the first rotary shaft of the main lid. The counteraction member is disposed on the shell body to contact with the pushing member. The counteraction member has the first turning path which is shorter than the second turning path corresponding to the pushing member. When the pushing member rotates from a start point to an end point along the second turning path, the interference between the second turning path and the first turning path corresponding to the counteraction member is increased gradually, meanwhile when the pushing member turns in a first direction, the main lid and the turning lid will both turn in a second direction to complete lid-lift action.
A lid-lift action is completed once by the main lid and the turning lid of the forward lid-lift device, so users may operate it easily. Meanwhile, the turning lid and the pushed counteraction member have a different rotation center and different turning path, respectively. A force applied by users increases gradually until the lid-lift action is over, so users can apply the force smoothly.
The disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus not limitative of the disclosure, wherein:
Please refer to
A forward lid-lift device 100 in the figures of the disclosure is assembled to a counteraction member 22 of an electronic apparatus 200. The counteraction member 22 preferably is as an upper shell of the electronic apparatus 200, as shown in
The main lid 11 is an arc-shaped plate and has a first rotary shaft at an end of the main lid 11 to connect with the counteraction member 22 of the electronic apparatus 200, for example, using a shaft with a hole. The main lid 11 further has an engaging end 112 at the other end of the main lid 11. The engaging end 112 is fastened at the end of the electronic apparatus 200 opposite to the first rotary shaft 111. The engaging end 112 includes a catching groove 113 and a rod 114.
The turning lid 12 is a poking element and includes a second rotary shaft 121, a poking end 122 and a pushing member 123. The second rotary shaft 121 connects to the main lid 11 to allow the turning lid 12 to turn circularly according to the second rotary shaft 121 as a center. The poking end 122 is at a side by the second rotary shaft 121 and exposed to the main lid 11 to facilitate poking operation by the user's finger thereon. The pushing member 123 is arranged at the other side by the second rotary shaft 121 and formed as an arc-shaped bump. The pushing member 123 has a second turning path 124 and rotates according to the second rotary shaft 121 as a center. When the pushing member 123 rotates from a start point 31 to an end point 32 (as shown in
Please refer to
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The shell body 21 is preferably formed by a upper shell and a lower shell. A part of the shell body 21 is a hollow section. The hollow section on the upper shell is where the counteraction member 22 is disposed. The shell body 21 connects to the first rotary shaft 111 of the main lid 11.
The counteraction member 22 is disposed on the two sidewalls of the shell body 21. The counteraction member 22 may has a cambered surface or a recess 22a. The counteraction member 22 contacts with the pushing member 123 and has the first turning path 221 shorter than the second turning path 124 of the pushing member 123 as aforementioned. The operation between the counteraction member and the rotated pushing member 123 has mentioned previously, and we do not describe it further herein. Therefore, after lifting up the lid, the paper roll placed inside the shell body 21 can be taken out.
In an embodiment, the electronic apparatus 200 further includes a connection module 24 disposed on the shell body 21. The connection module 24 includes a holding portion 241. The holding portion 241 is preferably as a locking groove type, and has an elastic locking stick.
When the rod 114 at the engaging end 112 of the main lid 11 is put into the holding portion 241, the rod 114 will be locked by the elastic locking stick to be fixed in the locking groove.
In the disclosure, the turning lid and the main lid of the forward lid-lift device can be lifted in the same direction to complete the lid-lift action one time continuously, so that users can operate it easily. Meanwhile, the turning lid and the pushed counteraction member have different rotation center and different turning path, respectively. A force applied by users increases gradually until the lid-lift action is over, so users can apply the force smoothly.
While the present invention has been described by the way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention need not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101204635 | Mar 2012 | TW | national |
