This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 103100060, filed on Jan. 2, 2014. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a protective cover and, more particularly, to a protective cover capable of providing an illumination light source device.
2. Description of Related Art
The mobile electronic devices become more and more diversified following the rapid change of science and technology, such as smart phones, tablet PCs, electronic books, and so on. Compared to the conventional desktop computers or notebook computers, the mobile electronic devices have the advantage of portability. However, while the mobile electronic devices are being carried, the mobile electronic devices are likely to be hit by various external forces or fall on the ground, resulting in the damage to the casings of the devices or malfunction of the devices. In order to resolve said issues, various protective covers adapted to protect every kind of mobile electronic devices have been developed and are available on the market currently, and thereby damages to the mobile electronic devices may be reduced.
However, the existing protective cover can only provide functions of protection and impact mitigation and cannot provide any external light source for the mobile electronic device when the ambient illumination in the environment is insufficient. Specifically, if the mobile electronic device is equipped with the display panel of the total reflection type or the transflective display panel, insufficient ambient illumination in the environmental may cause the display module of the mobile electronic device not to display images in an effective manner. Currently, users can solve the problem of insufficient illumination through carrying additional light source devices (for example, planar reading lights). However, the users have to hold the mobile electronic device in one hand and simultaneously hold the additional light source device in the other hand when using the mobile electronic device, which causes great inconvenience to the users. Hence, a protective cover capable of providing the light source device and performing the protection function simultaneously is required.
China patent no. CN102254455 discloses an electronic book structure with a front light source. China patent no. CN102208155 discloses an electronic book that includes a lighting body. Taiwan patent no. M380553 discloses an electronic book comprising a front light module. Taiwan patent no. M460320 discloses a protective shell structure. Taiwan patent no. M289038 discloses a protective cover of a mobile phone.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a protective cover which protects a mobile electronic device and provides an extra light source device to the mobile electronic device.
The other purpose and advantages of the invention will be further understood through the technical features disclosed by the invention.
In order to achieve one or part or all of the aforementioned purposes or other purposes, an embodiment of the invention provides a protective cover which is adapted to protect a mobile electronic device and illuminate a display region of the mobile electronic device. The protective cover includes a fixed side, a movable side, and a flexible portion connecting the fixed side and the movable side. The fixed side is adapted to detachably fix the mobile electronic device. The movable side is adapted to cover the display region of the mobile electronic device and has a transparent plate and a light source device. The transparent plate has a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and at least one light incident surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. The light source device is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface. The light generated from the light source device enters the transparent plate through the light incident surface and then reaches the display region through the first surface of the transparent plate. The display region is adapted to receive the light and display an image through the transparent plate.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the movable side further includes a frame with an opening. The frame is connected to the flexible portion, and the transparent plate is fixed to the frame and covers the opening.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the light source device is buried inside the frame.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the transparent plate has at least one reflection layer, the transparent plate has at least one side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, and the at least one reflection layer is disposed on the at least one side surface.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the transparent plate has an optical film, and the optical film is disposed on the first surface or the second surface, such that the light from the light source device enters the display region.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the transparent plate has a plurality of optical micro structures on the first surface or the second surface, so as to guide the light in the transparent plate to the display region.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the optical micro structures are disposed on the first surface and the second surface of the transparent plate simultaneously.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the first surface and the second surface are not parallel to each other.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the light source device includes a circuit board and a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted on the circuit board.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the light-emitting elements are light emitting diodes (LED).
According to one embodiment of the invention, the light source device is a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).
According to one embodiment of the invention, the protective cover further includes an electrical connector disposed on the fixed side or the movable side and coupled to the light source, such that the electrical connector is adapted to electrically connect the light source device with the mobile electronic device.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the protective cover further includes a cable connector coupled to the light source and adapted to electrically connect the light source device with the mobile electronic device.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the protective cover further includes an external power supply that is disposed on the fixed side and coupled to the light source device.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the external power supply is buried inside the fixed side.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the external power supply is disposed adjacent to the fixed side.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the fixed side further includes at least one fixed portion configured to fix the mobile electronic device.
As described above, in the aforementioned embodiments of the invention, the protective cover covers and protects the mobile electronic device from being hit by external forces, so as to reduce damages to the casing of the mobile electronic device or prevent malfunction of the mobile electronic device. Besides, the protective cover provides the illumination light source device to the mobile electronic device. Hence, when there is no ambient light source, the mobile electronic device with the reflective display or the transflective display can still be normally used together with the illumination light source device provided by the protective cover.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of the invention wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the invention.
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. The components of the invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations. As such, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. On the other hand, the drawings are only schematic and the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. Similarly, the terms “facing,” “faces” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect facing, and “adjacent to” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass directly and indirectly “adjacent to”. Therefore, the description of “A” component facing “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component directly faces “B” component or one or more additional components are between “A” component and “B” component. Also, the description of “A” component “adjacent to” “B” component herein may contain the situations that “A” component is directly “adjacent to” “B” component or one or more additional components are between “A” component and “B” component. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
In the embodiment, the movable side 120 has a frame 121, a transparent plate 122, and a light source device 128, wherein the frame 121 has an opening (not numbered). The transparent plate 122 is fixed to the frame 121 and covers the opening. The frame 121 surrounds the transparent plate 122 and is connected to the flexible portion 130. The transparent plate 122 has a first surface 122a, a second surface 122b opposite to the first surface 122a, and at least one light incident surface 126 connecting the first surface 122a and the second surface 122b, as illustrated in
In the embodiment, the light source device 128 is a LED light bar, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), or other light-emitting elements providing the linear light source device, but the invention is not limited thereto. Besides, the material of the main body of the transparent plate 122 includes but is not limited to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), or glass. Besides,
Next, in
As shown in
In the aforementioned embodiments, the shape of each of the optical micro structures 125 is the cone shape, as shown in
As illustrated in
Besides, in the embodiment, the light source device 228 may be a circuit board 228a with a plurality of light-emitting elements 228b. The light-emitting elements 228b are a plurality of LEDs, and the circuit board 228a may have flexibility. The light source device 228 can be disposed on the flexible portion or on a component of the protective cover 200; alternatively, the light source device 228 may be disposed on the protective cover characterized by flexibility as a whole.
As shown in
Besides, as shown in
To sum up, in the aforementioned embodiment of the invention, the protective cover provides not only the protection function through covering the mobile electronic device, but also the planar light source required by the mobile electronic device. Thereby, even though the ambient illumination is not given, the mobile electronic device can be used normally and constantly in no need of additional external light source devices. Besides, the light-emitting path of the transparent plate is adjusted by means of the reflection layer, the optical film, or the optical micro structures, so as to achieve the optimal light source device efficiency and enhance the brightness and uniformity of illumination. Furthermore, through different types of electrical connectors, the protective cover can provide the electric power required by the illumination light source device by means of the electrical energy storage device of the mobile electronic device instead of the external power supply, so as to reduce the necessity of carrying the mobile power supply and facilitate the use of the mobile electronic device and the protective cover. Besides, an external power supply can also be added to the protective cover to increase the power endurance of the protective cover and the mobile electronic device in the outdoor environment and further increase the convenience of using the protective cover and the mobile electronic device.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form or to exemplary embodiments disclosed. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its best mode practical application, thereby to enable persons skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use or implementation contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, the term “the invention”, “the present invention” or the like does not necessarily limit the claim scope to a specific embodiment, and the reference to particularly preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention does not imply a limitation on the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention is limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Moreover, these claims may refer to use “first”, “second”, etc. following with noun or element. Such terms should be understood as a nomenclature and should not be construed as giving the limitation on the number of the elements modified by such nomenclature unless specific number has been given. The abstract of the disclosure is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure of any patent issued from this disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Any advantages and benefits described may not apply to all embodiments of the invention. It should be appreciated that variations may be made in the embodiments described by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Moreover, no element and component in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element or component is explicitly recited in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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103100060 | Jan 2014 | TW | national |