1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to slide cover mounting technology and more particularly, to a space-saving slide cover lifting structure for use in an electronic device, for example, tablet computer, for allowing a top cover to be moved horizontally relative to a base panel and then lifted from a horizontal position to a tilted position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following development and function improvement of touch control technology, tablet computer has become popular. The LCD screen of a tablet computer is located on the outer surface of the computer for convenient operation.
However, the use of a keyboard is a common practice to most people for, for example, text word input. There are tablet computers that comprise an operating system end arranged at the bottom side of the LCD display panel. Thus, the LCD display panel can be moved horizontally relative to the operating system end and then lifted to a tilted position so that the user can use the keyboard on the operating system end.
To satisfy this operation, a special slide cover mounting arrangement is necessary. The known slide cover mounting arrangement comprises a pair of hinges, a pair of sliding rail holders and sliding rails. However, this design does not allow smooth lifting of the LCD display panel. Gear and gear rack may be added to distribute the applied push force evenly. However, the gear will be disengaged from the gear rack when the user lifts the LCD display panel from the operating system end, and will be pushed back into engagement with the gear rack when the user closes the LCD display panel. Because the gear is not constantly kept in mesh with the gear rack, the LCD display panel may be erroneously biased from position.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/986,353 discloses a slide cover design invented by the present invention and entitled “SLIDE COVERF MOUNTING STRUCTURE”, which includes two hinges bilaterally mounted on the top wall of the base member, two sliding rail holders respectively connected to the pivot shafts of the hinges, two sliding rails bilaterally mounted on the bottom surface of the cover panel and respectively slidably coupled to a sliding groove on each of the sliding rail holder, two gears pivotally connected between fixed rails on the sliding rail holders, and two gear racks respectively mounted on the cover panel and meshed with the gears.
Thus, the cover panel is prohibited from biasing during sliding movement, and turnable about the pivot shafts of the hinges from a horizontal position to a tilted position relative to the base member.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/035,121 discloses a slide cover design invented by the present invention and entitled “LIFTABLE SLIDE COVER MOUNTING STRUCTURE USING A SHEET METAL BRACKET MECHANISM”, which consists of two hinges, two metal sheet bracket mechanism, two sliding rails, two gears, two gear racks and two supplementary support mechanisms. Subject to the use of the sheet plate bracket mechanisms to hold the sliding rails instead of zinc alloy sliding rail holders, the weight of the liftable slide cover mounting structure is minimized. Further, when the cover panel is opened from the base member, the sheet plate bracket mechanisms are forced into engagement with the supplementary support mechanisms to support the cover panel in position for enabling the user to operate the display screen of the cover panel positively.
In the aforesaid prior art designs, the sliding rails and the gear racks are arranged in a parallel manner, occupying much surface space. In consequence, the size of the tablet PC cannot be minimized.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is main object of the present invention to provide a space-saving slide cover lifting structure for use in an electronic device comprising a cover panel and a base member, which eliminates the drawbacks of the aforesaid prior art design.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a space-saving slide cover lifting structure is used in an electronic device comprising a cover panel and a base member, comprising:
two hinges respectively fixedly mounted in a respective recessed portion on the middle part of the top wall of the base member adjacent to two opposite lateral sides of the base member, each hinge comprising a pivot shaft;
two sliding rail holders respectively connected to the pivot shafts of the two hinges and rotatable relative to the base member, each sliding rail holder comprising a connection block connected to the pivot shaft of the associating hinge;
two plastic slide guides respectively affixed to the sliding rail holders, each plastic slide guide defining a sliding groove;
two sliding rails bilaterally fixedly mounted on the bottom surface of the cover panel in a parallel manner, each sliding rail comprising a flat, elongated base panel affixed to the cover panel, an angled rail extending along one lateral side of the flat, elongated base panel and slidably coupled to the sliding groove of one plastic slide guide;
an axle having two distal ends thereof respectively pivotally coupled to the sliding rail holders;
two gears respectively mounted on the axle near the sliding rail holders; and
two gear racks respectively affixed to the flat, elongated base panels of the sliding rails and respectively meshed with the gears.
The two sliding rails are moved with the cover panel in the sliding grooves of the plastic slide guides relative to the base member when the cover panel receives a horizontal push force, and the gear racks are simultaneously moved with the cover panel to rotate the gears, enabling the horizontal push force to be transferred through the gears to two opposite lateral sides of the base member to prohibit the cover panel from biasing during sliding movement. The gears are kept meshed with the gear racks constantly for enabling the cover panel to be turned about the pivot shafts of the hinges from a horizontal position to a tilted position relative to the base member.
When compared to the prior art design, the gear racks of the invention are respectively accommodated in the sliding rails to reduce space occupation, minimizing the width of the assembly of the gear rack and the respective sliding rail. Thus, the width of the two blank side areas at the two opposite lateral sides of the LCD screen of the cover panel can be minimized, shortening the size of the tablet PC.
Further, the width of each said gear rack is approximately equal to the width of the flat, elongated base panel of each sliding rail.
Further, each sliding rail holder comprises a frame plate located on one lateral side thereof and surrounding the sliding groove of the associating plastic slide guide.
Further, the connection block of each sliding rail holder is located on the bottom side of the respective sliding rail holder, defining therein a non-circular hole that is coupled to the pivot shaft of the associating hinge.
Further, each sliding rail holder comprises an axle hole pivotally coupled to one of the two distal ends of the axle.
Further, each sliding rail holder further comprises an arched flange surrounding one end of the axle hole thereof.
Each sliding rail holder further comprises a spring leaf fixedly mounted thereon and pressed on the associating sliding rail. Each sliding rail further comprises a first notch and a second notch for selectively receiving the spring leaf of the associating sliding rail holder when the sliding rails are moved with the cover panel relative to the base member to one of two opposing end limit positions.
Referring to
Referring to
The hinges 10 are respectively fixedly mounted in a respective recessed portion 921 on a middle of the top wall of the base member 92 adjacent to the two opposite lateral sides of the base member 92, each comprising a bracket 11, which is affixed one respective portion 921 of the base member 92, and a pivot shaft 12, which is a non-circular shaft. Subject to the torque provided by the hinges 10, the cover panel 91 can be positively positioned in one of a series of tilted positions relative to the base member 92.
Each sliding rail holder 20 comprises a connection block 21 located on the bottom side thereof, a non-circular coupling hole 22 formed in the connection block 21 and coupled to the pivot shaft 12 of one of the hinges 10 for allowing rotation of the respective sliding rail holder 20 with the respective pivot shaft 12 relative to the base member 92, an axle hole 24 located on the top side thereof in a parallel manner relative to the non-circular coupling hole 22, an arched flange 25 surrounding one end of the axle hole 24, a frame plate 23 located on one lateral side thereof and extending in a perpendicular direction relative the extending direction of the non-circular coupling hole 22 and the axle hole 24, and a spring leaf 26 fixedly fastened thereto and disposed adjacent to the top side of the frame plate 23.
The plastic slide guides 30 are respectively affixed to the sliding rail holders 20 with, for example, rivets 32, each defining a sliding groove 31. The sliding grooves 31 of the plastic slide guides 30 are respectively surrounded by the frame plates 23 of the sliding rail holders 20. Subject to the protection of the respective frame plates 23, the sliding grooves 31 of the plastic slide guides 30 are kept in shape for smooth sliding.
The sliding rails 40 are bilaterally fixedly mounted on the bottom surface of the cover panel 91 in a parallel manner, and respectively slidably coupled to the sliding grooves 31 of the plastic slide guides 30. As illustrated in
The gears 50 are respectively mounted on the axle 51 near its two distal ends. The two distal ends of the axle 51 are respectively pivotally coupled to the axle holes 24 of the sliding rail holders 20 for allowing free rotation of the gears 50. Further, each gear 50 is surrounded by the arched flange 25 of the respective sliding rail holder 20 for protection.
The gear racks 60 are respectively affixed to the flat, elongated base panels 41 of the sliding rails 40, keeping the respective tooth faces 61 in mesh with the gears 50. Further, the flat, elongated base panel 41 of each sliding rail 40 further comprises a plurality of round holes 43; 45. Further, each gear rack 60 further comprises a plurality of pins 62; 63 respectively inserted into the round holes 43; 45 of the respective sliding rail 40 to secure the respective gear rack 60 to the respective sliding rail 40. The gear racks 60 have a width approximately equal to the width of the flat, elongated base panels 41 of the sliding rails 40 so that the gear racks 60 can be respectively kept in the sliding rails 40 to reduce space occupation. As shown in
As stated above, the space-saving slide cover lifting structure 100 of the present invention is used in the electronic device 90. When the cover panel 91 receives a horizontal push force, it will slide forwards relative to the base member 92 (see
Further, the cover panel 91 can be forced by a biasing force to turn about the pivot shafts 12 of the hinges 10 in direction away from the base member 92 to a tilted position (see
When compared to the prior art design, the gear racks 60 are respectively accommodated in the sliding rails 40 to reduce space occupation, minimizing the width of the assembly of the gear rack 60 and the respective sliding rail 40. Thus, the width of the two blank side areas at the two opposite lateral sides of the LCD screen of the cover panel 91 can be minimized, shortening the size of the tablet PC.
Further, subject to the functioning of the plastic slide guides 30 of the space-saving slide cover lifting structure 100, the metal sliding rails 40 are prohibited from direct contact with the sliding rail holders 20, avoiding friction noise.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
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