1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof structure and a portable electronic apparatus using the same and, more particularly, to a waterproof structure capable of protecting expansion interfaces of a portable electronic apparatus and providing a better sealed effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable electronic apparatus, such as a notebook computer, a mobile phone or a PDA, usually includes a plurality of expansion interfaces for connecting extra external devices or transmission lines. These expansion interfaces are usually uncovered or shielded by a housing which provides basic protection. However, for those users working or acting in a wet environment or in rain, such as firemen, policemen, or soldiers, the basic protection fails to meet their needs. To determine whether a portable electronic apparatus is sustainable in such a tough environment, a universally accepted standard has been set. The standard, which is usually abbreviated as Ingress Protection 67 (IP67), requires that the portable electronic apparatus be impermeable to dust and water to the degrees of six and seven, respectively. In other words, a product that meets the requirement of IP67 is completely dustproof and capable of working one meter underwater; however, most portable electronic apparatuses cannot meet that requirement.
Furthermore, in a portable electronic apparatus conforming to the IP67 standard, the waterproof structure is most commonly fastened by screws. When a user wants to use expansion interfaces, he needs to loosen the screws with a tool, which can be very inconvenient.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a waterproof structure and a portable electronic apparatus to mitigate and obviate the aforementioned problems.
A main objective of the present invention is to provide a waterproof structure capable of forming a better seal to protect the expansion interfaces of a portable electronic apparatus in harsh conditions.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic apparatus comprising the waterproof structure.
In order to achieve the above mentioned objective, the waterproof structure for a housing of a portable electronic apparatus of the present invention comprises a cover and an elastic pad. The cover comprises a pivot portion, and the cover is connected to the housing via the pivot portion such that the cover is capable of rotating in relation to the housing. The elastic pad comprises at least one protrusion structure, and the at least one protrusion structure is capable of inserting into a waterproof groove on the housing corresponding to the protrusion structure. When the cover is rotated to close the housing, the cover is capable of compressing the elastic pad to form a seal between the at least one protrusion structure and the waterproof groove. With the aforementioned design, the waterproof structure is capable of preventing water or dust from permeating into the portable electronic apparatus through any expansion interface of the housing.
In order to achieve another objective of the present invention, the portable electronic apparatus of the present invention comprises a housing and at least one aforementioned waterproof structure. The housing further comprises an upper housing, a lower housing, and a waterproof pad. The upper housing is combined with the lower housing, and the waterproof pad is disposed in the joint of the upper housing and the lower housing. With the aforementioned design, the whole of the portable electronic apparatus of the present invention is impermeable to dust and water.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Furthermore, the elastic pad 20 further comprises at least one auxiliary protrusion structure 22, and the height of the at least one auxiliary protrusion structure 22 is lower than the height of the at least one protrusion structure 21. The at least one auxiliary protrusion structure 22 is disposed outside the at least one protrusion structure 21. When the elastic pad 20 is compressed, the at least one protrusion structure 21 is inserted into the waterproof groove 111 to form the contact seal, and the at least one auxiliary protrusion structure 22 may contact the housing 110 to form another contact seal. The amount of the at least one auxiliary protrusion structure 22 of the elastic pad 20 may also be increased for different requirements or designs of the apparatus. The elastic pad 20 further comprises a fastening structure 23 for fastening the elastic pad 20 on the housing 110 or the cover 10. One end or one side of the elastic pad 20 may be fastened via the fastening structure 23 to prevent the loss of the elastic pad 20 when the cover 10 is opened. When the waterproof structure 1 is placed on the expansion interface, a user is capable of rapidly attaching and detaching the elastic pad 20, which determines whether the expansion interface is used. The elastic pad 20 may be fastened on different places for different designs of the apparatus. In this embodiment, the elastic pad 20 is partially fastened on the housing 110, but the elastic pad 20 may also be fastened on the cover 10 or the pivot portion 11.
The cover 10 of the waterproof structure 1 of the present invention further comprises an exterior cover 12 and an interior cover 13, and the exterior cover 12 is slidably combined with the interior cover 13. In this embodiment, the exterior cover 12 is combined with the interior cover 13 via at least one screw element 14, and the at least one screw element 14 may slide via a predetermined sliding hole 131 of the interior cover 13. As shown in
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Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
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96218072 U | Oct 2007 | TW | national |
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