Adjusting device

[0002] This application incorporates by reference Taiwan application Serial No.090130843, filed Dec. 12, 2001.

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The invention relates in general to an adjusting device, and more particularly to an adjusting device including a foot member, a supporting member, and a moving member.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0006] When equipping a projector on a desk, the user can make use of the adjusting foot or the adjusting device to adjust the angle of elevation so that the projector can cast images on the designated screen.

[0007] Referring to FIG. 1, a projector 100 on a projection plate 101 is shown, wherein a fixed foot 106 is under and coupled to the base-board 102cat the end near the rear-board 102bof the housing. At the other end of the base-board 102c, near the front-board 102a, there is an adjusting foot 108. The adjusting foot 108 is installed inside a fillister 109 of the housing 102 with a portion of the adjusting foot 108 exposed. The upward and downward movement of the front side of the projector 100 is controlled by the adjusting foot 108.

[0008] In addition, the adjusting foot 108 includes the supporting member 110, the turning member 112, and the spiral member 114. The adjusting foot 108 supported by the supporting member 110 is against the projection plate 101. The turning member 112 is installed on the top of the supporting member 110, which provides the function of rotating. The supporting member 110, the turning member 112, and the spiral member 114 are coupled and thus, the rotation of the turning members 112 leads the rotation of the other two members in the same direction. As the thread 114aof the spiral member 114 and the thread 109aof the edge of the fillister 109 are in mesh, the spiral member 114 and the fillister 109 are mounted properly. Therefore, by rotating the turning member 112, the elevation angle of the projector 100 can be adjusted.

[0009] A portion of the weight of the projector 100 is imposed on the supporting member 110, so that a frictional force is generated between the supporting member 110 and the projection plate 101. Therefore, to rotate the adjusting foot 108 efficiently, the user must exert a force great enough to overcome the frictional force, which can be very laborious. Additionally, it is quite inconvenient for the user who must spend much time to adjust the projector 100 to the required angle because the adjustment range is very limited. The user may need to rotate the adjusting foot 108 several times so as to adjust the angle of the projector 100 slightly upward or downward.

[0010] Referring to FIG. 2, it shows an adjusting device comprising a locking part, springs, and a leg part, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication number 11-271879. As shown in FIG. 2, a fixed foot 206 is under the base-board 202ccoupled to the rear-board 202bof the housing 202. At the other side of the base board 202cnear the front-board 202a, there is a projector device 208. The projector 200 is installed stably on the projection plate 201 by the support of the fixed foot 206 and the projector device 208.

[0011] The projector device 208 is provided with a leg part height adjusting mechanism comprising the leg part 212, a spring 214b, and a locking part 210, wherein the leg part 212 is freely and vertically movable from the inside to the outside of a hole part 216bformed in the housing 202 base plate 202cof the projector device. The spring 214bis for pushing the leg part 212 downward, and the locking part 210 is for locking the leg part 212 pushed down by the spring 214bat a desired level. Thus, by operating the locking part 210, the height of the leg part 212 is set so that the projector device can be positioned at the desired level.

[0012] The shortcoming and deficiency of the conventional adjusting mechanism lie in the inconvenience of the operating procedure to adjust the angle of elevation of the projector 200. When adjusting the angle of the projector 200 on the projection plate 201, the user must support the projector 200 with one hand and pull the locking part 210 to the left with the other hand to separate the moving part 210boff the sawtooth part 212a. And the elasticity of the spring 214bwill force the leg part 212 to move outside of the hole part 216b; meanwhile the user adjusts the projector 200 upward or downward to the required angle with a certain length of the leg part 212 exposed outside of the hole part 216b, and by then the user can set free the locking part 210 so that the moving part 210band the sawtooth part 212awill mesh again.

[0013] The present invention overcomes the shortcoming and deficiency mentioned above by providing an adjusting device, having a well-designed supporting member and moving member, so that the user can easily adjust the position of the moving member connected with the supporting member.

[0014] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an adjusting device comprising a foot member, a supporting member, and a moving member. The supporting member is fixed to the foot member, and the moving member includes a moving body, a supporting body and a button. Furthermore, the moving body includes two passageways. One passageway is sized to receive the supporting member so that the moving body can move vertically and is coupled to the supporting member. The other passageway is sized to receive an elastic device so that the elasticity of the elastic device embeds in the passageway horizontally to clip to the supporting member so that the moving body is fixed to the supporting member. The button is movable and buckled to the moving body. When an impetus is given to the button, the button moves to collide against the elastic device so that the elastic device becomes deformed and departs from the supporting member, and then the user can shift the moving member vertically to adjust the position of the moving member connected with the supporting member.

[0015] On the basis of the adjusting device of the type mentioned above, the object of the invention is achieved by having an adjusting device installed in a supporting base, comprising the supporting member and the moving member. The supporting member has tooth-ditched outlets slanting upward at both sides. The moving member further includes the moving body, the U-clip of the elastic device, and the button, wherein the moving body can slide and is coupled to the supporting member, the U-clip has two clip parts and is fixed to the moving body, so that the two clip parts of the U-clip can catch the tooth-ditched outlets of the supporting member so that the moving body is fixed to the supporting member as the U-clip does not become deformed, and the button is installed in the moving body with mobile function, which enables the relative movement of the moving member and the supporting member by pressing the button to deform the U-clip and release the U-clip from the tooth-ditched outlets.

[0016] Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 (Prior Art) shows a projector on a projection plate.

[0018] FIG. 2 (Prior Art) shows an adjusting device including a leg part, springs, and a locking part.

[0019] FIG. 3A shows a three-dimensional decomposition drawing of the adjusting device 302 of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of the button in FIG. 3A.

[0021] FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of the propping board and both clip parts in FIG. 3A.

[0022] FIG. 4B shows a perspective view of the propping board and both clip parts in FIG. 4A.

[0023] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the tooth-ditched outlets of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 6 shows the composition of an adjusting device of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of the adjusting device of an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of the button in FIG. 7A.

[0027] FIG. 8A shows a perspective view of the propping board and both clip parts in FIG. 7A.

[0028] FIG. 8B shows a perspective view of the propping board and both clip parts in FIG. 8A.

[0029] FIG. 9 shows the composition of an adjusting device of an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The present invention provides an adjusting device comprising a foot member, a supporting member, and a moving member. The supporting member is fixed to the foot member, and the moving member includes at least a moving body, an elastic device and a button. The moving body includes two passageways, one of which is sized to receive the supporting member so that the moving body can move vertically and is coupled to the supporting member, and the other of which is sized to receive the elastic device so that the elasticity of the elastic device embeds in the passageway horizontally to clip to the supporting member so that the moving body is fixed to the supporting member. The button is movable horizontally or vertically and is buckled to the moving body, through which the user can impose a force horizontally or vertically for the adjustment.

[0031] Moreover, when an impetus is given to the button horizontally or vertically, the button moves to collide against the elastic device so that the elastic device deforms and departs from the supporting member, and then the user can shift the moving member vertically to adjust the position of the moving member connected with the supporting member. The construction and method of operating the adjusting device, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Here a U-clip is taken as an example of the elastic device.

[0032] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail, and first, particularly to FIG. 3A, it shows a three-dimensional decomposition drawing of the adjusting device 302, which is equipped in the illustrated exemplary embodiment with a foot member 304, a rubber pad 306, a supporting member 308, and a moving member 310. The supporting member 308 is fixed to the foot member 304, and the moving member 310 comprising at least a moving body 312, a button 314, a U-clip 316, and a spring 318. The rubber pad 306 is set in the base of the foot member 304, so that a projector is coupled to the adjusting device 302 stably equipped on the projector plate, preventing the sliding of the projector on the plate.

[0033] The supporting member 308 is equipped with the racks 320aand 320b, which include tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322bparallel in the opposite side of the supporting member 308. In other words, the tooth-ditched outlets have the same trend, which are perpendicular to the vertical direction of the supporting member 308. Each tooth-ditched outlet in 322aand 322bis arranged at the same distance from each other, as well as the same height relative to each other on the supporting member 308. Furthermore, the other side of the supporting member 308 is equipped with slipping ditches 324aand 324b, and a protruding part 326 above the rack 320ain the vicinity of the top of the supporting member 308.

[0034] The moving body 312 is a box shape with the top 312aopposite to the bottom 312b, the side 312copposite to the side 312dand the side 312eopposite to the side 312f. There is a passageway 328afrom the top 312ato the bottom 312bwith slipping axles 329aand 329bon both opposite walls of the passageway 328a. The passageway 328ais sized to receive the supporting member 308 while the slipping axles 329aand 329bcan embed in slipping ditches 324aand 324b, respectively. The moving body 312 will slide along the direction of the arrow 350 shown in FIG. 3A, backwards and forwards on the supporting member 308. Moreover, the other passageway 328bis through sides 312cand 312dof the moving body 312, which is connected and perpendicular to the other passageway 328a. Further still, the frame structure side 312cis equipped with a fixed bolt 330, which has two apertures 332aand 332b. On the other hand, the frame structure side 312dis connected with a stretched object 334 including an orientation bolt 336, a fillister 338, and an aperture 340, wherein the orientation bolt 336 is set in the fillister 338 and the fillister 338 is coupled to the passageway 328b. The moving body 312 can be fixed under a projector by using a screw to lock through the aperture 340. Furthermore, the sides 312eand 312fare equipped with receiving apertures 342aand 342brespectively, wherein the receiving apertures 342aand 342bare connected with apertures 332aand 332b.

[0035] The button 314 can be buckled to the side 312cof the moving body 312 along the direction of the arrow 360 in FIG. 3A by imposing a force horizontally. Simultaneously, referring to the FIG. 3B, it shows the button including a button body 314a, a propping board 314b, and hooks 314cand 314d. The propping board 314bis set on the internal side of the button body 314ain the direction parallel to the arrow 360, so that the propping board 314bis installed on the inside of the button body 314ain a manner perpendicular to the side 312c. The propping board 314bincludes a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the wide end is coupled to the inward end of the button body 314awhile the narrow end is approaching to the side 312c. Additionally, hooks 314cand 314dare equipped to the inside of the button body 314a, so as to connect through apertures 332aand 332band buckle with the receiving apertures 342aand 342b, so that the button 314 is coupled to the moving body 312. Furthermore, the right end of the spring 318 is mounted to the fixed bolt 330 against the side 312c, while the left end of the spring 318 is against the inside of the button body 314a, so that the elasticity of the spring 318 enables the button 314 to maintain a certain distance with the moving body 312.

[0036] The U-clip 316 is inlaid to the stretched object 334 of the moving body 312 along the direction of the arrow 370 in FIG. 3A. The U-clip 316 includes a curved part 316aand clip parts 316band 316c, wherein the curved part 316ais set inside the fillister 338 and buckled to the fixed bolt 336, and the clip parts 316band 316care parallel and connected to both sides of the curved part 316a, with coupling through the passageway 328b. When the button 314 is buckled to the moving body 312 in the natural status, the narrow end of the propping board 314bis positioned between the clip parts 316band 316c. In addition, the clip parts 316band 316care wedged in the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322bof the racks 320aand 320b, respectively, so that the moving member 310 is fixed to the supporting member 308.

[0037] Particularly, the thickness and shape of the clip parts 316band 316cmust match those of the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322b, and the distance between the clip parts 316band 316cshould be the same as the distance between the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322b. And also, the clip part 316bparallels the clip part 316cin the natural status, so that the narrow end of propping board 314bis exactly located between clip parts 316band 316c. As a result, the clip parts 316band 316care buckled to the racks 320aand 320bas shown in FIG. 3A, respectively. The detailed drawings of the propping board and both clip parts in FIG. 3A are shown in FIG. 4A. Obviously, both ends of the clip parts 316band 316cbend outward to prevent the attrition of the propping board 314b, which may cause holding failure of the propping board 314b. When the button body 314aand the propping board 314bare pushed, they move along the direction as shown by the arrow 450 in FIG. 4A. And then the clip parts 316band 316cmove relatively toward the wide end of the propping board 314b, and are held apart by the propping board 314bfor an angle θ. As a result, the clip parts 316band 316cdepart from the racks 320aand 320band the moving member 310 can slide opposite to the supporting member 308.

[0038] When the force on the button body 314ais released, the button body 314aand the propping board 314bmove along the direction of the arrow 460 due to the elasticity of the spring 318, so that the propping board 314band the clip parts 316band 316cmove oppositely, as shown in FIG. 4B. That is, the clip parts 316band 316cmove along from the wide end toward the narrow end and then return to the original parallel status. As shown in FIG. 4A, the clip parts 316band 316care buckled to the racks 320aand 320b, respectively.

[0039] Furthermore, in order to strengthen the buckling of the clip parts 316band 316cto the racks 320aand 320b, a specific design of the shape and model of the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322bis applied, as shown in FIG. 5. The tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322bare well designed with outlets slanted upward to ensure a strong buckling effect of the clip parts 316band 316cto the racks 320aand 320b.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 6, the components of an adjusting device are shown. As mentioned above, a user can push the button 314 along with the direction of the arrow 650 in FIG. 6, so that the propping board 314bcan hold open the clip parts 316band 316c, and then the clip parts 316band 316cmove along from the narrow end to the wide end, enabling the clip parts 316band 316cto disengage from the racks 320aand 320b, wherein the clip parts 316band 316cform a propping angle θ as depicted in FIG. 4B. Subsequently, the user can make the moving member 310 slide upward and downward along the direction of the arrow 660 in FIG. 6 to adjust the angle of elevation of a projector on the projector plate. Meanwhile the supporting member 308 can move in and out of a fillister under the projector, relatively. When the moving member 310 slides to the top of the supporting member 308, a protruding part 326 will lock it so as to prevent it from disengaging.

[0041] Accordingly, as the user adjusts the moving member 310 to a required location and fixes the angle of elevation of a projector, the user can release the force from the button 314 so that the elasticity of a spring 318 makes the button 314 return to the origin location, and the propping board 314bmoves along with the button body 314ato remove from the moving body 312. Finally, the clip parts 316band 316cwill move along the propping board 314bfrom the wide end to the narrow end, relatively, so that the clip parts 316band 316cconnect to the racks 320aand 320b, respectively. Therefore, the clip parts 316band 316crecover to the original parallel status.

[0042] Consequently, the invention is very advantageous in that it reduces the force required of the user and saves time by pressing the button 314 horizontally to adjust the elevation of a projector on the projector plate, and also, the adjusting device 302 can be installed in any other electronic products and portable small size and weight electronic products required to adjust the elevation.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 7A, a perspective view of the adjusting device in an alternative preferred embodiment is shown. The differences between the two preferred embodiments of the adjusting devices 302 (shown of FIG. 3A) and 702 are the moving member 710 and the force direction on the button 714. Other devices such as the foot member 304, the supporting member 308, and the rubber pad 306 of the adjusting device 702 are the same as those of the adjusting device 302, and so the operation of the adjusting devices 702 and 302 is identical.

[0044] The moving member 712 includes a moving body 712, a button 714, a U-clip 716 and a spring 718. The moving body 712 is a box shape with the top 712aopposite to the bottom 712b, the side 712copposite to sides 712dand the side 712eopposite to the side 712f. There is a passageway 728afrom the top 712ato the bottom 712bwith the slipping axles 729aand 729bon both opposite walls of the passageway 728a. The passageway 728ais sized to receive the supporting member 308 so that the slipping axles 729aand 729bcan be embedded in the slipping ditches 324aand 324b, respectively. The moving member 712 will slide along the direction of the arrow 750, as shown in FIG. 7A, backwards and forwards on the supporting member 308.

[0045] Moreover, the passageways 728band 728cgo through the sides 712cand 712d, which are connected and perpendicular to the passageway 728a. Further still, the frame structure side 712dis equipped with a stretched object 734 including a fixed bolt 736, a fillister 738, and an aperture 740, with the fixed bolt 736 located inside the fillister 738. The fillister 738 is interlinked with passageways 728band 728c, so that the moving body 712 can be fixed under a projector by using a screw to lock through the aperture 740. On the other hand, the frame structure sides 712eand 712fare equipped with the hooks 752aand 752b, wherein both hooks are parallel and protruding outward of the side 712c, so as to buckle to the button 714.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 7B, the button 714 shown includes a button body 714a, a propping board 714b, an hollow bolt 714c, and a buckling board 714d. The user can operate the button 714 by pushing the button body 714aalong the direction of the arrow 760 in FIG. 7A to buckle to the side 712c. The propping board 714bis located inside the button 714a, which is perpendicular to the direction of the arrow 760 and parallel to the side 712c. The propping board 714bis equipped with one wide end and one narrow end, with the wide end connected to the button 714a. The hollow bolt 714cis located between the propping board 714band the button 714a, with a spring 718 against protruding objects 762a, 762b, and 762c, which can be locked under a projector by a screw. The top of the spring 718 is against the projector so that the elasticity maintains a certain distance between the button 714 and the projector.

[0047] Furthermore, the buckling board 714dis parallel to the propping board 714bincluding the buckling apertures 754aand 754b, and the slipping ditches 756aand 756b. The propping board 714bis located between the hollow bolt 714cand the buckling board 714d. The buckling apertures 754aand 754bare connected with the hooks 752aand 752brespectively, so as to couple the button 714 to the moving body 712. The slipping ditches 756aand 756bare located on the buckling board 714dalong both sides of the propping board 714bcorresponding to the apertures of the passageways 728band 728con the side 712c.

[0048] The U-clip 716 is inlaid to the stretched object 734 of the moving member 712 along the direction of the arrow 770 in FIG. 7A. The U-clip 716 includes a curved part 716a, and the clip parts 716band 716c, wherein the curved part 716ais set inside the fillister 738 and is buckled to the fixed bolt 736, and the clip parts 716band 716care parallel and connected to both sides of the curved part 716a, with coupling through the passageways 728band 728c. When the button 714 is buckled to the moving member 712 in the natural status, the clip parts 716band 716cmove through the slipping ditches 756aand 756brespectively so that the ends of the clip parts 716band 716care located in both sides of the propping board 714b. In addition, the clip parts 716band 716care wedged in the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322bof the racks 320aand 320b, respectively, so that the moving member 702 is fixed to the supporting member 308.

[0049] Particularly, the thickness and shape of the clip parts 716band 716cmust match the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322brespectively, and the distance between the clip parts 716band 716cshould be the same as the distance between the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322b, and also, the same as the above line X of the propping board 714b. As a result, the clip parts 716band 716care coupled to the racks 320aand 320b, and the hooks 752aand 752bare coupled to the buckling apertures 754aand 754b, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8A. When the user imposes a force on the button body 714avertically and the propping board 714b, both move along the direction of the arrow 850 in FIG. 8A, and then the clip parts 716band 716cmove oppositely from the narrow end toward the wide end of the propping board 714b. Meanwhile, the hooks 752aand 752bmove from the top of the buckling apertures 754aand 754btoward the bottom, so that the propping board 714bwilt hold the clip parts 716band 716cto depart from the racks 320aand 320b, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8B. When the user removes the force from the button body 714a, the button body 714aand the propping board 714bmove along the direction of the arrow 860 due to the elasticity of the spring 718, 50 that the clip parts 716band 716cmove oppositely from the wide end toward the narrow end of the propping board 714band recover to original status, along with the hooks 752aand 752bmoving from the bottom of the buckling apertures 754aand 754btoward the top, referring to FIG. 8B. Thus, the clip parts 716band 716cis connected with the racks 320aand 320band then return to the original parallel status. Furthermore, in order to strengthen the buckling between the clip parts 716band 716cwith the racks 320aand 320bshown in FIG. 7A, the invention incorporates a specific design of the shape and model of the tooth-ditched outlets 322aand 322b, as shown in FIG. 5. As mentioned above, the design ensures the strong buckling effect of the clip parts 716band 716cto the racks 320aand 320b.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 9, the construction of the perspective view of an alternative adjusting device is shown. The user can use two screws to lock through the aperture 740 and the hollow bolt 714cunder a projector to fix the moving member 710 and the button 714 under the projector, so that the adjusting device 702 is fixed to the projector. When adjusting the elevation of the projector on the plate, firstly the button body 714atogether with the button 714 is pushed along with the direction of the arrow 950 in FIG. 9, so that the propping board 714bmoves upward with the button body 714. Next, the propping board 714bcan hold apart the clip parts 716band 716c, enabling the clip parts 716band 716cto disengage from the racks 320aand 320b. Subsequently, the user can make the moving member 710 slide upward and downward along the direction of the arrow 960 in FIG. 9 to adjust the angle of elevation of a projector on the plate, and the supporting member 308 can move in and out of a fillister under the projector, relatively. When the moving member 710 slides to the top of the supporting member 308, the protruding part 326 will lock it so as to prevent it from disengaging.

[0051] Accordingly, as the user adjusts the moving member 710 to the desired location and fixes the angle of elevation of a projector, the user can release the force from the button 714 so that the elasticity of the spring 718 makes the button 714 return to the original location, and the propping board 714bmoves downward with the button body 714a. Ultimately, the clip parts 716band 716cwill recover to original distance, so that the clip parts 716band 716ccatch onto the tooth-ditched outlets 320aand 320b, respectively. Therefore, the moving member 710 is fixed to the supporting member 308 and the clip parts 316band 316crecover to the original parallel status.

[0052] Consequently, the invention is very advantageous in that it reduces the time and effort required of the user, by allowing the user to press the button 714 to adjust the elevation of a projector on the plate. Additionally, the adjusting device 702 can be applied in other electronic products and even in portable, compact electronic products that also require elevation adjustments.

[0053] While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.