Expansion unit for an electronic device

[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 97108880, filed on Mar. 13, 2008. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to an expansion unit for an electronic device, in particular, to an expansion unit rotatably connected to the electronic device.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] For the convenience of carrying, the volumes of the electronic products are continuously reduced, and consequently some functions are removed. In order to restore or expand the functions of the electronic products, expansion accessories are commonly selected. When the expansion accessories are used, the expansion accessories are connected to the electronic products, and when not, the expansion accessories are detached therefrom. Therefore, the expansion accessories may achieve a higher flexibility of the electronic products in use.

[0006] Currently, a mobile internet device (MID) emphasizing the capability of accessing the internet anywhere has been put forward in the market. Since the MID stresses on the function of wirelessly accessing the internet anywhere, under the requirements for limited volume and size of the image display, the press button keyboard, commonly seen on a notebook computer, is not employed in the MID, and the display occupies a main operation surface of the MID instead.

[0007] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an expansion unit rotatably connected to the electronic device, which is adapted to be detachably assembled to an electronic device for providing additional functions.

[0008] The present invention provides an expansion unit for an electronic device, which is adapted to be detachably assembled to an electronic device. The electronic device has a device connector on one side thereof. The expansion unit for an electronic device includes a base, a pivoting mechanism, and an expansion unit connector. The pivoting mechanism is located on one side of the base, and includes a shaft and a bearing fitting therewith. The expansion unit connector is disposed in the shaft and rotated along with the shaft relative to the bearing, and is detachably and electrically connected to the device connector. When the expansion unit connector is connected to the device connector, the position of the electronic device relative to the base is adjusted by the pivoting mechanism.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the expansion unit for an electronic device further includes a transmission line connected to the expansion unit connector, extending into the base. A section of the transmission line winds around the shaft.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pivoting mechanism further includes a housing for accommodating the shaft and the transmission line.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the expansion unit for an electronic device further includes a keyboard module disposed on the base and electrically connected to the device connector of the electronic device through the transmission line and the expansion unit connector.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the expansion unit for an electronic device further includes a battery module disposed in the base and electrically connected to the device connector of the electronic device through the transmission line and the expansion unit connector.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, the shaft between the electronic device and the expansion unit provides a torsion relative to the electronic device and the expansion unit.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, the expansion unit for an electronic device further includes another shaft disposed on an other side of the base, for fitting with another bearing disposed on an other side of the electronic device.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the other shaft of the base provides a torsion relative to the electronic device and the expansion unit.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, the expansion unit for an electronic device further includes an adjusting mechanism disposed between the pivoting mechanism and the base, for adjusting a distance between the pivoting mechanism and the base.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting mechanism includes a slide rail, a slide member, and a reset member. The slide rail is disposed on the base. The slide member is slid along the slide rail between an extended position and a retracted position. The reset member is disposed between the slide rail and the slide member, for forcing the slide member to slide towards the extended position.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting mechanism further includes a stop member disposed on the slide rail, for defining a sliding range of the slide member relative to the slide rail.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting mechanism further includes a trigger and another reset member. The trigger is pivotally connected to the slide rail, for buckling the slide member at the retracted position. The other reset member is disposed between the trigger and the slide rail.

[0020] Based on the above, the position of the electronic device relative to the base of the expansion unit for an electronic device is adjusted by the pivotal mechanism of the expansion unit for an electronic device. Moreover, the expansion unit connector and the transmission line of the expansion unit for an electronic device are hidden in the pivoting mechanism. Therefore, when the expansion unit for an electronic device and the electronic device are assembled, the expansion unit connector and the transmission line are not exposed, thus maintaining a fine appearance.

[0021] In order to make the aforementioned and other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0029] FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic views respectively taken from two different angles of view showing an expansion unit for an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device in this embodiment is adapted to be detachably assembled to an electronic device 10. The electronic device 10 includes a device connector 12 on one side thereof. In this embodiment, the electronic device 10 may be a mobile internet device (MID) or any other similar electronic devices having an image display function.

[0030] The expansion unit 100 for an electronic device includes a base 110, a pivoting mechanism 120, and an expansion unit connector 130. The pivoting mechanism 120 is disposed on one side of the base 110. The expansion unit connector 130 is disposed in the pivoting mechanism 120, and is detachably and electrically connected to the device connector 12. Therefore, when the expansion unit connector 130 is connected to the device connector 12, the electronic device 10 may expand electrical functions by using the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device, and the position of the electronic device 10 relative to the base 110 is further adjusted by the pivoting mechanism 120.

[0031] In order to expand the electrical functions of the electronic device 10, in this embodiment, the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device further includes a keyboard module 180 disposed on the base 110, so as to provide a manual input function for the user. Moreover, the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device also includes a battery module 190 disposed on the base 110, for providing electricity to the electronic device 10. In other embodiments (not shown), the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device further includes other modules for expanding other functions.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1B and 2, the pivoting mechanism 120 includes a shaft 121 and a bearing 122 fitting therewith. The expansion unit connector 130 is disposed in the shaft 121 and rotated along with the shaft 121 relative to the bearing 122, and is detachably and electrically connected to the device connector 12. The shaft 121 may provide a torsion relative to the electronic device 10 and the expansion unit 100, so as to force the electronic device 10 to rotate relative to the expansion unit 100 in a stepped or non-stepped manner.

[0033] The expansion unit 100 for an electronic device further includes a transmission line 140 connected to the expansion unit connector 130 and extending into the base 110. In this embodiment, a section of the transmission line 140 winds around the shaft 121, and also is rotated with the shaft 121 relative to the bearing 122. Therefore, the keyboard module 180 and the battery module 190 are both electrically connected to the device connector 12 of the electronic device 10 through the transmission line 140 and the expansion unit connector 130. Moreover, the pivoting mechanism 120 further includes a housing 123, for accommodating and hiding the shaft 121, a part of the expansion unit connector 130, and the transmission line 140.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1B, in this embodiment, the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device further includes another shaft 150 disposed on the other side of the base 110, for fitting with another bearing 14 of the electronic device 10 disposed on the other side of the electronic device 10. The shaft 150 is set to enhance the stability of the electronic device 10 rotated relative to the base 110 through the pivoting mechanism 120. According to the different designs of the product, the other shaft 150 on the base 110 may provide a torsion relative to the electronic device 10 and the expansion unit 100, so as to force the electronic device 10 to rotate relative to the expansion unit 100 in a stepped or non-stepped manner. The other shaft 150 on the base 110 and the shaft 121 may provide torsions at the same time according to requirements of the product, or one of them provides the torsion, which is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0035] FIGS. 3 and 4 show assembly processes of the electronic device and the expansion unit for an electronic device. Referring to FIGS. 1B and 3, the bearing 14 of electronic device 10 is made to fit with the shaft 150, and the device connector 12 is aligned with the expansion unit connector 130. Then, the pivoting mechanism 120 is moved towards the electronic device 10, so as to connect the expansion unit connector 130 to the device connector 12, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a state of the electronic device in FIG. 4 after being rotated relative to the base of the expansion unit for an electronic device. For the convenience of illustrating, the housing 123 of the pivoting mechanism 120 in FIGS. 4 and 5 is indicated by dashed lines. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, after the electronic device 10 is assembled to the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device, the position of the electronic device 10 relative to the base 110 may be adjusted by using the shaft 121 and the bearing 122 on one side of the base 110 and the shaft 150 and the bearing 14 on the other side of the base 110 (see FIG. 1B). Therefore, an elevation of an image display 16 of the electronic device 10 relative to the base 110 may also be adjusted.

[0037] FIGS. 6A and 6B are partial perspective views respectively illustrating an adjusting mechanism when at an extended position and at a retracted position after the expansion unit for an electronic device and the electronic device in FIG. 3 are assembled. Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, in this embodiment, the expansion unit 100 for an electronic device further includes an adjusting mechanism 160 disposed between the pivoting mechanism 120 and the base 110, for adjusting a distance between the pivoting mechanism 120 and the base 110.

[0038] The adjusting mechanism 160 includes a slide rail 161, a slide member 162, and a reset member 163. The slide rail 161 is disposed on the base 110. The slide member 162 slides along the slide rail 161 between an extended position and a retracted position. The pivoting mechanism 120 is fixed to the slide member 162. The reset member 163 is disposed between the slide rail 161 and the slide member 162, for forcing the slide member 162 to slide towards the extended position (FIG. 6A). The reset member 163 may be an elastomer, such as a spring.

[0039] The adjusting mechanism 160 further includes a stop member 164 disposed on the slide rail 161, for defining a sliding range of the slide member 162 relative to the slide rail 161.

[0040] In order to connect the expansion unit connector 130 to the device connector 12 (as shown in FIG. 1A), a force is exerted on the pivoting mechanism 120 to make the slide member 162 slide along the slide rail 161. Meanwhile, a potential energy is accumulated on the reset member 163 until the slide member 162 slides relative to the slide rail 161 from the extended position (FIG. 6A) to the retracted position (FIG. 6B).

[0041] In order to temporarily fix the slide member 162 at the retracted position (FIG. 6B) relative to the slide rail 161, the adjusting mechanism 160 further includes a trigger 165 and another reset member 166. The trigger 165 is pivotally connected to the slide rail 161, for buckling the slide member 162. Moreover, the reset member 166 is disposed between the trigger 165 and the slide rail 161, for maintaining the trigger 165 at the position for buckling the slide member 162.

[0042] In view of the above, the position of the electronic device relative to the base of the expansion unit for an electronic device is adjusted by the pivotal mechanism of the expansion unit for an electronic device. Moreover, the expansion unit connector and the transmission line of the expansion unit for an electronic device are hidden in the pivoting mechanism. Therefore, when the expansion unit for an electronic device and the electronic device are assembled, the expansion unit connector and the transmission line are not exposed, thus maintaining a fine appearance.

[0043] Though the present invention has been disclosed above by the embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Anybody skilled in the art can make some modifications and variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protecting range of the present invention falls in the appended claims and their equivalents.