Accessory assembly

• US 10,139,856 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Dooyul, Kim, Kyoungtae
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US15/605,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

An accessory has a main body that includes a case that defines an external appearance of the main body, a main switch located within the case and configured to be pushed downward, and an elastic operation portion that is located vertically above the main switch and extends radially outward toward an inner surface of the case, the elastic operation portion being configured to elastically deform downward to thereby push the main switch. The elastic operation portion includes a middle part located vertically above the main switch, a first bent part extending radially outward from a first end of the middle part, the first bent part having a first curvature that is convex downward, and a second bent part extending radially outward from a second end of the middle part opposite the first end, the second bent part having a second curvature that is convex downward.

Claims

1. An accessory having a main body, the main body comprising:

a case that defines an external appearance of the main body;

a main switch located within the case and configured to be pushed downward; and

an elastic operation portion that is located vertically above the main switch and extends radially outward toward an inner surface of the case, the elastic operation portion being configured to elastically deform downward to thereby push the main switch,

wherein the elastic operation portion includes;

a middle part located vertically above the main switch,

a first bent part extending radially outward from a first end of the middle part, the first bent part having a first curvature that is convex downward, and

a second bent part extending radially outward from a second end of the middle part opposite the first end, the second bent part having a second curvature that is convex downward.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main body further includes:

a communication module that is configured to communicate with a predetermined network; and

a controller that is configured to control the communication module, and

wherein the controller is configured, based on the main switch being pushed downward, to receive control information.

3. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main body further includes:

a sensor module that is configured to sense predetermined objects or environmental information;

a remote control module that is configured to transmit an optical signal for controlling predetermined apparatuses; and

a controller that is configured to control the sensor module and the remote control module.

4. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main body further includes a switch panel that is located vertically above the elastic operation portion, that defines at least a portion of an upper surface of the main body, and that is configured to elastically deform based on the switch panel being pushed downward,

wherein the elastic operation portion is disposed between the switch panel and the main switch, and

wherein the elastic operation portion is configured, based on the switch panel elastically deforming downward, to elastically deform downward to thereby push the main switch.

5. The accessory of claim 4, wherein the switch panel includes a dome-shaped plate that is convex upward.

6. The accessory of claim 5, wherein the case includes a side member that defines a side portion of the external appearance of the main body and extends along a circumference of the main body, the side member having an inner surface and an outer surface, and

wherein a circumference of the switch panel contacts the inner surface of the side member.

7. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the elastic operation portion is convex upward.

8. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the middle part of the elastic operation portion is an uppermost part of the elastic operation portion.

9. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the first bent part has a first connection end connected to the first end of the middle part, the first connection end being positioned higher than a first extending end of the first bent part opposite the first connection end, and

wherein the second bent part has a second connection end connected to the second end of the middle part, the second connection end being positioned higher than a second extending end of the second bent part opposite the second connection end.

10. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main body includes a support frame that is located within the case and supports the elastic operation portion,

wherein the support frame includes an edge member that extends along a circumference of the support frame about a central axis, the elastic operation portion passing through the central axis in a horizontal direction.

11. The accessory of claim 1, wherein each of the first bent part and the second bent part is formed from a plate,

wherein the middle part includes a horizontal plate that is thicker than the plates forming the first and second bent parts, the horizontal plate defining an upper surface of the middle part.

12. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main body further includes a support frame that is located within the case and supports the elastic operation portion, and

wherein the elastic operation portion further includes:

a first connection part extending radially outward from the first bent part to the support frame, and

a second connection part extending radially outward from the second bent part to the support frame.

13. The accessory of claim 12, wherein the first connection part slopes upward from the support frame to the first bent part, and

wherein the second connection part slopes upward from the support frame to the second bent part.

14. The accessory of claim 13, wherein the support frame includes an edge member that has a ring shape along a circumference of the support frame about a central axis, and

wherein the elastic operation portion crosses the central axis.

15. The accessory of claim 12, wherein each of the first bent part, the second bent part, the first connection part, and the second connection part is formed from a plate, and

the middle part includes a horizontal plate that is thicker than the plates forming the first bent part, the second bent part, the first connection part, and the second connection part, the horizontal plate defining an upper surface of the middle part.

16. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the middle part includes a horizontal plate that defines an upper surface of the middle part, and

wherein the elastic operation portion further includes a push protrusion protruding downward from a lower surface of the horizontal plate.

17. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the elastic operation portion is configured to deform from an initial position by a stroke length (d1),

wherein the first bent part is convex by a depth (d2) that is greater than the stroke length (d1), and

wherein the second bent part is convex by the depth (d2) that is greater than the stroke length (d1).