Stylus retaining and releasing mechanism for stylus-receiving housing

• US 20030067452A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: High Tech Computer Corp (HTC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: High Tech Computer Corp (HTC Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Ta-Wei, Lin, Duan-Ying
• Granted Patent: US 7,023,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

To receive a stylus having a retaining slot thereon, the housing of an electronic device has a cavity in which the stylus can be slidably inserted. Being inserted in the cavity, the stylus contacts with a retainer that thereby resiliently deviates. The stylus further presses on a stylus-releasing device that terminates the cavity, thereby engaging the stylus-releasing device in a stable configuration in which resilient force is stored. Meanwhile the stylus engages the stylus-releasing device into the stable configuration, the retainer inserts into the retaining slot of the stylus to hold and immobilize the stylus in the cavity. To extract the stylus, a short pressing action is exerted on the stylus, which disengages the stylus-releasing device from the stable configuration, thereby the stylus-releasing device exerts a resilient force on the stylus that is ejected partially out of the cavity to facilitate a grasp of the stylus.

Claims

1. A stylus retaining and releasing mechanism suitable for use within a housing that can receive a stylus having a retaining slot formed thereon, wherein the housing has a cavity into which the stylus can be slidably inserted, the stylus retaining and releasing mechanism comprising:

a stylus-releasing device, wherein the stylus-releasing device is arranged at a location of the housing that terminates the cavity so that, in a first stage of operation, the stylus-releasing device can store resilient force in a stable configuration after the stylus being inserted in the cavity presses on the stylus-releasing device to engage into the first stable configuration, and in a second stage of operation, the stylus-releasing device can exert a resilient force on the stylus being held immobile in the cavity to eject the stylus out of the cavity after a short pressing action is applied on the inserted stylus to disengage the stylus-releasing device from the stable configuration; and

a retainer, wherein the retainer is arranged adjacent to the cavity so that the retainer can resiliently deviate when contacted with the stylus being inserted in the cavity, the retainer further includes a protruding clamping member that inserts in the retaining slot of the stylus to hold and immobilize the stylus in the cavity once the inserted stylus engages the stylus-releasing device in the stable configuration.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the retainer is formed with the housing in a single body.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, further including an impeding member that contacts with the stylus in the cavity to moderate the ejection of the stylus.

4. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein the impeding member includes a material with relatively high friction coefficient.

5. The mechanism of claim 4, wherein the impeding member includes foam polymer material.

6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the stylus-releasing device is fixedly attached on the housing by means of a resilient plate, the resilient plate is fixedly attached to the stylus-releasing device and further terminates into a plurality of bent claws that fixedly insert in the housing.

12. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the stylus-releasing device is fixedly attached on the housing by means of a resilient plate, the resilient plate is fixedly attached to the stylus-releasing device and further terminates into a plurality of bent claws that fixedly insert in the housing.

7. An electronic equipment having a touch panel display screen, comprising:

a stylus, wherein the stylus serves as pointing device, and has a retaining slot thereon;

a housing, wherein the housing includes a cavity in which the stylus can be slidably inserted when not used;

a stylus-releasing device, wherein the stylus-releasing device is arranged at a location of the housing that terminates the cavity so that, in a first stage of operation, the stylus-releasing device can store resilient force in a stable configuration after the stylus being inserted in the cavity presses on the stylus-releasing device to engage into the first stable configuration, and in a second stage of operation, the stylus-releasing device can exert a resilient force on the stylus being held immobile in the cavity to eject the stylus out of the cavity after a short pressing action is applied on the inserted stylus to disengage the stylus-releasing device from the stable configuration; and

a retainer, wherein the retainer is arranged adjacent to the cavity so that the retainer can resiliently deviate when contacted with the stylus being inserted in the cavity, the retainer further includes a protruding clamping member that inserts in the retaining slot of the stylus to hold and immobilize the stylus in the cavity once the inserted stylus engages the stylus-releasing device in the stable configuration.

8. The electronic equipment of claim 7, wherein the retainer is formed with the housing in a single body.

9. The mechanism of claim 7, further including an impeding member that contacts with the stylus in the cavity to moderate the ejection of the stylus.

10. The mechanism of claim 9, wherein the impeding member includes a material with relatively high friction coefficient.

11. The mechanism of claim 10, wherein the impeding member includes foam polymer material.