Securing assembly for keyboard of portable computer

• US 20070025070A1
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsai, Chien-Li, Lo, Wen-Kang, Lu, Hung-Chun, Jiang, Xiao-Gang, Ye, Shui-Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard

Abstract

A securing assembly includes a chassis comprising a top wall, a keyboard mounted on the top wall of the chassis, at least one securing member pivotably mounted on the chassis, and at least one elastic member. The chassis defines a positioning hole therein. The at least one securing member has a securing portion for locking the keyboard, a releasing portion for unlocking the keyboard, and a positioning portion engaging in the positioning hole of the chassis for positioning the securing member. The at least one elastic member is attached to the at least one securing member and the chassis for urging the at least one securing member to pivot, thereby unlocking the keyboard.

Claims

1. A securing assembly comprising:

a chassis comprising a top wall, the chassis defining a positioning hole therein;

a keyboard mounted on the top wall of the chassis;

at least one securing member pivotably mounted on the chassis, the at least one securing member having a securing portion for locking the keyboard, a releasing portion for unlocking the keyboard, and a positioning portion engaging in the positioning hole of the chassis for positioning the securing member; and

at least one elastic member attached to the at least one securing member and the chassis for urging the at least one securing member to pivot, thereby unlocking the keyboard.

2. The securing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the chassis comprises a sidewall with a sliding slot defined therein, the positioning hole is defined in an end of the sliding slot.

3. The securing assembly as described in claim 2, wherein a rod is formed at an end of the at least one securing member, and the positioning portion is a post formed on the rod and slidingly received in the sliding slot.

4. The securing assembly as described in claim 3, wherein the at least one elastic member is torsion spring disposed around a portion of the at least one securing member, two ends of the at least one elastic member abut the rod of the at least one securing member and the top wall of the chassis, respectively.

5. The securing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the top wall of the chassis defines a first through hole therein for extension of the releasing portion of the at least one securing member therethrough, and a second through hole therein for extension of the securing portion of the at least one securing member therethrough.

6. The securing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the top wall of the chassis forms a pair of mounting portions for pivotably mounting the at least one securing member thereon.

7. The securing assembly as described in claim 1, wherein the chassis defines a plurality of receiving slots therein, and the keyboard forms a plurality of insert tabs thereon for engaging in the corresponding receiving slots.

8. A mounting mechanism for securing a keyboard in a chassis, comprising:

at least one securing member mounted on the chassis and being pivotable between a locked position, and an unlocked position, the at least one securing member having a securing portion for locking the keyboard in the locked position, and a releasing portion for unlocking the keyboard in the unlocked position; and

at least one elastic member attached to the at least one securing member and the chassis for urging the at least one securing member to pivot from the locking position to the unlocking position.

9. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 8, wherein the chassis comprises a top wall and a sidewall extending from the top wall, and the keyboard is mounted on the top wall of the chassis.

10. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 9, wherein a sliding slot is defined in the sidewall of the chassis, and a post formed on the at least one securing member slides in the sliding slot.

11. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 10, wherein the sidewall of the chassis defines a positioning hole in an end of the sliding slot for receiving the post, thereby positioning the at least one securing member.

12. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 9, wherein the at least one elastic member is a torsion spring disposed around a portion of the at least one securing member, and two ends of the at least one elastic member abut the at least one securing member and the top wall of the chassis, respectively.

13. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 9, wherein the top wall of the chassis defines a first through hole for extension of the releasing portion of the at least one securing member therethrough, and a second through hole for extension of the securing portion of the at least one securing member therethrough.

14. The mounting mechanism as described in claim 8, wherein the chassis defines a plurality of receiving slots therein, and the keyboard forms a plurality of insert tabs thereon for engaging in the corresponding receiving slots.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a chassis of an electronic device configured to enclose said electronic device, said chassis defining a keyboard mounting area along a side thereof;

a keyboard removably receivable in said keyboard mounting area of said chassis to function for said electronic device therein; and

a securing member installable in said chassis beside said keyboard mounting area of said chassis, said securing member rotatably movable relative to said chassis to engage with said received keyboard in said keyboard mounting area for retaining said keyboard in said keyboard mounting area when said securing member rotatably moves along a first direction, and to engage with said received keyboard in said keyboard mounting area for expelling said keyboard to move out of said keyboard mounting area when said securing member rotatably moves along a second direction opposite to said first direction.

16. The electronic device as described in claim 15, wherein said securing member comprises a securing portion movably extendable into said keyboard mounting area of said chassis to engage with said received keyboard for retaining said keyboard when said securing member rotatably moves along said first direction.

17. The electronic device as described in claim 15, wherein said securing member comprises a releasing portion movably extendable into said keyboard mounting area of said chassis to engage with said received keyboard for expelling said keyboard when said securing member rotatably moves along said second direction.

18. The electronic device as described in claim 15, further comprising an elastic member removably attachable to said securing member to urge said securing member rotatably movable along said second direction.