TOUCHPAD COVER APPARATUS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20080266268A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• 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: WONG, SHIH-FANG, TSENG, WEN-HAW, WANG, PENG
• Granted Patent: US 7,880,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

An electronic device includes a base, a touchpad and a touchpad cover apparatus for covering an operating surface of the touchpad. The touchpad is fastened to a bottom plate of the base. An opening is defined in the shell for revealing the operating surface of the touchpad. The touchpad cover apparatus includes a rail guide extending from a bottom surface of the shell and a touchpad cover. A pair of parallel guiding channels is defined in the rail guide. The touchpad cover is slidably inserted between the pair of parallel guiding channels, being slidable between a first position such that the operating surface of the touchpad is revealed through the opening of the shell, and a second position such that an operating surface of the touchpad is covered by the touchpad cover.

Claims

1. A touchpad cover apparatus covering an operating surface of a touchpad assembled in an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a shell, an opening being defined in the shell, the touchpad cover apparatus comprising:

a rail guide extending from a bottom surface of the shell, and a pair of parallel guiding channels being defined in the rail guide;

a touchpad cover being slidably inserted between the pair of parallel guiding channels of the rail guide, the touchpad cover being slidable between a first position, such that the operating surface of the touchpad is revealed through the opening of the shell, and a second position such that the operating surface of the touchpad is covered by the touchpad cover.

2. The touchpad cover apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a tab extends from a top surface of the touchpad cover, and is configured for an edge of the opening of the shell to catch and stop the touchpad cover when the touchpad cover slides to the first position or the second position.

3. The touchpad cover apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one slot is defined in a top surface of the touchpad cover, and is configured for a hold to move the touchpad cover.

4. The touchpad cover apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a tab extends from the bottom surface of the shell, and is configured for stopping the touchpad cover when the touchpad cover slides to the second position.

5. The touchpad cover apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one slot is defined in a top surface of the touchpad cover, and is configured for a hold to move the touchpad cover.

6. The touchpad cover apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of the touchpad cover is substantially equal to a width between the pair of the parallel guiding channels.

7. The touchpad cover apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a length and a width of the touchpad cover are correspondingly larger than that of the opening of the shell.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a base comprising a shell and a bottom plate, an opening being defined in the shell;

a touchpad fastened to the bottom plate, an operating surface of the touchpad being revealed through the opening of the shell; and

a touchpad cover apparatus for covering the operating surface of the touchpad, wherein the touchpad cover apparatus comprises;

a rail guide extending from a bottom surface of the shell, a pair of parallel guiding channels being defined in the rail guide; and

a touchpad cover being slidably inserted between the pair of parallel guiding channels of the rail guide, the touchpad cover being slidable between a first position, such that the operating surface of the touchpad is revealed through the opening of the shell, and a second position such that the operating surface of the touchpad is covered by the touchpad cover.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a tab extends from a top surface of the touchpad cover, and is configured for an edge of the opening of the shell to catch and stop the touchpad cover when the touchpad cover slides to the first position and the second position.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one slot is defined in a top surface of the touchpad cover, and is configured for a hold to move the touchpad cover.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a tab extends from the bottom surface of the shell, and is configured for stopping the touchpad cover when the touchpad cover slides to the second position.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one slot is defined in a top surface of the touchpad cover, and is configured for a hold to move the touchpad cover.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a width of the touchpad cover is substantially equal to a width between the pair of the parallel guiding channels.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a length and a width of the touchpad cover are correspondingly larger than that of the opening of the shell.