Electrical device having an antenna unit

• US 20090040118A1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Der-Chung, Huang, Wen-Zhao, Wu, Li-chun, Huang, Fang-Chi, Hou, Yun-Cheng, Chow, John
• Application Number:
  US12/228,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040118A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2266 disposed inside the computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An electronic device (100) includes a metal shell (1) having a number of walls (11,12) and an antenna unit (3). The metal wall has an interior space (17) defined therebetween, at least one recess (110) defined on one of the wall (11), and a mating member (111) disposed around the recess and extending into the interior space. The antenna unit is received in the recess and has a locating portion (36) extending from a side portion thereof and pivotably engaging with the mating member. When the antenna unit is rotated from a closed position to an opening position, another side portion of the antenna unit extends outward from the recess.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a metal shell having a plurality of walls, an interior space defined between the walls, at least one recess defined on one of the walls, and a mating member disposed around the recess and extending into the interior space; and

an antenna unit received in the recess and comprising a locating portion formed on a side portion thereof and pivotably engaging with the mating member, when the antenna unit is rotated from a closed position to an opening position, another side portion of the antenna unit extends outward from the recess.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said antenna unit has a cover, a bracket portion and a coaxial cable connected to the bracket portion.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) card assembled to the interior space and connected to one end of the coaxial cable.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said locating portion has opposite ends projecting from the opposite sides of the cover for engaging with the mating member.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cover comprises a top cover and a lower cover cooperated with each other.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said top cover has a pair of posts, wherein the bracket portion comprises corresponding holes formed thereon for receiving the posts.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mating member has a plurality of plates bending toward the interior space from the edges of the recess of the metal shell.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein one of the plates has a plurality of passages defined thereon for locking with a plurality of embosses disposed on one side of the cover.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a pair of opposite plates respectively defines an opening, the locating portion rotatably engaging with the openings.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said opening comprises a guiding slot and an arced slot in communication with the guiding slot for coupling with the locating portions of the antenna unit.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recess is of rectangular shape.

12. An antenna unit used in an electronic device which has a metal shell defining a recess thereon, comprising:

a cover received in the recess and having a locating portion formed on a side portion of the cover and pivotably engaging with the metal shell, when the antenna unit is rotated from a closed position to an opening position, another side portion of the cover extends outwardly from the recess;

a bracket portion assembled to the cover; and

a coaxial cable mounted to the bracket portion.

13. The antenna unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein said locating portion has opposite ends projecting from the opposite sides of the cover for engaging with the mating member.

14. The antenna unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein said cover comprises a top cover and a lower cover cooperating with the top cover.

15. The antenna unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein said top cover has a pair of posts, wherein the bracket portion comprises corresponding holes formed thereon for receiving the posts.

16. An antenna unit assembly comprising:

a metallic shell defining a mating member having a plurality of inwardly extending plates which are split from the shell to form an opening in the shell and commonly define a receiving space in communication with the opening;

an antenna unit pivotally mounted in said receiving space and defining a cover device enclosing a planar antenna therein;

a wireless card located under the shell and connected to the planar antenna;

wherein

the antenna unit is essentially coplanar with an exterior face of the shell when said antenna unit is located in a closed position, and a pivotal axis of said antenna unit extends parallel to said exterior face.

17. The antenna unit assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the pivotal axis of said antenna unit is moved between two different positions with regard to the shell when said antenna unit is moved between the closed position and an open position so as to avoid interference between the antenna unit and the shell.

18. The antenna unit assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the planar antenna defines a hole and the cover device defines a post to be received in said hole for retaining the planar antenna in the bracket unit.

19. The antenna unit assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cover device defines a locating post and the plate defines a guiding slot for holding the antenna unit in position with regard to the mating member.