ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH ROTATABLE KEYBOARD

• US 20100321872A1
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• 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: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: SIP, KIM-YEUNG, TANG, FENG-XIANG, LI, XIONG
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/807 characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/002 replaceable; adaptable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/028 Printed information
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/07 transparent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/034 Bezel
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/00 Switch site location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0231 Including a rotatable keypad body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device

Abstract

An electronic device with a rotatable keyboard is provided. The electronic device includes a casing defining a plurality of button holes, and a pressable plate having a plurality of transparent pressable protrusions. Each of the pressable protrusions exposes itself through a corresponding button hole of the casing for a user to press the pressable protrusions to input commands to the electronic device. The electronic device further includes at least one rotatable member mounted in the base. A plurality of touch points are arranged on each surfaces of the rotatable member. The electronic device further includes a transmission mechanism and a knob. The knob is for driving the transmission mechanism, and the transmission mechanism is for rotating the rotatable member to make one surface of the at least one rotatable member face the pressable plate and the touch points on the surface being touchable by the user.

Claims

1. An electronic device with a rotatable keyboard, comprising a casing and a base, wherein:

a plurality of button holes are defined on the casing;

a pressable plate comprising a plurality of transparent pressable protrusions is secured to the casing, and each of the pressable protrusions exposes itself through a corresponding button hole of the casing for a user to press the pressable protrusions to input commands to the electronic device;

at least one rotatable member is located below the pressable plate and mounted in the base, and comprises a soft circuit plate, the soft circuit plate comprises at least two surfaces, and a plurality of touch points are arranged on each surfaces of the soft circuit plate and corresponding to the layout of the pressable protrusions;

a transmission mechanism is mounted in the base and configured for rotating the at least one rotatable member to make one surface of the at least one rotatable member face the pressable plate and the touch points on the surface being touchable by the user who press the pressable protrusions; and

a knob is mounted in the base and configured for driving the transmission mechanism to rotate the at least one rotatable member.

2. The electronic device as described in claim 1, wherein a first receiving space is defined in a front of the base for receiving the at least one rotatable member and the transmission mechanism.

3. The electronic device as described in claim 2, wherein each rotatable member further comprises a rotatable post covered by the soft circuit plate.

4. The electronic device as described in claim 3, wherein the transmission mechanism comprises at least one first gear and at least one second gear, the first gear is provided for rotating the rotatable post, and the second gear, driven by the knob, is engaged with the first gear to rotate the first gear.

5. The electronic device as described in claim 4, wherein at least one first supporting section is defined on a sidewall of the first receiving space for supporting the at least one rotatable member and the at least one first gear, at least one second supporting section is defined on the sidewall of the first receiving space, at least one supporting post is mounted in the first receiving groove oppositely to the second supporting section and cooperates with the second supporting section to support the second gear.

6. The electronic device as described in claim 5, wherein a second receiving space is defined in a back of the base, the knob is received in the second receiving space and a portion of the knob is exposed to the outside for the user to operate the knob.

7. The electronic device as described in claim 6, wherein a crown gear is mounted in the center of the knob, a gear receiving space communicating with a through hole is defined in the second receiving space for receiving the crown gear, portions of gear teeth of the crown gear extend through the through hole and engage with a second gear disposed above the through hole, the crown gear is configured for rotating the second gear disposed above the through hole via the rotation of the knob, and thereby rotating the transmission mechanism.

8. The electronic device as described in claim 6, wherein a latching protrusion protrudes out from a sidewall of the knob, and at least two stopper portions protrude out from the sidewall of the second receiving space, the latching protrusion is configured for latching one of the stopper portions during a rotation of the knob, causing the knob to stay in a position where one surface of the rotatable member faces the pressable plate.

9. The electronic device as described in claim 6, wherein an arced groove is defined along a periphery of the knob, a limiting post is mounted in the second receiving space, the limiting post extends into the arced groove of the knob to limit a rotation range of the knob.

10. The electronic device as described in claim 6, wherein a shaft hole is defined in the center of the knob, a positioning post is mounted in the second receiving space and is received in the shaft hole of the knob, and a bolt is screwed onto the positioning post to secure the knob to the base.