PORTABLE ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20110228457A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: MOON, Aram, Kim, Hyunjung
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus including a main body having a front portion and a rear portion, a display unit disposed on the front portion, and a support module disposed on the rear portion, the support module operable to support the main body at an incline relative to a surface, the support module including a support unit, a free end of the support unit being disposed on the rear portion in a first configuration and the free end of the support unit being disposed apart from the rear portion in a second configuration, a guide unit, the guide unit being disposed between the main body and the support unit to guide the rotation of the support unit, and an elastic unit, the elastic unit being connected to the support unit and the rear portion so as to apply an elastic force to the support unit in the direction of rotation of the support unit.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a main body having a front portion and a rear portion;

a display unit disposed on the front portion; and

a support module disposed on the rear portion, the support module operable to support the main body at an incline relative to a surface, the support module including;

a support unit, a free end of the support unit being disposed on the rear portion in a first configuration and the free end of the support unit being disposed apart from the rear portion in a second configuration;

a guide unit, the guide unit being disposed between the main body and the support unit to guide the rotation of the support unit; and

an elastic unit, the elastic unit being connected to the support unit and the rear portion so as to apply an elastic force to the support unit in the direction of rotation of the support unit.

2. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support unit is disposed in the first configuration by the elastic force of the elastic unit when the free end of the support unit is not in contact with the surface.

3. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the free end of the support unit is operable to contact the surface and the other end is rotatably connected to the main body.

4. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a first friction reinforcement portion formed at the free end of the support unit, the first friction reinforcement portion configured to increase the friction force between the free end of the support unit and the surface.

5. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first friction reinforcement portion includes a first friction unit formed with a material having a frictional coefficient greater than that of the support unit.

6. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit is configured such that a first end of the guide unit is rotatably connected to the rear portion of the main body and a second end of the guide unit is slide-ably connected to the support unit.

7. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the support unit includes a guide groove extending from one end of the support unit to the other end of the support unit is formed on the support unit, the second end of the guide unit configured to slide along the guide groove.

8. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second friction reinforcement portion formed on a lateral surface of the main body to reinforce the friction force of a portion where the lateral surface of the main body is brought into contact with the surface.

9. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second friction reinforcement includes a second friction unit formed with a material having a frictional coefficient greater than that of a case of the main body.

10. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least part of the second friction unit protrudes from the case of the main body.

11. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the lateral surface of the main body having the second friction unit is inclined to make an obtuse angle with a rear surface of the main body.

12. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support module is rotatably connected to the main body around a first axis perpendicular to the rear portion of the main body, the support module further including a rotation unit, the support unit being rotatably connected to the rotation unit around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

13. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the rotation unit comprises:

a circular portion formed in a circular shape around the first axis; and

an extension portion extended from the circular portion in a direction in parallel with a lateral surface of the main body, with which the guide unit is rotatably combined.

14. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion includes a recessed accommodation portion, the recessed accommodation portion operable to store the support module.

15. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a rotation unit connected to the support unit is rotatably mounted in the accommodation portion, the support unit operable to rotate on a plane perpendicular to a rotation plane of the rotation unit.

16. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the rotation unit is provided with a rotation range between a configuration in which one end of the support unit is in parallel with a lateral surface of the main body and a configuration in which the one end of the support unit is in parallel with a lateral surface perpendicular to the lateral surface.

17. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion further includes an expansion module configured to exchange data or power with the main body, the support module disposed on a rear surface of the expansion module.

18. An expansion module for a portable electronic apparatus, the module comprising:

an expansion body connected to a rear portion of the portable electronic apparatus, the expansion body operable to exchange data or power with the portable electronic apparatus; and

a support module disposed on the rear surface of the expansion body, the support module operable to support the expansion body and the portable electronic apparatus at an incline relative to a surface, the support module including;

a support unit, a free end of the support unit being disposed on the rear portion in a first configuration and the free end of the support unit being disposed apart from the rear portion in a second configuration;

a guide unit, the guide unit being disposed between the main body and the support unit to guide the rotation of the support unit; and

an elastic unit, the elastic unit being connected to the support unit and the rear portion so as to apply an elastic force to the support unit in the direction of rotation of the support unit.

19. The expansion module for a portable electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the support unit is disposed in the first configuration by the elastic force of the elastic unit when the free end of the support unit is not in contact with the surface.