TABLET PC COVER WITH INTEGRAL KEYBOARD

• US 20120140396A1
• Filed: 11/26/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chia-Yeh Kung, Kevin S. Smith, Kristopher James Perpich, Kuang-Yuan Tsai, Yueh Hua Li, Zachary Joseph Zeliff
• Original Assignee: Chia-Yeh Kung, Kevin S. Smith, Kristopher James Perpich, Kuang-Yuan Tsai, Yueh Hua Li, Zachary Joseph Zeliff
• Inventors: Zeliff, Zachary Joseph, Li, Yueh-Hua, Kung, Chia-Yeh, Perpich, Kristopher James, Tsai, Kuang-Yuan, Smith, Kevin S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1628 Carrying enclosures containing additional elements, e.g. case for a laptop and a printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer

Abstract

A cover for a tablet PC with an integral keyboard provides two outer covering faces and a resilient mounting frame fixing a tablet PC therein, hinged on a keyboard component. By hinging partway along one outer covering face, the mounting frame can assume a wide variety of angles. The keyboard component has embedded within its underside a ferromagnetic member attracted by an embedded metal strip in the other covering face, fixing the keyboard and mounting frame at any desired angle. The resilient mounting frame has an ejection assembly opposite the hinging of the resilient mounting frame and keyboard component, allowing one-handed release of the tablet PC, and an embedded implant corresponding to and detectable by a configurable circuit board encased in the keyboard component.

Claims

1. A cover for a tablet PC with an integral keyboard, the cover for a tablet PC comprising:

a first outer covering face hinged on a second outer covering face;

wherein the first outer covering face is planar and rigid, forming a back side of the cover when collapsed for storage or transport; and

the second outer covering face is planar and rigid but scored longitudinally so as to present at least two planar sections, which, by hinging along the scoring, form a variable angle therebetween and the second outer covering face forms a front side of the cover when collapsed for storage or transport;

between the two outer covering faces, a resilient mounting frame hinging on a keyboard component along a longitudinal axis of the tablet PC cover, whereby when the tablet PC cover is collapsed, the hinging of the resilient mounting frame and keyboard component snugly abuts the inner side of the hinge connecting the two outer covering faces;

wherein the resilient mounting frame is attached on its rear side to the portion of the second outer covering face between the longitudinal scoring and the outer edge thereof, hinging along the scoring and supported by the unattached section of the second outer covering face between the longitudinal scoring and the hinging with the first outer covering face, and wherein the resilient mounting frame, on its surface away from the second outer covering face, comprises a fixing rim and an ejection assembly, snugly securing a tablet PC seated therein, while an operating touch panel and all controls of the tablet PC are exposed and functional, the tablet PC secured within the fixing rim by at least resilient tension provided thereby and the ejection assembly; and

wherein, when deployed, the keyboard component is supported on the plane of the inside of the first outer covering face, which rests directly on the supporting surface, and wherein a running track comprising a strip of metallic material is encased within the first outer covering face, running between and perpendicular to the hinging of the resilient mounting frame and keyboard component and the opposite outside edge thereof and the keyboard component has, embedded in its base, at least one first ferromagnetic implant, whereby when the keyboard component is deployed for use, the at least one first ferromagnetic implant aligns with the running track and is attracted magnetically thereto; and

wherein, the hinging of the resilient mounting frame and keyboard component comprises, embedded therein, at least one detectable implant, and a circuit board encased in the keyboard component bears a sensor which aligns with the detectable implant when the tablet PC cover is collapsed, and is separated therefrom when the tablet PC cover 100 is deployed for use wherein the circuit board is configurable to initiate actions upon alignment with the detectable sensor, and separation therefrom.

2. The cover for a tablet PC with an integral keyboard as claimed in claim one, wherein the ejection assembly is situated at the essential center of the longitudinal edge opposite the hinging of the resilient mounting frame and keyboard component, and comprises a contact opening with at least one clip on either side thereof, the contact opening exposing a portion of the rear side of a tablet PC when seated therein, and such that pressure from the rear on the exposed portion of the rear surface of the tablet PC while bracing the edge of the fixing rim releases the tablet PC by separating the fixing rim from the hold thereof and simultaneously releasing the clips.

3. The cover for a tablet PC with an integral keyboard as claimed in claim one, wherein the detectable implant comprises a ferromagnetic element, and the sensor which aligns with the detectable implant when the tablet PC cover is collapsed, and separating therefrom when the tablet PC cover 100 is deployed for use detects the magnetism thereof.

4. The cover for a tablet PC with an integral keyboard as claimed in claim one, wherein the keyboard component as disclosed connects to the tablet PC by internal or external cable connection, Bluetooth or other wireless protocol, or other form of connection as required.