Electronic device with detachable touchpad

• US 7,948,741 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Fan, Gang-Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson; Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US12/641,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.09, 361/679.1, 361/679.17, 361/679.18, 361/679.4, 361/679.55, 361/679.58
• US Class Current: 361/679.1
• 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

Abstract

A portable computer includes a main body having a top surface, a keyboard, a touchpad, an ejector assembly, and a latching assembly. A receiving recess and a receiving hole are defined in the top surface. The receiving hole is positioned between the receiving recess and the keyboard and communicates with the receiving recess to form a connecting portion. The touchpad is detachably received in the receiving recess and includes a touchpad body and an engaging member with an engaging portion protruding from the touchpad body adjacent to the keyboard. The ejector assembly includes at least one elastic member. One end of the elastic member is fixed to a side of the receiving recess, and the other end abuts the touchpad body. The latching assembly includes a first restricting member connected to the connecting portion and a second restricting member fixed to the receiving hole and exposed from the receiving hole.

Claims

1. A portable computer comprising:

a main body comprising a top surface, a receiving recess and a receiving hole defined in the top surface communicating with the receiving recess to form a connecting portion;

a keyboard positioned in the main body, the receiving hole positioned between the receiving recess and the keyboard;

a touchpad detachably received in the receiving recess and comprising a touchpad body and an engaging member protruding from the touchpad body adjacent to the keyboard, the engaging member comprising an engaging portion;

an ejector assembly comprising at least one elastic member, one end of the elastic member attached to a side of the receiving recess, and the other end of the elastic member abutting the touchpad body; and

a latching assembly comprising a first restricting member and a second restricting member facing the first restricting member, the first restricting member connected to the connecting portion, the second restricting member fixed to the receiving hole, the first restricting member, the second restricting member, and the connecting portion cooperatively defining an engaging groove to latch the engaging portion and making a upper surface of the second restricting member and the top surface lies on a same plane, when the second restricting member is pressed down, the engaging portion is ejected by the ejector assembly.

2. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one elastic member comprises two elastic members, the elastic members are springs, one end of the elastic members are attached to a side of the receiving recess.

3. The portable computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the touchpad further comprises two flanges extending from two sides of the touchpad body, and the other end of the elastic members abuts the flanges.

4. The portable computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ejecting member further comprises two contacting members, and the other ends of the elastic members abut the contacting members.

5. The portable computer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the touchpad body is approximately rectangular and comprises a first side, a second side adjacent to the keyboard, a third side parallel to the first side, and a fourth side parallel to the second side;

the engaging member projects from the second side;

the flanges extends from the first side and the third side.

6. The portable computer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the engaging member further comprises a projection body, the projection body is approximately rectangular and connects the engaging portion to the second side;

the engaging portion is substantially cylindrically-shaped and a cross section of the cylinder having a diameter that is greater than the thickness of the projection body.

7. The portable computer as claimed in claim 6, wherein a guiding groove is defined in the connecting portion facing the bottom of the receiving hole;

the first restricting member comprises a first elastic portion and a first restricting portion;

one end of the first elastic portion is connected to the bottom of the guiding groove, and the other end of the first elastic portion is connected to the first restricting portion.

8. The portable computer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first restricting portion comprises a first connecting end and a first engaging end opposite to the first connecting end;

the first elastic portion is connected to the first connecting end, and the first engaging end is laterally rounded.

9. The portable computer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second restricting comprises a second elastic portion and a second restricting portion;

one end of the second elastic portion is fixed to the bottom of the receiving hole, and the other end of the second elastic portion is connected to the second restricting portion.

10. The portable computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second restricting portion comprises a second connecting end and a second engaging end opposite to the second connecting end;

the second elastic portion is connected to the second connecting end, and the second engaging end is laterally rounded.