Portable electronic device with rotatable image capturing assembly

• US 9,124,793 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polight Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sheu, Yi-Zhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US13/958,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20150005031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/550.1, 455/90.3, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/20 including a rotatable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a shell and an image capturing assembly configured to capture images. The shell includes a front surface, a rear surface facing away from the front surface, and a top surface. The top surface is connected substantially perpendicularly between the front surface and the rear surface. The top surface defines a cutout. The cutout runs through both the front surface and the rear surface. The image capturing assembly is pivotably received in the cutout and is configured to capture images.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a shell comprising a front surface, a rear surface facing away from the front surface, and a top surface, the top surface substantially perpendicularly connected between the front surface and the rear surface, the top surface defining a cutout, the cutout running through both the front surface and the rear surface; and

an image capturing assembly configured to capture images, the image capturing assembly pivotably received in the cutout;

wherein the cutout comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, the first sidewall is substantially parallel to the second sidewall, the shell comprises a pair of shafts, one of the shafts extends substantially perpendicularly from the first sidewall, the other shaft extends substantially perpendicularly from the second sidewall, the image capturing assembly comprises two external sidewalls facing away from each other, each external sidewall defines an axis hole, the axis holes correspond to the shafts, the shafts are rotatably received into the axis holes.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a mobile phone, a laptop, or a personal digital assistant.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, comprising a display screen, wherein the display screen is mounted in a center of the front surface.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, comprising a telephone receiver, wherein the telephone receiver is mounted in the front surface.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein the telephone receiver is positioned on an end of the front surface adjacent to the top surface.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein the cutout is located to the right of the telephone receiver.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the shafts is attached to a respective one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall by an adhesive, or by welding methods.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the shafts are made of rubber material, during assembly, the image capturing assembly is pushed downward along the passage defined by the first sidewall and the second sidewall, deforming the shafts toward the first and second sidewalls, the image capturing assembly is pushed downward until the shafts align with the axis holes, then, the shafts rebound to be pivotably received in the axis holes.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein each shaft comprises a surface substantially parallel to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the surface of each shaft defines a first wire hole, the external sidewalls are substantially parallel to each other, the axis hole is blind hole and define a second wire hole aligning with the first wire hole.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the image capturing assembly comprises a mounting surface, the mounting surface connects substantially perpendicularly between the two external sidewalls, the image capturing assembly comprises a camera module mounting on the mounting surface, the camera is configured for capturing images.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the image capturing assembly comprises a flash mounting on the mounting surface.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the image capturing assembly comprises a light emitting diode on the mounting surface.