Folding computing device

Abstract

This invention discloses a foldable computing device, comprising: a first body having a bottom shell with at least one through hole and at least one movable sub-circuit board on the bottom shell, the sub-circuit board having at least one input / output interface corresponding to the through hole; a second body pivotally connected to the first body via a pivot; and a telescopic interface mechanism drivenly connected to the pivot. When the first body and the second body are folded or unfolded via the pivot, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board to retractably engage with the through hole. This invention achieves linkage between the opening / closing of the foldable computing device and the input / output interface through the telescopic interface mechanism. This telescopic interface mechanism employs a simple and easy-to-use design, providing a product appearance with good overall integrity and novelty.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a computing device, and more particularly to a foldable computing device including an insertion interface. Background Technology

[0002] Laptops typically have one or more interface slots on the back or side, which couple to connectors for various peripheral devices. When these slots are not in use, a cover usually covers them to prevent external dust from contaminating them. There are several types of cover mechanisms used in standard laptops to cover the interface slots and provide dust protection. These covers have a latching structure; when in use, pushing the latching structure opens the case, allowing the cover to flip outwards and expose the interface slots. When not in use, shaking the cover around a hinge covers the interface slots and moves the latching structure to lock it onto the case. This structure is complex, incorporating many precision components such as springs. It is not robust and durable; damage or misalignment of the springs often occurs under strong external impacts, and it offers limited shock absorption. Furthermore, the sliding mechanism does not prevent moisture from seeping into the interface slots when closed, therefore, it does not provide satisfactory waterproofing.

[0003] Laptop interface slots also have another conventional cover structure, with a cover located on the side of the computer chassis above the input / output port opening. When the interface slot is not in use, the cover is closed by rotating it around a pivot and moving it onto an L-shaped plate. The cover moves to engage with latching chambers on both sides of the interface slot, forming a locked position. Conversely, the cover is opened by pulling it forcefully. While it offers some dust protection, it doesn't offer much help in terms of waterproofing or shock absorption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a foldable computing device with a telescopic interface mechanism that employs a simple mechanism and is easy to use.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a foldable computing device, comprising: a first body having a bottom shell, the bottom shell having at least one through hole and at least one movable sub-circuit board, the sub-circuit board having at least one input / output interface corresponding to the through hole; a second body pivotally connected to the first body via a pivot; and a telescopic interface mechanism drivenly connected to the pivot, wherein when the first body and the second body are folded or unfolded via the pivot, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board to telescopically engage with the through hole.

[0006] As a further improvement, when the first body and the second body are folded together by a pivot, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board to retract into the through hole. When the first body and the second body are unfolded together by a pivot, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board to extend out of the through hole.

[0007] As a further improvement, the telescopic interface mechanism includes a first slider and a transmission rod. The first slider is movably installed inside the bottom shell, and the sub-circuit board is fixedly connected to the first slider. The transmission rod has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, and a rotating end located between the first end and the second end. The transmission rod is rotatably installed on the bottom shell through the rotating end. The first end is driven to the rotating shaft, and the second end is driven to the first slider. When the first end of the transmission rod rotates under the drive of the rotating shaft, the second end of the transmission rod rotates synchronously to drive the first slider to move, so that the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board can be telescopically engaged with the through hole.

[0008] As a further improvement, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft is provided with a first driving groove and a second driving groove communicating with the first driving groove. The first driving groove extends substantially along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and the second driving groove extends substantially along the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft. The first end of the transmission rod is movably located in the first driving groove and the second driving groove, and the first end of the transmission rod rotates around the rotating end under the drive of the rotating shaft.

[0009] As a further improvement, a first guide rail is provided on the bottom shell, the first slider is movably disposed on the first guide rail, and the sub-circuit board is mounted on the first slider.

[0010] As a further improvement, the first guide rail has a first guide groove, and the first slider is movably disposed within the first guide groove.

[0011] As a further improvement, the second end of the transmission rod has a drive tooth, and the first slider has a rack formed on its side surface adjacent to the transmission rod, and the transmission rod meshes with the rack of the first slider through the drive tooth.

[0012] As a further improvement, a second guide rail is provided on the bottom shell, the second guide rail is parallel to the first guide rail, and a second slider is movably provided on the second guide rail, and the sub-circuit board is mounted on the second slider.

[0013] As a further improvement, the second guide rail has a second guide groove, and the second slider is movably disposed within the second guide groove.

[0014] As a further improvement, the first guide rail and the second guide rail are each provided with a first screw hole, and the first guide rail and the second guide rail are fixed to the bottom shell through the first screw hole. The first slider and the second slider are each provided with a second screw hole, and the first slider and the second slider are fixedly connected to the sub-circuit board through the second screw hole.

[0015] As a further improvement, a main board and at least one movable sub-circuit board are fixedly disposed inside the bottom shell, and the sub-circuit board is electrically connected to the main board via a flexible circuit board.

[0016] Further improvements include laptops and foldable phones.

[0017] By employing the above technical means, this invention realizes the linkage between the opening and closing of the foldable computing device and the input / output interface through a telescopic interface mechanism. This telescopic interface mechanism adopts a simple structure and is easy to use, providing a product appearance with good integrity and novelty. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Appendix Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the foldable computing device according to the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0019] Appendix Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the foldable computing device according to the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0020] Appendix Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the rotating shaft of the folding computing device according to the present invention;

[0021] Appendix Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the foldable computing device according to the present invention;

[0022] Appendix Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the foldable computing device according to the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0023] Appendix Figure 6 To assess the effectiveness of the foldable computing device according to the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0024] Appendix Figure 7 To assess the effectiveness of the foldable computing device according to the present invention Figure 2 . Detailed Implementation

[0025] In the following description, the terminology used in the specification will be briefly described, and embodiments will be described in detail. All terms used herein, including descriptive or technical terms, should be interpreted as having the meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. However, these terms may have different meanings depending on the intent of one of ordinary skill in the art, precedent, or the emergence of new technologies.

[0026] Furthermore, some terms may be chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, the meaning of the chosen terms will be described in detail in the detailed description of the embodiments. Therefore, the terms used herein must be defined based on their meanings in conjunction with the description throughout the specification. Additionally, when a component “comprises” or “contains” an element, the component may also include other elements without excluding them, unless there is a specific description to the contrary. In the following description, terms such as “component” and “module” indicate a unit for performing at least one function or operation, wherein units and modules may be implemented as hardware or software or by combining hardware and software.

[0027] Embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. In the following description, well-known functions or structures are not described in detail, as they would obscure the embodiments with unnecessary detail, and throughout the specification, the same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar elements.

[0028] Appendix Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the foldable computing device according to the present invention. Figure 1 Appendix Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the foldable computing device according to the present invention. Figure 2 The foldable computing device in this embodiment is exemplified by a laptop computer; in other embodiments of the invention, it can also be a foldable mobile phone. The foldable computing device includes a first body 1, a second body 2, and a telescopic interface mechanism. The second body 2 is pivotally connected to the first body 1 via a pivot 3.

[0029] The first body 1 has a base shell 4, on which at least one through hole 5 and at least one movable sub-circuit board 6 are provided. The sub-circuit board 6 has at least one input / output interface 7, which corresponds to the through hole 5. The input / output interface 7 can be a USB port, an R11 port, an RJ45 port, a parallel port, a VGA port, an IEEE1394 port, a video output port (S-V), an SPDIF port (for optical output), an audio device (line input jack, headphone output jack, microphone input jack), a power input jack, an SD card interface, a PCMCIA interface, etc. A telescopic interface mechanism is driven and connected to a rotating shaft 3. When the first body 1 and the second body 2 are folded or unfolded via the rotating shaft 3, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface 7 on the sub-circuit board 6 to telescopically engage with the through hole 5.

[0030] The telescopic interface mechanism includes a first slider 8 and a transmission rod 9. The first slider 8 is movably mounted inside the base shell 4, and the sub-circuit board 6 is fixedly connected to the first slider 8. The transmission rod 9 has a first end 10 and a second end 11 opposite to each other, and a rotating end 12 located between the first end 10 and the second end 11. The transmission rod 9 is rotatably mounted on the base shell 4 via the rotating end 12. The first end 10 is driven to the rotating shaft 3, and the second end 11 is driven to the first slider 8. The second end 11 of the transmission rod 9 has a driving tooth 13. The first slider 8 has a rack 14 formed on its side surface adjacent to the transmission rod 9. The transmission rod 9 meshes with the rack 14 of the first slider 8 through the driving tooth 13. When the first end 10 of the transmission rod 9 rotates under the drive of the rotating shaft 3, the second end 11 of the transmission rod 9 rotates synchronously to drive the first slider 8 to move, so that the input / output interface 7 on the sub-circuit board 6 can be telescopically engaged with the through hole 5.

[0031] A first guide rail 15 is provided on the bottom shell 4, and a first slider 8 is movably mounted on the first guide rail 15. A sub-circuit board 6 is mounted on the first slider 8. The first guide rail 15 has a first guide groove 16, and the first slider 8 is movably mounted within the first guide groove 16. A second guide rail 17 is provided on the bottom shell 4, and the second guide rail 17 is parallel to the first guide rail 15. A second slider 18 is movably mounted on the second guide rail 17, and the sub-circuit board 6 is mounted on the second slider 18. The second guide rail 17 has a second guide groove 19, and the second slider 18 is movably mounted within the second guide groove 19.

[0032] 8

[0026] The first guide rail 15 and the second guide rail 17 are each provided with a first screw hole 20. The first guide rail 15 and the second guide rail 17 are fixed to the bottom shell 4 through the first screw hole 20. The first slider 8 and the second slider 18 are each provided with a second screw hole 21. The first slider 8 and the second slider 18 are fixedly connected to the sub-circuit board 6 through the second screw hole 21.

[0033] Appendix Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the rotating shaft of the folding computing device according to the present invention; the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 3 is provided with a first driving groove 31 and a second driving groove 32 connected to the first driving groove 31, the first end 10 of the transmission rod 9 is movably located in the first driving groove 31 and the second driving groove 32, and the first end 10 of the transmission rod 9 rotates around the rotating end 12 under the drive of the rotating shaft 3.

[0034] Appendix Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the working principle of the folding computing device according to the present invention. When the first body 1 and the second body 2 are folded together via the pivot 3, the input / output interface 7 on the sub-circuit board 6 is retracted into the through hole 5 by the telescopic interface mechanism. When the first body 1 and the second body 2 are unfolded together via the pivot 3, the input / output interface 7 on the sub-circuit board 6 is extended to the outside of the through hole 5 by the telescopic interface mechanism.

[0035] The first drive groove 31 extends substantially along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 3, guiding the first end 10 of the transmission rod 9 to rotate and driving the input / output interface 7 to extend and retract. The second drive groove 32 extends substantially along the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 3, guiding the first end 10 of the transmission rod 9 to stop rotating, and the input / output interface 7 remains fixed. During the unfolding of the second body 2, the movement range of the input / output interface 7 is limited to within 90 degrees; when the angle exceeds 90 degrees, the input / output interface 7 no longer extends forward. During the folding of the second body 2, the input / output interface 7 only begins to retract when the angle is less than 90 degrees, until it is fully retracted into place.

[0036] Appendix Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the foldable computing device according to the present invention. Figure 3 The bottom shell 4 is fixedly equipped with a main board 22 and sub-circuit boards 6 located on both sides of the main board 22. Each sub-circuit board 6 is electrically connected to the main board 22 in a movable manner through a flexible circuit board 23.

[0037] Appendix Figure 6 To assess the effectiveness of the foldable computing device according to the present invention Figure 1 , attached Figure 7 To assess the effectiveness of the foldable computing device according to the present invention Figure 2 This invention uses a telescopic interface mechanism to link the opening and closing of the foldable computing device with its input / output interfaces. When the display screen is open, the input / output interfaces protrude slightly from the through holes on both sides, making it easier to determine the insertion position when connecting external devices. When the display screen is closed, the input / output interfaces retract into the through holes, automatically extending the connector 24 and protecting the input / output interfaces from damage, thus providing a product with a good overall and novel appearance.

[0038] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for limiting purposes. The description of features or aspects within each embodiment should generally be considered applicable to other similar features or aspects in other embodiments. Although one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A foldable computing device, characterized in that, include: A first body has a bottom shell, on which at least one through hole and at least one movable sub-circuit board are provided. The sub-circuit board has at least one input / output interface, which corresponds to the through hole. The second body, which is pivotally connected to the first body via a pivot; and A telescopic interface mechanism is drivenly connected to the rotating shaft. When the first body and the second body are folded or unfolded via the rotating shaft, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board to telescopically engage with the through hole. The telescopic interface mechanism includes a first slider and a transmission rod. The first slider is movably installed inside the bottom shell, and the sub-circuit board is fixedly connected to the first slider. The transmission rod has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, and a rotating end located between the first end and the second end. The transmission rod is rotatably installed on the bottom shell via the rotating end. The first end is drivenly connected to the rotating shaft, and the second end is drivenly connected to the first slider. When the first end of the transmission rod rotates under the drive of the rotating shaft, the second end of the transmission rod rotates synchronously to drive the first slider to move, so that the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board can telescopically engage with the through hole.

2. The folding computing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the first body and the second body are folded together by a pivot, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board to retract into the through hole. When the first body and the second body are unfolded together by a pivot, the telescopic interface mechanism drives the input / output interface on the sub-circuit board to extend out of the through hole.

3. The folding computing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft is provided with a first driving groove and a second driving groove connected to the first driving groove. The first driving groove extends substantially along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, and the second driving groove extends substantially along the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft. The first end of the transmission rod is movably located in the first driving groove and the second driving groove, and the first end of the transmission rod rotates around the rotating end under the drive of the rotating shaft.

4. The folding computing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom shell is provided with a first guide rail, the first slider is movably disposed on the first guide rail, and the sub-circuit board is mounted on the first slider.

5. The folding computing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first guide rail has a first guide groove, and the first slider is movably disposed within the first guide groove.

6. The folding computing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second end of the transmission rod has a driving tooth, and the first slider has a rack formed on its side surface adjacent to the transmission rod. The transmission rod meshes with the rack of the first slider through the driving tooth.

7. The folding computing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bottom shell is provided with a second guide rail, which is parallel to the first guide rail. A second slider is movably provided on the second guide rail, and the sub-circuit board is mounted on the second slider.

8. The folding computing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second guide rail has a second guide groove, and the second slider is movably disposed within the second guide groove.

9. The folding computing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first guide rail and the second guide rail are each provided with a first screw hole, and the first guide rail and the second guide rail are fixed to the bottom shell through the first screw hole. The first slider and the second slider are each provided with a second screw hole, and the first slider and the second slider are fixedly connected to the sub-circuit board through the second screw hole.

10. The folding computing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom shell contains a main board and at least one movable sub-circuit board, which is electrically connected to the main board via a flexible circuit board.

11. The folding computing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: This includes laptops and foldable phones.

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