Tablet PC extension device

Abstract

A tablet PC extension device is disclosed. The tablet PC extension device includes: a body including a space in which a table PC may be embedded; a battery reception unit formed on one side of the body so that a battery may be attached and detached; and a PCB substrate positioned inside the body, wherein the PCB substrate includes: a first connection unit electrically connected to a power output terminal of the battery; and a second connection unit electrically connected to a power input terminal of the tablet PC embedded in the body.

Description

Tablet PC expansion device

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a tablet PC expansion device, and more particularly, to a tablet PC expansion device capable of expanding the built-in battery of a commercial tablet PC with a removable battery of larger capacity.

[0002] Tablet PCs are a type of computer that operates via touchscreen. They can be used in a variety of applications, including kiosks. Because tablet PCs operate on a built-in battery, they require periodic charging if not connected to a permanent power source. If a tablet PC is used as a tabletop kiosk in a restaurant or similar setting, it may need to be charged during business hours. To extend the operating time of a tablet PC, a secondary battery can be connected to the tablet PC. However, using a tablet PC as a kiosk requires the tablet PC to be left on the table with the secondary battery connected, which is not only unsightly but also inconvenient, as the secondary battery can easily fall out.

[0003] The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a tablet PC expansion device capable of expanding the battery capacity of an existing commercial tablet PC.

[0004] In order to achieve the above technical task, an example of a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a main body including a space in which a tablet PC can be built; a battery receiving portion formed on one side of the main body so that a battery can be detachably attached or detached; a PCB substrate located inside the main body; wherein the PCB substrate includes a first connection portion electrically connected to a power output terminal of the battery; and a second connection portion electrically connected to a power input terminal of the tablet PC built into the main body.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a tablet PC can be used as a kiosk by being built into a body with a removable battery. By attaching a high-capacity battery to the tablet PC, the tablet PC can be used as a kiosk, ensuring stable operation without the need for charging during business hours. Furthermore, the battery can be designed to be removable, allowing it to be freely charged in a separate location and then installed in the tablet PC expansion device of the present embodiment. In another embodiment, the tablet PC expansion device, which includes a built-in tablet PC, can be secured to a table with a clamp.

[0006] Figure 1 is a drawing showing the overall shape of a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an example of an exploded perspective view of a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of attaching and detaching a battery from a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 4 is a drawing of the inside of a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the rear side, and

[0010] FIGS. 5 to 8 are drawings showing an example of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Hereinafter, a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the overall shape of a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Referring to FIG. 1, the tablet PC expansion device (100) includes a main body (110) capable of housing a tablet PC (150). A battery (130) is detachable from one side of the main body (100). The tablet PC expansion device (100) can be fixed to a table with a clamp (120) so that the tablet PC (150) can be used as a table kiosk. The structure of the clamp (120) for this purpose will be reviewed again with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. In another embodiment, the tablet PC expansion device (100) can be implemented without the clamp (120). However, the following description assumes the presence of the clamp (120).

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an exploded perspective view of a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of attaching and detaching a battery from a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the interior of a tablet PC expansion device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4 together, the tablet PC expansion device (100) includes a main body (110) including a space in which a tablet PC (150) can be built, a battery receiving portion (320) formed on one side of the main body (110) so that a battery (130) can be detachably attached, and a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) substrate (220) located inside the main body (110).

[0016] The main body (100) includes a front case (210) and a rear case (200). The front case (210) may be in the shape of a frame (212) with a hole in the middle so that the screen of the tablet PC (150) can be exposed to the outside. A space is formed between the front case (210) and the rear case (200) into which the tablet PC (150) can be built. For example, after separating the front case (210) of the main body (110), the tablet PC can be inserted into the front case (210) or the rear case (200), and then the two cases (200, 210) can be reattached to build the tablet PC (150) into the main body (110). In addition to this, various structures may exist for building the tablet PC (150) into the main body (110), and are not limited to the present embodiment.

[0017] The battery receiving portion (320) includes a certain space for receiving the battery (130). The battery receiving portion (320) may have a structure in which a space corresponding to the volume of the battery (130) is formed inward from one side of the main body (110). The present embodiment illustrates an example in which the battery receiving portion (320) is formed horizontally on the side of the main body (110) (specifically, the side of the rear case (200), but the position and direction of the battery receiving portion (320) within the main body (110) may be variously modified depending on the embodiment. The battery (130) is inserted into and mounted in the battery receiving portion (320).

[0018] A PCB substrate (220) is present inside the main body (110). The PCB substrate (220) connects a removable battery (130) and a tablet PC (150). In one embodiment, the PCB substrate (220) includes a first connection portion (300) electrically connected to a power output terminal of the battery and a second connection portion (410) electrically connected to a power input terminal of the tablet PC (150). In addition, the PCB substrate (220) may further include various input / output terminals, such as a USB port (400), depending on the embodiment. In another example, the PCB substrate (220) may be additionally connected to the tablet PC (150) via the USB port (400).

[0019] Due to the voltage difference between the built-in battery of the tablet PC (150) and the removable battery (130) of the present embodiment, power loss may occur, and when the tablet PC (150) is fully charged, the removable battery (130) may enter a sleep mode, and thereafter, even if the built-in battery of the tablet PC (150) is exhausted, a problem may occur in which charging is no longer possible. In other words, if the removable battery (130) is continuously connected to the tablet PC (150), the tablet PC (150) may not be charged again after being charged once, which is inconvenient for the administrator to change the removable battery (130) from sleep mode to wake mode. Therefore, in one embodiment, the tablet PC (150) may be built into the main body (110) after removing the built-in battery. The second connection portion (410) of the PCB substrate (220) can be connected to an internal terminal of the tablet PC (150) that is connected to the built-in battery in a tablet PC from which the built-in battery has been removed.

[0020] In another embodiment, a spring (310) may be positioned inside the battery receiving portion (320). In addition, a fastening means (140) may be present on one side of the main body (110) so that the battery (130) can be inserted into the battery receiving portion (320) and fixed while pressing the spring (310). When the fastening state of the fastening means (140) is released, the battery (130) protrudes outward from the battery receiving portion (320) by the spring (310), so that it can be easily removed.

[0021] As another example, when a tablet PC (150) is built into the main body (110), an external button (145) may be included in a position corresponding to a button of the tablet PC (150). When the external button (145) is pressed, a button of the tablet PC (150) is pressed.

[0022] FIGS. 5 to 8 are drawings showing an example of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of the overall shape of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 5, a device connection part (540) capable of fixing the tablet PC expansion device (100) of FIG. 1 exists on the upper surface of the clamp (500). The device connection part (540) can fix the tablet PC expansion device (100) to the upper surface through various fastening means such as screws or adhesives. This embodiment shows an example of screw coupling as an example of the device connection part (540), but this is only one example and is not limited thereto.

[0025] The clamp body (505) of the clamp (500) includes a front cover (510) and a rear cover (520). A detachable cover (512) is provided on the upper side of the front cover (510). In another embodiment, the detachable cover (512) and the front cover (510) may be formed as an integral cover, and the entire cover may be detachable. In addition, the clamp (500) may be implemented without the cover (510, 512, 520) or may be implemented including a cover of a different form, and is not limited to the present embodiment. However, for the convenience of explanation, the following description will assume the presence of the detachable cover (512).

[0026] After opening the removable cover (512), the user can turn the bolt inside the clamp body (505) to be examined later to move the gap adjustment part (530) upward or downward and secure it to the table. The detailed internal structure for adjusting the gap of the gap adjustment part (530) will be examined in FIG. 6 and below.

[0027] Fig. 6 is a drawing illustrating an example of an exploded perspective view of a clamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a drawing illustrating a connection structure between a clamp body and a gap adjustment part according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 together, the clamp (500) includes a clamp body (505), a gap adjustment part (530), a bolt (630), and a nut (650). In addition, the clamp (500) may further include a front cover part (510), a detachable cover part (512), a rear cover part (520), a device connection part (540, 542), etc. Depending on the embodiment, the various cover parts (510, 512, 520) may be omitted or modified in various ways. In another embodiment, the tablet PC expansion device (100) and the clamp (500) may be implemented as an integrated unit without the device connection part (540).

[0029] The clamp body (505) includes a first vertical through hole (702). In one embodiment, the clamp body (505) includes a guide part (600) of a predetermined height that guides the up and down movement of the simple adjustment part (530), and an upper support part (610) having a first through hole (702) at the upper end of the guide part (600). The guide part (600) may include a groove of a predetermined length in the height direction in the center.

[0030] The gap adjustment part (530) is a structure in the shape of the letter 'L' that is vertically movably connected to the clamp body (505). In one embodiment, the gap adjustment part (530) may include an 'L'-shaped fastening part (720), a connecting part (640) that protrudes from the upper end of the fastening part (720) and fits through the groove of the guide part (600), a second through hole (642) located in the connecting part (640), and a nut (650) that is fixed to the second through hole (642).

[0031] The bolt (630) is a rod-shaped object of a certain length with a screw thread. The bolt (630) is inserted into the first through-hole (702) of the clamp body (505) and is connected by engaging with the nut (650) of the spacing adjustment part (530). The nut (650) can be fixed to the upper or lower surface of the second through-hole (642) of the spacing adjustment part (530), and the present embodiment shows an example in which it is fixed to the lower surface. The bolt (630) passes through the first through-hole (702) and the second through-hole (642) and is connected to the nut (650).

[0032] The gap adjustment part (530) is connected by being fitted into the groove of the guide part (600) of the clamp body (505), so it cannot rotate and can only move up and down along the groove. When the bolt (630) is rotated, the position of the nut (650) moves up and down along the length of the bolt (630), and as a result, the position of the gap adjustment part (530) to which the nut (650) is fixed moves up and down. An example of the gap adjustment part (530) moving vertically according to the rotation of the bolt (630) is illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0033] In another embodiment, the lower part of the guide part (600) of the clamp body (505) may further include a lower support member (620) including a third through hole (622). Since the bolt (630) is fitted into the first through hole (702) of the upper support member (610) of the guide part (600) and the third through hole (622) of the lower support member (620), it can exist more stably.

[0034] In another embodiment, a joining plate (710) may be further included on the lower side of the lower support (620). The joining plate (710) is a surface that directly contacts the table to which the clamp device (500) is joined. In one embodiment, the joining plate (710) may be implemented with various materials such as a rubber plate to prevent slipping. The joining plate (710) may also prevent the bolt (630) from being exposed to the lower side of the clamp body (505). The lower support (620) or the joining plate (710) may be omitted depending on the embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an example of operation of a table clamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Referring to Fig. 8, when the bolt (630) is rotated, the nut (650) that is engaged with the bolt (630) rotates upward or downward along the longitudinal direction of the bolt (630). For example, when the bolt is rotated clockwise according to the direction of the screw thread of the bolt (630), the nut (650) can move upward, and when the bolt is rotated counterclockwise, the nut (650) can move downward. Since the nut (650) is fixed to the gap adjusting member (530), the gap adjusting member (530) moves up and down according to the movement of the nut (650).

[0037] The detachable cover part (512) examined in Fig. 5 is located at a location corresponding to the head part of the bolt (630). Therefore, the user can open the detachable cover part (512) and then turn the head part of the bolt (630) to the right or left with a wrench or the like to adjust the gap between the gap adjusting part (530) and the clamp body (505) (i.e., the joining plate (710)) to fix the clamp device (500) to the table.

[0038] The present invention has been described above, focusing on preferred embodiments thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in modified forms without departing from its essential characteristics. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered illustrative rather than limiting. The scope of the present invention is set forth in the claims, not the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being encompassed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A body including a space in which a tablet PC can be built-in; A battery receiving portion formed on one side of the main body so that the battery can be detached; Including a PCB substrate located inside the above main body; The above PCB board is, A first connector electrically connected to the power output terminal of the above battery; and A tablet expansion device characterized by including a second connecting portion electrically connected to a power input terminal of the tablet PC built into the main body.

2. In paragraph 1, the main body, A tablet expansion device characterized by a frame-shaped case that exposes the screen of the tablet PC to the outside.

3. In paragraph 1, A spring located inside the battery compartment; and One side of the above body further includes a fastening means capable of fixing the state in which the battery is inserted into the battery receiving portion and the spring is pressed; A tablet expansion device characterized in that when the fastening state of the fastening means is released, the battery protrudes outward from the battery receiving portion by the spring.

4. In paragraph 1, the main body, A tablet expansion device characterized by further including an external button present at a position corresponding to a button of the tablet PC when the tablet PC is built in.

5. In paragraph 1, The tablet PC is a tablet expansion device characterized in that it is mounted on the main body after removing the built-in battery.

6. In paragraph 1, A tablet expansion device further characterized by including a clamp for fixing the main body to a table.

7. In paragraph 6, the clamp, A clamp body including a first vertical through hole; An 'L' shaped gap adjustment part vertically movably connected to the clamp body; A rod-shaped bolt fitted into the first through hole; and A nut interlocked with the above bolt and fixed to the gap adjusting member; A tablet expansion device characterized in that the position of the gap adjusting part moves up and down according to the rotation of the bolt.

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