TWI647592B - Input device with supporting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

An input device having a support structure includes a device body and a support plate. The device body has a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, an operation input interface on the first side, a first engagement structure on the first side, and a second connection side A second articulating structure. The support plate comprises a plate body and a third connecting structure on one side of the plate body, and the third connecting structure can engage with the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure. When the third connecting structure is engaged with the first connecting structure, the board body is standing on the first side with the side, and a portable device is supported on the first side by the board. And when the third connecting structure is engaged with the second connecting structure, the plate body is flat against the second side.

Description

Input device with support structure

The present invention relates to an input device, and more particularly to an input device that provides a support structure for a portable device.

Tablets and smart phones are widely used, and they usually provide input interfaces in parts of the touch screen, such as keyboards, tablets, and the like. Due to the size of the display area of the input interface, the user can only input by inputting the input interface with a single finger, which is very inconvenient. Therefore, there is currently an external keyboard that can be connected to a tablet or a smart phone (such as Bluetooth), so that the user can operate the keyboard simultaneously with both hands. However, when the user uses an external keyboard as the input interface of the tablet or the smart phone, the tablet or the smart phone needs to be supported by another bracket, so that the user can conveniently watch the tablet at the same time when operating the external keyboard. Or the display content of a smart phone. This bracket is usually independent of the external keyboard, which increases the number of accessories and increases the difficulty of storage and management.

In view of the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides an input device having a support structure that simultaneously supports a portable device communicatively coupled thereto and provides an input interface that is user-friendly.

An input device having a support structure according to the present invention includes a device body and a support plate. The device body has a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, an operation input interface on the first side, a first engagement structure on the first side, and a second connection side A second articulating structure. The support plate comprises a plate body and a third connecting structure on one side of the plate body, and the third connecting structure can engage with the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure. When the third connecting structure is engaged with the first connecting structure, the board body is standing on the first side with the side, and a portable device is supported on the first side by the board. And when the third connecting structure is engaged with the second connecting structure, the plate body is flat against the second side. Therefore, the support plate is disposed on the first side of the main body of the device to support a portable device, so that the user can simultaneously use the operation input interface and the portable device; It is placed flat against the second side of the main body of the device to facilitate accommodation of the input device having the support structure.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

Please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 5. An input device 1 having a support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a device body 10 and a support plate 12. The device body 10 has a first side 10a, a second side 10b opposite to the first side 10a, an operation input interface 10c on the first side 10a, a first connection structure 102 on the first side 10a, and a first One of the two sides 10b is a second connection structure 104. The support plate 12 includes a plate body 120 and a third connecting structure 122 at one side 120a of the plate body 120. The third connecting structure 122 can be engaged with the first connecting structure 102 and the second connecting structure 104. When the third connecting structure 122 is engaged with the first connecting structure 102, the board body 120 stands on the first side 10a with its side 120a, and the portable device 2 is supported on the first side 10a by the board 120. As shown in FIG. 1 , at this time, the input device 1 having the support structure is in a use state, and the display screen 22 of the portable device 2 is substantially oriented to the operation input interface 10c, so that the user can easily use the operation input interface 10c and The display content of the display screen 22 can be viewed simultaneously. When the third connecting structure 122 is engaged with the second connecting structure 104, the plate body 120 is flat against the second side 10b, so as to facilitate the receiving of the input device 1 having the supporting structure, as shown in FIG. 5; at this time, the input with the supporting structure The device 1 is in a stowed state.

Please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 . In order to simplify the drawing, in FIG. 7 , the pedestal 110 and the plate body 120 are directly represented by a single solid body section. In this embodiment, the device body 10 includes a base 100 and a rotating base 106 pivotally connected to the base 100. The operation input interface 10c is located on the base 100, and the first connecting structure 102 is disposed on the rotating base 106. The two connection structures 104 are disposed on the base 100. Therefore, when the third connecting structure 122 is engaged with the first connecting structure 102, the supporting plate 12 is standing on the rotating base 106, so that the front plate 120 can be disposed at different angles with respect to the base 100 through the rotating rotating base 106. In other words, the portable device 2 can be set at different angles. In this embodiment, the base 100 and the rotating base 106 are pivotally connected through the two friction hinges 108, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, one of the two friction hinges 108 is instead a general hinge, or is pivoted directly in a hole or shaft configuration, which itself does not provide friction, such a configuration still enables the rotating base 106 to be relative to the base 100. For example, the base 100 and the rotating base 106 are only pivoted by using a friction hinge with strong structural strength; for example, the base 100 and the rotating base 106 are directly pivoted by a hole and a shaft structure. The bore shaft can be blended to create a frictional effect. In this example, an infinite number of angles of the board 120 relative to the base 100 can be provided. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the base 100 and the rotating base 106 are pivotally connected by a hinge having a positioning structure. A limited number of angles are provided for the plate body 120 relative to the base 100. In addition, in the present embodiment, the rotating base 106 includes a pivoting portion 1062 and a protruding portion 1064. The rotating base 106 and the base 100 are connected to the pivot A1 via the pivoting portion 1062 (shown by a chain line in FIG. 1 and In FIG. 2, which is shown by a cross mark in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the protruding portion 1064 protrudes from the pivot portion 1062 perpendicular to the pivot axis A1. The base 100 has a stopping portion 100a. The pivot A1 is located between the blocking portion 100a and the operation input interface 10c. The base 100 blocks the protruding portion 1064 through the blocking portion 100a to limit the rotation of the rotating base 106 relative to the base 100. Rotation, as shown in FIG. 7 (wherein, in the perspective of FIG. 7, the stopper 100a limits the clockwise rotation angle of the rotating base 106 with respect to the base 100).

In this embodiment, the device body 10 has a bottom surface 10d on the second side 10b and a protruding structure 110 protruding from the bottom surface 10d, so that the device body 10 presents a stepped structure on the second side 10b, so when having a supporting structure When the input device 1 is in the use state, the operation input interface 10c is disposed at an oblique angle with the horizontal plane to facilitate the user to use the operation input interface 10c, as shown in FIG. The raised structure 110 has a side surface 110a, the side surface 110a is connected to the bottom surface 10d, and the second joint structure 104 is located on the side surface 110a. When the third connecting structure 122 is engaged with the second connecting structure 104, the plate body 120 is flat against the bottom surface 10d, so that the plate body 120 utilizes the space formed by the stepped structure of the device body 10 on the second side 10b, which is favorable for storage, as shown in FIG. 7. Shown. In the embodiment, the device body 10 includes a first magnetic attraction portion 112 (shown in phantom in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5), and the plate body 120 includes a second magnetic attraction portion 124 (shown by a broken line. In FIG. 5, the plate body 120 is attracted by the first magnetic attraction portion 112 and the second magnetic attraction portion 124 to be flat or flat on the second side 10b. In practice, the first magnetic attraction portion 112 can be implemented as a paramagnetic plate member (for example, the bottom surface 10d of the device body 10 is made of an iron plate), and the second magnetic attraction portion 124 is correspondingly implemented by a magnet; The first magnetic attraction portion 112 and the second magnetic attraction portion 124 are each implemented by a magnet. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first magnetic attraction portion 112 is located on the other side of the apparatus main body 10 with respect to the convex structure 110, so that when the input device 1 having the support structure is in the storage state, opposite sides of the plate body 120 Both of them are restrained and can be firmly fixed to the second side 10b, but the invention is not limited thereto; for example, when the magnetic attraction is sufficiently strong, the first magnetic portion 112 and the second magnetic portion 124 are also close to each other. The raised structure 110 is disposed. In principle, the presence of the first magnetic attraction portion 112 and the second magnetic attraction portion 124 contributes to the stability of the plate body 120 against the second side 10b. In addition, in practice, if the connection strength between the third connecting structure 122 and the second connecting structure 104 is sufficient to stabilize the supporting plate body 120 (or the supporting plate 12), the first magnetic portion 112 and the second magnetic portion 124 It can also be omitted and still enable the plate body 120 to effectively lie against the second side 10b. Moreover, in practice, the device body 10 and the support plate 12 may additionally include a latching structure that can be coupled to each other, such that when the input device 1 having the support structure is in the storage state, the latch structures can be mutually engaged to enable The plate body 120 is stably fixed to the second side 10b, for example, a plurality of hooks, card slots and the like.

In addition, in the embodiment, the device body 10 includes a first support pad 114 on the bottom surface 10d and a second support pad 116 on the protrusion structure 110. The board body 120 includes a third support pad 1202. In this embodiment, the first support pad 114 and the second support pad 116 are both implemented by two rubber pads, and the third support pad 1202 is implemented by a rubber strip; in practice, the support pads 114, 116, The structure outline, size, and number of settings of the 1202 are not limited to the foregoing. When the third connecting structure 122 is engaged with the second connecting structure 104, the plate body 120 is flat against the bottom surface 10d and covers the first supporting pad 114, and the input device 1 having the supporting structure can be supported by the second supporting pad 116 and the third supporting body Pad 1202 is supported. When the third connecting structure 122 is engaged with the first connecting structure 102, the input device 1 having the supporting structure can be supported by the first supporting pad 114 and the second supporting pad 116, and the portable device 2 is reliable to the third supporting pad 1202. It is supported on the first side 10a. In this embodiment, the board body 120 has a surface 120b and a relief structure 1204 formed on the surface 120b, so that when the third connecting structure 122 is engaged with the second connecting structure 104, the first supporting pad 114 can enter the avoidance. The structure 1204 is such that the surface 120b can be flat against the bottom surface 10d. In the present embodiment, the relief structure 1204 is implemented in two grooves, the number of which is in principle consistent with the number of rubber pads as the first support pad 114.

In addition, in the embodiment, the protrusion structure 110 has a top surface 110b, the second support pad 116 is located on the top surface 110b, the board body 120 has a plane 120c opposite to the surface 120b, and the third support pad 1202 is located on the plane 120c. on. When the third engaging structure 122 is engaged with the second engaging structure 104 such that the plate body 120 is flat against the bottom surface 10d, the plane 120c is substantially coplanar with the top surface 110b; at this time, the input device 1 having the supporting structure generally presents a rectangular plate body as a whole. This also helps to accommodate.

In addition, in practice, a slip pad 118 (shown in phantom in FIG. 1) may be disposed on the first side 10a of the device body 10. When the input device 1 having the supporting structure is in the use state, the portable device 2 abuts against the plate body 120 and also abuts against the sliding pad 118 on the lower side, so that the portable device 2 can be more stably supported. On the first side 10a. In addition, in practice, the anti-slip function of the above-mentioned anti-slip pad 118 to the portable device 2 can also be realized by the structure in which the first side 10a protrudes upward, for example, the structure of the protrusion blocks the lower side of the portable device 2, Preventing the portable device 2 from sliding; further, the anti-slip function of the anti-slip pad 118 on the portable device 2 can also be implemented by a recess provided on the first side 10a, for example, when the portable device 2 is inclined When the one side 10a is on, the lower side of the portable device 2 is inserted into the recess, and the portable device 2 can be prevented from sliding.

In addition, in the embodiment, the operation input interface 10c is a keyboard, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the operation input interface 10c may include the keyboard and a touchpad adjacent to the keyboard (such as a touchpad of a notebook computer); for example, the operation input interface 10c is implemented by a touch display panel, The keyboard is displayed for use as a keyboard, or a range of regions (eg, represented by a box) can be displayed for use as a trackpad (eg, providing handwriting input, cursor control), or both. In the embodiment, the third connecting structure 122 includes two protruding members. Correspondingly, the first connecting structure 102 and the second connecting structure 104 respectively comprise two slots, and the third connecting structure 122 is inserted into the slot via the protruding member. The first connection structure 102 and the second connection structure 104 are coupled to each other, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the third connecting structure 122 may include more protruding members. Correspondingly, the first connecting structure 102 and the second connecting structure 104 respectively include more slots; for example, the third connecting structure 122 may only include one protruding portion. a first protruding structure 102 and a second protruding structure 104 respectively comprise a The slot that the protruding piece is combined with. In addition, in practice, the device body 10 is provided with a control module, a communication module, etc., and the control module is electrically connected to the operation input interface 10c and receives user input, control module and communication mode via the operation input interface 10c. The electrical connections are made to communicate with the portable device 2 via the communication module and to communicate the user's input to the portable device 2.

In addition, in the embodiment, the plate body 120 can be disposed at different angles with respect to the base 100 through the rotating rotating base 106, but the invention is not limited thereto. Please refer to FIG. 8, which is an input device 3 having a support structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. The input device 3 having the support structure is substantially identical in structure to the input device 1 having the support structure, so that the input device 3 having the support structure still uses the component symbols of the input device 1 having the support structure, with respect to the input device 3 having the support structure For other explanations, please refer to the description of the same named components in the input device 1 having the support structure, and no further details are provided. The input device 3 having the support structure is mainly different from the input device 1 having the support structure in that the device body 30 of the input device 3 having the support structure does not have a rotation mechanism (for example, the rotary seat 106 and the base 100 in the input device 1 having the support structure) The pivoting structure), the first connecting structure 302 of the device body 30 has a plurality of sets of slots 302a, 302b, 302c, each of the slots 302a, 302b, 302c are arranged in the direction of the pivot A1 and can be connected to the third Structure 122 is coupled. Each set of slots 302a, 302b, 302c (each group is shown by a dashed line) is formed by obliquely extending at different angles (that is, the non-vertical obliquely extending toward the first side 10a), so each set of slots 302a 302b, 302c can provide different angular settings of the plate body 120 relative to the base 100. In this embodiment, the first connecting structure 302 can provide three angles of the board 120 relative to the base 100. In practice, the first connecting structure 302 can be designed to include more sets of slots to provide more A plurality of angular settings may also include slots that are perpendicular to the first side 10a. The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all changes and modifications made to the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of the present invention.

1‧‧‧Input device

10‧‧‧ device body

10a‧‧‧ first side

10b‧‧‧ second side

10c‧‧‧Operation input interface

10d‧‧‧ bottom

100‧‧‧Base

100a‧‧‧stops

102‧‧‧ first joint structure

104‧‧‧Second connection structure

106‧‧‧ rotating seat

1062‧‧‧ pivotal department

1064‧‧‧Protruding

108‧‧‧Friction hinge

110‧‧‧ convex structure

110a‧‧‧ side

110b‧‧‧ top surface

112‧‧‧First magnetic part

114‧‧‧First support pad

116‧‧‧Second support pad

118‧‧‧Slip mat

12‧‧‧Support board

120‧‧‧ board

120a‧‧‧ side

120b‧‧‧ surface

120c‧‧ plane

1202‧‧‧ Third support pad

1204‧‧‧ escaping structure

122‧‧‧ Third connection structure

124‧‧‧Second magnetic part

2‧‧‧Portable device

22‧‧‧Display screen

3‧‧‧Input device

30‧‧‧Device body

302‧‧‧First connection structure

302a, 302b, 302c‧‧‧ slots

A1‧‧‧ pivot

1 is a schematic diagram of an input device having a support structure in a state of use and supporting a portable device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic view showing a partial explosion of the input device having the support structure of FIG. 1. 3 is a schematic view of the main body of the apparatus of FIG. 2 from another perspective. 4 is a schematic view of the support plate of FIG. 2 in another view. Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the input device of Figure 1 having a support structure in a stowed condition. Figure 6 is an exploded view of the main body of the apparatus of Figure 2. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the input device of Figure 1 having a support structure taken along line X-X. Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a partial explosion of an input device having a support structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (10)

An input device having a support structure, comprising: a device body having a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, an operation input interface on the first side, and one of the first sides a first connecting structure and a second connecting structure on the second side; and a supporting plate comprising a plate body and a third connecting structure on one side of the one side of the plate body, the third connecting structure capable of The first connecting structure and the second connecting structure are engaged; wherein, when the third connecting structure is engaged with the first connecting structure and not connected with the second connecting structure, the board body stands on the side with the side On one side, a portable device is supported on the first side by the board body, and when the third connecting structure is engaged with the second connecting structure without being engaged with the first connecting structure, The plate body is flat against the second side. The input device of claim 1 , wherein the device body comprises a base and a rotating base pivotally connected to the base, the operation input interface is located on the base, and the first connection structure is configured The second engaging structure is disposed on the base on the rotating base. The input device of claim 2, wherein the rotating base comprises a pivoting portion and a protruding portion, and the rotating base is pivotally connected to the base relative to a pivot via the pivoting portion, the protruding portion The portion protrudes perpendicularly from the pivoting portion, the base has a stopping portion, the pivot is located between the stopping portion and the operation input interface, and the base blocks the protrusion through the blocking portion a portion to limit rotation of the rotating base relative to the base. An input device having a support structure according to claim 3, wherein the pivot portion and the base are pivotally connected via a friction hinge. An input device having a support structure according to claim 1, wherein the device body has a bottom surface and a convex structure protruding from the bottom surface on the second side, the convex structure having a side surface, the side surface and the bottom surface Connecting, the second connecting structure is located on the side, when the third connecting structure and the first The two connecting structures are connected, and the plate body is flat against the bottom surface. An input device having a support structure according to claim 5, wherein the device body comprises a first support pad on the bottom surface and a second support pad on the convex structure, the plate body comprising a third a supporting pad, when the third connecting structure is engaged with the second connecting structure, the plate body is flat against the bottom surface and covers the first supporting pad, and the input device with the supporting structure can be the second supporting pad and The third supporting pad supports, when the third connecting structure is engaged with the first connecting structure, the input device with the supporting structure can be supported by the first supporting pad and the second supporting pad, and the portable device is reliable The third support pad is supported on the first side. An input device having a support structure according to claim 6, wherein the convex structure has a top surface, the second support pad is located on the top surface, the plate body has a plane, and the third support pad is located at the plane The plane is substantially coplanar with the top surface when the third engaging structure is engaged with the second engaging structure such that the board is flat against the bottom surface. An input device having a support structure according to claim 1, wherein the device body comprises a first magnetic attraction portion, the plate body comprises a second magnetic attraction portion, and the plate body transmits the first magnetic attraction portion and the first The two magnetic suction portions are attracted to be flat against the second side. The input device of claim 1, wherein the third connecting structure comprises at least one protruding member, the first connecting structure and the second connecting structure respectively comprise at least one slot, and the third connecting structure comprises The at least one protruding member is inserted into the at least one slot to engage with the first engaging structure and the second engaging structure. An input device having a support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation input interface comprises a keyboard.