Foldable mobile electronic device

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a foldable mobile electronic device, in particular, to a foldable mobile electronic device with a concealed hinge.

2. Description of the Related Art

FIG. 1 depicts a conventional foldable mobile electronic device 1 , comprising a body 2 , a top cover 3 and a hinge 4 . When the foldable mobile electronic device 1 is opened, the hinge 4 interrupts the horizontal surface formed by the body 2 and the top cover 3 , as shown in FIG. 2 .

The invention provides a foldable mobile electronic device with a concealed hinge. The hinge is concealed, allowing the electronic device to form a fully horizontal state when opened.

Accordingly, the invention provides a foldable mobile electronic device comprising a body, a top cover and a hinge. The body comprises a first sliding mechanism. The top cover comprises a second sliding mechanism moving between a first position and a second position relative to the body. The hinge comprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion. The first protrusion corresponds to the first sliding mechanism and the second protrusion corresponds to the second sliding mechanism. When the top cover is in the first position, the hinge extends from the body and the top cover to be exposed, and when the top cover is in the second position, the hinge is accommodated in the foldable mobile electronic device.

Preferably, the body comprises a first notch and the top cover comprises a second notch. When the top cover is in the first position, the first notch overlaps the second notch. When the top cover is in the second position, the first notch connects with the second notch and the hinge is accommodated in the first notch and the second notch.

Preferably, the foldable mobile electronic device further comprises a first magnet set and a second magnet set. The first magnet set and the second magnet set are disposed in the first notch and the second notch, respectively. When the top cover is in the first position, the first magnet set and the second magnet set are aligned vertically and attracted to each other. When the top cover is in the second position, the first magnet set and the second magnet set are aligned horizontally and attracted to each other.

Preferably, the body further comprises a first wall and the top cover further comprises a second wall. The first sliding mechanism is disposed on the first wall and the second sliding mechanism is disposed on the second wall.

Preferably, the first sliding mechanism further comprises a plurality of first tracks, and the second sliding mechanism further comprises a plurality of second tracks corresponding to the first tracks.

Preferably, the first protrusion further comprises a plurality of first protruding members, and the second protrusion further comprises a plurality of second protruding members. The first protruding members and the second protruding members are disposed in the first tracks and the second tracks, respectively. When the top cover moves from the first position to the second position, the first protruding members and the second protruding members slide in the first tracks and the second tracks, respectively.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional foldable mobile electronic device;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a conventional foldable mobile electronic device when opened;

FIG. 3A is a schematic view of a foldable mobile electronic device with a concealed hinge when folded;

FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the foldable mobile electronic device with a concealed hinge when opened;

FIG. 4A is an exploded view of the foldable mobile electronic device with a concealed hinge when folded;

FIG. 4B is an exploded view of a foldable mobile electronic device with a concealed hinge in an opened condition;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the foldable mobile electronic device in FIG. 4A ;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the foldable mobile electronic device in FIG. 4B ;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the magnet sets in FIG. 4A ; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the magnet sets in FIG. 4B .

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B , a foldable mobile electronic device with a concealed hinge 10 comprises a body 20 , a top cover 30 and the hinge 40 . The top cover 30 movably connects with the body 20 between a foldable position (a first position hereafter, as shown in FIG. 3A ) and an open position (a second position hereafter, as shown in FIG. 3B ). The hinge 40 movably connects with the body 20 and the top cover 30 . When the top cover 20 is in the first position, the hinge is exposed out of the body 20 and the top cover 30 . When the top cover 30 moves between the first position and the second position, the hinge 40 slides between the body 20 and the top cover 30 . When the top cover 30 is in the second position, the hinge 40 is accommodated in the foldable mobile electronic device 10 .

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B , the body 20 comprises a first notch 21 , a first surface 22 and two first walls 23 , and the top cover 30 comprises a second notch 31 , a second surface 32 and two second walls 33 . The first notch 21 corresponds to the second notch 32 . The first surface 22 and the second surface 32 adjacently connect with the first walls 23 and the second walls 33 , respectively.

When the top cover 30 is in the first position, such that the foldable mobile electronic device 10 is folded, the first surface 22 overlaps the second surface 32 and the first notch 21 overlaps the second notch 31 , allowing the hinge 40 to be exposed out of the body 20 and the top cover 30 .

When the top cover 30 is in the second position, such that the foldable mobile electronic device 10 is open, the first surface 21 connects with the second surface 31 to form a first coplanar, and the first wall 23 connects with the second wall 32 to form a second coplanar, allowing the first notch 21 to connect with the second notch 32 , such that the hinge 40 can be accommodated in the first notch 21 and the second notch 31 .

Referring to FIG. 4A , the body 20 further comprises a first sliding mechanism. The first sliding mechanism comprises four first tracks 24 , wherein each of the first walls 23 comprises two first tracks 24 . The top cover 30 further comprises a second sliding mechanism. The second sliding mechanism comprises four second tracks 34 , wherein each of the second walls 33 comprises two second tracks 34 . The structure of the two first walls 23 and the two second walls 33 are the same; therefore only one of the first walls 23 and only one of the second walls 33 are shown in FIG. 4A .

In FIG. 4B , the first sliding track 24 corresponds to the second sliding track 34 . The hinge 40 comprises a first protrusion corresponding to the first sliding mechanism and a second protrusion corresponding to the second sliding mechanism (close to the first walls and the second walls, respectively). The first protrusion comprises two first protruding members 40 a , and the second protrusion comprises two second protruding members 40 b . The first protruding members 40 a are disposed in the first tracks 24 , and the second protruding members 40 b are disposed in the second tracks 34 . Each of the first tracks 24 comprises a first end 24 a and a second end 24 b , and each of the second tracks 34 comprises a third end 34 a and a fourth end 34 b . As shown in FIG. 5 , when the top cover 30 is in the first position, the first protruding members 40 a of the hinge 40 are disposed on first ends 24 a of the first tracks 24 , and the second protruding members 40 b of the hinge 40 are disposed on the the third end 34 a of the second tracks 34 . At this time, the hinge 40 extends from the body 20 and the top cover 30 to be exposed. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the top cover 30 is in the second position, the first protruding members 40 a of the hinge 40 move to the second ends 24 b of the first tracks 24 , and the second protruding members 40 b of the hinge 40 move to the fourth end 34 b of the second tracks 34 , allowing the hinge 40 to be concealed within the first notch 21 and the second notch 31 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , a first magnet set 50 is disposed in the first notch 21 , and a second magnet set 51 is disposed in the second notch 31 . The first magnet set 50 comprises two magnets 50 a , 50 b , and the second magnet set 51 comprises two magnets 51 a , 51 b . The magnets 50 a and 50 b attract each other by positioning opposite poles to each other, and the magnets 51 a and 51 b attract each other by positioning opposite poles to each other.

Additionally, tracks are eliminated in FIG. 7 to clearly show the positions of the magnet sets and the hinge. When the top cover 30 is in the first position, the first magnet set 50 and the second magnet set 51 are aligned vertically to attract each other, allowing the body 20 and the top cover 30 to be firmly folded. When the top cover 30 is in the second position (as shown in FIG. 8 ), the magnets 50 a and 50 b of the first magnet set 50 switch positions to attract magnets 51 a and 51 b of the second magnet set 51 with opposite poles, allowing the body 20 and the top cover 30 to be firmly opened. At this time, the magnet set 50 and the second magnet set 51 are substantially covered in the hinge 40 .

When in use, the top cover 30 moves to the second position, forming a first coplanar by the first surface 22 of the body 20 and the second surface 32 of the top surface 30 , and a second coplanar by the first wall 23 of the body 20 and the second wall 33 of the top cover 30 . Furthermore, the first protruding members 40 a and the second protruding members 40 b of the hinge 40 move the second end 24 b of the first tracks 24 and the fourth end 34 b of the second tracks 34 , positioning the foldable mobile electronic device 10 into an angle 180 degree configuration in the open state.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.