Television – Video display – Cabinet or chassis
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-20
2004-02-03
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3637)
Television
Video display
Cabinet or chassis
C312S223200, C361S689000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06686974
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to information processing apparatuses, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus having a portable shape.
Information processing apparatuses typified by lap-top computers and portable word processors have become more affordable and popular in recent years. With respect to such portable information processing apparatuses, there are demands to improve their portability so that the user can easily carry the information processing apparatus in a bag or the like. To meet such demands, various proposals have been made to reduce the overall size, thickness and weight of the portable information processing apparatus.
As conventional methods of reducing the overall size, thickness and weight of the portable information processing apparatus, there are a method which reduces the thickness and weight by employing a liquid crystal display, a method which reduces the overall size and weight by employing electronic parts having a low power consumption, a method which reduces the overall size and thickness by minimizing clearances between internal units of the portable information processing apparatus, a method which reduces the thickness and weight by employing a resin casing or cover having a reduced basic thickness, and the like.
However, at the present, a considerable progress in the above described methods cannot be expected for the following reasons.
First, the overall size and thickness of parts forming the portable information processing apparatus have already been reduced to nearly the technical limit, and a new technique which would enable further reduction in the overall size and thickness of the parts is unlikely to be developed in the near future.
Second, even if a technique is developed to further reduce the overall size and thickness of the parts forming the portable information processing apparatus, the portable information processing apparatus would only become more difficult for the user to operate if the overall size and thickness of the portable information processing apparatus are further reduced considerably. For example, an excessively reduced keyboard would only make it more difficult for the user to operate keys of the keyboard, and an excessively reduced display would only make it more difficult for the user to see displayed information on the display.
Third, if the basic thickness of the resin casing or cover is further reduced in order to further reduce the thickness of the portable information processing apparatus, the strength and rigidity of the casing or cover deteriorate. As a result, the casing or cover with the further reduced thickness would easily break, thereby deteriorating the reliability of the portable information processing apparatus. In the case of the portable information processing apparatus, the chances of the portable information processing apparatus receiving an external shock is not small since the portable information processing apparatus is often carried by the user, and for this reason, it is desirable that the casing or cover has certain strength and rigidity so that the portable information processing apparatus will uneasily be damaged by external shock.
FIG. 1
is a front view generally showing an example of a conventional information processing apparatus set up on a base. In
FIG. 1
, an information processing apparatus
41
is set up on a base
42
such as a desk. The information processing apparatus
41
has a generally flat parallelepiped shape. When the user wishes to carry the information processing apparatus
41
in a bag or the like, the user may have difficulty accommodating the information processing apparatus
41
in the bag by one hand particularly when documents or the like are already accommodated within the bag.
FIG. 2
is a cross sectional view for explaining accommodation of the information processing apparatus
41
into a bag
44
which already accommodates documents
43
. In the case shown in
FIG. 2
, the side surface of the information processing apparatus
41
will hit the documents
43
within the bag
44
if an attempt is made to accommodate the information processing apparatus
41
in the bag
44
. More particularly, since a corner portion
45
where the side and bottom surfaces of the information processing apparatus
41
meet and a corner portion
46
where the side and top surfaces of the information processing apparatus
41
meet are sharp, these corner portions
45
and
46
will hit the documents
43
when the user tries to put the information processing apparatus
41
into the bag
44
. For this reason, the user must first move the documents
43
or the like already accommodated within the bag
44
so as to form a space which would enable accommodation of the information processing apparatus
41
within the bag
44
, before actually inserting the information processing apparatus
41
into the bag
44
. However, it is extremely difficult for the user to move the documents
43
or the like within the bag
44
and to then insert the information processing apparatus
41
into the bag
44
using only one hand.
On the other hand, when the user wishes to lift the information processing apparatus
41
which is set up on the base
42
as shown in
FIG. 1
, the user must insert his fingers between the base
42
and the information processing apparatus
41
. However, since the side and bottom surfaces-of the information processing apparatus
41
are flat and right angles to each other, there is no space between the information processing apparatus
41
and the base
42
for receiving the user's finger tips, and it is extremely difficult for the user to lift the information processing apparatus
41
from the base
42
, particularly when using only one hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful information processing apparatus in which the problems described above are eliminated and the demands described above are satisfied.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus which has a shape that improves portability of the information processing apparatus.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus comprising a main body having an upper surface, and a display part which opens and closes with respect to the main body, where the display part in a closed state is stacked on the upper surface of the main body and forms a generally flat parallelepiped shape together with the main body, the parallelepiped shape has a top surface, a bottom surface, and side surfaces forming an outer periphery of the parallelepiped shape, and the main body has a first sloping surface joining the bottom surface and at least one of the side surfaces. According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to improve both the portability of the information processing apparatus and the thin appearance of the information processing apparatus such that the apparent thickness of the information processing apparatus will look smaller than the actual thickness of the information processing apparatus.
A further object of the present invention is to provide the information processing apparatus of the type described above, and wherein a vertical height of the first sloping surface taken from the bottom surface to a position where the first sloping surface and the side surface meet is greater than ¼ a vertical distance between the bottom surface and the top surface and less than a vertical distance between the bottom surface and the upper surface of the main body. According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to improve both the portability of the information processing apparatus and particularly the thin appearance of the information processing apparatus such that the apparent thickness of the information processing apparatus will look smaller than the actual thickness of the information pro
Goto Katsuichi
Kamikakai Hideaki
Mai Lanna
Tran Hanh V.
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