Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-05-22
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S689000, 36, C439S638000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236571
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attachment device of a portable electronic equipment and a feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment, and a separation type feature expanding device of the portable electronic equipment comprising the attachment device and the feature expanding unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to ensure the portability of portable electronic equipment such as a so-called notebook type personal computer or laptop type personal computer as well as expand the feature thereof, it has been proposed that a feature expanding unit containing a circuit for expanding the feature of the portable electronic equipment is provided and the portable electronic equipment is mounted on and removed from the feature expanding unit, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 119220/1991, for example.
The feature expanding unit and the portable electronic equipment are electrically connected to each other by inserting a male connector provided in the portable electronic equipment into a female connector provided in the feature expanding unit, for example. Further, there is provided means for inhibiting the relative movement therebetween in the direction in which the connectors are inserted and pulled out in order that the connectors are uselessly disconnected from each other.
Furthermore, the portable electronic equipment is provided with a connector for connecting equipment such as a printer or a scanner using a cable. When the cable is attached or detached every time the printer, the scanner, or the like is used, the portable electronic equipment is inconvenient for use. Therefore, the equipment such as the printer or scanner and a port replicator are constantly connected to each other by the cable, while the portable electronic equipment is removably provided in the port replicator (the port replicator and the port replicator portion refer to one comprising a first group of terminals to which a group of terminals of the portable electronic equipment is connected and a second group of terminals to which a group of terminals of the equipment such as the printer is connected), to decrease the complexity of connecting work of the cable.
When the feature of the portable electronic equipment is gradually expanded, the above-mentioned port replicator is liable to be first obtained, after which a feature expanding unit is liable to be newly obtained. When the feature expanding unit is newly obtained in a case where the port replicator has been already possessed, however, the port replicator which has been already possessed is useless, which means a waste of property.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has for its object to prevent equipment which has been already possessed from being useless in a case where the feature of a portable electronic equipment is gradually expanded, and to provide an attachment device of the portable electronic equipment, a feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment, and a separation type feature expanding device of the portable electronic equipment comprising the attachment device and the feature expanding unit.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent the situation where the feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment and the attachment device of the portable electronic equipment are stolen.
A separation type feature expanding device of a portable electronic equipment according to the present invention is a separation type feature expanding device of a portable electronic equipment which is separably provided with an attachment device of the portable electronic equipment which comprises a bottom supporting flat portion on which the portable electronic equipment is mounted, and a port replicator portion provided in a rear end of the bottom supporting flat portion and having a terminal portion to which a terminal portion provided on the rear surface of the portable electronic equipment is removably connected, and locking means, and a feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment which contains one or more feature expanding means of the portable electronic equipment, has its upper end surface on which the bottom supporting flat portion in the attachment device of the portable electronic equipment is mounted, and has a terminal portion to which the terminal portion of the port replicator portion in the attachment device of the portable electronic equipment is removably connected, which is characterized in that an engaging projection is formed on the upper surface of the feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment, an engaging hole into which the engaging projection is inserted is formed on the bottom surface of the bottom supporting flat portion in the attachment device of the portable electronic equipment, the bottom supporting flat portion is provided with a moving plate moved upon being operated by the locking means, and the moving plate is engaged with the engaging projection by an operation performed at the time of locking by the locking means to prevent the movement of the attachment device.
In such a construction, the attachment device of the portable electronic equipment cannot be removed from the feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment in a locked state by the locking means, so that the attachment device can be prevented from being stolen.
A separation type feature expanding device of a portable electronic equipment according to the present invention is a separation type feature expanding device of a portable electronic equipment which is separably provided with an attachment device of the portable electronic equipment which comprises a bottom supporting flat portion on which the portable electronic equipment is mounted, and a port replicator portion provided in a rear end of the bottom supporting flat portion and having a terminal portion to which a terminal portion provided on the rear surface of the portable electronic equipment is removably connected, and locking means, and a feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment which contains one or more feature expanding means of the portable electronic equipment, has its upper end surface on which the bottom supporting flat portion in the attachment device of the portable electronic equipment is mounted, and has a terminal portion to which the terminal portion of the port replicator portion in the attachment device of the portable electronic equipment is removably connected, and a card loading portion, which is characterized in that the bottom supporting flat portion in the attachment device is provided with a moving plate moved upon being operated by the locking means, the feature expanding unit is provided with a shutter driving plate moved by the moving plate, and the shutter driving plate is driven by an operation performed at the time of locking by the locking means so that at least a part of a card loading aperture of the card loading portion is closed by a shutter plate mounted on the shutter driving plate.
In such a construction, a card cannot be taken out from the feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment in a locked state by the locking means, so that the card can be prevented from being stolen.
A separation type feature expanding device of a portable electronic equipment according to the present invention is a separation type feature expanding device of a portable electronic equipment which is separably provided with an attachment device of the portable electronic equipment which comprises a bottom supporting flat portion on which the portable electronic equipment is mounted, a port replicator portion provided in a rear end of the bottom supporting flat portion and having a terminal portion to which a terminal portion provided on the back surface of the portable electronic equipment is removably connected, and locking means, a feature expanding unit of the portable electronic equipment which cont
Adachi Mikio
Dohi Hidemi
Ikeuchi Toshio
Sunagawa Shoichi
Yamaguchi Shin-ichi
Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn
Picard Leo P.
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
Vortman Anatoly
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