Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-14
2002-04-23
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S754000, C360S099020, C369S077210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06377451
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-276825, filed Sep. 29, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a door mechanism for opening and closing a card slot into which a PC card, for example, is inserted, and more particularly to a spring structure urging first and second door panels of the mechanism toward their closed positions.
An electronic apparatus such as a portable computer incorporates a card receptacle for receiving, for example, a PC card. This type of card receptacle has a card slot, which opens to a side surface of the computer. A door mechanism of a shutter type is provided at the card slot for preventing dust, foreign matter, etc. from getting into the card receptacle while a PC card is removed therefrom.
FIGS. 22
to
26
show an example of a conventional door mechanism
1
. The door mechanism
1
includes a frame
2
and first and second door panels
3
and
4
. The frame
2
has upper and lower walls
5
a
and
5
b
and left and right side walls
5
c
and
5
d.
The upper and lower walls
5
a
and
5
b
extend horizontal and parallel to each other. The side walls
5
c
and
5
d
extend vertical and connect the opposed ends of the upper and lower walls
5
a
and
5
b.
The walls
5
a
-
5
d
are joined to form a slim insertion port
6
. The insertion port
6
functions as a card slot for inserting and ejecting a PC card
16
.
First and second bearings
7
a
and
7
b
are formed at front edge portions of the side wall
5
c.
The first and second bearings
7
a
and
7
b
are vertically separated from each other. A third bearing
7
c
is formed at a front edge portion of the upper wall
5
a.
The third bearing
7
c
is opposed to the first bearing
7
a
at the upper edge of the insertion port
6
. A fourth bearing
7
d
is formed at a front edge portion of the lower wall
5
b.
The fourth bearing
7
d
is situated below the third bearing
7
c,
and opposed to the second bearing
7
b
at the lower edge of the insertion port
6
.
As is shown in
FIG. 24
, the first to fourth bearings
7
a
-
7
d
have bearing holes
8
a
-
8
d,
respectively. The bearing hole
8
a
of the first bearing
7
a
is arranged coaxial with the bearing hole
8
c
of the third bearing
7
c,
with the insertion port
6
interposed therebetween. The bearing hole
8
b
of the second bearing
7
b
is arranged coaxial with the bearing hole
8
d
of the fourth bearing
7
d,
with the insertion port
6
interposed therebetween.
The first and second door panels
3
and
4
are made of an elastically deformable synthetic resin, and formed of slim plate-like members extending along the insertion port
6
. The first and second door panels
3
and
4
are arranged vertical inside the insertion port
6
.
The first door panel
3
is situated between the first and third bearings
7
a
and
7
c,
and has first and second end portions separated from each other along the length of the insertion port
6
. The first end portion has a first pivot shaft
10
a
projecting to the first bearing
7
a,
while the second end portion has a second pivot shaft
10
b
projecting to the third bearing
7
c.
The first pivot shaft
10
a
is fitted in the bearing hole
8
a
of the first bearing
7
a
such that it can pivot axially. The second pivot shaft
10
b
is fitted in the bearing hole
8
c
of the third bearing
7
c
such that it can pivot axially. Thus, the first door panel
3
is supported by the frame
2
such that it can pivot on the first and second pivot shafts
10
a
and
10
b
between a closed position in which the upper half space of the insertion port
6
is closed, and an open position in which the upper half space of the insertion port
6
is open.
The second door panel
4
is situated between the second and fourth bearings
7
b
and
7
d,
and has first and second end portions separated from each other along the length of the insertion port
6
. The first end portion has a first pivot shaft
11
a
projecting to the second bearing
7
b,
while the second end portion has a second pivot shaft
11
b
projecting to the fourth bearing
7
d.
The first pivot shaft
11
a
is fitted in the bearing hole
8
b
of the second bearing
7
b
such that it can pivot axially. The second pivot shaft
11
b
is fitted in the bearing hole
8
d
of the fourth bearing
7
d
such that it can pivot axially. Thus, the second door panel
4
is supported by the frame
2
such that it can pivot on the first and second pivot shafts
11
a
and
11
b
between a closed position in which the lower half space of the insertion port
6
is closed, and an open position in which the lower half space of the insertion port
6
is open.
As is shown in
FIG. 22
or
25
, where the first and second door panels
3
and
4
are in their closed positions, they stand straight, are situated in a single vertical plane, and appear in the insertion port
6
. On the other hand, where the first and second door panels
3
and
4
are in their open positions, they are folded substantially horizontally along the upper and lower walls
5
a
and
5
b
of the frame
2
, and are retreated from the insertion port
6
.
The first and second bearings
7
a
and
7
b
each have a stopper
12
. The stoppers
12
are brought into contact with the first and second door panels
3
and
4
when the panels are swung from their open positions to their closed positions, thereby limiting an excessive movement thereof.
The first and second door panels
3
and
4
are urged toward their closed positions by means of respective helical torsion springs
13
. As shown in
FIG. 26
or
27
, each helical torsion spring
13
has a coil section
14
, a first arm section
15
a
and a second arm section
15
b.
The coil section
14
is formed by tightly winding a metal strand. The first arm section
15
a
radially extends from an end of the coil section
14
. The second arm section
15
b
tangentially extends from the other end of the coil section
14
. When the helical torsion spring
13
is viewed from a direction along the axis of the coil section
14
, as is shown in
FIG. 25
, the first and second arm sections
15
a
and
15
b
extend in different circumferential directions of the coil section
14
. The angle-of-twist &thgr; of the helical torsion spring
13
, determined by the arm sections
15
a
and
15
b,
is set at about 100° or more when the spring
13
is in a free state in which no load is applied thereto.
The first and second door panels
3
and
4
are designed to pivot in opposite directions. Accordingly, the helical torsion springs
13
incorporated in the first and second door panels
3
and
4
have windings wound in opposite directions.
More specifically, as shown in
FIG. 24
, in the first door panel
3
, the coil section
14
of the helical torsion spring
13
is mounted on the circumference of the first pivot shaft
10
a.
The coil section
14
is mounted on the pivot shaft
10
a
such that first arm section
15
a
extends downward from the shaft
10
a
in contact with the reverse surface of the first door panel
3
. Further, the second arm section
15
b
extends from the first pivot shaft
10
a
in a direction perpendicular to the first door panel
3
, and has its tip hooked on the upper wall
5
a
of the frame
2
.
In the second door panel
4
, the coil section
14
of the helical torsion spring
13
is mounted on the circumference of the second pivot shaft
11
b.
The coil section
14
is mounted on the pivot shaft
11
b
such that first arm section
15
a
extends upward from the shaft
11
b
in contact with the reverse surface of the second door panel
4
. Further, the second arm section
15
b
extends from the second pivot shaft
11
b
in a direction perpendicular to the second door panel
4
, and has its tip hooked on the lower wall
5
b
of the frame
2
.
Where the helical torsion springs
13
are incorporated in the first and second door panels
3
and
4
as shown in
Datskovsky Michael
Picard Leo P.
LandOfFree
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