Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-27
2001-01-23
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S689000, C361S689000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178084
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, such as a portable computer, having a pack-type device removably attached to its housing.
In a portable computer, for example, its housing is provided with a mounting section, in which pack-type devices for expanded functions can be set alternatively as required. These devices include an FDD (floppy disk drive), CD-ROM drive, DVD (digital versatile disk) drive, etc.
In general, each pack-type device is in the form of a flat metallic casing that has a system unit therein. Conventionally, therefor, a flat mounting section for a pack-type device is provided in the housing of the portable computer so that one end portion thereof opens in the outer surface of the housing and serves as a device loading slot. The pack-type device is fitted into or removed from the mounting section through the loading slot.
However, the conventional arrangement in which the pack-type device is set in the housing of the computer has the following problems.
The mounting section in the housing is formed having specific dimensions (length, width, and depth). Although the mounting section can be loaded with a pack-type device of a size equal to or smaller than its size, therefore, it cannot receive a larger device. In other words, the sizes of available pack-type devices depend on that of the mounting section.
In developing a portable computer, the mounting section of the housing is designed to be adjusted to the maximum size of pack-type devices that are initially expected to be used therewith. After the computer is completed as a final product, however, it may be necessary to use a pack-type device that is larger than the mounting section. In this case, the device cannot be set in the mounting section to expand the faculty of the computer unless it can be made smaller than the mounting section.
Moreover, the size of the mounting section is influenced by the size of the largest of the available pack-type devices, and the housing size by the size of the mounting section. Accordingly, the size of the entire housing should be subject to the influence of that of the largest devices to be set in the mounting section.
Thus, even in case the largest pack-type devices are poorly demanded ones that are used only rarely, the overall size of the housing must inevitably be settled depending on the dimensions of these devices.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been contrived in consideration of these circumstances, and its object is to provide an electronic apparatus capable of being loaded alternatively with a plurality of pack-type devices of different sizes despite the size differences, and having a mounting section that can be sized without being influenced by the maximum size of the pack-type devices to be set therein.
In order to achieve the above object, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a housing including a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls set up individually on the peripheral edges of the bottom wall, and a mounting section formed of a recess opening to the bottom wall; a first pack-type device including a first device body having a first thickness and a first cover removably attached to the first device body, the first device being adapted to be removably fitted to the mounting section in a manner such that the first cover closes the opening of the mounting section and is flush with the bottom wall; and a second pack-type device including a second device body having a second thickness greater than the first thickness and a second cover removably attached to the second device body, the second device being adapted to be removably fitted to the mounting section in a manner such that the second cover closes the opening of the mounting section and projects from the bottom wall.
According to the present invention, the mounting section has a depth substantially equal to the sum of the respective thickness of the first device body and the first cover.
Further, the mounting section has a depth smaller than the sum of the respective thickness of the second device body and the second cover. The second device body has a thickness greater than the depth of the mounting section.
According to the invention, moreover, the housing includes a plurality of first leg portions on the bottom wall, having a given height, and the first pack-type device includes a second leg portion on the first cover, having the same height as the first leg portions.
In this case, the second pack-type device is formed so that the height of the projection thereof from the bottom wall is equal to the height of the first leg portions. Alternatively, the second pack-type device includes a third leg portion on the second cover such that the sum of the height of the projection of the second cover from the bottom wall and the height of the third leg portion is equal to the height of the first leg portions.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5210681 (1993-05-01), Hosoi et al.
patent: 5311455 (1994-05-01), Ho
patent: 5363273 (1994-11-01), Ma
patent: 5506749 (1996-04-01), Matsuda
patent: 5594617 (1997-01-01), Foster et al.
patent: 5828547 (1998-10-01), Francovich et al.
patent: 5905632 (1999-05-01), Seto et al.
patent: 5-20120 (1993-03-01), None
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Picard Leo P.
Reed John D.
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