Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-28
2001-02-20
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C312S223100, C429S099000, C429S100000, C429S096000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191941
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable electronic device including a body and a display portion which is openably and closably provided with respect to the body, and an electronic device battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, many types of portable electronic devices have been on sale. Sophisticated electronic devices having built therein a central processing unit (CPU) are available. Such electronic devices consume a large amount of electrical power when they are driven.
For example, a portable computer, being a type of portable electronic device, includes a body and a display portion that can be opened and closed with respect to the display portion through hinges. A typical example of such portable computers is the so-called notebook personal computer.
In order to drive the body and the display portion of such portable computers, batteries are mounted to such portable computers. A battery pack, for driving the body and the display portion, is set, for example, at the outer portion of the body. Such battery packs range from those having a large capacity to those having a small capacity. When the capacity of the battery pack is to be made large, many battery cells are mounted, resulting in an externally large and heavy battery pack. When, on the other hand, the capacity of the battery pack is to be made small, a small number of battery cells are mounted, resulting in a relatively externally small and light battery pack.
Since a large capacity battery pack contains a large number of battery cells, the battery cells are in general placed in a plurality of rows.
An example of a portable computer provided with such a battery pack is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-76898. The battery pack
2004
, disclosed therein, is electrically connected to the body
2000
of the computer, as shown in
FIGS. 27 and 28
.
However, the use of such a battery pack
2004
results in the following problem. The battery pack
2004
is integrally formed with the body
2000
of the computer, and the entire battery pack
2004
is rotatably mounted to the computer body
2004
. By rotating the entire battery pack
2004
with respect to the body
2000
in the direction of arrow Y, the back end portion of the body
2000
is supported above, for example, a desk, and tilted. Accordingly, the heavy battery pack
2004
, as a whole, must be rotated with respect to the body
2000
. Therefore, the computer has poor operability.
In the portable computer of
FIGS. 27 and 28
, the battery pack
2004
is mounted to the back end of the body
2000
. The battery pack
2004
is positioned at the back ends of the body
2000
and the display portion
2004
. The entire battery pack
2004
can be rotated with respect to the body
2000
and the display portion
2003
by an angle of 90 degrees in the direction of arrow Y of FIG.
27
. Such rotation of the battery pack
2004
causes the back end of the body
2000
to be raised from a supporting surface and the body
2000
to be tilted.
When such a structure is adopted, the entire battery pack
2004
must be electrically and mechanically, as well as rotatably, connected to the back end of the body
2000
. Therefore, it is necessary to provide rotating electrodes
2005
at the battery pack
2004
, as well as rotating connectors
2006
at the body
2000
side. Accordingly, since it is necessary to provide a structure for rotatably and removably mounting the battery pack
2004
to the body
2000
, as well as special coaxial, circular rotating electrodes
2005
and rotating connectors
2006
, the structure becomes very complicated, and electrical contact failure may result between the rotating electrodes
2005
and the rotating connectors
2006
when the battery pack
2004
is repeatedly rotated.
In the conventional structure, it is necessary to rotatably support the battery pack
2004
, and use a special annular contact structure for maintaining rotatable electrical contact. As a result, for example, the structure becomes complicated, a larger number of parts are used, production costs are increased, the relatively massive battery pack
2004
becomes less durable as a result of concentrated stress exerted thereon when it is supported.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device and an electronic device battery, which can overcome the above-described problems, wherein a simple structure for electrically connecting a battery portion to a body allows the back end of the body of the electronic device to be easily supported above a supporting surface and the body to be tilted as a result of rotating part of the battery.
To this end according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device comprising a body; a display portion which is openably and closably provided with respect to the body; a first battery portion which is provided at the back end of the body; and a second battery portion which is rotatably supported by the first battery portion.
In the one aspect of the present invention, a first battery portion is provided at the back end of the body of the electronic device, and a second battery portion is rotatably supported by the first battery portion. Accordingly, a simple structure can be used to support the first battery portion and the back end of the battery above a supporting surface, and tilt the body, by rotating the second battery portion. Raising the back end of the body in order to tilt and support the body allows the body to be operated more easily.
Although not exclusive, in a preferred form of the invention, the first battery portion may be removably disposed between at least one pair of opening-and-closing mechanical portions which openably and closably support the display portion with respect to the body.
Since the first battery portion can be removably mounted between at least a pair of opening-and-closing mechanical portions, the first battery portion and the second battery portion can be easily mounted to and removed from the body. The outside dimensions of the second battery portion can be the same as the outside dimensions of the opening-and-closing mechanical portions, thereby allowing the battery capacity to be increased, without increasing the thickness of the electronic device.
Although not exclusive, in another preferred form, the at least one pair of opening-and-closing portions may include hinge mechanisms.
Although not exclusive, in still another preferred form, the second battery portion, which has been rotated with respect to the first battery portion, may support the back end of the body above the supporting surface in order to tilt and support the body with respect to the supporting surface.
This allows the second battery portion to raise the back end of the body above a supporting surface in order to tilt and support the body with respect to the supporting surface. When the first battery portion is removably disposed between the opening-and-closing portions, and the display portion is to be rotated by more than 180 degrees with respect to the body as a result of rotating the second battery portion with respect to the first battery portion, it is possible to prevent breakage of the display portion, the body, and the second battery portion, since the display portion does not come into contact with the second battery portion.
Although not exclusive, in still another preferred form, the first battery portion, disposed between the hinges, may be mechanically and electrically connected at the body side so as to be removable from the body.
Although not exclusive, in still another preferred form, the first battery portion may be removably provided by making the first battery portion slidable with respect to the opening-and-closing mechanical portions disposed at the body.
This allows the first battery portion and the second battery portion to be easily mounted to and removed from the opening-and-closing mechanical portions disposed at the body.
Although not ex
Asawa Tsutomu
Goto Teiyu
Ito Susumu
Tanahashi Makoto
Bui Tung Minh
Frommer William S.
Frommer Lawrence & Haug LLP.
Picard Leo P.
Ryan Matthew K.
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