Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-21
2001-05-01
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S679090, C439S357000, C439S385000, C439S929000, C320S110000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable device and further relates to a concentrator for performing data transmission and reception and/or power feeding relative to the portable device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, portable devices which can be used as terminals of a host computer have been widely available. These portable devices are used, for example, for managing schedules, inputting and outputting various data on business, inputting data thereinto from the host computer or feeding data therefrom into the host computer.
FIGS. 13-17
are diagrams showing one of the conventional portable devices, wherein
FIG. 13
is a plan view of the conventional portable device with a cover
3
thereof being closed,
FIG. 14
is a plan view of the conventional portable device with the cover
3
being opened,
FIG. 15
is a plan view showing a hinge mechanism
4
for coupling the cover
3
to a portable device body
1
in the conventional portable device,
FIG. 16
is a sectional view taken along line A—A in
FIG. 15
for showing a coupling portion of the conventional hinge mechanism
4
, and
FIG. 17
is a front view for explaining an assembled state of the conventional hinge mechanism
4
.
The conventional portable device includes the portable device body
1
, a touch panel
2
provided on the surface of the device body
1
, and the cover
3
pivotally coupled to the device body
1
so as to cover the touch panel
2
when it is closed and uncover the touch panel
2
when it is opened. The cover
3
is in the form of an opaque plate so that the whole display portion formed by the touch panel
2
is covered by the cover
3
when it is closed. The cover
3
is coupled to the device body
1
via the hinge mechanism
4
. The hinge mechanism
4
includes the cover
3
and a hinge strip
5
coupled to the cover
3
. At a coupling portion of the cover
3
is provided a recessed portion
6
for receiving therein the hinge strip
5
in a nearly tight fashion. Further, holes
7
are formed on opposite inner surfaces of the cover
3
defining therebetween the recessed portion
6
, respectively, while corresponding projections
8
are provided on opposite end surfaces of the hinge strip
5
so as to be fitted into the holes
7
, respectively. For coupling the cover
3
and the hinge strip
5
, the hinge strip
5
is first brought into the recessed portion
6
of the cover
3
and then slightly bent as shown in
FIG. 17 and
, after matching positions of the projections
8
and the holes
7
, the deformation of the hinge strip
5
is released to allow the projections
8
to be fitted into the corresponding holes
7
, respectively. In this manner, the cover
3
is pivotally mounted or attached to the device body
1
to cover and uncover the touch panel
2
. As appreciated, the hinge strip
5
is fixed to the device body
1
.
However, in the foregoing conventional portable device, when a user wishes to see the contents displayed on the touch panel
2
or input a command via the touch panel
2
, it is always necessary to open the cover
3
, which is somewhat troublesome. Further, in the manufacturing process of the portable device, a certain large power as well as a delicate power adjustment are required for a worker to deform or bend the hinge strip
5
so that it is difficult to mount or attach the cover
3
to the device body
1
smoothly in a short time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved portable device which is convenient for use and can be easily assembled.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved concentrator which is capable of dealing with a portable device of any size within a given range.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a portable device comprises a portable device body; a touch panel provided on a surface of the device body; a cover coupled to the device body for covering the touch panel when it is closed and uncovering the touch panel when it is opened; a window provided at the cover to allow the touch panel to be seen through the window when the cover is closed; and a button provided at a position on the cover corresponding to the touch panel, the button being operable from an outer side of the cover to control an operation of the touch panel while the cover is closed.
It may be arranged that a mounting hole is formed through the cover from the outer side to a reverse side, and that the button is made of an elastic material and disposed in the mounting hole so as to be elastically deformable in directions toward and away from the touch panel when the cover is closed.
It may be arranged that the button is provided at an outer periphery thereof with a radially inward engaging groove extending circumferentially, and that the button is supported in the mounting hole by engagement between the engaging groove and a mounting flange formed in the mounting hole of the cover.
It may be arranged that the mounting flange has an annular shape with an upper surface which gradually inclines downward in a radially inward direction.
It may be arranged that the button is provided at an outer periphery thereof with a radially outward mounting flange extending circumferentially, and that the button is supported in the mounting hole by engagement between the mounting flange and an engaging groove formed in the mounting hole of the cover.
It may be arranged that the button has a protruding portion at its tip at a side of the cover opposite to the outer side.
It may be arranged that the cover is coupled to the device body via a hinge mechanism.
It may be arranged that the hinge mechanism comprises the cover, a hinge strip and a hinge pin for coupling the cover and the hinge strip, that a first recessed portion is provided at a coupling portion of one of the cover and the hinge strip for receiving therein a coupling portion of the other of the cover and the hinge strip, the one of the cover and the hinge strip further provided with a guide groove extending through a portion thereof from its outer side and opening to the first recessed portion while the other of the cover and the hinge strip being provided at the coupling portion thereof with a second recessed portion corresponding to the guide groove, and that the cover and the hinge strip are coupled to each other by inserting the hinge pin through the guide groove to engage into the second recessed portion.
It may be arranged that a locking mechanism is provided at the guide groove and the hinge pin for locking the hinge pin at the guide groove.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a concentrator comprises a concentrator body; and a device receiving unit attached to the concentrator body for receiving therein a portable device so as to perform at least one of data transmission and reception and power feeding relative to the portable device, wherein the device receiving unit is capable of receiving the portable device of any size within a given range and performing the at least one of the data transmission and reception and the power feeding relative to the portable device received therein.
It may be arranged that the device receiving unit comprises a confronting wall orienting against an insertion direction of the portable device for receiving the portable device thereon, a bottom wall for supporting the portable device, a front-side wall for abutting a front side of the portable device and a rear-side wall for abutting a rear side of the portable device, wherein the confronting, bottom, front-side and rear-side walls define a space for receiving therein the portable device, and that the space is opened to the exterior at a side opposite to the bottom wall and a side opposite to the confronting wall.
It may be arranged that the device receiving unit is secured to the concentrator body in a posture inclined from a horizontal plane relative to two orthogonal coordinate axes.
It may be arranged that the device receiving unit is gradually inclined downward in a di
Gotoh Hirokazu
Hayashi Kiyotsugu
Horie Kenzo
Nambu Keiji
Takahashi Takayuki
Lea-Edmonds Lisa
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendell, L.L.P
Picard Leo P.
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