Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-21
2001-12-04
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S695000, C174S015200, C165S104330
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327144
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to computing devices, such as portable laptop computers.
BACKGROUND
Computing devices are widely utilized in a multitude of environments. Users rely on portable computing devices when traveling for business or leisure, further relying on their durability and continued operability in any number of environments.
Due to their portability, portable computing devices are designed to withstand both environmental variances and user abuse. Computing devices are expected to remain operable even when accidentally or intentionally introduced to a wet environment. A user may leave a computing device poolside where it may be subjected to water splashing, or alternatively, a user may spill a liquid drink onto and into the device.
Conventional computing devices employ rubber materials to protect the device's peripheral openings from accidental liquid saturation. While rubber materials can be utilized externally to seal the device's openings, or utilized internally to protect components from liquids, liquid-proof rubber materials do not allow for dissipating the heat generated by many of today's computing devices.
The electronics in a typical portable laptop computer can generate upwards of fifteen to sixty-five watts of power that must be dissipated from the computer's electronic housing. The amount of heat required to be dissipated continues to increase as technology advances and computer performance continues to increase.
Typically, a computing device's keyboard assembly is utilized to dissipate heat by allowing airflow out of the device's electronic housing through the keyboard and keyboard supporting structure. Keyboard assemblies are designed with many openings to accommodate assembling the key actuation mechanisms with the keyboard base plate and to permit heat dissipation. Unfortunately, these same openings also allow liquids to penetrate into a computer's electronic housing and onto the electronic components.
Accordingly, there is a need to improve the portability and durability of computing devices in varying environments by providing liquid protection of the device's electronic components without sacrificing the requirements of electronic component heat dissipation.
SUMMARY
This disclosure pertains to improving the liquid protection of computing devices while maintaining and/or improving the devices' electronic component heat dissipation requirements. A liquid-resistant, heat-permeable material is utilized to cover the peripheral openings in a computing device to reduce the likelihood of liquids entering the device's component housing and damaging the components or rendering the device inoperable. Additionally, the liquid-resistant, heat-permeable material may be utilized to wrap and enclose the device's electronic components in the event that liquids do find their way into the device's component housing.
In the described implementation, a computing device is embodied as a portable laptop computer having a housing with a lid and a base hingedly connected together. A display is mounted in the lid and a keyboard is mounted in the base. The housing also supports electronic components, including a processing component, power supply, battery, memory drive, modem, etc. The components are electronically interconnected to facilitate the operation of the computing device. The device housing has multiple peripheral openings to facilitate coupling to external devices, such as a second display, mouse pointing device, printer unit, etc., and to permit heat dissipation. To prevent liquids from entering the housing, the openings are covered with the liquid-resistant, heat-permeable material, thereby eliminating liquid penetration into the computing device's housing. The liquid-resistant, heat-permeable material is breathable to allow for electronic component heat dissipation.
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patent: 5207579 (1993-05-01), Campagnuolo
patent: 5430617 (1995-07-01), Hsu
patent: 5454471 (1995-10-01), Norvell
patent: 5575576 (1996-11-01), Roysden, Jr.
patent: 5625532 (1997-04-01), Sellers
Ericsson at CeBIT'99, 3 pages, (published Mar. 18, 1999) http://www.ericsson.com/cebit/press/subpages/pr_r250.shtml.
Gore-Tex Immersion Technology Fabric, 1 page (copyright 1998-1999) http://www.gore.com/fabrics/allweather/immers.htm.
Immersion Technology Fabric, 2 pages (copyright 1995-1999) http://www.gore.com/fabrics/gorefabrics/html/5.html.
Duong Hung Van
Hewlett--Packard Company
Picard Leo P.
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