Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-11
2003-01-07
Vortman, Anatoly (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S679090, C361S689000, C361S689000, C345S905000, C312S223200, C248S920000, C248S919000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06504707
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable computer, and more particularly to a portable computer having a display, the height of which is capable of being adjusted with respect to the computer body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, in a portable computer, including but not limited to devices such as a notebook type personal computer, a PDA apparatus and the like, a lid containing a LCD display (hereinafter, referred to “display” simply), which serves as a display unit, is pivotably connected to a back end of the computer body equipped with a keyboard by the use of a hinge portion, or the like, such that it may be opened or closed.
During carrying, it is known that an entire computer can readily be made compact by closing the lid to superimpose it on the computer body. At the same time the display and the keyboard are covered, each is also protected so as not to be damaged by the presence of the cover over each.
During use, the display and the keyboard are exposed by opening the lid so that a keyboard operation can occur and a user may view the display, that is, an operation of the computer can be performed. Also, the computer is configured such that the display can be set at an angle to enable the user to easily watch the display by adjusting an open-close angle of the lid as required.
As described above, in the conventional portable computer, the display screen can be adjusted at such an angle as to enable the user to easily watch the screen by rotating the lid, but the display's position cannot be changed otherwise. Therefore, when the screen should be changed to such a position as to be easily watched by changing the display's height, there was no other choice but to cope with it by changing the computer's installation height. This, however, changes also the keyboard's height so that it bercomes difficult to operate.
However, in Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 10-326121 and the like, which is incorporated herein by reference, a technique of changing the display's height is provided. In Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 9-134132, incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a technique of expanding the display upward to enlarge the screen, and in Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 6-187068, incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a structure in which almost middle portions of both sides of the lid are pivotably supported by a pair of arms. In this latter Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 6-187068, when such a lid as described above is superimposed on the computer body, it becomes possible to expose the display by reversing the lid, and in this state, the computer is capable of coping with inputted entry from a lightpen or the like via the display (touch panel type).
However, in recent years, there has been increasing need for a portable computer to be used while a user is moving by airplane, train or the like. In these situations, however, one critical concern involves the availability of installation space for the computer.
For instance, when using the portable computer in the airplane or the like, a computer is usually used by being placed on a table arranged in relation to a back surface of a backrest of nearby forward seat, but since the backrest is also present as indicated (i.e., beyond the table and behind the computer), the opening angle of the lid may be restricted so that the screen cannot be set at such an angle to enable the user to readily view. Particularly, in a state in which the backrest of the forward seat has been angled towards the computer user, it becomes increasingly difficult to adjust the angle of the display because the backrest projects into an upper space of the table. However, when an attempt is made to change the display's height or angle in accordance with the technique of the Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 10-326121 in such a state, that is, at an installation place where a rear space or a part of an upper space of the computer is restricted, height and angle adjustment becomes very difficult because the display screen cannot be watched structurally if the lid is not opened to an almost right angle or better with respect to the computer body (up to the back side of the computer body) according to this technique. According to this technique, a hinge portion for pivotably supporting the display is provided at the lower end portion of the display, and therefore, it is necessary to increase a braking force (rotation torque of the hinge portion) for supporting the weight of the display for braking. A slide portion for slidably supporting this hinge portion is provided on the lid side, and this slide portion has to firmly support the hinge portion which exerts a great braking force during the rotation of the display. Therefore, there is a clear disadvantage in overcoming the present situations since a robust structure is required and the resulting weight is increased.
Further, for the sliding structure, it is desired to ensure that the hinge portion is able to uniformly slide in a lateral width-wise direction crossing perpendicularly with the sliding direction because when the hinge portion is inclined toward the sliding direction, frictional resistance with the slide portion is increased to cause it not to operate smoothly. In order to realize this, the slide portion must be made more robust in the structure according to the above described conventional technique, in which the display hinge portion is supported only by the slide portion, and therefore, the portability, and the like, of the computer will be noticeably worsened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the above described facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer which is intended to be capable of adjusting the display's height and angle without deteriorating the keyboard's operability, and to make the operability be more favorable for a user in the adjustment of the display's height even when the place for installing the portable computer is restricted in the rear space or the upper space.
In order to achieve the above described object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable computer having: a body having a keyboard thereon; a lid for covering the keyboard, the lid being pivotably connected to a back end of the body, so the lid may be opened and closed accordingly; a display being disposed in the lid; a hinge portion enabling the display to pivot around a first perpendicular line crossing perpendicularly with a high and low direction of the display at an almost middle position in the high and low direction, the hinge portion being mounted at the almost middle position in the high and low direction; and movable means enabling the hinge portion to move in the high and low direction and to be positioned at a higher position than a top of the lid when the lid is opened, the movable means being disposed between the lid and the display.
In the above described portable computer, the hinge portion is mounted at a position which is approximately near the middle of the display disposed in the lid in the high and low direction. This hinge portion enables the display to pivot around the first perpendicular line crossing perpendicularly with the high and low direction of the display, whereby the display can pivot around the perpendicular line to the high and low direction at the almost middle position in the high and low direction. This hinge portion is caused to move in the high and low direction of the display and to be positioned at a higher position than a top of the lid when the lid is opened by the movable means disposed between the lid and the display.
Therefore, when the lid, which is pivotably connected to the back end of the body, is opened, and the display is moved upward in the high and low direction to adjust it at a suitable angle at that elevated position, the angle can be readily changed by pivoting the display in an inclined posture (position where t
Agata Hiroaki
Karidis John Peter
Noguchi Takehiko
Shima Hisashi
Yonemochi Kenshin
Schelkopf J. Bruce
Vortman Anatoly
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