Electronic device

• US 20020181193A1
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amemiya, Shinichi, Furuta, Osamu, Sakamoto, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 6,665,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle

Abstract

In order to provide an electronic device permitting a reduction in size or an expansion of its internal space while maintaining its mechanical strength, a structure having mechanical strength is integrally formed with hinges for fitting a lid-shaped display unit to a box-shaped body and a carrying handle projecting outward from the box-shaped body.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a box-shaped body housing electronic circuits as an electronic device, a lid-shaped display unit fitted to one side of said box-shaped body with a plurality of hinge mechanisms to be opened and closed as a lid for said box-shaped body and provided with a panel type display device, and a handle unit fitted to said box-shaped body to project outward from the side of the box-shaped body where the lid-shaped display unit is fitted, wherein said plurality of hinge mechanisms and said handle unit integrally constitute a structure having mechanical strength.

2. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said box-shaped body is a quadrilateral of which a first side through a fourth side are consecutive;

said plurality of hinge mechanisms consist of two hinges including a first hinge closer to the second side than the center of the first side and a second hinge closer to the fourth side than the center of the first side;

the lid-side hinge plates of the two hinges are planar, each fixed to said lid-shaped display unit;

the body-side hinge plate of the first hinge is in an L shape extending from the first side to the second side of said box-shaped body and fixed to said box-shaped body;

the body-side hinge plate of the second hinge is in an L shape extending from the first side to the fourth side of said box-shaped body and fixed to said box-shaped body; and

said handle unit is joined to a part of the body-side hinge plate of the first hinge extending to the second side and to another part of the body-side hinge plate of the second hinge extending to the fourth side.

3. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said handle unit is variable in angle to said box-shaped body.

4. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said handle unit is variable at least in a range between an angle 0°

, 0°

being an angle that is parallel to an extended plane from the bottom face of the box-shaped body, and 110°

to the bottom face side.

5. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said handle unit has stable angles in a stepwise manner.

6. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said handle unit is in an easy-to-carry shape suitable for carrying by hand.

7. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said handle unit is in a wall-fittable shape for fitting to a vertical wall surface.

8. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said handle unit is in a cart-fittable shape for fitting to a wheeled cart.

9. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said handle unit is in a stand-fittable shape for fitting to an upright stand.

10. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein two or more of said handle units differing in shape are mutually replaceable.

11. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 10, wherein it has at least two different kinds of said handle units out of said easy-to-carry shape, said wall-fittable shape, said cart-fittable shape and said stand-fittable shape.

12. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said handle unit is fitted with a cushion material.

13. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein connectors are provided on the first side of said box-shaped body.

14. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lid-shaped display unit can be held at any desired angle between an angle 0°

, 0°

being an angle at which it covers the top face of the box-shaped body, and in a position opened at 180°

.

15. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said panel type display device is a liquid crystal display.

16. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.