Electronic apparatus having a housing

• US 20050041378A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamada, Tomohiro, Tatemichi, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 6,972,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.10
• 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 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic apparatus has a housing, a cover detachably supported on the housing, a lock mechanism which is covered with the cover and which locks the cover in the housing, and an operation portion which allows to access the lock mechanism from the outside of the housing and the cover, in order to unlock the cover from the housing.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a cover detachably supported on the housing;

a lock mechanism which is covered with the cover and which locks the cover in the housing; and

an operation portion which allows to access the lock mechanism from the outside of the housing and the cover, in order to unlock the cover from the housing.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism includes a claw arranged in the cover and a convex portion arranged in the housing, and the claw and the convex portion are engaged each other under the lock condition.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the claw is elastically displaced between an engagement position where the claw is engaged with the convex portion and an unlocked position where the claw is released from the convex portion.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the operation portion has a hole formed in the cover in order to expose the claw to the outside of the cover and to allow the claw to displace to the unlocked position.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cover is slidably between a first position and a second position with respect to the housing, and the claw is engaged with the convex portion when the cover is slid from the first position to the second position.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a storing portion that detachably holds one of a plurality of functional units, and the cover detachably covers the storing portion.

7. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a keyboard support portion arranged on the upper surface thereof;

a keyboard detachably mounted to the keyboard support portion;

a cover which is detachably covers the upper surface of the housing and having a holding portion which holds a part of the keyboard with the keyboard support portion;

a lock mechanism which is arranged on the cover and which is engaged with the housing to lock the cover on the housing; and

an operation portion which allows to access the lock mechanism in order to unlock the cover from the housing from the outside of the housing and the cover.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising;

a functional unit; and

a storing portion formed in the housing and which holds the functional unit,

wherein the cover covers the storing portion.

9. An electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the keyboard support portion and the storing portion are located on the upper surface of the housing and next to each other.

10. An electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the holding portion is located between the keyboard support portion and the storing portion.

11. An electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lock mechanism includes a claw arranged in the cover and a convex portion arranged in the housing, and the claw and the convex portion are engaged each other during locking.

12. An electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the claw is elastically displaced between an engagement position where the claw is engaged with the convex portion and an unlocked position where the claw is released from the convex portion.

13. An electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the operation portion has a hole formed in the cover in order to expose the claw to the outside of the cover and to allow the claw to displace to the unlocked position.

14. An electronic apparatus according to claim 12, where the cover is slidably between a first position and a second position with respect to the housing, and the claw is engaged with the convex portion when the cover is slid from the first position to the second position.

15. An electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the housing has a plurality of engagement holes, and the cover has a plurality of engagement projections corresponding to the engagement holes so that the engagement projections are coupled to the engagement holes when the cover is slid from the first position to the second position, thereby holding the cover at a predetermined position with respect to the housing.

16. An electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lock mechanism is interposed between the cover and the housing.

17. An electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the keyboard has a tongue portion that extends from the edge to the upper surface of the housing, and the cover holds the tongue portion with the housing.

18. An electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cover is detachably fixed to the housing at a position different from that of the lock mechanism through a screw.

19. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a first member;

a second member which is connected to the first member;

a lock mechanism which locks the second member such that a connection state between the first member and the second member is held and which is covered with the first member and the second member; and

an operation portion which allows to access the lock mechanism in order to unlock the second member from the outside of the first member and the second member.

20. An electronic apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the lock mechanism includes a claw arranged in the second member and a convex portion arranged in the first member, and the claw and the convex portion are engaged each other under the lock condition.

21. An electronic apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the claw is elastically displaced between an engagement position where the claw is engaged with the convex portion and an unlocked position where the claw is released from the convex portion.

22. An electronic apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the operation portion has a hole formed in the second member in order to expose the claw to the outside of the second member and to allow the claw to displace to the unlocked position.