PORTABLE COMPUTER

• US 20080264700A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: YOON, Sung-hoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.03
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A portable computer includes a main body casing comprising an upper plate and a supporting portion disposed below the upper plate, and a touch-pad seated on the supporting portion and to sense coordinates touched on a plate surface to generate a position data of a pointer, the supporting portion comprising a lateral wall bent from the upper plate, and a seating portion bent from the lateral wall and formed with an opening in one area thereof.

Claims

1. A portable computer, comprising:

a main body casing comprising an upper plate and a supporting portion disposed below the upper plate; and

a touch-pad seated on the supporting portion and to sense coordinates touched on a plate surface to generate position data of a pointer;

the supporting portion comprising;

a lateral wall bent from the upper plate; and

a seating portion bent from the lateral wall and formed with an opening in one area thereof.

2. The portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cover pad disposed on the touch-pad in the supporting portion.

3. The portable computer according to claim 2, wherein the cover pad comprises:

an insulating material.

4. The portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first coupling member to couple the seating portion and the touch-pad.

5. The portable computer according to claim 4, wherein the first coupling member comprises:

a double-sided adhesive tape.

6. The portable computer according to one of claims 2, further comprising:

a second coupling member to couple the touch-pad and the cover pad.

7. The portable computer according to claim 6, wherein the second coupling member comprises:

a double-sided adhesive tape.

8. The portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connecting member connected to the touch-pad and to transmit the position data of the pointer generated in the touch-pad, wherein the connecting member passes through the opening.

9. The portable computer according to claim 2, wherein the supporting portion further comprises:

a first supporting portion disposed below the upper plate and on which the cover pad is seated; and

a second supporting portion disposed below the first supporting portion and on which the touch-pad is seated.

10. The portable computer according to claim 9, wherein the first supporting portion comprises:

a first lateral wall bent from the upper plate and a first seating portion bent from the first lateral wall; and

the second supporting portion comprises;

a second lateral wall bent from the first seating portion and a second seating portion which is bent from the second lateral wall and formed with the opening in one area thereof.

11. The portable computer according to claim 10, further comprising:

a first coupling member to couple the second seating portion and the touch-pad.

12. The portable computer according to claim 11, wherein the first coupling member comprises:

a double-sided adhesive tape.

13. The portable computer according to one of claims 10, further comprising:

a second coupling member to couple the first seating portion and the cover pad.

14. The portable computer according to claim 13, wherein the second coupling member comprises:

a double-sided adhesive tape.

15. The portable computer according to claim 10, further comprising:

a connecting member connected to the touch-pad and to transmit the position data of the pointer generated in the touch-pad, wherein the connecting member passes through the opening.

16. A portable computer, comprising:

a touch-pad assembly to sense coordinates touched on a plate surface; and

a main body casing comprising an upper plate having a supporting portion formed therein, the supporting portion having an opening in a plane along an upper surface of the upper plate and a recessed area to receive and to support the touch plate assembly,

wherein the opening allows the touch-pad assembly to be received by and removed from the recessed area of the supporting portion.

17. The portable computer according to claim 16, wherein the touch-pad assembly comprises:

a touch-pad;

a cover pad to protect the touch pad; and

a first coupling member to couple the supporting portion to the touch-pad; and

a second coupling member to couple the touch-pad to the cover pad.

18. The portable computer according to claim 16, wherein the recessed area of the supporting portion corresponds to a shape and a size of the touch-pad assembly.

19. The portable computer according to claim 16, wherein the recessed area of the supporting portion comprises:

a lateral wall bent from the upper plate; and

a seating portion bent from the lateral wall.

20. The portable computer according to claim 16, wherein the recessed area of the supporting portion comprises:

a first supporting portion on which the cover pad is seated; and

a second supporting portion disposed below the first supporting portion and on which the touch-pad is seated.

21. A method of coupling a touch-pad assembly to a portable computer, the method comprising:

coupling one side of a first coupling member to a seating portion disposed below an upper panel of a computer;

coupling one side of a touch-pad to an other side of the first coupling member;

coupling an other side of the touch-pad to one side of a second coupling member; and

coupling an other side of the second coupling member to a cover pad.