ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20090219684A1
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MORI, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.560
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units

Abstract

An electronic device of the present invention is an electronic device including a box-shaped casing, a liquid crystal monitor 2 that is disposed on a front face 1a of the casing and on which visual information converted from an information signal can be displayed, and operation buttons 3 disposed near the liquid crystal monitor 2. A peripheral projection 11 projecting in the direction perpendicular to the front face 1a is provided on a peripheral edge portion of the front face 1a. The height of the peripheral projection 11 in the perpendicular direction is formed so as to be greater than the height of the operation buttons 3 with respect to the front face 1a. With this configuration, erroneous operation of the operating portion caused by the self-weight of the device can be prevented.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a casing that has been formed to be box-shaped comprising a front casing and a back casing;

a display unit that is disposed on a front main face of the front casing and on which visual information converted from an information signal can be displayed; and

a main operating unit that is disposed near the display unit,

wherein a peripheral projection projecting in a direction perpendicular to the front main face is provided on a peripheral edge portion of the front main face, and

the peripheral projection is formed so that a height in the perpendicular direction is greater than that of the main operating unit with respect to the front main face.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the front casing comprises bowed portions formed so as to be bowed inward toward the display unit that are respectively formed on a pair of sides facing each other that form a peripheral edge constituting a perimeter of the front main face.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, comprising:

a sub-operating unit that is disposed on the back casing; and

a surrounding projection that is formed around the sub-operating unit in a projecting manner in a direction perpendicular to a back main face of the back casing parallel to the front main face,

wherein two said sub-operating units are respectively disposed as a pair close to a pair of end sides facing each other on the back main face.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3,

wherein the sub-operating unit comprises a projecting portion near a central portion of an operating surface for operating the sub-operating unit, the projecting portion being formed higher than the operating surface.

5. The electronic device according to claim 3,

wherein the surrounding projection comprises a top portion formed so as to be higher than the operating surface of the sub-operating unit with respect to the back main face.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4,

wherein the surrounding projection comprises a top portion formed so as to be higher than the projecting portion.

7. The electronic device according to claim 3,

wherein a same function is assigned to the sub-operating units disposed as a pair.

8. The electronic device according to claim 3,

wherein the back casing comprises a recessed surface portion sunken in a depressed manner with respect to the back main face that is formed on a substantially central portion of the back main face facing the front main face.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the front casing comprises bowed portions bowed inward that are formed on a pair of lateral sides facing each other that form a peripheral edge constituting a perimeter of the front main face,

the back casing comprises a recessed surface portion sunken in a depressed manner with respect to a back main face, that is formed on a substantially central portion of the back main face opposite the front main face, and

the casing comprises a flat portion on an area on the front main face with which a first digit can be in contact when at least the ends of a second digit, third digit, fourth digit, and fifth digit of an operator are positioned on the recessed surface portion, at least a palm of the operator is positioned so as to be in contact with or opposing the bowed portion and at least an end of the first digit of the operator is positioned so as to be in contact with the front main face.