CONVERTIBLE PC HAVING A WATERPROOFING STRUCTURE

• US 20120044155A1
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: NAKADA, KAZUO
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1675 Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a lower housing, a folding linkage, an upper housing, and a gasket. The lower housing may contain a keyboard. The folding linkage assembly may be adapted to connect to the lower housing at the second end and to the upper housing at the first end. The upper housing may contain a screen. The upper housing may be operably mounted to and pivotable with respect to the folding linkage. The gasket may be used to effect a seal between the lower housing and the upper housing.

Claims

1. A computing apparatus comprising:

a lower housing;

a folding linkage assembly adapted to connect to the lower housing; and

an upper housing operably mounted to and pivotable with respect to the folding linkage assembly, the folding linkage assembly having;

a first end coupled to a first folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across an upper housing cover side surface; and

a second end coupled to a second folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across a rear portion of the lower housing

2. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the folding linkage assembly pivots over substantially 180 degrees with respect to the lower housing.

3. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the folding linkage assembly interfaces the lower housing and the upper housing.

4. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower housing contains a keyboard.

5. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper housing contains a screen.

6. The computing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the screen is disposed on a screen side opposite to the cover side of the upper housing.

7. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper housing is adapted to move pivotally on the first linkage receiving element.

8. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper housing pivots over substantially 180 degrees of angular movement with respect to the lower housing.

9. An electronic computing device comprising:

a lower housing having a bottom and an oppositely disposed platform operational surface;

an upper housing having a screen side and an oppositely disposed cover side, the upper housing being operatively coupled to the lower housing; and

a gasket adapted to effect a seal between the lower housing and the upper housing which, upon closing of the lower housing to the upper housing, the gasket is sandwiched therebetween and the screen is visible from an exterior of the electronic device.

10. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the screen side has a touch screen.

11. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a power switch on the touch screen.

12. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gasket is formed of a resilient material and is disposed in an annular lip recess around all or a portion of an outer perimeter of the lower housing.

13. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the gasket is made of a water impermeable material.

14. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the water impermeable material is a rubber o-ring.

15. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a photo frame stand operably connected to the bottom of the lower housing.

16. A mobile computing device comprising:

a lower housing having a plurality of side walls;

an upper housing having a screen carried on a first side and a cover carried on a second, opposite side, the upper housing being operably coupled to the lower housing for movement between a tablet mode and a keyboard operation mode, wherein, in the tablet mode, the upper housing seals with the lower housing with a gasket sandwiched therebetween; and

a folding linkage assembly having a first end coupled to a first folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across the upper housing cover side surface and a second end coupled to a second folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across a rear portion of the lower housing.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of connectors on a side wall of the lower housing.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 16, further comprising a battery pack secured to the cover side of the upper housing.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 18, wherein the folding linkage assembly nests in a space in the battery pack when the mobile computing device is in the tablet mode.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein the folding linkage assembly includes an outwardly facing surface side and an oppositely disposed inwardly facing surface side wherein the outwardly facing surface side is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel with the complementary shaped upper housing recess surface and inwardly facing surface side is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel with a platform operational surface of the lower housing when the device is in the tablet mode.