Foldable electronic apparatus

• US 4,517,660 A
• Filed: 05/06/1983
• Issued: 05/14/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Asakura, Osamu, Fushimoto, Hideo, Toyomura, Shigeru, Rachi, Masahiro, Nishimuro, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jablon, Clark A.
• Application Number:
  US06/490,550
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708, 364/709, 340/365 R, 340/365 S, 200/5 A, 200/159 B
• US Class Current: 361/679.15
• 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 1/1671 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: G06F 15/0216 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections

Abstract

An electronic apparatus comprises a left-hand unit and a right-hand unit mutually connected to constitute a foldable structure, in which a display device is provided in one of the units while an aperture is provided in the other to enable observation of the display device even in the folded state of the apparatus. Operational keys are provided on the other unit or on both units to enable operation of the apparatus in the open and/or folded position thereof.

Claims

1. A foldable electronic apparatus comprising:

housing means having a first case and a second case mutually connected in a foldable manner to be moved between open and folded positions;

first keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys mounted on at least one of said first case and said second case and actuatable from a top surface thereof when said housing means is in the open position for entering data into said apparatus;

second keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys, used for a different purpose from that of said first keyboard means, provided on and actuatable from a top surface of said first case when said housing means is in the folded position;

display means provided on a top surface of said second case to display data entered by actuation of said keys of said first keyboard means and said second keyboard means and data obtained by processing said entered data; and

means providing a display aperture in said first case for enabling visual display of data entered through said second keyboard means and processed data to be displayed on said display means when said housing means is in the folded position.

2. A foldable electronic apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a first display area in a position viewable through said aperture when said housing is in the folded position and a second display area in a position not viewable through said aperture.

3. A foldable electronic apparatus comprising:

housing means having a first case and a second case mutually connected in a foldable manner for movement between open and folded positions;

first keyboard means comprising a plurality of keys mounted on at least one of said first case and said second case and actuatable from a top surface thereof when said housing means is in the open position for entering character data into said apparatus;

second keyboard means comprising a plurality of numerical keys and function keys provided on and actuatable from a top surface of said first case when said housing means is in the fiolded position;

display means provided on a top surface of said second case to display character data entered through said first keyboard means and numerical data entered through said second keyboard means; and

means providing a display aperture, for enabling numerical data and processed data entered through said second keyboard means to be visually displayed on a portion of said display means, provided in said first case in a position through which said portion of said display means can be viewed when said housing means is in the folded position.

4. A foldable electronic apparatus according to the claim 3, wherein said display means is a dot matrix display device.

5. A two-faced keyboard apparatus, comprising:

housing means having a first exposed surface, a second exposed surface opposite said first exposed surface, and predetermined thickness defined between said first and said second exposed surfaces;

said housing means further being formed with hole means extending therethrough in the direction of the predetermined thickness thereof;

key top means disposed within said hole means for movement in the direction of the predetermined thickness of said housing means, to be actuated from both of said first exposed surface and said second exposed surface of said housing means; and

key signal generating means for generating a key signal in response to movement of said key top means by actuation from either of said first and said second exposed surfaces.

6. A two-faced keyboard apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said key signal generating means comprises a first key signal generator for generating a first key signal in response to actuation of said key top means from said first exposed surface to cause movement of said key top means toward said second exposed surface, and a second key signal generator for generating a second key signal in response to actuation of said key top means from said second exposed surface to cause movement of said key top means toward said first exposed surface.

7. A two-faced keyboard apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a second housing means connected to said housing means in a foldable manner and a second key top means disposed in said second housing means.