Portable apparatus with a mechanism for holding a display above a printer while the printer is printing data

• US 4,859,092 A
• Filed: 11/18/1987
• Issued: 08/22/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Makita, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): WIECKING, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/122,147
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 400/83, 400/680, 400/682, 400/683, 400/684, 400/685, 400/691, 400/693, 248/274, 248/276, 248/284, 248/442.2, 248/447, 248/454, 248/460, 248/462, 248/463, 248/464, 248/476, 248/479, 248/1 A, 248/1 B, 248/1 C, 248/1 D, 248/1 E, 248/1 F , 248/1 G, 248/1 H, 248/1 I, 248/1 J, 312/208, 312/294, 312/322, 312/323, 312/324, 312/325, 312/326, 312/327, 358/248, 358/249, 358/254, D14/106, D14/107, D14/111, D14/113, D14/114, D18/1, D18/12, 340/700, 340/711, 340/712, 364/708
• US Class Current: 400/83
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/36 for portability , i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers B41J3/4075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/921 Plural angular
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting

Abstract

A portable typewriter, including keyboard and printer, is disclosed. It has a display pivotable about two axes which can be disposed in a position covering the keyboard. It can be pivoted about a first axis to reveal the keyboard, and can be further raised to reveal the printer.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus comprising:

a main body having a keyboard toward a front of said main body and a printer toward a rear of said main body;

a display housing for containing a display, adapted to mate with said front of said main body to form a cover for said keyboard;

first mounting means for mounting said display housing to rotate about a first axis; and

second mounting means for mounting said first mounting means to rotate about a second axis, said first mounting means being rotatable between a first position adjacent to said keyboard and a second position which exposes said printer, said display housing being rotatable to mate with said main body and cover said keyboard in one position and to face said display to be visible to an operator in another position when said first mounting means is in said first position.

2. A portable apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for latching said first mounting means in said second position.

3. A portable apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising latching means for latching said first mounting means in either of said first position or said second position.

4. A portable apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising rotating means for automatically rotating said display housing about said first axis as said first mounting means is rotated about said second mounting means.

5. A portable apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said rotating means includes means for automatically rotating said display for only a portion of rotation of said first mounting means between said first position and said second position.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein rotation about said first axis defines a first plane, and rotation about said second axis defines a second plane, said first plane being parallel to said second plane and perpendicular to a plane defined by said display.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said display housing is formed with display locking claws on one surface thereof, and said main body is formed with a plurality of display locking holes on a top surface thereof, said display locking claws mating with said display locking holes to cover and lock said keyboard.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said display housing is formed of a size to completely cover all of said keyboard.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said display housing has two substantially flat surfaces, parallel to one another, one of said flat surfaces including said display and said display locking claws, and another of said flat surfaces forming a cover for said keyboard.

10. A portable apparatus comprising:

a main body having a keyboard toward a front of said main body and a printer toward a rear of said main body;

a housing for containing a display, adapted to mate with said front of said main body to form a cover for said keyboard; and

at least one arm, one end of said at least one arm being pivotably attached to said body and another end of said at least one arm being pivotably attached to said display;

first means for mounting said arm to pivot relative to said body between a first position in which said display housing is adjacent said keyboard and a second position in which said display housing exposes said printer; and

second means for mounting said display housing to be pivotable between one position in which said display housing mates with said main body, covering said keyboard, and another position in which an operator can see said display when said at least one arm is in said first position.

11. A portable apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for latching said arm in second position.

12. A portable apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising latching means for latching said arm in either of said first position or said second position.

13. A portable apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising:

a first rotatable pulley rotatably fixed to said main body and concentric with an axis of rotation of said arm relative to said body;

a second pulley fixed to said display and concentric with an axis of rotation of said display relative to said arm; and

a belt interconnecting said first pulley and said second pulley.

14. A portable apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said first pulley is rotatable relative to said body and said apparatus includes means for preventing rotation of said first pulley relative to said body for a portion of rotation of said arm between said first position and said second position.

15. An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein rotation about said first means defines a first plane, and rotation about said second means defines a second plane, said first plane being parallel to said second plane and perpendicular to a plane defined by said display.

16. An apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said display housing is formed with display locking claws on one surface thereof, and said main body is formed with a plurality of display locking holes on a top surface thereof, said display locking claws mating with said display locking holes to cover and lock said keyboard.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said display housing is formed of a size to completely cover all of said keyboard.

18. An apparatus as in claim 17 wherein said display housing has two substantially flat surfaces, parallel to one another, one of said flat surfaces including said display and said display locking claws, and another of said flat surfaces forming a cover for said keyboard.