Portable computer with improved assembly design

• US 5,036,313 A
• Filed: 08/25/1989
• Issued: 07/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micronics Computers, Inc. (SONICblue Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Micronics Computers, Inc. (SONICblue Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lim, Sam K., Lin, Frank W., Wong, Harvey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A.
• Application Number:
  US07/398,793
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 340/700, 340/711, 340/720, 361/380, 361/392-396, 361/399, 361/413, 361/415, 364/708, 312/208, 312/223, 312/330.1, 312/294, 312/333, 312/350, 248/917, 248/918
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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 1/1656 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 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

An improved assembly design for a portable computer. A housing has a base member with a plurality of edge guides located along the side portions and a plurality of connector sockets arranged along the inner front portion. A matching circuit board has a plurality of forwardly extending plug margins which mate with the sockets when the board is fully installed in the edge guides. The board carries the main computer system electronic components and a rigid disk memory module. The keyboard assembly, floppy disk memory and power supply are all mounted to the under surface of the housing cover member, and the display panel is mounted to the top of the cover. The design enables quick assembly of the computer, and quick removal of the circuit board for repair.

Claims

1. A portable computer having a plurality of electromechanical modules, said computer comprising:

a housing having a base member and a cover member, said base member including a support surface, a pair of laterally spaced side portions, a front portion and a rear portion;

at least one socket secured to said support surface adjacent said front portion for enabling electrical coupling to at least one of said electromechanical modules;

a circuit board member including a support surface having electrical components supported thereby and front, rear and laterally spaced edge portions, said front portion including an outwardly extending plug margin dimensioned to be received in said socket;

a pair of support members carried by said side portions of said base member for slidably retaining said edge portion of said circuit board member so that said circuit board member can be inserted into said housing from the rear portion of said housing, slidably supported along the edges thereof by said support members, and wherein the plug margin of said circuit board member can be mated with said socket member to enable said electrical components supported on said circuit board to be coupled to the electromechanical modules.

2. A portable computer comprising:

a housing having a base member and a cover member, said base member including a support surface, a pair of laterally spaced side portions, a front portion and a rear portion, said cover member having a plurality of openings, an upper surface and a lower surface;

a plurality of connector sockets laterally arranged along the front portion of said support surface;

a circuit board member including a support surface having electrical components supported thereby and front, rear and laterally spaced edge portions, said front portion including a plurality of outwardly extending laterally spaced plug margins each dimensioned to be received in an associated one of said plurality of connector sockets so that corresponding ones of said electrical components are electrically coupled to the associated socket;

a plurality of pairs of support members carried by said side portions of said base member for slidably retaining said edge portions of said circuit board member;

a first disk memory module secured to said support surface of said circuit board member;

a second disk memory module secured to the lower surface of said cover member and electrically coupled to one of said plurality of sockets;

a keyboard secured to the lower surface of said cover member forwardly of said first and second disk memory modules and electrically coupled to a second one of said sockets, said keyboard having a plurality of key members extending upwardly through said openings in said cover member to expose said key members for use.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said computer further includes a display panel pivotally attached to said cover member.

4. The invention of claim 2 further including retaining means positioned adjacent said front portion of said base member for providing a downwardly directed biasing force to said front portion of said circuit board member.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said retaining means including a laterally arranged stiffening member extending transversely of said front portion of said base member and secured adjacent the side portion thereof.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said stiffening member is positioned above said plurality of socket members in contact therewith to assist in retaining said socket members in position.

7. The invention of claim 2 further including a vertical partition transversely mounted to said circuit board member rearwardly of said disk module;

and at least one additional socket member carried by said vertical partition for receiving the male connector portion of an additional circuit board when installed.

8. The invention of claim 7 further including a retaining panel removably secured to said rear portion of said base member, said retaining panel having at least one forwardly extending biasing nib arranged to engage the rear edge of an additional circuit board when installed in said additional socket member.

9. The invention of claim 2 further including a connector panel secured adjacent the rear portion of said circuit board member, and a plurality of connectors secured to said connector panel.

10. The invention of claim 9 further including a shield panel secured outwardly of said connector panel.