Portable apparatus having cable electrically connecting display unit and base unit

• US 5,090,913 A
• Filed: 06/22/1990
• Issued: 02/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Takaichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US07/542,061
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 439/164, 439/165, 364/708, 16/223, 16/337, 312/7.2, 248/917
• US Class Current: 439/165
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling

Abstract

A portable apparatus comprising a base unit and a display unit rotatably connected to the base unit. The base unit has a recess, and the display unit has a first leg portion mounted in the recess. The first leg portion comprises a rear leg segment conjoining a base unit. The first leg portion has a front leg segment fastened to the rear leg segment, defining a guide path between the front leg segment and the rear leg segment. The leg segments, fastened together, form a shaft having a guide path communicating with the guide path. An opening is formed in one of the side walls defining the sides of the recess and also in the wall defining the bottom of the recess, thus allowing access into the base unit. A support segment is removably fitted in this opening, supporting the shaft such that the shaft can rotate. The portable apparatus further comprises a flexible cable which extends from the base unit into the display unit, guided through the opening, the guide path.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a display unit comprising a leg portion having a cable guide path therein;

a base unit comprising a leg mounting portion for receiving the leg portion, the leg mounting portion including a bottom mounting wall having a bottom opening and a side mounting wall having a side opening, the side opening being continuous with the bottom opening;

a cover comprising a bottom support wall for covering the bottom opening and a side support wall cooperating with the side mounting wall of the leg mounting portion to form a cable guide hole; and

a cable comprising a first end having a first connector electrically connected to the display unit and a second end having a second connector electrically connected to the base unit, the cable passing through the cable guide hole and the cable guide path.

2. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a first top, a second top, and a bottom all being substantially parallel to each other, a top surface of the first top being an uppermost surface of the base unit and the second top being at a position between said first top and said bottom, and an upper surface of the bottom support wall of the cover being flush with a top surface of the second top when the cover is secured to the leg mounting portion.

3. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a top surface of the bottom mounting wall of the leg mounting portion is flush with the top surface of the second top of the base unit, and the upper surface of the bottom support wall of the cover is flush with the top surface of the bottom mounting wall of the leg mounting portion when the cover is secured to the leg mounting portion.

4. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the bottom mounting wall of the leg mounting portion conjoins with the second top of the base unit.

5. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the bottom mounting wall of the leg mounting portion conjoins with the side mounting wall of the leg mounting portion.

6. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side support wall of the cover comprises a side surface being flush with the side mounting wall of the leg mounting portion.

7. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first top of the base unit further comprises a bottom surface, the cover being removably secured to the leg mounting portion on the bottom surface side of the first top of the base unit.

8. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the leg mounting portion further comprises a second side mounting wall being opposite to the side mounting wall of the leg mounting portion, and a rear wall being connected to the side mounting wall and the second side mounting wall forming a U-shape.

9. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rear wall of the leg mounting portion conjoins with the side mounting wall and the second side mounting wall of the leg mounting portion.

10. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit further comprises a rear case, a rear leg segment conjoining with the rear case, a front case being removably attached to the rear case and a front leg segment being removably attached to the front case and the rear leg segment, the front leg segment cooperating with the rear leg segment to form the cable guide path.

11. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the front segment comprises a front half-cylinder and the rear segment comprises a rear half-cylinder, the front half-cylinder cooperating with the rear half-cylinder to form the cable guide path and a hollow shaft for guiding the cable.

12. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the rear half-cylinder further comprises a pair of opposite arcuate ends, a distance between the opposite arcuate ends being smaller than an inner diameter of the hollow shaft.

13. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a keyboard and the display unit is rotatable between a closed position wherein the keyboard is covered by the display unit and an open position allowing operation of the keyboard.

14. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the display unit further comprises a second leg portion having locking means for maintaining the display unit in an arbitrary position between the open and the closed positions, the base unit further comprising a second leg mounting portion for receiving the second leg portion.

15. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom opening of the bottom mounting wall is larger than the first connector thereby allowing the first connector to pass through the bottom opening of the bottom mounting wall and the cable guide path is smaller than the first connector thereby preventing the first connector to pass through the cable guide path.

16. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a display unit comprising a leg portion having a cable guide path therein;

a base unit comprising;

a first top, a second top and a bottom all being substantially parallel to each other, a top surface of the first top being an uppermost surface of the base unit and the second top being at a position between said first top and said bottom, and

a leg mounting portion for receiving the leg portion, the leg mounting portion including a bottom mounting wall having a bottom opening and a side mounting wall having a side opening, the side opening being continuous with the bottom opening;

a cover comprising a bottom support wall for covering the bottom opening and a side support wall cooperating with the side mounting wall of the leg mounting portion to form a cable guide hole, an upper surface of the bottom support wall of the cover being flush with a top surface of the second top when the cover is secured to the leg mounting portion; and

a cable comprising a first end having a first connector electrically connected to the display unit and a second end having a second connector electrically connected to the base unit, the cable passing through the cable guide hole and the cable guide path.

17. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the display unit comprises a display screen, the display unit being rotatable between a closed position wherein the second top is covered by the display unit and an open position for viewing the display screen.

18. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the display unit further comprises a second leg portion having locking means for maintaining the display unit in an arbitrary position between the open and the closed positions.

19. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the bottom mounting wall of the leg mounting portion conjoins with the side mounting wall of the leg mounting portion and a top surface of the bottom mounting wall of the leg mounting portion is flush with the top surface of the second top of the base unit.

20. A portable computer comprising:

a cable having at least one electrical connector;

a base unit comprising a leg mounting portion having a side surface and an opening in the side surface for guiding the cable;

a display unit comprising a leg portion having a cable guide path, the display unit connected to the base unit along an axis, the side surface being disposed perpendicular to the axis; and

a wall, disposed perpendicular to the axis and removably covering the opening, the wall cooperating with the side surface to form a cable guide hole being smaller than the opening, the cable being guided through the cable guide path and the cable guide hole.

21. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a display unit comprising a leg portion having a cable guide path therein, a base case and a front case removably attached to the base case, the leg portion having a rear leg segment conjoining with the base case and a front leg segment removably connected to the rear leg portion and the front case;

a base unit comprising a top cover having a leg mounting portion for mounting the leg portion, the leg mounting portion having an opening;

a cover for covering a portion of the opening of the leg mounting portion, the cover comprising a cable guide portion; and

a cable, passing though the cable guide path and the cable guide portion, the cable comprising a first end having a first connector electrically connecting to the display unit and a second end having a second connector electrically connected to the base unit.