Tiltable portable electronic apparatus with sliding tilt leg

• US 5,239,444 A
• Filed: 04/27/1992
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Katumaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US07/874,098
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 364/708, 248/677, 361/380, 361/392, 361/393, 361/394, 361/395, 361/399, 200/5 A, 235/145 R, 400/681
• US Class Current: 361/679.12
• 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 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus includes a base having a and a tilt leg slidably connected to the base. The tilt leg is slideable between a tilting position for tilting the keyboard forwardly and an untilting position for storing the tilt leg in the base. The base has an external release switch having an internal projection for cooperating with a biased fixing member positioned on an opposite side of the tilt leg, releasing the tilt leg from the tilting position and the untilting position. The tilt leg includes a slot to provide clearance for the release switch projection during sliding movement of the leg. The tilt leg is compact because of the sliding construction.

Claims

1. A tiltable portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a base having a keyboard and a tilt leg storing portion;

a tilt leg having opposing sides, being slidably connected to the tilt leg storing portion, and having a first stopped portion for stopping the leg in an untilting position where the keyboard is not tilted and a second stopped portion for stopping the leg in a tilting position where the keyboard is tilted forwardly;

fixing means positioned on one of said opposed leg sides for fixing the leg in the first stopped and the second stopped positions, respectively; and

releasing means positioned on the other of said opposed leg sides and cooperating with said fixing means for releasing the leg from the fixing means.

2. The tiltable portable electronic apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said fixing means includes an engaging member biased for engaging said first and said second stopped portions of said leg, and wherein said releasing means includes means for moving said engaging member against the bias to disengage said engaging member.

3. The tiltable portable electronic apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said moving means includes a projection and wherein said leg includes slit means extending between said first and second stopped portions for providing clearance for said projection during movement of said leg between said untilting and tilting positions.

4. A tiltable portable computer comprising:

a base housing including a keyboard having a front edge, a bottom surface having a leg storing slit and a side surface having a side opening;

a tilt leg slidably stored in the storing slit, including a first leg side surface, a second leg side surface being opposite to the first leg side surface and a guide slit having a first end and a second end, the firs end having a first stopped hole, the second end having a second stopped hole, the tile leg being slidable between a stored position for storing the leg in the storing slit and a projecting position wherein the leg projects from the bottom surface so as to tilt the keyboard in a direction of the front edge;

a leg holder disposed adjacent to the first leg side surface, including an eleastic member being movable between an engaged position for engaging with the first and the second stopped holes and a released position for releasing the engagement, the elastic member engaging with the first stopped hole when the tilt leg is in the stored position and engaging with the second stopped hole when the tilt leg is in the projecting position;

a spring disposed adjacent to the first leg side surface, biasing the elastic member toward the second leg side surface so as to maintain the engagement between the respective stopped holes and the elastic member when the tilt leg is in the stored and projecting positions;

a push button including a top portion slidably inserted in the side opening and a bottom portion having a guide pin inserted in the guide slit, the top portion being slidable between a pushing position for pushing the elastic member against the spring with the guide pin so as to release the engagement of the respective one of the stopped holes and the elastic member and non-pushing position for maintaining the engagement.

5. The tiltable portable computer according to claim 4, wherein the first and the second stopped holes are disposed in the first leg side surface.

6. The tiltable portable computer according to claim 5, wherein the elastic member includes a projection which is movable between the engaged position and the released position and an elastic plate for allowing the movement of the projection.

7. A tiltable portable computer comprising:

a base housing including a keyboard having a front edge, a bottom surface having a leg storing slit and a side surface having a side opening;

a tilt leg slidably stored in the storing slit, including a first leg side surface, a second leg side surface being opposite to the first surface, a guide slit having a first end and a second end, a first stopping portion and a second stopping portion, the tilt leg being slidable between a stored position for storing the leg in the storing slit and a projecting position for projecting the leg from the bottom surface so as to tilt the keyboard in a direction of the front edge;

a leg holder disposed adjacent to the first leg side surface, including an elastic member being movable between an engaged position for engaging with the first and the second stopping portions and a released position for releasing the engagement, the elastic member engaging with the first stopping portion when the tilt leg is in the stored position and engaging with the second stopping portion when the tilt leg is in the projecting position;

a spring disposed adjacent to the first leg side surface, biasing the elastic member toward the second leg side surface so as to maintain the engagement between the respective stopping portions and the elastic member when the tilt leg is in the stored and projecting positions;

a push button including a top portion slidably inserted in the side opening and a bottom portion having a guide pin inserted in the guide slit, the push button being slidable between a pushing position for pushing the elastic member against the spring with the guide pin so as to release the engagement of the respective one of the stopping portions and the elastic member and non-pushing position for maintaining the engagement.

8. The tiltable portable computer according to claim 7, wherein the first stopping portion is continuous with the one end and the second stopping portion is continuous with the other end.