Portable computer with keyboard and having display with coordinate input tablet rotatably mounted to face either toward or away from keyboard when closed over keyboard

• US 5,268,817 A
• Filed: 04/02/1993
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroyuki, Sato, Fumitaka, Kobayashi, Koichi, Miyagawa, Shigenori, Ishiura, Ryoichi, Kamio, Shizuo, Kunii, Shimpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/041,890
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 40/152.1, 40/493, 248/913, 248/917-923, 248/122, 400/83, 400/88, 400/680, 400/681, 400/682, 400/685, 361/380, 361/390-395, 361/399, 364/708, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 361/679.07
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/087 with substantially axial friction, e.g. friction disks
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/582 with horizontal swinging axis E05D15/581 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/606 for electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode

Abstract

A main body case for storing a keyboard and an upper case for storing an integrated display/input device are coupled by hinge units to be arbitrarily pivotal from a state wherein the keyboard faces the integrated display/input device to a state wherein the back surfaces of the keyboard and the integrated display/input device face each other.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

a main body unit having a keyboard;

a display/input device having front and back surfaces, and including a display and a coordinate input tablet said display and said coordinate input tablet being overlapped, so as to form an integrated unit, and attached to the front surface of the display/input device;

a support frame supporting said display/input device;

a first hinge mechanism unit pivotally coupling said support frame to said main body unit, the first hinge mechanism for permitting the support frame to pivot between a closed position wherein said support frame and the display/input device overlay said keyboard, and an open position, wherein said support frame and the display/input device are angularly displaced from said keyboard; and

a second hinge mechanism unit rotatably coupling said display/input device to said support frame, the input/display device being rotatable between a first position, wherein said front surface faces said keyboard when the support frame and the display/input device are in the closed position, and a second position, wherein said back surface faces said keyboard such that data can be input by means of said display/input device instead of said keyboard when the support frame and the display/input device are in the closed position.

2. A computer according to claim 1, wherein a rotational axis of said first hinge mechanism unit and a rotational axis of said second hinge mechanism unit are parallel with each other.

3. A computer according to claim 1, wherein a rotational axis of said second hinge mechanism unit is perpendicular to a rotational axis of said first hinge mechanism unit.

4. A computer according to claim 3, further comprising coordinate conversion means for vertically inverting an image on said display.

5. A computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotation lock mechanism for locking said display/input device at a predetermined rotational position with respect to the main body unit.

6. A computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projecting portion for maintaining a gap between said keyboard and said display/input device when the support frame overlays the main body unit and the display/input device faces the keyboard.

7. A computer according to claim 1, wherein said first hinge mechanism unit is arranged on a rear end portion of said main body unit.

8. A computer according to claim 1, wherein said first hinge mechanism unit is arranged at a position offset from a rear end portion of said main body unit toward a central portion of said main body unit.