Expansible notebook computer

• US 5,400,055 A
• Filed: 12/06/1993
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chan-Ik Chung, Hsi K. Ma
• Original Assignee: Chan-Ik Chung, Hsi K. Ma
• Inventors: Ma, Hsi K., Chung, Chan-Ik
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/162,655
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/901, 345/905, 364/708.1, 364/709.12
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

An expansible notebook computer includes a mainframe unit, a display, and a keyboard unit, wherein the mainframe unit has a floppy diskdrive on the inside, a display connector connected to a mainframe connector on the display unit, a top recess, which receives the keyboard unit, a keyboard connector on the top recess electrically connected to a connector on the keyboard unit, a plurality of expansion cartridge connectors on a vertical front wall thereof for connecting an expansion cartridge, a plurality of mounting slots and a plurality of battery contacts on the vertical front wall above the expansion cartridge connectors for connecting a battery box, a hard diskdrive connector and an expansion box connector on a bottom wall thereof for connecting a hard diskdrive and an expansion box.

Claims

1. An expansible notebook computer consisting of a standard notebook computer comprised of a mainframe unit having input/output connectors, a keyboard mounted on said mainframe unit at the top and having key switches for data input into said mainframe unit, and a display unit hinged to said mainframe unit and controlled by said mainframe unit to present information in visual form, wherein said mainframe unit comprises a floppy diskdrive on the inside, a display connector connected to a mainframe connector on said display unit, a top recess, which receives said keyboard unit, a keyboard connector on said top recess electrically connected to a connector on said keyboard unit, a plurality of expansion cartridge connectors on a vertical front wall thereof, a plurality of mounting slots and a plurality of battery contacts on the vertical front wall above said expansion cartridge connectors for connecting a battery box, a hard diskdrive connector and an expansion box connector on a bottom wall thereof for connecting a hard diskdrive and an expansion box, and further comprising:

a) a hard diskdrive unit and an expansion box respectively connected to said mainframe unit at the bottom, said hard diskdrive unit comprising a connector electrically connected to the hard diskdrive connector of said mainframe unit and a plurality of mounting slots on a vertical front wall thereof, said expansion box comprising a connector electrically connected to the expansion box connector of said mainframe unit and a plurality of mounting slots on a vertical front wall thereof;

b) an expansion cartridge, said expansion cartridge comprising a plurality of connectors electrically connected to the expansion cartridge connectors of said mainframe unit, and a plurality of mounting rods respectively fitted into the mounting slots on said hard diskdrive unit and said expansion box; and

c) a battery box, said battery box comprising a plurality of mounting rods respectively fitted into the mounting slots on said mainframe unit, and contacts electrically connected to the battery contacts of said mainframe unit.

2. The expansible notebook computer of claim 1 wherein said hard diskdrive and said expansion box are affixed to said mainframe unit by screws.

3. The expansible notebook computer of claim 1 wherein said battery box is affixed to said expansion cartridge by screws.

4. The expansible notebook computer of claim 1 wherein the mounting rods of said expansion cartridge are respectively fixed in the mounting slots of said hard diskdrive unit and said expansion box by screws.

5. The expansible notebook computer of claim 1 wherein the mounting rods of said battery box are respectively fixed in the mounting slots of said mainframe unit by screws.

6. The expansible notebook computer of claim 1, wherein said hard diskdrive unit, expansion box, expansion cartridge and battery box are detachably mounted to said mainframe unit.