Portable computer with supporting legs

• US 5,469,327 A
• Filed: 05/27/1994
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Technology Resources Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Technology Resources Inc.
• Inventors: Cheng, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/251,381
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 108/1, 248/188.8, 248/688, 248/918, 400/681, 400/682, 400/691, 400/693, 341/22, 364/708.1, 235/1 D, 235/145 R, 235/146, 361/680-687
• 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 1/166 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: Y10S 248/918 Ancillary device support associated with a video display screen

Abstract

A portable computer includes a display unit and a keyboard unit having a housing with a rear portion pivoted to the display unit. Two supporting legs are respectively disposed on left and right sides of the rear side portion of the housing. Each of the supporting legs includes an elongated support body pivoted to the housing at the top end portion thereof and a stopper projection secured to and protruding inward from the lower end portion of the support body. When not in use, the support bodies are stored within leg mounting portions of the housing and the stopper projections are stored in a groove unit. When in use, the projections are rotated to supporting positions so as to contact the bottom surface of the housing, thus raising the rear portion of the housing.

Claims

1. A portable computer including a display unit and a keyboard unit having a housing with a rear portion pivoted to the display unit, wherein the improvement comprises two supporting members which are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the rear portion of the housing, the housing having a groove unit formed in a bottom surface thereof, each of said supporting members including an elongated support body pivoted to the housing at a top end portion thereof, and a stopper projection secured to and protruding inward from a lower end portion of said support body, each of said stopper projections being rotatable relative to the housing between a supporting position in which a rear end portion of said stopper projection contacts the bottom surface of the housing so as to raise the rear portion of the housing, and a storage position in which said stopper projection is located in said groove unit of the housing, each of said supporting legs being inclined downwardly and rearwardly when said computer is placed on a horizontal table surface and when a corresponding one of said stopper projections is located in the supporting position.

2. A portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two opposite sides of said rear portion of the housing has a recess formed in a corner between the bottom surface and a side surface of the housing so as to mount said support body of a corresponding one of said supporting legs therein.