Portable electronic apparatus having a hinge mechanism which rotatably connects a flat display unit to a housing incorporating a frame for supporting a circuit board

• US 5,691,880 A
• Filed: 09/05/1996
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Arai, Satoru, Seto, Masaru, Shibasaki, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/706,499
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708.1, 361/681-683
• US Class Current: 361/679.27
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• 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 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus includes flat display unit and a box-shaped housing having a bottom wall. A circuit unit incorporated in the housing has a circuit board and a frame to support this circuit board. The display unit is rotatably connected to the housing by a hinge mechanism. This hinge mechanism has a stay which extends parallel to the bottom wall of the housing and sandwiches the circuit unit together with the bottom wall. The stay is fastened by a screw which is driven into the bottom wall through the circuit unit.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a flat display unit;

a box-shaped housing having a bottom wall;

a circuit unit incorporated in said housing, and having a circuit board and a frame to support the circuit board;

a hinge mechanism rotatably connecting said display unit to said housing, and having a stay which extends parallel to the bottom wall of said housing and cooperates with said bottom wall to sandwich said circuit unit; and

a screw driven into said bottom wall through said stay and said circuit unit to fasten said circuit unit and said hinge mechanism to said housing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frame is provided with a support wall to support said circuit board and a fastening section which has a top surface on which said stay is mounted, said fastening section extending in a direction of depth of said housing, and said stay having a length approximately the same as a depth of said fastening section.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said housing has a plurality of bosses which extend upward from said bottom wall to receive the fastening section of said frame, and a screw is driven into each of the bosses.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said frame extends in the direction of the width of said housing and has first and second end portions separated in said direction, each of said ends having said fastening section.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing is provided with, as well as said bottom wall, a bottom case having an open top, and a top cover to cover the open top of the bottom case, and said circuit unit is incorporated in said bottom case.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising first and second shield plates which cover said circuit unit and are fastened to the fastening section of said frame by said screw.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the circuit board of said circuit unit has a ground wiring pattern which is electrically connected to said first and second shield plates.

8. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a flat display unit;

a box-shaped housing having a side wall with an opening and a bottom wall continuous with the side wall;

a circuit unit incorporated in said housing and having a circuit board and a frame to support the circuit board;

a hinge mechanism rotatably connecting said display unit to said housing and having a stay parallel to said bottom wall, the stay extending in a direction of a depth of said housing along the side wall of said housing in a region corresponding in position to said opening and cooperating with said bottom wall to sandwich said circuit unit; and

a screw driven into said bottom wall through said stay and said circuit unit to fasten said circuit unit and said hinge mechanism to said housing.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said frame is provided with a fastening section having a top surface where said stay is mounted and extending in the direction of the depth of said housing, and said stay has a length approximately the same as a depth of said fastening section.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising first and second shield plates which cover said circuit unit and are fastened to the fastening section of said frame by said screw.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said housing is provided with a cover, which has a cover support fixed on said housing and a cover member supported by the cover support and rotatable from a closing position to an opening position of said opening.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said housing is provided with a bottom case having said bottom wall, said side wall and an open top, and also provided with a top cover to cover the top of the bottom case, and said circuit unit is incorporated in said bottom case.

13. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a flat display unit;

a box-shaped housing provided with a bottom wall and a top wall opposing the bottom wall, the top wall having a from half portion where a key board is provided and a back half portion which has a display-supporting portion;

a circuit unit incorporated in said housing, having a circuit board and a frame to support the circuit board, and being located underneath the back half portion of said top wall;

a hinge mechanism rotatably connecting said display unit to the display-supporting portion of said housing and having a stay parallel to said bottom wall, said stay extending in a direction of a depth of said housing from said keyboard to said display-supporting portion and cooperating with said bottom wall to sandwich said circuit unit; and

a screw driven into said bottom wall through said stay and said circuit unit, to fasten said circuit unit and said hinge mechanism to said housing.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said frame has a fastening section extending in the direction of the depth of said housing, and said stay is mounted on the fastening section and has a length approximately the same as a depth of said fastening section.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said housing and said frame are made of synthetic resin, and said stay is made of metal.