Portable electronic apparatus having a unit which generates heat while operating and a housing containing the unit, the unit supported by a holder on a circuit board and a connector support member

• US 5,694,293 A
• Filed: 09/27/1995
• Issued: 12/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Seto, Masaru, Nakamura, Hiroshi, Itakura, Hiroaki, Shibasaki, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US08/534,872
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708.1, 361/680-687
• US Class Current: 361/679.26
• 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 1/1635 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 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 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus comprising a main body. The main body has a box-shaped housing including a unit receptacle. The unit receptacle protrudes upwards from said box-shaped housing and is located in a rear part of the box-shaped housing. The unit receptacle define a chamber and extends in a widthwise direction thereof. The apparatus further comprises a display unit and an AC power unit. The display unit is coupled to the rear part of the box-shaped housing. The AC power unit is provided in the chamber and electrically connected to said main body. The AC power unit is designed to convert AC power to DC power and supply the DC power to the main body. The AC power unit contains circuit components which generate heat while operating. The AC power unit is supported by a holder which is mounted on a circuit board and by a connector support member which is located at an inner side of the back wall of the box-shaped housing.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a main body including a box-shaped housing having a circuit board provided therein, a holder being mounted to said circuit board, said box-shaped housing having a unit receptacle protruding upwardly from a top of said box-shaped housing and located in a rear part of said box-shaped housing, said unit receptacle defining a chamber;

a display unit coupled to the rear part of said box-shaped housing; and

an AC power unit, housed in said chamber and supported by said holder, for converting an AC current to a DC current, said AC power unit being electrically connected to said circuit board and having circuit components which generate heat during an operation of conversion.

2. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said unit receptacle includes a wall in which a plurality of vent holes are made through to said chamber, said plurality of vent holes facing said AC power unit.

3. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said AC power unit has a cable including a connector, said holder has a connector holder which faces said circuit board, and said connector holder sandwiches said connector in cooperation with said circuit board.

4. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said box-shaped housing has an upper surface on which input means for inputting data is provided, said display unit is supported by said box-shaped housing to be rotatable between a closed position where said display unit covers said upper surface and said input means from above and an opened position where said display unit stands up in rear of said input means and said unit receptacle includes a top wall which is interposed between said display unit and said AC power unit when said display unit is rotated to the opened position.

5. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes a lower housing for containing said circuit board and an upper housing removably joined with said lower housing and including said unit receptacle.

6. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said AC power unit has a wiring board supporting said circuit components and a case surrounding said wiring board and said circuit components.

7. A portable electronic apparatus comprising:

a main body including a bottom wall, a back wall communicating with the bottom wall, a top wall located at the upper side of the back wall, a unit receptacle protruding from the top wall, and display support means arranged adjacent to said unit receptacle, said unit receptacle having a chamber including a communication portion which communicates with an inside of said main body, a circuit board being mounted on the bottom wall, a connector support member located at an inner side of the back wall, and a holder facing the communication portion being mounted on said circuit board;

a display unit having leg means supported by said display support means; and

a unit contained in said chamber including circuit components which generate heat during an operation said unit being supported by said connector support member and said holder and being exposed to the inside of said main body via said communication portion.

8. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said unit receptacle has a wall on which a plurality of vent holes are made through to said chamber and said plurality of vent holes face said unit.

9. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said display support means is constructed and arranged to be rotatable between a closed position where said display unit covers said top wall from above and an opened position where said display unit stands up in a rear portion of said top wall, and said unit receptacle includes a wall which is interposed between said display unit and said unit when said display unit is rotated to the opened position.

10. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said unit is fixed to said connector support member via a screw.

11. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said unit is an AC power unit constructed and arranged to convert AC power to DC power and supply the DC power to said circuit board.