Portable computer with tilting keyboard that exposes pointing device

• US 5,764,474 A
• Filed: 03/03/1997
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Youens, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): FEILD, LYNN DIANA
• Application Number:
  US08/810,520
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 361/681, 345/168, 345/169, 400/489, 400/682, 235/145 R, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.12
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1667 Arrangements for adjusting the tilt angle of the integrated keyboard independently from the main body adjusting the tilt angle integrally with the main body G06F1/166
• 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 1/1683 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033

Abstract

A portable notebook computer has a base housing with a keyboard structure movably supported on its top side. The keyboard structure is movable relative to the base housing between a forwardly disposed, generally horizontal storage and transport orientation and a rearwardly shifted use orientation in which the keyboard structure is upwardly and rearwardly tilted. When the keyboard structure is in its storage and transport orientation a front side portion thereof covers an underlying pointing device, representatively a trackball device. When the keyboard structure is rearwardly shifted to its use orientation it uncovers the pointing device for operation by the computer user. Due to this vertical stacking of the keyboard structure and pointing device, the front-to-rear dimension of the computer base housing may be advantageously reduced. Additionally, due to the rearwardly and upwardly tilted use orientation of the keyboard structure its user operating comfort is enhanced.

Claims

1. Electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing having a top side with front and rear portions;

a user operable control structure disposed on said front portion of said top side; and

a keyboard structure supported on said top side for movement relative thereto between;

(1) a forwardly shifted storage and transport orientation in which a front side portion of said keyboard structure covers said user operable control structure; and

(2) a rearwardly shifted use orientation in which said user operable control structure is exposed for user operation thereof.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein said user operable control structure is a pointing device.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein said keyboard structure in said use orientation thereof is upwardly and rearwardly tilted relative to said top side of said housing.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 3 wherein said electronic apparatus is a portable computer.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

said portable computer is a notebook computer, and

said housing is a base housing portion of said notebook computer.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein said keyboard structure has a generally flat configuration.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein said keyboard structure has an upwardly dished configuration.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a latch structure associated with said housing and operative to releasably hold said keyboard structure in said rearwardly shifted use orientation.

9. A portable computer comprising:

a base housing having a top side with front and rear portions;

a lid housing pivotally secured to said base housing for movement relative thereto between open and closed positions, said lid housing having a display screen thereon;

a user operable control structure disposed on said front portion of said top side; and

a keyboard structure supported on said top side for movement relative thereto between;

(1) a forwardly shifted storage and transport orientation in which a front side portion of said keyboard structure covers said user operable control structure, and

(2) a rearwardly shifted use orientation in which said user operable control structure is exposed for user operation thereof and said keyboard structure is upwardly and rearwardly tilted relative to said top side of said base housing.

10. The portable computer of claim 9 wherein said portable computer is a notebook computer.

11. The portable computer of claim 9 wherein said user operable control structure is a pointing device.

12. The portable computer of claim 9 further comprising a latch structure associated with said base housing and operative to releasably hold said keyboard structure in said rearwardly shifted use orientation.

13. The portable computer of claim 9 wherein said keyboard structure has a generally flat configuration.

14. The portable computer of claim 13 wherein:

a front section of said keyboard structure is slidably retained by said base housing for front-to-rear movement relative thereto, and

said portable computer further comprises a support member having an upper end pivotally connected to a rear section of said keyboard structure and a lower end pivotally connected to said base housing.

15. The portable computer of claim 14 wherein said support member has a generally plate-shaped configuration.

16. The portable computer of claim 15 wherein:

said base housing has electronic circuitry therein,

said support member has a passage extending therethrough between said upper and lower ends thereof, and

said portable computer further comprises a ribbon cable member extending through said passage and electrically coupling said keyboard structure to said electronic circuitry.

17. The portable computer of claim 13 wherein:

said base housing has a cutout area formed in said top side thereof and having a rear edge portion, and

said portable computer further comprises a spring structure operative to resiliently bias a rear section of said keyboard upwardly past said rear edge portion of said cutout area when said keyboard structure is in said storage and transport orientation thereof with said lid housing in said open position thereof.

18. The portable computer of claim 9 wherein:

said keyboard structure has an upwardly dished configuration, and

said keyboard structure is slidably retained by said base housing for front-to-rear movement relative thereto along an arcuate path.