Calculator lid mechanism
DCFirst Claim
1. A portable hand-held calculator, comprising:
- (a) a generally flat rectangular housing containing operating electronics and an array of calculator actuating buttons;
a display panel being located on a front surface of said housing proximate said array of actuator buttons;
said housing including a pair of flanges extending from opposite side edges of said housing in parallel spaced relationship; and
hinge-forming trunnions being formed on inwardly facing surfaces of said flanges;
(b) a lid structure connected to said trunnions for pivotal motion relative to said housing, said lid structure including a flat cover portion and a tubular portion formed along one edge of said flat cover portion extending between said trunnions, said tubular portion including cylindrical bores extending along the longitudinal axis thereof; and
(c) a lid operating mechanism including damping means arranged within at least one said cylindrical bore, biasing said lid toward a rearwardly pivoted position, and effectuating a controlled pivotal motion of said lid structure between the closed position thereof covering said display panel and the rearwardly pivoted position exposing said display panel and forming a stand for supporting said calculator in a tilted position on a horizontal surface.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A calculator which generally possesses a flat, compact and portable housing construction, and which includes a calculator lid mechanism which pivots a flat cover of the calculator in a predetermined controlled manner between a first position causing the flat cover to form a lid which overlies a calculator display, and a second operational position in which the cover is pivoted towards the rear of the calculator so as to form a stand for tilting the calculator into an upwardly inclined ergonomic position relative to a horizontal support surface during intended use thereof. Upon the actuation of a switch, a release mechanism enables the lid to be pivoted rearwardly in a controlled damped manner about a hinge connection, which articulates the lid to the calculator housing, under the urging of a torsion spring and damping drum arrangement constituting the lid mechanism located within a tubular bore within the hinge portion of the lid structure into an essentially perpendicular orientation relative to the rear surface of the calculator housing so as to form the stand for tiltingly support the calculator when positioned on a horizontal surface.
116 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A portable hand-held calculator, comprising:
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(a) a generally flat rectangular housing containing operating electronics and an array of calculator actuating buttons;
a display panel being located on a front surface of said housing proximate said array of actuator buttons;
said housing including a pair of flanges extending from opposite side edges of said housing in parallel spaced relationship; and
hinge-forming trunnions being formed on inwardly facing surfaces of said flanges;
(b) a lid structure connected to said trunnions for pivotal motion relative to said housing, said lid structure including a flat cover portion and a tubular portion formed along one edge of said flat cover portion extending between said trunnions, said tubular portion including cylindrical bores extending along the longitudinal axis thereof; and
(c) a lid operating mechanism including damping means arranged within at least one said cylindrical bore, biasing said lid toward a rearwardly pivoted position, and effectuating a controlled pivotal motion of said lid structure between the closed position thereof covering said display panel and the rearwardly pivoted position exposing said display panel and forming a stand for supporting said calculator in a tilted position on a horizontal surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification