Information processing apparatus

• US 6,188,569 B1
• Filed: 02/05/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hiramatsu, Masaaki, Hoshino, Takeshi, Minemoto, Takeshi, Kashima, Taisuke, Urushihara, Atsuhiko, Hamazaki, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US09/019,177
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680-683, 361/685, 364/708.1, D14/107, D14/113, D14/114, 312/223.3, 312/265.6, 395/750.05
• US Class Current: 361/679.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1631 Panel PC, e.g. single housing hosting PC and display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device

Abstract

Provided is an information processing apparatus in which a whole information processing apparatus system including a display device is compacted by making full use of thin and light characteristics of a liquid crystal display device, whereby space efficiency is improved and an ease of use is also acquired.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a body casing having a thin shape in a depth direction and having a front surface;

a disk drive device having a horizontally long disk insert slot on said front surface, having a disk drive casing longer in a depth direction, and having a disk memory reading mechanism in said disk drive casing; and

a liquid crystal display arranged in a vertical direction and being thin in said depth direction,

wherein said disk insert slot is located on a front surface side of said body casing on a lower portion of said body casing, and said disk drive device is arranged so that the depth direction of said disk drive casing may be directed in the depth direction of said body casing, and

said liquid crystal display is vertically arranged in said body casing so that a front surface of said liquid crystal display may be located over said disk drive device and on the front surface side of said body casing, and

a support device is disposed under said body casing, and said body casing is movably mounted on said support device.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second disk drive device is further arranged on the lower portion of said body casing,

said second disk drive device has the horizontally long disk insert slot on the front surface, a second disk drive casing longer in the depth direction and the disk memory reading mechanism in said disk drive casing, and

said second disk drive device is arranged so that said disk insert slot may be located on the front surface side of said body casing and the depth direction of said disk drive casing may be directed in the depth direction of said body casing, and the insert slot of said second disk drive is located in parallel to the insert slot of said first disk drive and is horizontally located on the front surface side of said body casing.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the insert slot of said first disk drive is opened,

said second disk drive device has a tray for ejecting/inserting a disk memory, and

said first disk drive device is arranged on said second disk drive device.

4. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a body casing having a thin shape in a depth direction and having a front surface;

a disk drive device having a horizontally long disk insert slot on said front surface, having a disk drive casing longer in a depth direction, and having a disk memory reading mechanism in said disk drive casing;

a liquid crystal display arranged in a vertical direction and being thin in said depth direction;

a front chassis vertically arranged; and

a lower chassis connected to a lower portion of said front chassis perpendicularly to said front chassis,

wherein said front chassis is vertically arranged on a front surface side in said body casing, and said lower chassis is arranged in said body casing in a direction toward a deeper portion from said front chassis,

said disk drive device is arranged on the lower portion of said front chassis in said body casing so that said disk insert slot may be located on the front surface side of said body casing and the depth direction of said disk drive casing may be directed in the depth direction of said body casing, and

said liquid crystal display is arranged over said disk drive device and between an inner side of the front surface side of said body casing and said front chassis.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said front chassis and said lower chassis have a bent side, and said front chassis and said lower chassis are connected to each other in L shape seen from a side surface.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said lower chassis has an oblong first housing space formed by the bent side,

said front chassis has a lengthwise second device housing space formed by the bent side, and

said disk device is arranged in said first device housing space.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

a plurality of transversally laid disk devices are vertically arranged in said first device housing space, and

a main board is arranged in parallel to said liquid crystal display in said second device housing space.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a body casing having a thin shape in a depth direction and having a front surface;

a disk drive device having a horizontally long disk insert slot on said front surface, having a disk drive casing longer in a depth direction, and having a disk memory reading mechanism in said disk drive casing;

a liquid crystal display arranged in a vertical direction and being thin in a depth direction;

a main board having a semiconductor circuit for processing information,

wherein said disk drive device is arranged on a lower portion of said body casing so that said disk insert slot may be located on a front surface side of said body casing and the depth direction of said disk drive casing may be directed in the depth direction of said body casing,

said liquid crystal display is vertically arranged in said body casing so that a front surface of said liquid crystal display may be located over said disk drive device and on the front surface side of said body casing,

said main board is arranged in parallel to said liquid crystal display in said body casing and further behind said liquid crystal display; and

a stand for supporting said body casing,

wherein the lower portion of said body casing is movably mounted on said stand portion through a connecting portion.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said body casing has a rear case for opening a back side thereof, and said rear case is removably mounted.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said main board has a semiconductor chip on one surface thereof and a wiring surface on the other surface thereof, and

said main board is arranged so that said wiring surface may be located opposite to said liquid crystal display.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a chassis including a front chassis and a lower chassis, said front chassis being vertically arranged, and said lower chassis being connected to a lower portion of said front chassis and being transversally arranged;

a disk drive device having a horizontally long disk insert slot on a front surface, having a disk drive casing longer in a depth direction, and having a disk memory reading mechanism in said disk drive casing; and

a liquid crystal display arranged in a vertical direction and being thin in said depth direction,

wherein said front chassis is vertically arranged on a front surface side, and said lower chassis is arranged on the lower portion of said front chassis in a direction toward a deeper portion from said front chassis,

said disk drive device is arranged on the lower portion of said chassis so that said disk insert slot may be located on a front surface side and the depth direction of said disk drive casing may be directed in the depth direction of said body casing,

said liquid crystal display is mounted on said front chassis over said disk drive device,

a front surface upper case is mounted on said chassis to cover a front surface of said liquid crystal display, and

a front surface lower case is fixed on said chassis under said front surface upper case to cover the front surface of said disk drive device.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

said chassis is supported by the stand portion movably mounted to the lower portion of said chassis through the connecting portion.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising a drive device and a liquid crystal display device in a body casing,

wherein an internal device housing space is provided in said body casing by a front chassis, a lower chassis and a shield panel, said front chassis being made of a conductive material located on the front portion of said body casing, said lower chassis being made of the conductive material located on the lower portion of said body casing, and said shield panel being made of the conductive material for covering said lower chassis and the rear portion of said front chassis, and

said liquid crystal display device is arranged on the front portion of said front chassis, and said disk device, said main board and said power source unit are arranged in said internal device housing space.

14. An information processing apparatus comprising a drive device and a liquid crystal display device in a body casing,

wherein said body casing includes a front chassis, a lower chassis and a shield panel, said front chassis being made of the conductive material located on the front portion of said body casing, said lower chassis being made of the conductive material located on the lower portion of said body casing, and said shield panel being made of the conductive material for covering said lower chassis and the rear portion of said front chassis,

said lower chassis has an oblong first housing space formed by the bent side,

said front chassis has a lengthwise second device housing space formed by the bent side,

said shield panel has a lengthwise third housing space on an upper position of said lower chassis and on a rear position of said front chassis, and

said liquid crystal display device is arranged on the front portion of said front chassis, said disk device is arranged in said first housing space, said main board is arranged in said second housing space, and said power source unit is arranged in said third housing space.

15. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a body casing having a thin shape in a depth direction;

a liquid crystal display arranged in a vertical direction and being thin in said depth direction;

a front chassis vertically arranged; and

a main board having a semiconductor circuit for processing information,

wherein said front chassis is vertically arranged on a front surface side of said body casing,

said liquid crystal display is arranged between an inner side of the front surface side of said body casing and said front chassis,

said main board is provided at a back of said front chassis so that said main board is arranged between the inner side of a back side of said body casing and said front chassis,

said liquid crystal display and said main board are mounted with a space therebetween in said front chassis, and wherein

said body casing has a rear case for opening the back side thereof, and said rear case is removably mounted.

16. An information processing apparatus comprising a main board and a liquid crystal display device in a body casing,

wherein said body casing has a casing structure being thin in a depth direction and a chassis vertically arranged in an inner front side of the body casing, said liquid crystal display device is mounted to said chassis and disposed on a front surface of said body casing,

said main board is mounted to said chassis and is arranged in parallel to said display device at a rear of said chassis, and

said body casing includes, on one side surface thereof, an input/output terminal portion having an input/output terminal mounted on said main board.

17. An information processing apparatus comprising a main board and a liquid crystal display device in a body casing,

wherein said body casing has a casing structure being thin in a depth direction and a chassis vertically arranged in an inner front side of the body casing, said chassis constitutes a front surface of a receiving space provided with said main board,

said liquid crystal display device is mounted to said chassis and is disposed on the front surface of said body casing,

said main board is mounted to said chassis and is arranged in parallel to said display device at a rear of said chassis, and

said body casing includes, on one side surface thereof, an input/output terminal portion constituting one side surface of said receiving space.

18. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a body casing having a liquid crystal display device on a front surface thereof; and

a stand portion for supporting said body casing,

wherein said body casing has a casing structure being thin in a depth direction and has a chassis vertically arranged in an inner front side of the body casing,

said liquid crystal display device is mounted to said chassis and is disposed on the front surface of said body casing,

said main board is mounted to said chassis and is arranged in parallel to said display device at a rear of said chassis, and

said body casing includes, on one side surface thereof, an input/output terminal portion having an input/output terminal mounted on said main board.

19. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a body casing having a liquid crystal display device on a front surface thereof; and

a stand portion for supporting said body casing,

wherein said body casing has a casing structure being thin in a depth direction and has a chassis vertically arranged in an inner front side of the body casing,

said liquid crystal display device is mounted to said chassis and is disposed on the front surface of said body casing,

said main board is mounted to said chassis and is arranged in parallel to said display device at a rear of said chassis, and

said body casing includes, on one side surface thereof, an input/output terminal portion constituting one side surface of said receiving space.