Portable computer equipped with add-on battery

• US 6,560,100 B1
• Filed: 04/16/1997
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ohnishi, Masuo, Shin, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn D.
• Application Number:
  US08/843,441
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: G06/F.116, 361/683, 361/686, 364/708.1, 307/150, 429/96-100, 429/123
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• 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 1/166 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

Abstract

A portable computer includes a portable computer body having an upper surface, a lower surface and a lower front edge thereof. An add-on battery is detachably mounted on the lower surface of the portable computer body and has a wedge-shaped portion corresponding to a wedge-like space which is defined between the lower surface of the portable computer body and a surface on which the portable computer body is placed, when the portable computer body is placed to be inclined about the lower front edge of the portable computer body. The portable computer body is, when it is equipped with the add-on battery, inclined in such a manner that the upper surface of the portable computer body is lower at a front edge thereof.

Claims

1. A portable computer provided with a battery add-on capability, said computer comprising:

a portable computer body having an upper surface, a lower surface and a lower front edge, the upper surface having a front edge and the lower surface having a rear region;

mounting means for detachably mounting on the lower surface of said portable computer body an add-on battery having a wedge-shaped portion corresponding to a wedge-like space defined between the rear region of the lower surface of said portable computer body and a surface on which said portable computer body is placed, when said portable computer body is placed to be inclined about said lower front edge of the portable computer body, said mounting means comprising;

guide means including

a recessed area defined in the lower surface between left and right side areas of the rear region, the recessed area having right and left walls, a front wall, and a rear opening,

a pawl fixed at an upper edge of the recessed area and adjacent to a corresponding wall thereof, and

a guide groove defined by the pawl and the corresponding wall and along which the add-on battery is first guided toward the lower surface of said portable computer body and then guided forward with respect to said portable computer body, whereby the guide groove catches a corresponding pawl fixed to a bottom edge of a protruding surface portion of the add-on battery, and the wedge-shaped portion of the add-on battery extends rearward from the rear opening of the recessed area and downward from the lower surface of said portable computer body,

locking means for automatically locking the add-on battery to the lower surface of said portable computer body when the add-on battery is guided forward with respect to said portable computer body, and

releasing means for releasing the locking means to allow the add-on battery to be removed from said portable computer body along the guide groove; and

whereby said portable computer body, when it is equipped with the add-on battery, is inclined in such a manner that the upper surface of said portable computer body is lower at a front edge thereof.

2. A portable computer as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the guide groove of the guide means is one of a group of guide grooves arranged in one or more pairs of left and right guide grooves; and

the add-on battery has pairs of left and right pawls respectively fitting into the pairs of left and right guide grooves.

3. A portable computer provided with a battery add-on capability, said computer comprising:

a portable computer body having an upper surface, a lower surface and a lower front edge, the upper surface having a front edge and the lower surface having a rear region;

a mounting mechanism to detachably mount on the lower surface of said portable computer body an add-on battery having a wedge-shaped portion and a surface portion protruding therefrom, the wedge-shaped portion and a surface portion protruding therefrom, the wedge-shaped portion corresponding to a wedge-like space defined between the rear region of the lower surface of said portable computer body and a surface on which said portable computer body is placed, when said portable computer body is placed to be inclined about said lower front edge of said portable computer body, said mounting mechanism comprising;

a guide portion including a recessed area defined in the lower surface between left and right side areas of the rear region, the recessed area having right and left walls, a front wall, and a rear opening,

a pawl fixed at an upper edge of the recessed area and adjacent to a corresponding wall of the recessed area, and

a guide groove defined by the pawl and the corresponding wall and along which the add-on battery is first guided toward the lower surface of said portable computer body and then guided forward with respect to said portable computer body, whereby the guide groove catches a corresponding pawl fixed to a bottom edge of a protruding portion of the add-on battery, and the wedge-shaped portion of the add-on battery extends rearward from the rear opening of the recessed area and downward from the lower surface of said portable computer body,

a lock mechanism to lock the add-on battery to the lower surface of said portable computer body when the add-on battery is guided forward with respect to said portable computer body, and

a release mechanism to release the lock mechanism, thereby allowing the add-on battery to be removed from said portable computer body along the guide portion;

whereby said portable computer body, when equipped with the add-on battery, is inclined in such a manner that the upper surface of said portable computer body is lower at a front edge thereof.

4. A portable computer as set forth in claim 3, wherein;

the guide groove of the guide portion is included among left and right guide grooves; and

the add-on battery has pairs of left and right pawls respectively fitting into the left and right guide grooves.

6. A portable computer as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

the guide groove of the guide portion is included among left and right guide grooves; and

said add-on battery has left and right pawls respectively fitting into the left and right guide grooves.

5. A portable computer provided with a battery add-on capability, said computer comprising:

a portable computer body having an upper surface, a lower surface and a lower front edge, the upper surface having a front edge and the lower surface having a rear region; and

a wedge-shaped add-on battery detachably mountable on the lower surface of said portable computer body;

said portable computer body comprising a guide portion including

a recessed area defined in the lower surface between left and right side areas of the rear region, the recessed area having right and left walls, a front wall, and a rear opening,

a pawl fixed at an upper edge of the recessed area adjacent to a corresponding wall of the recessed area, and

a guide groove defined by the pawl and the corresponding wall and along which said add-on battery is first guided toward the lower surface of said portable computer body and then guided forward with respect to said portable computer body;

said add-on battery comprising;

a surface portion insertable into the recessed area of said portable computer body and protruding from the wedge-shaped portion,

a pawl extending from an edge of the protruding area and disposed to catch within the guide groove of the guide portion when the protruding area is inserted in the recessed area of the portable computer body,

a lock mechanism to lock the add-on battery to the lower surface of said portable computer body when said add-on battery is guided forward with respect to said portable computer body, and

a release mechanism to release the lock mechanism, thereby allowing said add-on battery to be removed from said portable computer body along the guide portion; and

wherein said portable computer body, when equipped with said add-on battery, is inclined in such a manner that the upper surface of said portable computer body is lower at a front edge thereof.

7. A portable computer mountable with an add-battery, said portable computer comprising:

a computer body having a plurality of faces including a bottom face defining therein a pair of L-shaped guide grooves respectively corresponding to a pair of first pawls extending from an upper face of the add-on battery, each guide groove including a first region receiving therein the corresponding first pawl and a second region extending from the first region and receiving therein the first pawl from the first region; and

locking means for locking the add-on battery onto said computer body when the add-on battery advances along the bottom face to a predetermined position and the first pawls are respectively received into the second regions;

whereby the add-on battery is mounted to said portable computer by inserting the first pawls into the first regions, and then advancing the add-on battery along the bottom face of said computer body to the predetermined position.

8. A portable computer as set forth in claim 7, wherein said locking means includes a pair of lock pawls biased to project into respective lock recesses when the add-on battery advances to the predetermined position and the first pawls are received into the second regions, whereby the lock pawls restrict movement of the add-on battery to retain the first pawls in the second regions and the first pawls received in the second regions restrict movement of the add-on battery to retain the lock pawls in the lock recesses.

9. A portable computer as set forth in claim 8, wherein the lock pawls project from a face of said computer body and the lock recesses are defined in a face of the add-on battery.

10. A portable computer as set forth in claim 8, wherein the lock pawls project from a face of the add-on battery and the lock recesses are defined in a face of said computer body.

11. A portable computer add-on battery system, comprising:

an add-on battery having a plurality of faces including an upper face, a pair of first pawls extending from the upper face;

a portable computer including a computer body having a plurality of faces including a bottom face, a pair of L-shaped guide grooves being defined in the bottom face and respectively corresponding to the first pawls, each guide groove including a first region receiving the corresponding first pawl therein and a second region extending from the first region and receiving the first pawl therein from the first region; and

locking means for locking said add-on battery onto the computer body when said add-on battery advances along the bottom face to a predetermined position and the first pawls are respectively received into the second regions;

whereby said add-on battery is mounted to said portable computer by inserting the first pawls into the first regions, and then advancing said add-on battery along the bottom face of said computer body to the predetermined position.

12. A portable computer add-on battery system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said locking means includes a pair of lock pawls biased to project into respective lock recesses when said add-on battery advances to the predetermined position and the first pawls are received into the second regions, whereby the lock pawls restrict movement of said add-on battery to retain the first pawls in the second regions and the first pawls received in the guide grooves restrict movement of said add-on battery to retain the lock pawls in the lock recesses.

13. A portable computer add-on battery system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the lock pawls project from a face of the computer body and the lock recesses are defined in a face of said add-on battery.

14. A portable computer add-on battery system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the lock pawls project from a face of said add-on battery and the lock recesses are defined in a face of the computer body.

15. A portable computer add-on battery system, comprising:

a body portion for a portable computer, said body portion having a plurality of faces including an external face defining therein a pair of L-shaped guide grooves each including a first region and a second region extending from the first region; and

a locking system for locking onto the portable computer an add-on battery having a plurality of faces including a mounting face, said locking system including a pair of first pawls extending from the mounting face and respectively corresponding to the guide grooves of said body portion, each first pawl being receivable into the first region of the corresponding guide groove and further receivable into the second region of the corresponding guide groove from the first region;

whereby the add-on battery is mounted to said portable computer by inserting the first pawls into the first regions, and then advancing the add-on battery along the external face of said body portion to the predetermined position.

16. A portable computer add-on battery system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said locking system further includes one or more lock pawls projectable into one or more respective lock recesses when the add-on battery advances along the external face of said body portion to the predetermined position and the first pawls are received into the second regions of the guide grooves, whereby the one or more lock pawls restrict movement of the add-on battery to retain the first pawls in the second regions and the first pawls received in the guide grooves restrict movement of the add-on battery to retain the one or more lock pawls in the one or more lock recesses.

17. A portable computer add-on battery system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the one or more lock pawls project from a face of said body portion and the one or more lock recesses are defined in a face of the add-on battery.

18. A portable computer add-on battery system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the one or more lock pawls project from a face of the add-on battery and the one or more lock recesses are defined in a face of said body portion.