Electronic apparatus provided with housing having liquid proof structure

• US 7,525,792 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokote, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vortman; Anatoly
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUNTER, QUINN T
• Application Number:
  US11/391,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 361/680, 361/683
• US Class Current: 361/679.02
• 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 1/1656 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing, a unit supported on the housing, and a mounting section which is provided on the housing and on which the unit is placed. The mounting section includes an opening, a support wall which surrounds the opening and supports the unit, a cut portion which is provided in the support wall, and a lid which is fitted in the cut portion and is a part of the support wall.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a unit supported on the housing; and

a mounting section which is provided on the housing and on which the unit is placed;

a circuit board contained in the housing;

a cable mounting groove provided in a wall of the housing; and

a cable extending through the cable mounting groove from an outside of the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein;

the mounting section includes (i) an opening, (ii) a peripheral wall, (iii) a support wall projecting horizontally from the peripheral wall and surrounding an entire peripheral edge of the opening, (iv) a cut portion which is provided in the support wall, and (v) a lid which is fitted in the cut portion and is a part of the support wall, the support wall supporting an entire peripheral portion of the unit from below, the entire peripheral portion of the unit being sealed in a liquid-tight manner by the support wall,

the cable mounting groove includes a groove bottom positioned lower than the support wall, and a pair of side walls uprising from the groove bottom, the cable mounting groove communicating with the opening through the cut portion,

the cable mounting groove, the cut portion and the opening are aligned with each other and upwardly open to extend the cable to an inside of the housing before the lid is fitted in the cut portion, and

the lid covers the cut portion and supports part of the peripheral portion of the unit from below to seal the part of the peripheral portion of the unit in the liquid-tight manner.

2. An electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall rises from that end part of the support wall which is situated off the opening, the cut portion is made in the support wall and in the peripheral wall, and the lid includes a rising portion which is fitted in the cut portion and is a part of the peripheral wall.

3. An electronic apparatus according of claim 1, wherein the mounting section is a keyboard setting section.

4. An electronic apparatus of claim 2, which further comprises, a plate which covers the opening and is interposed between the unit and the support wall, the support wall including a plurality of engaging portions, the plate including a plurality of retaining portions inserted in the engaging portions of the support wall and hung up on a lower surface of the support wall to thereby fix a peripheral portion of the plate to the support wall.

5. An electronic apparatus of claim 4, which further comprises, a sealing member which is interposed between the plate and the support wall, such that the sealing member is arranged between the engaging portions of the support wall and the peripheral wall.

6. An electronic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sealing member is in the form of a frame which surrounds the opening, and the engaging portions of the support wall.

7. An electronic apparatus of claim 5, wherein the support wall includes a groove in which the sealing member is placed, the groove extending perpendicular to a direction in which the peripheral wall and the opening are aligned.

8. An electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support wall includes a first surface facing the unit, and the lid includes a second surface facing the unit, the first and second surfaces being flush with each other.

9. An electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting section includes a lid supporting portion which supports the lid, the lid supporting portion being provided on the support wall and being lower than an upper surface of the support wall by an amount equal to a thickness of the lid, the lid being bonded to the lid supporting portion.

10. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a unit supported on the housing; and

a mounting section which is provided on the housing and on which the unit is placed, the mounting section including (i) an opening, (ii) a peripheral wall, (iii) a support wall projecting horizontally from the peripheral wall and surrounding an entire peripheral edge of the opening, (iv), a cut portion which is provided in the support wall, and (v) a lid which is fitted in the cut portion and is a part of the support wall, the support wall supporting an entire peripheral portion of the unit from below, the entire peripheral portion of the unit being sealed in a liquid-tight manner by the support wall.

11. An electronic apparatus of claim 10, which further comprises:

a circuit board contained in the housing;

a cable mounting groove provided in a wall of the housing; and

a cable extending through the cable mounting groove from an outside of the housing and electrically connected to the circuit board, wherein;

the cable mounting groove upwardly opens and includes a groove bottom positioned lower than the support wall, and a pair of side walls uprising from the groove bottom,

the cut portion includes a groove through which the cable mounting groove communicates with the opening,

the cable is guided through the groove to avoid the support wall such that the cable is received in the cable mounting groove and the opening from above,

the lid is fitted in the cut portion and covers the groove of the cut portion, and

the unit is placed on the support wall and the lid and covers the opening.

12. An electronic apparatus of claim 10, which further comprises a plate which is interposed between the unit and the support wall.

13. An electronic apparatus of claim 12, which further comprises a sealing member which is interposed between the plate and the support wall.

14. An electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mounting section includes an opening which is surrounded by the support wall, and the sealing member is in the form of a frame which surrounds the opening.

15. An electronic apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the support wall and the lid includes a groove in which the sealing member is placed.

16. An electronic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the support wall includes a first wall portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the housing in front of the opening, a second wall portion extending in a transverse direction of the housing on the left of the opening, a third wall portion extending in the transverse direction of the housing on the right of the opening, and a fourth wall portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing behind the opening, the first, second, third and fourth wall portions being connected to each other.