Electronic apparatus having battery receptacle at the rear of keyboard

• US 7,778,016 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Arisaka, Takayuki, Minaguchi, Hiroyuki, Itakura, Hidemi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards; Anthony Q
• Application Number:
  US12/269,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.17
• US Class Current: 361/679.17
• 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 1/1635 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, an electronic apparatus comprises a housing including a keyboard mount portion. A keyboard is mounted on the keyboard mount portion. The keyboard has a plurality of fixing pieces. The fixing pieces are protruded at the rear of the keyboard mount portion, and are removably fixed to the housing. A receptacle on which a module is removably mounted is provided in the housing. The receptacle is located between the fixing pieces at the rear of the keyboard mount portion.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing including a keyboard mount portion on a top surface of the housing, the keyboard mount portion including a first end portion and a second end portion;

a receptacle provided in the housing, the receptacle being located proximate to the rear of the keyboard mount portion;

a keyboard including a plurality of fasteners protruding from the second end portion of the keyboard mount portion adjacent to the receptacle when mounted at the keyboard mount portion, the keyboard being removably affixed to the top surface of the housing; and

a module removably coupled to the receptacle of the housing, the module including a cover portion positioned above the plurality of fasteners and the housing when the module is coupled to the receptacle.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein a front end of the receptacle is located downwardly from the keyboard mount portion.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module includes a case including a battery pack housed by the cover portion.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of receiving portions to which the plurality of fasteners are affixed.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cover portion of the module covers the plurality of fasteners and the plurality of receiving portions.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover portion of the module has a support wall extending downward, the support wall contacting the keyboard to sandwich the keyboard between the support wall and the keyboard mount portion when the module is coupled to the receptacle.

7. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a housing including a keyboard mount portion and a receptacle, the receptacle being located at a rear of the keyboard mount portion;

a keyboard mounted on the keyboard mount portion, the keyboard including a plurality of fasteners protruding toward the receptacle and being removably affixed to the housing; and

a module removably coupled to the receptacle of the housing, the module including a cover portion which covers the plurality of fasteners when the module is coupled to the receptacle,

wherein the housing has a boss portion receiving each of the fasteners, the boss portion being positioned inside of the receptacle.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the module includes a case housing a battery pack, the case is removably mounted on the receptacle, and the cover portion is provided in the case.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein a front end of the receptacle is located below the keyboard mount portion of the housing.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of fasteners of the keyboard each are affixed to the boss portion via a screw.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of the fasteners of the keyboard are spaced from each other in a widthwise direction of the housing.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the receptacle is a recessed portion formed by continuous openings at a bottom wall, a top wall and a rear wall of the housing, and a front end portion of the receptacle is located below the keyboard mount portion.