Notebook computer with hidden touch pad

• US 7,898,528 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsu, Kuo-Jung
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman; Stephen G
• Application Number:
  US10/661,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20040136154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,724 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-178, 361679-687, 361/212, 248118-1183, 3122231-2232, 206759-760, D14/318
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033

Abstract

A notebook computer with a hidden touch pad. The notebook computer includes a main portion, a display, and a touch pad. The main portion includes a housing, and the housing includes a receiving portion. The display is connected to the main portion in a rotatable manner. The receiving portion is formed on the internal surface of the housing. The touch pad is disposed in the receiving portion and thus is unexposed.

Claims

1. A notebook computer with a hidden touch pad, comprising:

a display;

a main portion connected with the display and including a housing, wherein the housing has a first surface and a second surface, a receiving portion formed in the second surface and not exposed to the first surface, wherein a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein is thinner than that of the housing that the receiving portion does not form therein and a ratio between a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein and a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion does not form therein is ⅓

-½

;

1; and

a touch pad disposed onto the receiving portion.

2. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a flange on the first surface, and the flange surrounds a surface corresponding to the receiving portion.

3. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flange is an identifier.

4. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an adhesive member adhering the touch pad to the receiving portion.

5. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the touch pad is closely adjacent to the receiving portion via the adhesive member, thereby eliminating any gap between the receiving portion and the touch pad.

6. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein is about 0.5-0.8 mm.

7. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a difference between a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein and a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion does not form therein is 0.7-1.0 mm.

8. A method for manufacturing a notebook computer with a hidden touch pad, comprising:

forming a housing having a first surface and a second surface, wherein a receiving portion formed in the second surface and not exposed to the first surface, wherein a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein is thinner than that of the housing that the receiving portion does not form therein and a ratio between a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein and a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion does not form therein is ⅓

-½

;

1; and

adhering a touch pad onto the receiving portion.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

providing an adhesive member to adhere the touch pad on the receiving portion via the adhesive member.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein is about 0.5-0.32 mm.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a difference between a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion forms therein and a thickness of the housing that the receiving portion does not form therein is 0.7-1.0 mm.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the housing is formed by injection molding.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising to form a flange on the first surface, and the flange surrounds a surface corresponding to the receiving portion.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the flange is an identifier.

15. A notebook computer, comprising:

a display;

a main portion pivotally connected with the display and allowing the display to pivot between a closed position and an opened position, and including a housing, wherein the housing has a first surface to be adjacent to the display when the display is in the closed position, a second surface formed opposite to the first surface and a first identification portion formed on the second surface; and

a touch pad disposed on the first identification portion;

wherein a second identification portion is formed on the first surface and corresponding to the first identification portion, thereby to identify the position of the first identification portion and the touch pad, wherein a ratio between a thickness of the housing that the first identification portion forms and a thickness of the housing that the first identification portion does not form is ⅓

-½

;

1.

16. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second identification portion is surrounded by a flange.

17. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein a thickness of the housing that the first identification portion forms is thinner than that of the housing that the first identification portion does not form.

18. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein a thickness of the housing that the first identification portion forms is about 0.5-0.8 mm.

19. The notebook computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein a difference between a thickness of the housing that the first identification portion forms and a thickness of the housing that the first identification portion does not form is 0.7-1.0 mm.