Electronic apparatus emitting light through a unitary transparent base chassis

• US 8,031,463 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2010
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masafumi, Ogasawara, Yutaka, Kuronuma, Tooru, Yukawa, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Jinhee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson; Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US12/685,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 36167921-67923, 313/582, 349 58- 60
• US Class Current: 361/679.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/166 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electronic apparatus, including: a base chassis formed as a unitary member from a transparent material and having two faces positioned on the opposite sides to each other and individually formed as first and second mounting face sections; a display unit having a display panel thereon and attached to said first mounting face section; a control circuit board attached to said second mounting face section; a rear cover attached to said second mounting face section and configured to cover said control circuit board; a device mounting board having a semiconductor light emitting element disposed thereon; and a luminous lamp section formed at a position of said base chassis on the outer side of said display unit and configured to receive and emit light having been emitted from said semiconductor light emitting element and passed through the inside of said base chassis.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a base chassis formed as a unitary member from a transparent material and including two faces positioned on the opposite sides of the base chassis from each other and individually formed as a first mounting face section and a second mounting face section;

a display unit including a display panel thereon and attached to said first mounting face section of said base chassis;

a control circuit board attached to said second mounting face section of said base chassis;

a rear cover attached to said second mounting face section of said base chassis and configured to cover said control circuit board;

wherein the display unit and the rear cover are smaller than the base chassis so that at least a part of the base chassis is not covered by both the display unit and the rear cover, and the surface of the display unit extends farther forward than that of the base chassis, and

the base chassis extends below the display unit and rear cover to support the weight of the display unit and rear cover.

2. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a device mounting board having a semiconductor light emitting element disposed thereon; and

a luminous lamp section formed at a position of said base chassis on the outer side of said display unit and configured to receive and emit light having been emitted from said semiconductor light emitting element and passed through the inside of said base chassis.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a groove is formed on said base chassis such that an interior face portion thereof serves as said luminous lamp section, and

said luminous lamp section is formed so as to be inclined with respect to the light path of incoming light to said luminous lamp section and is so shaped as to increase the depth of said groove away from said semiconductor light emitting element.

4. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a device mounting board having a semiconductor light emitting element disposed thereon; and

a reflecting lamp section formed at a position of said base chassis on the outer side of said display unit and having an inner face which reflects light having been emitted from said semiconductor light emitting element and passed through the inside of said base chassis;

said reflecting lamp section being inclined in a direction in which the light reflected by said reflecting lamp section is introduced in a direction toward a normal line which passes the center of said display panel.

5. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a camera unit disposed in the outer peripheral portion of the base chassis.

6. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the camera unit is supported for pivotal motion on the base chassis through a pivot shaft, which extends leftwardly and rightwardly, and the camera unit can be held at an arbitrary angle within the range of the pivotal motion permitting angle thereof.

7. The portable electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base chassis includes two projections extending from a bottom portion of the base chassis.