Portable computer

• US 8,552,991 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Sung-hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US11/947,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20080264700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 345/156, 361/679.26, 361/679.1, 361/679.18, 361/679.09
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A portable computer includes a main body casing comprising an upper plate and a supporting portion disposed below the upper plate, and a touch-pad seated on the supporting portion and to sense coordinates touched on a plate surface to generate a position data of a pointer, the supporting portion comprising a lateral wall bent from the upper plate, and a seating portion bent from the lateral wall and formed with an opening in one area thereof.

Claims

1. A portable computer, comprising:

a main body casing comprising an upper plate and a supporting portion disposed below the upper plate, the supporting portion comprising a lateral wall bent from the upper plate, and a seating portion bent from the lateral wall to form a first opening through the main body casing;

a touch pad, supported by the supporting portion, having a first bottom surface facing the seating portion and a second bottom surface facing the first opening; and

a first coupling member, disposed between the seating portion and the first bottom surface, in which a second opening is formed to enable the second bottom surface to be accessed through the first opening,

wherein the first coupling member has a predetermined adhesive strength with respect to the seating portion so that the touch-pad is detachably coupled to the supporting portion, the predetermined adhesive strength enabling replacement of the touch-pad separate from the main body casing.

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

a cover pad received by the supporting portion, to cover the touch-pad.

3. The portable computer according to claim 2, wherein the cover pad comprises:

an insulating material.

4. The portable computer according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second coupling member having two sides, each side having the same front-and-back and left-and-right widths as those of the touch-pad and the cover pad, to couple the touch-pad and the cover pad by coupling one side of the second coupling member entirely to an upper surface of the touch-pad and coupling a lower surface of the cover pad entirely to the other side of the second coupling member.

5. The portable computer according to claim 4, wherein the second coupling member comprises:

a double-sided adhesive tape.

6. The portable computer according to claim 2, wherein the supporting portion further comprises a first supporting portion formed below the upper plate to support the cover pad, the first supporting portion comprising:

a first lateral wall bent from the upper plate, and

a first seating portion bent from the first lateral wall to form a recessed area to receive the touch-pad.

7. The portable computer according to claim 6, wherein the supporting portion further comprises a second supporting portion formed below the first supporting portion to support the touch-pad, the second supporting portion comprising:

a second lateral wall bent from the first seating portion, and

a second seating portion bent from the second lateral wall to form the first opening.

8. The portable computer according to claim 7, wherein the first coupling member is disposed between the second seating portion and the first bottom surface of the touch-pad, and the first opening formed by the second seating portion coincides in shape and size with the second opening of the first coupling member.

9. The portable computer according to claim 6, wherein the cover pad is supported by the first seating portion and has a first bottom surface facing the first seating portion and a second bottom surface contacting the touch-pad.

10. The portable computer according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second coupling member, disposed between the first seating portion and the first bottom surface of the cover pad, in which a third opening is formed to receive the touch-pad,

wherein the second bottom surface of the cover pad coincides in shape and size with the third opening of the second coupling member.

11. The portable computer according to claim 10, wherein the recessed area formed by the first seating portion has an upper end coinciding in shape and size with the third opening of the second coupling member.

12. The portable computer according to claim 10, further comprising:

a connecting member to transmit pointer position data generated in the touch-pad, the connecting member passing through the first and second openings and connecting to the touch-pad, the third opening enabling the touch-pad to be removed from the recessed area while connected to the connecting member.

13. The portable computer according to claim 6, wherein the second coupling member has a predetermined adhesive strength with respect to the first seating portion that enables the detachable coupling of the touch-pad to the supporting portion.

14. The portable computer according to claim 13, wherein the first seating portion has an inner portion forming a smaller rectangle, the first lateral wall forms a larger rectangle, the smaller and larger rectangles have a same shape and differ in size by a width of the first seating portion, and the adhesive strength of the second coupling member is determined by the width of the first seating portion.

15. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling member comprises:

a double-sided adhesive tape.

16. The portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connecting member to transmit pointer position data generated in the touch-pad, the connecting member passing through the first and second openings and connecting to the touch-pad.

17. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined adhesive strength of the first coupling member is determined by a width of the seating portion.

18. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the lateral wall forms a larger rectangle, the seating portion has an inner portion forming a smaller rectangle centered within the larger rectangle, and the smaller and larger rectangles have a same shape and differ in size by a width of the seating portion.

19. The portable computer according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined adhesive strength of the first coupling member is adjusted by reducing the width of the seating portion.

20. A method of coupling a touch-pad assembly to a main body casing of a portable computer, the method comprising:

coupling one side of a first coupling member to a touch-pad seating portion forming a first opening through the main body casing, the touch-pad seating portion disposed below an upper plate of the main body casing to receive a touch-pad; and

coupling one side of the touch-pad to the other side of the first coupling member, by arranging a first bottom surface of the touch-pad to face the touch-pad seating portion and arranging a second bottom surface of the touch-pad to face the first opening,

wherein the first coupling member is disposed between the touch-pad seating portion and the first bottom surface and has a predetermined adhesive strength with respect to the touch-pad seating portion so that the touch-pad is detachably coupled to the touch-pad seating portion, the predetermined adhesive strength enabling replacement of the touch-pad separate from the main body casing, and a second opening is formed in the first coupling member to enable the second bottom surface to be accessed through the first opening.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

passing a connecting member through the first and second openings; and

connecting the connecting member to the second bottom surface of the touch-pad.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

coupling one side of a second coupling member entirely to the other side of the touch-pad; and

coupling one side of a cover pad entirely to the other side of the second coupling member;

wherein each side of the second coupling member has the same front-and-back and left-and-right widths as those of the touch-pad and the cover pad.

23. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

coupling one side of a second coupling member to a cover pad seating portion for supporting a cover pad having a first bottom surface facing the first seating portion and a second bottom surface contacting the other side of the touch-pad; and

coupling one side of the cover pad to the other side of the second coupling member,

wherein the second coupling member is disposed between the cover pad seating portion and the first bottom surface of the cover pad, and a third opening is formed in the second coupling member to receive the touch-pad.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

passing a connecting member through the first and second openings; and

connecting the connecting member to the second bottom surface of the touch-pad,

wherein the third opening enables the touch-pad to be removed from the touch-pad seating portion while connected to the connecting member.

25. A portable computer, comprising:

a main body casing comprising an upper plate and a supporting portion disposed below the upper plate, the supporting portion comprising a lateral wall bent from the upper plate, and a seating portion bent from the lateral wall to form a first opening through the supporting portion;

a touch-pad, supported by the supporting portion, having a first bottom surface facing the seating portion and a second bottom surface facing the first opening; and

a first coupling member, disposed between the seating portion and the first bottom surface, in which a second opening is formed to enable a connecting member to pass through the first and second openings and connect to the second bottom surface of the touch-pad,

wherein the first coupling member has a predetermined adhesive strength with respect to the seating portion so that the touch-pad is detachably coupled to the supporting portion, the predetermined adhesive strength enabling replacement of the touch-pad separate from the main body casing.