Convertible PC having a waterproofing structure

• US 8,687,360 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakada, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandh, Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Nidhi
• Application Number:
  US12/861,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 36167901-67945, 36167955-67959, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 455/575.1, 455/575.3
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• 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 1/162 changing, e.g. reversing, the face orientation of the screen with a two degrees of freedom mechanism, e.g. for folding into tablet PC like position or orienting towards the direction opposite to the user to show to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1675 Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a lower housing, a folding linkage, an upper housing, and a gasket. The lower housing may contain a keyboard. The folding linkage assembly may be adapted to connect to the lower housing at the second end and to the upper housing at the first end. The upper housing may contain a screen. The upper housing may be operably mounted to and pivotable with respect to the folding linkage. The gasket may be used to effect a seal between the lower housing and the upper housing.

Claims

1. A computing apparatus comprising:

a lower housing;

a keyboard in the lower housing;

a folding linkage assembly adapted to connect to the lower housing;

an upper housing having opposing sidewalls;

a display between the opposing sidewalls of the housing;

the upper housing operably mounted to the folding linkage assembly and pivotable with respect to the folding linkage assembly for movement between a tablet mode and a keyboard operation mode, wherein the upper housing is closed over the lower housing in the tablet mode, wherein the lower housing is uncovered by the upper housing in the keyboard operation mode, wherein the folding linkage assembly folds into a recess on an underside of the upper housing, the folding linkage assembly having;

a first end coupled to a first folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across a cover side surface of the upper housing; and

a second end coupled to a second folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across a rear portion of the lower housing;

a latch disposed on both side walls of the upper housing adapted to release the upper housing from the lower housing when converting the computing apparatus from the tablet mode to the keyboard operation mode; and

a gasket, positioned around a periphery of the keyboard, disposed in an annular ring recess around an entire outer perimeter of the lower housing and disposed to seal the keyboard from exposure to a surrounding environment when the upper housing is closed over the lower housing.

2. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the folding linkage assembly interfaces the lower housing and the upper housing.

3. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is disposed on a screen side opposite to the cover side of the upper housing.

4. The computing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper housing pivots over substantially 180 degrees of angular movement with respect to the lower housing.

5. An electronic computing device comprising:

a lower housing having a bottom and an oppositely disposed platform operational surface, the operational surface including a keyboard;

an upper housing having a screen side and an oppositely disposed cover side, the upper housing being operatively coupled to the lower housing for movement between a tablet mode and a keyboard operation mode wherein a folding linkage assembly folds into a recess on an underside of the upper housing;

the folding linkage assembly having;

a first end coupled to a first folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across the cover side of the upper housing; and

a second end coupled to a second folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across a rear portion of the lower housing;

a touch screen coupled to the screen side of the upper housing;

a water tight seal around the touch screen;

a gasket adapted to effect a seal between the lower housing and the upper housing which, upon closing of the lower housing to the upper housing to form a closed position, the gasket is sandwiched therebetween and the touch screen is visible from an exterior of the electronic device and the keyboard is covered by the cover side and hidden from view and sealed off from the exterior by the gasket in the closed position;

wherein the gasket is formed of a resilient material and is disposed in an annular lip recess around an entire outer perimeter of the lower housing; and

a latch disposed on the upper housing adapted to release the upper housing from the lower housing when converting the electronic computing device from the tablet mode to the keyboard operation mode.

6. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a power switch on the touch screen.

7. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the gasket is made of a water impermeable material.

8. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the water impermeable material is a rubber o-ring.

9. The electronic computing apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a photo frame stand operably connected to the bottom of the lower housing.

10. A mobile computing device comprising:

a lower housing having side walls, a front side, and a bottom side;

an upper housing having a screen carried on a first side and a cover carried on a second, opposite side, the upper housing being operably coupled to the lower housing for movement between a tablet mode and a keyboard operation mode, wherein, the upper housing, with the screen facing outward from the lower housing, is configured to seal liquid off from a keyboard on the lower housing with a gasket sandwiched between the front side of the lower housing and the cover, and a watertight seal disposed around the screen;

the gasket disposed in an annular ring recess around an entire outer perimeter of the lower housing;

a folding linkage assembly having a first end coupled to a first folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across the upper housing cover and a second end coupled to a second folding linkage receiving element disposed transversely across a rear portion of the lower housing, wherein the folding linkage assembly is configured to move the upper housing upward and away from the lower housing and pivot about the linkage assembly connected to the lower housing; and

a latch disposed on each of opposing side walls of the upper housing adapted to release the upper housing from the lower housing when converting the mobile computing device from the tablet mode to the keyboard operation mode.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of connectors on a side wall of the lower housing.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 10, further comprising a battery pack secured to the cover side of the upper housing.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein the folding linkage assembly includes an outwardly facing surface side and an oppositely disposed inwardly facing surface side wherein the outwardly facing surface side is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel with a complementary shaped upper housing recess surface and inwardly facing surface side is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel with a platform operational surface of the lower housing when the device is in the tablet mode.