Portable computer

• US 8,908,364 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Tseng, Tien-Chung, Hsieh, Ming-Ju, Lai, Chien-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Zachary M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gafur, Razmeen
• Application Number:
  US13/617,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 36167955-67956, 36167921-6793, 36167901-67961, 36167908-6792, 36167926-67927, 248919-923, 248/176.1, 248/225.21, 345/905, 349/58
• US Class Current: 361/679.26
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/921 Plural angular
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A portable computer comprises a base, a display module, at least one support element and at least one sliding assembly. The base comprises a first area and a second area. The display module comprises a connect end and a display face. Each support element comprises a first end pivoted on a portion of the display module other than the display face and a second end pivoted on the rear end of the base. Each sliding assembly comprises a slide rail disposed at least in the second area and a sliding block connected with the connect end and moved along the slide rail. Each sliding block includes at least one stable structure for at least decreasing gaps between the slide rail and the sliding block.

Claims

1. A portable computer, comprising:

a base comprising, between a front end and a rear end, a first area disposed at a front side of the base and a second area disposed at a rear side of the base;

a display module comprising a connecting end, a display face, and a support plane opposite to the display face; and

at least one supporting element, each supporting element comprising a first fixed end and a second fixed end, the first fixed end being pivotally connected to a portion of the display module other than the display face so that the display module is able to rotate relative to the supporting element;

the second fixed end being pivotally connected to the rear end of the base or a proximity of the rear end of the base so that the supporting element is able to rotate relative to the base; and

at least one sliding assembly, each sliding assembly comprising a sliding block and a sliding rail, the sliding rail being disposed at least in the second area of the base, the sliding block being connected with the connecting end of the display module and sliding along the sliding rail, wherein the sliding block comprises at least one stable structure for at least decreasing a gap between the sliding block and the sliding rail;

whereby, when the display module is opened and rotated to a suitable angle relative to the base via the second fixed end of the support element, the display module further rotates around the first fixed end with the first fixed end serving as a pivot point and simultaneously drives the connecting end to move from the second area towards the first area to a suitable position along with the sliding element; and

then the display module is supported by the support element to keep a suitable tilted angle.

2. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first area is disposed with a keyboard.

3. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting element has a length not smaller than a distance between the connecting end of the display module and the first fixed end of the supporting element.

4. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sliding block further comprises a pivoting portion, a sliding portion, and a connecting portion, the sliding portion is connected to the pivoting portion via the connecting portion, and the connecting end of the display module is pivotally connected to the sliding block via the pivoting portion;

the sliding portion is disposed within the sliding rail and the at least one sliding auxiliary structure is disposed on the sliding portion.

5. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base further comprises a surface having a slit;

the sliding rail is disposed below the surface, and the connecting portion of the sliding block goes through the slit so that the pivoting portion and a part of the connecting portion protrude out of the surface;

the slit has a width smaller than that of the sliding portion.

6. The portable computer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pivoting portion and the surface of the base are spaced apart by a spacing.

7. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one stable structure is at least one elastic arm structure comprising a arm body and a protruding structure disposed in the arm body, the arm body extending outward from one side of the sliding portion, the protruding structure being disposed towards a bottom side of the sliding portion in contact with one side of the slide rail, and the protruding structure has a height lower than the bottom side.

8. The portable computer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the protruding structure is a convex, a protruding stripe, or a bump.

9. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sliding portion further comprises at least one groove, and the stable structure is at least one elastic sheet structure disposed on an outer surface of the sliding portion, each elastic sheet structure comprising at least one protruding structure, each protruding structure being protruding from the outer surface of the sliding portion and correspondingly to the location of each groove.

10. The portable computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the elastic sheet structure is a pair of ring-shaped elastic sheets trapped on two sides of the sliding portion, the grooves are disposed respectively on upper and lower surfaces of the sliding portion, and the protruding structures are disposed respectively on upper and lower surfaces of each ring-shaped elastic sheet corresponding to each groove.

11. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sliding assembly further comprises at least one positioning element, each positioning element is disposed at a fixed point in the sliding rail, and the sliding portion further comprises a positioning portion, a positioning effect can be provided via the interference of each positioning element and the positioning portion as the sliding block slides to the fixed point.

12. The portable computer as claimed in claim 11, wherein the positioning element comprises at least one positioning structure, and the sliding rail comprises at least one hole disposed corresponding to the position of the fixed point;

the positioning structure of the positioning element can pass through the hole and be protruded in the sliding rail, so the sliding portion can be positioned by the interference of the positioning portion of the sliding portion and the positioning structure.

13. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the display module overlaps with the base in a closed state, the connecting end of the display module and the second fixed end of the supporting element remain on the same axis.

14. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the display module overlaps with the base in a closed state, the connecting end of the display module and the second fixed end of the supporting element are respectively on different axes substantially parallel with each other.

15. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the connecting portion and the sliding portion are pivotally connected with each other.

16. The portable computer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the connecting portion comprises an extendable structure and a length of the connecting portion can be adjusted via the extendable structure.

17. The portable computer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the surface having the slit corresponds to the second area;

and the sliding rail is disposed correspondingly below the surface of the second area and corresponding to the slit.

18. The portable computer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the surface having the slit comprises the second area and at least part of or all of the first area;

and the sliding rail is disposed correspondingly below the surface comprising the second area and at least part of or all of the first area and corresponding to the slit.

19. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting element comprises two support elements arranged in parallel.

20. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sliding assembly comprises two sliding assemblies parallel to each other and spaced apart, the two sliding rails are disposed in parallel at least in the second area, and each sliding block is respectively and pivotally connected to the connecting end of the display module corresponding to each the sliding rail.

21. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one sliding assembly comprises a single sliding assembly disposed at the central position of at least the second area of the base;

the sliding rail is disposed at least the central position of the second area of the base and the sliding block is correspondingly disposed at the central position of the connecting end of the display module.

22. The portable computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sliding block is rotatably and pivotally connected with the connecting end of the display module.