Cover to protect keyboard and bottom of laptop computer

• US 9,983,632 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuscher, Alexander Friedrich, Roberts-Hoffman, Katie Leah
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US15/001,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20170102740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1609 to support filters or lenses
• 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 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• 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: G06F 2200/1613 Supporting arrangements, e.g. for filters or documents associated to a laptop display

Abstract

A laptop computer may include a base, a lid, and a cover. The base may include a keyboard on a first side of the base. The lid may be hingedly attached to a first end of the base. The lid may include a display on a first side of the lid. The hinged attachment of the lid to the base may enable the lid to rotate from a first lid position in which the display faces the keyboard, to a second lid position in which a second side of the lid faces a second side of the base. A hinged attachment of the cover to the base may enable the cover to rotate from a first cover position, in which a first side of the cover faces the keyboard, to a second cover position in which a second side of the cover faces the second side of the base.

Claims

1. A laptop computer comprising:

a base comprising a keyboard on a first side of the base, the keyboard comprising depressible keys;

a lid hingedly attached to a first end of the base, the lid comprising a display on a first side of the lid, the hinged attachment of the lid to the base enabling the lid to rotate from a first lid position in which the display faces the keyboard to a second lid position in which a second side of the lid, opposite from the first side of the lid, faces a second side of the base, the second side of the base being opposite from the first side of the base; and

a cover hingedly attached to a second end of the base, opposite from the first end of the base, the cover being made of a single sheet of polycarbonate surrounded by fabric and having a thickness between half a millimeter and a millimeter-and-a-half, the hinged attachment of the cover to the base enabling the cover to rotate from a first cover position, in which a first side of the cover faces the keyboard, to a second cover position in which a second side of the cover, opposite from the first side of the cover, faces the second side of the base.

2. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises at least one cover magnet configured to secure the cover in the first cover position and to secure the cover in the second cover position.

3. The laptop computer of claim 2, wherein:

the base comprises at least one base magnet configured to secure the cover in the first cover position; and

the lid comprises at least one lid magnet configured to secure the cover in the second cover position.

4. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises ridges.

5. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a privacy screen.

6. The laptop computer of claim 1, wherein the hinged attachment of the cover to the base comprises at least a first magnet at an end portion of the cover and a second magnet at an end portion of the base, the end portion of the base being opposite from the hinged attachment of the lid to the base.

7. A laptop computer comprising:

a base comprising;

a keyboard on a first side of the base;

a first base magnet configured to secure a cover to the first side of the base; and

a second base magnet configured to secure the cover to a second side of the base, the second side of the base being opposite from the first side of the base;

a lid hingedly attached to the base at a first end of the lid, the lid comprising a display on a first side of the lid, the hinged attachment of the lid to the base enabling the lid to rotate from a first lid position in which the display faces the keyboard to a second lid position in which a second side of the lid, opposite from the first side of the lid, faces a second side of the base, opposite from the first side of the base; and

the cover secured to the first side of the base, the cover comprising a single sheet of polycarbonate surrounded by fabric.

8. The laptop computer of claim 7, wherein the cover comprises at least one cover magnet configured to:

mate with the first base magnet to secure the cover to the first side of the base; and

mate with the second base magnet to secure the cover to the second side of the base.

9. The laptop computer of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises ridges.

10. A laptop computer comprising:

a base comprising a keyboard on a first side of the base, the keyboard comprising depressible keys;

a lid hingedly attached to a first end of the base, the lid comprising a display on a first side of the lid, the hinged attachment of the lid to the base enabling the lid to rotate from a first lid position in which the display faces the keyboard to a second lid position in which a second side of the lid, opposite from the first side of the lid, faces a second side of the base, the second side of the base being opposite from the first side of the base; and

a cover hingedly attached to a second end of the base, opposite from the first end of the base, the cover comprising a single sheet of polycarbonate surrounded by fabric, the hinged attachment of the cover to the base enabling the cover to rotate from a first cover position, in which a first side of the cover faces the keyboard, to a second cover position in which a second side of the cover, opposite from the first side of the cover, faces the second side of the base.

11. The laptop computer of claim 10, wherein the cover comprises at least one cover magnet configured to secure the cover in the first cover position and to secure the cover in the second cover position.

12. The laptop computer of claim 11, wherein:

the base comprises at least one base magnet configured to secure the cover in the first position; and

the lid comprises at least one lid magnet configured to secure the cover in the second position.

13. The laptop computer of claim 10, wherein the cover comprises ridges.

14. The laptop computer of claim 10, wherein the cover comprises a privacy screen.

15. The laptop computer of claim 10, wherein the hinged attachment of the cover to the base comprises at least a first magnet at an end portion of the cover and a second magnet at an end portion of the base, the end portion of the base being opposite from the hinged attachment of the lid to the base.