Computer and computer terminals with depending, supporting ridge

• US 5,251,102 A
• Filed: 10/10/1991
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Random Corporation
• Original Assignee: Randon Corp.
• Inventors: Kimble, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US07/774,473
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708, 312/208, 312/208.1, 312/208.3, 312/223.2, 206/305, 400/83, 400/713, 400/714, 400/680, 400/681, 400/682, 400/685, 248/447, 248/461, 248/677, 248/917, 248/918, 248/919, 248/920, 248/921, 248/922, 248/923, 235/1 D, 235/145 R, 361/340, 361/380, 361/390, 361/392
• US Class Current: 361/679.09
• 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 1/166 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 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard

Abstract

A housing for a laptop computer or computer terminal and the computer and terminal themselves in which opening the top causes a curved surface to descend below the computer'"'"'s rear, bottom surface. This ridge runs across at least half of the bottom of the computer'"'"'s back and preferably the entire computer. It serves to support the bottom section of the cover, and thus the keyboard, when used on a person'"'"'s lap at a suitable angle. Specifically, it elevates the rear of the keyboard so that the hands have facile access to all the keys. The curved surface is formed integrally with the edge of the computer cover'"'"'s upper section. When the top closes, the surface moves to a position where it does not descend below the bottom of the cover in order to provide a neat, portable package. Opening the top causes the surface, or ridge, to occupy the position where it will sit on the person'"'"'s legs to prop up the keyboard.

Claims

1. In a laptop computer or computer terminal housing having a lower section having a first front edge, a first rear edge, and first and second side edge connected to said first front edge and said first rear edge, and a bottom surface connected to said first front edge, said first rear edge, and said first and second side edges, an upper section having a second front edge, a second rear edge, third and fourth side edges connected to said second front edge and said second rear edge, and a top surface connected to said second front edge, said second rear edge, and said third and fourth side edges, and holding means, coupled to said upper section and to said lower section, for retaining said upper section in any of a plurality of configurations relative to said lower section, with said holding means, in a closed configuration, retaining said upper section upon said lower section, with said first front edge adjacent to said second front edge, said first rear edge adjacent to said second rear edge, and said first and second side edges adjacent to said third and fourth side edges, respectively, and in at least two open configurations, retaining most of said upper section away from said lower section, said configurations differing from each other by rotating said upper section, relative to said lower section, about an axis passing through both said upper section and said lower section, one of said open configurations lying intermediate said closed configuration and another open configuration, the improvement comprising support means, coupled to said upper section, for, when said upper section is in one of said open configurations, holding said first rear edge of said lower section off a surface on which said computer housing is placed, said support means including a tilting surface extending at least about half of the distance between said third and fourth side edges of said upper section, said tilting surface, when said upper section occupies one of said open configurations, extending below said bottom surface of said lower section with said first front edge on said surface on which said computer housing is placed.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said lower section, on the side opposite said bottom surface includes a keyboard and wherein said upper section, when in said closed configuration, covers a keyboard.

3. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said holding means retains said upper section in any of an infinite number of configurations between any two of said open configurations.

4. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said tilting surface displays a curvature on planes perpendicular to said axis of rotation.

5. The improvement of claim 4 further including locking means, coupled to said upper section, said lower section, and said holding means, for resisting a force applied to said upper and lower sections tending to move said upper section relative to said lower section away from a configuration in which said upper section has been placed.

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said upper section, when in said closed configuration, does not extend below said lower surface of said lower section.

7. The improvement of claim 6 wherein said upper section includes a straight surface connecting to said curved surface wherein said straight surface lies perpendicular to and removed from said upper surface of said upper section.

8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein said curved surface forms part of said second rear edge.

9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said upper section includes a display screen with said screen not being visible to view when said upper section occupies said closed configuration.

10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

11. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said curved surface maintains said first rear edge of said upper section at a substantially constant distance from the surface on which said lower section is placed as said upper section is rotated over an arc segment relative to said lower section about said axis of rotation

12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length said third and fourth side edges.

13. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said curved section is integral with said second rear edge.

14. The improvement of claim 13 wherein said curved surface maintains said first rear edge of said upper section at a substantially constant distance from the surface on which said lower section is placed as said upper section is rotated over an arc segment relative to said lower section about said axis of rotation.

15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said second rear edge is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said upper section.

16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein said upper section includes a display screen with said screen not being visible to view said upper section occupies said particular configuration.

17. The improvement of claim 16 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

18. The improvement of claim 17 further including adjusting means, coupled to said locking means, for varying the force required to move said upper section, relative said lower section, out of a configuration into which said upper section has been placed.

19. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said second rear edge is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said upper section.

20. The improvement of claim 19 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

21. The improvement of claim 20 wherein said upper section includes a display screen with said screen not being visible to view when said upper section occupies said particular configuration.

22. The improvement of claim 8 further including adjusting means, coupled to said locking means, for varying the force required to move said upper section, relative said lower section, out of a configuration into which said upper section has been placed.

23. The improvement of claim 22 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

24. The improvement of claim 23 wherein said upper section includes a display screen with said screen not being visible to view when said upper section occupies said closed configuration.

25. In a laptop computer or terminal having a housing with a lower section having a first front edge, a first rear edge, and first and second side edges, a bottom surface connected to said first front edge and said first rear edge, a bottom surface connected to said first front edge, said first rear edge, and said first and second side edges, and a keyboard on the surface of said lower section opposite said lower surface, an upper section having a second front edge, a second rear edge, third and fourth side edges connected to said second front edge and said second rear edge, a top surface connected to said second front edge, said second rear edge, and said third and fourth side edges, and a display screen on the surface of said upper section opposite said upper surface, and holding means, coupled to said upper section and to said lower section, for retaining said upper section in any of a plurality of configurations relative to said lower section, with said holding mans, in a closed configuration, retaining said upper section upon said lower section with said display screen adjacent to said keyboard, said first front edge adjacent to said second front edge, said first rear edge adjacent to said second rear edge, and said first and second side edges adjacent to said third and fourth side edges, respectively, and an open configuration, retaining most of said upper section away from said lower section, said configurations differing from each other by rotating said upper section, relative to said lower section, about an axis passing through both said upper section and said lower section, the improvement comprising support means, coupled to said upper section, for, when said upper section is in said open configuration, holding said first rear edge of said lower section off a surface on which said computer cover is placed, said support means including a tilting surface extending at least about half of the distance between said third and fourth side edges of said lower section, said tilting surface, when said upper section occupies said open configuration, extending below said bottom surface of said lower section.

26. The improvement of claim 25 wherein said holding means retains said upper section in any of an infinite number of configurations between any two open configurations.

27. The improvement of claim 26 wherein said tilting surface faces displays a curvature on planes parallel to said axis of rotation.

28. The improvement of claim 27 further including locking means, coupled to said upper section, said lower section, and said holding means, for resisting a force applied to said upper and lower sections tending to move said upper section relative to said lower section away from a configuration in which said upper section has been placed.

29. The improvement of claim 28 wherein said upper section, when in said closed configuration, does not extend below said lower surface of said lower section.

30. The improvement of claim 29 wherein said upper section includes a straight surface connecting to said curved surface wherein said straight surface lies parallel to and removed from said upper surface of said upper section.

31. The improvement of claim 30 wherein said curved surface forms part of said second rear edge.

32. The improvement of claim 31 wherein said upper section includes a display screen with said screen not being visible to view when said upper section occupies said closed configuration.

33. The improvement of claim 32 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

34. The improvement of claim 30 wherein said curved surface maintains said first rear edge of said upper section at a substantially constant distance from the surface on which said lower section is placed as said upper section is rotated over an arc segment relative to said lower section about said axis of rotation.

35. The improvement of claim 34 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

36. The improvement of claim 30 wherein said curved section is integral with said second rear edge.

37. The improvement of claim 36 wherein said curved surface maintains said first rear edge of said upper section at a substantially constant distance from the surface on which said lower section is placed as said upper section is rotated over an arc segment relative to said lower section about said axis of rotation.

38. The improvement of claim 37 wherein said second rear edge is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said upper section.

39. The improvement of claim 38 wherein said upper section includes a display screen with said screen not being visible to view when said upper section occupies said closed configuration.

40. The improvement of claim 39 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

41. The improvement of claim 40 further including adjusting means, coupled to said locking means, for varying the force required to move said upper section, relative said lower section, out of a configuration into which said upper section has been placed.

42. The improvement of claim 30 wherein said second rear edge is substantially perpendicular to said upper surface of said upper section.

43. The improvement of claim 42 wherein said support means extends substantially the entire length between said third and fourth side edges.

44. The improvement of claim 43 wherein said upper section includes a display screen with said screen not being visible to view when said upper section occupies said closed configuration.