U.S. patent application number 09/858612 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-13 for accessory device for electronic equipment.
Invention is credited to Goto, Teiyu.
Application Number | 20010050520 09/858612 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18673696 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010050520 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Goto, Teiyu |
December 13, 2001 |
Accessory device for electronic equipment
Abstract
An accessory device for a piece of electronic equipment can be
placed horizontally or vertically and is provided with outside
surfaces that form the bottom, support surfaces depending on the
horizontal or vertical orientation. Anti-vibration protrusions are
provided on at least two of said outside surfaces to prevent the
transmission of vibrations to the interior of said accessory device
regardless of whether said accessory device is oriented
horizontally or vertically on a support surface.
Inventors: |
Goto, Teiyu; (Tokyo,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROSENMAN & COLIN LLP
575 MADISON AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10022-2585
US
|
Family ID: |
18673696 |
Appl. No.: |
09/858612 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/351.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 5/0234
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/351.1 |
International
Class: |
A47B 091/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 7, 2000 |
JP |
2000-171096 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An accessory device adapted for placement on a support surface
and provided for electronic equipment, said electronic equipment
having a depth dimension, said accessory device comprising a casing
having a depth dimension, said casing further comprising: a) at
least two mutually intersecting outside faces, b) each of said at
least two mutually intersecting outside surfaces capable of forming
a bottom surface of said accessory device when said accessory
device is placed either horizontally or vertically on said support
surface, and c) anti-vibration protrusions provided on each of said
two outside faces to prevent the transmission of vibrations from
said support surface through said casing.
2. The accessory device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at
least two mutually intersecting outside faces have different
lengthwise dimensions.
3. The accessory device in accordance with claims 1 or 2, wherein
said electronic equipment further comprises a central processing
unit, and said accessory device further comprises a storage device
adapted for electrical connection to said central processing unit
provided in said electronic equipment.
4. The accessory device in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of
said at least two mutually intersecting outside faces are provided
with grooves extending in the direction, said grooves having
spaced-apart, mutually opposing faces, said anti-vibration
protrusions being are provided in the space between the mutually
opposing faces of these grooves.
5. The accessory device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
depth dimension of said casing is adapted to match the depth
dimension of said electronic equipment.
6. The accessory device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
casing further comprises an access indicator for indicating access
of said accessory device by said electronic equipment, and a power
indicator for indicating the power state of said accessory
device.
7. The accessory device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said
other outside face is not provided with grooves and said
anti-vibration protrusions are adhesively attached to said other
outside face.
8. A system of components adapted for horizontal or vertical
orientation, comprising: a) electronic equipment having a depth
dimension, a first face and a second face perpendicularly arranged
to said first face, b) an accessory device having a depth
dimension, a first face and a second face perpendicularly arranged
to said first face, said accessory device adapted for connection to
said electronic equipment, and c) anti-vibration protrusions
provided on said first and second faces of said electronic
equipment and said accessory device.
9. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said faces of said
accessory device have different lengthwise dimensions.
10. A system in accordance with claims 8 or 9, wherein said depth
dimensions of said electronic equipment and said accessory device
are substantially the same.
11. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein one of said first
and second faces of said accessory device further comprises grooves
and said anti-vibration protrusions are provided in said
grooves.
12. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein one of said first
and second faces of said electronic equipment further comprises
grooves to form a grooved face and said anti-vibration protrusions
are provided in said grooves.
13. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the other of said
first and second faces of said accessory device does not comprises
grooves and said anti-vibration protrusions are adhesively attached
to said other face.
14. A system in accordance with claim 13, wherein said
anti-vibration protrusions provided on said other face are spaced
on said other face to provide stabilizing support to said accessory
device when said accessory device is placed on said other face.
15. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said
anti-vibration protrusions provided on said grooved face are spaced
to provide stabilizing support to said accessory device when said
accessory device is placed on said grooved face.
16. A casing for electronic equipment that is adapted for placement
on a support surface, said casing having a depth dimension, said
casing further comprising: a) at least two mutually intersecting
outside faces, b) each of said at least two mutually intersecting
outside surfaces capable of forming a bottom surface of said casing
when said casing is placed either horizontally or vertically on
said support surface, and c) anti-vibration protrusions provided on
each of said two outside faces to prevent the transmission of
vibrations from said support surface through said casing.
17. The casing in accordance with claim 16, wherein said at least
two mutually intersecting outside faces have different lengthwise
dimensions.
18. The casing in accordance with claim 16, wherein one of said at
least two mutually intersecting outside faces are provided with
grooves extending in the lengthwise direction, said grooves having
spaced-apart, mutually opposing faces, said anti-vibration
protrusions being are provided in the space between the mutually
opposing faces of these grooves.
19. The casing in accordance with claim 18, wherein said other
outside face is not provided with grooves and said anti-vibration
protrusions are adhesively attached to said other outside face.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an accessory device for
electronic equipment that internally houses a system unit
generally, and more particularly, to an accessory device having
outer surfaces fitted with anti-vibration protrusions that are
effective when the device is positioned horizontally or vertically
with respect to a support surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Conventionally, electronic equipment such as video game
systems and other entertainment systems have a system unit
consisting of a central processing unit and other electronic
components provided in the interior of a roughly flat, panel-shaped
cabinet, and is operated with a controller connected to the system
unit.
[0003] Storage devices using flash memory and the like are used in
this type of electronic equipment typically take the form of cards
that are inserted in the system unit or the controller. However,
the amount of information used in electronic equipment has recently
become large, so it has become necessary to provide storage devices
with a large capacity. For this reason, since these card-type
storage devices have limited storage capacity, attaching a
large-capacity storage device to the electronic equipment as an
accessory device is conceivable.
[0004] However, the aforementioned electronic equipment includes
that which can be used in the horizontal state with the roughly
flat, panel-shaped cabinet placed horizontally, or in the vertical
state when placed vertically, in order to make the unit fit better
depending on where it is installed (Japanese patent application No.
H11-251654). It is preferable for the accessory device to be able
to be placed either in the horizontal state or the vertical state
depending on where it is installed.
[0005] In addition, and particularly in electronic equipment, it is
preferable that vibrations from the outside not be transmitted to
the electronic components inside. Thus, it is similarly desirable
for vibrations not be transmitted from the outside to the inside of
the accessory device.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to
provide an accessory device for electronic equipment that can be
placed horizontally or vertically depending on where it is
installed.
[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an accessory device having means for preventing vibrations from
being transmitted from the outside of the accessory device to the
inside of the accessory device.
[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an accessory device having anti-vibration means that are effective
if such device is situated horizontally or vertically.
[0009] Still other objects and advantages of the invention will
become clear upon review of the following detailed description in
conjunction with the appended drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The accessory device of the present invention has a casing
comprised of mutually intersecting outside faces that form the
bottom face when the accessory device is placed in a horizontal or
vertical orientation. Such accessory device is further provided
with anti-vibration protrusions on each of such mutually
intersecting faces to prevent the transmission of vibrations
through such faces to electronic components incorporated in the
interior of the casing. The mutually intersecting outside faces of
the accessory device casing have different lengthwise dimensions,
each becoming a bottom face when placed on a support surface.
Anti-vibration protrusions are also provided on each of said two
outside faces. The outside face with the longer length dimension is
preferably used as the bottom face in the horizontal state, while
the outside face with the shorter length dimension is preferably
used as the bottom face in the vertical state, so either vertical
or horizontal installation is possible. Thus, regardless of whether
the accessory device is placed horizontally or vertically, any
vibration transmitted from outside through the grounded or support
surface will be absorbed by the anti-vibration protrusions and
prevented from being transmitted to the interior of the casing.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the casing of the accessory
device is provided with grooves extending along at least one of the
mutually intersecting outside faces and said anti-vibration
protrusions are provided in the space between mutually opposing
faces of these grooves. Thus, since the anti-vibration protrusions
are provided in grooves, such protrusions are visually aligned and
thus do not attract attention, giving a good overall appearance to
the accessory device. Furthermore, it is also preferred if the
depth dimension of said accessory device casing is identical to the
depth dimension of said electronic equipment, so that when the
electronic equipment and accessory device are placed side-to-side,
the depth dimensions of both are identical, which provides a
pleasing, seamless appearance when the components are installed
side-to-side.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an accessory device of the
present invention oriented horizontally and positioned on top of
electronic equipment.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a front view of an electronic equipment and an
accessory device both placed vertically on a support surface.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a front view of an accessory device of the
invention placed vertically.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a top view of the accessory device of FIG. 3
placed vertically.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the accessory device of FIG. 3
placed vertically.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the accessory device of FIG. 3
placed vertically.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a right-side view of the accessory device of FIG.
3 placed vertically.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the
method of using the electronic equipment and accessory device when
placed vertically.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] The following detailed description is of the best mode or
modes of the invention presently contemplated. Such description is
not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but to be an
example of the invention presented solely for illustration thereof,
and by reference to which in connection with the following
description and the accompanying drawings one skilled in the art
may be advised of the advantages and construction of the invention.
In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters
designate like or similar parts.
[0021] (1) Overall Constitution
[0022] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate one embodiment of an
entertainment system 1, which is the electronic equipment 2 along
with the accessory device 100. FIG. 1 illustrates the entertainment
system 1 and accessory device 100 placed horizontally, while FIG. 2
illustrates the entertainment system 1 and accessory device 100
placed vertically.
[0023] The entertainment system 1 is usually a system that, for
example, reads game programs recorded on optical disks or the like
and executes games under the control of the user (the game player).
Note that the execution of a game refers mainly to the control of
game progress, displays and sounds.
[0024] (2) Constitution of the Entertainment System (Electronic
Equipment)
[0025] The entertainment system 1 comprises a system unit 2 along
with a cabinet 3 that houses such system unit 2. The system unit 2
further comprises a disk drive 11, power supply unit (not shown),
main board (not shown) and input/output signal control board (not
shown), while the main board further comprises a control system
consisting of a central processing unit (CPU) and peripheral
devices and the like, a graphics system consisting of a graphic
processing unit that draws images and the and a sound system
consisting of a sound processing unit that generates music, sound
effects and the like. The cabinet 3 further comprises a center
chassis 4 on which the system unit 2 is provided, and an upper case
5 and lower case 6 which support this center chassis 4 and also
enclose the system unit 2. Such cabinet 3 is preferably flat and
square in shape, taking a rough L-shape when viewed from the
front.
[0026] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the disk drive 11 is provided
on the right front side of the upper case 5, and this disk drive 11
performs the control of operation of CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other
optical disks which are recording media on which video game
application programs are recorded. The disk tray 11B of this disk
drive 11 is exposed. On the right side of the disk tray 11B are
arranged control means consisting of a power switch 16 and a tray
control switch 17 for controlling the movement of the disk tray 11B
in and out of the upper case 5.
[0027] Two slot units 18 are exposed on the left front side of the
upper case 5, each comprising a memory card slot 61 disposed on the
top and a controller connector 62 disposed on the bottom. The
memory card slot 61 is a slot in which a memory card or other
external auxiliary storage device is inserted, and its insertion
hole 61A is preferably formed in a rectangular shape that is long
in the horizontal direction. This memory card slot 61 is provided
with a shutter 61B for protecting the connection terminals provided
internally. The controller connector 62 is an input/output terminal
used for performing the input/output of signals which connects to a
connection terminal formed on the tip of a controller cable 402 (to
be described later) extending from a controller 401 (to be
described later). Its insertion hole 62A is preferably formed in a
roughly rectangular shape that is long in the horizontal direction
and also, the lower corner portions preferably have a more rounded
shape than the upper corner portions. By forming the insertion hole
62A in this manner, the connection terminal of the controller 401
(FIG. 8) cannot be inadvertently connected backwards. In addition,
the shape of the insertion hole 62A is given a structure different
than the shape of the insertion hole 61A of the memory card slot
61, so there is no risk of the external auxiliary storage device
being inadvertently inserted into the insertion hole 62A. By
providing two of these controller connectors 62, it is possible to
connect two controllers 401 (FIG. 8), so it is possible for two
players to play head-to-head games or the like. In addition, the
results of operating the controllers 401 connected to each of the
controller connectors 62 are recorded in the external auxiliary
storage device inserted in the memory card slot 61 disposed above
each.
[0028] The lower case 6 has its front face and right-side face
preferably recessed with respect to the front face and right-side
face of the corresponding upper case 5 above it. In other words,
the width dimension and depth dimension of the lower case 6 are
preferably smaller than the width dimension and depth dimension of
the upper case 5, and the volume of the lower case 6 is thus
preferably smaller than the volume of the upper case 5. On the
other hand, the left-side face of the lower case 6 is aligned with
the corresponding face of the upper case 5. Thus, the cabinet 3
preferably has an asymmetric shape with respect to the center of
the center chassis 4 (FIG. 2). data transfer port 19 and two
external equipment connection ports 20 for connecting to external
equipment are preferably exposed on the left front of the lower
case 6. The data transfer port 19 is based on the IEEE 1394
standard, so by connecting a cable from this port to a digital
camera, video deck or the like, it is possible to transfer images
or sounds or the like recorded on the digital camera or video deck
to the entertainment system 1. The two external equipment
connection ports 20 are based on the USB standard, so a keyboard or
other input device, a mouse or other pointing device, printer or
other printing device, an external storage device that uses floppy
disks, magneto-optical disks or other magnetic storage media or the
like can be connected. In addition, slit-shaped openings 6A are
formed on the front of the lower case 6 so that air taken in from
outside can be introduced into the interior of the entertainment
system 1 as cooling air.
[0029] With the entertainment system 1 placed horizontally as shown
in FIG. 1, the lower face of the lower case 6 which has the
greatest surface area becomes the bottom face which faces the
surface upon which it is placed (not shown), i.e. the support
surface. In this case, in order to prevent vibrations from the
surface upon which it is placed from being transmitted to the
interior of the entertainment system 1, anti-vibration members 6B
preferably made of rubber are attached at stipulated locations on
the lower face of the lower case 6.
[0030] With the entertainment system 1 placed vertically as shown
in FIG. 2, the side face of the lower case 6 becomes the bottom
face which faces the surface upon which it is placed 400. In this
case, in order to prevent vibrations from the surface 400 upon
which it is placed from being transmitted to the interior of the
entertainment system 1, anti-vibration members 6C preferably made
of rubber are attached at stipulated locations on the side face of
the lower case 6.
[0031] Thus, by placing the anti-vibration members 6B and 6C on the
case faces, the entertainment system 1 may be used when placed
either horizontally (FIG. 1) or vertically.
[0032] When the entertainment system 1 is placed vertically, the
controller connectors 62 and AC inlet 32A are positioned toward the
bottom of the entertainment system 1, so as shown in FIG. 8, the
controller cables 402 extending from the controllers 401 and the
power cable 403 and the like which connect there are placed such
that they crawl across the surface upon which it is placed 400.
[0033] (3) Constitution of the Accessory Device
[0034] The accessory device 100 can be placed horizontally upon the
upper face of the upper case 5 of the horizontally placed
entertainment system 1 (see FIG. 1) and it can also be placed
vertically adjacent to the upper case 5 of the vertically placed
entertainment system 1 (see FIG. 2). Of course, the accessory
device 100 could also be placed horizontally and to the side of the
entertainment system, such that the accessory device 100 and
entertainment system 1 are positioned side-by-side.
[0035] The specific constitution of the accessory device 100 is
shown in FIG. 3 through FIG. 7. In these figures, the accessory
device 100 comprises a roughly box-shaped casing 101 and a storage
device (e.g., a hard disk drive) 102 contained in the of this
casing 101. The storage device 102 is electrically connected to the
central processing unit of the entertainment system 1.
[0036] The casing 101 preferably comprises mutually opposing flat,
rectangular first and second outside face members 101A and 101B,
along with a third outside face member 101C, fourth outside face
member 101D, fifth outside face member 101E and sixth outside face
member 101F which connect the edges of these first and second
outside face members 101A and 101B, where each of these outside
face members 101A through 101F constitute the respective outside
faces, and are preferably secured to each other by mounting screws
(not shown).
[0037] When the accessory device 100 is placed upon the
entertainment system 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the first outside face
member 101A of the accessory device 100 is parallel to the plane of
the upper case 5 of the entertainment system 1. The first outside
face member 101A has a depth dimension L1 equal to the depth
dimension M1 of the upper case 5, and the width dimension L2 of the
front face is shorter than the length dimension M2 of the upper
case 5 (see FIG. 1). On the first outside face member 101A, the
depth dimension L1 is preferably longer than the width dimension
L2.
[0038] The first outside face member 101A placed opposite to the
second outside face member 101B becomes the bottom face which faces
the grounded surface (in FIG. 1, the plane of the upper case 5)
when the accessory device 100 is placed horizontally. shown in
FIGS. 3 through 7, like the first outside face member 101A, the
second outside face member 101B is planar in shape (FIG. 7), having
a depth dimension of L1 and a width dimension of L2, forming a
shallow rectangular plate shape.
[0039] Anti-vibration protrusions 103 are provided at the four
corners of the bottom surface of the second outside face member
101B. These anti-vibration protrusions 103 consist of rubber or
other material that has anti-vibration properties preferably formed
into thin flat plates, which are fit into recesses 101Ba formed in
the second outside face member 101B.
[0040] In this embodiment, various means of attaching the
anti-vibration protrusions 103 to the second outside face member
101B may be adopted. For example, the anti-vibration protrusions
103 may be secured to the plane of the second outside face member
101B with adhesive, or they may be secured by screws. Other means
of securing the protrusions 103 are also contemplated. Moreover, at
the time that the outside face members 101A through 101F are
secured with screws (not shown), the heads (not shown) of those
screws may be covered with the anti-vibration protrusions 103. By
covering the heads of the screws with anti-vibration protrusions
103, the screw heads are not exposed so the appearance is
improved.
[0041] Moreover, in this embodiment, the shape of the
anti-vibration protrusions 103 is not limited to a flat, square
shape, but rather, they may be flat and round, elliptical, square,
triangular or otherwise polygonal in shape, for example. In
addition, the anti-vibration protrusions 103 may have a hollow
structure or a solid structure.
[0042] The third through sixth outside face members 101C through
101F are each placed perpendicular to the second outside face
member 101B and first outside face member 101A.
[0043] The third outside face member 101C (FIG. 3) preferably
constitutes the front face of the casing 101 where its width
dimension is L3 and its length dimension is L2. The length
dimension L2 is preferably longer than the width dimension L3. A
plurality of grooves 10A extending along the length of the front
face member 10 is formed upon the third outside face member 101C.
Also provided on such member are an access indicator 104, which
indicates signal access to the storage device 102 by the central
processing unit of the entertainment system 1, and a power
indicator 105 which indicates the on/off state of the power. The
access indicator 104 consists of a label member 104A that carries
its label formed on the front face member 10 and a lamp member 104B
formed in the grooves 10A. This lamp member 104B consists of a
clear acrylic member 104B1 embedded in the bottom of the grooves
10A and a light-emitting diode or other light-emitting member
placed in the interior of the casing 101 that shines light upon the
clear acrylic member 104B1. The power indicator 105 consists of a
label member 105A that carries its label formed on the front face
member 10 and a lamp member 105B that is formed in the grooves 10A.
Like the lamp member 104B, this lamp member 105B also consists of a
clear acrylic member and a light-emitting member.
[0044] The fourth outside face member 101D (FIG. 4) is
perpendicular to the third outside face member 101 C, and on its
front face member 10 are formed grooves 10A which are a
continuation of the grooves 10A of the third outside face member
101C. The fourth outside face member 101D has a width dimension of
L3 and a length dimension of L1. The length dimension L1 is
preferably longer than the width dimension L3.
[0045] The fifth outside face member 101E (FIG. 6) is perpendicular
to the fourth outside face member 101D and also parallel to the
third outside face member 101C. The fifth outside face member 101E
has a width dimension of L3 and a length dimension of L2, being
formed in a flat panel shape. Upon the fifth outside face member
101E are provided a power switch 13, a power supply jack 14 that
supplies DC power, and a connector 15. When the power switch 13 is
turned on, the power indicator 105 lights to indicate that power is
supplied to the storage device in the interior of the casing 101.
In addition, the access indicator 104 lights to indicate that this
storage device is being accessed. The power supply jack 14 is
connected to a cable (not shown) and an AC adapter (not shown) is
connected to this cable. One end of a cord 15A is connected to the
connector 15, and the other end of this cord 15A is connected to
the entertainment system 1.
[0046] The sixth outside face member 101F is parallel to the fourth
outside face member 101D and perpendicular to the other outside
face members 101A, 101B, 101C and 101E excluding the fourth outside
face member 101D, and when the accessory device is placed
vertically, forms the bottom face which faces the surface upon
which it is placed (the floor surface 400 in FIG. 2). The sixth
outside face member 101F has a width dimension of L3 and a length
dimension of L1. On the front face member 10 of sixth outside face
member 101F are formed grooves 10A which are a continuation of the
grooves 10A of the third outside face member 101C. Anti-vibration
protrusions 106 are provided near the four corners of the sixth
outside face member 101F at four places between the mutually
opposing faces 10B of the grooves 10A (see FIG. 5). These
anti-vibration protrusions 106 are formed as rectangular
parallelepipeds that have roughly the same width dimension as the
width dimension of the mutually opposing faces 10B of the grooves
10A, a stipulated length dimension and a height dimension greater
than the depth dimension of the grooves 10A, and are secured by
fitting into the grooves 10A.
[0047] In this embodiment, various means of attaching the
anti-vibration protrusions 106 to the sixth outside face member
101F may be adopted, in the same manner as the anti-vibration
protrusions 103. For example, the anti-vibration protrusions 106
may be secured to the sixth outside face member 101F with adhesive,
or they may be secured by screws. Other means of securing are also
possible. Moreover, when the outside face members 101A through 101F
are secured with screws (not shown), the heads (not shown) of those
screws may be covered with the anti-vibration protrusions 106. By
covering the heads of the screws with anti-vibration protrusions
106, the screw heads are not exposed.
[0048] Moreover, in this embodiment, the shape of the
anti-vibration protrusions 106 is not limited to rectangular
parallelepipeds, but rather, they may take the shape of a circular
cylinder, triangular prism, or other polygonal prism, for example.
In addition, the anti-vibration protrusions 106 may have a hollow
structure or a solid structure, in the same manner as the
anti-vibration protrusions 103.
[0049] Thus, there has been described an accessory device 100 for
electronic equipment, which comprises a casing 101 formed roughly
in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and the second
outside face member 101B of this casing 101 which has a length
dimension of L1 becomes the bottom face which faces a grounded
surface when placed horizontally, while the sixth outside face
member 101F which is perpendicular to the second outside face
member 101B and has a length dimension of L2 (L1>L2) becomes the
bottom face which faces the surface upon which it is placed when
placed vertically, so it may be placed either vertically or
horizontally depending on where it is installed.
[0050] Moreover, anti-vibration protrusions 103 and 106, preferably
formed in the shape of rectangular parallelepipeds, are provided on
the second outside face member 101B and sixth outside face member
101F, respectively, so any vibration that may be transmitted from
outside through the grounded surface will be absorbed by these
anti-vibration protrusions 103 and 106, thus preventing it from
being transmitted to the interior of the casing 101. The
anti-vibration protrusions 103 are preferably disposed at the four
corners of the second outside face member 101B, and the
anti-vibration protrusions 106 are preferably disposed near the
four corners of the sixth outside face member 101F, so this
structure provides stable support whether the accessory device 100
is placed horizontally or vertically.
[0051] In addition, grooves 10A extending in the lengthwise
direction are formed on the sixth outside face member 101F and the
anti-vibration protrusions 106 provided in the space between the
mutually opposing faces 10B of these grooves 10A, so the
anti-vibration protrusions 106 are visually aligned and thus do not
attract attention, giving a pleasing appearance.
[0052] In addition, in this embodiment, the entertainment system 1
is provided with a central processing unit and a storage device 102
electrically connected to the central processing unit is provided
in the casing 101 of the accessory device 100, and by providing the
storage device 102 provided in the accessory device 100 separate
from the entertainment system 1, it is possible to increase the
storage capacity greatly compared to the conventional card-type
storage devices. For this reason, the entertainment system 1 can be
used as a communications terminal which requires a large
information capacity.
[0053] Moreover, the depth dimension L1 of the casing 101 of the
accessory device 100 is preferably identical to the depth dimension
M1 of the entertainment system 1, so when the entertainment system
1 and accessory device 100 are placed side-to-side, the positions
of the two in the depth direction are aligned.
[0054] Moreover, the entertainment system 1 itself may be placed
vertically or horizontally, so the unit fits better depending on
where it is installed.
[0055] Furthermore, the entertainment system 1 itself may be
provided with anti-vibration members 6B and 6C, so vibrations from
the surface on which it is placed can be blocked by these
anti-vibration members 6B and 6C.
[0056] Note that the present invention is in no way limited to the
aforementioned embodiments, but rather it may include other
constructions and the like that achieve the object of the present
invention and thus the following and other modifications are
included in the present invention.
[0057] For example, while in the aforementioned embodiment,
anti-vibration protrusions 103 and 106 are provided on the second
outside face member 101B and sixth outside face member 101F, such
anti-vibration protrusions may be provided on three adjacent faces,
e.g., the aforementioned second outside face member 101B and sixth
outside face member 101F along with the fourth outside face member
101D which is perpendicular to the second outside face member
101B.
[0058] Moreover, while the anti-vibration protrusions 106 are
provided on the grooves 10A of the sixth outside face member 101F,
the sixth outside face member 101F may be given a flat panel shape,
in which case the anti-vibration protrusions may be secured to the
surface of this flat panel shape with adhesive or the like.
[0059] Moreover, the depth dimension L1 of the casing 101 of the
accessory device 100 may be different from the depth dimension M1
of the entertainment system 1.
[0060] Moreover, it is not absolutely necessary that an access
indicator 104 and power indicator 105 be provided on the third
outside face member 101C of the casing 101, but rather, the third
outside face member 101C may also be simply given the form of a
flat panel.
[0061] In addition, while the casing 101 of the accessory device
100 is given the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, it may also
by another shape, such as the shape of a triangular prism. In the
case that it is given the shape of a triangular prism, two adjacent
outside faces can be made perpendicular by giving the end surface
the shape of a right triangle. Moreover, the angle between the
anti-vibration protrusions and the respective outside faces upon
which they are provided need not necessarily be a right angle, but
they may cross at an angle other than 90 degrees.
[0062] In addition, the number of anti-vibration protrusions is not
limited to four on each outside face, but rather there may be one,
two, three or five or more.
[0063] While the present invention has been described at some
length and with some particularity with respect to the several
described embodiments, it is not intended that it should be limited
to any such particulars or embodiments or any particular
embodiment, but it is to be construed with references to the
appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible
interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and,
therefore, to effectively encompass the intended scope of the
invention.
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