U.S. patent application number 11/197170 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-08 for portable computer.
Invention is credited to Arif Maskatia.
Application Number | 20070030634 11/197170 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37699976 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070030634 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Maskatia; Arif |
February 8, 2007 |
PORTABLE COMPUTER
Abstract
A portable computer includes: an expansion base module; a system
module having a rear side and a connecting end that is slidably
pivoted to the expansion base module; and a stand having a first
end that is pivoted to a rear end of the expansion base module, and
a second end that is pivoted to the rear side of the system module
such that the system module, the stand, and the expansion base
module are stacked one above the other when the connecting end of
the system module is disposed at a front end of the expansion base
module, and that the stand and the system module stand from the
expansion base module when the connecting end of the system module
is disposed at a position between the front end and the rear end of
the expansion base module.
Inventors: |
Maskatia; Arif; (Milpitas,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KIRSCHSTEIN, OTTINGER, ISRAEL;& SCHIFFMILLER, P.C.
489 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10017
US
|
Family ID: |
37699976 |
Appl. No.: |
11/197170 |
Filed: |
August 4, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/679.27 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/1616 20130101;
G06F 1/1681 20130101; G06F 1/1683 20130101; Y10S 248/917
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/683 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/16 20060101
G06F001/16 |
Claims
1. A portable computer comprising: an expansion base module with a
keyboard provided thereon, said expansion base module having front
and rear ends; a system module having a display side, a rear side
that is opposite to said display side, a free end, and a connecting
end that is opposite to said free end, that is pivoted to said
expansion base module, and that is slidable on said expansion base
module between said front and rear ends of said expansion base
module; and a stand having a first end that is pivoted to said rear
end of said expansion base module, and a second end that is
opposite to said first end and that is pivoted to said rear side of
said system module at a position between said connecting end and
said free end of said system module such that said system module,
said stand, and said expansion base module are stacked one above
the other when said connecting end of said system module is
disposed at said front end of said expansion base module, and that
said stand and said system module stand from said expansion base
module when said connecting end of said system module is disposed
at a position between said front and rear ends of said expansion
base module.
2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein said keyboard has two
opposite sides, said expansion base module being formed with a pair
of guiding grooves that are disposed at said sides of said
keyboard, respectively, said connecting end of said system module
being formed with a pair of protrusions that extend into said
guiding grooves, respectively, so as to permit sliding movement of
said system module on said expansion base module.
3. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein said keyboard further
has a rear end, said expansion base module being further formed
with a pair of stoppers that are disposed adjacent to said rear end
of said keyboard and that are aligned with said guiding grooves,
respectively, so as to prevent further rearward movement of said
connecting end of said system module beyond an imaginary stop line
defined by said stoppers.
4. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein said stand is in the
form of a thin plate.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a portable computer, more
particular to a portable computer including an expansion base
module and a slate that is slidable on the expansion base
module.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,478 discloses a portable computer having
a base module and a display panel that is mounted slidably on the
base module. The display module is pivotable relative to the base
module so as to lie on top on the base module when the display
module is slid to a front end of the base module. As such, the
portable computer can serve as a tablet computer.
[0005] In a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/456,536,
a portable computer is disclosed. The portable computer includes an
expansion base module and a slate with a display panel mounted
slidably on the expansion base module through a hinge
mechanism.
[0006] The aforesaid portable computers have a common disadvantage
in that, since pivoting movement and sliding movement of the
display panel relative to the base module are independent from each
other, two operations are required to perform the pivoting movement
and sliding movement of the display panel when operation of the
portable computer is to be changed from a tablet computer state to
a notebook computer state or when the operation of the portable
computer is to be changed from the notebook computer state to the
tablet computer state.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,700,775 discloses a portable computer that
includes a base module, a stand pivoted to the base module, and a
display panel mounted on the stand. The display panel, as well as
the stand, is not slidable on the base module.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide
a portable computer that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid
drawback of the prior art.
[0009] According to the present invention, there is provided a
portable computer that comprises: an expansion base module with a
keyboard provided thereon, the expansion base module having front
and rear ends; a system module having a display side, a rear side
that is opposite to the display side, a free end, and a connecting
end that is opposite to the free end, that is pivoted to the
expansion base module, and that is slidable on the expansion base
module between the front and rear ends of the expansion base
module; and a stand having a first end that is pivoted to the rear
end of the expansion base module, and a second end that is opposite
to the first end and that is pivoted to the rear side of the system
module at a position between the connecting end and the free end of
the system module such that the system module, the stand, and the
expansion base module are stacked one above the other when the
connecting end of the system module is disposed at the front end of
the expansion base module, and that the stand and the system module
stand from the expansion base module when the connecting end of the
system module is disposed at a position between the front and rear
ends of the expansion base module.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the
invention,
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of
a portable computer according to this invention to illustrate a
first state where the portable computer is used as a tablet
computer;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the preferred
embodiment to illustrate an intermediate state where the portable
computer is disposed;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the preferred
embodiment disposed at the intermediate state;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the preferred
embodiment to illustrate a second state where the portable computer
is used as a notebook computer;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the preferred
embodiment disposed at the second state;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of the preferred embodiment
disposed at the second state; and
[0017] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional side view of the
preferred embodiment to illustrate how a roller on a slate computer
of the preferred embodiment is stopped by a stopper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate the preferred embodiment of a
portable computer according to the present invention. The portable
computer includes an expansion base module 3, a system module 4,
and a stand 5.
[0019] The system module 4 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD)
panel, a touch input panel, or a slate computer (which normally
includes a mother board, a CPU, a memory unit, a touch input
display panel, a hard disk, a battery unit, and electronic
components which allow the computer slate to function as a portable
computer). In this embodiment, the system module 4 is a slate
computer.
[0020] The expansion base module 3 is provided with a keyboard 32
thereon, and has front and rear ends 31, 35. For expansion
purposes, the expansion base module 3 can include devices (not
shown), such as a touch pad, an expansion hard disk, expansion
batteries, speakers, USB ports, parallel ports, a VGA card, and an
external power interface.
[0021] The system module 4 has a display side 410, a rear side 412
(see FIG. 5) that is opposite to the display side 410, a free end
411, and a connecting end 416 that is opposite to the free end 411,
that is pivoted to the expansion base module 3, and that is
slidable on the expansion base module 3 between the front and rear
ends 31, 35 of the expansion base module 3.
[0022] The stand 5 has a first end 51 that is pivoted to the rear
end 35 of the expansion base module 3 through a first pivot
mechanism 54, and a second end 52 that is opposite to the first end
51 and that is pivoted to the rear side 412 of the system module 4
at a position between the connecting end 416 and the free end 411
of the system module 4 through a second pivot mechanism 53 so that
through the stand 5 the portable computer can be operated between a
first state, i.e., the system module 4, the stand 5, and the
expansion base module 3 are stacked one above the other when the
connecting end 416 of the system module 4 is disposed at the front
end 31 of the expansion base module 3 (see FIG. 1), thereby
permitting the portable computer to serve as a tablet computer, and
a second state, i e., the stand 5 and the system module 4 stand
from the expansion base module 3 when the connecting end 416 of the
system module 3 is disposed at a position between the front and
rear ends 31, 35 of the expansion base module 3 (see FIGS. 4 and
5), thereby permitting the portable computer to serve as a notebook
computer. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate an intermediate state, which is
between the first and second states, where the portable computer is
disposed.
[0023] In this embodiment, the stand 5 is in the form of a thin
plate.
[0024] The keyboard 32 has two opposite sides. The expansion base
module 3 is formed with a pair of guiding grooves 33 that are
disposed at the sides of the keyboard 32, respectively. The
connecting end 416 of the system module 4 is formed with a pair of
protrusions 42 (see FIGS. 5 to 7) that that are respectively
provided with rollers 43 extending into the guiding grooves 33,
respectively, so as to permit sliding movement of the system module
4 on the expansion base module 3.
[0025] The keyboard 32 further has a rear end 321 (see FIG. 5). The
expansion base module 3 is further formed with a pair of stoppers
34 (see FIG. 7) that are disposed adjacent to the rear end 321 of
the keyboard 32 and that are aligned with the guiding grooves 33,
respectively, so as to prevent further rearward movement of the
connecting end 416 of the system module 4 beyond an imaginary stop
line defined by the stoppers. 34. It is noted that the portable
computer is retained at the second state (see FIG. 6) by a friction
among each of the rollers 43 and two groove-defining walls of the
respective one of the guiding grooves 33.
[0026] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a flexible flat printed circuit
cable 6 and an electric wire 7 are provided to couple electrically
the system module 4 and the expansion base module 3. The stand 5 is
formed with a cable-receiving conduit 511 for extension of the flat
printed circuit cable 6 therein, and a wire-receiving conduit 512
for extension of the electric wire 7 therein. The expansion base
module 3 is further formed with first and second recesses 37, 38
for receiving the cable-receiving conduit 511 and the
wire-receiving conduit 512, respectively, when the portable
computer is disposed at the first state.
[0027] During use, when it is desired to change operation of the
portable computer from the first state (see FIG. 1) to the second
state (see FIGS. 4 and 5), and vice versa, the user needs to simply
operate the free end 411 of the system module 4 to perform
simultaneous sliding and pivoting movements of the system module 4
relative to the expansion base module 3. As such, the aforesaid
drawback, which requires two operations to perform the sliding and
pivoting movements of the display panel, associated with the prior
art can be eliminated.
[0028] With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that
various modifications and variations can be made without departing
from the spirit of the present invention.
* * * * *