Other

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

David A Hulsebosch

Richard A Faulk

Ronald E Deluga

Michele Bovio

An electronic device, such as a portable computer, incorporates a removable cover. The cover is readily removed without tools and provides access to a variety of components that may require servicing, substitution, component upgrades, etc. The component cover utilizes a variety of retention features that provide stability while permitting easy attachment and opening of the cover.

Portable computer having removable component cover

The base housing of a notebook computer is provided with an EMI-shielded internal bay structure which is configured to removably receive a personal digital assistant (PDA) in a manner mating an electrical connector on the PDA with a corresponding electrical connector within the bay structure. The mating of the two connectors couples a battery charging circuit within the host computer device with a storage battery in the PDA, and also couples a data storage device within the host computer device with a data storage memory area within the PDA. Accordingly, the PDA battery may be charged, and data transferred from the PDA to the host computer device without the previous necessity of using a dedicated external PDA stand and associated separate data transfer and battery charging cabling. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the PDA is inserted into an EMI-shielded multibay adapter structure which in turn is inserted into a bay within the host computer device to couple the PDA and host computer device electrical connectors.

Personal digital assistant and associated computer host device bay

A power supply module for a portable computer and a method of dissipating heat generated in the power supply module. The module comprises: (1) a circuit board having a plurality of power supply components mounted thereon, (2) a module electromagnetic shield at least partially surrounding the circuit board, the module electromagnetic shield electromagnetically shielding at least some of the plurality of power supply components, (3) metallic heat conduction paths, integrally disposed within the circuit board and substantially within a footprint of selected ones of the plurality of power supply components, for transferring heat from the selected ones of the plurality of power supply components through the circuit board and (4) compliant heat conduction pads, coupled between the circuit board and the module electromagnetic shield, for transferring the heat from the heat conduction paths to the module electromagnetic shield, the module electromagnetic shield dissipating the heat and thereby functioning as a heat sink, the heat conduction paths and heat conduction pads cooperating to form a compact structure for transferring heat from the selected ones of the plurality of power supply components to thereby reduce a required volume of the power supply module.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

David A Hulsebosch