International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Kenshin Yonemochi

Seita Horikoshi

Michio Suzuki

Yoshiharu Uchiyama

Hiroaki Agata

Katsutoshi Katoh

Takehiko Noguchi

John Peter Karidis

Edwin Joseph Selker

Fusanobu Nakamura

Takeshi Asano

Mitsuo Horiuchi

Akinori Uchino

Hiroyuki Noguchi

Hisashi Shima

Hideyuki Usui

Masaki Oie

Fumio Tamura

Hideto Horikoshi

Rieko Kataoka

Takane Fujino

Norihiro Andoh

Kazunori Seki

Yasuhiro Kobayashi

One aspect provides a key switch device including: a base plate; a sheet laminated on the base plate; a key top disposed above the sheet; and an elastic dome that is disposed between the sheet and the key top and is configured to press the sheet in response to the key top being pressed down. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Key switch device

An electronic device with a connector system is provided to give a user an improved appearance, functionality, and aesthetics. A connector system may comprise a housing, a circuit board mounted within the housing, and a plurality of externally accessible connectors. The housing may have a front side and a back side. The plurality of externally accessible connectors may be mounted directly on the circuit board within the housing, so that the plurality externally accessible connectors may extend substantially perpendicular from the plane of the circuit board and face the back side of the housing. The plurality of externally accessible connectors may comprise substantially flat metal plate.

Logo connector

A hinge is provided that permits a user to use a computer system either as a laptop computer or a tablet computer. The hinge may comprise a hinge block and an inhibitor stopper. The hinge block may have a first hinge member and a second hinge member. The inhibitor stopper may be disposed between the first hinge member and the second hinge member. The inhibitor stopper may have a first wing and a second wing. The inhibitor stopper may be attached to the hinge block. The first and second wings may be rotatable around an axis.

Dual shaft hinge with angle timing shaft mechanism

Provision of an extension-type battery pack which is improved in safety thereof against dropping and impact application. Although a battery pack is susceptible to damage caused by an impact since partial battery cells are located outside the outline of a notebook PC when it is mounted on the notebook PC, the battery pack is provided with a partition wall structure including an air space and a fireproof wall formed of a material which does not melt at a temperature of combustible gas discharged from a gas discharge valve of the respective battery cells. The material of the fireproof wall is preferably mica or the like. The partition wall structure can be provided between an inside battery compartment and an outside battery compartment of the battery pack or can be provided among other battery cells. This prevents fire spreading to other battery cells even if high-temperature combustible gas is discharged from a battery cell damaged by an impact or the like.

Battery pack

The present invention includes a plurality of battery cells, each provided with a gas discharge valve. A housing accommodates the battery cells and has a gas opening. The housing does not melt at an inside temperature of the battery pack increased by gas discharged from the gas discharge valve. A blocking member blocks the gas opening and melts at the inside temperature of the battery pack increased by the gas discharged from the gas discharge valve, breaching the gas opening.

Battery pack and portable electronic device

The present invention is directed to a computer in which an optional unit such as a unit including a wireless LAN adapter is installable. The computer including at least a computer body, a display, and a keyboard. The invention is also directed to a note book computer , which includes a computer body with a keyboard, and a display workable as a lid being opened and closed free with the computer body. In these computers with an optional unit , the optional unit is detachably attached to the top of the display, or the optional unit is detachably attached to a portion of the display, the portion being at a side of the display when the lid is closed and being at a top of the display when the lid is opened.

computer in which an optional unit is installable

To obtain connector connecting structure that makes it easy to connect connectors when a mounted part is mounted in a part-receiving part. In a keyboard unit mounted in a PC body of a notebook PC, a connector implemented on a flexible cable is movably supported through a cushion, which is made of urethane rubber and is fixed on a installation side B of the keyboard unit, and a support plate fixed to the cushion. Owing to this, by just mounting the keyboard unit in the PC body, the connector is connected to the connector in the PC body side, and hence connection becomes simple. Therefore, even if the misalignment between the connectors and arises, the connector moves according to an amount of the misalignment, and hence adequate connection can be performed.

Electrical connecting structure of mounted part, computer apparatus, and electronic equipment

To provide a portable computer in which a height and angle of a display can be adjusted even in a restricted installation space. In a notebook type personal computer, at an approximately middle portion in a high and low direction of an LCD unit, disposed in a lid, there is provided a hinge, which enables the LCD unit to pivot around a rotation axis crossing perpendicularly with the high and low direction of the LCD unit. This hinge is mounted so as to be movable in the high and low direction of the frame, and is disposed at a higher position than a top of the frame. Thereby, even when rear space where the notebook type PC is installed is restricted, it is possible to adjust the height and angle of the LCD unit, and to make such setting as to enable the display screen to be easily watched.

Portable computer

The present invention relates to a resilient hollow grip cap for removable mounting on the top of a computer control device i.e., a finger actuated pointing stick. The cap has a plurality of short fibers adhered to its outer surface and extending outwardly away from the surface of the cap.

Grip cap for computer control stick

It is one object of the present invention to provide a portable information processing apparatus that can be employed with an overhead projector (OHP). A portable information processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a main body having a keyboard on an upper face; a lid having an internally mounted liquid crystal display panel and being hinged rotatably with the main body at the rear edge of the main body; and a tilting mechanism for positioning the front edge of the main body higher than its rear edge.

Portable computer utilizable by an over head projector and tilting

An information processing apparatus in which arbitrary removal of a device for processing information accommodated within an opening within the main body can be prevented, regardless of operation of an eject button or the like, and to provide an information processing apparatus in which such prevention can be realized in a simple structure and at a low cost. A removal preventing latch is provided and inserted into an aperture within the main body of the information processing apparatus and through a corresponding aperture within the device for processing information. A cover for the main body may then be selectively locked in a closed position, preventing removal of the removal preventing latch while the cover is closed. A keyboard is preferably mounted to the cover for the main body.

Information processing apparatus having lockable modular subsystems

A docking device for a portable computer which can be utilized with a number of portable computers having diverse sizes is disclosed. The docking device includes a body having a number of electronic components disposed therein adapted to be electrically connected to a portable computer. A surface supported by the body is adapted to slidably receive a portable computer selected from among the number of portable computers having diverse sizes. Adjacent to the surface, at least two electrical connectors are disposed, including a first connector rotatably supported by the body which is rotatable between a first position and a second position. The selected portable computer may be electrically connected to the number of electrical components via only the first electrical connector when the first electrical connector is in the first position and may be electrically connected to the number of electronic components via only the second electrical connector when the first electrical connector is in the second position. In a preferred embodiment, the surface is a tray which slides between a docked position at which the selected portable computer is electrically connected to the electronic components via one of the electrical connectors and an undocked position at which the selected portable computer is disconnected from the electronic components. According to a preferred embodiment, when the first electrical connector is in the first position, the first electrical connector extends further from the body along the direction in which the tray slides than the second electrical connector.

Portable computer docking device having a first rotatable connector and

An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a hard disk drive which is adapted to be accommodated within a main body of the information processing apparatus. The hard disk drive includes a movable member attached thereto. When the movable member slides into a first state, a portion of the movable member protrudes outside the main body of the information processing apparatus. A hinged keyboard is provided for covering the interior of the main body of the information processing apparatus and when the portion of the movable member protrudes outside the main body, the hinged keyboard is locked in a closed state. Additionally, a preventing latch is provided which may be utilized in conjunction with a card port in order to engage a PCMCIA card and prevent removal thereof. The preventing member is mounted under the keyboard such that when the keyboard is in a closed state, the PCMCIA card cannot be removed. In this manner, when the keyboard is closed and the movable member slides to the first state removal of hard disk drive assembly, or other subassemblies within the computer can be efficiently prevented.

Growing community of inventors

Kamakura, Japan

Kenshin Yonemochi