Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Kel Corporation

Takashi Hosoi

Keizo Ohgami

Takaichi Kobayashi

Fumiaki Takeda

Masami Honda

Kazuyoshi Takahashi

Toshio Kikukawa

Kazuya Shibasaki

Katumaru Sasaki

Kazuka Shibasaki

A portable electronic apparatus of the present invention has a body portion with a keyboard on a front upper part thereof, and a display portion which is connected to a higher position at the rear of the body portion through a hinge portion such that the display portion is folded down and pulled up with respect to the body portion. The display portion is provided with a large-sized display screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) on a front surface thereof. The hinge portion comprises a hinge member which is disposed in a recess formed on the body portion and divided into a hinge cover and a hinge base; a pair of hinge shafts projecting from both upper ends of the hinge member and whose projecting ends are connected to the bottom of the display portion; presser spring disposed in the hinge member, each engaging with the corresponding hinge shaft to restrict the pivotal movement of the hinge shaft; torsion bars disposed on both lower sides of the hinge member; and supporting portions provided on side faces of the body portion and to which the torsion bars are fitted. Each of the hinge shafts has an elliptic section at least at a portion engaging with the presser spring so that a deflection quantity of the presser spring is automatically adjusted.

Hinge mechanism for portable electronic apparatus

A portable electronic apparatus has a bottom case and a cover. The bottom case has a bottom wall and an opening that opposes the bottom wall. A printed circuit board is disposed in the bottom case. The cover has a keyboard unit and is removably attached to the case so as to cover the opening portion. The keyboard unit has a main body having an under side, a shielding plate and a film member. The shielding plate is fixed to the under side and shields the electromagnetic noise produced by the keyboard unit. The film member has a circuit pattern disposed thereon and is disposed between the under side and the shielding plate. The apparatus is able to secure the cover to the case. The cover may have a fixing portion, and the apparatus may have screws for securing the fixing portion. A keyboard frame surrounds the keyboard unit and is detachably connected to the bottom case and the cover. Finally, the keyboard unit may be detachable from the cover.

Portable electronic apparatus having a keyboard with a shielding plate

A function expanding apparatus for a compact electronic device includes a casing having a supporting portion and a supporting plate attached to the casing to be movable in a predetermined direction. A pair of retaining portions are formed on the supporting plate. The rear portion of the electronic device is mounted on the supporting portion and is positioned in its width direction by a pair of positioning members provided at the supporting portion. The front end portion of the electronic device is mounted on the supporting plate and the retaining portions engage the front edge of the electronic device so as to restrain the movement of the electronic device in the depth direction thereof. The position of the retaining portion is adjusted by moving the supporting plate, in accordance with the depth of the mounted electronic device.

Connecting apparatus for connecting portable computers

A portable computer includes a housing and a display unit. The display unit is attached to the housing to be movable between a closed position and an opened position. The portable unit may also include a keyboard which can be covered by the display when the display is in the closed position. A circuit board is proximate to the bottom wall of the housing. A shield plate for magnetically shielding the circuit board is disposed inside the housing proximate to the circuit board and can be between the circuit board and the keyboard if a keyboard is provided. At least one supporting member extends from the bottom face of the shielding plate and abuts the circuit board to prevent the keyboard unit, if one is provided, from bending toward the circuit board. The shield plate may include an edge which is supported on the housing. The portable computer may also include bosses positioned between the bottom wall of the housing and the circuit board.

Portable electronic apparatus having an electro-magnetic shield

A portable personal computer includes a housing 1 having a mounting portion. A keyboard unit is removably mounted on the mounting portion. The keyboard unit includes a planer keyboard body made of synthetic resin, a large number of keys arranged substantially over the whole top face of the keyboard body, a film member put on the underside of the keyboard body, and a shielding plate fixed to the underside of the film member. A keyboard frame is fitted on the peripheral edge portion of the keyboard body and fitted to the mounting portion of the housing. The keyboard body has fixing portions protruding from the underside thereof to extend through the film member and the shielding plate. The fixing portions are fixed to the bottom wall of the housing by screws.

Portable electronic apparatus having a removable keyboard secured to a

A portable computer includes a housing and a keyboard unit mounted on the housing. A display unit is mounted on the housing to be movable between a closed position wherein the keyboard unit is covered by the display unit and a desired opened position wherein the keyboard is exposed. A latch mechanism for locking the display unit in the closed position is provided at the display unit. The mechanism includes a pair of latch hooks rockable between a latch position wherein each hook engages the housing and a release position wherein each hook is disengaged form the housing, and an interlocking member movable in interlock with the movement of the latch hooks. When a dial key attached to the display unit is turned on, the movement of the interlocking member is restricted by the key and the hooks are locked in the latch position.

Portable electronic apparatus having a removable keyboard unit

An expansion device which includes a device body which has first and second side surfaces and a bottom surface continuous with the first and second side surfaces. A power cord of the device leads out from the first side surface, and a plug is provided at an extended end of the power cord. The plug is adapted to be connected to a power socket of the electronic apparatus. The device body includes a guide groove formed in the bottom surface, in which part of the power cord is removably fitted. The guide groove includes a first portion having one end open to the first side surface and the other end in the bottom surface, a second portion extending from the other end of the first portion to the first side surface, and a third portion extending from the other end of the first portion to the second side surface.

Expansion device with power cord and guide groove for expanding

A function expanding apparatus for electronic devices having a mechanism for supporting a connector body. Two elastic members hold a connector body which is freely slidable between the two elastic members. The connector body is movable in multiple directions so as to connect to the electronic apparatus.

Connector unit with movable connector

A portable computer includes a housing and a keyboard unit mounted on the housing. A display unit is mounted on the housing to be movable between a closed position wherein the keyboard unit is covered by the display unit and a desired opened position wherein the keyboard is exposed. A latch mechanism for locking the display unit in the closed position is provided at the display unit. The mechanism includes a pair of latch hooks rockable between a latch position wherein each hook engages a latch hole of the housing and a release position wherein each hook is disengaged form the housing, and an interlocking member, movable together with the latch hooks. A sliding member is slidably attached to each latch hook so as to be movable between a restricted position, wherein the sliding member is situated in the latch hole to restrict disengagement of the hook, and a retracted position, wherein the sliding member is retracted from the latch hole. When an operator begins to move the latch hooks toward the release position, the interlocking member slides the sliding members to the retracted position, allowing the latch hooks to continue on toward the release position. When a combination lock attached to the display unit is engaged, movement of the interlocking member is restricted by the lock and the hooks are locked in the latch position.

Portable electronic apparatus with a latch mechanism including an

Portable electronic apparatus

An expansion device includes a box-like device body and a second battery pack. The body includes a hard disc drive therein, a fitting recess open to the outer surface of the body, power-receiving terminals provided in the fitting recess and connected to the hard disc drive, and a second connector adapted to be connected to a first connector of a personal computer. The second battery pack is designed to be removably mounted in a battery mount portion, in place of a battery pack of the computer, and includes a coupling portion removably fitted in the fitting portion, and first and second power-supply terminals. When the second battery pack is mounted in the mount portion while the coupling portion is fitted in the fitting recess, the device body is coupled to the computer in a state where the second connector is connected to the first connector and the first and second power-supply terminals contact power-receiving terminals of the computer and the power-receiving terminals of the device body.

Expansion device for expanding functions of compact electronic apparatus

A hinge device comprising a shaft, a coil spring, a shaft holder, and a bracket. The coil spring has a coiled portion wound around the main portion of the shaft. The shaft holder is secured to a first member and holds one end of the shaft, thus preventing the shaft from rotating. The bracket supports both end portions of the shaft, and is secured to a second member. The bracket, therefore, allows the first and second members to rotate relative to each other around the shaft. The main portion of the shaft has a cross section having a short diameter and a long diameter. The coiled portion is formed of a plurality of turns contacting one another. Each turn extends at a predetermined pitch angle to a line which extends at right angles to the axis of the shaft. The turn therefore looks elliptical when viewed in the axial direction, and has a short diameter greater than that of the main portion of said shaft, and a long diameter substantially equal to that of the main portion of said shaft. When the first and second members are rotated relative to each other around the shaft, the coiled portion is elastically deformed, changing the pitch angle and applying a frictional drag to the shaft. This drag suppresses the rotation of the first member or the second member.

Hinge device for coupling rotatable member to another member

A function expanding apparatus for a compact electronic device includes a casing having a supporting portion and a supporting plate attached to the casing to be movable in a predetermined direction. A pair of retaining portions are formed on the supporting plate. The rear portion of the electronic device is mounted on the supporting portion and is positioned in its width direction by a pair of positioning members provided at the supporting portion. The front end portion of the electronic device is mounted on the supporting palte and the retaining portions engage the front edge of the electronic device so as restrain the movement of the electronic device in the depth direction thereof. The position of the retaining portion is adjusted by moving the supporting plate, in accordance with the depth of the mounted electronic device.

Function expanding apparatus for compact electronic device

The portable electronic apparatus comprises a body, a display unit, rotary shaft and a slide shaft. The body includes a keyboard, a main power supply for supplying a voltage, a first connector electrically connected to the main power supply and a top cover having a connector hole for exposing the first connector. The display unit includes a second connector electrically and mechanically connected to the first connector and a flat panel display supplied the voltage from the main power supply through the first connector and the second connector. The rotary shaft rotates the display unit between a first position for covering the keyboard and a second position for operating the keyboard. The slide shaft engages the rotary shaft and mechanically connects the display unit to the body in a third position and releases the engagement and mechanical connection between the display unit and the body in a fourth position. The apparatus has good carrying ability and portability when the display unit is detached from the body, is excellent in producibility of the apparatus, and has less chance of electric shock to the operator and less electric shock to the apparatus.

Electronic apparatus having a slidable pawl for removably connecting a

A portable computer has a base unit and a flat panel display unit. The base unit has a keyboard and a turntable rotatably connecting to the base unit in a horizontal direction. A display support is fixed to the turntable. The flat panel display unit is pivotally connected to the display supporter. The flat panel display unit rotates in the vertical direction between a closed position for covering the keyboard and an open position for operating the keyboard. The flat panel display unit rotates with the turntable in a horizontal direction between the open position and a twisted position for twisting the flat panel display unit. A display stopper prevents the flat panel display from rotating in the vertical direction when it is in the twisted position.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Takashi Hosoi