Claims
- 1. A computer comprising:
- a system body;
- a cover unit for multi-position operation with said system body without requiring movement of said system body;
- a display panel in said cover unit, said display panel being for viewing from a first side of said cover unit, said display panel having an input function sensitive to touch;
- connection means for connecting said cover unit to said system body, said connection means having a first end and a second end, said first end being rotatably connected to said system body and said second end being rotatably connected to said cover unit approximately midway along said cover unit so that said cover unit can be placed over said system body with said cover unit in one of a first position wherein said display panel faces said system body and said connection means overlies and covers approximately half of said cover unit, and a second position wherein said display panel faces away from said system body;
- said connection means and said cover unit being sized, shaped and connected to said system body so that when said cover unit is in said second position, said cover unit overlies and rests upon said connection means at one end of said cover unit thereby to tilt said cover unit with respect to said system body.
- 2. The computer of claim 1 further comprising electrical coupling means for electrically coupling said display panel to said system unit.
- 3. The computer of claim 2 further comprising hollow hinge means for rotatably connecting said cover unit to said connection means.
- 4. The computer of claim 3 wherein said electrical coupling means is an electrical cable extending through said hollow hinge means.
- 5. The computer of claim 1 wherein said connection means comprises an arm connected proximate an upper rear edge of said system body at said first end, and connected to a second side of said cover unit at said second end, said second side being a side from which said display panel is not viewed.
- 6. The computer of claim 5 further comprising hinge means for connecting said connection means to said cover unit.
- 7. The computer of claim 6 wherein said hinge means comprise two hinges, a first of said hinges connecting said connection means to said cover unit proximate a first end of said cover unit and a second of said hinges connecting said connection means proximate a second end of said cover unit, said first end of said cover unit being opposite said second end of said cover unit.
- 8. The computer of claim 7 wherein said first hinge and said second hinge define between them a longitudinal direction and said cover unit extends from said connection means in a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction.
- 9. The computer of claim 8 wherein said cover unit has a height in said transverse direction, and said hinges are attached to said cover unit approximately half way along said height.
- 10. The computer of claim 1 further comprising latch means for releasably connecting said cover unit to said connection means so that said cover unit cannot be rotated with respect to said connection means but can still be rotated with respect to said system body.
- 11. The computer of claim 10 wherein said latch means comprises a portion of said cover unit having a concavity, and a latch member having a convexity, said latch member being movable between a first position where said convexity extends into said concavity and a second position where said convexity does not extend into said concavity.
- 12. The computer of claim 1 wherein said system body includes a keyboard having keys, said keyboard facing said cover unit when said cover unit is placed on said system body, and said system body and said cover unit being sized, shaped and dimensioned so that said cover unit does not contact said keys.
- 13. The computer of claim 1 wherein said keyboard is removable from said system body for placement adjacent said system body so that when said cover unit is in said second position on said system body, both said keyboard and said input function of said display panel may be used.
- 14. The computer of claim 1 wherein said system body and said cover unit are sized, shaped and positioned so that a footprint of said cover unit is within a footprint of said system body when said cover unit is in either one of said first position and said second position.
- 15. The computer of claim 1 further comprising hinge means for coupling said connecting means to said cover unit, said hinge means comprising a hollow parallelepiped, a first shaft rotatably coupled to said parallelepiped, extending from a first wall unit of said parallelepiped, and coupled to said connecting means, and a second shaft extending from said first wall of said parallelepiped, rotatably coupled to said parallelepiped, and coupled to said cover unit.
- 16. The computer of claim 15 wherein said first shaft has a first rotation resistance with respect to said first wall and said second shaft has a second rotation resistance with respect to said first wall, said second rotation resistance being greater than said first rotation resistance.
- 17. The computer of claim 16 wherein said parallelepiped has a second wall opposite said first wall and a third shaft extending from said second wall, said third shaft having a flattened portion and said third shaft extending into a bearing member of said connection means, said bearing member having a stop, said stop being for engaging, at a predetermined angle of said parallelepiped with respect to said connecting means, said flattened portion to prevent further rotation of said parallelepiped with respect to said connecting means.
- 18. A display comprising:
- a base body;
- a cover unit for multi-position operation with said base body without requiring movement of said base body;
- a display panel in said cover unit, said display panel being for viewing from a first side of said cover unit, said display panel having an input function sensitive to touch;
- connection means for connecting said cover unit to said base body, said connection means having a first end and a second end, said first end being rotatably connected to said system body and said second end being rotatably connected to said cover unit so that said cover unit can be placed over said base body with said cover unit in one of a first position wherein said display panel faces said base body and said connection means overlies and covers a portion of said cover unit, and a second position wherein said display panel faces away from said base body;
- said connection means and said cover unit being sized, shaped and connected to said base body so that when said cover unit is in said second position, said cover unit overlies and rests upon said connection means at one end of said cover unit thereby to tilt said cover unit with respect to said base body.
- 19. The display of claim 18 further comprising electrical coupling means for electrically coupling said display panel to said base body.
- 20. The display of claim 19 further comprising hollow hinge means for rotatably connecting said cover unit to said connection mean.
- 21. The display of claim 20 wherein said electrical coupling means is an electrical cable extending through said hollow hinge means.
- 22. The display of claim 18 wherein said connection means comprises an arm connected proximate an upper rear edge of said base body at said first end, and connected to a second side of said cover unit at said second end, said second side being a side from which said display panel is not viewed.
- 23. The display of claim 22 further comprising hinge means for connecting said connection means to said cover unit.
- 24. The display of claim 23 wherein said hinge means comprise two hinges, a first of said hinges connecting said connection means to said cover unit proximate a first end of said cover unit and a second of said hinges connecting said connection means proximate a second end of said cover unit, said first end of said cover unit being opposite said second end of said cover unit.
- 25. The display of claim 23 wherein said first hinge and said second hinge define between them a longitudinal direction and said cover unit extends from said connection means in a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction.
- 26. The display of claim 25 wherein said cover unit has a height in said transverse direction, and said hinges are attached to said cover unit approximately half way along said height.
- 27. The display of claim 18 further comprising latch means for releasably connecting said cover unit to said connection means so that said cover unit cannot be rotated with respect to said connection means but can still be rotated with respect to said base body.
- 28. The display of claim 27 wherein said latch means comprises a portion of said cover unit having a concavity, and a latch member having a convexity, said latch member being movable between a first position where said convexity extends into said concavity and a second position where said convexity does not extend into said concavity.
- 29. The display of claim 19 wherein said base body and said cover unit are sized, shaped and positioned so that a footprint of said cover unit is within a footprint of said base body when said cover unit is in either one of said first position and said second position.
- 30. The display of claim 19 further comprising hinge means for coupling said connecting means to said cover unit, said hinge means comprising a hollow parallelepiped, a first shaft rotatably coupled to said parallelepiped, extending from a wall unit of said parallelepiped, and coupled to said connecting means, and a second shaft extending from said first wall of said parallelepiped, rotatably coupled to said parallelepiped, and coupled to said cover unit.
- 31. The display of claim 30 wherein said first shaft has a first rotation resistance with respect to said first wall and said second shaft has a second rotation resistance with respect to said first wall, said second rotation resistance being greater than said first rotation resistance.
- 32. The display of claim 31 wherein said parallelepiped has a second wall opposite said first wall and a third shaft extending from said second wall, said third shaft having a flattened portion and said third shaft extending into a bearing member of said connection means, said bearing member having a stop, said stop being for engaging, at a predetermined angle of said parallelepiped with respect to said connecting means, said flattened portion to prevent further rotation of said parallelepiped with respect to said connecting means.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
3-333787 |
Dec 1991 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/993,214, filed Dec. 18, 1992 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
63-39731 |
Mar 1988 |
JPX |
0090310 |
Mar 1990 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
993214 |
Dec 1992 |
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