Claims
- 1. A portable computer, comprising:a display housing including a display for said portable computer, said display housing having a front surface which provides access to said display, and a top surface including a protrusion tat extends outwardly from said front surface, said protrusion defining an outer surface of said display housing when said display housing is in a closed position; and a base housing for data processing and data storage components of said portable computer, said base housing having a top surface which supports various components of said portable computer and a front surface which supports a spring-based latch the spring based latch including a latch button, a slider region connected to or integral with said latch button, and a spring coupled to said slider region and a fixed surface within said base housing, the latch button being positioned on an outer surface of said base housing, the latch button cooperating with said protrusion to latch said display housing against said base housing when said display housing is in the closed position.
- 2. A portable computer as recited in claim 1, wherein said latch button includes a notch that receives said protrusion when in the closed position.
- 3. A portable computer as recited in claim 1,wherein said latch button includes a notch that receives said protrusion of said display housing when in the closed position, thereby latching said display housing against said base housing when said display housing is in a closed position, and wherein said display housing is unlatched from said base housing when said latch button is depressed.
- 4. A portable computer as recited in claim 1,wherein said display housing further comprises a plurality of elastomer bumpers, and wherein in the closed Position said elastomer bumpers provide a stand-off between the adjacent surfaces of said display housing and said base housing.
- 5. A portable computer as recited in claim 4,wherein said latch button includes a notch that receives said protrusion of said display housing when in the closed position, thereby latching said display housing against said base housing when said display housing is in a closed position, wherein said display housing is unlatched from said base housing when said latch button is depressed, and wherein following said unlatching, said elastomer bumpers cause said display housing to open an initial amount by expansion of said elastomer bumpers that were previously compressed in the closed position.
- 6. A portable computer as recited in claim 1, wherein said spring-based latch further comprises:a foam pad disposed adjacent said spring as an acoustic dampener.
- 7. A portable computer as recited in claim 1, wherein an outer surface of said latch button is flush with said outer surface of said base housing when said display housing is in said closed position.
- 8. A portable computer as recited in claim 1, wherein an outer surface of said protrusion is flush with an outer surface of said latch button when said display housing is in the closed position.
- 9. A portable computer as recited in claim 1, wherein said spring provides a return force for returning the latch button to its rest position when the latch button is released.
- 10. A portable computer as recited in claim 9, wherein said spring based latch further includes a dampener for helping to return the latch button to its rest position in a slow controlled manner.
- 11. A portable computer as recited in claim 9, wherein said spring further provides a force for at least partially opening the display housing.
- 12. A portable computer as recited in claim 1, wherein the slider region is disposed internally of the latch button, and wherein the slider region is configured to slide within the base housing in a direction towards a back surface of the base housing when the latch button is depressed.
- 13. A portable computer as recited in claim 1, wherein the spring is a coiled wire spring.
- 14. A portable computer as recited in claim 13, wherein the coiled wire spring is an extension spring.
- 15. A portable computer, comprising:a display housing including a display for said portable computer, and; and a base housing for data processing and data storage components of said portable computer, said base housing including a spring-based latch that serves to latch said display housing against said base housing when said display housing is in a closed position, the spring based latch including a latch button, a slider region connected to or integral with said latch button, and a spring coupled to said slider region and a fixed surface within said base housing, said display housing further including a plurality of elastomer bumpers, said elastomer bumpers providing a stand-off between the adjacent surfaces of said display housing and said base housing.
- 16. A portable computer as recited in claim 15, wherein said latch button includes a notch that receives a protrusion on an upper portion of said display housing when in the closed position, thereby latching said display housing against said base housing when said display housing is in a closed position,wherein said display housing is unlatched from said base housing when said latch button is depressed, and wherein following said unlatching, said elastomer bumpers cause said display housing to open an initial amount by expansion of said elastomer bumpers that were previously compressed in the closed position.
- 17. A portable computer as recited in claim 15, wherein said latch button is provided on an outer surface of said base housing.
- 18. A portable computer as recited in claim 15, wherein said spring-based latch further comprises a foam pad disposed adjacent said spring as an acoustic dampener.
- 19. A portable computer, comprising:a display housing including a display for said portable computer; and a base housing for data processing and data storage components of said portable computer, said base housing including a spring-based latch that serves to latch said display housing against said base housing when said display housing is in a closed position, the spring based latch including a latch button, a slider region connected to or integral with said latch button, a spring coupled to said slider region and a fixed surface within said base housing and a foam pad disposed adjacent said spring as an acoustic dampener.
- 20. A portable computer comprising:a base configured to contain various electrical components that provide computing operations for the portable computer; a lid pivotally mounted to the base, the lid being movable between a closed position having the lid substantially flush with the base, and an open position having the lid away from the base, the lid being configured to contain a display; and a securing system that holds the lid relative to the base when the lid is in the closed position, the securing system including a base side button and a lid side protrusion that lockably engage one other when the lid is in the closed position, the base side button being slidably constrained in a linear direction thin the base, the base side button sliding between an extended position where the base side button and lid side protrusion engage one other so as to hold the lid relative to the base, and a depressed position where the base side button and lid side protrusion disengage from one another so as to release the lid from the base, the base side button being spring biased in the extended position, the base side button having an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of the base when the base side button is in the extended position, the lid side protrusion having an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of said base side button when the base side button and lid side protrusion are engaged and holding the lid relative to the base.
- 21. A portable computer as recited in claim 20, wherein the lid side locking mechanism includes a protrusion, and wherein the button includes a notch that engages the protrusion when the lid is in the closed position and when the button is in the extended position, the engagement holding the lid relative to the base.
- 22. A portable computer as recited in claim 20, further comprising an elastomer bumper disposed between the lid and the base when the lid is in the closed position.
- 23. A portable computer as recited in claim 22, wherein the elastomer bumper provides a stand off height to prevent direct contact between the lid and the base.
- 24. A portable computer as recited in claim 22, wherein the elastomer bumper provides a force for moving the lid away from the base when the base side button and lid side protrusion are disengaged in one another.
- 25. A portable computer as recited in claim 20, further comprising a foam pad that provides acoustic dampening of noise produced by the spring during engagement and disengagement of the base side button and lid side protrusion.
- 26. A portable computer as recited in claim 20, further comprising a dampener for returning the button to its extended position in a slow and controlled manner.
- 27. A portable computer as recited in claim 20, wherein the spring and button combination provides a force against the protrusion that assists in moving the lid away from the base.
- 28. A portable computer as recited in claim 20, wherein the button is slidably constrained by a slider region hat slides relative to a fixed portion of the base, the slider region being connected to or integral with said button.
- 29. A portable computer as recited in claim 28, wherein a first end of the coil spring is attached to the fixed portion of the base, and wherein a second end of the coil spring is attached to the slider region of the button.
Parent Case Info
This is a Divisional application of prior application Ser. No. 09/441,146 filed on Nov. 12, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,505 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (35)