JPH09114544A - Portable electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable electronic equipment which can reduce the size of its equipment main body and can be improved in portability. SOLUTION: A personal computer is equipped with a handle 18 fitted rotatably to the equipment main body 10. The handle 18 is equipped with a couple of leg parts 20 which are fitted to a flank of the equipment main body and a grip part 22 which extends between those leg parts, and the grip part is fitted with an AC adapter 24 detachably. The AC adapter has a case which is nearly as long as and as wide as the leg parts.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable electronic device such as a notebook personal computer and a word processor, and more particularly to a portable electronic device having a handle which also serves as a tilt stand.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a laptop personal computer is generally constituted by a rectangular device body, a keyboard provided on the device body, and a liquid crystal display panel. In addition, some personal computers are provided with a rotatable handle provided on the device body in order to improve portability.

When the personal computer is placed on a desk and used, the handle is rotated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main body of the device and used as a tilt stand. When the personal computer is carried, the personal computer is rotated in a direction projecting from the rear surface of the device body and used as a handle.

A personal computer is usually
An AC adapter for connecting the device body to an AC power supply is provided, and a battery pack for enabling use in a place where there is no AC power supply. As the AC adapter, a type built in the device body or a type configured as a unit separate from the device body is known.

[0005]

However, when the AC adapter is built in the device body, there is a problem that the device body becomes large and heavy. Further, when the AC adapter is configured as a separate unit, it is necessary to carry it together with the personal computer when the AC adapter is needed, which is an obstacle to carrying.

Further, since the battery pack is usually attached to the device body of the personal computer, if the battery pack is made large in order to extend the usable time of the personal computer, the device body also becomes large. Therefore, it is difficult to increase the size of the battery pack, and the usable time is naturally limited.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device which can be downsized and improved in portability. Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device which can prolong the usage time of a battery without increasing the size of the device body.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a portable electronic device of the present invention according to claim 1 is a device main body having a rear surface and a pair of side surfaces, and rotatably attached to the side surfaces. A pair of leg portions and a grip portion that connects the leg portions and extends along the width direction of the device body, and a tilt position for supporting the device body in an inclined state; A handle provided to be movable between a carrying position that functions as a handle at the time and an AC adapter that is detachably attached to the grip portion and is electrically connected to the device body. It is characterized by that.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable electronic device having a rear surface and a pair of side surfaces, a pair of leg portions rotatably attached to the side surfaces, and the leg portions connected to each other. And a grip portion that extends along the width direction of the device body, and moves between a tilt position that supports the device body in an inclined state and a carrying position that functions as a handle when carrying. A handle that is provided so that the battery pack is detachably attached to the grip and that is electrically connected to the device body.
It is characterized by having.

[0010]

According to the portable electronic device configured as described above, when carrying a pack-shaped accessory such as an AC adapter with the device body, the accessory is attached to the handle to be integrated with the device body. And As a result, the accessory parts do not get in the way and the portability of the electronic device is improved. Further, since the accessory is attached to the handle, it is not necessary to provide a space for accommodating the accessory in the device body, and the device body can be downsized.

When a battery pack is attached to the handle as an accessory when carrying an electronic device, the battery pack can be used as an additional battery pack to extend the operating time of the electronic device. Becomes

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a notebook personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the personal computer includes a flat rectangular device body 10, and a keyboard 12 as an input means is provided on the front portion of the upper wall of the device body. In addition, the device body 10
A liquid crystal display panel 16 is attached to the rear end of the upper wall via a pair of hinges 14. This liquid crystal display panel 1
6 is rotatable between an open position shown in FIG. 1 for opening the keyboard 12 to enable input operation and a closed position shown in FIG. 2 for covering the keyboard 12 when the personal computer is not used or carried. Has become.

A handle 18 which also functions as a tilt stand is provided at the rear of the device body 10. Handle 18
Is a pair of leg portions 20 rotatably attached to the rear portions of both side surfaces of the device body 10, and a grip portion that connects these leg portions to each other and extends over the entire width direction of the device body. 22 and.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handle 18 has a tilt position in which the leg portion 20 projects downward from the bottom surface of the device body 10 to support the device body in an inclined state, and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the device is configured to be rotatable between a carrying position that projects rearward from the rear surface of the device body and functions as a carrying handle.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the handle 1
An AC adapter 24 as a pack-shaped accessory is detachably attached to the grip portion 22 of No. 8. That is, the guide grooves 26 are formed on both side edges of the outer surface of the grip portion 22 and extend over the entire length of the grip portion in the longitudinal direction. A pair of mounting grooves 28 extending from each guide groove 26 in a direction orthogonal to the guide grooves are formed in the vicinity of the left end of the grip portion 22, and a pair of mounting grooves 28 are similarly formed in the vicinity of the right end of the grip portion 22. 30 is formed.

From the mounting grooves 28 and 30, the guide groove 26 is formed.
The holding groove 32 extends in the same direction along a direction parallel to the direction, that is, in the left direction in FIG. Also, the grip 22
A lock groove 34 extending from one guide groove in a direction orthogonal to the guide groove is formed in the vicinity of the right end of the guide groove.

Between the mounting grooves 28 and 30, the grip portion 22 is provided with four connection terminals 34, which are exposed on the outer surface of the grip portion. On the other hand, the handle 18 is hollow. Then, the connection terminal 34, via the cable 40 extending through the inside of the grip portion 22 and the inside of the one leg portion 20,
It is connected to a printed circuit board (not shown) in the device body 10.

The AC adapter 24 is an elongated case 4 having a rectangular cross section and having a length and a width that are substantially equal to those of the grip portion 22.
2 is provided. In the case 42, the AC adapter 24
The electronic parts (not shown) constituting the above are stored.

The case 42 is formed by the guide groove 2 of the handle 18.
6 has a pair of guide rails 44 that engage with each other,
These guide rails are formed on the case side wall 42a facing the grip portion 22 and extend in the longitudinal direction over the entire length of the case. Further, each guide rail 44 is formed with a pair of locking claws 46 that can be engaged with the engaging grooves 28, 30 of the handle 18, and project in a direction orthogonal to the guide rail.

Further, inside the case 42, four connection terminals 48 (only two of which are shown) electrically connected to the electronic parts are provided, and project from the side wall 42a of the case to the outside. Further, the lock lever 5 is provided at the right end of the case 42.
0 is provided. The lock lever 50 is provided on the upper surface of the case 42 so as to be slidable in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the case. The lock lever 50 is a case 42.
There is a support projection 52 that penetrates the upper wall and projects into the case, and a lock claw 54 is fixed to this support projection.
The lock claw 54 is moved between a lock position protruding from the side wall 42a of the case 42 and a release position retracted into the case in response to a slide operation of the lock lever 50.
The lock claw 54 is normally held in the lock position by a spring 56 provided inside the case 42.

The cable 53 extends from the left end of the case 42.
The AC adapter 2 at the extension end of this cable.
A power plug (not shown) for connecting 4 to an AC power source is attached.

The AC adapter 24 having the above structure is used as the handle 1.
In the case of mounting the guide rail 44 on the handle 8, the guide rail 44 is fitted into the guide groove 26 of the grip portion 22 with the engaging claw 46 aligned with the mounting grooves 28 and 30 of the handle 18. Then, the case 42 of the AC adapter 24 is slid leftward while the lock claw 54 is moved to the release position by the lock lever 50.

As a result, each of the engaging claws 46 engages in the holding groove 32 of the grip portion 22 and is held in the grip portion 22 in an aligned state. Subsequently, when the lock lever 50 is released, the lock claw 54 is moved to the lock position by the spring 56 and is engaged with the lock groove 34 of the grip portion 22. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the AC adapter 24 is locked in the state of being attached to the grip portion 22. Further, the connection terminal 48 of the AC adapter 24 comes into contact with the connection terminal 36 on the handle 18 side, and the AC
The adapter 24 is electrically connected to the device body 10.

When removing the AC adapter 24 from the handle 18, the lock claw 54 is moved to the release position by the lock lever 50 to release the lock, and then the entire case 42 is slid to the right to engage. The claw 46 is disengaged from the holding groove 32. In this state, the case 42
The AC adapter 24 can be detached from the handle 18 by pulling to disengage the engaging claw 46 from the mounting grooves 28, 30.

According to the personal computer configured as described above, when used on a desk or the like, by rotating the handle 18 to the tilt position, the device body 1
It is possible to support 0 in a state of being inclined toward the operator side. Further, when carrying a personal computer, the handle 18 can be carried by turning the handle 18 to the carrying position so that the handle 18 projects rearward from the device body 10 and holds the handle grip portion 22.

On the other hand, together with the personal computer, the AC
When carrying the adapter 24, the AC adapter 24 can be attached to the handle 18 and integrated with a personal computer. The AC adapter 24 is formed in a slender shape along the grip portion 22 of the handle 18. Therefore, the AC adapter can be easily carried with a personal computer without disturbing the user.

The AC adapter 24 is used for the device main body 10
Instead of being attached to the outer surface of the grip portion 22 of the handle 18 in a detachable manner, it is not necessary to provide a special space for accommodating the AC adapter in the device body, and the device body can be downsized.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the AC adapter 24 is used for the handle 18 as a pack-shaped accessory that can be attached to and detached from the handle 18, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other accessory such as a battery pack may be used. You may use. In this case, the structure of the handle 18 and the structure of the accessory case are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and the rechargeable battery is provided inside the case to form the battery pack.

When the battery pack is attached to the handle 18, this battery pack can be added in addition to the battery pack provided in the device body 10. Therefore, AC
When the personal computer is driven by the battery pack without using the power source, the operable time of the personal computer can be extended. At this time, since the additional battery pack is detachably attached to the outer surface of the grip portion 22 of the handle 18, it is not necessary to provide a special space for accommodating the additional battery pack in the device body 10, and the device is not required. The uptime can be extended without increasing the size of the main body.

6 and 7 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which connectors 60 and 62 are used instead of the connection terminals 36 and 48 in the above-described embodiment.

More specifically, on the handle 18 side of the personal computer, a recess 64 is formed in the grip portion 22, and a socket-shaped connector 60 is provided in this recess. The connector 60 has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 66 made of synthetic resin, and a plurality of connection slits 68 are formed at a constant interval in the main body and one guide slit 70 is formed. There is. Each of the connection slits 68 and the guide slits 70 has a body 66.
Are formed so as to open on two continuous side surfaces. A connection terminal 72 is provided in each connection slit 68.
Then, the connector 60 has the recess 64 with the connection slit 68 and the guide slit 70 opened in the recess 64.
Fixed inside, the connection terminal 72 is connected to the cable 40 provided in the grip portion 22.

On the other hand, the plug-like connector 62 on the side of the AC adapter 24 connected to the connector 60 has a base 74 made of synthetic resin and having an L-shaped cross section, and a plurality of connecting terminals 76 are provided on this base. It is fixed at regular intervals. In addition, the base 74 has a guide protrusion 78 that is aligned with the connection terminal 76 and extends parallel to the connection terminal, and the guide protrusion is formed so as to be freely fitted into the guide slit 70 of the connector 60.

The connector 62 is the AC adapter 24.
The connection terminal 76 is fixed to the case side wall 42 a and is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 80 disposed in the case 42.

The rest of the configuration is the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment, and the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. When the AC adapter 24 having the above-described configuration is attached to the handle 18, the guide rail 44 of the case 42, the engaging claws of the guide groove 26 of the handle 18 side,
The case 42 is slid to the left side in FIG. 6 with the connector 62 inserted into the recess 64 while being aligned with the mounting groove. As a result, the case 42 is held by the grip portion 22 of the handle 18, and the connector 62
The connection terminals 76 of the above-mentioned penetrate into the corresponding connection slits 68 of the connector 60 and are connected to the connection terminals 72. At this time, the guide protrusion 78 fits into the guide slit 70 of the connector 60 to guide the connecting operation.

Also in the other embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to obtain the same operational effects as those described above. In addition, each connection slit 68 of the connector 60
Is formed by opening on two side surfaces of the main body 66, the connector 62 can be connected to the connector 60 from both the arrow E direction and the arrow F direction, as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is possible to improve the operability at the time of connection.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention can be applied not only to personal computers but also to other electronic devices such as word processors.

[0037]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, since the pack-like accessories such as the AC adapter and the battery pack can be attached to and detached from the handle, the miniaturization of the device body and the portability can be improved. An object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device that can be improved, and to provide a portable electronic device that can prolong the operating time of a battery without increasing the size of the device body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a handle is moved to a tilt position in a personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a handle is moved to a carrying position in the personal computer.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a handle and an AC adapter.

5A is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 4, FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 4, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a handle and an AC adapter of a personal computer according to another embodiment of the present invention in a partially cutaway manner.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a connector according to another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a connection direction of the connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Device body 18 ... Handle 20 ... Leg 22 ... Grip 24 ... AC adapter 26 ... Guide groove 28, 30 ... Engagement groove 32 ... Retaining groove 34 ... Lock groove 36 ... Connection terminal 44 ... Guide rail 46 ... Engagement Claw 50 ... Lock lever 54 ... Lock claw 48 ... Connection terminal 60, 62 ... Connector 68 ... Connection slit 70 ... Guide slit 72, 76 ... Connection terminal

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A device main body having a rear surface and a pair of side surfaces, a pair of leg portions rotatably attached to the side surfaces, and a pair of leg portions that connect the leg portions and extend in the width direction of the device body. A handle that is provided so as to be movable between a tilt position that supports the device body in an inclined state and a carrying position that functions as a handle when carrying, and a grip part that extends. It is attached detachably,
An AC adapter electrically connected to the device body, and a portable electronic device. 2. The AC adapter includes a case having a length and a width that are substantially equal to those of the grip portion and detachably attached to the grip portion.
A portable electronic device according to claim 1. 3. A device main body having a rear surface and a pair of side surfaces, a pair of leg portions rotatably attached to the side surfaces, and a pair of leg portions that connect the leg portions and extend in the width direction of the device body. A handle that is provided so as to be movable between a tilt position that supports the device body in an inclined state and a carrying position that functions as a handle when carrying, and a grip part that extends. It is attached detachably,
A portable electronic device comprising: a battery pack electrically connected to the device body.