Electronic devices

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device, which is a laptop computer (1) having: a first frame (10) having a display portion; a second frame (20) having an operating portion; and a hinge portion that connects a first side portion of the rear side of the first frame (10) in the depth direction with a second side portion of the second frame (20) in a manner that allows the first frame (10) and the second frame (20) to rotate relative to each other. The second frame (20) has a leg portion (50) that can protrude from the second side portion to the rear of the second side portion. The shape of the portion of the second side portion that is connected to the leg portion (50) is set in the following manner: when the leg portion (50) is made to protrude to the rear of the second side portion, the rear end portion of the leg portion (50) protrudes downward compared to the upper and lower position of a placement surface in the second frame (20), and the placement surface is the main surface of the second frame (20) on the opposite side to the main surface on which the operating portion is arranged.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 201510993933.X, application date December 25, 2015, and invention name “electronic device”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an electronic device including a first housing and a second housing connected to each other in a relatively rotatable manner. Background Art

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a laptop computer (electronic device), which includes: a first frame having a display unit; a second frame having an operating unit such as a keyboard; and a hinge portion that connects the first frame and the second frame in a relatively rotatable manner. The electronic device of Patent document 1 has a leg portion that can protrude from the second main surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second main surface on a second main surface (mounting surface) opposite to the first main surface on which the operating unit is arranged in the second frame.

[0004] Prior Art Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-156890 Summary of the invention

[0006] The electronic device of the present invention comprises: a first frame having a display portion; a second frame having an operating portion; and a hinge portion that connects a first side portion of the rear side of the first frame in the depth direction to a second side portion of the second frame in a manner that enables the first frame and the second frame to rotate relative to each other. The second frame comprises a leg portion that can protrude to the rear of the second side portion. The shape of the portion of the second side portion that is connected to the leg portion is set in the following manner: when the leg portion is protruded to the rear of the second side portion, the rear end portion of the leg portion protrudes downward compared to the upper and lower position of a placement surface in the second frame, and the placement surface is a main surface of the second frame on the opposite side of the main surface on which the operating portion is arranged.

[0007] According to the present invention, when the second frame is placed on a placement surface such as a table and the first frame is rotated relative to the second frame to be in an upright state, the leg portion is protruded from the second side portion to the rear of the second side portion, thereby widening the support range of the electronic device to the rear. Thus, the placement state of the electronic device during operation can be stabilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the front side of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2A It is a front view of the laptop computer involved in this embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2B It is a front view of the laptop computer involved in this embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3A It is a perspective view of the back side of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3B It is a perspective view of the back side of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4A It is a rear view of the laptop computer involved in this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4B It is a rear view of the laptop computer involved in this embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5A This is a perspective view of the upper housing and the leg portion of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment, as viewed from an oblique upper side inside the upper housing and the leg portion.

[0016] Figure 5B This is a perspective view of the upper housing and the leg portion of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment, as viewed from an oblique upper side inside the upper housing and the leg portion.

[0017] Fig. 6A This is an enlarged plan view of the upper housing and the leg portion of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the inner side of the upper housing and the leg portion.

[0018] Figure 6B This is an enlarged plan view of the upper housing and the leg portion of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the inner side of the upper housing and the leg portion.

[0019] Fig. 7A This is an enlarged perspective view of the upper housing and the leg portion of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment, as viewed from an oblique upper inside side thereof.

[0020] Figure 7B This is an enlarged perspective view of the upper housing and the leg portion of the laptop computer according to the present embodiment, as viewed from an oblique upper inside side thereof.

[0021] Figure 8 yes Figure 4B The cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along line 8-8.

[0022] Fig. 9A It is a side view of the laptop computer involved in this embodiment.

[0023] Fig. 9B It is a side view of the laptop computer involved in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following describes the embodiments in detail with reference to appropriate drawings. However, unnecessary detailed descriptions are sometimes omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of known matters or repeated descriptions of substantially the same structures are sometimes omitted. This is to avoid the following description from becoming unnecessarily lengthy so as to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0025] It should be noted that the drawings and the following descriptions are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present invention, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the claims.

[0026] (Implementation Method 1)

[0027] Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] [1.Structure]

[0029] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the front side of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 1 The external appearance of the laptop computer 1 in the opened state is shown. In the following description, "front" and "rear" are defined in the depth direction of the laptop computer 1, "up" and "down" are defined in the thickness direction, and "left" and "right" are defined in the width direction.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the laptop computer 1 includes a first housing 10, a second housing 20, and a hinge 30. The hinge 30 connects a rear side portion (first side portion 10S (see FIG. 1 ) of the first housing 10 in the depth direction thereof so that the second housing 20 and the first housing 10 can rotate relative to each other. Figure 2B )) and one side portion of the second frame body 20 (the second side portion 20S (refer to Figure 3A , Figure 3B ) is connected. A display unit 110 is provided on the main surface of the first frame 10. The display unit 110 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD). The display unit 110 is a touch panel that can accept touch operations by the user. The first frame 10 and the second frame 20 are made of, for example, metal such as magnesium alloy or resin. An operation unit 200 including a keyboard 210, a touchpad 220, and a plurality of operation buttons 230 is provided on the main surface (upper surface) on the upper side in the thickness direction of the second frame 20. The main surface (lower surface) of the second frame 20 on the opposite side to the main surface on the upper side becomes a loading surface opposite to the loading surface when the laptop computer 1 is placed on a loading surface such as a table.

[0031] The laptop computer 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 can be separated.

[0032] Figure 2A and Figure 2B It is a front view of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 2A The first frame body 10 and the second frame body 20 are connected by the hinge part 30. Figure 2B The state in which the first frame body 10 and the second frame body 20 are separated is shown.

[0033] The hinge portion 30 of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment has a socket 40 that can be engaged with the first side portion 10S of the first frame 10. The socket 40 has a boat-like shape with an upper opening. A slide switch 41 is provided at the center of the socket 40 in the longitudinal direction (width direction). Figure 2B As shown, by sliding the slide switch 41, the first housing 10 can be removed from the socket 40. The removed first housing 10 can be used as a tablet computer. Therefore, in the laptop computer 1 involved in this embodiment, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and other computing devices, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read only Memory), SSD (Solid State Disk) and other storage devices (recording devices), and batteries are built into the first housing 10.

[0034] In a laptop computer in which a first housing having a display unit and a second housing having an operating unit cannot be separated, a CPU, RAM, ROM, SSD, a battery, etc. are often built into the second housing. On the other hand, in a case where the first housing 10 can be used as a tablet computer as in the laptop computer 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the CPU, RAM, ROM, SSD, a battery, etc. must be built into the first housing 10, resulting in an increase in weight of the first housing 10. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the first frame 10 is erected, the center of gravity of the laptop computer 1 becomes higher. As a result, when the laptop computer 1 is placed on a placement surface such as a table, when typing on the keyboard 210 or touching the touch display unit 110 is performed on the laptop computer 1, the front end side of the second frame 20 may be lifted, causing the laptop computer 1 to become loose relative to the placement surface, thereby making the placement state unstable. In order to address this technical problem, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 3A , Figure 3B As shown, a leg portion 50 is provided that can protrude rearward (from the rear side when the laptop computer 1 is viewed from a user in use) from the second side portion 20S of the second housing 20 .

[0035] Figure 3A and Figure 3B2 is a perspective view of the back side of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, Figure 3A The state in which the leg portion 50 is stored (hereinafter referred to as the "stored state") is shown. Figure 3B The state where the leg portion 50 is pulled out (hereinafter referred to as "expanded state" as appropriate) is shown.

[0036] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a rear view of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, Figure 4A The state after the leg part 50 is stored is shown. Figure 4B 4 shows the state after the leg portion 50 is pulled out. Figure 4A , Figure 4B As shown, the second side portion 20S of the second frame body 20 is provided with a recess 21, and in the stored state, the leg 50 is stored in the recess 21 of the second side portion 20S. On the other hand, in the expanded state, the leg 50 protrudes rearward from the second side portion 20S of the second frame body 20.

[0037] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is a perspective view of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment, viewed obliquely from above the inner side of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50. Specifically, Figure 5A The state after the leg part 50 is stored is shown. Figure 5B The state after the leg part 50 is pulled out is shown. The leg part 50 includes a pair of left and right link members 51 and a leg member 52. Each link member 51 is a rod-shaped member.

[0038] The leg member 52 is a rod-shaped (plate-shaped) member that is long in the width direction of the laptop computer 1. In addition, the leg member 52 is formed in a shape and size that can be held by the user. Therefore, the user can lift the laptop computer 1 with one hand. Figure 5A and Figure 5B Only the upper leg member 52 is described in the figure, but the leg portion 50 also has a lower leg member 52 formed in a shape symmetrical to the upper leg member 52 (see Figure 8 ).

[0039] The pair of link members 51 are rotatably connected at one end thereof to the second side portion 20S of the upper frame 20A of the second frame 20 at a predetermined interval along the length direction (the width direction of the laptop computer 1). In addition, the other end of one link member 51 is connected to one end side of the leg member 52 in a manner that allows sliding along the length direction of the leg member 52, and the other end of the other link member 51 is connected to the other end side of the leg member 52 in a manner that allows sliding along the length direction of the leg member 52.

[0040] The following will be described in more detail. Fig. 6A This is an enlarged plan view (stored state) of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the inner side of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 . Figure 6B This is an enlarged plan view (in an expanded state) of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the inner side of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 .

[0041] Fig. 7A This is an enlarged perspective view (stored state) of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment, as seen diagonally from above the inner side of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 . Figure 7B This is an enlarged perspective view (in an expanded state) of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment, as viewed diagonally from above the inside of the upper housing 20A and the leg 50 .

[0042] A cylindrical protrusion 51a protruding in the thickness direction is formed at the end of the link member 51 on the leg member 52 side. It should be noted that the protrusion 51a is formed on the upper side and the lower side in the thickness direction of the laptop computer 1 (see Figure 8 ). Frame-shaped members 54 are respectively attached to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower leg members 52 (see Figure 8 ). It should be noted that Figure 5A , Figure 5B In the figure, the frame-shaped member 54 is shown on both the upper side and the lower side, but in Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Fig. 7A , Figure 7B In the figure, only the upper frame member 54 is shown.

[0043] As shown in these figures, the frame member 54 has a flat shape formed along the length direction of the leg member 52, and forms a groove 55 in which the convex portion 51a of the link member 51 can be engaged. The convex portion 51a of the link member 51 can slide along the groove 55 of the frame member 54 when it is engaged with the groove 55. As a result, the link member 51 can rotate around the rotation axis portion 22 of the upper frame body 20A while moving along the groove 55 in the frame member 54 at the end side of the leg member 52. As a result, the leg 50 can take Fig. 6A , Fig. 7A The storage status shown and Figure 6B , Figure 7BThe leg 50 is in the unfolded state shown in FIG. It should be noted that a protrusion 54a is provided on the inner end side of the frame-shaped member 54. When the convex portion 51a of the link member 51 is located on the inner end side of the frame-shaped member 54, the protrusion 54a abuts against the convex portion 51a of the link member 51 from the outer end side, thereby restricting the convex portion 51a from moving toward the outer end side of the frame-shaped member 54, so as to keep the leg 50 in the retracted state. When a force greater than a prescribed value is applied to the convex portion 51a of the link member 51 toward the outer end side of the frame-shaped member 54, the restriction is released.

[0044] Figure 8 yes Figure 4B The cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along line 8-8. Figure 8 As shown, a rubber leg member 56 is provided on the lower surface of the leg member 52 on the lower side. On the surface of the inner side of the first main wall portion 20a constituting the main surface 20g (upper surface) of the upper frame 20A, a screw receiving boss 22a facing the direction perpendicular to the main surface 20g is vertically provided. On the surface of the inner side of the second main wall portion 20b constituting the loading surface 20e of the lower frame 20B, a screw receiving boss 22b facing the direction perpendicular to the loading surface 20e is formed. In addition, at the end of the second side portion 20S side of the link member 51, a through hole 51b is formed that penetrates in the thickness direction of the laptop computer 1. The inner peripheral portion of the through hole 51b is composed of a resin cylindrical member 53. The outer diameter of the screw receiving boss 22b is set to a diameter that is almost the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical member 53. The screw receiving bosses 22a and 22b are fitted into the through hole 51b, so that the link member 51 can rotate around the screw receiving bosses 22a and 22b. The screw receiving bosses 22a and 22b constitute the rotation shaft portion 22 that serves as the rotation axis of the link member 51.

[0045] The end of the second side 20S side of the link member 51 is clamped by the first surface 20c around the rotating shaft portion 22 in the first main wall portion 20a and the second surface 20d around the rotating shaft portion 22 in the second main wall portion 20b in a slidable manner. The first surface 20c and the second surface 20d are inclined relative to the loading surface 20e in a high front and low rear manner (in a manner that the closer to the rear side, the lower side). In addition, the inclination angle DG relative to the loading surface 20e is set to an angle that makes the rear end of the leg 50 protrude downward from the loading surface 20e of the second frame 20. The inclination angle DG is, for example, 4 degrees to 5 degrees. It should be noted that the inclination angle DG can be appropriately set according to the protrusion amount of the link member 51 from the rear end of the second side portion 20S to the rear, the installation height position of the link member 51 installed on the second side portion 20S, etc. That is, the shape of the portion of the second side portion 20S connected to the leg portion 50 (rotation shaft portion 22 , first surface 20 c , and second surface 20 d ) is set so that the rear end of the leg portion 50 protrudes downward from the vertical position of the mounting surface 20 e of the second frame body 20 .

[0046] [2. Function]

[0047] Fig. 9A FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are side views of the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 9A The state after the leg part 50 is stored is shown. Fig. 9B The state in which the leg portion 50 is unfolded is shown.

[0048] like Fig. 9A As shown in the figure, when the first housing 10 is erected (opened) to a predetermined use state, the center of gravity G of the first housing 10 is located at a position rearward of the rear end of the second housing 20. Therefore, in this state, when a touch operation is performed on the display portion of the first housing 10, a force acts backward on the first housing 10, so that the front end side of the second housing 20 is lifted from the placement surface, and the placement state may become unstable.

[0049] However, in the laptop computer 1 according to the present embodiment, Fig. 9B As shown in the figure, by unfolding the legs 50 and projecting backward, even when the first housing 10 is erected (opened) to a predetermined utilization state, the center of gravity G of the first housing 10 is located forward of the rear end of the legs 50. Therefore, in this state, even if a force is applied to the first housing 10 in the backward direction by performing a touch operation on the first housing 10, the force is received by the legs 50, thereby preventing the loading state from becoming unstable.

[0050] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first surface 20c and the second surface 20d of the second housing 20 are inclined with respect to the mounting surface 20e so that the front is higher and the rear is lower (the lower side is located as the rear side approaches), and therefore the link member 51 of the leg portion 50 is inclined with respect to the mounting surface 20e so that the front is higher and the rear is lower. Therefore, the laptop 1 contacts the mounting surface at two points, namely, the rubber leg member 25 provided on the front side of the mounting surface 20e of the second housing 20 and the rubber leg member 56 on the bottom surface of the leg member 52 of the leg portion 50. As a result, the mounting state of the laptop 1 during use becomes stable. When the link member 51 is not tilted relative to the mounting surface 20e, when the lower surfaces of the rubber leg member 25 of the second frame 20, the rubber leg member 26 of the second frame 20, and the leg member 52 of the leg 50 are not on the same plane due to dimensional errors, etc., only any two of the three members of the rubber leg member 25 of the second frame 20, the rubber leg member 26 of the second frame 20, and the leg member 52 of the leg 50 abut against the mounted surface. In this case, when the laptop computer 1 is used, the above three members abut against the mounted surface while switching to different combinations, which may cause the laptop computer 1 to loosen. That is, the mounting state may become unstable. It should be noted that the rubber leg member 25, the rubber leg member 26, and the rubber leg member 56 may also be formed of materials such as resin instead of rubber.

[0051] [3. Effects, etc.]

[0052] The laptop computer 1 of the present embodiment includes: a first housing 10 having a display unit 110; a second housing 20 having an operation unit 200; and a hinge unit 30 that connects a first side portion 10S on the rear side in the depth direction of the first housing 10 and a second side portion 20S on the rear side of the second housing 20 so that the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 can rotate relative to each other. The second housing 20 includes a leg portion 50 that can protrude from the second side portion 20S to the rear of the second side portion 20S.

[0053] Thus, when the second frame 20 is placed on the placement surface and the first frame 10 is rotated relative to the second frame 20 to be in an upright state, the leg portion 50 is protruded from the second side portion 20S to the rear of the second side portion 20S, thereby expanding the support range of the laptop computer 1 to the rear. Therefore, for example, as a result of a touch operation on the display portion 110 of the first frame 10, even if a force toward the rear side is applied to the first frame 10, the load can be borne by the leg portion 50. Thus, the placement state of the laptop computer 1 during operation can be stabilized.

[0054] In this embodiment, the shape of the portion of the second side portion 20S connected to the leg 50 (the rotating shaft portion 22, the first surface 20c and the second surface 20d) is set as follows: when the leg 50 is protruded toward the rear of the second side portion 20S, the rear end portion of the leg 50 protrudes downward compared to the upper and lower positions of the loading surface 20e in the second frame 20, and the loading surface 20e is the main surface of the second frame 20 on the opposite side of the main surface 20g on which the operating portion 200 is configured.

[0055] Thus, when the leg 50 is protruded to the rear of the second side portion 20S, the rear end of the leg 50 protrudes downward compared to the vertical position of the placement surface 20e of the second frame 20. Thus, in the state where the leg 50 is protruded, the laptop 1 abuts against the placement surface at two points, namely, the front end side of the placement surface 20e of the second frame 20 and the other end side (rear end side) of the link member 51 in the front-rear direction of the laptop 1. Here, for example, in the case where the rear end of the leg 50 does not protrude downward compared to the vertical position of the placement surface 20e of the second frame 20, for example, when the placement surface of the second frame 20 protrudes most downward due to a dimensional error, looseness may occur even when the laptop 1 is placed on the placement surface. However, in the present embodiment, since the laptop 1 abuts at two points in the front-rear direction, the occurrence of looseness is suppressed.

[0056] In the present embodiment, the leg portion 50 includes a rod-shaped leg member 52 and a pair of link members 51 that connect the leg member 52 to the second side portion 20S of the second frame 20. The pair of link members 51 are connected to the second side portion 20S at a predetermined interval along the length direction of the second side portion 20S of the second frame 20 in a rotatable manner at one end thereof. The other end of the link member 51 on one side is connected to the one end side of the leg member 52 in a slidable manner along the length direction of the leg member 52, and the other end of the link member 51 on the other side is connected to the other end side of the leg member 52 in a slidable manner along the length direction of the leg member 52.

[0057] Thus, the leg portion 50 can be constituted by the rod-shaped leg member 52 and the pair of link members 51 connecting the leg member 52 and the second side portion 20S of the second housing 20. That is, the placement state of the laptop computer 1 during operation can be stabilized with a simple structure.

[0058] In this embodiment, the second frame 20 includes: a first main wall portion 20a constituting a main surface 20g of the second frame 20; a second main wall portion 20b arranged parallel to the first main wall portion 20a at a predetermined interval and constituting a loading surface 20e of the second frame 20; and a rotating shaft portion 22 protruding from at least one main wall portion 20a toward the other main wall portion 20b.

[0059] The connecting rod member 51 is constructed so as to be rotatable around the one end portion by embedding a through hole 51b provided at one end portion into the rotating shaft portion 22, and the one end portion is slidably clamped by a first surface 20c around the rotating shaft portion 22 in the first main wall portion 20a and a second surface 20d around the rotating shaft portion 22 in the second main wall portion 20b.

[0060] The first surface 20 c and the second surface 20 d are inclined with respect to the placement surface 20 e of the second housing 20 so that the rear end of the leg portion 50 protrudes downward from the vertical position of the placement surface 20 e .

[0061] Thus, by inclining the first surface 20 c and the second surface 20 d with respect to the mounting surface 20 e , the rear end of the leg portion 50 can be made to protrude downward from the vertical position of the mounting surface 20 e of the second housing 20 .

[0062] In the present embodiment, the first housing 10 is a tablet computer that is detachably attached to the hinge portion 30 .

[0063] Thus, even when the first housing 10 is a heavy object such as a tablet computer, the leg portions 50 protrude rearward, so that the placement state when used as the laptop computer 1 becomes stable.

[0064] (Another embodiment)

[0065] In the above embodiment, the first housing 10 of the electronic device is a tablet computer that can be separated from the second housing 20 , but the present invention can also be applied to a general laptop computer in which the first housing cannot be separated from the second housing 20 .

[0066] As described above, the embodiments are described as technical examples of the present invention. For this purpose, the drawings and detailed descriptions are provided.

[0067] Therefore, the components described in the drawings and detailed descriptions include not only necessary components but also components that are not necessary for illustrating the above-mentioned technology. Therefore, if the above-mentioned non-essential components are described in the drawings and detailed descriptions, it should not be directly determined that the above-mentioned non-essential components are necessary.

[0068] The above-described embodiments are provided to illustrate the technology of the present invention, and therefore various changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0069] Industrial Applicability

[0070] The present invention can be widely used in electronic devices including a first housing having a display unit, a second housing having an operation unit such as a keyboard, and a hinge unit that connects the first housing and the second housing so as to be rotatable relative to each other.

Claims

1. An electronic device, characterized in that: have: A first frame having a display portion; A second frame having an operating unit; and a leg portion, which can be stored in the second frame, The first frame and the second frame are separable. The leg portion can be stored in a recessed portion provided in the second frame body, and can be deployed to the rear of the second frame body without contacting the first frame body. The leg portion has a rod shape extending in the width direction of the electronic device, The leg portion and the second frame are connected by a link member connected to the end of the rod shape. The link member is rotatable relative to the second frame.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: A convex portion protruding in the thickness direction is formed at an end portion of the leg portion.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The legs serve as gripping parts for a user when carrying the electronic device.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: When the electronic device is placed on a placement surface, the legs are deployed to the rear of the second housing, thereby making the placement state of the electronic device more stable.

Images