FR2461430A1 - Electrical appts. housing structure - has hinged lid with control circuit secured to underside and input keyboard projecting through access apertures - Google Patents

Abstract

The electronic appts. has a structure in the form of a box (1) with a hinged lid (2) which opens to reveal a control circuit on a printed circuit panel (7). The latter is secured to the underside of the lid and has information input devices in the form of keys at a keyboard projecting through holes in the lid. The control circuit is connected through flexible wires (9) to a utilisation unit (8) secured to the base of the box and comprising a further printed circuit board. The mounting of the control and utilisation circuits provides for easy access and changeability, and avoids the use of separate modules for each circuit.

Description

The present invention relates to the architecture of an electronic device comprising, control means provided with mechanical data input elements and means of use.

It is known that many different electronic devices include identical control means, applied to different means of use. In these known devices, the control means and the means of use each consist of a plurality of separate modules, which increases the connections between modules and adversely affects the maintenance and accessibility of said devices. In addition, the physical location of these different modules does not make it possible to clearly and quickly distinguish the membership of some of them in the control means or in the means of use.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks.

To this end, according to the invention, the architecture of an electronic device comprising control means provided with mechanical data input elements and means of use is remarkable in that said means of use are combined. in a single unit of use arranged inside a box provided with a cover and in that said control means, also assembled in a single control unit, are fixed to said cover so that their mechanical members appear on the outside of the latter, while at least most of their electrical circuit appears on the inside of the box, a connection assembly being provided between said control unit and said use unit.

Preferably, said cover is articulated on said box.

It will be noted that such an architecture makes it possible, by simple exchange of the unit of use, to go from an electronic device intended for a certain use to a device comprising the same control, but intended for another use.

It is advantageous that the control unit on the one hand and the operating unit on the other hand are each assembled on a printed circuit board. Thus, the maintenance and interchangeability of the units is further increased. The connections of each of the units with the outside can be made through the side walls of the cabinet. The present invention is particularly intended for multiple-use electronic devices comprising a control assembly, in particular typing information inputs, an operating signal, a programmable processor, a means of exchanging information with the outside. and a memory containing the information being processed.

Such an assembly according to the invention is then in the compact form of a single box with cover mounted on a hinge.

When the cover is closed, all the means of exchange with the outside are visible: keyboard, controls and signaling on the top; supply sector input, inputs and outputs of information signals (parallel and / or serial), of use (for example video synchronization and image generation signals) on the rear panel. The device can thus be placed on a work surface.

When the cover is open, all the circuits become apparent: fixed to the cover, there is the processor control unit and, fixed to the bottom, the user unit. Accessibility is thus maximum thanks to the use of double-sided printed circuits and metallized holes allowing in particular the fixing of the control keys on one side and processing circuits on the other side of the same printed circuit fixed to the lid.

Thus, according to the invention, a versatile sub-assembly and a use sub-assembly are made integral with one another by the mechanical support; the signals exchanged between the general purpose sub-assembly and the specific use sub-assembly are standardized and correspond to the standard signals generally exchanged between a control system and an information processing system.

Mechanical mounting guarantees the protection of all circuits which are all accessible when the device is open.

The DC power supply can be provided by a device placed inside the box, itself supplied either from a DC voltage, or from the mains.

The figures of the appended drawing will make it clear how the invention can be implemented.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electronic device according to the invention, the cover of the box being closed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the electronic apparatus of Figure 1, the cover of the cabinet being open.

In these figures, the electronic device shown is a character generator, intended for the titling of television images, and it comprises a box 1, closed by a cover 2, articulated to said box.

On the outside of the cover 2, for example, appear
an alphanumeric 3 typewriter keyboard for communication
position of the texts,
- a group of specialized keys 4 for managing the
cursor, allowing it to be moved to the
left, right, up or down, as well as erasing
a character, a line or a page and the tabulation,
- function keys 5 for composition, transfer
image, controlling the display of a stopwatch, etc.

 - a memory call keyboard 6.

When the cover 2 is open, the entire control circuit connected to the members 3 to 6 and mounted on a printed circuit board 7 becomes apparent. This control circuit includes for example a microprocessor. In addition, the user unit 8 also grouped on a single plate is accessible. A flexible multiple link 9 makes the necessary connections between the control unit 7 and the use unit 8.

The exchanges of the units 7 and 8 with the outside can be done through the openings 10; formed in the rear wall of the enclosure 1.

Claims (3)

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S 1.- Architecture of an electronic device comprising control means provided with mechanical data input organs and means of use, characterized in that said means of use are gathered in a single unit of use arranged inside a box provided with a cover and in that said control means, also assembled in a single control unit, are fixed to said cover so that their mechanical members appear on the outside of the latter, while at least most of their electrical circuit appears on the inside of the box, a connection assembly being provided between said control unit and said use unit. 2.- Architecture of an electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover is hinged on said cabinet.  3 ..- Architecture of an electronic device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit on the one hand and the use unit on the other hand, are each assembled on a printed circuit board.