JP2000323851A - Portable electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable electronic apparatus wherein space reduction is enabled when an apparatus main body is installed, by making the installation space of the apparatus main body on a mounting surface in common with the installation space of a cover, and attitude of the apparatus main body when a stand is used is stable. SOLUTION: This electronic apparatus is provided with a flat apparatus main body 2 having an input screen; a stand 35 which is pivotably retained by the apparatus main body from an accommodating position, where the stand 35 is accommodated in a bottom wall 4 of the apparatus main body to a using position, where the stand 35 is protruded in the direction isolated from the bottom wall 4, and inclines the apparatus main body at an angle wherein the input screen is easily visible when the apparatus main body is mounted on the installation surface; and a cover 55 which is pivotably retained by the apparatus main body along a first position where the cover 55 covers and conceal the input screen of the apparatus main body, a second position where the cover 55 goes round the rear of the apparatus main body, and a third position where the cover 55 goes below the apparatus main body, receives the stand and overlaps with the installation surface when the stand is used.

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 portable computer employing a pen input method, and more particularly to a structure for inclining an input screen at an easy-to-view angle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As portable electronic devices used for business or personal information management, there have been provided various models employing a pen input method.

[0003] An electronic device of this type includes a flat box-shaped device main body. The device body has a bottom wall and an upper wall facing the bottom wall, and a rectangular opening is formed in the upper wall. A liquid crystal display device is housed inside the device main body. The liquid crystal display device has a display screen for displaying various information such as a schedule and an address, and a pressure-sensitive tablet is arranged on the display screen. The input screen of the tablet includes various icons for switching functions and display modes and a handwriting input area, and the input screen is exposed to the outside of the device main body through the opening.

For this reason, various editing or input operations can be performed by pressing a desired icon on an input screen with a pen or by handwriting input of information such as characters and figures in an input area.

[0005] Conventional electronic devices also include a cover for protecting the input screen. The cover has a flat plate shape having substantially the same size as the input screen. The cover is supported by the device main body so as to be rotatable between a first position for covering and hiding the input screen and a second position for exposing the input screen. For this reason, the input operation using the pen is performed in a state where the cover is rotated from the first position to the second position to expose the input screen to the outside of the device main body.

On the other hand, in a pen input type electronic device,
A stand is installed on the bottom wall of the device main body, and when the device main body is placed on a mounting surface such as a table top to perform input operation, the device main body is tilted at an angle that makes it easy to see the input screen Are known.

The stand is supported by the bottom wall so as to be rotatable between a storage position where the stand is stored on the bottom wall of the apparatus main body and a use position where the stand extends in a direction away from the bottom wall. A lock arm for adjusting the tilt angle of the device main body determined by the rotation angle of the stand is bridged between the stand and the bottom wall, and by adjusting the position of the lock arm, the device is mounted. The tilt angle of the main body can be freely changed according to the user's preference and the usage environment of the electronic device.

[0008]

By the way, when this type of stand is applied to the above-mentioned device body with a cover,
If the cover is rotated to a position facing the bottom wall of the device main body, the cover hinders the stand from being pulled out to the use position. Therefore, when the device main body is used by leaning on the stand, the cover cannot be rotated to the rear of the device main body, and this cover must be necessarily positioned near the device main body.

As a result, the installation area of the device main body and the installation area of the cover must be individually secured on the mounting surface, and the space occupied by the electronic device on the mounting surface increases. come.

[0010] Further, since the cover is placed on the near side of the device main body, for example, when an external keyboard is connected to the device main body and used, the cover becomes an obstacle and the external keyboard cannot be placed close to the device main body. . For this reason, the installation area on which the cover is placed cannot be effectively used, and the usability of the electronic device deteriorates.

Further, when the device main body is used by hand, the stand is stored in the bottom wall of the device main body, and the cover is rotated to a position where the cover overlaps the bottom wall of the device main body. With the hand, or hold only the device main body by hand, and keep the cover hanging down below the device main body.

That is, in the conventional electronic device, when the cover is rotated to the second position, the cover cannot be temporarily fixed to the device main body. As long as the cover is not pressed by hand, the cover may swing freely, which may hinder the input operation.

In addition, since the cover cannot be fixed with the input screen exposed, the position of the cover is not fixed when the electronic device is stored in a bag or the like, and the portability of the electronic device is deteriorated. There's a problem.

[0014] A first object of the present invention is to reduce the space when using the stand by using a common area for the installation area of the device body and the installation area of the cover with respect to the mounting surface without using the cover when using the stand. It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable electronic device that can achieve a stable posture of the device main body.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device which can fix the cover at the second position, can realize easy-to-use operability, and can enhance portability. .

[0016]

In order to achieve the first object, a portable electronic device according to the present invention comprises: a flat device main body having a screen on a side opposite to a bottom wall; Is supported by the device main body so as to be rotatable over a storage position where the device main body is stored and a use position where the device main body is protruded in a direction away from the bottom wall. A stand for tilting the device body at an angle that is easy to see; a first position covering the screen of the device body, a second position passing below the device body and turning behind the device body, and using the stand. And a cover supported by the device main body so as to be rotatable below the device main body and to receive the stand while being rotatable over the third position overlapping the mounting surface. Features.

In such a configuration, when the apparatus main body is placed on the mounting surface and used by standing against the stand, the cover is guided from the first position to the third position through the lower part of the apparatus main body, and the cover is moved. Place on the mounting surface. In this state, the stand is rotated from the storage position to the use position, and the tip of the stand is abutted on the cover. As a result, the stand is interposed between the device main body and the cover, and the installation area of the cover with respect to the mounting surface and the installation area of the device main body have a positional relationship overlapping each other.

As a result, it is not necessary to separately secure the installation area of the cover and the installation area of the device main body on the mounting surface, and it is possible to realize space saving when using the stand.

Further, since the cover enters under the stand or the device main body resting on the stand, the cover does not protrude greatly toward the hand of the device main body even when the stand is used. Therefore, the hand side of the device main body can be effectively used as a space for installing peripheral devices such as an external keyboard.

In addition, according to the above configuration, since the device main body is leaned on the cover placed on the mounting surface via the stand, the cover can also serve as a pedestal of the device main body. . Moreover, since the cover has at least the same size as the screen, a sufficient contact area with the mounting surface when the stand is used can be secured. For this reason, the device main body can be firmly supported in a wide area, and the posture of the device main body is stabilized.

In order to achieve the second object, a portable electronic device according to the present invention includes a flat device main body having a screen on a side opposite to a bottom wall; a flat device main body supported by the device main body and covering the screen. A first position; and a cover that is rotatable over a second position facing the bottom wall by turning behind the device body. Then, when the cover is rotated to the second position on the bottom wall of the device main body, the cover is detachably hooked to the cover and the cover is moved to the second position.
The locking portion is formed to be held at the position.

In such a configuration, when the device main body is used by hand, the cover is rotated from the first position to the second position, and the cover is hooked on the locking portion of the device main body. Thereby, the cover is fixed in a state of being overlapped with the bottom wall of the device main body, and the relative free movement of these covers and the device main body is restricted.

As a result, when the device main body is used by hand, it is not necessary to press down the cover together with the hand supporting the device main body, and the usability is improved. At the same time, the cover does not swing independently when the device body is carried, and portability is improved.

[0024]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings applied to a pen-input portable computer.

FIGS. 1 to 6 show a pen-input portable computer 1 as an electronic apparatus.
The portable computer 1 has a device main body 2. The housing 3 which is an outer shell of the device body 2 includes a bottom wall 4, an upper wall 5 facing the bottom wall 4, left and right side walls 6a and 6b connecting the bottom wall 4 and the upper wall 5, a front wall 6c, and Rear wall 6d
And The housing 3 is made of a synthetic resin material, and has a flat box shape as a whole.

The upper wall 5 of the housing 3 has an opening 7 for display. The opening 7 has a rectangular opening shape that covers most of the upper wall 5, and the left and right sides of the upper wall 5 connected to the opening 7 have recesses 8 for hanging fingertips, respectively.
a, 8b are formed. A recess 9 is formed in the front wall 6 c of the housing 3. The recess 9 extends along the width direction of the housing 3 and is continuous with the bottom wall 4 and the upper wall 5 of the housing 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, a flat liquid crystal display device 10 is accommodated in the housing 3. The liquid crystal display device 10 has a display screen (not shown) for displaying information such as characters and figures, and this display screen faces the opening 7. On the display screen of the liquid crystal display device 10, a pressure-sensitive tablet 11 is arranged. Tablet 11
Has a transparent input screen 11a for inputting position information, and this input screen 11a is exposed to the outside of the housing 3 through the opening 7.

The portable computer 1 has a stylus pen 12 (shown in FIG. 5) for inputting position information. When various elements such as icons on the input screen 11a are pressed by the stylus pen 12, desired menus corresponding to these elements are activated, and various editing or input operations can be performed.

The stylus pen 12 is held in the pen housing 13 of the housing 3 so as to be removable. Pen storage unit 1
Reference numeral 3 extends along the right side wall 6b of the housing 3, and has an insertion opening 14 opened at a corner defined by the side wall 6b and the rear wall 6d. Stylus pen 12
The pen 12 is removably inserted into the pen housing 13 through the insertion opening 14, and the end of the pen 12 opposite to the pen tip is exposed to the outside of the housing 3 through the insertion opening 14.

As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 3 has a pair of battery insertion ports 15a and 15b. The battery insertion ports 15a and 15b are connected to the bottom wall 4, the left and right side walls 6a,
Openings are formed at corners defined by the front wall 6b and the front wall 6c, respectively. A pair of battery packs (not shown) is accommodated in the housing 3 through the battery insertion openings 15a and 15b.

The battery insertion openings 15a and 15b are covered with removable battery covers 16a and 16b, respectively. The battery covers 16a, 16b are connected to the bottom wall 4, the left and right side walls 6a, 6b, and the front wall 6c of the housing 3.

A lock release lever 17 is arranged at a corner defined by the bottom wall 4 of the housing 3 and the bottom of the recess 9.
The lock release lever 17 is slidable in the width direction of the housing 3 at a center portion along the width direction of the housing 3.
It is supported by. When the lock release lever 17 is slid to the left, the lock between one battery pack and the housing 3 is released, and the battery pack is inserted into the battery insertion slot 1.
5a. Lock release lever 17
Is slid to the right, the lock between the other battery pack and the housing 3 is released, and the battery pack can be taken out from the battery insertion slot 15b.

A display 18 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is formed at the center of the concave portion 9 of the housing 3. The display unit 18 has a pair of battery icons 19a and 19b for displaying the state of charge of the battery pack. The battery icons 19a and 19b are located near the input screen 11a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the right side wall 6 of the housing 3
A power connector 20 for connecting a power cord, a power switch 21 for turning on / off the power of the portable computer 1, and a card slot 22 are arranged in “b”. The card slot 22 is for inserting an expansion card such as a PCMCIA card, and is closed by a removable slot cover 23 except when the card is used. In the vicinity of the card slot 22, an eject button 24 which is operated when removing the expansion card is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 4, a volume dial 26, a speaker 2 and a
A plurality of speaker holes 28 for emitting the sound from 7, a connector 29 for run connection, an infrared communication port 30, and an extension connector 31 for connecting peripheral devices such as an external keyboard are arranged in a line. Expansion connector 3
1 is covered by a removable connector cover 32.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 5 to 7, the housing 3 of the device main body 2 is equipped with a foldable stand 35. The stand 35 is for tilting the housing 3 at an angle at which the input screen 11a is easy to see when the portable computer 1 is used on the mounting surface 34 such as a table top.

The stand 35 is formed by bending a metal rod having a circular cross section into a crank shape. That is,
As best shown in FIG. 7, the stand 35 includes a pair of rotating shafts 36a and 36b and a pair of legs 37a and 37b.
And a tip 38. Rotating shaft portions 36a, 36
b are located at both ends of the stand 35 and extend coaxially along the width direction of the housing 3. Leg 37
a and 37b are connected to the ends of the rotating shafts 36a and 36b, and extend parallel to each other along a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotating shafts 36a and 36b. The tip 38
While straddling between the distal ends of the legs 37a and 37b,
Extending in the width direction. The range from the legs 37a, 37b to the tip 38 of the stand 35 is covered with a rubber non-slip tube 39.

The bottom wall 4 of the housing 3 has a groove 41 for storing the stand 35. The groove 41 is provided in the stand 35
It is formed in a crank shape that matches the shape of.
The groove 41 is formed in a region extending from the central portion in the depth direction of the bottom wall 4 to an edge portion connected to the rear wall 6d, and the rotating shaft portions 36a and 36b of the stand 35 are provided on the bottom surfaces of both ends of the groove 41.
Are supported via metal brackets 42, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 10, the bracket 42
It has a flat base 43 and a support part 44 formed at one end of the base 43. The support portion 44 is curved in an arc-shaped cross section, and the rotation shaft portions 36a and 36b are inserted inside the support portion 44. The support portion 44
It is caulked with the rotating shafts 36a and 36b inserted, and as a result, the support portion 44 and the rotating shafts 36a and 36b are swung.
36b are connected so as to be rotatable around the axis. The support portion 44 and the rotating shaft portions 36a and 36b are slidably contacted with a predetermined frictional force, and the free rotation of the stand 35 with respect to the bracket 42 is restricted by the presence of the frictional force. ing.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the support portion 44 of the bracket 42 constitutes an adjusting means for adjusting the rotation angle of the stand 35 steplessly.

The base 43 of the bracket 42 has a screw 45
And is fixed to the bottom surface of the groove 41 through. For this reason, the stand 35 uses the pivot shafts 36a and 36b as fulcrums,
A storage position where the legs 37a, 37b and the tip 38 are stored in the groove 41, and a use position where the legs 37a, 37b and the tip 38 are rotated by an angle α in a direction away from the bottom wall 4 of the housing 3. And is rotatably supported by the housing 3. Then, the rotating shaft portions 36a, 36b of the stand 35
Since the free rotation is restricted by the existence of the frictional force, the stand 35 is held in a state where the stand 35 is rotated by a desired angle α toward the storage position or the use position. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the stand 35 is rotated to the storage position, the tip 38 is adjacent to the rear wall 6d. At the corner defined by the rear wall 6 d and the bottom wall 4, a recess 40 connected to the tip 38 of the stand 35 is provided.
Are formed. Therefore, when raising the stand 35 from the storage position to the use position, by inserting the fingertip into the recess 40, the fingertip can be hooked on the non-slip tube 39 of the stand 35, and the raising operation of the stand 35 can be easily performed. It has become.

A pair of covers 47a and 47b covering the bracket 42 are attached to the bottom wall 4 of the housing 3.
The covers 47a and 47b are substantially at the center of the bottom wall 4,
It projects below the bottom wall 4.

At the four corners of the bottom wall 4, pedestals 48a to 48d are formed. The pedestals 48a to 48d project below the bottom wall 4, and the height of the pedestals 48a to 48d is set larger than the height of the covers 47a and 47b. A rubber contact 49 is attached to the tip of each of the pedestals 48a to 48d.

Further, cover receiving seats 51a and 51b are formed at both left and right end portions of the bottom wall 4, respectively. The cover receiving seats 51a and 51b are provided between the pedestals 48a and 48b and the pedestals 48c and 48d adjacent in the depth direction of the housing 3.
While each extends along the depth direction of the housing 3,
It projects below the bottom wall 4. Cover receiving seat 51a,
The overhang height of 51b is set equal to the overhang height of the pedestals 48a to 48d.
Rubber contacts 52 are attached to the tips of 1a and 51b.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
A cover 55 made of synthetic resin for protecting the input screen 11a is provided. The cover 55 has a thin flat plate shape having a size slightly larger than the input screen 11a. The cover 55 has four peripheral portions that are in contact with the upper wall 5 of the housing 3 around the input screen 11a, and one of the peripheral portions along the width direction of the housing 3 includes: Case 3
A notch 56 is formed to be continuous with the concave portion 9.

As best shown in FIG.
5 is rotatably connected to the housing 3 via a connecting member 58. The connecting member 58 is made of an elastically deformable synthetic resin material such as ABS resin or polycarbonate resin. The connecting member 58 has a rectangular plate shape extending in the width direction of the housing 3. This connecting member 58
Has a first end 58a that enters the recess 9 of the housing 3 and a second end 58b that enters the notch 56 of the cover 55.

At the first end 58a of the connecting member 58, a pair of first hinge shafts 59a, 59b is arranged.
The first hinge shafts 59a and 59b are located on both side edges of the connecting member 58 that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and project coaxially to the side of the connecting member 58. Connecting member 5
8 has a pair of second hinge shafts 60 at the second end 58b.
a and 60b are arranged. The second hinge shaft 60a,
Reference numerals 60b are located on both side edges of the connecting member 58 that are separated in the longitudinal direction, and protrude to the side of the connecting member 58 so as to be coaxial with each other.

The first hinge shafts 59a, 59 of the connecting member 58
9b is connected to the side surface of the concave portion 9 of the housing 3 so as to be rotatable around the axis. Second hinge shaft 60 of connecting member 58
a and 60b are connected to the side surface of the notch 56 of the cover 55 so as to be rotatable around the axis. For this reason, the cover 55 includes the first and second hinge shafts 59a, 59b, 6
The input screen 11 of the device main body 2 is set with 0a and 60b as fulcrums.
a, a second position overlapping the bottom wall 4 from the direction of the front wall 6c of the housing 3 around the rear of the housing 3, and a first position and a second position thereof. Are connected to the housing 3 so as to be rotatable over a third position between them.

The cover 55 has a latch 61 on the edge opposite to the connecting member 58. The latch 61 is detachably hooked on the upper wall 5 of the housing 3 when the cover 55 is rotated to the first position, so that the cover 55 is held at the first position.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the cover 55 is held at the first position, the connecting member 58 is inserted into the concave portion 9 of the housing 3 and is connected to the front wall 6c of the housing 3. I have. At this time, an escape recess 62 is formed at the center of the connecting member 58 so as to open to the second end 58b, and the display portion 18 enters the escape recess 62.
Therefore, even when the input screen 11 a is covered by the cover 55, the battery icons 19 a and 19
b is exposed to the outside without being covered by the connecting member 58.

The cover 55 has a back surface 63a facing the input screen 11a when rotated to the first position, and a front surface 63b connected to the upper wall 5 of the housing 3. A plurality of rubber seats 65 as shown in FIG. 8 are attached to the back surface 63a of the cover 55. The seat 65 is the back surface 6
3a are arranged at an interval from each other at the periphery. When the cover 55 is rotated to the first position, the seats 65 elastically contact the upper wall 5 of the housing 3 and the input screen 11a. It is designed to absorb the impact of overlapping.

A pair of rubber cushioning members 66a and 66b are attached to the center of the back surface 63a of the cover 55. The buffer members 66a and 66b are arranged parallel to each other along the depth direction of the cover 55. These cushioning members 66a and 66b are interposed between the input screen 11a when the cover 55 is rotated to the first position, and prevent deformation of the cover 55 when the center of the cover 55 is grasped by hand. It has become.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, a convex portion 67 is formed at the center of the surface 63b of the cover 55. The protrusion 67 extends in the width direction of the cover 55 at a position adjacent to the latch 61. The convex portion 67 has a surface 6
It has a stopper surface 68 that rises substantially vertically from 3b, and a locking hole 69 is formed in the center of the stopper surface 68.

When the cover 55 is rotated to the second position, the surface 63 b of the cover 55 faces the bottom wall 4 of the housing 3. The bottom wall 4 has a locking claw 70 as a locking portion. The locking claw 70 protrudes toward the surface 63b of the cover 55 rotated to the second position, and is guided to the locking hole 69 via the stopper surface 68. For this reason, when the cover 55 is pressed toward the bottom wall 4 in a state where the cover 55 is rotated to the second position, as shown in FIG.
9 so that the cover 55 can be detached.
Are locked in the second position.

When the cover 55 is locked in the second position, the contacts 49 of the pedestals 48a to 48d on the bottom wall 4
The contacts 52 of the cover receiving seats 51a and 51b and the non-slip tube 39 of the stand 35 rotated to the storage position are in contact with the surface 63b of the cover 55, and elastically support the cover 55.

To release the lock of the cover 55 by the locking claw 70, the connecting member 58 is pressed toward the concave portion 9.
Due to this pressing, the connecting member 58 elastically bends and the cover 55 shifts, and the locking hole 69 of the cover 55 is separated from the locking claw 70. As a result, the lock of the cover 55 is released.

When the apparatus main body 2 is used by leaning on the stand 35, the cover 55 is rotated from the first position or the second position to the third position, and the back surface 63a of the cover 55 is rotated.
Is placed on the placement surface 34. Then, the stand 35 is rotated by a desired angle α from the storage position to the use position, and the front end portion 38 of the stand 35 is attached to the surface 63 b of the cover 55.
Hit it. Thus, the inclination angle β of the device main body 2 with respect to the mounting surface 34 is determined, and the device main body 2 can be tilted to an angle at which the input screen 11a is easy to see.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 55 is
4, a part of the rubber seat portion 65 elastically contacts the mounting surface 34, and functions as a non-slip member of the device body 2.

The stopper surface 68 on the surface 63b of the cover 55
When the device main body 2 is used leaning on the stand 35, the device body 2 is hooked on the distal end portion 38 of the stand 35. Therefore, as long as the tip end portion 38 of the stand 35 is hooked on the stopper surface 68, the device main body 2 cannot be tilted further in the direction of reducing the tilt angle β, and the tilt angle β of the device main body 2 and the stand 35 The rotation angle α is fixedly determined.

In the portable computer 1 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, when the device main body 2 is leaned on the stand 35, the cover 55 goes under the device main body 2 and the surface 63b of the cover 55
The tip of the stand 35 is abutted on the top. Therefore, the installation area L1 of the device main body 2 with respect to the mounting surface 34
And the installation area L2 of the cover 55 with respect to the mounting surface 34 are positioned so as to overlap each other.

As a result, it is not necessary to individually secure the installation area L2 of the cover 55 and the installation area L1 of the device main body 2 on the mounting surface 34, and the space on the mounting surface 34 can be saved accordingly. Thus, the mounting surface 34 can be widely and effectively used.

Further, when the stand 35 is used, the cover 55 enters under the stand 35 and the device body 2 leaned against the stand 35, so that the cover 55 does not protrude greatly toward the hand of the device body 2. . Therefore, the hand side of the device main body 2 can be used as an installation space for peripheral devices such as an external keyboard, and the usability of the portable computer 1 is improved.

Further, the cover 5 mounted on the mounting surface 34
Since the device main body 2 is leaned on the stand 5 via the stand 35, the cover 55 can also serve as a base of the device main body 2. At the same time, since the cover 55 has a size slightly larger than the input screen 11a, a sufficient contact area between the cover 55 and the mounting surface 34 when the stand 35 is used can be secured.

For this reason, the main body 2 can be firmly supported in a wide area, and the posture of the main body 2 is stabilized.

In addition, the force when the input screen 11 a is pressed by the stylus pen 12 is transmitted from the housing 3 to the cover 55 via the stand 35, so that the cover 55 is pressed against the mounting surface 34. A rubber seat 65 that is in contact with the mounting surface 34 is attached to the back surface 63 a of the cover 55, and the seat 65 is pressed against the mounting surface 34 to prevent the cover 55 from slipping. Function.
Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the device main body 2 from shifting and moving at the time of input by the stylus pen 12, and there is an advantage that operability at the time of input is improved.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, when the apparatus main body 2 is used by hand, the cover 55 is moved from the first position to the second position after rotating the stand 35 to the storage position. Rotate toward Then, the cover 55 is overlaid on the bottom wall 4 of the housing 3, and the locking holes 69 of the cover 55 are hooked on the locking claws 70 of the bottom wall 4. Thereby, the cover 55
Are immovably locked in the second position, and these cover 5
The relative free movement between the device 5 and the device body 2 is restricted.

Therefore, when the device main body 2 is used by hand, there is no need to press down the cover 55 together with the hand supporting the device main body 2, and the convenience of the portable computer 1 is improved. At the same time, the cover 55 does not swing independently when the portable computer 1 is carried, thereby improving the portability.

Further, according to the above configuration, the engaging hole 69 of the cover 55 is detached from the engaging claw 70 by elastically deforming the connecting member 58 for connecting the cover 55 to the housing 3. In addition, a special release mechanism for releasing the lock of the cover 55 by the locking claw 70 becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the configurations of the housing 3 and the cover 55 can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

Although the stand of the above embodiment is configured by bending a metal shaft into a crank shape, the stand may be formed of a sheet metal material or a synthetic resin material.

In the above embodiment, the input operation is performed by pressing the input screen with a stylus pen. However, the input screen may be pressed with a fingertip of a hand instead of the stylus pen. .

Further, the portable electronic device according to the present invention is
It is not limited to a pen-input type portable computer, but may be, for example, a portable liquid crystal television.

[0073]

According to the present invention described in detail above, when the apparatus main body is used leaning on the stand, the cover enters under the stand or the apparatus main body. It is not necessary to secure the installation areas individually, and the space can be saved when the stand is used, and the mounting surface can be widely and effectively used.

Further, when the stand is used, the cover does not protrude greatly toward the hand of the device body.
The hand side of the device main body can be used as a space for installing peripheral devices such as an external keyboard, and the usability is improved. Moreover, since the cover also functions as a pedestal of the device main body, a sufficient contact area with the mounting surface when using the stand can be secured. For this reason, the device main body can be firmly supported in a wide area, and the posture of the device main body is stabilized.

Further, according to the present invention, since the cover can be immovably locked at the second position, when the device main body is used by hand, it is necessary to press down the cover together with the hand supporting the device main body. However, the usability of the electronic device is improved. At the same time, there is an advantage that the cover does not swing independently when the electronic device is carried, and portability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a portable computer showing a use mode when a device main body is leaned on a stand.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable computer showing a state in which the device main body is leaned on a stand and the input screen is inclined at an angle that makes it easy to see the input screen.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary perspective view of the portable computer in a state where a cover is rotated to a first position;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary perspective view of the portable computer in a state where a cover is rotated to a first position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the portable computer showing a state in which the device main body is leaned on a stand and the input screen is inclined at an angle that is easy to see.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the portable computer showing the positional relationship between the stand and the cover from behind the device main body.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a bottom wall of a housing in which the stand is stored and a cover connected to the housing via a connecting member.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary perspective view of the portable computer in a state where a cover is locked at a second position;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line F9-F9 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a connection portion between the housing and the stand.

FIG. 11 is an exemplary perspective view of a portable computer showing a usage pattern when the device body is held by hand.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic device (portable computer) 2 ... Device main body 4 ... Bottom wall 11a ... Screen (input screen) 34 ... Mounting surface 35 ... Stand 55 ... Cover 70 ... Locking part (locking claw)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 1/00 312Q (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Mizuguchi 2-9 Suehirocho, Ome City, Tokyo Toshiba Ome Co., Ltd. Inside the factory (72) Inventor Masaaki Takada 1-3-3-1 Shinmachi, Ome-shi, Tokyo Toshiba Computer Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Motoki Tomita 1-3-3-1 Shinmachi, Ome-shi, Tokyo Toshiba Computer 4E360 AA02 AB08 AB09 AB24 AB42 AC13 AC17 AC24 BA04 BB03 BB04 BB12 BB17 BB22 BB28 BC02 EA22 EB03 EC02 EC13 EC15 ED03 ED13 FA12 GA02 GA07 GA46 GB46 5B019 BA07 BA10 BC06 DA07

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A flat device main body having a screen on a side opposite to a bottom wall; a storage position stored on the bottom wall of the device main body;
The device main body is rotatably supported by the device main body over a use position protruding in a direction away from the bottom wall, and when the device main body is placed on a mounting surface and used, the device main body is at an angle that makes it easy to see the screen. A stand for tilting; a first position for covering the screen of the device main body, a second position for passing behind the device main body below the device main body, and turning below the device main body when using the stand. And a cover supported by the device main body so as to be rotatable over a third position overlapping the placement surface while receiving the stand. 2. The device body according to claim 1, wherein the device main body restricts free rotation of the stand by applying a frictional force when the stand is rotated, and adjusts the rotation angle of the stand with respect to the device main body. A portable electronic device comprising an adjustment means for adjusting steplessly. 3. The rubber-like elastic member according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a back surface facing the mounting surface when the cover is rotated to the third position, and the back surface is in contact with the mounting surface. A portable electronic device in which a plurality of seats made of a body are arranged. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the seat is
A portable electronic device characterized by being elastically in contact with the device main body and the screen when the cover is rotated to a first position. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a surface for receiving the stand when facing the bottom wall of the device body when the cover is rotated to the third position. A portable electronic device having a stopper formed on a surface thereof for defining an inclination angle of the device main body by being hooked on the stand. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of the device main body is provided when the cover is rotated to a second position.
A portable electronic device having a locking portion detachably hooked to the cover. 7. The screen according to claim 1, wherein the screen is an input screen having an input function of inputting information by hand, and the input screen is input via a pen when inputting information. A portable electronic device characterized by being pressed. 8. A flat device main body having a screen on the opposite side of the bottom wall; a first position supported by the device main body and covering the screen; and the bottom wall extending behind the device main body. And a cover rotatable over a second position facing the cover. When the cover is turned to the second position on the bottom wall of the device main body, the cover is detachably hooked to the cover. A portable electronic device having a locking portion for holding the cover at the second position. 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cover is rotatably connected to the device main body via a synthetic resin connecting member, and the connecting member detaches the cover from the locking portion. A portable electronic device capable of being elastically deformed in a direction in which the portable electronic device is moved.