JP2002304235A - Cradle for holding portable information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cradle capable of consistently mounting a portable information terminal having a protective cover thereon. SOLUTION: The cradle 20 comprises a pedestal part 21 for placing a body of an information terminal 1 thereon, and an information terminal body holding part 22 which is integrated with or integrally formed on the pedestal part 21 and holds at least right and left side surfaces and back surfaces of the body of the placed terminal 1, and a slit-like cover storage part 23, etc., for holding the protective cover 7 of the information terminal 1 is provided on a part of the holding part 22. By inserting the body of the information terminal 1 in the information terminal body holding part 22, and inserting the protective cover 7 opened backward in the cover storage part 23, the protective cover 7 can be consistently held together with the body of the information terminal 1 while the protective cover 7 forms no obstacles.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable information terminal holding cradle (hereinafter simply referred to as a "cradle") for holding a portable information terminal and supplying power and transmitting and receiving data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 3A to 3D are perspective views showing a conventional example of a portable information terminal and a cradle for holding the portable information terminal. FIG. (B) is a perspective view of the mobile terminal as viewed obliquely from behind,
(C) is a perspective view of the cradle viewed obliquely from the front, and (D) is a perspective view of the cradle holding the portable information terminal as viewed obliquely from the front. As shown in FIG. 3A, a power button 2 and an operation button 3 are provided on the surface of the portable information terminal 1.
A display unit 4 having a touch panel is arranged. As shown in FIG. 3B, a connection terminal 5 for connecting to an external power supply, a host computer, or the like is provided at a lower portion of the back surface of the portable information terminal 1.

When the portable information terminal 1 is used alone, the main power supplied from a built-in battery is turned on by a power button 2 and personal management data such as a timetable and an address book are displayed on a display unit 4. Is displayed. Further, necessary information processing can be performed by pressing and dragging the touch panel and pressing the operation button 3.

When the portable information terminal 1 is used by connecting it to a host computer or the like on a desk, in order to fix the terminal body and to connect the connection terminal 5 to an external power supply or a host computer, FIG. The cradle 10 shown in FIG.

[0005] The cradle 10 has a pedestal portion 11 for stably mounting the portable information terminal 1 and a holding portion 12 formed integrally with the pedestal portion 11 for holding the portable information terminal 1.
Consists of Reference numeral 13 denotes a terminal unit for contacting and connecting to the connection terminal 5 of the portable information terminal 1, and 14 denotes a connection cord 14. The holding unit 12 is integrally formed with the pedestal unit 11 by plastic or the like, and is configured to contact the left and right side surfaces and the back surface of the lower part of the portable information terminal 1 to define the position. The terminal unit 13 is provided inside the holding unit 12 corresponding to the connection terminal 5 on the back surface of the portable information terminal 1.

[0006] As shown in FIG.
Is formed so that the power button 2, the operation button 3 and the display unit 4 on the surface of the portable information terminal 1 are not covered with the holding unit 12 even when the portable information terminal 1 is mounted, and can be freely used. ing.

[0007]

By the way, the portable information terminal 1 protects the display unit 4 when not in use, or the power button 2 and the operation button 3 are inadvertently pressed during transportation.
In order to prevent unintended operations from being performed, many devices have a protective cover that covers operation units such as the display unit 4 and the power button 2. The protective cover is often fixed to the terminal body with a hinge or the like in order to prevent loss.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views showing other examples of such portable information terminals with a protective cover.
1A shows a portable information terminal in which a protective cover 7 is attached to one side surface (the right side surface) of the portable information terminal via a hinge 40, and 1B shown in FIG. The protective cover 7 is attached to the upper edge of the terminal via a hinge 40.

In the case of a portable information terminal having such a protective cover 7, it is difficult for the conventional cradle to stably mount the terminal body due to the obstruction of the protective cover, and the appearance when mounted is improved. There was a problem that it became worse. In addition, it is troublesome to remove the protective cover from the terminal body when mounting the terminal on the cradle, and there is a risk of loss.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cradle which can stably mount a portable information terminal having a protective cover.

[0011]

According to the cradle of the present invention, the information terminal main body holding portion for holding at least the left and right side surfaces and the rear surface of the information terminal main body is integrally formed on the pedestal portion on which the information terminal main body is mounted. The information terminal main body holding part is formed with a cover storage part for storing the protection cover opened to the rear side of the information terminal main body.

Therefore, according to the cradle of the first aspect,
At least the left and right side surfaces of the portable information terminal main body are held by the information terminal main body holding portion, and a protective cover opened to the rear side is further stored in the cover storage portion. Therefore, the portable information terminal with the protective cover can be stably held without any trouble.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The cradle of the present invention basically holds a portable information terminal having a protective cover in a well-looking and secure manner with the protective cover opened. In order to be able to use the information terminal main body, an information terminal main body holding portion for holding at least the left and right side surfaces and a rear surface of the information terminal main body is integrally formed on a pedestal portion on which the information terminal main body is placed, The holding portion is formed with a cover storage portion for storing the protection cover opened to the rear side of the information terminal main body.

A portable information terminal with a protective cover is of a type in which a protective cover is provided on one of the left and right sides of a main body via a hinge, and a hinge is provided on an upper edge of the main body.
There is a type in which a protective cover is provided through the cradle, and in the case of the former cradle for storing the portable information terminal, for example, a slit-shaped cover storage portion is provided at the rear of the information terminal main body holding portion, and the latter portable information terminal is provided. In the case of a storage cradle, a recessed cover storage section may be provided on the rear upper surface of the information terminal main body holding section so that the opened protective cover may be stored or escaped. The material of the cradle is generally
Plastic can be said to be good because of its workability, mass productivity, low cost of materials, and the like. However, other materials such as wood and metal may be used.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. 1 (A) and 1 (B) show a first embodiment of the cradle of the present invention. FIG. 1 (A) is a perspective view of the cradle, and FIG. 1 (B) is a cradle equipped with a portable information terminal. It is a perspective view.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a cradle according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1 (B), the portable information terminal 1 is provided with a laterally open protective cover 7 provided on a right side surface thereof via a hinge 40, and is made of, for example, plastic.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the portable information terminal 1 includes a pedestal portion 21 on which the main body of the portable information terminal 1 is stably mounted, and a portable information terminal main body holding portion 22 formed integrally with the pedestal portion 21. The portable information terminal main body holding portion 22 is open at the front side and has a U-shape when viewed from above, and holds the left and right side surfaces and the rear surface of the lower portion of the portable information terminal 1 main body. Having. The engagement pieces 26, 26 are engaged with the lower front surface of the main body of the portable information terminal 1 to be held to prevent the main body from moving to the front. Incidentally, 24
Is a terminal part for connecting to a connection terminal (same as 5 in FIG. 3B) of the portable information terminal 1, and 25 is a connection cord 25.

The portable information terminal main body holding section 22 is provided with a slit-shaped cover storage section 23 which escapes the protective cover 7 opened to the rear of the portable information terminal 1. The terminal portion 24 is provided inside the portable information terminal main body holding portion 22 in correspondence with the connection terminal for external connection provided on the back surface of the portable information terminal 1.
4 is connected to the connection cord 25 for connecting to an external power supply, a host computer or the like.

When the portable information terminal 1 is mounted on such a cradle 20, the portable information terminal 1 is inserted into the holding portion 22 from above the cradle 20 with the protective cover 7 opened and turned backward. . At this time, until the bottom of the terminal body hits the pedestal part 21 so that the lower part of the portable information terminal 1 fits inside the holding part 22 and the lower part of the opened protective cover 7 fits in the slit-shaped cover storage part 23. Insert firmly.

As a result, the main body of the portable information terminal 1 and the protective cover 7 are held by the holding section 22 of the cradle 20 and the slit-shaped cover storage section 23, and the connection terminals are connected to the terminal section 24. It is.

As described above, the cradle 20 of this embodiment
Is a holding unit 2 having a slit-shaped cover storage unit 23 for simultaneously fixing the main body of the portable information terminal 1 and the protective cover 7.
2 is provided. Accordingly, the protection cover 7 can be fitted by the slit 23 without stopping the movement of the main body of the portable information terminal 1 in the left-right and front-rear directions, so that the portable information terminal 1 can be more stably held. There is. In particular, when the cradle 20 is mounted on a vehicle and used, the vibration of the protective cover 7 of the portable information terminal 1 can be suppressed, so that the cradle 20 is effective without becoming unstable during traveling.

The protective cover 7 of the portable information terminal 1 is
Since it is held by the cradle 20 in a state of being opened to the rear side, there is no danger of obstruction or deterioration of appearance. Further, since it is not necessary to remove the protective cover 7 in order to mount it on the cradle 20, there is no risk of the protective cover 7 being lost.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a second embodiment of the cradle of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the cradle, and FIG. 2B is a portable information terminal mounted on the cradle. It is a perspective view showing the state where it did.

The cradle 30 is for holding the portable information terminal 1 having a vertically open protective cover 7 provided on the upper edge thereof via a hinge 40 as shown in FIG. 2B. As shown in (A), a pedestal portion 31 for stably placing the portable information terminal 1 and a pedestal portion 31 are integrally formed, and the main body of the portable information terminal 1 is fixed at a predetermined angle. An information terminal main body holding portion 32 for holding the information terminal main body holding portion, and on the rear upper surface of the information terminal main body holding portion 32, an insertion as a cover storage portion for storing (escape) the protective cover 7 opened rearward. A hole 33 is formed. Reference numeral 34 denotes a terminal portion for connecting to a connection terminal of the portable information terminal 1;
5 is a connection code 35. Reference numerals 36, 36 denote engagement pieces which engage with the lower front surface of the main body of the portable information terminal 1 to be held and prevent the main body from moving forward.

The information terminal main body holding portion 32 holds the lower left and right side surfaces, the back surface and the front surface of the lower portion of the main body of the portable information terminal 1, and stores the protective cover 7 opened rearward in the cover storing hole 33. Do (run away).

In addition, inside the information terminal main body holding section 32,
The terminal portion 34 is provided corresponding to the connection terminal provided on the back surface of the portable information terminal 1, and the connection cord 35 for connecting to an external power supply or a personal computer is connected to the terminal portion 34. It is.

When the portable information terminal 1 is mounted on such a cradle 30, the main body is placed from above the cradle 30 into the holding portion 32 with the protective cover 7 of the portable information terminal 1 opened and turned backward. Then, the protective cover 7 is inserted into the insertion hole 33 at the same time, and is pushed in until the bottom of the main body contacts the pedestal 31. As a result, the main body of the portable information terminal 1 and the protective cover 7 are held by the cradle 30.

As described above, the cradle 30 of this embodiment is
Has a holding portion 32 and an insertion hole 33 for simultaneously fixing the main body of the portable information terminal 1 and the protective cover 7. Thereby, in addition to the fitting of the left and right side surfaces of the main body of the portable information terminal 1, the protection cover 7 can be fixed by the insertion holes 33, so that the same advantage as in the first embodiment is obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, there are the following modifications. (1) The pedestals 21 and 31 and the holding portions 22 and 32 do not need to be formed as an integral structure, but may be formed separately from each other, and may be combined with each other. Such a structure corresponds to “the pedestal portion and the main body holding portion of the portable information terminal are integrally formed” in the claims.

(2) When there is no need to connect to an external power supply or a personal computer, as in the case of mounting on a vehicle, the terminals 24 and 34 and the connection cords 25 and 35 are unnecessary. . (3) The shapes and arrangement positions of the terminal portions 24 and 34 need to correspond to the connection terminals on the portable information terminal 1 side. For example,
When connection terminals are provided on the bottom surface of the portable information terminal 1, the terminal portions 24,
34 must be provided.

[0030]

According to the cradle of the first aspect, at least the left and right side surfaces of the portable information terminal main body are held by the information terminal main body holding portion, and the protective cover opened further rearward houses the cover storage portion. Is done. Therefore, the portable information terminal with the protective cover can be stably held without any trouble.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing a first embodiment of a cradle of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A shows a state where a portable information terminal is not held, and FIG. 1B shows a state where a cradle is held. Show.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views showing a second embodiment of the cradle of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A shows a state where a portable information terminal is not held, and FIG. 2B shows a state where a cradle is held. Show.

FIGS. 3A to 3D show one of conventional examples of a portable information terminal and a cradle for holding the portable information terminal.
(A) is a perspective view of the portable information terminal as viewed obliquely from the front, (B)
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable terminal as viewed obliquely from behind, FIG. 3C is a perspective view of the cradle viewed obliquely from front, and FIG. 2D is a perspective view of the state in which the portable information terminal is held in the cradle as viewed obliquely from front. .

FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views showing different examples of a portable information terminal with a protective cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... portable information terminal, 7 ... protective cover, 20, 3
0: cradle, 21, 31, base: 22,
32 ... information terminal main body holding part, 23, 33 ... cover storage part, 40 ... hinge.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 1/11 G06F 1/00 312K 312G 312Q

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A portable information terminal holding cradle for fixing and using a portable information terminal having a protective cover, wherein a cradle portion on which the portable information terminal body is mounted has a lower portion of the portable information terminal body. A cover storage unit that integrally forms an information terminal main body holding unit that holds at least the left and right side surfaces and a rear surface, and that stores the protection cover that is open to the rear side of the information terminal main unit in the information terminal main body holding unit; A cradle for holding a portable information terminal, comprising: