JPH03268012A - Computer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily change the direction of a display screen by providing a rotary mechanism for rotating a main body against the placing surface on the main body. CONSTITUTION:The device is constituted so that a main body 1, a display part 2 and a keyboard 3 are formed integrally, or the main body 1 and the display part 2 are formed integrally and the keyboard 3 is separable against it. In such a state, a rotary mechanism 4 is provided on the main body 1. This rotary mechanism 4 supports weight of at least the main body 1 and the display part 2 of the computer device, and works so as to make the main body easily rotatable against the installation surface, therefore, the display part 2 comes to change its direction in the arbitrary direction in accordance therewith. In such a way, with respect to a display screen, its direction can be changed freely in the desired arbitrary direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the structure of a computer device, particularly a type of computer device called a desktop type, laptop type, portable type, or the like.

[Conventional technology]

Computer devices, especially desktop, laptop, or portable computer devices, are becoming more and more portable as their portability and performance improves, and their uses continue to expand. It has come to be used as a means of making presentations by taking advantage of its graphic processing functions.

References to this type of computer device include Utility Model Application No. 63-24624 and Utility Model Application No. 63-4322.
I can mention No. 3.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional computers of this type have been designed with personal use in mind, and great care has been taken to reduce their size and weight. Therefore, as mentioned above, the actual situation is that no consideration is given to uses such as showing the display screen to others. therefore,
The only way to get someone to see the screen you have prepared is to either lift the entire computer device and turn it toward the other party, or force the entire computer to slide and turn around, moving the screen to a position where the other party can easily see it. Ta. The need to change the orientation of a display screen often occurs even in personal use. For example, when not in use, you may place something parallel to your desk on the edge of it, but when you use it, you may turn it towards yourself, or you may slightly change the angle to avoid reflections on the display screen.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a computer device in which the orientation of a display screen can be easily changed.

Another object of the present invention is to obtain a computer device that can smoothly change the orientation of a display screen.

Still another object of the present invention is to obtain a computer device that allows the display screen to be rotated horizontally and freely.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a computer device that allows the orientation of the display screen to be easily changed and maintains a stable state during operation.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that it has a main body, a display section, and an input section, and the main body and the display section are physically integrated at least during use. In this case, the main body is provided with a rotation mechanism for rotating the main body with respect to the mounting surface.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least the main body and the display section are integrally constructed. The rotation mechanism consists of a plurality of rollers provided at the bottom of the main body. The axis of rotation of each roller is preferably directed toward the center of rotation.

[Effect]

The rotation mechanism section supports the weight of at least the main body and display section of the computer device, acts to enable the main body to be easily rotated with respect to the installation surface, and the display section can accordingly change its orientation in any desired direction. I can do it.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1(a) is a partially cutaway side view of a so-called portable computer device, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view. 1 is a main body of a computer device with a built-in arithmetic processing unit, storage unit, etc., and 2 is a flat display screen 2d.
This is a display unit with a built-in. This display section 2 is attached at its lower part to a rotating means 2'', such as a hinge, so that it can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 1, and can be opened and closed at any angle.3 is a keyboard as an input device; The figure shows the display section 2 in an open state, and when the display section 2 is rotated as shown by the broken line and closed, the display section 2 is placed in front of the keyboard 3. Accordingly, the display screen 2d of the display unit 2 is protected from external forces, and the display screen 2d has a box shape as a whole.

FIG. 1(a) shows a side view of the portable computer device in use, with the display section 2 in between, and a rotation mechanism 4 provided at the bottom of the main body is cut away.

This rotation mechanism 4 is constructed as follows.

That is, a circular recess 5 is provided at the bottom of the computer device main body 1. Then, a disc 6 that matches the recess 5 is fitted into the recess 5. A circular square groove 7 is provided on a relatively outer periphery of the surface of the disk 6 facing the main body 1, and a V-shaped groove 7' is provided in the main body at a corresponding position. V
A plurality of balls 8 are placed in a space formed by facing each other in the shape of 7.7'. The center of the disc 4 is rotatably held in the main body l by a screw 9 or the like.

In this way, when the portable computer device is placed on a desk or the like, the entire device body 1 will be lifted off the desk via the disc 6 and the ball 8, and furthermore, due to the action of the ball 80, the device body 1 will be lifted off the desk. It will rotate freely with a slight external force. Therefore, the orientation of the display screen 2d of the display unit 2 can be changed to a desired direction by applying an external force.

Therefore, when two people are facing each other across a desk on which this computer device is placed, when one operator wants to show the other person the display screen 2d resulting from an operation, the main body 1 is moved to the opposite side by hand. When rotated, the computer device main body 1 easily rotates in that direction, and as a result, other people can easily check the display screen 2d. As a result of the confirmation, in order to return the display screen 2d to its original state, it can be easily returned to its original state by rotating it to the opposite side in the same manner.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a computer device showing another embodiment of the present invention, with a portion cut away. FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of FIG. 2. This example is
As is clear from FIG. 3, rollers 10 that rotate about axes that are radial from a point P set at the center of the bottom surface of the main body 1 are arranged at four corners of the bottom surface of the main body 1. This roller 10
The outer periphery of the main body 1 should protrude somewhat from the bottom of the main body 1,
When placed on the desk ring, the bottom surface of the main body 1 is raised somewhat from the desk top surface.

An example of the structure for attaching the roller IO to the bottom of the main body 1 is shown in FIG. 4. The roller 10 is molded integrally with the shaft 11. The roller 10 is located at the bottom of the main body l where the roller 10 is arranged.
A recess 12 is provided to accommodate the. Grooves 13 into which the shaft 11 is fitted are provided at both ends of the recess 12. And roller 10
A shaft 11 is provided at both ends of a recess 12 provided on the bottom of the main body.
Insert into 13. At this time, the recess 12 has a size that accommodates the rotor 10 with a gap therebetween, and the roller 10 allows the shaft 11 to slide and freely rotate within the recess 12.

In this way, the plurality of a-ra 10 provided on the bottom surface of the main body 1 can each be rotated in a direction perpendicular to the shaft 11. At this time, by sufficiently reducing the convergence of the rollers 10, the entire device can rotate freely around point P in FIG. 3, and is easily rotated by external force. Therefore, similarly to the above, the orientation of the display screen 2d can be freely changed in any desired direction.

According to this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 4 can be configured with an extremely small volume, and a sufficient space for arranging the circuit board inside the main body 1 can be secured. Conversely, this means that main body 1
This means that the device can be made thinner, which means that the entire device can be made smaller and lighter.

In this embodiment, the width of the roller 1o has been described as being sufficiently small as a condition for the entire device to move in a circular motion. However, if it is desired to increase the width of the roller 1o due to the weight of the entire device, the example shown in FIG. 6 may be used. As shown in the figure, the roller 10 is a tapered roller 10' corresponding to the rotation radius of the entire apparatus. In this way, the entire device can be rotated smoothly without slipping between the mounting surface and the outer periphery of the roller 10'.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it was stated that the width of the roller was made sufficiently small as a condition for the entire device to move in a circular motion.
If a crowned roller 1o'' is used as the roller 10 as shown in FIG. 6, the same effect as that obtained by making the roller width sufficiently small can be obtained without narrowing the width of the roller. Furthermore, the roller 1o'' can be provided with sufficient mechanical strength.

Furthermore, the method of arranging the rollers 10.10', 10" radially from the point P as in the above embodiment has another great advantage. That is, the axis of the rollers 10.10', 10" is extended. The point of intersection P is the center of rotation of the whole, and the center P does not require any parts to constitute a fulcrum. Further, in the embodiment, a case has been described in which the intersection point P is set at the center of the main body 1.
The center of rotation can be determined regardless of the internal mounting structure. That is, this intersection P can be selected as the center of the display screen 2d of the opened display section 2.

In this way, even if the device is rotated, the position of the display screen 2d remains stable, which is extremely advantageous in terms of operation. Further, this intersection point P may be set at the center of gravity of the entire device. This has the effect that the entire device can be rotated extremely stably with respect to the rotation of the device.

However, as in the embodiment, the intersection point P is located in the center of the device.
If you set , for example, even if the entire device is rotated 180 degrees, the device's position will remain in its original state just by switching the front and back of the device, so you will not have to consider the device's position after rotation. It has the effect of rotating the device.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the roller 10.10'10' is integrally molded with the shaft 11. Therefore, although the configuration can be simplified, the roller 10.10' 1
0'' needs to overcome the friction between the shaft 11 and the groove 13 provided in the main body 1 to rotate the entire body.If smoother rotation is required, a commercially available Combining the miniature bearing 14 and shaft 11, shaft 1
1 may be fixed to the bottom surface of the main body 1. In this way, the outer periphery of the bearing 14 rotates due to rolling friction, and smooth rotational movement can be obtained. moreover,
There are also commercially available bearings in which an elastic body such as urethane rubber is attached to the outer ring of the bearing 14. If this is further applied to this embodiment, in addition to the smooth rotation function, it is also possible to simultaneously perform the role of rubber feet for cushioning, which are normally included in portable computer devices.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which four rollers 10 are used, but this number is not limited.

In the configuration of the device, there may be three, or four or more may be used in consideration of the weight of the device.

FIG. 8(a), FIG. 8(b), and FIG. 9 show still other embodiments of the present invention. This embodiment shows an example in which the present invention is applied to a computer device having a structure in which a keyboard 3' portion can be separated from a main body 1' portion. In such a computer device, when the purpose is to make a presentation, it is enough that the main body 1 having the display section 2 rotates, but when the keyboard 3' is attached to the main body 1', it is preferable not to rotate in consideration of personal use. Sometimes it is more convenient.

Below, the examples are shown in Fig. 8(a), Fig. 8(b), and Fig. 9.
This will be explained using figures.

Fig. 8(a) shows the main body 1' with the display section 2 attached and a keyboard 3' which can be separated from the main body 1' combined, and Fig. 8(b) shows the keyboard 3' portion. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state separated from the main body 1' portion, and FIG. Rotating rollers 10.10a are arranged at the four corners of the bottom surface of the main body 1.

The outer periphery of this roller 10.10a is made to protrude somewhat from the bottom surface of the main body 1', so that when the main body 1' is placed on a desk or the like, the bottom surface of the main body 1' is raised somewhat from the desk surface. 15
1 shows rubber feet that are attached to the bottom surface of the keyboard 3' to prevent it from slipping.

The roller attached to the main body 1' has an axis radial from the intersection P, as described above, and rotates about this intersection P when the keyboard 3' is separated from the main body 1'. When the keyboard 3' is attached to the main body 1', the lower surfaces of the rollers 10 and the rubber feet 15 are on the same plane, and at this time the rollers 10a
The height relationship of the rubber feet 15 is determined so that the rubber feet 15 are raised from the mounting surface and are in a loose state. Note that 16 is a keyboard foot, which is normally stored inside the keyboard 3'. Then, when the keyboard 3' is separated from the main body 1' and raised, the operation surface of the keyboard 3' is made horizontal or slightly tilted toward the operator with a predetermined height relationship with the rubber feet 15. To facilitate the operator's keystroke operation.

In this way, when the keyboard 3' is attached to the main body 1', the rubber feet 15 prevent the entire device from rotating, thereby providing a stable operating environment for the operator. When the keyboard 3' is separated from the main body 1', the purpose of rotating the display section 2 as the main body 1' rotates can be achieved, which is extremely effective especially for presentations.

In this FIG. 8, the configuration of the rollers 1O110a can be of various configurations as described above, and the number of rollers 1O110a can also be of various configurations as described above. Furthermore, the position of the intersection point P can be selected from various positions depending on requirements.

FIG. 10 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. That is, although all of the rotations of the computer device described above are caused by external forces, that is, by the hands of the operator, this embodiment shows rotation operations by driving a motor or the like.

That is, a motor 18 is fixed to the main body 1 with a drive roller 17 in contact with one or more of the rollers 10 mentioned above, and the motor 18 is operated from the outside, for example, at a predetermined location on the main body 1, or The motor is driven by operating a specific key on the keyboard 3. .

In this way, since the drive of the motor 18 can be controlled by operating a key or the like, the main body 1 can be rotated. Further, in this case, if the driving operation of the motor 18 is performed using, for example, a cursor operation key arranged on the separate keyboard 3, the presentation effect can be further increased.

In the above embodiments, a computer device in which the main body 1, the display section 2, and the keyboard 3 are integrated, or the main body 11 and the display section 2 are integrated and the keyboard 3 is separable from the main body 11 is explained as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this type of computer device, i.e., especially in a desktop type computer device.
Generally, the main body 1, display section 2, and keyboard 3 are all separated. When this type of computer device is used, the display section 2 is placed above the main body 1. It is clear that the same effect can be obtained in such a case by providing the main body 1 with a rotation mechanism.

According to the embodiment described above, the rotation mechanism 4 supports at least the weight of the main body 1 and the display section 20 of the computer device, and functions to easily rotate the main body with respect to the installation surface. Therefore, the display section 2 can change its orientation in any desired direction accordingly.

Further, by employing the roller 10 as the rotation mechanism, the rotation mechanism 4 can be constructed with an extremely small volume, and a sufficient space for arranging a circuit board and the like inside the main body 1 can be secured.

Conversely, this means that the main body 1 can be made thinner, which means that the entire device can be made smaller and lighter.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the rotation mechanism supports the weight of at least the main body and display section of the computer device, and acts to easily rotate the main body with respect to the installation surface. Therefore, the display section 2 can change its orientation in any desired direction accordingly.

Moreover, if a roller is employed as the rotation mechanism, the rotation mechanism can be configured with an extremely small volume, and a sufficient space for arranging a circuit board and the like inside the main body 1 can be secured. Conversely, this means that the main body can be made thinner, which has the effect of making the entire device smaller and lighter.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 (!I(a) is a side view of a computer device showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a side view of a computer device showing another embodiment, 3WI is a bottom view of the same, FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are sectional views showing main parts, FIG. 5 is a layout diagram showing another embodiment of the roller, and FIG. 6 is a FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the roller; FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the roller;
a) is a side view of a computer device showing still another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8(b) is a perspective view, and FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the same;
FIG. 10(a) is a front view showing still another embodiment;
Figure (b) is the same side view. 1.1'...Main body, 2.2'...Display section, 2d...
・Display screen, 3.3"...keyboard as input section, 6...disk, 8...ball, 9...screw, 1o
, 10'10a, 14...roller, 11...shaft, 1
5 River rubber feet, 16...Folding stratification, 18...Motor mat side (α) Seat ■ Diagram (shi) Ritsu 4 diagram (α) To April 3rd (shi) Arithmetic calculation and 1 piece Tank Zuhen G (α) 蕩 g 1δ (Shin

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A computer device that has a main body, a display section, and an input section, and in which the main body and the display section are physically integrated at least during use; A computer device characterized by being provided with a rotation mechanism that rotates with respect to a mounting surface. 2. The computer device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation center of the rotation mechanism is the center of the main body. 3. Claim 1, wherein the center of rotation of the rotation mechanism is the center of gravity of the main body used integrally with the display section.
Computer equipment as described. 4. The computer device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a plurality of rollers provided at the bottom of the main body. 5. The computer device according to claim 4, wherein the rotation axis of each roller is directed toward the rotation center. 6. The computer device according to claim 5, wherein the center of rotation is the center of the main body. 7. The computer device according to claim 1, wherein the center of rotation is the center of gravity of the main body used integrally with the display section. 8. In a computer device having a main body, a display section attached to the main body so as to be openable and closable via a rotation means, and an input section attached to the main body, the main body is placed against a mounting surface. A computer device characterized by being provided with a rotating mechanism. 9. The computer device according to claim 8, wherein the rotation center of the rotation mechanism is the center of the main body. 10. The computer device according to claim 8, wherein the rotation center of the rotation mechanism is the center of gravity of the main body. 11. The computer device according to claim 8, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a plurality of rollers provided at the bottom of the main body. 12. The computer device according to claim 11, wherein the rotation axis of each roller is oriented toward the rotation center. 13. The computer device according to claim 11, wherein the center of rotation is a central portion of the main body. 14. The computer device according to claim 8, wherein the center of rotation is the center of gravity of the main body. 15. The computer device according to claim 8, wherein the center of rotation is the center of the display section. 16. The computer device according to claim 8, wherein the input section is a keyboard. 17. In a computer device having a main body, a display section attached to the main body so as to be openable and closable via a rotation means, and an input section detachably attached to the main body, the main body is placed on a mounting surface of the main body. A computer device characterized by being provided with a rotation mechanism that rotates relative to the computer. 18. The computer device according to claim 17, wherein the rotation center of the rotation mechanism is the center of the main body. 19. The computer device according to claim 17, wherein the rotation center of the rotation mechanism is the center of gravity of the main body. 20. The computer device according to claim 17, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a plurality of rollers provided at the bottom of the main body. 21. The computer device according to claim 20, wherein the rotation axis of each roller is directed toward the rotation center. 22. The computer device according to claim 21, wherein the center of rotation is a central portion of the main body. 23. The computer device according to claim 21, wherein the center of rotation is the center of gravity of the main body. 24. The computer device according to claim 17, wherein the center of rotation is the center of the display section. 25. The computer device according to claim 17, wherein the input unit is a keyboard. 26. Claim 1, wherein the input section prevents rotation of the main body by attaching the input section to the main body.
7. The computer device according to 7. 27. The computer device according to claim 1, 8, or 17, wherein the rotation mechanism includes a drive means, and the drive means rotates the rotation mechanism in response to an external command. 28. A computer device according to claim 4, claim 11, or claim 21, characterized in that one or more of the rollers is driven by an electric motor.