JPH06282356A - Electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fix and lock a keyboard unit on a body by simple constitution without using a specific mechanism for fixing and locking the keyboard unit. CONSTITUTION:A locking mechanism common to a display unit 2, the body 1 and the keyboard unit 6 is constituted so that the unit 6 is fixed and locked on the body 1 in a state held on the unit 2 at the time of its housing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device in which a keyboard portion is unitized and is rotatable or slidable with respect to a main body or removable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In many conventional portable electronic devices, a keyboard is integrally fixed to the electronic device body.
There are keyboards that are unitized and can be removed from the main body, and those that are not removable from the main body but are mounted so as to be rotatable or slidable.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional portable electronic device having a structure in which a keyboard is unitized and can be removed from the main body.
Is rotatably attached via a hinge part 3.
Hook-shaped lock members 4 and 4 are provided on the side opposite to the hinge portion of the display unit 2, and the lock members 4 and 4 are rotated by the display unit 2 in a direction indicated by an arrow a in the figure to form the main body 1.
When it reaches the storage position parallel to, the display unit 2 is locked to the main body 1 by engaging with the engaging holes 5 and 5 provided in the main body 1.
A lock mechanism (lock fixing means) for locking the display unit 2 to the main body 1 by the lock members 4 and 4 and the engagement holes 5 and 5.
Is configured.

Slide-type release buttons 10 and 10 are provided on the side surface of the display unit 2 on the side opposite to the hinge portion, and the release buttons 10 and 10 are engaged with the lock members 4 and 4 by sliding in the direction indicated by arrow b. The engagement state with the dowel holes 5 and 5 is released.

Further, the keyboard unit 6 is also provided with hook-shaped second lock members 7, 7, and the second lock members 7, 7 are provided with second engaging holes 8, 8 provided in the main body 1. And the keyboard unit 6 is locked to the main body 1. The second lock members 7, 7 and the second engagement holes 8, 8 constitute a lock mechanism (lock fixing means) for locking the keyboard unit 6 on the main body 1. At this time, the keyboard unit 6 is prevented from being laterally displaced by the side keyboard support portions 9, 9 provided on both sides of the upper surface of the main body 1. Here, the keyboard unit 6 includes the release buttons 10, 1
Second release buttons 11 and 11 similar to 0 are provided.

[0006]

However, among the above-mentioned conventional portable electronic devices, the keyboard is unitized and can be removed from the main body or is not removable from the main body but can be rotated or slid. With such a configuration, since a lock mechanism that is separate from the lock mechanism that locks and fixes the display unit to the main body is used as a means for locking and fixing the keyboard unit to the main body, (i) the device configuration becomes complicated. The number of parts and the number of assembly steps increase. (ii) It is necessary to engage and disengage the two lock mechanisms separately, which is troublesome twice and the operation becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the keyboard unit can be locked and fixed with a simple structure without using a special mechanism for locking and fixing the keyboard unit to the main body. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device in which the number of points and the number of assembling steps are reduced, the cost is low, and the operability is improved.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a main body, a display unit, and a keyboard unit, wherein the keyboard unit is sandwiched between the main body and the display unit during storage. The keyboard unit is fixed and locked together with the display unit to the main body by a common lock fixing means.

[0009]

According to the above construction, the keyboard unit is sandwiched between the main body and the display unit during storage, and the keyboard unit is locked and fixed to the main body together with the display unit by the common lock fixing means.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an electronic apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, elements and parts having the same functions as those of the conventional electronic device of FIG. 7 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, similarly to the above-mentioned conventional example,
The display unit 2 is rotatably attached to the main body 1 via a hinge portion 3. Hook-shaped lock members 4 and 4 are provided on the side opposite to the hinge portion of the display unit 2. Further, the main body 1 is provided with engaging holes 5 and 5.

The keyboard unit 6 has a rotating shaft 6 attached to the main body 1.
It is rotatably attached via b. Further, the keyboard unit 6 has a display unit 2 indicated by an arrow a in the figure.
Through holes 12, 12 through which the lock members 4, 4 penetrate when rotated in the direction indicated by.

That is, when the display unit 2 rotates in the direction of arrow a during storage and reaches a storage position parallel to the main body 1,
The lock members 4 and 4 penetrate the through holes 12 and 12 and engage with the engaging holes 5 and 5 of the main body 1. Thus, when stored, the keyboard unit 6 includes the main body 1 and the display unit 2.
It is sandwiched between them, and is locked and fixed to the main body 1 together with the display unit 2.

In FIG. 2, the lock members 4, 4 have through holes 12, 1
2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the display unit 2 and the keyboard unit 6 are locked and fixed to the main body 1 by penetrating 2 and engaging with the engaging holes 5 and 5. In the figure, 13 is a spring member for urging the lock members 4, 4 in the direction indicated by arrow d, that is, in the lock position. In this state, when the lock release buttons 10 and 10 of FIG. 1 are slid to the left of FIG. 2, the lock members 4 and 4 are moved to the unlock position (left side position of FIG. 2) and the locked state is released.

As described above, in this embodiment, the lock members 4 and 4 penetrate the through holes 12 and 12 and engage with the engaging holes 5 and 5, so that the keyboard unit 6 is attached to the main body 1 together with the display unit 2. Since they are locked and fixed to each other, the mechanism for locking the keyboard unit 6 to the main body 1 (for example, the second lock mechanism 7, 7 and the second engagement hole 8, 8 shown in FIG. 7) becomes unnecessary, and The number of points and the number of assembly steps can be reduced. Further, the side keyboard support portions 9 and 9 as in the conventional electronic device shown in FIG. 7 are not required, and therefore, the operator can touch the keyboard unit 6 from the side, and the keyboard unit 6 can be touched.
It is possible to improve the operability when rotating, and to simplify the configuration and appearance of the main body 1.

[Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of an electronic apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing details of the main body 1 and the keyboard unit 6 of FIG. 3 and 4, elements and parts having the same functions as those in FIGS. 7 and 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The present embodiment is different from the above-described first embodiment in that the keyboard unit 6 is configured to be slidable in the horizontal direction with respect to the main body 1 and removable from the main body 1. Further, in the device of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the rib 14 is integrally formed at the tip of the display unit 2, and as shown in FIG. 15 and positioning guides 17, 17 are provided, and a T-shaped member guide groove 16 and positioning guide grooves 18, 18 are provided on the upper surface of the main body 1. Further, the projections 6a, 6a are integrally formed at the base end of the keyboard unit 6, and the connecting line that connects the display unit and the main body 1 is formed on the upper surface of the base end of the main body 1 as the pivotal support of the hinge portion 3. A box-shaped projection 1a for accommodating the like is provided.

When the apparatus of this embodiment is stored, as shown in FIG. 4, the T-shaped member 15 attached to the back surface of the keyboard unit 6 is inserted into the T-shaped member guide formed on the upper surface of the main body 1. By inserting the T-shaped member open side end 16a into the groove 16 and sliding the keyboard unit 6 in the direction indicated by arrow e in FIG. 4, the protrusion 6a of the keyboard unit 6 and the box-shaped protrusion 1a on the upper surface of the main body 1 are separated. Mating.
At this time, the positioning guides 17, 17 on the back surface of the keyboard unit 6 along with the sliding operation are moved along the positioning guide grooves 18, 18 provided in the main body 1 in the direction of the arrow e to the storage position side end 18a. , 18a. At this time, the through hole 1 of the keyboard unit 6
Since 2 and 12 overlap with the engaging holes 5 and 5 of the main body 1,
When the display unit 2 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow a in FIG. 3, the lock members 4 and 4 penetrate through the through holes 12 and 12 and engage with the engaging holes 5 and 5. At the same time, display unit 2
The rib 14 provided at the tip of the keyboard unit 6
The front end surface of the keyboard unit 6 is prevented from being displaced in the direction opposite to the arrow e in FIG. In this way, the keyboard unit 6 is held between the main body 1 and the display unit 2 during storage, and is locked and fixed to the main body 1 together with the display unit 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 3, showing a state in which the main body 1, the display unit 2 and the keyboard unit 6 are locked and fixed to each other. Further, the keyboard unit 6 can be used even when the positioning guides 17 and 17 are at the storage position side ends 18a and 18a of the positioning guide grooves 18 and 18, respectively.
When the keyboard unit 6 is slid until 7 and 17 reach the predetermined position P of the positioning guide grooves 18 and 18,
Since the character-shaped member 15 is still in the engaged state with the T-shaped member guide groove 16, it is possible to use the keyboard unit 6 from the main body 1 toward the front, that is, in the state of being pulled out to the operator side. When the keyboard unit 6 is removed from the main body 1, the keyboard unit 6 is slid further to the front so that the positioning guides 17 and 17 are positioned in the positioning guide grooves 18 and 18.
To the removal position side ends 18b, 18b. At this time, the T-shaped member 15 reaches the end 16a of the T-shaped member guide groove 16 where the diameter of the T-shaped member guide groove 16 is expanded, and the engagement between the T-shaped member 15 and the T-shaped member guide groove 16 can be released.

As described above, also in this embodiment, the second lock members 7 and 7 and the second engagement holes 8 and 8 for locking the keyboard unit 6 to the main body 1 are unnecessary, and therefore,
The same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained such that the number of parts and the number of assembling steps can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of an electronic apparatus according to this embodiment. In FIG. 6, elements and parts having the same functions as those in FIG. 7 and FIG. Is omitted.

In the present embodiment, both the display unit 2 and the keyboard unit 6 are detachably attached to the main body 1. The lower corners of the display unit 2 are provided with first lock members 4 and 4 and prismatic third lock members 19 and 19 (only one is shown). Also,
The lock members 19, 1 are provided at the rear corners of the upper surface of the main body 1.
Third engagement holes 20, 20 corresponding to 9 (only one shown)
Is provided.

When the device of this embodiment is stored, the prismatic third lock members 19, 19 are fitted into the third engagement holes 20, 20, and the lock members 4, 4 are attached to the keyboard unit 6. The keyboard unit 6 is locked to the main body 1 together with the display unit 2 in a state where the keyboard unit 6 is sandwiched between the main body 1 and the display unit 2 by penetrating through the provided through holes 12 and 12 and engaging with the engagement holes 5 and 5. To do.

Although the display unit 2 is detachable from the main body 1 in this embodiment, as a modification of this configuration, the display unit 2 is rotatable with respect to the main body 1. It is also possible to use, for example, prismatic locking members 19 and 19 and square engaging holes 20 and 2.
Instead of 0, a spherical pivot member and a round engagement hole may be provided. As a result, the display unit 2 can be used while being attached to the main body 1.

In each of the embodiments described above, the main body 1
A wired or wireless signal transmission means such as a cable is provided between the display unit 2 and the keyboard unit 6, but since both are known techniques, their illustration and detailed description are omitted. Further, the through hole 12 of the keyboard unit 6 through which the lock member 4 penetrates may be formed with a notch.

[0029]

As described above, according to the electronic apparatus of the present invention, the main body, the display unit, and the keyboard unit are provided, and the keyboard unit is sandwiched between the main body and the display unit during storage. State, and by locking and locking the keyboard unit together with the display unit to the main body by a common lock fixing means,
There is no need to provide a special lock mechanism to lock and fix the keyboard unit to the main unit, the device configuration is simplified, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced, and the operation when multiple lock mechanisms are provided The complexity of can be avoided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an electronic device according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a stored state of the electronic device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an electronic device according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing details of the main body and keyboard unit of FIG.

5 is a view showing a housed state of the electronic device shown in FIG.
It is a V line sectional view.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an electronic device according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a conventional electronic device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main body 2 Display unit 4 Lock member 5 Engagement hole 6 Keyboard unit 12 Through hole

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A main body, a display unit, and a keyboard unit, wherein the keyboard unit is sandwiched between the main body and the display unit during storage, and the keyboard unit is held by a common lock fixing means. An electronic device fixed together with the main body and locked together.