JPH10124214A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide constitution that can change the form of the whole keyboards so that they are easily operated at the time of use and they can compactly be stored at the time of storage in an information processor provided with the keyboards. SOLUTION: Almost rectangular left keyboard 3 and right keyboard 4, which are divided into two, are arranged on the right and left of the upper face of a processor main body. The keyboards 3 and 4 symmetrically interlock one another in a plane parallel to the upper face of the processor main body and they turn in opposite directions. One shorter sides of them are made adjacent. They can move to the state of (a) where they are arranged on the right and left at use time and the state of (d) where long sides are made adjacent and they are arranged on the right and left at storage time. The whole forms of the keyboards 3 and 4 can be changed. At the time of use, they are made long in a lateral direction so as to facilitate the operation. At the time of storage, the length of the lateral direction is made shorter and the difference of the vertical and lateral lengths is made to be small and they can be stored into the size of the processor main body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus provided with a keyboard as information input means, and more particularly, to an information processing apparatus which can change the form of the keyboard depending on whether the keyboard is used (when the apparatus is used) or stored. The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus described above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the advance of technology, computers have been rapidly developing, and in particular, portable computers called notebook computers have made remarkable progress in improving their performance.

There are various directions for the evolution of the notebook personal computer, but the mainstream is basically thinner, lighter, and longer battery life. It is not. The first reason is to ensure the visibility of display contents. In particular, in recent years, the size of displays has been increasing, and the technical tendency of notebook computers is that the display determines the area of the notebook computer. In a general notebook computer, the area and shape of the display is less than the so-called A4 size (210 mm in length and 297 mm in width).
Nevertheless, in order to improve the portability of notebook computers, it is natural that the area size should be as small as possible, and manufacturers are making efforts not to greatly exceed this display size.

In a notebook computer of such a size, another important device related to the area size is a keyboard. Of course, the size of the keyboard itself can be designed specifically for each notebook computer, and there are some that match the above-mentioned A4 size notebook computers, but the key size, pitch, number of keys, etc. There is a case where there is a shortage in terms of operability and functions due to the above, and a keyboard equivalent to a full-pitch full-key keyboard used in a desktop personal computer is required. Naturally, such a keyboard would exceed the size of the notebook computer body which is around A4 size.

Conventionally, a foldable keyboard as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 and a slide-extendable keyboard as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 have been considered. When storing the keyboard without using a personal computer, the keyboard has to be folded or compressed to fit in the size of the notebook personal computer.

[0006]

However, the foldable keyboard requires a considerable amount of movement in the opening and closing operations, and there is a problem of securing a space for the foldable keyboard. There is a problem that the thickness is increased.

[0007] Further, with respect to the slide telescopic keyboard, although the problem as in the above-mentioned foldable keyboard is unlikely to occur, the size of each keytop is determined by the size of the keytop itself, because the size of each keytop is determined by the area when stored. When the key is small, it is difficult to operate, or when the key is stretched, a considerable gap is generated between the key tops, so that the design becomes unsightly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus having a keyboard in which the whole form of the keyboard can be changed so as to be easy to operate when used and to be compact when stored. An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that can avoid the problem.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in an information processing apparatus according to the present invention, two substantially rectangular keyboards, each of which is divided into two, are arranged on the left and right sides of the upper surface of the apparatus main body. The two keyboards can be moved between the left and right sides with one short side adjacent to each other and the stored state with one long sides adjacent to each other. The adopted configuration was adopted.

According to such a configuration, when used, the overall length of the two keyboards becomes longer in the horizontal direction, and the area becomes wider in the horizontal direction, thereby facilitating operation. In addition, when stored, the overall length of the two keyboards is reduced in the horizontal direction, and the difference between the vertical and horizontal lengths is reduced, so that the two keyboards can be stored within the size of the apparatus body. In addition, there is no problem as in the conventional foldable or sliding telescopic keyboard.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The device according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured as, for example, a notebook personal computer. On the top surface of the device main body, two roughly rectangular keyboards are provided side by side, and are used in a later-described state of use and storage. It is possible to move to the state of time. Less than,
The left and right keyboards are called a left keyboard and a right keyboard, respectively. Note that the directions of “left and right” and “left and right” and “vertical and horizontal” in the following description are, of course, directions related to the device as viewed from the user who operates the device.

[Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 shows Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the apparatus according to the present embodiment. Reference numeral 1 denotes a display unit, which is a substantially rectangular apparatus main body (hereinafter, abbreviated as main body) in which main components such as a circuit board and devices are stored.
2 is attached so as to be rotatable around the axis B in the direction of arrow D and in the opposite direction with respect to the rear end of the upper surface of
In the drawing, it is possible to rotate between a storage state overlapping the left keyboard 3 and the right keyboard 4 drawn by a dashed line and a use state standing near the rear side.

On the upper surface of the main body 2, a longitudinal guide slit 10 extending linearly along the longitudinal direction of the main body 2, a horizontal guide slit 9 extending linearly along the lateral direction, and a circle of approximately 90 °. Drive slit 11 formed in an arc shape
Are provided two each. These slits are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axis C passing through the center of the upper surface of the main body 2 in the horizontal direction along the vertical direction, and engage with the left keyboard 3, the right keyboard 4 and the main body 2 and a left It is used for moving the keyboard 3 and the right keyboard 4.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the left keyboard 3 as viewed from the back (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1). Only the vertical guide slit 10, the horizontal guide slit 9, and the drive slit 11 are indicated by alternate long and short dash lines. The main body 2 is not shown. The right keyboard 4 is symmetric with respect to the left keyboard 3 with respect to the axis C in the figure, and therefore the description is omitted.

On the back (lower surface) of the left keyboard 3 shown in FIG.
The drive pin 7 is vertically fixed, and slidably engages with the vertical guide slit 10, the horizontal guide slit 9, and the drive slit 11 provided in the main body 2, respectively.

On the other hand, reference numeral 8 denotes a swing arm, which is mounted inside the main body 2 (not shown) and has a fulcrum (shaft) 12.
It is freely rotatable around. This swing arm 8
Is rotatably connected to a drive pin 7 fixed to the left keyboard 3 at a drive joint 13.

Next, how to move the left and right keyboards 3, 4 and the pins 5 to 7, the swing arm 8, and the slits 9 to
The positional relationship of No. 11 will be described.

First, the left and right keyboards 3 and 4 are moved.
This is performed by a user's manual operation via a mechanism described later, and when schematically showing the manner of movement, the movement is as shown in FIG. 3 (a plan view from the direction of arrow L in FIG. 1).

FIG. 3A shows a state in which the keyboards 3 and 4 are used. In this state, the keyboards 3 and 4 are arranged side by side such that one short side is adjacent to each other. From this state, the keyboards 3 and 4 are rotated in opposite directions within a plane parallel to the upper surface of the main body 2 as shown in FIGS. You can move to the state of time, and vice versa. In the state (d), the keyboards 3 and 4 are arranged side by side such that one long side of each of them is adjacent to each other. The keyboards 3 and 4 are symmetrically moved by a later-described moving mechanism.

In such a movement, the vertex 14 located on the far side in (a) moves in the lateral direction, and the movement corresponds to the movement of the lateral guide pin 6 shown in FIG.
Since the vertex 15 located on the near side in (a) moves in the vertical direction, the movement corresponds to the movement of the vertical guide pin 5 shown in FIG. Also, the midpoint 1 between the vertices 14 and 15
6 moves in an arc of 90 ° around the intersection of the locus of the vertex 14 and the locus of the vertex 15 indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in (b) and (c), so that the drive pin 7 shown in FIG. Equivalent to movement.

However, corresponding to each of points 14 to 16 in FIG. 3, one of the short sides of the keyboards 3 and 4 (the vertical side inside in FIG. 3A) or a straight line parallel to this short side. When the vertical guide pins 5, the horizontal guide pins 6, and the drive pins 7 are arranged on the upper side, FIG. 4 (the upper surface of the main body 2 in the case of the pin arrangement corresponding to each point 14 to 16 in FIG. As seen from the viewpoint, the horizontal guide slit 9, the vertical guide slit 10, and the drive slit 11 provided on the upper surface of the main body 2 on which the keyboards 3 and 4 are mounted all intersect.
The central fan-shaped portion 17 surrounded by these is independent of the surrounding surface.

Therefore, the fan-shaped part 1 is in some way
7 must be supported on the main body 2, the sector 17 is surrounded by moving parts of the guide pins 5, 6 and the drive pin 7, and in the main body 2 directly below the sector 17. Since the swing arm 8 shown in FIG. 2 exists and rotates to drive the drive pin 7,
It is difficult to support only the sector 17 without affecting the surrounding moving parts. Further, since the slits 9 to 11 intersect, there is a possibility that a problem (such as a pin caught at a corner of the intersection) may occur in the movement of each pin at the intersection.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the pins 5 to 7, the swing arm 8, and the slits 9 to 11 are arranged to solve these problems. The arrangement will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the left keyboard 3 and its mechanism in FIG. Right keyboard 4
Is symmetrical with respect to the axis C in the figure, so that the description is omitted.

In FIG. 5, the vertical guide pin 5 is arranged at the lower right corner of the left keyboard 3 and its center is equidistant from the right short side and the lower long side of the left keyboard 3, and this distance The same radius as that of is attached to the lower right corner of the left keyboard 3. The horizontal guide pin 6 is arranged at the upper right corner of the left keyboard 3. A straight line M connecting the center of the horizontal guide pin 6 and the center of the vertical guide pin 5
Is not parallel to a straight line N that is parallel to the short side (vertical side in the figure) of the left keyboard 3 and passes through the center of the vertical guide pin 5, but intersects at a certain angle. A straight line M on the left keyboard 3
The drive pin 7 is arranged at the middle point. here,
In particular, the diameter of the lateral guide pin 6 is about twice or more the diameter of the drive pin 7. The width of each slit corresponds to the diameter of the pin engaged with each.

The swing arm 8 has a center line of the vertical guide slit 10 which coincides with the straight line N in the state of FIG. 5, and a straight line H (parallel to the long side of the left keyboard 3 (horizontal side in the figure). The fulcrum 12 is disposed at the intersection of the center line of the lateral guide slit 9 and the straight line passing through the center of the pin 6).

The drive slit 11 is
Is rotated by 90 degrees in the direction of arrow P about the fulcrum 12 by being driven by the swing arm 8, and along the trajectory, as shown in FIG.
It is provided in the form of a substantially 90 ° arc of a circle centered at the intersection of the 0 center lines.

The horizontal guide slit 9 and the vertical guide slit 10 respectively connect the horizontal guide pin 6 and the vertical guide pin 5 in the horizontal direction of the main body 2 (the straight line H in FIG. 5).
Direction) and a vertical direction (in FIG. 5, a straight line N direction) so as to guide in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, and the length of these slits 9 and 10 is such that the drive pin 7 is driven. The length of the horizontal guide pin 6 and the length of the vertical guide pin 5 correspond to the respective moving distances. Their length is defined by the length of the straight line M, the angle between the straight line M and the straight line N, and the diameter of each pin.

Further, since the length of the straight line M, the angle between the straight line M and the straight line N, and the diameter of each pin, the way of intersection of each slit is defined. In the present embodiment, these should be set appropriately. Thereby, all three slits 9 to 11 are prevented from intersecting as shown in FIG. 4, and only the drive slit 11 and the lateral guide slit 9 intersect as shown in FIG.

Note that only the drive slit 11 and the vertical guide slit 10 may intersect. In that case, the diameter of the vertical guide pin 5 and the vertical guide slit 1
The width of 0 is about twice or more the diameter of the drive pin 7 and the width of the drive slit 11, respectively.

When the swing arm 8 shown in FIG. 5 is rotated in the direction of the arrow P in the device of this embodiment thus configured, the drive pin 7
Is driven in the direction of arrow P along with the vertical guide pin 5 and the horizontal guide pin 6 at the same time.
Arrows E,
Guided in the direction of F, the left keyboard 3 moves (rotates) with a fixed manner of movement.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the swing arm 8 is rotated by about 45 ° in the P direction from the state of FIG.
FIG. 7 shows a state in which it is rotated by 90 °. In the series of operations from FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, the drive pin 7 passes through the intersection of the drive slit 11 and the lateral guide slit 9, and the movement of the drive pin 7 is defined by the swing arm 8. Because of this, it can pass without being caught on the corner of the intersection.

Unlike the drive pin 7, the lateral guide pin 6 passes through the intersection of the drive slit 11 and the lateral guide slit 9 while being guided by the lateral guide slit 9 (while sliding on the wall surface of the slit 9). However, since the diameter of the lateral guide pin 6 is about twice or more the width of the drive slit 11, it can pass through the corner of the intersection like the drive pin 7 without being caught.

Further, due to the position of the vertical guide pin 5 and the roundness of the corner of the left keyboard 3 in the immediate vicinity, the left keyboard 3 almost always touches the axis of symmetry C with the right keyboard 4 (not shown). The left and right keyboards can be kept almost in contact with or close to each other from the state of FIG. 5 when the keyboard is used to the state of FIG. This eliminates unnecessary dead space.

FIG. 8 shows the state of FIG. 7 viewed from the same direction as FIG. 2, and FIG. 9 shows the state of FIG. 7 viewed from the same direction as FIG.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view as seen from the direction of arrow K in FIG. FIG. 17 shows how the left and right keyboards 3 or 4 are engaged with the main body 2. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, a slide washer 26 is attached to each of the pins 5 to 7 so as to sandwich a plate material of an upper surface portion 2a which is a keyboard mounting surface of the main body 2. The slide washer 26 is made of a slippery material (for example, PO
M) to prevent rattling of the keyboards 3 and 4 in the direction of arrow J,
It is attached so that it can slide on the upper surface of the device smoothly.

Next, a mechanism for the user to manually move the keyboards 3, 4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion related to a mechanism for moving the keyboard, viewed from the same direction as FIG. 1.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 21 denotes a rotary dial, which is integrated with the drive pulley 20 and is mounted inside the main body 2 so as to be rotatable about an axis Q in the direction of arrow R and the opposite direction. A part of the outer periphery of the rotary dial 21 is exposed from the main body 2 so that the user can turn it with a finger.

Numeral 18 denotes a working pulley, which swings on the swing arm 8 for the right keyboard 4 so as to rotate integrally with the swing arm 8 for the right keyboard 4 (not shown).
Are fixed to the same fulcrum (shaft) 12. The drive pulley 20 and the working pulley 18 are interlocked via a belt 19 stretched over them, and when one rotates, the other rotates in the same direction.

A right gear portion 23 is provided on the outer periphery of the fulcrum 12 side end of the swing arm 8 for the right keyboard 4, and similarly on the outer periphery of the fulcrum 12 side end of the swing arm 8 for the left keyboard 3. It is in mesh with the left gear portion 22 provided. The gear ratio of the left and right gear portions 22 and 23 is the same,
The rotation phases of the left and right swing arms 8 are symmetric with respect to the axis C.

By the mechanism having such a configuration, the driving pulley 20, the belt 19, the working pulley 18, the fulcrum 12, the gears 23 and 22 are provided with respect to the rotation of the rotary dial 21.
The left and right swing arms 8 are interlocked with each other and rotate in a phase symmetric with respect to the axis C, so that the user can rotate the rotary dial 21 freely in the direction of the arrow R and in the opposite direction. The swing arm 8 can be rotated in association with the axis C in a bilaterally symmetric phase. Left and right keyboards 3, 4 attached to left and right swing arms 8 via drive pins 7, respectively.
Is rotated in a symmetrical phase with respect to the axis C,
When the keyboard is used, it can move to the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 3A, and when the keyboard is stored, it can move to the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 3D.

When used, the overall length of the keyboards 3 and 4 in the horizontal direction is increased, the area in the horizontal direction is increased, and the key tops are not reduced unlike a conventional slide-type telescopic keyboard. Easy to operate.
In addition, the gap between the key tops does not become large and the appearance becomes unsightly unlike the slide telescopic type. In addition, when stored, the overall length of the keyboards 3 and 4 in the horizontal direction is shortened, and the difference between the vertical and horizontal lengths is reduced to fit within the size of the main body 2, thereby improving the portability of the device. The thickness is not doubled in the stowed state unlike the foldable keyboard, and a large space is not required for moving the two keyboards.

Finally, a method of electrically connecting the keyboard to the apparatus main body will be described with reference to FIGS. Various methods of electrical connection are conceivable. In this embodiment, a method using a membrane flexible cable, which is generally used for connecting a keyboard to a personal computer, is employed.

FIGS. 11, 12, and 13 respectively show the left keyboard 3 and the surroundings in a state when the keyboard is used, a state in which the keyboard is rotated by 45 °, and a state in which the keyboard is further rotated by 45 °. It is the top view which looked at some elements from the back side (surface without a key top). Also,
14, 15, and 16 correspond to FIGS. 11, 12,
It is the side view seen from the arrow W direction in FIG. The description of the right keyboard 4 is omitted because it is symmetrical about the axis C in the figure.

In FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, reference numeral 24 denotes the above-mentioned flexible cable, the right end of which is not shown in the figures, and which is connected to the main body 2. In these figures, S
Is the center of the fulcrum 12, ie, the center of rotation of the drive pin 7, and the midpoint of the arc-shaped trajectory V of the rotation of the drive pin 7 along the drive slit 11 by approximately 90 ° (the arc-shaped trajectory is bisected). Is a straight line connecting Vs.

The flexible cable 24 is arranged so that the center line of the cable 24 coincides with the straight line S in a plane parallel to the back surface of the left keyboard 3. The end of the cable 24 on the keyboard side (the left end in the figure) is bent substantially U-shaped toward the back surface of the left keyboard 3 as shown in FIGS.
Is connected to the back of the left keyboard 3. Also, as shown in FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, the connection position of the flexible connection portion 25 on the back surface of the keyboard 3 is an area outside the arc of the locus V, and the drive pin 7 moves as shown in FIG. The position where the straight line S passes is in a state where it is located at the midpoint Vs of V, that is, in a state where the left keyboard 3 is rotated 45 ° from the state in use.

According to such a connection configuration, the entire flexible cable 24 is not largely shaken by the rotation of the left keyboard 3, and FIGS.
As shown in (1), only the keyboard 3 side end of the cable 24 bent in a U-shape is shaken and twisted.

Here, in FIG. 11, FIG. 12, and FIG.
T is a keyboard 3 of a cable 24 bent in a U-shape.
It is the center line of the folded part on the flexible connection part 25 side of the side end. The cable 24 that coincides with the center line T and the straight line S
The angle formed by most of the center lines is the twist angle of the keyboard-side end of the cable 24. The angle of this twist is defined by the angle between the center line U of the swing arm 8 and the straight line S and the straight line S
1, the angle becomes 45 ° between the state when used in FIG. 11 and the state when stored in FIG.
It becomes 0 in the state of 2. That is, the twist angle of the end of the cable 24 on the keyboard 3 side with the rotation of the keyboard 3 is only 45 ° at the maximum.

As described above, the entire flexible cable 24 is not largely swung by the rotation of the keyboard 3, and only the end portion on the keyboard 3 side is swung to a maximum of 4
Since only 5 ° is twisted, it is not necessary to apply a large mechanical load to the cable 24, and it is possible to prevent disconnection and the like.

In order to further reduce the mechanical load on the flexible cable 24, it is desirable to make the radius of the U-shaped bent portion of the flexible cable 24 large (approximately 3 mm or more). By electrically connecting the left keyboard 3 and the main body 2 in such a manner, even if the special keyboard in the present embodiment is used, a membrane flexible generally used for electrical connection between the keyboard and the personal computer main body is used. The use of cables can suppress the rise in cost and at the same time ensure stable performance.

[Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the left and right keyboards 3 and 4 are moved by operating the rotary dial 21. The configuration in which the display unit 4 is moved in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the display unit will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 18 shows a state in which the main body 2 is housed.
It is the perspective view which looked at the main components of this embodiment from the same direction as FIG. In FIG. 18, the display unit 1, the swing arm 8, the drive pin 7, the fulcrum 12,
The configurations of the left gear portion 22, the right gear portion 23, and the like are the same as in the first embodiment. The working pulley 18 is attached to the fulcrum 12 of the left swing arm 8, contrary to the first embodiment, but is basically implemented only in the opposite direction of rotation of the working pulley 18 and the swing arm 8. Same as in the first embodiment.

A display shaft 37 has one end fixed to the display unit 1 and the other end fixed to a fan-shaped display gear 27. Since the center axes of the display shaft 37 and the display gear 27 are the same as the rotation axis B of the display unit 1, the display shaft 37 and the display gear 27 rotate the same as the display unit 1.

A pulley shaft 28 is rotatably supported inside the main body 2 in parallel with the display shaft 37. The shaft 28 has an open pulley 31, a closed pulley 30, and a pulley gear 29.
Has been fixed. The pulley gear 29 meshes with a gear portion (a fan-shaped outer peripheral portion) of the display gear 27. In a range where the pulley gear 29 and the gear portion of the display gear 27 mesh with each other depending on the angle of the display unit 1, the rotation of the display unit 1 is the rotation of both pulleys 30 and 31 as it is.

Both ends of a wire 35 are attached to the outer circumferences of both pulleys 30 and 31, respectively. As long as both pulleys rotate, the wire 35 is attached to either pulley as shown in FIG. Instead of being in a state, it is always wrapped around. This wire 3
5 is wound around the working pulley 18 via an open idler 34 and a close idler 33 rotatably attached to an idler shaft 32 erected in parallel with the pulley shaft 28, and is wound by a spring 36a inside the main body 2. Tensioner 36 being biased
, A constant or higher tension is always applied.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. The state when the display unit 1 is standing as shown in FIG. 18 and the keyboards 3 and 4 (not shown) are open here (states in FIGS. 1 and 3A).
Then, when the display unit 1 is rotated in the direction of arrow D and tilted on the keyboards 3 and 4, the display shaft 37 and the display gear 27 rotate in the direction of arrow D.

At this time, when the angle α between the display unit 1 and the upper surface of the main body 2 of the display unit 1 shown in FIG.
The open pulley 31 and the close pulley 30 both rotate in the direction of arrow Y, and the wire 35 is unwound from the open pulley 31 and wound around the close pulley 30. At this time, wire 35
Is applied with a certain tension or more by the tensioner 36, so that the action pulley 18 rotates in the direction of the arrow AA with the movement of the wire 35 due to friction due to the tension. By rotating the left and right swing arms 8, the left and right keyboards 3 and 4 are rotated to the closed state (the state of FIGS. 3D and 9).

With respect to the rotation ratio of each rotation system in this configuration, when the display unit 1 is rotated from approximately 70 ° to 10 ° at the angle α in FIG. 20, the left and right keyboards 3, 4 are in a state of use. Is set so as to rotate from the state to the state at the time of storage.

Of course, when the display unit 1 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction D, all the rotation systems operate in the opposite direction, and the keyboards 3 and 4 rotate from the stored state to the used state.

In this case, if the angle α of the display unit 1 is set to an angle at which the gear portion of the display gear 27 is disengaged from the engagement with the pulley gear 29 (when the angle exceeds approximately 70 ° or is smaller than 10 °), Is not involved in the movement of the keyboards 3 and 4. Therefore, when the user makes a fine adjustment of the angle α of the display unit 1 to make the screen easier to see, the angle adjustment is performed at an angle of about 90 ° or more as long as the notebook computer is used normally. The fine adjustment of the angle α of the display unit 1 does not change the overall configuration of the keyboards 3 and 4.

According to the above-described embodiment, since the movement of the keyboards 3 and 4 is performed in conjunction with the rotation of the display unit 1, no special operation is required to move the keyboards 3 and 4. Only

[Third Embodiment] Next, as a third embodiment,
A configuration in which a lock mechanism for locking the left and right keyboards 3 and 4 in a used state and a stored state in the configuration of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 21 is a side view of a mechanism for locking the keyboards 3 and 4 in a state of use when viewed from the direction of the arrow DD in FIG. 18, and the structure of other parts than those shown in FIG. Same as

In FIG. 21, reference numeral 38 denotes a cam.
The display shaft 37 is fixed to the display shaft 37.
And the same rotation. Reference numeral 39 denotes a lock bar, which is mounted inside the main body 2 so as to be rotatable around a bar fulcrum 43. The lock bar is always urged in the direction of arrow CC by a spring 42, and the right end in FIG. doing. A lock projection 40 is provided on the left end of the lock bar 39 in the drawing.
When the left and right keyboards 3 and 4 are open, the cam 38 acts to fit into the lock hole 41 provided on the right keyboard 4 in the state of use shown in FIG. I have.

In the device of this embodiment configured as described above, the angle α of the display unit 1 in FIG. 20 is generally equal to or less than 80 °, that is, the keyboards 3 and 4 are in the stored state or in the moving state in FIG. In this state, the small diameter portion of the cam 38 is in contact with the lock bar 39, so that the lock projection 40 does not interfere with the right keyboard 4 at all, and the movement of the right keyboard 4 is hindered. There is no.

When the angle α exceeds about 80 °, the keyboards 3 and 4 are already in the use state of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 21, the large diameter portion of the cam 38 comes into contact with the lock bar 39 and the lock bar 3 is pressed against the bias of the spring 42.
9 is pushed up in the direction opposite to the arrow CC. At this time, since the lock hole 41 provided in the right keyboard 4 is located at the position where the lock projection 40 is fitted, the right keyboard 4 is locked so as not to move by the fitting. This state is maintained until the angle α reaches the maximum possible angle of the apparatus.

The lock mechanism is provided by the right keyboard 4
The right keyboard 4 and the left keyboard 3 are interlocked by the gear portions 22 and 23 of the left and right swing arms 8 as described in the first and second embodiments. Needless to say, simply locking one keyboard locks the other.

Next, a configuration for locking when the keyboard is stored (the state shown in FIG. 3D) will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 22 (a side view as viewed from the same direction as FIG. 20), the display unit 1 is provided with a lock pin 44, and when the display unit 1 is folded down on the main body 2 and closed (the angle α is 0 °). 3) That is, when the keyboards 3 and 4 are already in the storage state shown in FIG. 3D, the lock pins 44 are fitted into the lock pin holes 45 provided in the right keyboard 4 to lock the right keyboard 4. It is supposed to.

However, if the height EE of the lock pin 44 is too high, the angle α of the display unit 1 becomes 10 ° or more,
That is, when the keyboard is in the moving state before the state shown in FIG.
Then, the height EE of the lock pin 44 is set so that the lock pin 44 fits into the lock pin hole 45 after the keyboard is in the state shown in FIG. 3D (after α falls below 10 °). Good.

According to the above embodiment, the keyboards 3 and 4 can be locked during use and storage. As a configuration other than the lock mechanism described above, when the keyboards 3 and 4 are in the state shown in FIG. 3A or FIG. 3D, the user operates the manual locking member to lock the keyboards 3 and 4. Of course, there is a configuration that can be easily realized.

[0071]

As is apparent from the above description, in the information processing apparatus according to the present invention, two substantially rectangular keyboards, each of which is divided into two, are disposed on the left and right sides of the upper surface of the apparatus main body. It can be moved between a state of use in which one short side is adjacent to each other and side by side, and a state of storage in which one long side is adjacent to each other and side by side. Since the configuration is adopted, when used, the length of the two keyboards in the horizontal direction is long, the area in the horizontal direction is large, and the keyboard is easy to operate. The length is shortened, the difference between the vertical and horizontal lengths is reduced, and the device can be housed within the size of the device main body, and the portability of the device can be improved. In addition, there is a problem that a space is required for a folding operation in a conventional foldable keyboard and the thickness is increased when the keyboard is stored, and a key top in a sliding telescopic keyboard is difficult to operate, and a gap is formed between the key tops and the appearance is poor. There is no problem.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an entire information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a back side showing a configuration for moving a left keyboard of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing how to move left and right keyboards of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a problem in arrangement of a slit provided in the apparatus main body for moving the keyboard.

FIG. 5 shows pins, slits, and the like for moving the keyboard.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement and operation of the swing arm in use when viewed from the direction of arrow L in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the keyboard is moving from the state of use to the state of storage in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state where the keyboard is moved to a state where the keyboard is stored.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the state of FIG. 7 as viewed from the same configuration and line of sight as FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the state of FIG. 7 viewed from the same line of sight as FIG.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part of a moving mechanism that moves the left and right keyboards in conjunction with each other.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a connection portion of a flexible cable for electrically connecting the keyboard and the apparatus main body when the keyboard is in use, as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a state of a connection portion of a flexible cable when the keyboard is rotated by 45 ° from a state in use.

FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a state of a connection portion of a flexible cable in a state where the keyboard is rotated to a state in which the keyboard is stored.

FIG. 14 is a side view as seen from the direction of arrow W in FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a side view seen from the direction of arrow W in FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 is a side view as seen from the direction of arrow W in FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the engagement state between the keyboard and the apparatus main body as viewed from the direction of arrow K in FIG. 1;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a keyboard moving mechanism of the device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a supplementary explanatory diagram related to the wires and pulleys in FIG. 18;

20 is a side view showing the angle α of the display unit in the operation of the second embodiment, as viewed from the direction of arrow BB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 21 is a side view of a lock mechanism for locking a keyboard in a state of use according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a side view of a lock mechanism that locks the keyboard according to the third embodiment in a stored state.

FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view showing a state when a conventional foldable keyboard is used.

FIG. 24 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the foldable keyboard is being folded.

FIG. 25 is a schematic perspective view showing a state when using (extending) a conventional slide telescopic keyboard.

FIG. 26 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the slide telescopic keyboard is stored (at the time of contraction).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Display unit 2 Main body 3 Left keyboard 4 Right keyboard 5 Vertical guide pin 6 Horizontal guide pin 7 Drive pin 8 Swing arm 9 Horizontal guide slit 10 Vertical guide slit 11 Drive slit 18 Working pulley 19 Belt 20 Drive pulley 21 Rotary dial 22 Left gear part 23 Right gear part 24 Flexible cable 27 Display gear 29 Pulley gear 30 Close pulley 31 Open pulley 33 Close idler 34 Open idler 35 Wire 36 Tensioner 38 Cam 39 Lock bar 40 Lock protrusion 41 Lock hole 42 Spring 44 Lock Pin 45 Lock pinhole

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A two-part, substantially rectangular keyboard is disposed on the left and right sides of an upper surface of an apparatus main body, and the two keyboards are arranged side by side such that one short side is adjacent to each other. An information processing apparatus characterized in that the information processing apparatus can be moved between a state at the time and a state at the time of storage in which one of the long sides is adjacent to each other so that they are adjacent to each other. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two keyboards are movable in the state of use and the state of storage in cooperation with each other. 3. The two keyboards are symmetrically linked in a plane parallel to the upper surface of the apparatus main body, and are turned in opposite directions to be movable between the used state and the stored state. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 4. A linear horizontal guide slit along a horizontal direction of the apparatus main body, a linear vertical guide slit along a vertical direction of the apparatus main body, and the horizontal guide slit on an upper surface of the apparatus main body. Two drive slits are formed symmetrically about a 90-degree arc of a circle centered on the intersection of the center lines of the vertical guide slits, and two drive slits are provided on each of the back surfaces of the two keyboards. A horizontal guide pin slidably engaged with the direction guide slit, a vertical guide pin slidably engaged with the vertical guide slit, and a drive pin slidably engaged with the drive slit are fixed. The two keyboards are mounted by interlocking the drive pins of the two keyboards and rotating them approximately 90 ° along each of the drive slits. 4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the device is moved symmetrically in the plane parallel to the upper surface of the main body and rotated by about 90 [deg.] In opposite directions to the state in use and the state in storage. Information processing device. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the drive pin is disposed at a midpoint of a straight line connecting the horizontal guide pin and the vertical guide pin. 6. The horizontal guide slit, the vertical guide slit and the drive slit are arranged such that the drive slit intersects only one of the horizontal guide slit and the vertical guide slit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4. 7. The width of at least one of the transverse guide slit and the longitudinal guide slit that intersects with the drive slit and the diameter of a guide pin that engages with the slit are respectively the width of the drive slit. 7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the diameter is larger than the diameter of the drive pin. 8. The two keyboards are each electrically connected to the apparatus main body by a flexible cable, and the flexible cable is arranged such that a center line of the cable in a plane parallel to a back surface of the keyboard rotates the drive pin. The cable is arranged so as to coincide with a straight line S connecting the center and the midpoint of the locus of rotation of the drive pin by about 90 °, and the end of the cable on the keyboard side is bent in a substantially U shape toward the back of the keyboard. 8. The device according to claim 4, wherein the drive pin is connected to a position outside the arc of the trajectory on the back surface of the keyboard and in which the straight line S passes while the drive pin is located at the midpoint of the trajectory. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 9. A display unit is provided on an upper surface of the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable between a state in which the display unit overlaps the two keyboards and a state in which the display unit stands near the back side of the keyboard. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a moving mechanism that moves the two keyboards between the use state and the storage state. 10. The moving mechanism moves the two keyboards in conjunction with the rotation of the display unit only when the angle formed between the display unit and the upper surface of the apparatus main body is within a specific range. Claim 9
An information processing apparatus according to claim 1. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: first locking means for locking the two keyboards in the used state, and second locking means for locking the two keyboards in the stored state. 11. The information processing device according to any one of up to 10. 12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said first and second locking means locks in conjunction with movement of said two keyboards.