TWM660687U - Notebook computer - Google Patents

Abstract

A notebook computer includes a screen and a host. The host is pivotally connected to the screen and includes a casing, at least one connection port and a sliding cover. One side of the casing has a recess, the recess has a first area and a second area, the connection port is disposed in the first area, and the sliding cover is slidably disposed on the side and is adapted to slide between a first position and a second position. When the sliding cover is in the first position, the sliding cover covers the first area to shield the connection port, and the sliding cover exposes the second area. When the sliding cover is in the second position, the sliding cover covers the second area and exposes the first area.

Description

Laptop

This novel creation relates to an electronic device, and in particular to a laptop computer.

In response to the trend of thinner and lighter laptops, the edge of the laptop host needs to be designed to have a smaller thickness to create a visually thin effect. However, the connection port located on the edge of the host has a certain thickness, which limits the reduction of the thickness of the host edge, and the exposed connection port affects the aesthetics of the laptop.

This new creation provides a notebook computer with a thin and light visual effect and a good appearance.

The novel notebook computer includes a screen and a host. The host is connected to the screen and includes a housing, at least one connection port and a sliding cover. A side of the housing has a recess, the recess has a first area and a second area, the connection port is arranged in the first area, and the sliding cover is slidably arranged on the side and is suitable for sliding between a first position and a second position. When the sliding cover is in the first position, the sliding cover covers the first area and shields the connection port and the sliding cover exposes the second area. When the sliding cover is in the second position, the sliding cover shields the second area and the sliding cover exposes the first area.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the host further includes a light-emitting element, which is disposed in the second area. When the sliding cover is in the first position, the light-emitting element emits a first indicator light.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the sliding cover is light-transmissive. When the sliding cover is in the second position, the light-emitting element emits a second indicator light, and the second indicator light is displayed through the sliding cover.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the sliding cover is in the first position, the light-emitting element is turned on, and when the sliding cover is in the second position, the light-emitting element is turned off.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a top surface of the sliding cover and a top surface of the outer shell have the same appearance. When the screen cover is mounted on the host, an outer frame surface of the screen flatly covers the top surface of the sliding cover and the top surface of the outer shell.

In one embodiment of the present invention, one side of the sliding cover and the side of the outer shell have the same shape.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned recess has a surface, the connection port is located on the surface, and the surface is perpendicular to a top surface of the outer shell.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned recess has a surface, the connection port is located on the surface, and the surface is not continuous with the side surface of the outer shell.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sliding cover includes a sliding portion and a cover portion connected to each other, the sliding cover is slid on the side surface by the sliding portion, and the first area or the second area is shielded by the cover portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned sliding part can be slidably mounted on the light-emitting element. When the sliding cover is in the first position, the sliding part covers at least part of the outer surface of the light-emitting element. When the sliding cover is in the second position, the sliding part is hidden in the outer shell.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion is light-transmissive and the sliding portion is light-transmissive.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover is light-transmissive and the sliding portion has a slot. When the sliding cover is in the first position, the slot corresponds to the light-emitting element.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the outer shell has an outer wall and a limiting wall, the limiting wall is located on the inner side of the outer wall, and the sliding portion is at least partially limited between the outer wall and the limiting wall to prevent the sliding cover from moving in a direction perpendicular to the side surface.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover has a hook that hooks onto the light-emitting element to prevent the sliding cover from moving in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the housing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing has an inclined surface extending from the side to the bottom of the housing, and the light-emitting element has a structural reinforcement portion extending along the inclined surface to the bottom of the housing.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the sliding portion extends into the outer shell along a direction perpendicular to a surface of the recess, and the outer shell has a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion adjacent to each other, and the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are located in a sliding path of the sliding portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the sliding cover is in the first position, the sliding portion is positioned at the first positioning portion, and when the sliding cover is in the second position, the sliding portion is positioned at the second positioning portion.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the host further comprises a driving unit, a gear and a toothed bar. The driving unit is disposed in the outer shell, the gear is connected to the driving unit, the toothed bar is disposed on the sliding cover and engaged with the gear, and the driving unit is suitable for driving the sliding cover to slide between the first position and the second position through the gear and the toothed bar.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the host further comprises an elastic member connected between the sliding cover and the outer shell, the outer shell has a positioning hole, and the sliding cover has a positioning block. When the sliding cover is in the second position, the positioning block resists the elastic force of the elastic member and is positioned in the positioning hole, and the positioning block is suitable for being pressed to disengage from the positioning hole, so that the sliding cover is moved to the first position by the elastic force of the elastic member.

Based on the above, in the laptop of the present invention, the side of the housing of the host is provided with a recess, and the connection port is arranged in the recess. By means of the design method of retracting the connection port from the side of the housing inward and slightly away from the edge of the housing (i.e., the side), the reduction of the thickness of the edge of the housing will not be limited by the thickness of the connection port, and the thickness of the edge of the housing can be reduced to give it a light and thin visual effect. Moreover, when the connection port is not in use, the sliding cover slidably arranged on the side of the housing can be used to cover the connection port, so that the laptop has a good appearance.

100, 200, 300, 400: Laptops

110, 210, 310, 410: Screen

120, 220, 320, 420: host

122, 222, 322, 422: Shell

1221:Exterior wall

1222: Limit wall

124, 224, 324, 424: port

126, 226, 326, 426: Sliding cover

1261, 2261, 3261, 4261: Cover

1261a: Hook

1262, 2262, 3262, 4262: Sliding equipment department

1262a: Slotting

128, 228: Light-emitting element

1281: Structural reinforcement department

321: Drive unit

323: Gear

325: Tooth

421: Elastic parts

A1: Area 1

A2: Second area

B: Positioning block

H: Positioning hole

P1: First positioning part

P2: Second positioning part

N: Concave part

NS: Surface

S1, S5: Side

S2, S3: Top surface

S4: Frame surface

S6: Slope

Figure 1A is a partial three-dimensional diagram of a notebook computer in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates the movement of the sliding cover of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are side views of the laptop computer shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B , respectively, with the screen covering the host computer.

Figure 3 is a partial three-dimensional diagram of the laptop computer in Figure 1.

Figures 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views of the laptop computer in Figure 3 along line I-I, line II-II, and line III-III, respectively.

Figure 5 is a partial enlarged view of a notebook computer in another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6A is a partial three-dimensional diagram of a notebook computer in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B illustrates the movement of the sliding cover of FIG. 6A.

FIG7A and FIG7B are three-dimensional diagrams of the partial structure of the notebook computer of FIG6A and FIG6B respectively.

Figure 8 is a top view of the partial structure of a notebook computer in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG9A is a top view of the partial structure of a notebook computer in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B illustrates the movement of the sliding cover of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are three-dimensional diagrams of some components of the notebook computer shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B , respectively.

FIG. 1A is a partial three-dimensional diagram of a laptop computer of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1B shows the movement of the sliding cover of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are side views of the laptop computer of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B respectively, with the screen cover of the laptop computer being closed to the host computer. Referring to FIG. 1A to FIG. 2B, the laptop computer 100 of the present embodiment includes a screen 110 and a host computer 120. The host computer 120 is connected to the screen 110 and includes a housing 122, a connection port 124 and a sliding cover 126.

A side surface S1 of the housing 122 has a recess N, the recess N has a first area A1 and a second area A2 and has a surface NS, the surface NS is perpendicular to a top surface S3 of the housing 122, and the surface NS is discontinuous with the side surface S1 of the housing 122. The connection port 124 is disposed in the first area A1 and located on the surface NS, and the sliding cover 126 is slidably disposed on the side surface S1 and is suitable for sliding between a first position shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A and a second position shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2B. When the sliding cover 126 is located in the first position shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A, the sliding cover 126 covers the first area A1 and shields the connection port 124, and the sliding cover 126 exposes the second area A2. When the sliding cover 126 is in the second position shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2B , the sliding cover 126 covers the second area A2 and the sliding cover 126 exposes the first area A1.

As described above, in the notebook computer 100 of the present embodiment, the side surface S1 of the housing 122 of the host 120 is provided with a recess N, and the connection port 124 is disposed in the recess N. By designing the connection port 124 to be retracted inward from the side surface S1 of the housing 122 and slightly away from the edge of the housing 122 (i.e., the side surface S1), the reduction of the thickness of the edge of the housing 122 is not limited by the thickness of the connection port 124, and the thickness of the edge of the housing 122 can be reduced to give the housing 122 a thinner visual effect (see FIGS. 4A to 4C ). Furthermore, when the connection port 124 is not in use, the connection port 124 can be covered by a sliding cover 126 slidably mounted on the side S1 of the housing 122, so that the notebook computer 100 has a good appearance. However, the number of the connection ports 124 of the present invention is not limited to that shown in the figure, and multiple connection ports 124 can be added according to the lengthening of the range of the recess N.

In this embodiment, the host 120 further includes a light emitting element 128, which may include a light emitting diode light source or other types of light sources and is disposed in the second area A2. When the sliding cover 126 is located at the first position shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A, the light emitting element 128 may emit a first indicator light to indicate that the current connection port 124 is in an unusable state or to indicate the position of the connection port 124. In addition, the sliding cover 126 of this embodiment includes, for example, a transparent or translucent material and is light-transmissive. When the sliding cover 126 is located at the second position shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2B , the light-emitting element 128 can emit a second indicator light different from the first indicator light. The second indicator light is displayed through the light-transmissive sliding cover 126 to indicate that the current connection port 124 is in a usable state or that the sliding cover 126 does not cover the connection port 124.

However, the lighting method of the light-emitting element of the present invention is not limited to the above. In other embodiments, when the sliding cover 126 is in the first position, the light-emitting element 128 is turned on to indicate that the current connection port 124 is in an unusable state, and when the sliding cover 126 is in the second position, the light-emitting element 128 is turned off to indicate that the current connection port 124 is in an available state.

In this embodiment, a top surface S2 of the sliding cover 126 and a top surface S3 of the outer shell 122 have the same shape. Specifically, the top surface S2 of the sliding cover 126 and the top surface S3 of the outer shell 122 are continuous and flush with each other. When the screen 110 is covered on the host 120 as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, an outer frame surface S4 of the screen 110 flatly covers the top surface S2 of the sliding cover 126 and the top surface S3 of the outer shell 122. In addition, a side surface S5 of the sliding cover 126 of this embodiment and a side surface S1 of the outer shell 122 have the same shape. Specifically, the side surface S5 of the sliding cover 126 and the side surface S1 of the housing 122 are continuous and flush with each other. Accordingly, the notebook computer 100 has a good appearance and the screen 110 and the host 120 can be closed well.

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the notebook computer of Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 3, in detail, the sliding cover 126 of this embodiment includes a sliding portion 1262 and a cover portion 1261 connected to each other. The sliding cover 126 is slidably mounted on the side surface S1 of the housing 122 by the sliding portion 1262, and the cover portion 1261 shields the first area A1 or the second area A2. More specifically, the sliding portion 1262 can be slidably mounted on the light-emitting element 128. When the sliding cover 126 is in the first position shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2A, the sliding portion 1262 covers at least part of the outer surface of the light-emitting element 128, and when the sliding cover 126 is in the second position shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 2B, the sliding portion 1262 is hidden in the outer shell 122. In addition, the cover portion 1261 is light-transmissive and the sliding portion 1262 is light-transmissive, so that the light-emitting element 128 can display an indicator light through the sliding cover 126 in both the state shown in FIG. 1A and the state shown in FIG. 1B.

Furthermore, the outer shell 122 of the present embodiment has an outer wall 1221 and a limiting wall 1222 as shown in FIG3 , and the limiting wall 1222 is located on the inner side of the outer wall 1221. The sliding portion 1262 of the sliding cover 126 has an L-shaped cross section and is at least partially limited between the outer wall 1221 and the limiting wall 1222 to prevent the sliding cover 126 from moving in a direction perpendicular to the side surface S1 (indicated in FIG1A ), so that the sliding cover 126 can be stably slid on the outer shell 122.

FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C are cross-sectional views of the notebook computer of FIG. 3 along the I-I line, the II-II line, and the III-III line, respectively. Referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B , the cover 1261 of this embodiment has a hook 1261a, which is hooked to the light-emitting element 128 to prevent the sliding cover 126 from moving in a direction perpendicular to the top surface S3 of the outer shell 122, so that the sliding cover 126 is stably slid on the outer shell 122. In addition, the outer shell 122 has an inclined surface S6, which extends from the side surface S1 to the bottom of the outer shell 122 to reduce the thickness of the edge of the outer shell 122 as described above. The light-emitting element 128 has a structural reinforcement portion 1281 correspondingly, and the structural reinforcement portion 1281 extends along the inclined surface S6 toward the bottom of the outer shell 122 to increase the structural strength of the light-emitting element 128 and enable the sliding cover 126 to slide stably on the light-emitting element 128.

FIG5 is a partial enlarged view of a notebook computer of another embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment shown in FIG5 is different from the embodiment shown in FIG3 in that the sliding portion 1262 of the embodiment shown in FIG5 has a slot 1262a. When the sliding cover 126 is located at the first position, the slot 1262a corresponds to the light-emitting element 128, so that the light-emitting element 128 can display the indicator light through the slot 1262a. Under this setting mode, the sliding portion 1262 can be made of opaque material.

FIG6A is a partial three-dimensional diagram of a laptop computer of another embodiment of the present invention. FIG6B shows the movement of the sliding cover of FIG6A. FIG7A and FIG7B are three-dimensional diagrams of the partial structure of the laptop computer of FIG6A and FIG6B, respectively. In the laptop computer 200 shown in FIG6A to FIG7B, the configuration and function of the screen 210, the host 220, the housing 222, the connection port 224, the sliding cover 226, the cover 2261, and the light-emitting element 228 are the same or similar to the configuration and function of the screen 110, the host 120, the housing 122, the connection port 124, the sliding cover 126, the cover 1261, and the light-emitting element 128 of the aforementioned embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

The main difference between the notebook computer 200 and the notebook computer 100 is that the sliding portion 2262 of the sliding cover 226 of the notebook computer 200 is always hidden in the outer shell 222, and the sliding portion 2262 has a positioning function. Specifically, the sliding portion 2262 of the sliding cover 226 extends into the outer shell 222 along a direction perpendicular to the surface NS of the recess N, and the outer shell 222 has a first positioning portion P1 and a second positioning portion P2 adjacent to each other, and the first positioning portion P1 and the second positioning portion P2 are located in the sliding path of the sliding portion 2262. When the sliding cover 226 is located at the first position shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 7A, the sliding portion 2262 is located at the first positioning portion P1, and when the sliding cover 226 is located at the second position shown in FIG. 6B and FIG. 7B, the sliding portion 2262 is located at the second positioning portion P2.

The sliding covers 126 and 226 of the aforementioned embodiments are slid manually by the user, but the present invention is not limited to this. The following is an example to illustrate this.

FIG8 is a top view of a partial structure of a laptop computer of another embodiment of the present invention. In the laptop computer 300 shown in FIG8 , the configuration and function of the screen 310, the host 320, the housing 322, the connection port 324, the sliding cover 326, the cover 3261, and the sliding part 3262 are the same or similar to the configuration and function of the screen 110, the host 120, the housing 122, the connection port 124, the sliding cover 126, the cover 1261, and the sliding part 1262 of the aforementioned embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

The main difference between the laptop computer 300 and the laptop computer 100 is that the host computer 320 of the laptop computer 300 further includes a drive unit 321, a gear 323 and a gear 325. The drive unit 321 is disposed in the outer housing 322, the gear 323 is connected to the drive unit 321, and the gear 325 is disposed on the sliding cover 326 and engaged with the gear 323. The drive unit 321 is suitable for driving the sliding cover 326 to slide between the first position and the second position through the gear 323 and the gear 325. The drive unit 321 is only schematically shown in FIG. 8, and it can actually be a motor or other forms of drive source.

FIG. 9A is a top view of a partial structure of a laptop computer of another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9B shows the movement of the sliding cover of FIG. 9A. FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B are three-dimensional views of some components of the laptop computer of FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, respectively. In the laptop computer 400 shown in FIG. 9A to FIG. 10B, the configuration and function of the screen 410, the host 420, the housing 422, the connection port 424, the sliding cover 426, the cover 4261, and the sliding part 4262 are the same or similar to the configuration and function of the screen 110, the host 120, the housing 122, the connection port 124, the sliding cover 126, the cover 1261, and the sliding part 1262 of the aforementioned embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

The main difference between the notebook computer 400 and the notebook computer 100 is that the main unit 420 of the notebook computer 400 further includes an elastic member 421, which is, for example, a spring and is connected between the sliding cover 426 and the outer shell 422. The outer shell 422 has a positioning hole H, and the sliding cover 426 has a positioning block B. When the sliding cover 426 is located at the second position shown in FIG. 9B and FIG. 10B, the positioning block B resists the elastic force of the elastic member 421 and is positioned at the positioning hole H, and the positioning block B is suitable for being pressed to disengage from the positioning hole H, so that the sliding cover 426 is moved to the first position shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 10A by the elastic force of the elastic member 421.

In summary, in the present invention, a concave portion is provided on the side of the housing of the main unit, and the connection port is arranged in the concave portion. By means of such a design that the connection port is retracted inward from the side of the housing and slightly away from the edge of the housing (i.e., the side), the reduction of the thickness of the edge of the housing will not be limited by the thickness of the connection port, and the thickness of the edge of the housing can be reduced to give it a light and thin visual effect. Furthermore, when the connection port is not in use, the connection port can be covered by a sliding cover that is slidably arranged on the side of the housing, so that the laptop has a good appearance.

100: Laptop computer

110: Screen

120: Host

122: Shell

124:Port

126: Sliding cover

1261: Cover

1261a: Hook

128: Light-emitting element

1281: Structural reinforcement department

A1: Area 1

A2: Second area

N: Concave part

NS: Surface

S1, S5: Side

S2, S3: Top surface

S4: Frame surface

S6: Slope

Claims (19)

A notebook computer includes: a screen; and a host computer, which is connected to the screen and includes a housing, at least one connection port and a sliding cover, wherein a side surface of the housing has a recess, the recess has a first area and a second area, the connection port is arranged in the first area, the sliding cover is slidably arranged on the side surface and is suitable for sliding between a first position and a second position, when the sliding cover is located at the first position, the sliding cover covers the first area and shields the connection port and the sliding cover exposes the second area, when the sliding cover is located at the second position, the sliding cover shields the second area and the sliding cover exposes the first area. A laptop computer as described in claim 1, wherein the host further includes a light-emitting element, the light-emitting element is disposed in the second area, and when the sliding cover is in the first position, the light-emitting element emits a first indicator light. A notebook computer as described in claim 2, wherein the sliding cover is light-transmissive, and when the sliding cover is in the second position, the light-emitting element emits a second indicator light, and the second indicator light is displayed through the sliding cover. A laptop computer as described in claim 2, wherein when the sliding cover is in the first position, the light-emitting element is turned on, and when the sliding cover is in the second position, the light-emitting element is turned off. As described in claim 1, a top surface of the sliding cover and a top surface of the outer shell have the same appearance, and when the screen is covered on the host, an outer frame surface of the screen flatly covers the top surface of the sliding cover and the top surface of the outer shell. A laptop computer as described in claim 1, wherein one side of the sliding cover and the side of the housing have the same shape. A laptop computer as described in claim 1, wherein the recess has a surface, the connection port is located on the surface, and the surface is perpendicular to a top surface of the housing. A laptop computer as described in claim 1, wherein the recess has a surface, the connection port is located on the surface, and the surface is not continuous with the side surface of the housing. The notebook computer as described in claim 2, wherein the sliding cover includes a sliding portion and a cover portion connected to each other, the sliding cover is slid on the side surface by the sliding portion, and the first area or the second area is shielded by the cover portion. As described in claim 9, the sliding portion can be slidably mounted on the light-emitting element, and when the sliding cover is in the first position, the sliding portion covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the light-emitting element, and when the sliding cover is in the second position, the sliding portion is hidden in the outer shell. A laptop computer as described in claim 10, wherein the cover portion is light-transmissive and the sliding portion is light-transmissive. A notebook computer as described in claim 10, wherein the cover is light-transmissive and the sliding portion has a slot, and when the sliding cover is in the first position, the slot corresponds to the light-emitting element. The laptop computer as described in claim 10, wherein the outer shell has an outer wall and a limiting wall, the limiting wall is located on the inner side of the outer wall, and the sliding portion is at least partially limited between the outer wall and the limiting wall to prevent the sliding cover from moving in a direction perpendicular to the side surface. A laptop computer as described in claim 10, wherein the cover has a hook portion, which is hooked to the light-emitting element to prevent the sliding cover from moving in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the housing. A laptop computer as described in claim 9, wherein the housing has a slope extending from the side toward the bottom of the housing, and the light-emitting element has a structural reinforcement portion extending along the slope toward the bottom of the housing. A laptop computer as described in claim 9, wherein the sliding portion extends into the housing along a direction perpendicular to a surface of the recess, and the housing has a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion adjacent to each other, and the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion are located in a sliding path of the sliding portion. A notebook computer as described in claim 16, wherein when the sliding cover is in the first position, the sliding portion is positioned at the first positioning portion, and when the sliding cover is in the second position, the sliding portion is positioned at the second positioning portion. The laptop computer as described in claim 1, wherein the host further includes a drive unit, a gear and a toothed bar, the drive unit is disposed in the outer shell, the gear is connected to the drive unit, the toothed bar is disposed on the sliding cover and engaged with the gear, and the drive unit is suitable for driving the sliding cover to slide between the first position and the second position through the gear and the toothed bar. The laptop computer as described in claim 1, wherein the host further includes an elastic member, the elastic member is connected between the sliding cover and the outer shell, the outer shell has a positioning hole, the sliding cover has a positioning block, when the sliding cover is in the second position, the positioning block resists the elastic force of the elastic member and is positioned in the positioning hole, and the positioning block is suitable for being pressed to disengage from the positioning hole, so that the sliding cover is moved to the first position by the elastic force of the elastic member.

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