WO1993023257A1

WO1993023257A1 - Portable apparatus for insertion in document-retaining means

Info

Publication number: WO1993023257A1
Application number: PCT/DK1993/000153
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Gram Hansen
Original assignee: Time/System International A/S
Priority date: 1992-05-12
Filing date: 1993-05-06
Publication date: 1993-11-25
Also published as: AU4060993A; DK168747B1; DK61592A; DK61592D0

Abstract

In a portable apparatus, such as an electronic calendar (1) with an attachment strip (2) adapted to be secured in a loose-leaf binder (5) by means of the latter's rings (4) engaging holes (not visible) in the attachment strip (2), the novel feature is that the calendar (1) is releasably connected to the attachment strip (2), such as by means of a tongue-and-groove connection comprising a key portion (7) on the attachment strip (2) engaging an undercut groove (9) formed in the edge portion of the calendar. With this arrangement, the electronic calendar may be removed from an inserted into the loose-leaf binder (5) without the necessity of re-arranging the documents (6) or opening the rings (4).

Description

PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR INSERTION IN DOCUMENT- RETAINING MEANS.

TECHICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a portable apparatus of the kind set forth in the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND ART

An apparatus of the kind referred to above in the form of a portable computer is known from the European patent application No. 369113. In this known apparatus, the attachment strip is permanently and rigidly secured to or integral with the housing of the apparatus. If the binder, in which this known apparatus is inserted, also contains various documents, it will in many cases be necessary to re-arrange the documents and open the holding means, such as "rings", in order to remove the apparatus from the binder. This may not always be convenient, especially when transferring information between the apparatus and the documents inserted in the binder.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide a portable apparatus of the kind referred to initially, with which the above-mentioned disadvantages are avoided, making it possible to remove the apparatus from or insert it into the binder without re-arranging any documents also being retained in the same binder, and according to the present invention, this object is achieved with an apparatus of the kind referred to initially, additionally exhibiting the feature set forth in the characterizing clause of claim 1.

With this arrangement, the apparatus may be removed from the binder by merely releasing the connection between the housing of the apparatus and the attachment strip, and the apparatus may be re-inserted in the binder by re-establishing this connection, all without disturbing the documents retained in the same binder.

Advantageous embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention, the effects of which are explained in the following detailed portion of the present specification, are set forth in claims 2-8.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed portion of the present specification, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a full-face view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention in the form of an electronic calendar or diary, Figure 2 is an end view of a loose-leaf binder with the apparatus of Figure 1 inserted.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line

A-A in Figure 1 showing the tongue-and-groove connection between the housing of the apparatus and the attachment strip adapted to be inserted in the binder of Figure 2,

Figure 4 shows a portion of the attachment strip together with an associated "click-stop" means and Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view along the line A-A of Figure 1 and showing a different exemplary embodiment of the tongue-and-groove connection between the housing of the apparatus and the attachment strip.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 and 2 show an electronic calendar fitted in a housing 1, to the left-hand side of which is secured an attachment strip 2 having holes 3 for engagement with the rings 4 in a loose-leaf binder 5. As will appear from Figures 1 and 2, this arrangement makes it possible to keep an electronic calendar or other electronic apparatus with a substantially planar housing like the housing 1 shown in a loose-leaf binder together with documents 6 of various kinds.

As best seen from Figures 3 and 4, the attachment strip 2 comprises a key portion 7, the free edge of which is shaped into a bead 8. The key portion 7 with its bead 8 is inserted in a longitudinal groove 9 in the left-hand edge portion of the housing 1, said groove 9 having a widened bottom portion 10, its outer portion 11 flaring outwards to end in rounded outer edges 12.

As will be seen from Figure 3, the key portion 7 with its bead 8 engages the groove 9 with its widened bottom portion 10 with a loose fit, allowing for relative pivotal movement of the housing 1 and the strip 2 about a longitudinal axis. This arrangement gives more space for documents 6 than would otherwise have been the case. A further improvement is achieved by making the attachment strip 2 from some suitable flexible material such as nylon, stiff rubber or the like, the flared shape of the groove 9 allowing some flexing of the strip.

In order to retain the housing 1 in engagement with the attachment strip 2 as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is, of course, necessary to have some means for preventing relative movement of these parts in the lengthwise direction of the attachment strip 2. As the weight of an electronic calendar normally is at the most a few hundred grams, such retaining means can be made quite simple, in the embodiment shown comprising a recess 13 formed in the bead 8 and in a well- known manner adapted to engage a cooperating springy click nose 14 in the widened bottom portion 10 of the groove 9, i.e. allowing the recess 13 to be brought into and out of engagement with the click nose 14 by a person exerting a limited force on the housing 1 in the lengthwise direction of the attachment strip 2.

It will be seen that with the arrangement described above with reference to Figures 1-4, it is possible to remove the housing 1 containing the electronic calendar from the loose-leaf binder 5 without first having to re-arrange the documents 6 and then open the rings 4. This may be very useful, when information is to be transferred between an electronic calendar and one or more of the documents 6, in which case the electronic calendar may be removed from the binder 5 and placed on the table while reading the documents 6 or writing on them.

The attachment strip 2 is preferably symmetrical, both about a plane parallel to its main body and about a plane at right angles to its lengthwise direction through the center of the strip. With such an arrangement, there is no "wrong way" to bring the housing 1 into engagement with the attachment strip 2.

Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the tongue-and-groove connection between the housing and the attachment strip. This Figure shows a housing 21 connected to an attachment strip 22 by means of a key portion 27 extending from the housing 21 and carrying an integral bead 28, these parts engaging a groove 29 with a widened bottom portion 30 formed in an edge portion of the attachment strip 22. This embodiment will, of course, also comprise "click-stop" means such as the recess 13 shown in Figure 4 and the cooperating click nose 14 shown in Figure 1. Like the attachment strip 2 shown in Figures 1-4, the attachment strip 22 shown in Figure 5 also comprises holes 23 for engagement with the rings 4 of the loose-leaf binder 5.

In a alternative embodiment (not shown), the housing 1 or 21 comprises the requisite parts for establishing a tongue-and-groove connection to the attachment strip 2 or 22 respectively on at least two sides, two opposite sides being preferred. This makes it possible to have the calendar placed to the left of the rings 4, while the document, with which information is to be exchanged, is placed to the right, thus making it easier to fill in blank spaces etc. in the document while looking at the calendar. LIST OF PARTS

Claims

C L A I M S

1. Portable apparatus, such as a computer, calculator or electronic calendar or diary, of the kind comprising a substantially planar housing (1,21) with an attachment strip (2,22) extending along one of the edges of said housing and having means, such as holes (3,23), for engagement with cooperating holding means, such as so-called rings (4), in a binder (5) of the type adapted to have documents (6) inserted and stored in it, characterized in that said attachment strip (2,22) is releasably secured to said housing (1,21).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said attachment strip (2,22) is secured to said housing (1,21) by means of a tongue-and-groove connection comprising an undercut groove (9,29) in said housing (1,21) or in said strip (2,22) and a key portion (7,27) secured to or integral with said strip (2,22) or said housing (1,21) respectively, said key portion (7,27) having a bead or thickened edge (8,28) adapted to cooperate with the widened bottom portion (10,30) of said undercut groove (9,29).

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said key portion (7,27) is held in position in the longitudinal direction relative to said undercut groove (9,29) by a click-stop arrangement (13,14).

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that at least a part of said attachment strip (2,22) is flexible.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in, that the outer edges (12) of said undercut groove (9) are rounded.

6. Apparatus according to any one or any of the claims 2-5, characterized in that the parts constituting said tongue-and-groove connection are adapted to engage each other with a loose fit allowing the parts limited relative pivotal movement about a longitudinal axis (Figure 3).

7. Apparatus according to any one or any of the claims 1-6, characterized in that the parts constituting said tongue-and-groove connection are symmetrical about a plane through and parallel to said key portion (7,27 ) _r as well as about a plane at right angles to and through the centre of said key portion.

8. Apparatus according to any one or any of the claims 2-7, characterized in that said housing (1,21) comprises the requisite parts of the tongue-and- groove connection on at least two sides.