Patent ID: 6385039
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: G06F,Y10T

Abstract:
A portable computer assembly comprising:a keyboard module including a keyboard housing having front and rear ends, top and bottom sides, and a surrounding wall extending between said top and bottom sides, said surrounding wall including front and rear walls and left and right side walls interconnecting said front and rear walls, said keyboard housing being formed with a connector mounting slot which is accessible from said bottom side and said rear end of said keyboard housing, said keyboard module further having a first electrical connector unit disposed in said connector mounting slot adjacent to said rear end of said keyboard housing, each of said left and right side walls being formed with a pivot hole adjacent to said rear end of said keyboard housing; a display module including a display housing having a lower end connected pivotally to said rear end of said keyboard housing; and a battery module including an elongated battery housing adapted for receiving a battery set therein, said battery housing having first and second ends which are opposite to each other in a longitudinal first direction of said battery housing, said battery module further including a second electrical connector unit which projects from said battery housing in a second direction transverse to the first direction, which is adapted to connect electrically with the battery set that is received in said battery housing, and which is extendible into said connector mounting slot in said keyboard housing for connecting matingly with said first electrical connector unit so as to supply electric power to said keyboard module, said battery module further including confronting first and second mounting units mounted respectively on said first and second ends of said battery housing and projecting relative to said battery housing in the second direction, said first mounting unit having a distal end provided with a first cylindrical stud which extends in the first direction toward said second mounting unit and which is inserted rotatably and removably into said pivot hole in one of said left and right side walls of said keyboard housing, said second mounting unit including: a casing having a connecting end portion secured to said second end of said battery housing, and a mounting end portion extending from said connecting end portion and projecting relative to said battery housing in the second direction, said casing having a first side wall facing said first mounting unit, and a second side wall opposite to said first side wall in the first direction, a depressible operating member mounted on said second side wall of said casing at said connecting end portion of said casing, a pivot shaft mounted fixedly in said casing between said connecting and mounting end portions of said casing, and extending in a third direction transverse to the first and second directions, a second cylindrical stud mounted on said first side wall of said casing at said mounting end portion of said casing, and inserted rotatably and removably into said pivot hole in the other one of said left and right side walls of said keyboard housing, a lever disposed in said casing and having a first end connected pivotally to said depressible operating member, a second end opposite to said first end and connected pivotally to said second cylindrical stud, and an intermediate portion mounted pivotally on said pivot shaft, and a biasing member disposed in said casing for biasing said depressible operating member in a direction away from said first side wall to enable said depressible operating member to project from said second side wall and to enable said second cylindrical stud to project from said first side wall of said casing, said depressible operating member being depressible against biasing action of said biasing member so as to enable said lever to pivot about said pivot shaft and to retract said second cylindrical stud into said casing for disengaging said second cylindrical stud from said pivot hole in the other one of said left and right side walls of said keyboard housing.