Abstract:
A portable computer having a main computer body and a keyboard unit slidably attached to the main computer body and movable to various positions in front of the main computer body. A display unit is also slidably attached to the main computer body and movable to various positions up and away from the computer main body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to portable computers, and in particular, to an ergonomically designed portable computer. 
     Portable computers, alternatively known as either laptops or notebook computers, were introduced to accommodate the mobile computing needs of people whose work environment is not fixed. Portable computers are light and compact so that they may be easily transported from location to location. Portable computers are continuously being down sized into even smaller and lighter portable computers. Portable computers are characterized by unique design demands. In addition to being durable, portable computers must be of compact construction so that they will be sufficiently small and light weight to be readily carried, held and manipulated for portable use. 
     According to modern ergonomic theory and experience improper posture of human bodies during the use of computers can produce many types of injuries. These are generally classified as repetitive strain injuries. It is ergonomically desirable to have the keyboard unit approximately at elbow level with the user&#39;s arms parallel to the body. The top of the display unit should be approximately at eye level. 
     Prior art portable computers are not ergonomic. Because of their portability, such computers are frequently used in places that require the user to operate such computers from their lap. In such instances, the user must type with his or her wrists bent at an unnatural angle. Necks and heads must be bent downward to view the screens. This is a particular problem with liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) which are typically more difficult to view at oblique angles. By their very nature portable computers are designed to be used in environments which are not conducive to the best ergonomic setup. As shown in FIG. 1, a standard portable computer has a main computer body  1 , a keyboard unit  2  which is electrically and mechanically connected to said main computer body  1 , and a display unit  3  which is electrically attached to the main computer body  1  and mechanically attached by some type of hinge mechanism  4 . The display unit  3  can be rotated about said hinge mechanism  4 . When the portable computer is transported or stored, the display unit  3  is folded over the main computer body  1  as a protective cover in a closed position. When in use, the display unit  3  is unfolded and rotated about the hinge mechanism  4  to an open position. As a practical matter, this construction has limited the angle to which the display can be raised in use of the computer. As a result, the display unit  3  of a standard portable computer cannot be positioned at an optimum angle for use of the computer while actually resting on the lap of a user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the problem of prior art portable computers by providing a portable computer with a keyboard unit which is slidably attached to a main computer body and movable to various positions in front of the main computer body. The display unit is also slidably attached to the main computer body and movable to various positions up and away from the computer main body. In this fashion the wrists and head of the user may use the keyboard and display in a more ergonomically comfortable position. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art portable computer. 
     FIG. 2A is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, in a closed cover position. 
     FIG. 2B is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention, in a closed cover position. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A without a cover. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention with the keyboard deployed. 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the keyboard section of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective of the invention with the display unit partially deployed. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective of the invention with the display unit fully deployed. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the invention display track. 
     FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the invention display track deployed. 
     FIG. 9B is a close up view of the block protrusion. 
     FIG. 9C is a close up view of the block protrusion and clamping elements of FIG.  9 A. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention display track deployed. 
     FIG. 11 is a plan view of the display track and keyboard section. 
     FIG. 12A is a close-up, side view of the monitor and upper display track. 
     FIG. 12B is a is another embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG.  12 A. 
     FIG. 12C is a close-up front view of the monitor and upper display track. 
     FIG. 13 is a side view of the invention with the display unit partially deployed. 
     FIG. 14 is a side view of the invention with the display unit intermediately deployed. 
     FIG. 15 is a side view of the invention with the display unit fully deployed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown an embodiment of the invention presented as a portable computer  5 . The portable computer  5  has a main computer body  10 , a keyboard unit  20  which is electrically and mechanically connected to said body  10 , a display unit  60  which is attached to the body  10 , and a cover  110 . In FIG. 2A the cover  110  is attached to the computer top  11  by means of hinges  111 . An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 2B wherein the cover  110  is comprised of a clear plexiglass which fits over and is fixedly attached to the computer display unit  60  (see below for display unit details). 
     The main computer body  10  has a top  11 , bottom  12 , front  13 , rear  14 , right side  15 , left side  16 , an exterior surface  17  and an interior  18 . The computer body front  13  and rear  14  define the computer body length. The computer body right side  15  and left side  16  define the computer body width. The keyboard unit  20  is positioned to the computer body front  13  and the display unit  60  is positioned to the top  11  and rear  14 . The computer body interior  18  contains the conventional computer electronics (not shown) such as CPU, memory, hard drive, driver electronics, bus, diskette and CD-ROM drives, and the like. The cover  110  may be positioned over the computer body top  11 . 
     Referring more particularly to FIG. 4, the computer body front  13  has a generally rectangular aperture  19  formed therein, opening into the computer body interior  18 . The keyboard unit  20  is inserted into said aperture  19 . The keyboard unit  20  has a top  21 , bottom  22 , front  23 , rear  24  and two opposite sides  25  interconnecting said front  23 , rear  24 , top  21  and bottom  22 . When the keyboard unit  20  is inserted into the computer body front aperture  19 , the keyboard unit front  23  lies in the same general plane as the computer body front  13  and the keyboard unit rear  24  is positioned within the computer body interior  18 . See, FIG.  3 . The key board unit rear  24  is attached near its bottom  22  to a generally flat, rectangular, horizontal, interface element  26  protruding into the computer body interior  18 . See, also, FIGS. 5 and 15. The keyboard interface element  26  is mechanically and slidably attached to the computer body interior within a computer body interior interface channel  40 . See FIGS. 6-11. 
     The computer body interface channel  40  is comprised of two, spaced, parallel, curved elements  41 ,  51  extending from near the computer body front  13  and bottom  12  to the computer body rear  14  and top  11 . See FIG.  11 . Each curved element  41 ,  51  has a bottom-front  42 ,  52 , top-rear  43 ,  53 , top surface  44 ,  54 , bottom surface  45 ,  55 , inner side  46 ,  56  and outer side  47 ,  57 . The inner sides  46 ,  56  are those curved element sides facing each other, the space between the curved element inner sides  46 ,  56  defining the interface channel  40 . 
     As may be most clearly seen in FIGS. 4,  5 ,  11  and  15 , the keyboard interface element  26  is slidably attached to the computer body interior  18  within the interface channel  40 . The interface element  26  is a generally flat, rectangular, horizontal, element lying in a plane generally parallel to the computer body bottom  12 . The interface element  26  has a flat upper surface  27 , a flat lower surface  28 , and two short, interconnecting sides  29 . The interface element  26  is adapted to slide into the interface channel  40  between the curved element bottom front  42 ,  52  and beneath a plane formed by the curved element bottom surfaces  45 ,  55 . A spring locking system  30  comprised of a series of apertures  31  formed in the interface element sides  29 , a locking peg  32  slidably mounted on one of the curved element bottom surfaces  55 , and a spring  33  having two opposite ends is fitted about the locking peg  32 . The spring  33  is attached at one end  35  to an adjacent interface element side  29 . The other spring end  36  is attached to the knob  34 . The spring  33  will tend to draw the knob  34  toward the interface element thereby forcing the peg  32  toward the interface element side  29 . The locking peg  32  is adapted to slide into a desired interface element side aperture  31 . Pulling the knob  34  outward from the computer body side  15  will cause the locking peg  32  to slide out of an interface element aperture  31 . The keyboard unit  20  may then be pulled out of or reinserted into the computer body  10 . Releasing the knob  34  will allow the spring  33  to force the locking peg  32  to reseat into one of the apertures  31 . 
     As stated above the display unit  60  is positioned to the top  11  and rear  14  of the computer body  10 . The display  61 , itself, is a planar, generally rectangular element comprised (in this embodiment) of a liquid-crystal display (LCD). The display  61  has a front viewing surface  62 , a rear  63 , a top  64 , a bottom  65 , and two sides  66 . The display  61  is attached to an interface subsystem  70  which is slidably interfaced with the interface channel  40 . The interface subsystem  70  is comprised of a curved display interface element  71  slidably positioned within the interface channel  40 , and two, parallel, interface clamping elements  90  joining the interface element  71  to the display  61 . 
     The interface element  71  is a flat, elongated, curved element having a bottom-front  72 , top-rear  73 , top surface  74 , bottom surface  75 , and two opposing sides  76 , said bottom-front  72  and top-rear  73  defining the longitudinal axis of the element  71 . The interface element  71  has a curvature approximately equal to the curvature of the two, spaced, parallel, curved elements  41 ,  51  forming the interface channel  40 . The interface element sides  76  abut the curved element inner sides  46 ,  56  and have a series of apertures  77  formed therein. A block protrusion  78  is formed on the element top surface  74  abutting the element top-rear  73 , said block  78  having opposing sides  79  parallel to the element sides  76 , said block  78  having a side-to-side width equal to less than half the side-to-side width of the element top surface  74 . The two block sides  79  each have two pegs  80  protruding therefrom. 
     The display interface element  71  is positioned within the computer body interior interface channel  40 . The interface element  71  is adapted to slide into the interface channel  40  between the curved element inner sides  46 ,  56 . A spring locking system  81  in combination with the interface element side apertures  77  provides a locking peg  82  slidably mounted through the sides  56 ,  57  of one of the curved elements  51 , and a spring actuating system  83 . The spring locking system  81  is comprised of the apertures  77  formed in the interface element sides  76 , a locking peg  82  terminating in a knob  84  mounted externally on a side  15  of the computer body  10 . A spring  83  having two opposite ends is fitted about the locking peg  82 . The spring  83  is attached at one end  85  to an adjacent interface element side  57 . The other spring end  86  is attached to the knob  84 . The spring  83  will tend to draw the knob  84  toward the interface element thereby forcing the peg  82  toward the interface element side  76 . The locking peg  82  is adapted to slide into a desired interface element side aperture  77 . Pulling the knob  84  outward from the computer body side  15  will cause the locking peg  82  to slide out of an interface element aperture  77 . The interface element  71  may then be slid up from the computer body  10  or down into the computer body  10 . Releasing the knob  84  will allow the spring  83  to force the locking peg  82  to reseat into one of the apertures  77 . 
     As stated above two, spaced, parallel, elongated, hollow, interface clamping elements  90  join the display  61  to the interface element  71 . Each clamping element  90  has a curved shape with the same approximate curvature as the display interface element  71 . Each clamping element  90  has a length approximately equal to the length of the display interface element  71 . Each clamping element  90  has a bottom-front  91 , top-rear  92 , top surface  93 , bottom surface  94 , open inner side  95  and open outer side  96 . The inner sides  95  are those sides facing each other. The clamping element bottom-front  91  and top-rear  92  define the general longitudinal axis of each clamping element  90 . The openings  98  in the sides extend from inner side  95  to outer side  96  and are corrugated with transverse slots  99  along the clamping element longitudinal axis. The display interface element block pegs  80  engage the clamping element side openings  98  and rest within a desired transverse slot  99 . 
     The top surface  93  of each clamping element  90  has an elongated, beveled slit channel  97  formed therein. Within the channel  97  a series of transverse wedge-shaped protrusions  89  are formed along the clamping element longitudinal axis. 
     Fixedly attached to the display rear  63  is a generally rectangular, interface block  100 . See FIGS. 9C,  10  and  12 A-C. Each interface block  100  has a top surface  101 , bottom surface  102 , top side  103 , bottom side  104 , and opposing sides  105  interconnecting said top and bottom surfaces  101 ,  102 , and top and bottom sides  103 ,  104 . The interface block top surface  101  is adapted to be fixedly attached to said display rear  63 . The interface block bottom surface has two, parallel, spaced, beveled protrusions  106  adapted to being inserted into said clamping element top surface beveled slits  97 . The beveled protrusions have bottom surfaces  107  which are formed into wedges compatible with the clamping element, slit channel, wedge-shaped protrusions  89 . In one embodiment of the invention, a compression spring  108  is placed about the upper portion of the beveled protrusion  106  adjacent the interface block bottom surface  102 . 
     It is understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of the application. Other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.