Movable display screen for a computer

A portable personal computer has a display screen movable between a substantially vertical position when a keyboard is in a substantially horizontal position and exposed for use and a substantially horizontal position in which the keyboard is not accessible or viewable but the display screen is accessible and viewable. In its substantially horizontal position, the display screen can be used as a book reading device or a pen based personal computer, for example. When the display screen is in its substantially horizontal position, function control buttons are accessible.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a computer arrangement having a display screen 
movable between two positions and, more particularly, to a computer 
arrangement having a display screen movable between a position in which 
both a keyboard and the display screen are accessible and viewable to a 
user and to a position in which the keyboard is not accessible or viewable 
to the user but the display screen is accessible and viewable. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,376 to Blonder discloses a display screen for personal 
and laptop computers movable between a substantially vertical position and 
a substantially horizontal position. When the display screen is in its 
substantially vertical position, the keyboard is disposed in a 
substantially horizontal position so that a user may view the display 
screen when using the keyboard to enter data. 
When data is to be entered through a graphics pen, for example, the display 
screen of the aforesaid Blonder patent is disposed in a substantially 
horizontal position. When the display screen is in its substantially 
horizontal position, the keyboard is disposed in a substantially vertical 
position in which the keys on the keyboard are in their normal orientation 
relative to the user. 
To accomplish this disposition of the display screen in a substantially 
vertical or substantially horizontal position, the computer arrangement of 
the aforesaid Blonder patent uses a relatively complex hinge connection 
between the keyboard and the display screen. It also requires manual 
rotation of the computer through 180.degree. . 
One problem with the computer arrangement of the aforesaid Blonder patent 
is that the relatively complex hinge connection adds weight to the laptop 
computer, which is used as a portable computer. Since it is desired to 
have the weight of the laptop computer a minimum when used as a portable 
computer, this increased weight by the relatively complex hinge connection 
is not desirable. Furthermore, the additional weight of the computer makes 
it more difficult for a user to lift the computer to rotate the computer 
through 180.degree. to shift the positions of the display screen. 
Another problem with the computer arrangement of the aforesaid Blonder 
patent is that it requires the keyboard to be exposed when data is to be 
entered through the use of a graphics pen, for example. This exposure is 
necessary because of the need for certain function control buttons on the 
keyboard to be employed when entering data through the graphics pen. For 
example, it is necessary to move the cursor or to move the page up or 
down. 
As a result of the keyboard of the aforesaid Blonder patent being exposed 
when data is to be entered through the use of a graphics pen, for example, 
the user cannot comfortably hold the computer in a relatively small space 
such as in an airplane seat, for example, and easily enter data through a 
graphics pen. The location of the function control buttons on the keyboard 
also makes it difficult to control the position of the cursor and other 
functions. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The computer arrangement of the present invention satisfactorily solves the 
foregoing problems. The dual position display screen of the present 
invention does not require a relatively complex hinge connection as in the 
aforesaid Blonder patent. Thus, the weight added to a laptop computer by 
the present invention is less than in the aforesaid Blonder patent. 
The computer arrangement of the present invention does not require the user 
to manually lift the computer to rotate it to shift the position of the 
display screen between its substantially vertical and horizontal positions 
or vice versa. Instead, it is only necessary to pivot the display screen 
between two positions when the display screen is in its substantially 
vertical position so that the display screen will be exposed to the user 
when the display screen is moved to a substantially horizontal position to 
overlie the keyboard. Thus, movement of the display screen between its two 
viewable and accessible positions is substantially simplified by the 
computer arrangement of the present invention. 
The computer arrangement of the present invention avoids the need for 
access to the keyboard when the display screen is in its substantially 
horizontal position in which it is viewable and accessible and overlying 
the keyboard. This is accomplished through providing function control 
buttons in a display screen support. 
Thus, with the display screen in its substantially horizontal position so 
that it is both accessible and viewable, a small portable or notebook type 
computer may be used not only to have data entered by a graphics pen, for 
example, but also as a book reading device, for example. Accordingly, a 
disk having data of a book on it, for example, may be inserted into a disk 
drive of the computer and read. The function control buttons in the 
support structure for the display screen enable movement of the page up 
and down and shifting of the cursor, for example. Furthermore, with the 
display screen in its substantially horizontal position in which it is 
both accessible and viewable, the computer may be easily used in a 
relatively small space such as in an airplane seat, for example. There is 
no vertical protrusion of the keyboard as in the aforesaid Blonder patent, 
for example. 
Additionally, with the display screen in its substantially horizontal 
position in which it is both accessible and viewable, the computer can be 
held so that the display screen cannot be viewed by others. The 
disposition of the display screen in a substantially horizontal position 
also enables a photocopy to be made of the material on the display screen 
since it can be laid flat on a photocopy machine. 
An object of this invention is to provide a computer arrangement having a 
display screen movable between two positions in which the display screen 
may be viewed. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable computer having a 
display screen positioned substantially vertical when used with a 
substantially horizontal disposed keyboard and positioned substantially 
horizontal for use when the keyboard is not accessible. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a portable computer in 
which its display screen may be viewed and is accessible when a computer 
top cover is closed. Other objects of this invention will be readily 
perceived from the following description, claims, and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, there is shown a laptop 
computer 10. The computer 10 has a keyboard 11 supported within a bottom 
cover assembly 12. The keyboard 11 is electrically connected to a printed 
circuit board including a microprocessor within the bottom cover assembly 
12. 
The bottom cover assembly 12 has an opening (not shown) in its side wall 14 
to enable a disk drive (not shown) within the bottom cover assembly 12 to 
receive a disk, which can have data entered or received. For example, if 
the computer 10 is to be used to enable reading of data from the disk, 
then the disk is a read only disk. 
A top cover 16 is pivotally mounted on a rear cover 17, which is attached 
to the bottom cover assembly 12. The top cover 16 has two substantially 
parallel outer side walls 18 (see FIG. 3) and 19 with an outer front end 
wall 20 extending substantially perpendicular to each of the side walls 18 
and 19 at one of their ends. The walls 18, 19, and 20 project inwardly 
from an inner surface 21 of the top cover 16. 
The inner surface 21 has substantially parallel side walls 22 and 23 
extending inwardly from its inner side edges. A front end wall 24 extends 
between the side walls 18 and 19 and is connected to one end of each of 
the side walls 22 and 23. A rear end wall 25 extends between the other end 
of each of the side walls 22 and 23 and is substantially parallel to the 
front end wall 24. The end walls 24 and 25 are substantially perpendicular 
to the side walls 18 and 19. 
The inner surface 21 has the walls 22, 23, and 24 spaced from the walls 18, 
19, and 20, respectively. Accordingly, a space 26 is formed between the 
side walls 18 and 22, a space 27 is formed between the side walls 19 and 
23, and a space 28 is formed between the front end walls 20 and 24. A 
rectangular shaped opening 29 in the top cover 16 is defined by the inner 
surfaces of the walls 22-25. 
A display screen 30 (see FIG. 5), which is preferably a liquid crystal 
display screen, is sandwiched between a front screen cover 31 and a rear 
screen cover 32. To enable a graphics pen to be used with the display 
screen 30, a digitizer, which is transparent and can be obtained from 
Scriptel Corporation, 4145 Arlingate Plaza, Columbus, OH, for example, is 
adhered to the display screen 30. Thus, the display screen 30 and the 
covers 31 and 32 comprise a display screen portion 33. 
The front screen cover 31 has a rectangular shaped opening 35 in its main 
wall 36 through which the display screen 30 is viewable. The rear screen 
cover 32 has a solid main wall 37 to protect the display screen 30 when 
the computer 10 has the configuration of FIG. 8 in which neither the 
keyboard 11 (see FIG. 1) nor the display screen 30 is viewable or 
accessible. This is the transport position of the computer 10. 
The front screen cover 31 (see FIG. 5) has semi-cylindrical hollow pivots 
38 and 39 extending from the inner surfaces of its substantially parallel 
side walls 40 and 41, respectively, and through the side walls 40 and 41, 
respectively. Each of the semi-cylindrical hollow pivots 38 and 39 has a 
semi-circular lip 42 and 43, respectively, at its free end. 
The rear screen cover 32 has semi-cylindrical hollow pivots 44 and 45 
extending from the inner surfaces of its substantially parallel side walls 
46 and 47, respectively, and through the side walls 46 and 47, 
respectively. Each of the semi-cylindrical hollow pivots 44 and 45 has a 
semi-circular lip 48 and 49, respectively, at its free end. 
When the front screen cover 31 and the rear screen cover 32 are secured to 
each other with the display screen 30 sandwiched therebetween, the pivots 
38 and 44 cooperate to form a hollow axial passage through which electric 
cables can pass as do the pivots 39 and 45. The display screen 30 has two 
backlight cables 50 extending therefrom through the hollow axial passage 
defined by the cooperating pivots 38 and 44. A data signal cable 51 
extends from the opposite side of the display screen 30 and through the 
hollow axial passage defined by the cooperating pivots 39 and 45. 
The pivot 44 rests in a cutout bearing portion 55 in the side wall 23 of 
the top cover 16. The pivot 38 rests in a cutout bearing portion 56 (see 
FIG. 4) in a side wall 57 extending from an inner surface 58 of a bezel 
59. 
As shown in FIG. 6, the side wall 23 of the top cover 16 fits between the 
side wall 46 of the rear screen cover 32 and the lip 48 on the pivot 44. 
The side wall 57 of the bezel 59 fits between the lip 42 on the pivot 38 
and the side wall 40 of the front screen cover 31. 
The pivot 45 (see FIG. 5) rests in a cutout bearing portion 60 in the side 
wall 22 of the top cover 16 and the pivot 39 rests in a cutout bearing 
portion 61 in a side wall 62, which is substantially parallel to the side 
wall 57 (see FIG. 4), extending from the inner surface 58 of the bezel 59. 
The side wall 22 (see FIG. 5) of the top cover 16 fits between the side 
wall 47 of the rear screen cover 32 and the lip 49 on the pivot 45 as 
shown in FIG. 11. The side wall 62 of the bezel 59 fits between the lip 43 
on the pivot 39 and the side wall 41 of the front screen cover 31 as shown 
in FIG. 11. 
Accordingly, the display screen 30 (see FIG. 5) is pivotable between a 
first position in which the rear screen cover 32 is disposed in the 
opening 29 in the top cover 16 and the display screen 30 is viewable and 
accessible through an opening 63 in the bezel 59 and a second position in 
which the rear screen cover 32 is disposed within the opening 63 in the 
bezel 59 and the display screen 30 is viewable and accessible through the 
opening 29 in the top cover 16. The first position of the display screen 
30 occurs when the computer 10 is in the position of FIG. 1. The second 
position of the display screen 30 occurs when the computer 10 is in the 
position of FIG. 7 when the keyboard 11 (see FIG. 1) is not accessible or 
viewable but the display screen 30 (see FIG. 5) is both accessible and 
viewable. 
When the display screen 30 is viewable through the opening 63, which is 
defined by the side walls 57 (see FIG. 4) and 62 and end walls 64 and 65, 
in the bezel 59, its position is determined by an end surface 66 (see FIG. 
5) on a tab 67, which extends downwardly from the front screen cover 31, 
engaging an end surface 68 (see FIG. 3) of a notch 69 in the rear end wall 
25 of the top cover 16 after passing through a notch 69' (see FIG. 5) in 
an outer wall 70 of the bezel 59. When the display screen 30 is pivoted to 
the position in which the display screen 30 is viewable through the 
opening 29 in the top cover 16, the tab 67 has an end surface 71, which is 
substantially parallel to the end surface 66, engage an end surface 72 
(see FIG. 3) of a notch 73 in the front end wall 24 of the top cover 16 
after passing through a notch 73' (see FIG. 5) in the outer wall 70 of the 
bezel 59. 
Thus, the tab 67 and the notches 69 and 73 cooperate to limit pivoting of 
the display screen 30 to about 180.degree. . Therefore, continuous 
rotation of the display screen 30 is prevented so that the cables 50 and 
51 cannot be wound up and damaged. 
When pivoting of the display screen 30 is stopped at either of the desired 
positions, the display screen portion 33 is retained against movement by a 
detent arrangement. The detent arrangement includes an opening 74 in a 
wall 75 of the front screen cover 31 cooperating with an opening 76 in a 
wall 77 of the rear screen cover 32 to form a rectangular shaped opening 
to receive a protrusion 78 on the rear end wall 25 of the top cover 16 
when the screen display portion 33 is pivoted 180.degree. from the 
position in FIG. 2. 
The front screen cover 31 (see FIG. 5) has an opening )not shown) in its 
wall 79, which is substantially parallel to the wall 75, corresponding to 
the opening 74 in the wall 75. The rear screen cover 32 has an opening 
(not shown) in its wall 80, which is substantially parallel to the wall 
77, corresponding to the opening 76 in the wall 77. The openings in the 
walls 79 and 80 cooperate to form a rectangular shaped opening to receive 
the protrusion 78 when the screen display portion 33 is in the position of 
FIG. 5. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface 58 of the bezel 59 has a hole 81 on 
each of its sides. Each of the holes 81 receives a screw (not shown) for 
disposition within a tapped hole 82 (see FIG. 3) in the inner surface 21 
of the top cover 16. These connect the bezel 59 (see FIG. 5) to the top 
cover 16. 
The bezel 59 (see FIG. 4) has three latches 83A along its front end. As 
shown in FIG. 10, each of the latches 83A has a hooked end 83B for 
cooperation with a retaining protrusion 83C extending inwardly from the 
outer front end wall 20 of the top cover 16. These also connect the bezel 
59 (see FIG. 5) to the top cover 16. 
The bezel 59 (see FIG. 4) also has an outer side wall 84 extending from the 
inner surface 58. The side wall 84 is spaced from the side wall 57 to form 
a space 85 therebetween. 
When the bezel 59 is connected to the top cover 16 (see FIG. 9), the side 
wall 57 of the bezel 59 abuts the side wall 23 of the top cover 16 and the 
outer side wall 84 (see FIG. 4) of the bezel 59 fits within the outer side 
wall 19 (see FIG. 2) of the top cover 16 and bears thereagainst whereby 
the space 85 (see FIG. 9) communicates with the space 27. 
The bezel 59 (see FIG. 4) has an outer side wall 86, which is substantially 
parallel to the side wall 84. The side wall 86 is spaced from the side 
wall 62 to form a space 87 therebetween. When the bezel 59 is connected to 
the top cover 16 (see FIG. 9), the side wall 62 of the bezel 59 abuts the 
side wall 22 of the top cover 16 and the outer side wall 86 (see FIG. 4) 
of the bezel 59 fits inside of the outer side wall 18 (see FIG. 3) of the 
top cover 16 and bears thereagainst whereby the space 87 (see FIG. 9) in 
the bezel 59 is in communication with the space 26 in the top cover 16. 
As shown in FIG. 10, the front end wall 24 of the top cover 16 abuts the 
front end wall 64 of the bezel 59 and the rear end wall 25 of the top 
cover 16 abuts the rear end wall 65 of the bezel 59 when the bezel 59 is 
connected to the top cover 16. When the bezel 59 is connected to the top 
cover 16, an outer front end wall 88 (see FIG. 4), which is interrupted by 
the latches 83A, of the bezel 59 fits inside of the outer front end wall 
20 (see FIG. 5) of the top cover 16 and bears thereagainst. Thus, the 
bezel 59 is surrounded by the outer walls 18, 19, and 20 of the top cover 
16. 
The bezel 59 (see FIG. 4) has a pair of hinge portions 89 with each being 
secured to a separate hinge portion 90 (see FIG. 3) extending from the 
rear end of the top cover 16 after a hinge 91 (see FIG. 2) is secured to 
each of the hinge portions 90 (see FIG. 3) by a screw 92 (see FIG. 2) 
extending through a hole in the hinge 91 into a tapped hole 93 (see FIG. 
3) in the hinge portion 90. 
Each of the hinge portions 90 is secured to one of the hinge portions 89 
(see FIG. 4) by screws extending through a hole 94 (see FIG. 3) in the 
hinge portion 89, a hole 94' (see FIG. 2) in the hinge 91, and a tapped 
hole 95 (see FIG. 3) in the hinge portion 90. 
Each of the hinge portions 89 (see FIG. 4) has a semi-circular opening 96 
at one of its ends larger than a semi-circular opening 96' at its other 
end. A circular opening is formed by each of the semi-circular openings 96 
cooperating with a semi-circular opening 97 (see FIG. 3), which is the 
same radius as the semi-circular opening 96 (see FIG. 4), at one end of 
the hinge portion 90 (see FIG. 3) of the top cover 16 to which the hinge 
portion 89 is secured. Each of the semi-circular openings 96' (see FIG. 4) 
cooperates with a semi-circular opening 97' (see FIG. 3), which is the 
same radius as the semi-circular openings 96' (see FIG. 4) and is at the 
other end of the hinge portion 90 (see FIG. 3) of the top cover 16 to 
which the hinge portion 89 (see FIG. 4) is secured, to form a smaller 
circular opening. 
Each of the smaller circular openings formed by the smaller cooperating 
semi-circular openings 96' and 97' (see FIG. 3) enables a hinge pin 98 
(see FIG. 2) to extend from the rear cover 17 through one of the hinges 91 
after passing through one of the smaller circular openings. This hinge 
arrangement enables the top cover 16 (see FIG. 5), the bezel 59, and the 
display screen portion 33 therebetween to be pivoted between the vertical 
position of FIG. 1 and the horizontal position of FIG. 7 or 8. 
The front screen cover 31 (see FIG. 5) has a plurality of control buttons 
99 mounted thereon on opposite sides of the opening 35 to enable control 
of the cursor and other functions when the display screen 30 is viewable 
through the opening 29 in the top cover 16. Although the control buttons 
99 (see FIG. 5) may be employed when the computer 10 (see FIG. 1) is in 
the position of FIG. 1, the control buttons 99 (see FIG. 5) are employed 
primarily when the computer 10 (see FIG. 7) is in the position of FIG. 7. 
The control buttons 99 (see FIG. 5) on the right side of the front screen 
cover 31 are connected to a plurality of wires, fourteen in number, for 
example, within a cable 100 extending from the right side of the front 
screen cover 31. The control buttons 99 on the left side of the front 
screen cover 31 are connected to a plurality of wires, five in number, for 
example, within a cable 101 extending from the left side of the front 
screen cover 31. The cables 50, 51, 100, and 101 constitute electric 
communicating means. 
The cables 50 and 100 extend through the space 27 (see FIG. 9) in the top 
cover 16 and the communicating space 85 in the bezel 59 and then beneath 
the rear end wall 25 (see FIG. 2) of the top cover 16 and the rear end 
wall 65 (see FIG. 4) of the bezel 59. The cables 50 (see FIG. 5) and 100 
then pass through the circular opening, which is formed by one of the 
semi-circular openings 96 (see FIG. 4) in the hinge portion 89 and one of 
the semi-circular openings 97 (see FIG. 3) in the hinge portion 90, and 
into an opening 102 (see FIG. 2) at one end of a portion 103 of the rear 
cover 17. This enables a plug 104 (see FIG. 5) on the end of the cables 50 
to be plugged into a socket of the printed circuit board within the bottom 
cover assembly 12 (see FIG. 2) and a plug 105 (see FIG. 5) on the end of 
the cable 100 to be inserted into a socket of the printed circuit board 
within the bottom cover assembly 12 (see FIG. 2). 
In a similar manner, the cables 51 (see FIG. 5) and 101 extend through the 
space 26 (see FIG. 9) in the top cover 16 and the communicating space 87 
in the bezel 59 and beneath the rear end wall 25 (see FIG. 2) of the top 
cover 16 and the rear end wall 65 (see FIG. 4) of the bezel 59. The cables 
51 (see FIG. 5) and 101 then pass through the circular opening, which is 
formed by the other of the semicircular openings 96 (see FIG. 4) in the 
hinge portion 89 and the other of the semi-circular openings 97 (see FIG. 
3) in the hinge portion 90 and into an opening (not shown) in the portion 
103 (see FIG. 2) of the rear cover 17 at its end opposite from the end 
having the opening 102. This enables a plug 106 (see FIG. 5) on the end of 
the cable 51 to be inserted within a socket of the printed circuit board 
within the bottom cover assembly 12 (see FIG. 2) and a plug 107 (see FIG. 
5) on the end of the cable 101 to be inserted into a socket of the printed 
circuit board within the bottom cover assembly 12 (see FIG. 2). 
When the top cover 16 is pivoted to its closed position of FIG. 7 or 8, a 
latch 108 (see FIG. 2), which has a hooked end 109, is inserted in a 
rectangular shaped opening 110 in an upper surface 111 of the bottom cover 
assembly 12. The hooked end 109 passes through a rectangular shaped 
opening (not shown) in a resiliently biased element 112, which protrudes 
through an opening 113 in a front end wall 114 of the bottom cover 
assembly 12. The resiliently biased element 112, which is urged outwardly 
by a spring (not shown) to protrude beyond the front end wall 114, has the 
hooked end 109 of the latch 108 engage a lip beneath the rectangular 
shaped opening (not shown) in the resiliently biased element 112. Thus, 
when the top cover 16 is to not be retained in its locked position on top 
of the bottom cover assembly 12, inward pushing of the resiliently biased 
element 112 against its spring releases the hooked end 109 from engagement 
with the resiliently biased element 112. 
An advantage of this invention is that it provides a compact arrangement 
for a portable computer when a display screen is to be used without the 
keyboard being accessible. Another advantage of this invention is that it 
insures that a display screen of a portable computer is at its desired 
position. A further advantage of this invention is that a photocopy of a 
display screen of a portable computer may be made. 
For purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of the invention 
has been shown and described according to the best present understanding 
thereof. However, it will be apparent that changes and modifications in 
the arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be resorted to 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.