Portable electronic information device

A portable electronic information device for performing information processing, data communication or the like. In the device, a slot is housed within a longitudinal rectangular housing recess formed at the rear portion of a lower wall of a device body so as to be able to be ejected therefrom and buried therein. A spring is provided within the housing recess so as to urge the slot outward. A locking unit is provided for locking the slot within the housing recess against the urging force of the spring. A guide frame is pivotally attached to the front portion of the lower wall of the device body so as to be erectable therefrom. A card-shaped information medium is attached through a through-hole of the erected guide frame to the slot which protrudes outside from the housing recess.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a portable electronic information device 
called a portable information terminal or the like for performing 
information processing, data communication or the like. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Conventionally, there has been proposed a portable electronic information 
device shown in FIG. 10 as an example of such a kind of portable 
electronic information device. According to such a portable electronic 
information device, a movable member 2 is provided within a device body 1 
having various kinds of functions such as information processing, data 
communication or the like. An opening portion 3 is formed at the side wall 
of the device body 1 in opposite to the movable member 2. A card-shaped 
information medium 4 called an IC (integrated circuit) card having a 
memory function or the like is inserted into the opening portion 3 and 
attached to the movable member 2, whereby, by controlling a control 
portion (not shown) within the device body 1, information processing can 
be performed using the memory or the like of the card-shaped information 
medium 4 coupled to the control portion through the movable member 2. In 
the figure, reference numeral 5 designates a monitor formed by a liquid 
crystal screen provided on an upper surface 1a of the device body 1. 
Since such a conventional device is arranged in a manner that the 
card-shaped information medium 4 is attached to the movable member 2 
provided within the device body 1 through the opening portion 3 formed at 
the side wall of the device body 1, the height H of the device body 1 
becomes large. 
Accordingly, it is proposed to provide the movable member 2 at a lower wall 
1b of the device body 1 on the basis of the technique disclosed in 
Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 5-75860. 
According to such a proposed arrangement, it is possible to reduce the 
height H of the device body 1. However, since the movable member 2 
protrudes outward from the lower wall 1a of the device body 1, the device 
becomes bulky and it becomes inconvenient to carry the device. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the aforesaid problem of the conventional portable electronic 
information device, an object of the present invention is to provide a 
portable electronic information device which can be made small in size so 
as not to be bulky at the time of carrying it. 
In order to achieve the aforesaid object, the present invention provides a 
portable electronic information device comprising: a device body having a 
housing recess formed therein; a movable member which is housed within the 
housing recess so as to be able to be ejected therefrom and buried 
therein; and a card-shaped information medium which is attached to the 
movable member protruded outward from the housing recess so as to be able 
to be inserted therein and pulled out therefrom. 
According to this arrangement, at the time of using the device, the movable 
member is protruded out of the housing recess of the device body and the 
card-shaped information medium is attached to the movable member. At the 
time of not using the device, the movable member is housed within the 
housing recess. 
In this case, by housing the movable member within the housing recess of 
the device body, the device can be miniaturized so as not to be bulky and 
it becomes convenient to carry the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to 
the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are views each showing the state 
that the portable electronic information device according to the first 
embodiment of the present invention is placed on a table 6. A movable 
member 2 is housed within a longitudinal rectangular housing recess 7 
formed at the rear portion of a lower wall 1b of a device body 1 so as to 
be able to be ejected therefrom and retracted therein. A spring 8 is 
provided within the housing recess 7 so as to urge the movable member 2 
outward. A locking means 9 is provided for locking the movable member 2 
within the housing recess 7 against the urging force of the spring 8. A 
guide frame 10 for guiding a card-shaped information medium 4 is pivotally 
attached to the front portion of the lower wall 1b so as to be erectable 
therefrom. 
The movable member 2 is arranged so as to be slidable along guide walls 7a 
and 7b formed on the inner wall of the housing recess 7. A fitting recess 
2a for fitting the tip portion of the card-shaped information medium 4 
therein is formed at the front wall of the slot. A concave step portion 2b 
is formed at the front wall of the base end portion of the movable member 
2, and a slip-out prevention projection 11 is provided at an opening 
portion 7c of the housing recess 7 in opposite to the concave step portion 
2b. Further, a lid portion 2c is provided at the tip portion of the 
movable member 2 so that the lid portion covers the opening portion 7c of 
the housing recess 7 when the movable member 2 is retracted within the 
housing recess 7 (see FIG. 3). 
The locking means 9 includes, at the center portion of the rear end of the 
lower wall 1b of the device body 1, a locking body 9a which is movably 
inserted into a slot 13 formed along the inserting and pulling-out 
directions a and b of the card-shaped information medium 4 and urged 
against the movable member 2 by a spring 14; a locking piece 9b extending 
from the one end of the locking body 9a to the movable member 2; and an 
operation portion 9c integrally formed at the other end of the locking 
body 9a so as to protrude therefrom. A pair of locking holes 15 and 16 are 
formed at the rear wall of the movable member 2 with a predetermined 
distance therebetween in opposite to the locking piece 9b. When the 
locking piece 9b is fitted into the base end side locking hole 15, the 
movable member 2 is locked so that the movable member is not accidentally 
retracted within the housing recess 7 (see FIG. 2). In contrast, when the 
locking piece 9b is fitted into the tip portion side locking hole 16, the 
movable member 2 is locked so that the slot does not protrude from the 
housing recess 7 (see FIG. 3). 
The guide frame 10 is formed in a transversely elongated 
substantially-rectangular frame shape in a front view thereof and provided 
at the center portion thereof with a through-hole 10a having the 
substantially same configuration as the cross sectional shape of the 
card-shaped information medium 4. The guide frame is disposed within a 
housing concave portion 17 formed at the lower wall 1b of the device body 
1 along the directions perpendicular to the inserting and pulling-out 
directions a and b of the card-shaped information medium 4. The base end 
portion of the guide frame is swingably pivotally attached to the device 
body 1 through a pivot 18. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 19 designates a 
semi-spherical stopper provided on the inner wall of the housing concave 
portion 17 so as to protrude therefrom in adjacent to the guide frame 10. 
The stopper serves to accidentally collapse the guide frame 10 being 
erected, and also serves to urge thereto the both side walls of the guide 
frame 10 being housed within the housing concave portion 17 so that the 
guide frame 10 does not come out of the housing concave portion 17 
accidentally. 
As shown in FIG. 1, a transparent tablet is attached to a monitor 5. 
Various kinds of information processing can be performed by touching the 
transparent tablet by using an operation pen 20. 
In the aforesaid arrangement, at the time of using the device, the 
operation portion 9c of the locking means 9 is moved backward against the 
tension of the spring 14 from the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 3 
thereby to disengage the locking piece 9b from the locking hole 16. Thus, 
the movable member 2 protrudes outward from the housing recess 7 due to 
the restoring force of the spring 8 and the concave step portion 2b abuts 
against the slip-out prevention projection portion 11 (see the phantom 
line in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4). Then, when the backward moving force applied 
to the operation portion 9c is removed, the locking piece 9b is fitted 
into the locking hole 15 due to the restoring force of the spring 14, so 
that the movable member 2 is prevented from being accidentally retracted 
into the housing recess 7. Thereafter, the guide frame 10 is erected (see 
the phantom line in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4), then the tip portion of the 
card-shaped information medium 4 is fitted into the fitting recess 2a of 
the movable member 2 through the through-hole 10a of the guide frame 10. 
Thus, the terminal 4a of the card-shaped information medium 4 abuts 
against the terminal 2d of the movable member 2, so that the card-shaped 
information medium 4 is connected to a control portion (not shown) of the 
device body 1 formed by a microcomputer. 
Thereafter, the device body 1 is turned over and placed on the table 6 by 
means of the movable member 2 and the guide frame 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2. In this state, when the transparent tablet of the monitor 5 is 
touched by the operation pen 20, various kinds of information processing 
such as table calculation, preparation of address table, word processor 
operation or the like can be performed. 
At the time that the device is no longer used, the device body 1 is turned 
over again so that the movable member 2 and the guide frame 10 are 
directed upward. Then, the card-shaped information medium 4 is drawn out 
from the movable member 2 and the guide frame 10, and the guide frame 10 
is collapsed and housed within the housing concave portion 17. Further, 
the operation portion 9c of the locking means 9 is moved backward against 
the tension of the spring 14 and the movable member 2 is pushed down 
against the tension of the spring 8. Thereafter, the backward moving force 
applied to the operation portion 9c is removed, and the locking piece 9b 
is fitted into the locking hole 16 (see the solid line in FIG. 3). 
According to the aforesaid arrangement, since the movable member 2 is 
adapted to be housed within the housing concave portion 17, the height h 
of the device body 1 (see FIG. 1) is made smaller than that of the 
conventional device body (see FIG. 10) and hence the device can be 
miniaturized so as not to be bulky and it becomes convenient to carry the 
device. 
Further, the movable member 2 is securely locked within the housing recess 
7 by means of the locking means 9 and the opening portion 7c of the 
housing recess 7 can be covered by the lid portion 2c (see FIG. 3). 
Furthermore, by merely unlocking the movable member, the movable member 2 
can be slid along the guide walls 7a and 7b due to the tension of the 
spring 8 and protrude out of the housing recess 7. In this state, when the 
locking means 9 is made engaged with the movable member 2 thus protruded, 
the movable member 2 can be prevented from being accidentally retracted 
within the housing recess 7 (see FIG. 2). 
The card-shaped information medium 4 can be easily attached to the movable 
member 2 through the guide frame 10. Furthermore, since the guide frame 10 
can be collapsed and housed within the housing concave portion 17, the 
device can be made compact without being bulky and the appearance of the 
device can be kept good. 
According to the first embodiment of the present invention, although the 
guide frame 10 is formed in a transversely elongated 
substantially-rectangular frame shape in a front view thereof, the present 
invention is not limited thereto. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the guide 
frame 10 may be formed in a transversely elongated substantially U-shape 
in a front view thereof, and a concave groove 10b for passing the 
card-shaped information medium 4 therethrough may be formed at center 
portion thereof. According to such an arrangement, the card-shaped 
information medium 4 passing through the concave groove 10b can be easily 
attached to the movable member 2 (second embodiment). 
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the guide frame 10 may be formed by a 
pair of right and left guide frame portions 10A and 10B disposed in 
parallel to each other with a predetermined distance therebetween, and 
guide grooves 10c may be formed at opposite side walls of the guide frame 
portions 10A and 10B for guiding the opposite side end portions of the 
card-shaped information medium 4, respectively. According to such an 
arrangement, the card-shaped information medium 4 can be easily attached 
to the movable member 2 by passing the opposite side end portions of the 
card-shaped information medium 4 through the guide grooves 10c (third 
embodiment). 
Further, although the movable member 2 is arranged so as to be slidable, 
the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 
and 8, the movable member 2 may be pivotally mounted within the housing 
recess 7 through a pivot 22, a spring 23 may be provided for urging the 
movable member 2 outside of the housing recess 7, and an opening/closing 
lid 24 may be provided which pushes the movable member 2 within the 
housing recess 7 against the urging force of the spring 23 when it covers 
the opening portion 7c of the housing recess 7 so as to be freely able to 
close and open it. Further, a projection portion 24a protruding from the 
opening/closing lid 24 may be provided so that the projection portion 
passes through a slit 25 formed at the lower wall 1b of the device body 1 
along the inserting and pulling-out directions a and b of the card-shaped 
information medium 4, and an operation portion 24b may be formed at the 
projection portion 24a (fourth embodiment). 
According to such an arrangement of the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 
9, when the operation portion 24b is moved to close the opening/closing 
lid 24 thereby to cover the opening portion 7c of the housing recess 7, 
the movable member 2 can be securely housed within the housing recess 7. 
Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the opening/closing lid 24 is 
merely opened, the movable member 2 can be rotated by the urging force of 
the spring 23 and protrude out of the housing recess 7. 
As shown in FIG. 1, a modem 27 may be provided at the card-shaped 
information medium 4. In such an arrangement, data communication can be 
performed easily through a line connected to the modem 27. 
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an electronic camera 28 may be provided at the 
card-shaped information medium 4. In such an arrangement, an image can be 
photographed by using the electronic camera 28, and an address table with 
face pictures can be prepared easily by combining the photographed images 
and an address table. 
According to the present invention, by housing the slot within the housing 
recess of the device body, the device can be miniaturized so as not to be 
bulky and it becomes convenient to carry the device.